Tommy Ferris Duathlon

Steelhead 70.3

2011-11-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

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.

Benton Harbor, MI, is a small beach town on Lake Michigan, and finding a place to stay was a bit tricky so close to race day (we started looking for a hotel only a few weeks before the race), but I scoured the internet, pulled a few tricks out of my hat and found a place with every amenity a small group of triathletes could ask for... it was only minutes out of town, had a back door that opened to quiet country roads and a front door that led you to your own private lake, complete with fishing boats and kayaks.

This is what we woke to Friday morning. Our own private lake.

Back from the grocery store. Just enough to feed four triathletes for the weekend.

We left Toronto late Thursday afternoon and woke up Friday to a beautiful sunrise on our sweet little lake and got right to business. First up was a quick trip to the grocery store followed by two end-to-end crossings of the lake, a 45-minute easy ride and a short 15-minute run. After breakfast we went into town to register. Among our group was my friend Cindy, and during our morning ride she'd run into syncing issues with her PowerTap so we spent some time getting that sorted. We got back to our place in time for a late lunch and spent the rest of the day relaxing. I even got in a quick nap. Saturday was more of the same... a quick, easy workout in the morning in full race set-up, breakfast, a trip into town, and back in time for lunch. Rob and I also drove the first 11 miles of the bike course.

Right from our arrival, rumours were spreading that Sunday's weather was going to cancel the swim portion of the race. Much of Saturday was spent checking the weather report, and as the day wore on, forecasts of strong winds and rain made the cancellation of the swim likely. It was hard to wrap your head around the thought of a swim cancellation because the weather we'd had all week was sunny and clear with no wind.

Fishing Saturday afternoon. Hard to believe the weather forecast on an evening like this.

We woke up early Sunday morning to, as far as we could tell, a clear day. However, within seconds of parking the cars at the race the rumours of the swim cancellation were confirmed. Still in disbelief (The weather is fine! Why are they canceling the swim?) we walked around the tall sand dunes protecting the beach area and it was instantly clear why the swim was abandoned. It was like walking into a wind tunnel. Sand was blowing everywhere, flagpoles had been toppled over, and banners were blowing horizontally in the wind. The waves were higher than my head. A small craft advisory was in effect so the life guards couldn't get onto the water on their paddle boards and kayaks. With or without an official cancellation of the swim, there was no way I was getting in the water. The waves were taller than me.

This would have been the swim exit. Big waves and big wind.

The way the race was to proceed was like this: it would be a duathlon with no first run and a time trial start on the bike. The pro men would start, followed by the pro women, and finally the age group athletes. The pros would be sent of 30 seconds apart and age groupers would be sent off every five seconds, two at a time in order of their bib number. Everyone watched and cheered the pros as they went off and the long queue of age groupers formed soon after.

The pro men lining up for their start.

The pro women. Cindy and her bike are second from the left.

My bib was #1978 so I had a long wait and it was a difficult one. Lots of time was spent sitting around. My age group wave was supposed to start the race at 8.14am, and before the race I'd eaten and prepared myself to be ready to go at that time. With the new starting format I'd calculated I wouldn't be starting till well after 9.45am so I delayed my warmup and kept myself hydrated. When it was finally time for me to start I was itching to go. I'd eaten a couple of my race gels and finished off a bottle of fluid and was jacked up on caffeine and needed to burn some energy.

Me and another athlete pulled our bikes up to the start line and were sent on our way. The first kilometre of the bike wound along a golf course before a short, steep climb to the highway. The terrain was rolling hills and I started making my way up the field. There was a slight headwind for the entire first out-section of the course (the first 11 miles we'd checked out the day before), and then we turned onto secondary county roads. Things felt good on the bike, but not great. Something was slightly off. I felt sluggish. I was blaming the crosswinds, but I kept telling myself to keep pedaling because the winds were slowing everyone down. Except for the guy drafting me. There was some dude that sat on my wheel for about 20 miles. He would slingshot past me on every climb, I'd overtake him, and he'd grab onto my wheel again. I was giving this guy way too much free help. The last section of the course was a set of long rollers that was pretty much straight back into town for 12 miles along the Blue Star Highway. The wind was at our back for this entire section. I took advantage of the wind and the terrain and kept up a 45+k/hr speed all the way back. My drafter was long gone and my average speed started to come up fast. It was below 38 before I'd hit this section of the course and I'd check it every so often. I got closer and closer to the end of the ride and my average speed creeped higher and higher to the elusive 40km/h. Averaging 40+ for 70.3 is a goal I'm working towards and I was at 39.6. A few Ks later, 39.9. The end of the course was in sight and thought I'd run out of road before having to slow down for transition. A few hundred metres before the last turn my speedo rolled over to 40.0, and with the help of one last steep downhill, I made the last turn into transition with a 40.2 average speed. I was amped. I dropped off my bike, grabbed my running gear and left transition with confidence soaring.

One thing I've been struggling with is mental strength, especially on the run. I'm a good runner and am fully capable and, at the time, fit enough to run a sub-1.20 half-marathon (not at a triathlon), but the problem is pushing myself to sustain the necessary pace. It hurts to run fast, and holding that threshold of being just below a tolerable level of pain is difficult for me. My goal for this run was to overcome that mental struggle and run a sub-1.24. I started off well. For the first 7k I was just above the pace necessary to run a sub-1.24, which was part of the race plan. The pace felt easy and solid. At about the 8k mark the course went into the Whirpool compound and there were two loops of narrow roads and cross country trails. I slowed down here, and that funny feeling that started on the bike had fully manifested into some severe GI issues. After 14k of increasing discomfort I had to stop. I spent a couple minutes in the port-o-potty and sprinted out the door when I was done. My pace improved immediately but with the pitstop I was nowhere close to where I needed to be to run a sub 1.24. However, on the final leg of the run, just after the steep climb that starts you on your way home, a couple of guys started coming up behind me and they were coming up quickly. When they caught me I grabbed on. They were running at the pace I wanted to be at, a pace I knew I could manage. It was late in the race but knew I could hold this pace with them there to guide me. The three of us were cooking, and me and one of the others dropped the third. For the last few kilometers we were running well below 4min/km, and for the last two we were running sub 3.30. This surge over the last 7k was exactly what I needed. I knew I had it in me to hold this pace this late in the game. As we reached the finish chute, I let the other guy go ahead and cross the line on his own.

Later on while checking my results I came across a few surprises. The first was I'd finished 3rd in my age group, which was my first podium finish in a triathlon. The second was the average speed of my ride. Whereas I thought I'd finished with an average of 40.1, my official speed was more in the range of 39.5. I've had some problems with my bike computer over the past little while so it probably reset itself at some point which would explain the discrepancy. The third was that, even with my little pit stop, I still managed the third fastest run in my age group. I felt amazing. Finishing on the podium in my age group was a long-term, three year goal for me, so accomplishing that here in my first season of 70.3s was huge for me. My instincts tell me I'd have gotten that third-place finish even if the swim hadn't been cancelled, and don't feel my years of duathlon experience gave me any sort of advantage over the field (there was no first run after all). I'd wanted to use the swim here to gauge my progress in preparation for Syracuse, but even without it I had a good ride and run in the bag and left Benton Harbor with renewed confidence heading into the final weeks of preparation for my 'A' race. Booyah.

Out of the weeds.

2011-11-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-11-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-10-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-06-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

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.

things started off great. i got over to the race site early with plenty of time to set up and get ready. i slept well and was feeling ready to race and was excited about the day. i knew a lot of people that would be racing and was looking forward to competing alongside so many of those i train with. however, the day's first mishap occurred before the trunk of the truck was closed. my rear tire blew while pumping it up. i'd lost my spare, pre-glued tubular in orlando and (stupidly) hadn't picked up another one. no problem... i'll rent a rear wheel. turns out the wheel rental guy had decided not to show. that's ok... i'll head to the Gears trailer and buy a new one. turns out they don't sell tubulars on site. alright, now i'm starting to sweat. i started texting and emailing friends that hadn't arrived yet and starting asking around. jason (technical director) made an announcement on my behalf asking if anyone had a pre-glued tubular tire i could buy off them. john salt was nice enough to lend me his rear training tire (thanks, john!), and a few minutes later i had my hands on another wheel (thanks, tim!). just when i was ready to this wheel on my bike, nigel gray found me and lent me his spare tubular (thanks, nigel!). with a quick swap over at the Gears trailer, i went for a test ride, finished setting up my transition area, and before i knew it was heading down to the water to start the race.

i spent the entire walk to the the swim start focusing on calming my anxiety. my morning had been much more stressful than i'd hoped for. in the midst of sorting out my wheel issues i'd realized i'd forgotten to eat and sprinted back to the car to wolf down as much as i could before heading back to finish setting up my gear. at the water i sat on the grass and closed my eyes and focused on my breathing and did my best to settle down. it was tough with so little time. i got in the water, did as much of a warm up as i could, tried to get a feel for my wetsuit (this would be my first wetsuit swim), and found a spot behind the faster swimmers. the plan was to go hard for the first few hundred metres before settling into a rhythm and finding a draft. at the sound of the horn i did just that and stuck behind the same swimmer all the way to the buoy marking our first turn. this swimmer got away from me and i found myself alone with a few swimmers to my left. i made my way over and found a spot in that crowd until it also thinned out and spent the remainder of the swim doing the same... find a draft, hold for as long as possible, find a new one if i lose it. i was feeling slow and sluggish and at each corner of the swim course i saw all the athletes in front and convinced myself i was dead last.

out of the water i glanced at my watch. sub-31 minutes. sweet. i may not have felt so great in the water but my time was better than expected. i made the long run to t1 and took the top half of my wetsuit off before getting to my bike. once there i struggled to get the rest of my wetsuit off. i really struggled. i tried getting it off while standing, while sitting, then while standing again. i couldn't get it over my ankles. several athletes came into transition and left while i was sitting there. i was fighting and fighting and fighting with it and finally it came off. claiming one of the slowest first transition times of the day, i grabbed my helmet and sunglasses and exited with my bike.

with the wetsuit mishap behind me it wasn't long until i discovered the next. about a kilometre into the ride i'd realized i'd forgotten all of my food lying on the ground in transition. i let out a loud, frustrated growl and considered stopping and turning around. my fuel stores were already feeling low but i decided i could make it to the first aid station at 30kms. i had all of my hydration and my salt pills with me so i went for it. it was one of the longest 30kms i'd ever ridden. i kept counting down the distance... only 20kms to go.... only 15... only 11. in the meantime i was moving quickly. welland is flat, and aside from areas with a manageable headwind, i had no problem holding a solid pace. out of transition i was told i was 30th but was making my way up the field. finally at the 30km aid station i came to a near stop and grabbed a couple bananas and several gels. the riders i was pacing with were gone in no time but at that point i could've cared less. my sugars were low and i was concerned so i ate as much as i could as fast as i could. i felt better immediately.

i continued to make my way up the field. at the 60k aid station (where i came to another near stop to re-stock) a race volunteer told me i was in 10th which meant i'd made up about 20 spots. my sugar levels were on the brink but i still felt strong. i'd had a great swim and was having a good ride. if i could run a solid half marathon i'd finish up front. even though i was feeling ok at this point i was still concerned with just how my body was going to hold on for the run. i make all my own gels and never consume any commercial products and couldn't remember the last time i'd had so much processed sugar in my body. i had no choice but to keep going and hope for the best.

at about the 70k point the course reconnected with feeder road, and once there i knew i was in the home stretch. there was a nice tailwind coming up to carry me home, but it was here i'd make a very costly mistake. i've replayed it in my mind over and over again and am still not quite sure just how it happened, but i took a wrong turn. from what i can remember i'm sure of three things: i'm sure the officer at the intersection was standing with his arms in such a way that he was directing me to his left (my right); i'm sure the pylons were directing me around a sharp right-hand turn; and i'm sure the arrow on the sign pointed athletes to the right. with everything telling me to go right, i turned right. immediately i felt funny about the turn but decided there was no doubt i was supposed to head this way. there was a rider a couple hundred metres ahead of me that had disappeared, but i was still not totally sure i'd gone the wrong way. everything at the previous corner had pointed me in this direction so i kept pedaling. when my bike's computer hit 80k and there was no road sign i knew i was off course. i wasn't sure of where i was but felt as though i was traveling parallel to feeder road. if i kept going straight, i thought i'd reconnect with forks road and be right back on course. that couldn't have been further from the truth. later re-tracing my route it turned out i was heading directly south, not east. i eventually wound up in port colborne. i stopped to ask for directions three times before finally finding my way back on course, and in the process added and extra 13kms to my ride. i had decided to keep pushing it (i was in a race, after all) until either i found my way back on course or i hit the 105km point. whichever came first. during this whole ordeal i was so concerned about getting back on course and, honestly, scared of getting lost in the middle on nowhere, that i completely forgot to keep eating and drinking. it wasn't until i was back on course and making my way back to transition that i realized i was feeling spent. my legs were taxed and my tank was on empty. i was on pace to finish the bike course in about 2.16, and even with the extra distance and slowing to ask for help, i still managed to average almost 39km/h.

finally back in transition i grabbed a couple of the gels i'd forgotten on the ground and headed out on the run. i knew this run was going to be tough but it started off well. at the halfway point i was on pace to run a 1.20 half marathon, but it was at this halfway point that things started to fall apart. fast. each step became agonizing. i slowed down with each kilometre. i kept thinking only 8kms left... only 6kms left... only 5kms left. i'd eaten up the gels early and was burning through what was left of my reserves quickly. i was grabbing water at every aid station but as time went on it was clear hydration wasn't the issue. i'd feared it would happen and it was happening... my glycogen stores were empty and i had no fuel left. i looked at my watch to see i was running above a 5 min/km pace which confirmed just how slow i felt. i hit the 18km aid station and stopped in my tracks. i drank a dozen cups of cola and 3 or 4 gels to get my sugars back up. at this point all i wanted was to finish and after a few minutes' rest i felt i had enough to get me through the last few kilometres. hazy and slow and weak i made it to the finish and collapsed onto the ground. i was lightheaded and dizzy and my face was tingling. i think i was on the verge of fainting. whatever it was, i was in rough shape. my vision was blurry and i could hardly string two words together. i lay there contemplating whether or not to ask for medical help but decided to wait a few minutes. i tried standing after awhile but had to sit back down immediately. i lay there for several more minutes and finally got to my feet, but only with the help of a fence. even that took everything and i had to concentrate. finally, about 20 minutes later, i had the strength to walk and made my way to the water. i had to cool down. my core temperature was up. driving home was agonizing. i woke up the next morning with a fever.

with a couple of days to think things over i know where i went wrong. forgetting my food in transition was just the last of many fuel-related mistakes i'd made; i'd eaten too lightly and hadn't consumed nearly enough carbs in the days leading up to the race. my tank was on fumes before i'd even arrived in welland. rookie mistake. because i don't have much experience racing at this distance it's easy to forget how vital it is to do everything right. going off course is one thing; it will likely happen again at some point and it will probably be something that's out of my control. but i do have control over how i prepare in the days leading up to a race, and that's what i'll take away from this day. my fitness is good and i'm feeling capable of a podium finish within the next year or two. but i'm not going to get there by overlooking proper race preparation.

one more lesson learned the hard way.

florida 70.3 - what worked and what didn't

2011-06-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

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.

what worked:

bike setup

i've spent the past few seasons building up my tt bike... starting with the bike itself in 2008, aero wheels in 2009, lower, more aggressive aerobars in 2010, and a new saddle for 2011. i've always felt right at home on my bike, as if it was designed specifically for me, and this first longer race was no exception. everything felt solid.

swim training

while swimming may not be the focus of my training, what coach has me doing is working. i've already shaved more than 2 minutes off my 1500-yard time from the beginning of march.

hydration/nutrition

i've made some pretty serious mistakes over the past few years when it comes to nutrition and hydration, have lost some races because of it and have learned some valuable lessons. i'm determined not to make any of those mistakes again, and for this race i spent several weeks preparing a plan and testing it out. i'm going to write an entire post devoted to my nutrition, so to keep things simple for this post i'll just say my homemade gels and hydration formula kept me sufficiently fueled and hydrated in florida's heat and humidity.

salt pills

this was the first time i'd used salt pills while racing and they worked so well that i don't think i'll ever race without them in the future. to maintain a steady level of electrolytes i took one pill every 20 minutes on the bike and run. i also popped two before the swim.

sun block

the last thing i wanted was the sun sucking more from me than necessary so i slopped on three layers of waterproof sunblock (20 - 30 mins apart) before getting in the water. i got a pretty sweet tan out of the day and not a hint of burn. i have to thank the slowtwitch forums for recommending Bull Frog sunblock.

what didn't work:

spare tire

i lost my spare tire somewhere on course. it was secured with a velcro strap that was bolted to my rear bottle cage but the screw came out and the tire disappeared with it. should have double-checked that it was secure. an expensive blunder.

swim sighting

definitely the area where i can make the most substantial time improvement. in the water i zig-zagged left and right and up and down and added several minutes to my time.

transition set up

another area with potential for huge improvement. in all fairness it was a frantic set up in the dark and it was pouring rain, but i made a few oversights that cost me lots of time during the race. next time i'll prepare everything separately ahead of time for t1 and t2. rookie mistake for sure.

rear tire

at the end of the race when i picked up my bike from transition i noticed my rear tire was really low on air. it wasn't flat (and isn't flat... it's perfectly fine) but something went wrong somewhere. i most likely didn't pump it up enough during the mad transition-area-setup rush. pumping up a disc wheel is difficult at the best of times but, again, i should have double-checked.

salt pills in bento

the salt pills definitely worked but i need to find some sort of waterproof container i can put in my bento bag. the bag got soaked from the rain and the pills along with it. several of them burst and stuck together. it got pretty messy but wasn't so bad i couldn't have the pills at all. a small detail that needs to be sorted out.

speedometer

yet another thing to add to my list of things to double-check. it's no fun having to pull off to the side to make a silly adjustment like lining up the speedometer magnet with sensor.

it's important to say that overall i feel my first 70.3 race was a great success and i'm really happy with my results, and these things are nothing more than a bunch of small, nitpicky things. except the swim sighting. that one really needs some improvement. when visiting new places i'm happy to play tourist, take the scenic route, stop for a picnic, and take some pictures along the way, but when i'm racing i prefer the shortest-distance-between-point-A-and-point-B approach. less to complain about that way.

happy father's day

2011-06-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

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.

with no official word of the race being called off, i set up my transition area. i only had about 15 frantic minutes to get things all set up because athletes had to clear transition area at 6am sharp; the race was scheduled to start at 6.20. feeling flustered because of the hasty transition set-up, i found a quiet, dry spot to sit and relax and focus on my game plan for the day. i had one last chat with my coach and he reminded me to execute properly, have fun and enjoy the race. the rain finally stopped and the sun was breaking, and it looked like the weather was going to clear. the start was delayed by 20 minutes, but other than that the day was to proceed as scheduled. my age group wave was one of the last of the morning and i used that time to watch the pro men and women start their swim and watched them come into t1. as my start approached i geared up and made my way to the beach.

my age group was one of the largest and had to be split into three waves because the swim start was so narrow. i went off in the first wave and stuck to the outside of the pack. the start wasn't as frantic as i'd expected and the crowd thinned out quickly. after a few minutes i started moving from the outside to the buoy line. it wasn't long before i'd caught the slower swimmers from the waves ahead. there were a few hiccups here and there like having to climb over other athletes and a few feet in the face, but other than that the swim went well. i had some pretty serious issues with my line and veered off course (waaaay off course!) several times. as it was my first triathlon (and open water swim, for that matter) i'd expected some mistakes to happen here but was hoping to finish the swim in under 35 minutes. back at the beach, 2 kilometres later, i got up out of the water and looked at my time. 33.39. nice.

it was a long run up to my bike and i had to get my elbows out to make my way past others along the narrow pathway. my transition was awful. it took what felt like an eternity to get through it. in my frantic set up earlier in the mornung i'd overlooked many things (like loosening my shoes so my feet could easily slip in and un-buckling my helmet strap) and all these little things added time. once ready to go i grabbed my bike and made my way through more narrow and crowded pathways over to the mount line. also slowing down the start of my ride, a minute or two after i was in the saddle i realized my speedometer wasn't working. yet another oversight from the morning. sweet. i stopped, unmounted and (annoyingly) spent some time realigning the sensor and the magnet. i got it working and off i went.

