my next step. literally.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

14 stitches and lucky to be alive

September 05, 2010

made it

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

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

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.