race change

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

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

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...

...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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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?

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!

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

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

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

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!!!

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

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

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.