with an awful swim-to-bike transition behind me, i was finally able to get comfortable in my aero bars and start spinning, and once i got going i felt great. this was a fast course and the length of it was lined with a single file row or riders to the right, and i spent almost the entire ride passing near centre. my "on your left!" yell count was as high as my cadence. i rode strong but conservatively. every time i felt like my legs were being taxed i pulled back in an effort to save them for the run. even still, on this course i was having no trouble keeping my speed at or above 40km/h. i took advantage of every downhill section and gave my legs a break, whereas i would normally use these sections for some extra speed. as the kms wore on, only a couple of riders passed me. a train of three riders that were in my age group i'd passed earlier caught me in some headwinds, but i made short work of them and easily passed them once more and never saw any of them again. my goal was to have negative splits and i was right on track for the first 60k. for kilometres 60-80 i picked it up a bit more, and by the time i reached the last 10k i decided it was time to pull back a bit. i'd had an amazing ride and was averaging almost 39km/h, but because this was my first race at this distance i couldn't be sure what my legs would be like on the run. i felt amazing but still decided to play it safe. one rider passed me here and as i watched my average speed steadily drop, i swallowed my ego and stuck to the plan. i hit the 90k mark with transition nowhere in sight, and by the time the ride was over my tripmeter was at over 92k. an unexpected couple of extra kilometres.

i came into t2 in the same fashion as t1, asking the slower athletes ahead of me to make room through the narrow chutes. i racked my bike and noticed there were only a couple of bikes in my age group section. i must have passed several athletes that started in my same wave because there was no way i was third or fourth out of the water. more reassurance i'd had a good ride. after another lengthy transition, i had my running shoes on and made my way to the run exit. my half marathon had just begun.

the heat hit me right away. the wind kept me cool on the bike but here the sun was out in full force and it was hot hot hot. it was a crowded, three-loop course that had some very slow off road sections. i settled into a pace i could maintain and continued to make my way past the previous age group waves. at every aid station i grabbed one or two cups of water and poured a glass of ice down my back to help keep me cool. feeling just as strong here as on the bike i carried on, my pace drifting only with the terrain; faster on the roadways and paths, slower in the fields. it was almost impossible to tell who was in my age group because the swim and sweat had rubbed off everyone's body markings. just as on the bike, my goal for the run was to have negative splits and as i approached the 14k mark i picked things up a bit. this was when the fatigue of the day was apparent, and although i wasn't able to bring my speed up dramatically, i did what i could to move just a bit faster.

by now the running portion was starting to feel long and i was counting down the kilometres in my head. i finally made it to the finish chute, came across the line feeling strong, and finished with a time of 4.34.32, good enough for 6th in my age group. all smiles, i made my way to my family for hugs and kisses. i felt incredible and was thrilled with my time. i'd gotten everything out of this race i was hoping for... a great swim, a solid bike and run, a well executed race and nutrition plan, and a strong finish. with many valuable lessons learned and my fitness gauged, i'm already looking forward to my next 70.3 at the end of june. goals for the the next few seasons are being set and some of them include a podium finish in syracuse in the fall and a spot at the 2012 world championships. i'm officially a triathlete once again.

Studio Maya

2011-05-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

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.

first one's in the bag

2011-05-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

May 15, 2011

finished florida 70.3 this morning and am psyched with the results. highlights of the day were sub-35 min swim and third fastest half marathon in my age group. full race report to follow.

this. heat. is. brutal.

2011-05-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2011

made it to orlando safely, but only after a long, difficult day of travel that included such highlights as missing a flight and sitting on the runway for an hour, inches from the jet way, waiting out a storm.

the main reason i wanted to get here several days before the race was to acclimatize myself to training in this heat. i did a ride this morning in an effort to do just that and lucked out with a glorious, traffic-free road that wound along lakes, rivers and glades. i had to drive about 30 minutes to get away from the tourist-jammed areas close to the disney resorts, but it was well worth it. the heat was hovering around 27°C with humidity up near 90%. not exactly the type of weather i'm used to. on the bike i didn't notice the heat too much, the wind helping to keep me cool. it wasn't until i hit the halfway point of my ride and stopped to turn around that i realized i was dripping with sweat. i'd been sticking to my race plan and had been drinking continuously and felt good, but the difference between what the heat felt like in the wind and what it actual was was pretty amazing.

a good reality check. even though it may not feel like it while riding, it's hot here. really hot. i did a short run after my ride and didn't take any water with me but could feel dehydration starting to settle in. sunday's race will be a huge test in managing hydration. and sunburns.

getting close

2011-05-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2011

orlando is only a few days away and the more i think about it, the more excited i am about the race. i'm looking forward to it so much because it's a race with one only goal, which is to finish strong. there's nothing on the line and these types of races are always the most fun. no stress. this is my first 70.3 (and first tri in 12 years!) and i'm heading to the race to simply dip my toes in and get my feet wet with the distance.

swimming is coming along well and has been steadily improving since january. i'm feeling more and more at home in the water and can feel the benefit of every little change my coach has me make to my swim stroke. running also feels really good right now. i did a half marathon a couple of weeks ago and had better than expected results. however, my half marathon fitness off the bike is still up in the air. a real wild card is my bike fitness. because i've been focusing so much on running over the past several months, my riding is not nearly as strong as it was last season. also a big change from last year is training in general... racing at longer distances brings a whole other type of training, but how that will translate into results on race day is unknown.

what i do know is the swim at this race is slow (no wetsuits) and crowded, the bike is fast and flat, the run is just as packed with people as the swim, and the heat and humidity are unforgiving. with that weather in mind, i've been working on dialing in a nutrition and hydration plan that will (hopefully) have me fueled, strong and ready for the run. although i'm uncertain of my fitness and how well i'll fare at this distance, i am certain i'm prepared for this race.

i'm heading to orlando to have some fun, gauge my health, put a nutrition plan to the test and finish strong. it's likely i'll make some rookie mistakes, but i'm kinda looking forward to that part. i want to laugh and smile and enjoy myself out there and making an ass of myself may help lighten the mood. maybe i'll run the half marathon backwards on purpose just to get some strange looks.

my next step. literally.

2011-03-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

March 31, 2011

i've had numerous running-related injuries over the past few years and am going to hop on the bandwagon and start moving toward a minimalist running shoe. everything i've been told and have read suggests that as running shoe technology and materials "improve", running injuries still continue to rise. after researching several different candidates, i've decided to gradually transition away from my bulky, heavy anti-pronating shoes to the saucony kinvara. two years ago i made an uneducated jump into a racing flat and wound up with a stress fracture, so this transition will be very slow and very gradual and i hope to be running in them full time by the end of the year.

WinterMan

2011-03-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

March 29, 2011

was out of town this weekend but still had to get my training in. was much colder than anticipated and this guy greeted me in the mirror at the end of my run.

cobourg

2011-03-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

March 24, 2011

i've added the provincial duathlon championships to my schedule this year. i was hoping to do a couple more duathlons this season but after talking things over with my coach, some of the other races i'm interested in will likely be detrimental to my 70.3 in syracuse. see you in cobourg.

check out my entire 2011 race schedule here.

age group profile

2011-03-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

March 21, 2011

friend, competitor and fellow blogger larry bradley was kind enough to include me in his ongoing age group interview series. i read all of them and am honoured to be a part of it. check it out here.

thanks, LB.

made it through

2011-03-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2011

it's been more than two months, but it looks like i've finally beaten this latest injury. after a 5k race simulation last weekend and some track work this week, it appears that my knee's strength has returned to a level that i don't need to hold myself back any longer. run intensity and volume are at 100%, putting me on track with eight weeks to go until florida 70.3. run speed is long gone and will take a lot of work to get back, but at least i'm up off the sidelines. hallelujah.

it's taken a whole team of people to help me through this one and i wanted to give a shout out to all of them. first and foremost, dave frake from balance physiotherapy has seen me through this thing from the very beginning. for several weeks i was seeing him up to three times a week and he guided me through each stage of the injury and gave me instructions on how to safely ease back into training without overdoing it. i've seen many physiotherapists over the years and frake is by far the most knowledgeable, patient and effective. he's also an incredible athlete. he won his age group at last year's world duathlon championships and finished sixth overall. cindy from absolute endurance (another incredible athlete) worked her ART magic and saw me immediately following several workouts, and carrie ann from totum is the most talented (and by talented i mean least forgiving!) RMT i've used over the years. being on her table can be torturous but the rewards are well worth it.

thanks, all.

ramping up.

2011-03-08T05:13:00.000-08:00

March 08, 2011

the past couple weeks have been my first weeks of full, heavy training since early in the new year. i've been slowly ramping up my running again as i move past my most recent injury, and things seem to be getting better with every week. duration is up to 90 minutes on the treadmill and intensity is coming along as well. this morning, for the first time in two months, i was running at over 10mph. it was only for 90 second intervals, but still an achievement. my first race of the year was supposed to be a 5k this weekend in toronto, but i'm nowhere near ready so i've had to scrap it. i'm confident i'll be ready for a 10k a few weeks from now and a half marathon at the end of april, but neither of those races will be fast ones; both will be training tools to help me get stronger in preparation for the triathlon season. a month ago i was feeling like my season was over, now i'm feeling like it's just beginning. a much later start than i'd been hoping for but it's a start nonetheless.

on the mend. i think.

2011-02-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2011

after 5 weeks of downtime things are starting to show real signs of improvement. on wednesday night, for the first time since the beginning of the new year, i went for a run outside, and although i wasn't feeling 100% i got through it without any issues. and things felt great afterwards. irritation on the bike seems to be disappearing as well, and last night in the pool my knee hardly fussed. i'm away for the next week and am hoping that after yet another easy week of little or no training i'll be ready to start ramping things up in preparation for orlando. i'm being cautious of my optimism because i don't want to get too excited, but i'm feeling like i'm finally starting to get past this. i'll tread lightly until my strength is back and will ease into it, but here's hoping my body cooperates.

2011 race schedule

2011-02-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

February 04, 2011

at this point the first half of my season is in jeopardy. training is at a near stand-still in an effort to help my body heal faster, and with minimal improvement, i may be shutting things down completely over the next couple weeks. the inflammation in my knee is effecting every aspect of my training. when my injuries finally get sorted out and my year gets started, running will be my focus. my triathlon season will wrap up in september and at that point i'll switch to running-only races and try to set some personal best times in the 5k, 10k and half marathon. that schedule hasn't been sorted out just yet, and the schedule below will likely change depending on the status of injuries. here's what my year looks like right now:

March 13

Achilles St. Patrick's Day 5k

April 03

Toronto 10k

April 24

Uxbridge Half Marathon

May 15

Florida 70.3

June 26

Welland Half Ironman

August 28

Toronto Islands Duathlon

September 18

Syracuse 70.3

baby steps

2011-01-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

January 31, 2011

was on the treadmill yesterday for the first time in ten days. did 2 x 10mins super easy with a 5 minute walk in between. knee problems are still there but improved. during my last run i nearly collapsed from the pain, but yesterday there was only an ache present and i made it through. this week will be a couple more of these workouts along with more ultrasound, laser treatment and ibuprofen.

my body wants to ruuuuuuuunnn, my head says respect the injury.

the good and the bad of it

2011-01-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2011

january started off strong but has since gone downhill. it has not been a good training month for me. a crazy work schedule, injury, illness and travel have provided plenty of interruptions. the bad news first: because of the inflammation in my knee i haven't been able to run for more than a week. even though it hurt i tried toughing it out and made it through several workouts, but that only made things worse. i've missed many speed, strength and volume workouts at this crucial time of year. i'll try running sunday but i've been advised by my physiotherapist to take another week off if there's even the slightest twinge of discomfort. for now it's stretching, ultrasound and laser therapy. i've also caught a nasty cold that kept me home one day this week and i only returned to work because i'm busy and can't afford the downtime.

but here's the good news: while my running falls further and further behind, my riding continues to get better and better. right now i'm sustaining wattages that i could barely touch last year. swimming is also going well. sometimes i feel like i'm just flailing around in the water, but for the most part i'm starting to show improvements. also good is the fact that i still have time. it's only january and that means i still have a few weeks before the 12-week lead-up to my first big race begins. hopefully my knee will be sorted out by then and i can get back on track.

2011 and beyond

2011-01-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2011

as 2010 came to an end i knew it was time to make some changes. not only had i been disappointed with how my race year had unfolded, i also wasn't feeling excited about racing in 2011. with no trip to the world championships, the esprit duathlon in montreal was the only race that i was looking forward to. the esprit has been on my radar for a number of years but i've never been able to fit it into my schedule, and now that i was open in september i figured it would be the perfect opportunity to head to the race. but as much as i've always wanted to compete on that course (how can an Formula 1 fan like myself not want to ride 9 laps on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve?), i was having a hard time justifying pouring hours and hours of weekly training into a race that, ultimately, i wouldn't get that much out of. sure... it's an exciting venue and a trip to montreal is always fun, but otherwise, for me at least, it's just another race.

while trying to sort out a season that i could look forward to (and, more importantly, feel justified in training hard for), i found that i was missing a couple of crucial factors. the first was i needed a big race to be excited about. the provincial du championships is a big race for me every year, but at this point i'm feeling like qualifying for the national team is a given; i'm a strong enough athlete that even without a win i should be able to secure a spot at the duathlon worlds. like i mentioned above, the esprit definitely fit the bill in terms of a fun race to look forward to, but it's not a qualifier for anything nor a championship race of any kind.

the second thing i was missing was something to help me grow as an athlete. the multisport racing scene in ontario is incredible, but i was just feeling the need for something bigger. i've always wanted to move up to longer distances but there's only a small number of duathlons on the local circuits that go beyond the international 10/40/5 distance. from the very beginning i've always wanted to race longer distances, and when i first got in to triathlon in '98, i got in to it for one reason: kona. the idea of competing one day at the ironman world championships in kona ignited a fire in my heart that is still burning today. duathlon is an incredible sport and i love it, but the simple fact of the matter is that nothing like kona exists in duathlon. i can train and train and train and train, but no matter what, no matter what my results are, no matter how many races i compete in or win or do well at or whatever, there's still no kona. over the past few seasons i've been competing as a duathlete, but all of my training has been aimed directly at moving back into triathlons when ready. and with the way i was feeling about 2011, i knew that time had arrived. in 2011 i'll be competing in 70.3 triathlons.

over the next few years i'll be working towards qualifying for the 70.3 world championships then, eventually, kona. i have absolutely no expectations for 2011 because it will be my base year; it will be the year i always look back at to compare and see how far i've come. kona is a long-term goal. and by long-term i really mean long-term. full ironman distance racing is still years away for me. right now my focus will be climbing up the 70.3 ranks in my age group to get into a position to be a contender for a spot at the 70.3 world championships. it's going to take some time and i like that, and in order for it to happen i have to improve. over the next few seasons i'll grow as an athlete, working on taking my riding to the next level, pursuing ambitious running goals, and learning how to move through the water as efficiently as possible.

making the decision to return to triathlons in 2011 re-ignited an excitement in me that had started to fade. i'm more excited about 2011 and beyond than all of my previous racing years. i'm ready, but we'll see just how able. first order of business is the issue of swimming. have you ever met someone that has that mind boggling ability to somehow float in the water with absolutely no effort whatsoever? well, that's not me. i sink like a stone.

the root of it all

2011-01-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

January 13, 2011

2011 is off to a good start but, surprise surprise, another injury has popped up. during my ride last saturday a pain developed in my right knee. i took a break about an hour into it, stretched things out and was able to finish my 2.5 hour workout, but the pain is still hovering a week later. this is just the latest in a string of injuries i've had over the past two years, one after the other. my first major injury happened in milton in 2009 when i fell off my bike. i fell onto my left side but it was my right side that became the problem. in august of 2009 i developed a stress fracture in my right leg which put me off my feet for three months. late last year i wiped out on my bike, landing hard on my left shoulder, but, again, it was my right side that became the problem. i started working with a new physiotherapist in december, initially determined to sort out my shoulder because it wasn't improving, and what i got was a breakthrough diagnosis that explains everything over the past few years. i have scoliosis. my spine is bent.

this image is an exaggeration of my condition, but because of the scoliosis, my posture makes me favour the left side of my body, which makes it much stronger, and therefore more stable, than my right. so that means even if i sustain trauma on my left side, it's the right side of my body with the serious complications. it's a long term problem with no short term solutions. i've had to completely adjust my posture in a day-to-day effort to sort this out. like always i'm determined to get through this and this was the most encouraging diagnosis i've had over the years because suddenly everything made sense. it's no wonder i keep getting hurt! and even better news is that if this gets sorted out, it may mean the end of these silly and frustrating injuries that are hitting me far too frequently. fingers crossed.

december update

2010-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

December 09, 2010

i'm taking a look at my blog just now and realizing it's approaching three months since my last update. at first the time that's passed since my last update surprised me, but now that i've thought about it more it doesn't surprise me at all because there's been little to report. for the purpose of this blog, these past few months have been about recovery and maintenance. after my crash at the worlds and subsequent injuries, my training slowed down, practically coming to a halt. the torn AC joint in my left shoulder progressed quickly and healed, but because i was favouring my right arm, trying to speed up the healing of my left, i subsequently injured my right shoulder worse than my left. the root of the problem was the trauma my right shoulder sustained when i crashed in edinborough, and several weeks later, after many rounds of physiotherapy, i discovered that my rotator cuff was causing the pain. most movement was agonizing, and anything involving lifting or raising my shoulder shot white lightning through my body. something as simple as putting on or taking off my shirt required a moment to stop to breath through the pain. i fumbled through weeks of trying to teach myself how to brush my teeth with my left hand. even now, more than three months since my crash, my right shoulder is still causing problems and is painful at some point throughout each day.

running was difficult because of the pain, and the only riding i could do was indoors with a delicate upper body. i made it through september, missing several races because of the injuries, and was hoping to do a half marathon at some point this fall but that didn't happen either. october turned into a maintenance month, doing what i could to keep my strength up. i took most of november off of work and tried to get one or two workouts in each week, and even that was difficult.

but for the past two weeks training has been much better and i'm finally starting to feel like things are back on track. next year will be much different from 2010 and, to be perfectly honest, i have no idea at this point how things will pan out for me, but right now i'm very excited with some of the changes on the horizon. no big races chosen yet or ambitions settled, but feeling good about 2011 nonetheless.

shoulder

2010-09-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

September 22, 2010

xrays came back and i've got a slight tear in my ac joint. nothing too serious but it's causing pain while running, especially on longer or more intense runs. dryland training is also out of the question, and something as simple as getting out of bed creates much discomfort. a few weeks of physio should take care of it, but until healed it's light runs only. riding seems to be ok and i hope to have my bike training back in full swing as of next week.

duathlon worlds

2010-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

September 15, 2010

the duathlon worlds were held on and around arthur's seat in holyrood park, which is a stone's throw from the edinburgh parliament buildings. when you're flying into endinburgh, arthur's seat taunts you before even setting foot in the country, protruding off an otherwise (seemingly) flat landscape. once on the ground it looms over the city like tolkien's mordor. my first thought, like most athletes i'm sure, was, "the race is taking place on that?".

arriving several days before the race gave me plenty of opportunity to familiarize myself with the course. the profiles, released only a couple of weeks before the race, painted a dark picture. i don't fare well on hilly courses and i thought this would be similar to the course in gravenhurst, which has so many little ups and downs that it's impossible to find any rhythm. however, once i got onto this course i realized that i actually stood a chance at having a solid race. yes, there were plenty of tough climbs, but each climb was long enough that you could settle in and find your legs before transitioning to the descent. or, in this case, before getting ready for the next climb. i thought this course was going to tear me apart, but the more i rode it the more i realized i liked it.

hanging out with the team in the lead up to the race, many conversations revolved around what sort of times did we all think we were capable of on a course like this? i couldn't even begin to estimate my own. for a typical course this length i always shoot for the 2-hour mark, but with so many difficult laps on the bike and an equally difficult run course, trying to pick a time was like trying to find a matching sock in the dark. the run course was four out-and-back 2.5k laps, starting with 1.25k up a hill that continually got steeper. coming down the hill would be a piece of cake and we all knew that we could make up for lost time here, but the fact of the matter is that it takes longer to run up a hill than it does to run down, so no matter what the course was going to be slow. everyone was convinced - myself included - that the downhill portions wouldn't allow you to make up the time you spent running up it. hence, estimating a finish time was impossible. because i didn't have a finish time in mind, all i wanted was to stick with my race plan and have a strong race.

my race plan was this: have a solid 10k, make up lots of ground on the bike and leave behind those athletes that blow up too soon on the difficult course, and blast off the bike and have a rock-solid final 5k run. i've been working a lot on high cadence on the bike, especially while climbing. i've seen it on race day time and time again: most athletes that try to grind it out and power up a hill will run out of steam when they get to the top, which is where i get by and drop them. they're left recovering and huffing while my legs are fresh and strong and ready to keep going. i was also feeling good about my second run. i do most of my training on my road bike and know that i run really well off of it, and since i'd decided to race my road bike today i was certain my second run would be solid and was confident i could make up a lot of ground there. by that stage in the race, any athletes that had gone too hard on the bike and were still ahead of me would be struggling, and i'd be ready to go right by them with my reserves.

on race day i started in one of the day's largest waves, men 30-39. in my age group alone were 56 athletes. i've done races in ontario with less total entrants than that. this wave started at 12.45pm, and at first i thought this would be a bad time of day for me to start because i'm much better in the mornings. but as the week progressed, i realized that i was having a lot of trouble getting out of bed early in the mornings, my body not quite wanting to adjust to the 5-hour time change. on most days i was just finding my groove around lunchtime, so as race day approached i felt i couldn't have been given a better time to start. on race day i made my way over early and had a solid warm up. i'd been taking it easy all week and it payed off because my legs were feeling light, fresh and strong. i was ready to race.

i made my way to the starting gate with the other athletes and found a spot mid-pack. having no idea what to expect, i stayed right where i was as the race started and patiently waited for the crowd to thin out. on the way up the first hill the field slowly got into a couple of single lines. every few metres was a "Go Canada!" cheer and my adrenaline was pumping right from the beginning. this was going to be an awesome race. i was running with jason lacombe, adam fitzsimmons and christian milette, all fellow canadians, and the four of us each found our stride by the end of the first lap. as the second lap started i was the lead canadian, but lacombe and milette made their way ahead, milette and i staying together for the remainder of the 10k. going only by feel and completely ignoring my pace, when i hit the 5k turnaround i looked at my watch and saw i was at 17.24, a time i never thought i'd be able to pull off on this course.

race start. the sharp dressed canadians are hard to miss.

unexpectedly, the heat was becoming a factor. starting mid-day was one thing, but record highs and sunny skies made the day warmer than anyone had anticipated. on my third lap i grabbed some water on my way down the hill, and as i began the fourth lap, positioning jockeying more or less settled by this point, i could feel the warmth was going to be an issue. it didn't occur to me then, but i'd completely overlooked putting any salt in my hydration which would prove to be a costly mistake.

a quick drink on the third lap of the first run.

as the fourth and final lap wound down amidst the many "Go Canada!!!" and "Go Tommy, Go!!!" cheers, i was feeling strong enough to make a final surge into t1 but i decided against it. at that point it wouldn't have made any difference. i finished my first 10k in 36.37, only 16 seconds away from tying my personal best. a very solid 10k and my race plan was right on track. i entered the enormous transition area, grabbed my bike, started spinning, and immediately started making up ground. the bike course started out with a flat section that only lasted a couple hundred metres before reaching the first climb.

the tough first climb on the bike, right out of transition.

this first climb was one that everyone had underestimated. by no means was it the steepest, but it was one of the longest and got progressively more difficult. a very difficult start to the cycling leg. this first climb ended at a set of roundabouts. having rode the course several times i knew that once reaching these roundabouts it was time to bring the chain back up to the big ring because this was the first downhill section. these roundabouts had some very sharp, tight turns, and once past them it was a very fast ride to the hairpin turnaround. this turnaround marked the beginning of the climb back towards arthur's seat, and once making it up this hill and back through the quick and tricky roundabouts, you found yourself at the bottom of the day's most difficult climb. getting to the top of arthur's seat was grueling. even on the first lap it was tough.

first go up arthur's seat.

but i stuck with my high cadence plan and continued to drop athletes in my wave that finished the run ahead of me. on every climb the same thing happened: i would catch and drop guys that were trying to muscle up the hills. even when we reached the top at the same time, my legs recovered instantly because of my high cadence and off i'd go, the other guys not even hanging with me. they were gone. it felt incredible. everything was going as planned. up here on the top of the mountain things leveled off very briefly before hitting another long, slight downhill section, and after that was a long uphill false flat that taxed the legs. once past that it was time to cook. the back end of the course was a fast, tight and technical descent. many corners had hay bails set up as a precaution and i was sailing down a few sections at more than 70 km/h. at the bottom of this back section was a tricky right followed by a sweeping left, and then a fast and flat section (the only truly flat portion of the course) that took you by transition and concluded the first lap.

i checked my watch and saw that i'd completed my first lap in about 15.30. i was flying. i'd made up 12 spots on the first lap alone and was feeling strong and ready to keep making my way up the field. my confidence was soaring. this was just the race i'd wanted. i knew that my second lap would be much faster than my first because my first lap had started from a stand-still, and i was going to work for sub-15s for the remaining laps.

the second lap started with the long climb just past transition. as my speed slowed i could feel the day's heat. the sun was berating down and i could feel the sweat on my shoulders. i had two water bottles and had already gone through most of the first. i made my way through the roundabouts, going through them as fast as i could which meant wide, fast, sweeping turns to narrowly avoid eating curb. down and out to the turnaround, back up arthur's seat. more athletes dropped. downhill section. fast and tight. i tried to overtake a slower athlete on the outside of the last, super-tight right hand turn. due to a combination of me going too fast and the other athlete not giving in to my many "ON YOUR LEFT!" calls and making room, i was pushed to the outside. i bunny-hopped the curb and went down hard on my left side, skidding over stairs, across rubble and through trees. read more about it here.

once down and quickly up and quickly down again after nearly passing out, i thought my day was done. i thought i was done. i thought that my days on a bicycle were done. i threw my helmet off and lay down on my back. my head was spinning and my whole body was in shock. thoughts were racing through my head. my race is over. i've worked so hard to get here. i've come all this way. while i was lying there several spectators came over to see if i was ok. i closed my eyes and in big, bold type, the letters DNF flashed in my mind. i didn't come all this way to lay down and give up after something like this. i tried getting up again and slowly made it to my feet. i gathered up all my stuff and my bike appeared to be rideable, so off i went. my bike's front-end was tweaked and the right-hand shifter was severely bent, but she was in decent enough shape to get me through the race.

after the crash, almost at the spot where i went down.

i don't know how long i was on the ground for, several minutes ate least, but once i got rolling again it took me some time to settle into a new groove. my race wasn't over, but my great race was. now i just wanted to finish. i made my way past transition, completing my second lap, and headed out for my third. i knew i was in rough shape. i had blood all over my bike, blood all over my shoes. i don't remember pain. i could see my left shoulder was raw and bloody but had no idea what state i was in. i rode past a group of canadian teammates, one of the commenting, "did you see that?", and as i rode past the last in that group, "oh my gaaawwwwddd!". this last comment made it pretty clear that i must have looked worse than i felt. but i carried on.

down but not out. still smiling. note tweaked front end of bike.

i slowly started making my way past athletes that i'd already dropped on the previous two laps. at this time of day the heat had become brutal, and to make matters worse i dropped both of my water bottles on my third lap. i didn't know i'd already lost one, but once i'd heard one drop and hit the ground ("fuuuuuhhhhhkkk!"), i reached back to see how much i had left in my second bottle, only to discover that it had disappeared too. i forced down a gel and a salt pill with no water on my fourth lap and could feel dehydration setting in. my body was low on water and salt, and on my fifth and final lap my right calf started to cramp while ascending arthur's seat. i quickly sat back down and worked out the cramp. my last three laps were significantly slower than my first (nearly) two laps. shaken, i'd ridden the course much more cautiously, and i made my way into transition looking forward to my run. looking forward to it because i knew that i could get some water out on the run course.

coming into second transition, happy to be heading towards water.

the water station wasn't until the return portion of the first lap, which at this point seemed cruel. i was so dehydrated that my lips and mouth were dry. i hadn't had a real drink in about 40 minutes and my body was starting to shut down. on my second lap, just as i'd hit the final turnaround and was making my way into the final 1.25k, my quads started cramping. this had never happened before. i had visions in my head and saw myself crumbling under my own weight, my legs shutting down and giving in. it was such an incredibly tough bike ride, and as much as i'd tried to take it easy and conserve my legs, it just couldn't be helped on a course like that. never had i been in a state where simply finishing the race had become the goal, and these cramps were threatening to take that away from me. "just make it to the finish. just make it to the finish. you're so close," i repeated in my head. i somehow willed my legs to get me down the last hill. they could collapse once over the finish line if they wanted, but i just needed them to get me through these last few hundred metres. the crowd was here right alongside me and their cheers spiked me with a last final surge. many people were commenting on my injury, and their encouragement to keep going and fight through the pain was uplifting and carried me forward. jason lacombe was just ahead of me and i overtook him about 250 metres away from the finish line, and i crossed the line exhausted, beaten and overjoyed that i'd made it to the end. it had been a thrilling race but before i'd even had a moment to think about anything, a team of paramedics whisked me off to the medic tent.

i hadn't been able to get a look at my arm until i was finally sitting down while they were cleaning me up. the entire left side of my body was a dirty, bloody mess, and my left forearm was black. i hydrated and ate as much as i could while they attended to me, my head light and dizzy. i drank two bottles of water and two sports drinks and ate two gels in a matter of minutes. damien, one of the canadian team managers, was by my side this whole time and for that i'm grateful. he went over to the athletes tent and got my bag for me, and in my bag were my salt pills. it wasn't until then, by now about 30-minutes post-race, that i started to come around. i was starting to feel normal again. i was in the medic tent for over an hour and they cleaned me up as best they could and insisted that i go to the hospital to get properly cleaned up. there was a lot of dirt in my gashed up elbow, and because i'd been going so fast a lot of the dirt had gone deep. one of the cuts was almost to bone and there was nothing more they could do for with their limited first aid. once i was able to stand up and walk around, i thanked all of the medic volunteers for their help, but i wanted my team doctor to see me before deciding whether or not to go to the hospital.

once out of the med tent i went to hang out with the rest of the team that were still watching the race. a couple of waves had started after mine (including dave frake's... he won his age group, by the way. an incredibly exciting race to watch). jeff, the team doctor, had also started after me so i waited for him to finish. once he was done we went back to the athletes village together where he spent several more hours cleaning me up as best he could. he stitched me up, gave me some meds, then the two of us headed over to the team canada post-race party, showing up fashionably late. i felt like a celebrity when i walked in ("a big round of applause for tommy ferris, everybody!!!"), several people bought me drinks, and the team wound down the night in style. i even got a private lesson on the finer points of choosing and drinking scotch. by then i'd completely forgotten about my race and my crash (even though i did have to tell the story several times, which was pretty fun) and was just there to have fun and party with the team. it was such a great night and a great way to end the day.

all things considered, i had an amazing race. i'm glad i finished. i never would have forgiven myself if i hadn't tried getting back on my bike. i'm also glad i was able to walk away from the crash in the condition i did. it could have been much, much worse. obviously it wasn't the day that i'd hoped for, but it was an unforgettable experience nonetheless. i made several new friends and had some amazing times in edinburgh. i'd met several of the athletes at races in the past, but having the opportunity to spend the week with all of them and really get to know them was an experience all by itself. i'm ready for another round of the duathlon worlds. but next time my race will be crash free.

having a rough go

2010-09-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2010

24 hours after getting cleaned and stitched up i had to have most of the sutures removed because my elbow had swollen and the wounds needed to drain. i spent several hours in the emergency room at the hospital in edinburgh where they wanted to keep me overnight, and was given some very powerful IV antibiotics that would last only long enough to get me home. once back in toronto i went directly from the airport to the hospital for more IV and to have my dressings changed. i've had to return to the hospital every day this week for a fresh dose of antibiotics and the rest of my stitches have also been removed to reduce the risk of further infection. i've had to take the entire week off work because my left arm from the elbow down is completely useless, and most of the time i wear it in a sling. i'm popping painkillers like candy, and any little agitation sends bolts of pain through my entire body. i can't work, i can't ride, i can't run. i originally thought that i'd walked away with nothing more than some scrapes and bruises, but turns out i've walked away with what may be a season ending injury.

14 stitches and lucky to be alive

2010-09-05T03:24:00.000-07:00

September 05, 2010

during yesterday's race i went down on my bike, and i went down hard. at the very bottom of the long, technical descent on the backside of the course, the road turns sharply to the right, then quickly to the left before flattening out and taking you back to transition to complete your lap. on the second lap i was screaming down this section, not realizing where i was on the course, and was trying to overtake a slower athlete on the outside. when i saw that the corner was coming at me and i knew i wasn't going to make it, i found a spot and focused on it, hopped the curb, rode up some stairs and went down on my left elbow, hip and shoulder and slid for several metres through the dirt, narrowly avoiding several trees. when i went down i was going 65.2km/h.

several spectators rushed over to help and gathered my scattered bits. i quickly stood up and grabbed my bike but i nearly fainted because i was so light headed and in shock. i thought my race was over and i thought my bike had been destroyed. i threw my helmet off and lay down in the grass for several minutes and closed my eyes. i thought i was done. i thought my race was over. i was thinking about how far i'd come to race and how much work i'd put in to get to that race, and i didn't want my race to end this way. paramedics arrived while i was lying down but my head began to clear and i realized i was ok. no broken bones. just some nasty scrapes and bruises. i tried getting to my feet, and when i was up i was no longer dizzy. i put my bottles back in their cages, popped the missing lens back into my sunglasses, threw my hemet back on, looked over my bike to make sure it was rideable, which it seemed to be, put my chain back on and thanked the spectators and paramedics for helping me out. i had a race to finish.

looking back on it i feel lucky to be alive. i was going so fast that if i hadn't of been able to make that split second decision to jump over the curb, i would have crashed into it and sent myself flying, tumbling rear wheel over front, landed directly on the cement stairs and would have undoubtedly hit one, if not several, of the trees that i somehow avoided. i walked away from this one with nothing more than some pretty serious gashes and bruises and dirty and bloody gear. my bike was mangled but made it through the rest of the race, but my last 3 laps were certainly slower than my first two. but i made it to the end, and finishing that race was all that i cared about after riding away from that crash.

opening ceremonies

2010-09-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

September 03, 2010

at holyrood park, finishing in front of scottish parliament. sharpest looking team at the event, according to the ITU announcer.

busy day

2010-09-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

September 01, 2010

today started with a (surprisingly) delicious and healthy breakfast at the university cafeteria (the athletes' village is at the edinburgh university dorms) in the morning, and then a few members of the team met up for a group ride. we left the city and toured around some country roads, getting lost several times, and ended up at the Rosslyn Chapel, most recently made famous in The Davinci Code, both book and movie.

because we knew the route coming home, the trip back to the city was much faster. which was good because we got caught in some rain. after a group lunch and some more touring around the city and a quick rest back in my room, i headed over to the race site to try out the run course. at first i was dreading this race because there are so many steep elevation changes and i don't do so well on such courses. turns out that most of the inclines are long enough that you can settle in and find a rhythm, so i'm feeling more and more confident about my race on saturday.

tonight was the team meet and greet, and now that most of the team has arrived from canada there was a large turnout. i had my camera with me and couldn't resist taking some pics of the mass of canadians walking through the city. i think our uniforms are the best looking ones here, and we get attention wherever we go, especially when traveling in a group.

made it

2010-08-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

August 31, 2010

getting to edinburgh was probably one of the least complicated and painless international flight i've ever made. i was in the air less than an hour for my connecting flight, had an amazing 4 hour sleep on my second flight, and made it to my accommodations without any complications. i hooked up with one of the team canada team managers at the airport and the two of us got to hang out while we were waiting to check in. we did a quick tour of the city, had some lunch and took some pics. i'm in my room getting settled and am hoping to get a run or ride in tonight before dinner. and maybe a nap. that's sounding pretty good right now.

off i go

2010-08-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

August 30, 2010

off to the airport, luggage, race gear, bike and bike pump in tow. of all the things i've had to pack for this trip, this last item somehow seems the most ridiculous. i never thought i'd lug a bike pump across the atlantic ocean.

all packed up

2010-08-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

August 29. 2010

i've never packed up a bike for travel before and have been feeling a little anxious about it over the past couple of weeks because i've been imagining disastrous scenarios in which my bike shows up in scotland damaged and unrideable. but packing it was surprisingly easy and it feels safe and secure. i'm just about ready to fly out tomorrow, and all that remains is one last trip to the health food store. i learned a valuable lesson about packing food when i was in richmond in april of this year and i'm in no hurry to repeat that mistake. i'll bring what i can but my first priority once i've arrived in edinburgh will be to locate some fresh, healthy food and stock up for the week. i'm sure it's a wonderful substitute for any meal, but a week's worth of eating haggis already feels old.

worlds bike set up

2010-08-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2010

here it is. my pimped out ride for the worlds. wheel selection for edinburgh is crucial, and after giving it a lot of thought and weighing out the pros and cons, i've decided to go with front and rear 808s. i typically ride with a front 808 and a 900 rear disc, but a disc wheel just won't cut it for such a hilly, technical course. i was thinking or racing with front/rear 404s, which would be great for the hills, but i'm going with the 808s because they're light and stiff enough to deliver power on the climbs, but they're also deep enough to give me an aero advantage on the flats. the key to edinburgh will be recovering quickly in preparation for the next climb, and i'll take every advantage that the 808s will give me.

starting to feel better

2010-08-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

August 27, 2010

yesterday was the first time in a long time that i can remember actually feeling fantastic at the beginning of a run. i'd sort of assumed that my legs were supposed to feel heavy and slow and had forgotten what it felt like to be light on my feet. my cold seems to have sorted itself out and with some downtime over the past couple of weeks i'm finally starting to feel better; i'm finally feeling like i'm on track for a great race in edinburgh. i had some of my best times ever at the track yesterday, and what a relief it was to see improvement. and to feel it. to actually feel it. it seems so counter intuitive but it turns out that what i've been needing more than anything is some rest.

orillia

2010-08-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

August 26, 2010

last year when i qualified for the world championships my attention turned immediately to the difficulty of the course in edinburgh, scotland. i'd read and heard reports about how tough the cycling portion of the race will be, and when i saw the elevation profiles those rumors were confirmed. that race will be 5 laps around holyrood park, and each of those laps includes two tough ascents and one ridiculously tough ascent up arthur's seat, a mount everest-style hill/mountain/death climb in the middle of the city. the descent of these climbs are steep and technical, so i've decided to take my road bike because it's much better suited to such a course. if the course were not so hilly there would be no debate... i'd take my P3 in a heart beat. so before i head over to scotland i wanted to finish at least one race on my road bike with its race set up, and orillia has some tough hills and technical turns so i figured it would be the ideal candidate.

i still haven't defeated this nasty cold that's been plaguing me for several weeks, and aside from a heavy and tired first few hundred metres, the first run was painless. it was nothing more than a short 2k sprint so i didn't see the point in exhausting myself and i entered t1 in fourth spot. the bike course started with a steep climb out of town and by the time i'd made it to the country roads i'd moved into first. the athlete that finished his first run just behind me was riding a P3 and he'd remained behind me on the climbs, but when we hit the flat, open roads he moved ahead of me and slowly started pulling away. as the race wore on another lead duathlete caught up with me and we stayed with each other for several kilometres. i had no trouble dropping him on climbs and even got by him when powering down a few descents, but once he'd slingshot past me and got ahead he was gone. at that point we hit a headwind on the long flat section of the course that would take us back into town, and in this wind i didn't stand a chance on my road bike. i tried staying as low as i could on my drop bars, but even my best aero position wasn't nearly as refined or efficient as the TTers.

once off the bike i saw only one bike already racked, so something had happened to the guy directly ahead of me. i made my way out onto the run course and started chasing down 1st place. i had no clue how far behind i was but soon spotted him ahead and i caught him at the 3.5k turnaround. at the 6k marker i turned around to see if he'd stayed with me and if he was going to pull out a surge to the finish. my last two races have been close losses so i didn't want to lose a third race in a row by a narrow margin. there was an athlete behind me but i couldn't tell if it was him making a move or if it was a triathlete i'd passed a minute ago. i don't race with my glasses so sometimes details like that are a little fuzzy. which can actually be pretty funny. like on this day for example as i was chasing down the leader i saw someone ahead in a red jersey and i was like, "is that him?", but it turned out to be some chick in a hot pink tank top. no, that is not him. that is a chick in a hot pink tank top. anyways, i took one last look behind me and didn't see him as i made my way towards the last few hundred metres and came across the line first.

i really needed this win and i was psyched to take the race with a come from behind victory. doing the race on a road bike slowed me down and kept me out of the top cycling spot, but all i wanted from this race was to see how the bike would hold up in a race. it felt solid and i felt strong out there in a field of TT bikes. i'm glad to have had this last little confidence booster before heading to the worlds. i needed it. i've had such a shitty year and have overcooked myself. compulsive overtraining finally caught up with me a couple of weeks ago and am only just now starting to feel better because of some downtime. with just over a week to go until the big race i'm treating myself to some rest, and so far it appears to be paying off. fingers crossed i feel even better on race day.

taking a step back

2010-08-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

August 20, 2010

i'm tired. and exhausted. and still sick. with a half marathon august 8th, a 10k august 14th, and the toronto islands duathlon august 15th, i've been pushing myself in the lead up to the worlds. i've been having an awful year that just seems to be getting worse, and i've been racking my brain trying to figure out what's gone wrong. last year was great... each race was better than the last and i improved as the season went on. then a stress fracture put me on the sidelines for three months, and once i'd recovered i was back on my feet. that was the end of last october, and since then i've been training up to 7 days a week every week. this season started off strong and i felt great at the US nationals in april. i thought that was the beginning of what would be a great year, but it's been the complete opposite.

i never thought it would happen, but i think i've been over training. last year i didn't train nearly as much but still improved every week. this year i've pushed myself constantly in an effort to get as strong and as fit as possible, and in doing so have completely overlooked proper recovery. i've had a few days of downtime here and there over the past several months, but for the most part it's been non-stop. i hit a certain level early in the season that i haven't been able to improve upon, and now, with two weeks left until the worlds, i'm pulling back and shutting things down as much as i can and focusing on resting and recovering. i want to show up in scotland feeling stronger than ever, and with a couple of weeks of yoga, massage, ART, acupuncture and healthy eating, i think i can do that. i had a conversation with my coach yesterday about my concerns and he's right on board with me. my workouts for this week were all tough and i was trying to psych myself up to get through them all, but after hills and a long build ride on tuesday and hills on wednesday, i've realized i can no longer ignore just how tired i am. my workouts are being adjusted to keep my fitness up over the next couple of weeks, but right now i have to recover. i'm racing in orillia this weekend, not because i want to but because i have to. i'm taking my road bike with me to scotland rather than my TT bike, so i need to get at least one event in the bag with a race set up on my road bike. i don't want to show up at the worlds with any surprises.

i want to congratulate my friend and fellow duathlete adam fitzsimmons for an awesome win in toronto last sunday. adam's been having an incredible year, has been getting faster at each race and has become a serious force on race day. i somehow managed to show up at the islands the day after my 10k, dragging myself out of bed after lying there contemplating whether or not i should go or if i should stay home and recover. turns out i couldn't resist the draw of the race on the islands; it's rare for me to get over there and it's one of my favourite places in the city. adam and i did our warm ups together and he got me on the first run by several seconds, but i quickly caught him on the bike. i had nothing in me and was only able to hold a constant effort for the entire ride, each attempt at a break draining too much of what little i had left. the two of us came into T2 together and ran at each other's side for the entire last run. i did the pace setting and made a couple of attempts to break away, but adam had much more in him that day and kept with me. just like on the bike, each attempt at speeding up felt impossible and it was hard enough to just hold a steady pace. at the sight of the finish chute, we sprinted towards the line for the last couple hundred metres. we were shoulder to shoulder until i stumbled on some uneven ground and lost my stride, and adam went right by me and took the win. definitely the funnest and most exciting finish i've been involved in.

finally something exciting

2010-08-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

August 06, 2010

the last two weeks have been hard and tiresome. i'm just getting over a bad cold that's left me on the sidelines and have missed a number of workouts. my struggles with running continue, and having a headache and coughing fits are no motivation to move any faster.

but yesterday was a good day. i made it through a long brick workout, kleenex box at my side, feeling strong and feeling for the first time that i'm actually getting over this cold. another very exciting thing that happened was my national team uniform showed up. the worlds are getting closer and this is the first tangible piece of evidence reminding that i'm heading to the world championships in a couple of weeks. groovy.

scratch that

2010-07-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

July 31, 2010

this weekend was supposed to be a long ride but the bike is staying home. i'm sick and exhausted and need a break. even though i was feeling rough this morning, i got through my long tempo run but pushed myself too hard and felt like ass afterwards. some meds got rid of the headache, but what my body needs is some downtime. and a few cold drinks on the dock.

i ♥ these things right now:

2010-07-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2010

i ♥ my new aerobars

they're lighter, leaner and lower than my previous set. and they somehow make my bike look faster, too. which is super important.

i ♥ endurosport

the same day i ordered the new aerobars i booked a bike fit with dan from endurosport. as soon as the bars were on the bike (literally) dan and i adjusted my riding position to accommodate the new hardware. i now have a much more aggressive position.

i ♥ muskoka rides

two days after the bars were on the bike i was testing everything on a long ride. there was definitely a significant change in riding position which took a bit of getting used to, but after about 20k or so i'd settled right in. my shoulders and upper back were a bit sore because i had to hold my head up higher, but it's nothing i won't adapt to. actually, the biggest adjustment was my hand position. because of the shape of the new bars my wrists were a bit sore at the end of the ride because of where i had to place my hands. but no big deal. i have a hilly 3 hour ride this weekend to try it out again and am hoping to be just as comfortable on the new bars as i was the old bars by the end of the ride. another great thing about the new bars is that because they're lower, climbing is more comfortable. it feels like i'm climbing on my road bike.

i ♥ track workouts

i've had a couple of track workouts over the past couple of weeks, and although i'm not getting the times that i was hoping for this far into the racing season, i'm consistent. which is good. and i'm hoping this consistency will lead to improved times on race day, because so far this year my running splits have been sucky. i ♥ not sucky runs.

time to reassess

2010-07-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

July 20, 2010

saturday's loss was painful, both literally and figuratively. the course was tough and the heat was practically unbearable. some athletes suffering from heat stroke collapsed in a disorientated trance in transition while others were attended to by paramedics. as soon as i crossed the finish line i painstakingly made my way over to a shady area and lay on the grass until my head stopped spinning. i was forcing fluids down but it took me several minutes to be able to stand up again. i couldn't think straight and my mind was cloudy. as soon as i was capable i hobbled over to one of the retail tents on site and bought some salt pills and had one every 30 minutes for the next couple of hours. i'd severely underestimated the heat today.

i fell back on the first run and came in 2 minutes later than what i'd hoped for. on the bike i quickly caught a couple of the athletes that were ahead of me, passed 2nd place patrick lalonde at about 14k, and overtook kevin smith for the lead just past the 20k point of the ride. i had about a one-minute lead at the beginning of the 2nd run, but this was when the day's heat blasted me. i felt like i was running in a furnace. i knew i had two rock-solid runners chasing me down and tried to keep a solid pace, but the temperature, lack of salt and tough course got the better of me. lalonde caught me with about 1.5k to go and there was nothing i could do to keep up with him. i did my best to keep a gap between myself and 3rd place smith, but the heat had gotten to him as well and he was fading during the last 5k. i didn't see him again until the finish line.

i've been running this race over and over again inside my head trying to figure out what went wrong and i've realized that i need to reassess exactly where i'm at right now. i also need to start rethinking exactly what it is that i'm capable of. while my biking is consistently strong (i had the top bike split for all athletes this weekend in gravenhurst, including triathletes), my running performance continues to be a massive letdown; in every race this year i've posted slower times than what i've felt like i'm capable of, and many of those times were worse than the times from the same race last year. this past weekend, for example, i ran a 10k that was nearly a minute slower than the previous year on the same course. adding to the frustration is the fact that my training is going so well and i'm pulling off times in my day-to-day workouts that aren't transferring over to race day, which means my mental work also needs some reworking. i feel and i know that i'm capable of stronger and faster running performances. i should have had much better run times out there and when i caught those guys on the bike i should have pushed even harder to create a bigger gap. but i didn't. and i lost the race because of it.

i've already had a conversation with my coach about these concerns and we've come up with a plan to move forward. i'm going to start doing more speed work at the track as well as longer tempo runs. i've also scrapped my plans for the toronto islands duathlon and will instead be competing in a 1/2 marathon and 10k race over the next couple of weeks.

gravenhurst was a tough race. it's not a course that suits me, with it's short, steep rollers and tight twists and turns. each little hill ends at the bottom of another and it's impossible to settle into a rhythm, whether you're on the run course or riding. my heart rate was screaming because of the heat and i was sweating heavily. however, everyone was suffering out there on saturday. i lost this race due to mental errors. i wanted this one badly but missed it. this race should have been mine.

gravenhurst cheat sheet

2010-07-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2010

i can't guarantee the accuracy of this, but if you would like to, go ahead and print it. if you've never done this bike course this will show you what you're in for. notice how there are no flat sections? welcome to muskoka.

eight weeks out

2010-07-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2010

last week i was looking at my calendar and realized that sunday marked 8 weeks to go until the worlds. eight weeks to go. unbelievable. it feels like it was only yesterday i qualified.

between now and the worlds i have three races, including the provincial championships this weekend in gravenhurst. this is a big race for me and i'm hoping to finish in less than two hours, which is a demanding feat on such a tough course. the running sections are full of rollers and it's no different on the bike. because of all the ups and downs it's hard to find a rhythm while riding and i've had fairly bad luck on this course in the past that i hope won't repeat itself; in 2008 i got a flat on the infamous rough patch of jones road, and in 2009 i was run off the road by a cube van and nearly planted my face in the dirt. this course has taught me to remain focused on the things that i can control and not let the things that i can't get in my head.

because the worlds are getting so close i've stepped up training a bit, trying my best to get two solid workouts in every day, three on good days. it's exhausting and difficult on my schedule and my body is tired because of it. my legs have been heavy for days so i went for a massage (an incredible massage, i should add... i've found my new go-to rmt!) to loosen things up and am feeling light on my feet again. today was track work and tomorrow is a rest day and i'm going to force myself to take it easy before my final pre-race workout friday morning. i've had to take a step back to realize that i need to be getting ready for this weekend and rest is important for these last few days leading up to the race. but come next week my only taper will be for the worlds and my two remaining lead-up races will be nothing more than additional training days.

i'm feeling calm and relaxed which is always good for me leading up to a race, and a strong finishing time at this tough international distance venue is just what i need the final few weeks leading up to the worlds.

a day of firsts

2010-06-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2010

this was my third consecutive year racing in welland. i'm familiar with the course and i went there with big expectations on the bike. it's a flat, fast ride with only one turn that you need to slow down for. one of my goals on the bike this season is to average more than 40kmh in a race, and that's what i wanted from this race today.

i arrived early enough for a full warm-up and started the race a few rows back from the front, and by the first kilometre i'd settled into a comfortable pace just behind the leader. i usually would have been moving more quickly, but because this wasn't an 'A' race for me i was happy to let someone else set the pace. it turned out the guy ahead of me was a relay athlete and i came in to t1 just behind him, mounted my bike and quickly made my way past the second member of that relay team. in the lead on the bike and ahead of the triathletes, i had the privilege of riding behind the lead police car. feeling like someone important with my personal escort, i made my way out towards the turnaround. i'd been keeping a close eye on my average speed as it slowly started to creep up. i was maintaining a speed of about 43kmh for most of the ride, and my garmin finally flipped over from 39.9 to 40.0 average speed at about the 14k mark. woohoo!!! i was psyched. but still had a long way to go. my legs were burning but i focused on using the energy from my excitement to stay strong. flat courses like this one in welland are rare, and the most difficult thing about them is you have to be on 100% of the time. when you have hills and rollers to go up and down there are opportunities to recover, but when it's flat there's no time to rest. at the 15k turnaround there was a small opportunity to take a short breather because the slight wind blowing treated me to a tailwind for this section of the course. after about 30 seconds of getting my wheels back up to speed, i dropped a gear and kept pushing. my legs were on fire as i made my way into the last 10k of the ride, but i kept at it and kept pushing. by this point i was averaging 40.6 and was determined to keep it above 40 knowing that there were a few slower sections still to come. i didn't have a chance to look at my final average speed as i made my way into and through t2.

for the last 5k run i was out there on my own and was able to set a pace for myself. on the ride i was concerned that my run time off the bike would be affected because i was pushing so hard, but feeling strong i settled into a pace that i could easily maintain, carried that pace to the end and crossed the finish line several minutes ahead of 2nd place.

once finished i eagerly checked my garmin to check my bike speed and was thrilled to discover that i'd been able to maintain an average of 40.4kmh. a first for me! another first for me today was a second run time that was faster than my first. two signs that my training is paying off. oh yeah... another first from this race was having a winner's ribbon waiting for me at the finish line. it made me feel like a real athlete to cross the line and hold up that ribbon! so much fun.

although i wasn't pushing my running times i was still able to finish ahead of my time from last year by 2 minutes, every second of that coming from my bike split. although my cycling legs were burnt, i felt great after the race. i conserved a lot out there and am glad that i did because my next race is the provincials and i'll need everything i've got for that one.

that's more like it.

2010-06-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

June 09, 2010

i didn't taper for last week's race in milton, i didn't do any of my usual pre-race preparation, nor did i lose any sleep over how i might finish. this race was just another workout. early last week when i opened my log to see what workouts my coach had given me for the week, sunday was a race simulation. it was a heavy week of training and as it came to an end i felt strong and made a last minute decision to do my race simulation workout at an actual race. does that make sense? maybe not. but it was a way to psych myself into not thinking of this as any more than a regular workout.

arriving in milton i felt good from the start. i took it easy on the first run because i felt confident that i could get the guys ahead of me on the bike, and came into t1 in fourth spot. i breezed through transition and set out for the ride, immediately dropping the three guys ahead of me. by chance my cycling workout from the weekend before was on this course so i knew it well. i knew that there wasn't much point in killing myself up the massive climb on the 6th line, because once you get to the top it quickly transitions into a long, steady downhill that gives you the opportunity to quickly recover before putting the hammer down. after a great ride i came into t2 having no idea how far ahead i was, slipped on my runners, and took off. i'd forgotten from last year that this 7.5k run was entirely uphill on the way out. also making it tough was the loose gravel and slippery mud and grass. it wasn't until i was past the turnaround and making my way home that i finally saw the athlete behind me and knew that i had a very comfortable lead. i stayed strong and finished the race, packed up almost immediately, and headed home as soon as i could. just like i would have after finishing a regular workout.

i felt strong out there and the only thing i'm disappointed with is my second run. i was hoping for a better time but improving my run off the bike is something i'm still working on. i had a number of annoying equipment mishaps, including doing the entire ride with the heel of my left cycling shoe bent in, essentially making my shoe a full size smaller and pinching my big toe. however, that ended up working in my favour because the pain forced me to focus on pulling back with my heel (to relieve the pressure on my toe) which most certainly improved my efficiency. my bike computer also didn't work for the first 25k, but it was actually kinda cool to be out there without it; it was an opportunity to judge how i was doing by heart rate and PRE during a race, something i would probably never choose to do ahead of time.

i needed a race like this. my race a few weeks ago in waterloo was a complete disaster so if i raced in milton and had another bad day, perhaps now is the time to reassess things. if i had a good day, that means waterloo was nothing more than a bad day. i also needed to have a good ride. i've never felt as awful on a bike as i did at my last race, so this race in milton was a confidence booster for sure. it wasn't until later that afternoon that i took a look at my times from last year to compare. even with a slower first run this year i cut 4.30 off my total time, more than 3 minutes of that from the bike alone. who knows how my day may have went if i'd treated this event like an actual race and done some real preparation. as physically demanding as this sport is, without my head in the right place i'm useless out there. lesson learned.

Ride Your Bike To Work Day

2010-05-31T04:49:00.001-07:00

May 31, 2010

as part of bike month here in toronto, today is Ride Your Bike To Work Day. to celebrate i wanted to share a pic from yesterday's crit race at st. lawrence market. happy riding!

also, a shout out to my friend suzanne who won yesterday's toronto women's only half marathon. awesome race, z!

a day i'd sooner forget

2010-05-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

this is the beginning of only my third season as a serious multisport athlete. with such little experience comes rookie mistakes and firsts for the ups and downs of racing. today was one of those firsts. today was my first bad race.

it's no secret that i suffer from anxiety which causes problems with my sleeping. it comes and goes, some weeks better than others. recently i've been doing well, but last week i hit a rough patch and am currently working through several nights of poor sleep. last weekend i had a race simulation workout that i couldn't make it through. that workout came at the end of a tough build week of training and leading up to it i was feeling great, but i've been feeling off ever since. this past week was a taper week so training wasn't too heavy and i'd thought that i had come around. i had great workouts on wednesday and friday and was feeling strong. i pushed myself a bit too hard on my last workout the day before the race, but my times were solid and it was just the confidence booster i needed.

however, too many sleepless nights caught up with me. in typical self destructive behavior, i was lying wide awake in bed at 3.30 this morning - my third consecutive night of restless sleep - thinking to myself that if i'm not able to get at least a couple hours of decent sleep, i was going to hit the wall. and that's exactly what happened today.

my legs felt like cement during my warm up and my PRE was high, my output low. never a good sign before you've even started your race.

for the first run i stayed at the front of the chase pack, a few seconds behind the lead pack. but even with a pace of 3.35/km i was still 16th overall, a sign of just how strong today's competition was. towards the end of the run my fatigue was catching up and i was beginning to fade, even though i'd been careful to take it easy off the starting line. first transition was fast and smooth, but after i'd exited and was ready to hop on my bike, that's when my race really began to fall apart. my cycling shoes, already attached to my pedals, got caught underneath my bike and i had to stop twice to fix them. two athletes zipped by me before i'd even got in the saddle.

once i got going, the athletes that had just passed me coming out of t1 slowly started to get away. at first i was thinking it's fine, i'm stronger than both of them, and i'll get by them shortly. but they kept getting further and further away and my legs started to incinerate. i had nothing in me. every climb was agony, each pedal stroke burned. during the first run i figured i'd be able to catch several of the runners ahead of my on the ride, but today was not the day for that. i finally caught up to and passed a couple of athletes at about the 12k mark and had a brief boost of confidence, my only one of the day.

after a long, agonizing ride i had a great t2 and headed out for the second run. i thought it was tough getting through that ride, but this last run was going to be complete torture. my legs were dead, my heart rate was low and i tried to settle into a pace that i could hold for the last 4k. my second runs are always slower than my first runs, but never as dramatically different than today. i somehow managed to hold my position in the field and finished the race 17th overall.

i've never felt so completely defeated as i did today. i was ready to give up numerous times and had to push myself to keep pushing, even though it was getting me nowhere. my goal for this race was to finish in a time of about 1.15.00, top 10 overall. i wanted to have two sub-15 minute 4ks and a solid performance on the bike and quick transitions. i'm a strong athlete and know that i'm capable of so much better than today's results and know that i could have come close to that 1.15.00. but in order for me to have a solid performance on race day i have to be ready for it, physically and mentally. in today's case, mentally more than physically. training is nothing without proper rest and recovery. right now i need rest, and beyond that i need to learn how to ensure that i can get proper rest when my body is desperate for it.

victoria's lead up

2010-05-20T14:47:00.001-07:00

in the last few days leading up to victoria's duathlon i spent some time with a friend taking some pics of my bike all pimped out with its new racing wheels. here are a few shots from the photo sesh:

i'm not feeling 100% in the lead up to this race... something's definitely off. i had a disastrous race simulation workout last sunday that ended with me giving up half way through. that workout came at the end of a very heavy build week and everything caught up with me that morning. i was physically and emotionally drained and haven't felt like myself since, but i'm making my way through it. i've been feeling better as this week's wore on, and i hope to be re-energized with a few days of rest and a trip to the cottage this long weekend.

and speaking of racing this weekend, my good friend and training buddy tara norton is competing at ironman lanzarote on saturday. good luck out there, tara, and have fun!

duathlon nationals

2010-05-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

richmond is one of america's most obese cities, with 1 in 4 of its population being overweight. and it's no wonder. the only dining options that i could find were fast food chains with menus that consisted entirely of deep fried and battered garbage. if salad was an option it was smothered in ranch dressing or bacon. even the breakfast at my hotel was terrible. the only non-fried option was some fresh fruit. the whole weekend i struggled to eat well and turned to chowhound to try to find some local restaurants that offered lighter, healthier options, but every place that i drove to was either closed or boarded up. richmond was rocked by the recession and a lot of businesses shut down, and downtown was completely deserted. anyways, the only reason that i mention all of this is because food became a real factor for me. i'd packed everything that i needed for race day, but my stomach was turning the entire weekend leading up to the race because i don't ever eat the food that i had to eat this weekend. i was on the lookout for a grocery store saturday afternoon because i wanted to get something healthy and light that i could make for myself. i had to ask a local for some advice and it turned out i had to get on the freeway and drive 30 minutes outside of town to get to a whole foods market. i was like a kid in a candy store and i picked up some healthy food to get me through the rest of the day and sunday's drive home.

most of saturday was spent sorting out food, but i did head over to the race site early in the morning to register and check out the venue. the bike was three 13k laps on a course that consisted of a mix of some fast straight sections and some super technical sections. for the most part it was flat but there were a few hills here and there, and the most technical part of the ride wound its way through an up and down residential street. i rode the course with a dude from boulder, colorado to get familiar with it because it was the sort of course you could only wrap your head around by riding. looking at it on a map was like trying to read a foreign language. although i didn't get a chance to get out on the run course on saturday, it carved its way throughout downtown richmond on cobblestone streets, pedestrian pathways and roads. like the bike course the run was fairly flat, the only significant climbs coming just as you head into transition.

sunday morning began with the first part of my warm up at the hotel. i sat in the hot tub for awhile to warm up my legs, then headed to the gym to do 15 minutes of spinning and 15 minutes on the treadmill. once i'd arrived at race site, picked up my chip and got my body marking done, i completed my warm up near the start line and was ready to race. it was at some point during my warm up that i lost my chip, panicked when i realized it was gone, and began my race about 15 seconds behind everyone else. my focus vanished during my little panic attack but quickly returned as i started to chase down the athletes in my wave. pumped up on adrenaline i went out much harder than i should have, but my original plan was to stay with the lead pack and i wanted to catch them. after the first several hundred metres i realized that there was no way i was going to catch them so i just settled into my own race and managed to move up the pack quickly. there was only one point on the run course that allowed you to see the athletes ahead as they looped back towards transition. this was the only time that i got a look at who exactly i was competing against, but even then it was difficult to know who was in my age group because we'd caught other athletes from the previous waves. not only was i was running this race without a timing chip, but i was also running it blind.

although i'd burnt a bit too much at the start of the race, i left t1 strong and ready to ride. this would be my first opportunity to put several months of serious cycling training to work. the bike started with an immediate short, steep climb towards the run start, quickly dove to a sharp descent, then flattened out for the first flat straightaway. i left t1 with a couple of other athletes in my age group but quickly dropped them. i was tearing it up out there and picked off several athletes on the first two flats before hitting some slower technical areas. two of my age groupers caught me on the first lap in the residential part, but i dropped them before getting back to the flats. for the most part i was by myself for the first half of the ride, but in a headwind on the way out on the second lap the lead group from the wave behind me caught me and i rode with them in a pack for an entire lap. i knew i was a stronger rider than all of these athletes but i used them to help me out in the headwinds. it's too hard to move quickly when you're out there by yourself in such a strong wind, so i let them take the brunt of it but tried to stay up front so that i could break away when i was ready. on my last lap, just as we were getting out of the technical residential area and heading back to the flats, i made my move and dropped the pack.

on the second run i settled into a pace that i thought i could hold for the last 5k. in an attempt to conserve energy i'd been pushing a big gear at a low cadence while riding but found that this had hurt my running legs. i felt strong coming off the bike but as the race wore on my legs started feeling heavy. i didn't realize it at the time but it was a hot, humid morning and i'd been sweating quite a bit. i'd only drank half of my water on the bike so dehydration was becoming a factor. i'd made up a lot of ground on the bike but was still far enough behind the lead athletes that i couldn't see them. i had no one to use a pace guide or to chase down. i was also pretty far ahead of the athletes behind me so there was no one on my heels. there wasn't too much incentive to go any harder because where i was now in the field was where i was probably going to finish. was i 10th? 20th? would pushing it get me into 2nd? not having much incentive to dig deep and move faster was an odd feeling. as i finally approached the little turnaround point that allowed me to get a look at who was ahead of me, i counted about 10 athletes that looked like they were in my age group. i'd wanted to make the top 10 today but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. there were just too many people ahead of me. feeling even more discouraged, i hit the most difficult section of the run as i came up the two big climbs towards the end. i crossed the finish line in little more than a jog, stopped my watch, walked right over to my bag and downed a litre of coconut water. i was parched.

a finishing time of 1.36.00 was also my goal for today. i wanted two sub-18 5ks and 1 hour on the bike. i didn't quite get that but my time was 1.37.55, good enough for a 5th place age group finish and 35th overall. as expected, my running has become my weakest discipline; whereas my run times put me at about 65th overall, my bike time was 24th overall, and i was one of only a small number of people to do the bike course in less than an hour. i'd had a great race and was really happy with my results, but knew that it would have been a completely different race for me had i started with my wave and been running and riding with the lead pack.

i rehydrated, stretched and packed my bike into the car and headed home almost immediately. i knew that 12 hours of sitting in a car was going to wreak havoc on my recovery, which it did. i wore my compression socks on my calves for the entire ride home which helped out a lot, but my quads and hamstrings were aching for days. every time i stopped for food or gas i took some time to do some stretching and rolled around on my foam roller. all that helped but my legs were still tight all week.

traveling to richmond is a long way to go to make such a huge mistake like losing your timing chip and not realizing it until seconds before your race begins. but that aside i did have a great race. once back in toronto i sat down with my coach to talk about what worked and what didn't, and am treating this race as nothing more than another learning experience. moving forward i'll be focusing on settling into a cadence on the bike that will allow me to have strong legs on my second run. this race was a real test in mental focus and my coach assured me that i passed with flying colours. he was pleased to hear that i was able to snap out of a foggy confusion and start my race and get right back into it.

all my stupid mistakes aside i'm thrilled i got to race at the US nationals. the field was dense and talented and i hope there's an opportunity for me to do this race again. but next time i'll duct tape my timing chip onto my face so there's no confusion as to where exactly i've put it.

tara norton vid

2010-04-29T11:10:00.001-07:00

tara asked me to put together a short compilation of some of the highlights of our shoot together so she'd have something to show her sponsors. it's basically just 2 minutes and 15 seconds of tara looking like a badass. would you want to be racing her?

for the original project, click here.

a mistake only a human would make

2010-04-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

i was ready for yesterday's race.

i had a great first half of my warm up at the hotel in the morning.

i arrived at the race with plenty of time to get ready.

i was fueled up and hydrated.

i was familiar with the course.

i got to the starting area 20 minutes before my wave began.

i finished my warm up and patiently waited to be called to the line.

i was calm, focused and relaxed.

i was ready to race.

but even with all that preparation i'm still susceptible to making mistakes. with only seconds to go before the race began, i made my towards the starting line and realized that i'd lost my timing chip. i panicked and frantically started looking all over for it. the horn sounded and as i turned and watched the athletes take off a foggy confusion settled in. was that my wave that just started? it has to be too soon. i lost all concentration and couldn't think of what to do and feeling completely fuddled i started my timer, ran over to the starting line and asked a race official, was that the 30-34 wave?. i think so, he said. i ran over to another race official. was that the 30-34 wave? yes. already several seconds behind the pack, off i went without a timing chip. as soon as i took off everything snapped back into place. my focus returned and i caught up to my wave and started moving towards the front. i'm going to do this race. i won't have an official time but i'm still going to do this race.

gearing up

2010-04-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

after a nasty, debilitating shin splints flare up last week, things are looking good and i'm getting ready to head down to richmond, virginia for the US national duathlon championships. this has been a tapering week so workouts have been light, but my shins feel good and have been responding quickly to the various therapies i've been using. i have to send out a huge, huge, HUGE thank you to my friend suzanne. she read my last blog post and immediately got in touch with me and gave me loads of great tips for how to beat shin splints. all of her suggestions have made a huge difference and there's no way i could have made such huge improvements without her help. she's coached me through this thing and i'm grateful to have a good friend and training partner like her.

aside from the shin splints, things are feeling great. i've had a fantastic winter training season, i've bounced back from my injury last fall and i'm feeling stronger and more fit than ever, and this is the first time that i can honestly say that i feel ready to race. in the past i've always felt like i wasn't quite ready and felt like i should have been training harder than i had been, but that's not the case this time. i'm so amped up and ready to go and am glad that my first duathlon of the 2010 is as big of a race as it is.

and in addition to feeling strong and ready to race, i'm also feeling calm and relaxed and focused. my nerves are under control. normally for a big race like this i get nervous in the weeks leading up to it and lose sleep, but there's nothing for me to be anxious about because i have absolutely nothing riding on this race. i don't care where i finish in the field, i'm not trying to qualify for anything and there are no points on the line. this will be a great opportunity to see how i stack up against the best in the US and i intend to do the best that i can and bust my ass off, but more than anything else i'm heading down there to have fun. if i'm nervous about anything it's the weather. the forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms on race day, but hopefully the race will go off without a hitch.

this is a huge race that's reached capacity at 1500 participants, easily the largest event i've ever been a part of. my bags are packed, i have a cooler full of race day fuel, and my bike looks super badass with its new racing wheels. all i have to do is get there, which is the only thing i'm not looking forward to. 11 hours of driving is never any fun.

this is what happens when you stray from what works

2010-04-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

i've written about it here many times before: my number one goal for 2010 and beyond is to remain injury free. i've developed a plan that has been working great, and that plan involves hardly anything beyond warming up properly, icing after particularly hard workouts and stretching. no sweat. as long as i stick with that i should be much better off than i was last season, and so far i have been. well, as simple of a plan as it is, i strayed from it on thursday and am now sitting out for a few days with only a week to go before a huge race.

thursday was max effort running intervals with increasing duration and decreasing recovery. i felt great out there and felt like i'd finally found my stride and that my speed work was finally starting to pay off. i was holding the split times that i've been trying to hold all season and i was able to do so on tired legs. i saw my coach afterwards and told him that i'm feeling fit and strong and ready to race. afterwards i did my usual stretching and all seemed well. it wasn't until the next afternoon, shortly after i'd started out on a light recovery run, that i realized how badly i'd screwed up the day before. my shin splints had come out of hibernation and i could feel them burning after only a few minutes, and i had to pull the plug on the workout after only 25 minutes. the pain was too much and it was time to rest.

the problem? i didn't warm up properly. in fact, i hardly did a warm up at all. for some reason i'd convinced myself that my ride from work to the gym would be sufficient, so i started doing my hard sets right out the gate. huge mistake. what i should have done was stuck to the plan, which normally would have been 10 to 15 minutes of light running followed by some dynamic warm ups. and the thought of icing afterwards didn't even cross my mind.

so here i am sitting on the sidelines, missing today's race simulation workout. this was going to be my last big workout before tapering for next week's race, but instead i'm hobbling around, resting and stretching. if all goes well i'll be back at it on monday or tuesday, but if things don't improve i may not be able to run for several days, which means i may not be able to race. my body responds and reacts with such acute sensitivity that it always amazes me. it's little setbacks like this that keep me on my toes and i need to stick with the routines that work in order to stay healthy. another lesson learned the hard way.

the race i shouldn't have done

2010-04-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

this morning i competed at the philly's fools 10k race in whitby for the second straight year. for nearly a week i've been contemplating whether or not i should do this race, my body telling me to stay home and rest. on a workout last tuesday my legs felt like they were made of cement and i had to force myself through an otherwise easy set of intervals, and i immediately got in touch with my coach afterwards to tell him i was going to take the rest of the week off from training. i took wednesday off work because i felt like ass, i was in no better state on thursday and should have stayed home again but forced myself into the office, barely made it through the day without throwing up all over my desk, and only started to feel better that evening. i didn't show much of an improvement over the weekend and started weighing out the pros and cons of competing in this race. the cons were obvious: if i competed, my in-need-of-a-rest body would take another beating and i'd be off my feet for another week, possibly even more, recovering. some of the pros of competing were substantial and included the fact that i need this race to see where my running is at right now compared to last year. without knowing that it's hard to get a good sense of what sort of year this will be for me. i took it easy on friday and rested as much as i could and did a short 30-minute run on saturday morning. feeling ok but still not 100%, i decided then that i was at least capable of pulling off a 10k race today.

since i had such great luck with it on the morning of my last race, i started today off with an easy 30-minute spin on my bike at home to get the blood flowing and did a full stretch afterwards. sticking with another theme, i showed up on race site way too late and only had 20-minutes to warm-up after i'd registered. i did a few minutes' worth of jogging, did a couple short sprints, and got in a few dynamic stretches before heading to the starting corral. but not feeling completely warmed up and ready was just fine with me. i was confident that i could race here today and get a better time than last year without having to kill myself, so my plan wasn't to go balls out. i wanted to finish this race feeling like i still had lots in me, not like i'd need to be carried away on a stretcher; a modest effort after a modest warm-up was all a part of today's plan. i found a spot a few rows back from the front and found myself next to another absolute endurance athlete, john oh, and together we made our way towards the front of the pack once the race began.

this is a great little out-and-back 2.5k course that winds its way along pedestrian paths along whitby's waterfront. also happening today was a 5k race so as the runners slowly began to thin out, it was me in 2nd spot and another guy ahead of me in first. my new tactic of starting further back in the crowd at the beginning is really working out for me, and as i approached the 1k marker i could vividly remember my race here last year. at this same point where i was feeling solid and steady and fully capable of finishing strong today, last year my heart rate was through the roof and i was having a hard time settling into a pace i could hold for another 9 kilometres. starting a few rows back from the front ensures that i don't go out too hard too soon and throw away a race within the first few hundred metres.

on the first portion of the race we were running up a false flat into a headwind. if my hunch was correct, once i hit the 2.5k turnaround marker my split times would come down substantially, but even at this point in the race i was able to hold my average pace from last year at a heart rate that was low enough that i knew i wasn't going to burn myself out. the guy ahead of me kept creeping further ahead of me and it looked like he had a similar race plan. once i'd hit the first turnaround and starting making my way back, my speed had picked up quite a bit but he was still getting away from me. clearly he was taking advantage of the tailwind and downhill false flat too. knowing that i'd have to give it everything i had to catch up to him, i decided to stick with my own race and take whatever time it was that i was able to get today and let him have the win (because he obviously wanted it more than me!), but it struck me at the 4k marker that maybe the guy ahead of me was competing in the 5k race. he was certainly on pace for a great 5k time, and as i reached my turnaround point and headed out for my second lap, he was nowhere to be found and the lead cyclist was now leading me around the course. sweet!, i thought, i've been in first this whole time and didn't even know it!

my second lap began and i stuck with the same race plan as the first: stay strong in the uphill headwind and pick things up on the way back to the finish. i wanted to finish today's race in a time of 37.30 or less, and as i reached the 7.5k turnaround point and eventually found my tailwind, i looked at my watch and saw that i was going to have to pick things up in order to get it. because i'd conserved loads of energy i was able to finish my last 2 kilometres at a pace of about 3.32/km and crossed the line in 1st place with a time of 37.26. john finished behind me in 2nd place. a 1-2 finish for absolute endurance!

when i got home i immediately compared my time, pace and heart rates from last year. on the exact same course and under virtually identical conditions, here's how the year over year numbers compare:

2009

finish time: 38.27

avg hr: 182

max hr: 190

avg pace: 3.50/km

2010

finish time: 37.26

avg hr: 176

max hr: 187

avg pace: 3.44/km

all of this means that right now i'm running faster with less effort than i was at this point last year, and the even better news is that this result ties my result from the 10k race i did at the provincial duathlon championships in gravenhurst last july, which means that even with the setback of my injury, i'm going to be picking up 2010 right where 2009 left off. which means that i am very, very, VERY excited about what my coach and i have been able to do over the past few months. i felt so great after this race and was feeling psyched with my result because i'm confident that if i'd needed to, i could have shaved some pretty substantial time off of that finish. but i stuck to my race plan and i'm glad i did. this is a race that i probably never should have done because my body is in need of some downtime right now, but finishing so strong at the end of a race is a huge confidence booster and i'm feeling more and more ready for my duathlon season to begin.

MultiSport Canada Promo Video

2010-03-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

here's something i've been working on for awhile...

Post Race Report - Chilly Half Marathon

2010-03-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

like my last race the week before, i had time on my hands this morning. the race didn't start until 10.05 am, and burlington is only a short 35-minute drive away. my legs were feeling a little tight because i wasn't able to stretch after all of my workouts in the lead up to the race, so i hopped on my bike on the trainer in the basement for a little spin to get the blood flowing. afterwards i did a full stretch and was feeling top notch, so off i headed to race site. from the very beginning, this race was all about heart rates. there was a 5k event held alongside the 1/2 marathon that i was originally planning on doing, but my coach recommended that i do the longer race with a predetermined plan. the goal was to maintain a steady heart rate for the first half, and then bring it up and maintain a higher rate for the second half.

it's good i had that chance to do a little warm-up at home because i got to the event much later than i had hoped, and i was only able to jog for a few minutes before i had to head to the start. because of how i'd structured this race for myself, i was feeling super relaxed just before it began, more relaxed than i've ever been just before the start of any race i'm sure. i knew that i wasn't out there competing against anyone, and i wasn't even out there competing against myself; i was just there to finish the race in whatever time it took. had i arrived earlier i would have made my way to the back of the starting corral, but because i got to the line so late i found myself only three rows back from the front, and when the gun went off, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of other runners poured past me. starting slowly, my plan was to run 4.40/km for the first 10k, and then finish the race at a pace of 4.10/km, but once i got going i found that i was able to run right at my threshold and maintain a pace of 4.30, and with that i changed my plan just slightly. i decided that i'd run the first half right at my threshold, regardless of pace, because i knew that was an effort i could hold for hours.

as the race wore on, more and more athletes left me behind. my ego took a beating and i had to continually remind myself what this race was about. but it was tough. very tough. going into this thing i was hoping that i'd be able to finish with a time of sub-1.40, and just about the only thing that made me feel good this early on was that at one turnaround point i discovered that i was quite a bit ahead of the 1.45 pace bunny. with my ego in check and my pace settled, i carried on.

even though i was getting passed by every athlete and their uncle, as the Ks ticked away i realized that i was feeling great and really enjoying myself. running right at threshold is an effort that most athletes are likely very comfortable at, and i'm certainly no exception. it was a beautiful day and it was a beautiful course and the pace that i was running at really gave me the opportunity to appreciate so much of what i would otherwise miss, and as the halfway point of the race approached i started to get excited. i was feeling so good and had so much left in me that i couldn't wait to pick things up. not quite sure where i was on the course at the time, i looked at my garmin and saw that i was at 10.8k, and knew it was time to get going. there was a dude that had caught up to me and had been running with me for a few hundred metres, but once i hit that 10.8 mark, off i went, dropping him, on my way to a very different second half of the race.

now that i was moving quicker, i had to find a pace with a higher heart rate that i could comfortably maintain for this last half, but since the point of this race plan wasn't to compare split times, i didn't want this second half of the race to be a full-out 10k effort. i wanted to cross the line strong, not worn out. i ended up settling about 10 heart beats higher than threshold, which brought me down to about 4.10/km. although this definitely isn't race pace for me, i stuck with it and started catching up to and passing the crowds of people that had passed me much earlier. because my heart rate was still fairly low and i still had all of my reserves left, i was feeling great and started cruising towards the end. my ego started peeking out from behind the curtains as i passed all of the people ahead of me, and together we charged on. there was a bit of a headwind coming back towards the finish so as i moved up from one group of runners to the next, i would use the other athletes to break the headwind for me, take a moment to recover slightly, and then move up to the next group. i overtook the 1.35 pace bunny and was hoping to catch the 1.30 bunny, but knew that would only be possible if i brought my splits down to about 3.40. on another day, sure, but not today.

it wasn't until i was at the 16k marker that i realized i was feeling the first signs of fatigue. i normally feel spent in the first few kilometres of a race and have to push myself to keep things going for the rest, but today that wasn't the case at all. today i'd conserved everything and my body was feeling fantastic. even though my ego was right there on my shoulder telling me to go faster, i ignored him and stuck with my pace until the last 2k. at the 19k marker i finally allowed myself to put the pedal down and those last 2 kilometres were the only ones that i had a sub-4 pace, and i crossed the line at a pace of sub-3 with a finishing time of 1.31.44.

never had i felt so good at the end of a race! i made this race easy on myself for sure, but i never expected to feel as strong as i did at the end, nor did i expect to come so close to breaking a 1.30.00 finish time with such a relaxed effort. normally when i'm out there racing i'm pushing myself to go harder, but for almost every step of this race i was holding myself back. i can say with all honesty that this lesson in mental training was way, way, WAY harder than trying to psych myself up to go faster. i stuck to my race plan and looking back my HRs were rock steady: for the first 10k they only drifted 2 or three beats for every kilometre, and for the second half, although they were much higher, they only differed by 2 beats, except for the final 2k. this was a tremendous exercise and i would certainly urge anyone to try it.

i never would have enjoyed this day as much as i did if i were out there with a regular race plan. it was fun, but i'm definitely excited to head back to the burnlington 1/2 someday to see what sort of time i'm capable of finishing it. i've got a couple more races this year with similar race plans, but, for me at least, this type of racing can get old very fast. i like finishing near the front and i like training to try to bring my times down. i'm getting older and have a limited number of years where i'll be able to finish near the front, so for now me and my ego are working together to see what we can do. and my coach, too. can't forget about him.

also, a HUGE congrats to my friend suzanne who finished 2nd in the women's race. we train together at AETT and it's always awesome to see friends on the podium.

two days out and not sure what to do

2010-03-05T09:56:00.001-08:00

i'm two days away from my first half marathon and i'm trying to figure out what to expect. this is a training race and i'm heading to it with a strict plan so that's making it difficult to predict an outcome. this will be a negative-split race, my heart rates and pace from the first half of the race lower than those from my second. i have to be smart about it because my first 10k have to be a pace that i can maintain without using up too much of my strength. if i go out too hot i'll crash at the end, but i also don't want to go out too slow because i want to get a time that's fairly respectable for someone of my fitness level. and how am i going to feel? will i be crawling across the finish line? will i be able to get negative splits and still feel strong at the end? is this going to be a walk in the park? will i never want to run again? i'm totally out on this one and it's tough for sure.

in terms of finish time, i'm completely in the dark for two reasons. the first is that i have no previous half marathon times to go by; the second is that i have no idea what my pace will be. if i were heading to the race tomorrow to set a benchmark, my goal would be to run less than 1.30. but that's not what tomorrow is about. tomorrow is about sticking to my race plan and finishing strong. above all else, the toughest thing about tomorrow will be putting my ego in the backseat and allowing the slower athletes to whiz by me at the start. but maybe i'll be able to make up for it by passing them all in the last 10k? we'll see. either way sunday is going to be a learning experience and i'll be sure to enjoy it. the weather looks like it's going to be ideal and i'm looking forward to the experience. even if i do end up collapsing at the end.

Post Race Report - Peterborough YMCA 5k

2010-03-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

i've never started off a race morning by sleeping in, but today was the exception for sure. start time for this one was 12.45pm, so there was no rush to get the day going. not only was it new for me to be able to sleep in and get some extra rest before a race, but my meal plan was also different. i usually only have to eat breakfast before a race, but today i had time for that and lunch. i hadn't really given this any thought ahead of time and was all set to make my regular race morning meal, but realized that by the time the race started i'd need a whole other meal to fuel myself properly. i stuck with my regular breakfast shake and packed a race lunch which i ate about an hour before the race. it was sort of weird to have to pack a full meal on race day but i just went with it.

happening alongside this 5k race was a half marathon, and just as i was finishing up my warm-up, the procession of marathoners, off 15 minutes before the start of the 5k, ran past me. i felt pretty ridiculous tromping around doing my dynamic warm-ups while hundreds of people passed by. i figured it was better to look like an idiot bouncing around on one leg than leave the race with injuries, so again i just went with it.

one change to my racing that i'm starting this year is taking things more slowly off the start line. at past races my adrenaline would usually get the best of me and i'd burst off the line and burn too much energy too soon. in order to combat the urge to sprint, i put myself about 3 rows back from the front at the start line, and at the sound of the gun i was forced to calmly make my way past the slower athletes ahead of me. this new strategy seemed to pay off and i found myself near the front of the field by the 500m mark, and i'd settled into race pace well before reaching the first kilometre marker. at this point there were about 6 guys running neck and neck in the lead and me and two other runners equally spread out taking up the 7th, 8th and 9th positions. this was a fast and flat out and back course and at the 2.5k turnaround point i had moved up two spots to 7th position, with the runner in 6th about 100 metres ahead. i used that runner to pace myself and didn't worry about catching him too soon, feeling that i'd get to him before the end of the race and kept watch to see if he started to break away. i began to close the gap and as i got closer, i gave myself a small boost for a count of 10 before settling back down, and gave one more small boost for another count of 10 as i passed him just as we hit the 4k marker. things were going well at this point and i was feeling worked but strong. with about 800 metres remaining, the course took a sharp left-hand turn before finishing off with a long, flat, straight section.

i'm quite certain this was the hardest finish of any race i've done. what made it so difficult was that i could see the finish line for that entire last section, and it never felt like it was getting any closer. it was sort of like driving on a lonely country road where the scenery all looks the same and there's not really any landmarks and it feels like no matter how long you've been driving it seems like you're not getting anywhere. i was pushing to get myself across the line, digging to find any extra energy reserves that i might still have left. i was able to get a number of short bursts in and crossed the line ready to keel over and pass out. that's the thing with these short races; they may not take too long to complete but you really have to go balls out for the entire race to get a good time. luckily i'm able to recover quickly and was feeling fine shortly after finishing, but those last several hundred metres were tough.

in the end i finished with a time of 18.01, 6th overall, and had i looked at my watch as i was approaching the end, i likely would have known that with just a bit more effort i could break the 18 minute mark. but i'll take that 18.01 because it's just what i want this early in the year. i knew that i wasn't capable of pulling off a personal best today and i'm happy with my fitness level right now. i've got a long season ahead of me and plenty of opportunity for PBs. feeling as exhausted as i did at the end of this race, i couldn't believe that i have to run a half marathon next week. 18 minutes is nothing compared to nearly 2 hours of running, but i guess i'll just have to go with it.

race change

2010-02-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

a couple of weeks ago i was all set to register for my first race of 2010, the tim hortons grimsby 5k. turns out that the information i got about this race earlier in the year was incorrect, and this is actually a 3k race, not a 5k. once aware of this new information, i promptly began searching for another race and discovered a 5k race in peterborough, and that's where i'm heading tomorrow morning.

i'm trying to decide how i feel about tomorrow. this race is sort of big for me but i'm not nervous; i feel sort of ready for it but i know that i'm still not quite; i want to get a personal best 5k time but i don't think that i will. this will be my first organized, competitive race since my injury last august. that injury was a huge setback and only since january have i been feeling like i'm beginning to regain my running strength. more than anything i'll be using this race to gauge my fitness level compared to this time last year. i know that i'm not any faster than i was, but i need this race to tell me if i'm at the same level or, if not, just how far behind. i'll also be using my heart rates from tomorrow's 5k to determine my race plan for next week's half marathon.

for finishing expectations i'm remaining realistic: i would like to make the top 10 overall, but i'll only be able to finish in the top 10 if i can run at the pace that i would like to maintain. i'm certain i can break 20 minutes, i hope to break 19 minutes, and i'll be thrilled if i can break 18 minutes. but breaking 18 minutes is a bit too far fetched at this point and i'm certain i won't even come close. my 5k pb is 17.40, but i don't think tomorrow is my day to break it; i'm just not strong enough yet. tomorrow's race is all about having fun and seeing what my body is capable of this early in the year. and it's also about trying not to break my neck in the slippery, sloppy, mushy snow that's blanketed southern ontario in the past couple days. this snow is making for pretty good packing snow so i might just start whipping snowballs at all of the athletes ahead of me. maybe i'll get on the podium that way.

dynamic warm-ups

2010-02-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

throughout the year as my running mileage and intensity has increased, i've started noticing patterns. it seems that my best running performances tend to take place during brick workouts, where i do my running after spending some time on the bike. when my workouts are run-only, my body usually feels pretty beat up after finishing anything longer than a 60-minute effort. a huge goal of mine for 2010 is to remain injury free, and it was seeming like no matter what sort of strength and flexibility i've incorporated into my training, things still felt off and i wasn't going to be able to shake any seemingly inevitable injuries. during a recent trip to see my chiropractor with complaints of a sore left knee (similar to injuries in the past), i explained the whole everything is fine if i ride first situation. i let out a huge sigh of relief when i was told that the pain wasn't joint related at all, but that my knee was hurting because my hamstrings weren't getting warmed up properly before long run-only workouts. it seemed like such a no brainer to me afterwards! obviously my legs are warmed up much better after spending some time on the bike, but a typical warm-up while running would only consist of some light jogging before my hard efforts.

anyways, my sports chiro suggested that i look into dynamic warm-ups. i did some online research and came across a few articles, but i wasn't until i found this little gem on youtube that i was able to put together a warm-up routine and try it out. there were improvements immediately and i haven't had any soreness or muscle tightness in two full weeks of training with my new warm-ups. i've added a few small things that aren't in the video to make it slightly more multisport specific, but otherwise my routine is pretty much the same that you see here. combined with stretching, dynamic warm-ups have made a huge difference in my recovery and and how i feel post-workout, and i would recommend it to anyone. if you're trying to spot me on race day, look for the moron doing the completely ridiculous looking warm-up routine off to the side.

lactate test

2010-02-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

my coach is general manager of absolute endurance, arguably one of the best multisport training facilities in the province. i do almost all of my training at absolute, and having access to the facilities and having a coach that owns the place comes with some pretty nice perks. one of those perks is lactate testing. the purpose of a lactate test is to determine what your lactate threshold is, and then use that information to determine training zones. particularly valuable to endurance athletes, you train in those zones to increase your lactate threshold, thereby increasing your performance. by no stretch of the imagination am i an expert on the subject, but in the very simplest of terms, your lactate threshold is the point just below the work effort that your body switches from using its fat supplies as its primary energy source to using carbohydrates as its primary energy source. your body burns through carbs much faster than fats, and an average person could very likely run a marathon at a very low exertion effort, using fat supplies to make it through the race. however, once that same person's body starts working harder and their heart rate increases, there's a point at which the body will switch to burning carbs. if not properly re-fueled, the body will run out of carbs long before crossing the finish line. the idea is that if you train just below your lactate threshold, your body slowly begins to adapt and will eventually switch to burning carbs at higher heart rates.

for those multisport athletes out there, we all know that our heart rates are much lower on the bike portion of the race than they are while running. that means you have to train in zones differently for each discipline. in november, when i had recovered enough from an injury that put me out for three months, i started my new training program with my coach. my leg was still recovering and it was too soon for a running lactate test, so my coach started me off with a test on the bike to see where i was at. going only from my workout logs from the past three months and how my body has felt, i knew that my cycling had improved since then, but it wasn't until last night's second lactate test that my coach and i got a much better idea of how far things have come in that time.

it would take me too long time to completely break the test down but i'll try to explain the jist of it. both tests (the first in november, the second last night) were identical and started out the same: i began by pushing 160 watts, i would ride for three minutes then my coach would record my heart rate, watts would then increase by 20, i'd ride for three more minutes and have my heart rate recorded, watts would again be increased by 20. this keeps going until, by feel only, i knew that i was working hard (when you know you're working hard, lactate is in the system). at this point it's a tough effort, about 80% of max, which i should only be able to hold for about 15-20 minutes. this is when my first blood test is taken and my blood lactate is recorded. at this point the watts are brought way down and held at a level that allows my heart rate to settle at 145bpm. this is the recovery portion of the test. once my heart rate has settled, my blood lactate is measured again and the watts start coming back up every three minutes. when the watts start climbing again, my heart rate slowly starts to come up again, and the test ends when my blood lactate level goes about 4 mmol/l (whatever that means). the numbers (both heart rate and wattage) just below that level is my lactate threshold.

so that's the complicated part. here's the real world, laymen part: in three months i've increased my wattage at my lactate threshold by 70 watts. and not only has my power output increased, but my recovery time has decreased. in theory that means that i'll be able to ride a course for a sustained effort at 70 watts higher than i could have three months ago, and i'll be able to push harder sooner after a big climb. this is a HUGE improvement!!! not only was my coach very excited with the results, but i was ecstatic! it was so awesome to see some fancy scientific numbers affirming what i already feel: i've come a long way on the bike in a short period of time.

another great thing that has come out of this test is that it's clear i know my body. at two different points during the test my coach asked me to guess my heart rate and my watts (which were blind to me) and both times i guessed them bang-on. this means that out there on race day i should be able to gauge how hard my body is working and i should know how long i can hold a specific effort. this should payoff huge in race management, helping to ensure i don't go out on the bike too hard too soon.

my body feels great on the bike, the numbers show gains, and next week i'll have a chance for a real-world cycling fitness improvement test. every so often absolute endurance has indoor 40k time trials. i haven't been able to do one since the end of october because of schedule conflicts, so next week's TT will be my first opportunity to do some side-by-side fitness comparisons. i don't honestly expect to be able to average 70 more watts for over an hour, but i do expect improvements. either way i'm looking forward to the workout.

too bad running is a whole other issue. my running speed is still sucky and slow slow slow. a geriatric in a wheelchair could probably beat me across the finish line in a running race.

you know you're working too much when...

2010-02-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

...getting home from the office before 6pm on a sunday night is something practically worth celebrating. work has been completely insane since the end of last november, and every time i think it's going to die down it gets crazy again. the past two weeks i've been working like a madman, barely getting three hours of training in each week. but as of today, with the completion of my latest project, work officially cools down until the madness begins all over again, which it undoubtedly will. i love my job and i enjoy my work, but 16-hour workdays and working 14 days straight is lame-o.

getting right back on the training wagon, i have a lactate test on the bike tomorrow which i'm actually pretty excited about. my last bike lactate test was at the end of last october, so this will be an indication of how my riding has progressed since then. my coach has scheduled wednesday as a day off for me, but i think i'll sneak a workout it anyways. i'll just have to keep it a secret.

absolute endurance on breakfast television!

2010-02-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

just got the word that absolute endurance (where i do most of my training) will be on breakfast television tomorrow morning (feb 4th), starting at about 7am. from the email i just received:

"Starting at around 7 am we will be featuring a few of the main components of our facility (computrainer, pool etc) and one of these 3 minute segments will be Cindy and I demonstrating and explaining a run analysis and how we use this information to treat our athletes and patients."

happy viewing!

triathlon canada athlete of the year awards

2010-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

click here to nominate someone for olympic triathlon, long distance triathlon, duathlon, off road triathlon, grand master (60+) or an athlete with a disability. the deadline for nominations is february 5th.

good luck to all nominees!

2010 race schedule

2010-01-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

tonight i had the opportunity to sit down with my coach and talk about my 2010 racing schedule. i'm already amped for this year and i've got a few big races scattered throughout the season that i'm particularly looking forward to. the two of us sat down and we started with me naming off all the races that i would like to do, and then coach al gave me a few choices, made some recommendations and designed a schedule that focuses on my 'A' races, ultimately leading me to the worlds in september. what will be different in 2010 is that i won't just be heading to all of my races with speed and finishing time as the focus; each race is being used to help me prepare for others, and some races are being used strictly as training tools. some races will be fun and i'll be out there to see how hard i can push myself, while others will have a pre-determined race plan that i'll be expected to adhere to. this schedule will likely change once i know when and where the provincial and canadian duathlon championships are, but this is what it looks like for now:

february 28 - grimsby 5k

my first race of the year will be fast and flat. i'll be using it to gauge my fitness level, and my coach will be using my split times from this race to determine what the race plan for my next race will look like.

march 07 - chilly half marathon, burlington

my first half marathon! this race will be a very strict training race, not a "let's go out and see how fast i can run a half marathon" race. the focus of this one will be negative splits for the entire race, starting off easy and finishing hard, fast and strong.

arpil 04 - philly's fools 10k, whitby

i placed 2nd overall in this race last year so this race will be an opportunity to see where my running is at compared to 2009, and it will also be an opportunity for me to try a different race strategy on a familiar course. last year i lost this race by going out too hard too soon. in 2010 i'll race smarter.

april 25 - us national duathlon championships, richmond, virginia

i'm going to head to richmond, va, to race against the best in the US. an 'A' race for sure, my first duathlon of the year will be a big one.

may 16 - limestone duathlon, kingston

a great opportunity for me to compare my fitness level to what it was in 2009. i'll be returning to this race for the second year in a row, and more than anything else i'll be looking to see how my bike splits have changed year over year.

may 24 - victoria's duathlon, waterloo

i'll be dancing with ontario's best multisport athletes at this one. i was too intimidated to enter this race in 2009, but in 2010 i'll be making my rookie debut at one of the most anticipated races of the season.

june 26 - welland duathlon

returning to welland for the third year in a row will present another opportunity to compare year over year times, my favourite way to track personal fitness improvements.

july 17 - gravenhurst duathlon

i always look forward to this race. there's nothing like leaving the cottage early in the morning and crossing a misty, glassy lake to get to race site. this has always been a challenging race in the heart of cottage country, and i've heard rumors of a new bike course for 2010.

august 15 - toronto islands duathlon

fast and flat, i'll be looking to push big numbers on the bike this year and cross the line with a good finish for the hometown crowd.

august 22 - orillia triathlon

this will be a key training race for me in preparation for the world championships. i won't be heading to this race to break any records, but there will be a focus on bike performance.

september 05 - duathlon world championships, edinburgh, scotland

my big race of the year. the race of the year. everything up until this point will have been geared towards making sure that i perform at my best here. i've set a very ambitious goal of finishing top 10 in my age group and i want to hit it. if all goes to plan and i remain injury free, i should have a strong race.

september 19 - lakeside duathlon

fully recovered from the world champioships, my first race back on canadian soil will be lakeside.

october 09 - fall colours duathlon

this is a fun little race just outside of ottawa that i had to miss in 2009 because of injury. i'm looking forward to returning to it in 2010.

i'll likely do a couple of running races in the fall, perhaps even taking on another half marathon. one of the races that i was looking forward to doing in 2010 was the sporting life 10k, but on my coach's recommendation i'll be sitting it out this year. missing it will allow me to build up to victoria's duathlon a bit better. this schedule is tentative and will likely change with the announcement of the provincial championships, and perhaps even with the announcement of the canadian championships, but i'm only going to go to the canadian's if the race is close by. regardless, i'm very excited about this schedule. i wanted to race less this year and focus more on key races, and my coach came up with a schedule that does just that. i'm still concerned about my running fitness but it's slowly coming back up; it's definitely not what it used to be, but by the time the worlds get here in september, i hope to be in top form. i've learned the hard way that injuries are a part of racing but i'm doing what i can to stay strong. 2010 is here, my first race is about 6 weeks away, and i'm psyched. this may not be a huge year for me, but it's definitely going to be a good year.

defeated

2010-01-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

my coach threw me a curveball for my ride tonight. a typical workout on the bike is warm-up, maintain a certain heart rate/wattage, then gradually build up. tonight's workout started the same way with a 30 min warm up followed by a tough hour of steady state riding. but rather than building up from there i had to blast right up to my maximum heart rate, hold it, and then start coming down gradually over timed intervals. three minutes into my second set, just below my max hr zone, i had to pull the plug because i went out too hard and overly ambitious. this is the first time i've struggled mentally through a workout and been defeated by one. a few minutes after some easy spinning my legs had recovered and were ready to go again, but by then it was too late. it was already over for me.

i'm trying to think of what i can learn from this and take away from it. right up until i crashed my heart rates and my wattage were bang-on, but for whatever reason i just couldn't push through this one. i was fueled and hydrated and feeling strong. this was a tough workout for sure but i should have been able to get through it. aaaarrrgghhh... very frustrating.

LifeKinetics

2010-01-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

a shout out to my brother-in-law, jon, and his newly launched website, lifekinetics.ca. i don't know if me trying to explain exactly what he is capable of doing for athletes will do it any justice, so take a look at his site. based on the results of fitness and functional tests, jon designed a weight training, strengthening and flexibility program to target all of my weaknesses and imbalances in an effort to move me faster and prevent injury. if you're looking for something similar, check out his site. you'll see that his services don't end there, extending into all aspects of a healthy lifestyle.

happy new year!

2010-01-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

the new year is here, another decade is behind us, the holidays are finally winding down and my life is getting ready to return to normality. but until it does i'll continue to enjoy it. i'd like to wish everyone and their families, friends and loved ones all the best in 2010.

best water bottle ever?

2009-12-30T06:07:00.001-08:00

i'll be perfectly honest: i've really struggled to find the right hydration system over the past couple of years. i've come across water bottle fail after water bottle fail, from loose-fitting lids popping off to having all of my water spill out moments into a race. i've had my share of face-fulls of hydration fluid when trying to take a quick swig during transition. in numerous races in 2009, my profile design aero bottle's secret self destruct button went off after hitting a bump, blowing off the top of the bottle, spewing my drink all over me, my bike and the road. at the toronto islands race last august, this happened as i was exiting t1, leaving me with no rehydration fluids for the rest of the race on one of the hottest days of the year. i've crossed the finish line with milky sunglasses, covered in homemade concoctions meant to be consumed, not used as ammunition in a water bottle fight. i've spent many hours post-race cleaning sticky messes off my bike and had to replenish my supply of missing parts from water bottles that have blown up while riding. and it seems that whenever i do come across something that works, the water bottle isn't big enough and even without any spilling mishaps i'm out of fluids halfway through a race or training ride. brutal.

another difficulty has been eating food. i don't buy any commercially made products like powergels or powerbars, instead choosing to make my own from a small list of high quality, raw, natural ingredients. eating my homemade bars fuels me up properly, but chewing makes my heart rate scream as my breathing changes to allow me to chew and swallow. gels are the solution to this problem, but finding the right receptacle for carrying them has been an equally challenging dilemma.

but it looks likes other, smarter people share the same long list of refueling problems. some genius out there created the Gel-bot, a 24 ounce water bottle with a built in gel flask. when i first saw it at the running room i was confused about how it worked, but after a bit of online research i added it to my holiday wish list. i now have three of them, and after using them for only three workouts, i'm absolutely blown away by how great they are. the bottle has a valve that looks like any other water bottle valve: pull the valve up to drink water, push the valve down to stop the water flow. however, when you push the valve down, you're able to get the gel that you've already put into the built in "energy core", which is a little cylinder that holds 2 gel packs worth of gels. it uses a little piston system (similar to a syringe), and all you have to do is suck out the gel between gulps of water. this bottle is also bpa-free and fits in a regular water bottle cage on any bike. brilliant. no more messy gel packs, no more racing heart rates while chewing, no more time fiddling to get food out of your jersey pockets. now why didn't i think of that?

happy holidays!

2009-12-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

the holidays are upon us and i would like to wish my family, friends and fellow multisport athletes a very happy holiday season. this can be a hectic time for many of us and i hope you all have a chance to sit back, put your feet up and take a moment to enjoy yourself during the chaos of the season.

all my best to you and yours.

toroto criterium pics

2009-12-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

i completely forgot that i had these pics. i was organizing and printing some photos this afternoon and came across about 200 pictures i took at the toronto crit that took place last may at the st. lawrence market in toronto. this event was on a friday evening and i stopped by after work, camera in tow, to check out my first crit. the energy at this event made the hair stand up on the back of my neck; the athletes were zipping by at more than 40km/h and the crowd was jumping. even if you're not a cycling geek this event is worth checking out. let's hope we see it again in 2010.

the importance of balance

2009-12-15T06:37:00.000-08:00

so in my last post i mentioned that i had only missed one or two workouts since getting started on my program at the beginning of november. i was thinking about it and realized that both workouts i missed i was able to make up for a day or two later. however, as the holidays are approaching and work is crazy, i missed two workouts last week that i haven't been able to make up, as well as last night's weekly yoga class. the workout i missed last thursday was a pretty important one. important because it would have been an easy way to see if my training is actually paying off. i was supposed to take part in an indoor 40k time trial at absolute endurance but couldn't because i had to work late. the last indoor 40k TT i did was in mid-october so i was anxious to see how my wattage and time has improved with about 8 weeks of training. but no go. i thought i could make up for that missed TT on sunday but just couldn't fit it in.

i had to email my coach yesterday to let him know that there's a very good chance i'll be missing a number of workouts over the next couple of weeks, mostly because of work. i had to work on saturday and sunday of this past weekend and will probably have to do the same this upcoming weekend, and right now my focus has to be getting my work done. deadlines are deadlines, after all.

and it's just that time of year. things are crazy for pretty much everybody this time of year so i've decided i'm not going to feel bad if i miss some workouts. once the holidays pass and the new year gets rolling, i won't be as busy as i am right now and i'll get right back on track. no sweat. the holidays mean traveling, seeing family and friends, eating excessively and not stressing about the little things. like missing a workout. i am pretty bummed that i missed that workout last week and won't be able to make up for it, but i think i'd rather worry about which wine i should bring to which holiday party.

however, my body is fairly sensitive to my work/workout balance. if i do too much of either without balancing it out with the other, my sleep quality is affected. and that's where i am right now. i've had about a week's worth of nights with little or no good, deep sleep. all i've been doing over the past couple of weeks is working working working and it's taking its toll. so today i've decided that no matter what, i'm going to go to the gym for a bit of a break in my work day. i haven't been to the gym in weeks because i've been so busy, but i decided last night while i was lying in bed staring at the ceiling at 3 in the morning that if i'm going to be working a 10- or 12-hour day, i'm going to reward myself with a trip to the gym, even if that means that i get an hour's less worth of work done. if i'm busy i still need balance, because too much of anything can take a toll on your body, mind and spirit. not a great place to be when the holidays are approaching.

feeling it today

2009-12-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

it's been a long, loooonnng time since my last entry, and only because not too much has been going on. training is going well and ever since starting up again just over a month ago, i think i've only missed one workout. maybe two? life has been busy, especially work. the holidays are approaching fast but that doesn't change the fact that project deadlines are looming, so i've been putting in a lot of extra hours at work these days. i haven't been to the gym in a few weeks because i haven't been able to afford the time during working hours, but morning and evening run/ride workouts are going well.

my coach has been giving my leg lots of time to heal before pushing ahead fully with running workouts, and i think i've only done one hard, run-specific workout. all other run workouts have been slow and short, 45 minutes being the longest. needless to say, my running legs are sluggish and i definitely, definitely, definitely am not the runner i used to be. my legs feel heavy, and even a modest pace feels like an effort. i'm struggling to get my splits down to levels i want to be at. however, it's good that i haven't been pushing my running legs too much. for the first three weeks or so, the day after any run done outside (any run not done on a treadmill) my right leg would be bothering me with aches similar to those i had just before my stress fracture. i was concerned and thought i may have to cut out running again for a few more weeks, but now that my legs are stronger and i've been back at it for awhile, all seems well. i've been pain free after all of my outdoor runs for the past couple of weeks, but efforts still remain short and slow.

since running training has been light, that's left lots of time for riding and my bike training has been going great. when my coach and i sat down to talk about what sort of program i'm looking for, i told him i want him to push me, and he definitely hasn't let me down. i've been working harder on my riding then i ever have, and feel like most of my training rides in the past were nothing but unfocussed spinning sessions. every workout feels like it matters and it's making a difference. it's pretty awesome. i don't expect to roll out on my bike in the spring and suddenly be able to push an average of 60km/h or anything, but i do expect to improve my times from 2009. and i'm going to need those improved bike times to make up for the fact that i'm mr. slowy mcslowy out there on the run.

anyways, on to the reason i wanted to do a blog entry today: i've just finished a couple of tough interval workouts on the bike and am feeling completely exhausted today. thursday was intervals at low cadence, high resistance (12 x 2 mins, 30 secs recovery, followed later by 8 x 2 mins, 15 secs recovery). these low cadence, high resistance were extreeeeeeeemmly tough and i was telling tara, that day's group leader, that i don't think i like her any more. i wasn't nearly pushing my full wattage and it still felt like i was pushing about 10 times that because it was so hard.

this morning was another tough intervals workout, which included 6 sets at maximum heart rate. i was practically ready to faint by the time i got through those first 6 intervals, and when they were over i still had nearly an hour of riding left before my cool down. now here i am at home, getting ready to head out for the night with some friends and i'm feeling completely exhausted. and tired. even with a full day off in between those workouts i'm feeling burnt. it doesn't help that i just finished reading an article about how your muscles basically get torn to pieces when doing high resistance, heavy workload intervals and you should give yourself a couple of days recovery time before doing any more similar workouts. tomorrow is another day off and i'm looking forward to it, and i also can't wait for my next recovery ride.

way to go, magali!!!

2009-11-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

a huge huge HUGE congratulations to canadian female triathlete magali tisseyre. she finished 3rd at the ironman 70.3 world championships today!!! magali posted the fastest run of the pro women, making up huge ground in the last leg of the race. she finished less than 6 minutes behind race winner julie dibbens and only 1.42 behind second place mary beth ellis. it looked like an exciting race and i'm looking forward to reading her post-race report on her blog.

way to go, magali!

2009 - my year in review

2009-11-09T14:08:00.001-08:00

the 2009 racing year is well behind me and my focus is now 100% 2010. up until just a couple of weeks ago i was hoping to be able to get at least one more race in this year. but as that was not the case, the rest of 2009 will be used to get ready for 2010 and beyond. 2009 was my second full season of racing and i went into it with some fairly ambitious goals. in an effort to be continually improving, taking a close look at what i wanted in '09 will be an exercise in ensuring that i learn from my mistakes and figure out what worked best.

goal 1 - qualify for the world championships

this one is fairly straightforward. yes, i did qualify for the world championships and will be heading there with the national team. awesome... off to a good start.

goal 2 - improve my times at all 2009 races that i also competed at in 2008

tough to say whether or not i was successful in achieving this one because the only event that i was able to race in 2009 that i also raced in 2008 was welland. i can kind of include gravenhurst because i made it to that race both years, but in 2008 i was only able to get through the 1st run before a flat tire took me out of the race. all of the others i missed because of injury. however, if i just compare the splits from welland and gravenhurst year over year, it looks something like this:

welland 2008 welland 2009

r1 20.11 r1 18.33

t1 01.33 t1 00.37

b 51.47 b 46.32

t2 01.21 t2 00.39

r2 20.47 r2 19.12

ttl 01.35.36 ttl 01.25.32

gravenhurst 2008 gravenhurst 2009

r1 41.49 r1 37.26

t1 01.18 t1 00.41

as you can see, i did make some pretty big improvements year over year, including cutting more than 10 minutes off of my total time in welland. so although i was only able to compare my times from '08 to '09 in one full race and one run/transition, i did improve my year over year times at identical races in 2009. sweet.

goal 3 - dramatically improve my bike splits

of all of my goals for this past year, this is the most subjective. and similar to goal 2, the only way that i can really know if i improved is to compare the same race from year to year. since welland was the only '08/'09 race, i have no choice but to compare those two races. looking at the numbers above, not only was i able to knock off more than 5 minutes from the same ride one year to the next, but i was able to hold an of average of 38.7km/h, compared to 2008's 34.8km/h. not too bad. but this is where it gets tricky: there are many different variables to consider such as wind, weather, fatigue, and nutrition. something else to consider is the fact that i rode a different bike in '09. in 2008 i raced all of my duathlons on a road bike, whereas in 2009 i was on a time trial bike, and since welland is straight and flat - perfect conditions for a TT bike - my time and speed in 2009 would have undoubtedly improved even if i was at the exact same 2008 fitness level. i worked hard on my riding last winter because in every race in 2008 i was usually in the top 3 overall for each running portion of each event, and many times my bike splits would be 12th or 13th overall. clearly riding is my weakness. in 2009 i think my worst overall bike performance was in gravenhurst at the provincials, where i placed 7th overall amongst some of the province's strongest athletes. anyways, i suppose it's fair to sum up this one like this: did i improve my bike splits in 2009? absolutely. did i dramatically improve my bike splits? who knows.

goal 4 - improve my transition times

compared to my goal of "dramatically" improving my bike splits, it's much easier to decide wether or not i achieved this one. in 2008 my transition times were regularly 1 minute or more, whereas in 2009 many of my transitions were below 40 seconds. i found what made a huge difference for me was to start mentally preparing for the transition before entering the transition area. transitions can be pretty hectic and staying focused makes a huge difference.

goal 5 - run a sub-38 10k

i actually ran 2 sub-38 10ks in 2009: 36.16 at sporting life and 37.26 at the provincial du championships. my previous PB was 38.27.

goal 6 - win my overall age group in the HSBC series

i didn't get this one. i finished 2nd overall. early on in the season i was pretty sure this was going to be a tough one to fulfill because, thanks to my schedule, it looked like i wasn't going to be able to make it to too many late-season races. as it turned out, it was injuries that finished me off after only 3 HSBC appearances. however, i did finish 2nd overall in one of the most competitive age categories with only those 3 races, and i won my age category in every one of them. what i like especially about my ambitions to win the overall age group category is that it's a sign of how my focus has changed over the past year. in 2010 the overall age group win will not be a goal of mine because i'll be focusing on things slightly differently next year.

goal 7 - finish top-3 in every race, except the nationals and the worlds

i should have been more specific with this one: finish top-3 in every duathlon, except the canadian duathlon championships and the duathlon world championships. the canadians didn't happen in '09 and i didn't go to the worlds, and my only non top-3 finish was at the provincials. i raced 7 duathlons in 2009, and this is how i finished in each of them:

1st, 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 1st

close, but this was a goal that i did not achieve. not to say that i'm bummed out about this one. the total opposite, in fact. i'm pretty psyched with these results.

looking back on my 2009 racing year many months after my last race, i can say to myself with confidence that i had a very successful year. it will be tough to make such huge improvements in 2010, and it will be hard to top a year of overall finishes like that. i can't honestly expect to show up at each race next year hoping to shave 10 minutes off of my time from the year before. if anything, i'll remember 2009 as a year of injuries, and this will be what i take away from this past year as a mistake to learn from. i need to train differently if i want 2010 to be injury free. what i'll carry over to next year because it worked for me this year will be two things: mentally focus and prepare early for transitions, and don't go out too hard too soon. in my first race of '09, a 10k race in whitby, i sprinted off the line, took too long to settle into a pace, and paid for it in the last half of the race. after leading for most of the race i lost the lead around the 7k mark and crossed the line in 2nd place, heaving and panting and feeling drained.

as i mentioned above, my goals will be much different for 2010. my schedule for next year is tentative at best, but i will likely race less, focusing my efforts on key races throughout the year. that being said, i will definitely be a regular on the HSBC and Subaru circuits because those races are the most fun. it's so great to get out there and see all of the familiar faces. as competitive as this sport is, and as competitive as i make it for myself, the most important thing is to ensure that i have fun, encourage myself and other athletes to not take things too seriously and enjoy racing.

my second home

2009-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

i've been at absolute endurance every day this week except monday and it feels as though it's become my second home. i'll be heading there again tomorrow for a few hours and again on sunday. when you're training in a group environment it makes the long, monotonous workouts easier to bear. i had to spin for 90 easy minutes yesterday before making any changes to my heart rate or power output, and the only reason i got through it was because there were a lot of other like minded people right there alongside me. it's a whole other mindset compared to riding at home on an indoor trainer by yourself.

my training has ramped right back very quickly, although the running side of things is coming along slowly. it's amazing how fast some downtime will change your body, and my legs are sore sore sore after only running what for me would typically be a couple of light, let's stop and smell the roses-type jogs through the park. once my running legs are strong again i'll get that mileage back up, but until then it's slow and steady. i had a very painful massage on wednesday night to help with the tightness, but now my legs are feeling loose and limber and fantastic. today is a day off for me so my body has some time to recover before hitting the pavement again tomorrow morning. the weather looks good for this weekend so it will be great to get outside and enjoy the rare, sunny weather, a nice break from all the shitty rain and clouds we've had over the past few weeks.

a small announcement. and some new gear.

2009-10-31T14:18:00.001-07:00

the announcement: today was my first "official" day of training for the 2010 season. now that i've gotten the results from my MRI, i'm able to start ramping up my training to get back on track. i have been working out over the past 10 weeks, but most of those workouts were simply to keep my legs moving and heart pumping so that my aerobic base wouldn't be affected, usually consisting of longer durations and lower intensities.

anyways, as today was my first official workout, i thought that it would be an appropriate time to let the word out that i was offered a coaching sponsorship with Absolute Endurance Training and Therapy. i'm very happy to announce that alan chud, coach, general manager and partner at AETT, will be coaching me through the 09/10 season. i accepted the offer many weeks ago but al and i decided not to proceed with any program until my injuries got sorted out. on friday al and i sat down to talk about what i want to accomplish in the next year or so, and right now my biggest priority over the next 12 months is to not get injured. al suggested that we start a new program on monday, but since i'm fired up and ready to go after nearly 3 months of sitting around being patient, i told him i want to start today. this morning was nearly two hours of riding and tomorrow will be a short, easy run. i'll have to continue to be patient with my running training so that i don't push myself too hard too soon, and having someone else design my workout program for me with this in mind will be extremely beneficial. as part of my sponsorship i will be a member of AETT's ambassador program, so look for me next year at the AETT tent at various multisport events across ontario.

the new gear: it's probably good that my wife is out of town this weekend. if she had of come home this afternoon she would have seen this in the living room:

although my wife is incredibly supportive of my racing and comes to almost all of my races to cheer me on, she has very little patience when it comes to bike stuff in the living room.

wheels, wheels, wheels! i totally pimped out my ride today. the first wheel on the left is the rear wheel of the current easton wheelset that i'm riding on my cervelo. second from the left is my new, piece of junk, used wheel that i'll be using on my cervelo strictly as an indoor trainer. i picked up this wheel today and i'll be able to put that on my racing bike anytime of the year, regardless of the season, for some indoor riding. i missed a few workouts last summer because of rain, so this wheel will solve that issue. this will also mean that i'll be able to bring my trainer with me to races to warm up on. in the middle is the rear wheel of my road bike, which i mostly use for indoor training. i just swapped the rubber on that one. those last two wheels? what are those? oh... nothing special. just my new zipp 909 wheelset, safely wrapped up and protected in wheel bags. hahahahahaha!!! i'm super, super, SUPER psyched about those! i've been drooling over new wheels for years and i finally got a smokin deal on a used set and just picked them up today. many thanks to endurosport for taking a look at them and giving me the thumbs up before any cash changed hands, and also thanks to them for swapping the rubber on all of my other wheels. you guys are awesome.

so yah. now that i have my new zipp 909 wheelset, i can sit back, relax and get fat. who needs to train when you've got wheels like that? they'll just go fast without any help from me. isn't that the way these wheels work?

and the official word is...

2009-10-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

just right now i finally (FINALLY!) got to speak with my doctor to discuss the results of my MRI. and the official word is this: there is no stress fracture.

wahoooOOOOOOO!!!

it's been a long 10 weeks of minimal, light training and this whole experience has been a lesson in patience. but now it's time to ramp up my training and get back on track. i've got some serious ground to make up.

aaarrrggghhh... more frustration.

2009-10-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

i went to see my family doctor last night to go over the results of my MRI, and i showed up at her office expecting good news. i was expecting to be told that my tibia fracture has healed and that i'm free to start slowly building up my running mileage to get my training back on track. instead i sat around for 30 minutes waiting for my doctor to see me, only to be given the news that the hospital that i went to for my MRI hasn't faxed over the results yet. a complete waste time. now i have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest for the results.

no problem. i'm an expert at being patient.

on the upside, i did get some good news about a set of race wheels that i've been eyeing for next season. very exciting.

(shrug)

2009-10-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

40 minutes on the treadmill yesterday, 30 minutes on it today. my first two runs in 9 weeks.

no big deal.

look at me! i'm running!

2009-10-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

i was on the treadmill today. twice. running! and things felt good. not 100%, but pretty damn good. last week, post good MRI news, i was on the treadmill very briefly, testing things out. things we're still off, many of the same old irritations present. i ran off and on for about 20 minutes, very light on my feet, using the treadmill's handles to prop myself up to take most of my weight off of my legs. i quit because my right leg started to hurt and, returning to work, promptly called my sports chiropractor to book an appointment to check things out.

i ran today for a few minutes right before my appointment so that i'd be able to pinpoint and explain exactly what was still bothering me. it turns out that i've still got a lot going on with my right leg, and although my stress fracture seems to be healed (still nothing official, but things look good for that one), it looks like part of it is a back issue and some of my lower vertebrae are pinching some nerves, causing all sorts of problems through my leg.

but here's some really, really great news: after some tweaking and stretching and trying out some new things, focusing mostly on my back and my ankle (which has been bothering me for a long time but we'd assumed it was related to the fractured tibia), i hit the treadmill right after my appointment and things felt good. i ran for 12 (practically) pain-free minutes! i wanted to jump up and down because i was actually running again! it felt awesome, but, like i said, still not 100%. the only reason i stopped is because i didn't want to do too much too soon. it's been 9 weeks since i've gone for a run, after all. there's still some things to get sorted out, but now that the stress fracture is out of the way (still unofficially), i can work on determining exactly what else needs to be fixed. i can finally see the light at the end of this tunnel and hope to be back on track in the next couple of weeks. (fingers crossed, fingers crossed, fingers crossed...)

quick update...

2009-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

so i had my MRI today. i was initially told that my appointment would take about 45 minutes, but i was at the hospital for almost four hours, most of which time was spent lying on my back on the scanner wearing a hairnet and industrial strength ear protection. they tried to get me take my piercings out but i assured them that would be way too much work, and i was warned that my tattoos may heat up while being scanned. i told the nurses that i would like to talk with the doctor that was onsite (who, apparently, popped in and out during my scan) after the scan was completed, but she left before i was finished and able to speak with her.

anyways, the nurses told me that the doctor said that things look good. great, in fact. exactly how great i'm not sure just yet. i should get the results from my family doctor by the end of next week, and i left the hospital today feeling pretty excited. i'll keep taking it easy until i've been officially told otherwise, but things seem to be looking pretty good for this guy. is the stress fracture gone? i don't know yet. but the answer is only days away. sweet.

and with that, the season (officially) ends

2009-10-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

this past saturday i was scheduled to participate in what was to be my last race of the year, the fall colours duathlon in cumberland, just east of ottawa. because of my injury, my season came to an end mid-august and this was the fourth race that i've had to watch from the sidelines. and just like all of those other missed races, this one was special. the first race i missed was the cobourg duathlon and i'd been looking forward to that because it was an international distance race (10k run, 40k bike, 5k run), a distance which i plan on focussing on next year. i was going to use my time from that race to track my improvement over the next year, comparing each future race of equal distance to this one. the next race i missed was wasaga beach, my favourite stop on the HSBC race calendar. 2009 would have been my third consecutive appearance in wasaga beach and it's a short, fast and fun little course at a great venue that i look forward to every year.

after that i missed the HSBC's lakeside II, their last race of the year. the lakeside venue is pretty amazing and i wanted to see how my time would have improved from the same race last year. i was also looking for a bit of personal redemption. in 2008, i arrived at lakeside II early in the morning only to realize that i'd forgotten to bring all of my food with me, which turned out to be a very painful mistake. about 10k into the 30k ride i was completely depleted (my only source of fuel were a couple of gel packs i was able to buy just before the race started) and i struggled the rest of the way through, crossing the line with a very disappointing 5th position, 6 minutes behind the winner.

but of all the races that i did last year that i was planning on returning to this year, the cumberland du was the most important. last year i competed in this race on a whim, only learning about it a week before it took place. every year i travel to ottawa to be with family for thanksgiving, and i figured that it would be a great way to spend a holiday weekend morning, wrapping up my racing year with lots of family members out to cheer me on. if you've ever been to ottawa in the fall then you know how incredibly beautiful it can be, and the cumberland race site is no exception. anyways, making this long story short, i won the race and walked away with my first ever duathlon victory. since then i'd been looking forward to returning to defend that victory. i'd even thought back in august that with two months of downtime my leg might be ok to go and that i might actually be able to race this weekend. but it was not to be and my leg has yet to heal. racing conditions were ideal again this year, and this past saturday morning - race morning - i woke up in ottawa to sunny bluebird skies and a fall palette of colours in the leaves.

crossing the line in 2008. my first ever duathlon victory.

judging only by time, if i'd been able to race again this year on the same course and finished with the exact same time as last year, i would have won this race by 5 minutes. patience, i keep telling myself. patience is key. with an MRI scheduled this week i'll finally learn the severity of my stress fracture and, hopefully, will sort out a recovery plan. being patient sucks.

unbelievable

2009-09-29T06:47:00.001-07:00

all of the official results for this past weekend's duathlon world championships are finally up, and all i can say is 'wow'. in the men's elite race, american olympic triathlete jarrod shoemaker crossed the line in a time of 1.49.02, and in the men's age group race, american matthew sheeks finished with a time of 1.43.30. ONE-FOURTY-THREE-THIRTY! it absolutely blows my mind that someone out there is capable of running 10k, riding 40k, and then running another 5k in a time of 1.43.30.

if i had of raced this past weekend (which i had planned on doing by qualifying at last year's canadian championships, but i missed that race because i was traveling at the time), i would have had to of finished in a time of 1.48.15 or better. ppffffttt... no problem. i would have owned that podium. hahaha... yeah right. i've got some hard work ahead of me.

all that aside, many canadians churned out some pretty incredible times, too. the top canadian age group athletes were two guys that i regularly compete against. david frake - who narrowly missed a podium finish - ended his day with a time of 1.48.45, followed closely by bruce bird with a time of 1.53.09. check out larry bradley's blog as he's posted all of the results for most of the canadians that were there competing.

cograts to the canadian athletes. you all posted incredible times and i find your hard work inspiring. i'll see you at the races.

2009 duathlon worlds

2009-09-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

today the 2009 duathlon world championships are being held in concord, north carolina, and i'm anxiously awaiting for the results to be posted online. i hope all of the canadian athletes have great races and the team brings home fistfuls of medals. i can't wait to read the race reports, hear the stories, and see how canada compares to some the world's best.

good luck, athletes. have fun out there and enjoy your races.

one step forward, two steps back

2009-09-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

just when i think things are going well and my leg is getting better, i go and do something seemingly harmless that sets me back. last night being the warm, balmy autumn evening that it was, i decided to walk to a nearby grocery store for my mid-week grocery top up. without thinking i loaded up on a few heavy things like a carton of orange juice and a carton of soy milk, along with everything else. about 5 minutes into my 20-minute walk home, two grocery bags weighing me down, my ankle started to hurt, the first telltale sign of my bone fracture. going to sleep with it feeling slightly irritated, i woke up in the middle of the night with my right leg throbbing and i decided to skip my morning workout because of it.

it turns out that i still have a long way to go. over the past couple of weeks i've been going to the gym, riding, doing strengthening exercises and stretches, all in an attempt to heal and help prevent this from happening again, and there's been absolutely no pain until last night. my MRI couldn't possibly come sooner.

tonight i have a pretty serious bike workout that i've been looking forward to for awhile because i want to see if i can get through it without any irritation or pain. hopefully all will be fine and i'll keep moving forward with my riding, but if there is pain, i'll have to scale back on my training even further. i'm feeling defeated and discouraged. ugh.

finally

2009-09-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

just found out that my MRI has been booked for october 14th. aaaaarghh... that seems so far away. i hope to be well on my way to recovery by then but i'm still interested to see exactly what the MRI will discover.

one thing that i keep forgetting to post is the news that the official website for the 2010 duathlon world championships was launched on september 3rd, marking the one-year countdown to the event. at this point the course hasn't been finalized, but it's a site worth checking out if you're heading there to compete.

best of luck to all athletes competing in the lakeside II HSBC triathlon/duathlon weekend tomorrow and sunday. i'll be there on sunday morning, although i won't be racing.

the seasons are changing

2009-09-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

last week on one of my morning rides to work, i saw my first leaf of the season fall from tree to ground. as i watched it gently land on the rec path that i was riding on, i looked at the tree that it had just been released from and noticed that, along with all of the other trees sharing that bit of grass, the leaves had started to turn from their rich, summer green to deep, rusty oranges, yellows and browns. in addition to the leaves changing colours, the air is cooler in the mornings, the sun rises lower, sits closer to the horizon in the evenings; the days are shorter, the winds have changed directions. fall is on the way.

as i patiently wait to get my MRI to acutely assess and diagnose my fractured tibia, my seasons have officially changed, too. i've finally accepted the fact that my racing year is over. early this year, when i had originally put my 2009 duathlon plan together, i had hoped to still be training for two more races at this time. racing from april to october split my year nicely in two: 6 months focusing on base training and building, 6 months focusing on speed work and racing. however, with one bad pair of running shoes my racing season has been cut short by two months, and the upcoming running portion my off season training has been set back dramatically to allow for injury recovery. before the severity of my injury came to light, i was hoping that i could have a few easy weeks of downtime in race season and still be able to get some end-of-year competitions under my belt. but now that i've been told by my sports chiro that i likely won't be running outside until december, i've humbly accepted that there's nothing i can do but be patient. a stress fracture can be a recurring injury if not treated correctly, so with my ambitious goals over the next few years in the sport of duathlon in focus, i'll take all the time necessary to ensure i heal properly. i got through my big races in 2009 before being sidelined, and my big race next year, the world championships, is at the end of next year's race season. that means that i need to ensure that i'm fit enough and strong enough to get through an entire season of racing before competing in my 'A' race.

so as summer changes to autumn, autumn to winter, i'm turning the intensity down and cranking up the duration of my workouts. for running, all i can do for the next three months is continue to run in the pool, but my cycling workouts won't be affected. i'm hoping to make some pretty huge strides this off season and want to come back in 2010 better, fitter, faster and stronger than ever. because of the downtime necessary to heal, it's likely that my running times won't come down to the point that i want them to be until about this time next year. which is fine. i'm perfectly ok with that. my focus for next year will be to remain injury free and i'll be taking a much more holistic approach to training from here on. all of my injuries this past year seemed to be caused by too much running and riding in a straight line. it's time to re-assess my game plan.

and i'd like to thank everyone out there that has offered me support after hearing of my season-ending injury. many have offered me advice and guidance, many sharing their own stories of dealing with their injuries and how, ultimately, sitting out with an injury helped them to grow as an athlete. some truly inspiring words of support came from a comment on one of my blog entries. magali tisseyre, a professional female triathlete from quebec, wrote, "ALL OF US get injured once in a while, it is part of being an athlete, part of our evolution, part of getting stronger! I think that the athletes that make it are not those that stay injury free, they are those that stay positive and consistent through adversity! In my opinion, you can evercome this for sure and will come back stronger mentaly and physicaly."

although my off season is starting almost two months earlier than i had planned, i'm more excited than ever for my 2010 racing year. i'll learn from this injury, heal, and bounce back from it stronger and faster than ever.

best of luck to all athletes

2009-09-12T03:32:00.000-07:00

as i'm getting geared up for my saturday morning ride (my first real ride in almost a month), i just wanted to say good luck to all of the multisport athletes competing this weekend. today is the HSBC wasaga beach tri/du, and tomorrow is the muskoka 70.3 in huntsville. it's a busy weekend for the sport but, sadly, i'll continue to sit on the sidelines with my fractured tibia. especially hard for me is the fact that i've been looking forward to the wasaga beach race all year. it's my favourite race on the race calendar and i was excited to return there for my third consecutive year.

have fun out there, everyone. enjoy your race.

MRI, then gameplan

2009-09-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

next up in my ongoing fight to heal my bad leg is an MRI. this should provide all of the missing details in terms of just how severe of a stress fracture i have. after that is a conversation with my doctor and sports chiro to figure out a game plan for moving forward. i keep reading horror stories online about people with similar tibia stress fractures that have been advised by their doctors to stay off their feet for times varying from 4 weeks to an entire year. AN ENTIRE YEAR? you've got to be kidding me! i couldn't imagine not running for a whole year. i'm not going to stress about it until i've had all of the necessary conversations, but i'm glad to know ahead of time that i could be in for a longer than expected bout of recovery time. yikes. the thought is definitely terrifying.

in the meantime i'm still going to the gym and riding as much as i can to keep my fitness up. i'm also water running as much as i can. i was at the cottage this past weekend and got a 70-minute aqua jog workout in on saturday afternoon. i'm sure i looked ridiculous out there in my wetsuit, running along underwater with my head bobbing above the surface. "that guy's walking! look at him! he's just walkin' along!" was the commentary from a boat full of geriatrics that slowly made their way past.

one thing i've realized is that i'm hesitant to ride like i normally do, fearful that pushing the pedals too hard too soon may compromise my recovery. i brought my bike up the the cottage because i wanted to get out on the roads for a 60k ride, but i had to psyche myself up to even want to ride. i ended up not riding because i don't want to do anything to stress my lower leg any more than it should be. i still ride to work as much as possible but that's usually fairly light spinning and there's no pain during or afterwards. i'm sure a 60k ride on my tri bike won't do any harm, but, at this point, i think the key is to be as patient as possible and come up with a game plan before anything else. in the meantime i'll continue to force myself into staying off my feet as much as possible. which is tougher than i ever imagined. who doesn't want to sit around on the couch, put their feet up and relax? not me.

bad news

2009-09-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

stress fracture in my right tibia. looks like my 2009 racing season is over. i'm meeting with my doctor and chiropractor this week and next to come up with a recovery plan. i've got some downtime ahead of me but i'm happy to finally have a diagnosis so that i can start moving forward in the right direction.

more waiting

2009-09-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

i had my bone scan today, followed by an x-ray. luckily i live close to the hospital so i was able to go there first thing in the morning, get some sort of calcium-like injection that helps the bone scan see bone fractures more clearly, go home for two hours while the liquid injection made its way through my body, then return to the hospital for the scan. supposedly my doctor won't have the results until at least thursday so i hope that i'll have an official diagnosis by the end of the week. as time goes on this whole ordeal becomes increasingly frustrating for me. i haven't had this much downtime in almost two years, the last time being when i had to have surgery on my leg in the fall of '07. that put me out for the entire winter and i was still limping in february, three months after the operation. i'm doing what i can to keep my fitness up; i'm running in the pool when time permits and am still riding to work as much as possible, but i haven't gone for a "real" ride in two weeks. riding doesn't seem to aggravate the injury but i'm not pushing it, and when i'm at the gym i'm only doing very light strengthening exercises. that's what it's about these days: keeping things very light until i know for sure what's going on with my leg. i haven't gotten my heart rate up, nor have i worked up a sweat in a couple of weeks.

some good news is that i went for a very easy, light 20-minute run yesterday afternoon to see how it felt. for sure things were way, waaaay better than they have been in a few weeks, but still definitely not 100% and i was hurting afterwards. other good news is that the strengthening exercises seem to be paying off because the pain no longer seems to be muscle related.

aaaarrrghhh... this is so frustrating. i want to be out there training. i want to go for a real ride. i want to get back into it. i was planning on racing in cobourg this past weekend but had to withdraw because of the injury. as hard as that decision was, it was probably a very wise one, even though judging by the times i likely would have walked away with a victory. two more races are left on my race calendar for 2009 and i'd like to be at both of them.

tuesday is the big day

2009-08-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

bone scan on tuesday. much sooner than i'd thought. i was told that i may have to take a backseat to higher priority cases because of the isotope shortage, but the scan is only one week after meeting with my doctor. it's a two stage ordeal: show up, inject dye into my blood, come back two hours later for the scan. anxious for the results. i want to ruuunnnnn!!!

not ready to throw in the towel

2009-08-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

it seems that the only thing that i have to blog about these days is the status of injuries. sticking with that theme, i'm here to report that my tricky, stubborn, still officially undiagnosed injury may be a season-ending stress fracture in my right shin bone. my chiropractor and i aren't ruling it out and we still have a few steps ahead of us before we can be certain. at this point it's proving too difficult to determine if the pain is soft tissue or bone related, so next up is a trip to my family doctor to get a requisition form for a bone scan. if it is a fracture it will show up in a bone scan, whereas an xray may not be able to spot it.

for the first time in months (except for when i was on vacation) i didn't do any training this weekend. weekends are vital for my training because it's a time for me to catch up or get in some longer workouts, but this weekend i shut it down hoping that rest, stretching and light strengthening exercises may help out. i was out for a light run this afternoon and the pain was still there, although it did feel slightly better. i'm checking in with my chiropractor tonight so i hope we'll get somewhere.

this is a very hard, frustrating time. even at the best of times when i'm getting in all of my workouts week after week i feel like i'm not doing enough, and now here i am having to force myself to do nothing at all. but i am confident that it isn't a stress fracture. the pain seems to move from spot to spot as my workouts progress; as certain muscles warm up and tire out, the pain shifts around. i can also stand with all of my weight on my right leg and move my knee around without any pain at all, and i've been told that if it is a stress fracture i wouldn't be able to put any load on it whatsoever.

but hey, what do i know? i'll leave the official diagnosis to the experts. if it is a stress fracture my season will be over, i'll be off my feet to recover, and i'll shift my focus to next year much earlier than i'd anticipated. if it's not a stress fracture, i'll work through the pain and do one more race this year before throwing in the towel. i can get through a soft tissue injury but a bone fracture is different. if i don't stop to take care of it immediately i'll be jeopardizing my future in the sport. not exactly something i'm interested in signing up for.

it's official

2009-08-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

just received an email from triathlon canada that reads:

Dear Tommy

I am pleased to inform you that after reviewing the registrations and assessing the roll-down list, you have received a spot on the 2010 Age Group Duathlon team.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Julie

Julie Keown
Office Manager
Triathlon Canada

so there we have it. i'm officially on the national team. very exciting.

yoga

2009-08-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

last night i did yoga for the first time in almost two years. i used to do it regularly back when i was a competitive rower, yoga being a great compliment to the extremely repetitive movements rowers use while training and racing. after a couple of bad experiences with different instructors and venues i stopped going and haven't done it since. with duathlons, most of my time is focused on training and very little time is set aside for stretching and relaxing. and, as a result, here i am almost two years later with a string of injuries that could mostly have been prevented had i taken the time to include flexibility training and stretching into my workout routines. i've always known that yoga would be a tremendous benefit to my training and have been trying to fit it in but haven't been able to do so.

last night i was finally able to tag along with my wife for a class at downward dog - her regular yoga haunt - and, after being away from yoga for so long, i noticed that i'm not nearly as flexible as i used to be and my back is not nearly as strong as it was back when i was rowing. we did a level I class that was surprisingly challenging, and i think that the only way i was able to get through the 1.5 hour class was a combination of the fact that i've done lots of yoga in the past and that i'm already in pretty good shape. otherwise there's no way i would have made it through this "easy" class. i sweat so much that i was able to wring out my towel afterwards, my legs were trembling while holding some poses, and i got worked. anyways, i left the class feeling more loose and more relaxed than i've felt in a long time and was able to notice the benefits immediately. i woke up this morning for the first time in weeks with no sensation of injury in my right leg, the pain virtually disappearing overnight.

if you're an athlete, flexibility plays a vital in your overall physical well being. i'm going to incorporate yoga into my regular routine, mostly to try to prevent and overcome injuries, but also as a means to add some balance to my training. all of my workouts are high-impact, high-intensity and highly repetitive, so an hour and a half a week of slow, relaxed movements will be a nice change of pace. even if i do sweat like a leaky faucet. which is kind of embarrassing. can the rest of the class hear the sweat dripping off my nose?