Super Grover is here

It was on order but I finally got it.

It is one of the greatest Birthday presents I ever received.

Thanks Doreen and Lionel. You are both the best and the coolest!

Hopefully it will make me a superhero out there on the bike and run. Up, up and away!!!



If you want to learn more about Super Gover check this out:

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Super_Grover

IMCAN Race Pics

Haven't written the full meal deal yet so enjoy these pictures:

Found these on the net:

PB at Ironman Canada

Whoo hoo! I was secretly aiming for a 12:45 at Ironman Canada and got 12:42.
Everything felt awesome all day largely due to the fact I raced in my Zone 2 the entire time (my average heart rate for the day was 149 beats per minute).

Maybe I took it too easy but you never know. I'll gladly take my 12:42 knowing that I am capable of going lots faster. I just have to tap into that short course bike speed and bring it over to Ironman racing and so some run focus months (achilles permitting) to bring my marathon time down.

I will have a full scale report coming (talking about restaurants to visit in Penticton, etc.), but here is a shorter race day version.


Race Report
By Roger Hospedales, Team Running Free

Race: Ironman Canada

Date: Sunday August 26, 2007.

Location: Penticton, British Columbia

Description: 3.8 km Swim, 180 km Bike, 42.2 km Run

Sport: Triathlon

Website: www.ironman.ca

Race day

Woke up at 3:15 am and had 2 bottles of Vanilla Boost and 1 Powerbar (Milk Chocolate Brownie), and went back to bed.

Got up again for the final time at 5:15 am, got ready for the day, had another bottle of Boost and sipped on my Infinit Ironman race formula up until race start.

Got to transition at 6:05 am. Got bodymarked, put nutrition in run transition bag, and did some final prep on my bike. I waited until the 5 minutes to go to make my final Porta-potty stop, I was the last one to cross the timing mats and made my way to the water. Someone zipped me up at the waters edge and a minute later the cannon went off the start the race.

Goal: Be patient, do the race at the top end of Zone 2 (150 bpm), and see what happens.

Swim:

I started at the back and due to the water being so shallow it took about 2 minutes of wading before I could actually start swimming.

Since this was my 4th swim of the year, I was not out to set any speed records, just getting through it healthy was the prime objective. Other than the multitude of swimmers zigzagging all over the course it was fairly enjoyable swim. Not the smash-em up derby like Lake Placid. I came out of the water in 1:27:30. Average HR: 152 – Ended up being my hardest effort all day.

T1:

5:53. I changed outside the tent to make sure I didn’t sit down. I made sure to secure my own transition bag so I lost some time there.

Bike:

The plan was to ride steady and controlled the whole way. If I felt like I was racing I would back off. I made sure to get in all my Infinit so I would not bonk later. I had a few bouts of GI problems but nothing major. Popping salt tablets seemed to settle things down. I took a brief pee break at the bottom of the Richter Pass climb, and saw that I needed to take in more fluids.

The wind picked up big time with about 60 km to go. I haven’t ridden in winds like that since the National Duathlon Championships in 2006. It forced me to be very careful on that huge downhill section back into town. I completed the bike in 6:21:10 with an Avg. HR of 145 bpm.

T2:

6:50. Went inside the tent, changed into run shorts, got on my Adidas Formotion Control shoes, my fanny pack, put Vaseline on some vital areas, made a Porta-potty stop, and headed out on the run with my pal John Clark.

Run:

John and I ran together for about 5 miles and then he let me go on my way after an aid station. Unlike last year, I behaved myself and kept my HR between 145 and 150 bpm.

I really wanted to get revenge on the hills late in the course and maintain my pace throughout. I sipped Infinit and water for the first 13 miles but I was soon getting sick of it and wanted something else. I started snacking on Sport Beans and wanted more, unfortunately I only had one package. I finished the first half of the marathon in 2:22:37. Not exactly what I wanted but patience is key on this run course.

I knew at that point that breaking 13 hours would happen if I could maintain my current pace. However, I wanted a 12:45 so I picked up the pace slightly. I started drinking cola, chicken soup and water at each aid station and got a boost of energy. I was able to maintain approx. 10:30 per mile pace (including aid station walks) and started pushing the pace a bit more when I got back onto Main Street. With 2 km to go I just gave it all I had, finished that last 2km in 10 minutes, scared the people I passed with my horse snorting, and crossed the finish line in 12:42:14. My personal best time and 31 minutes faster than Lake Placid five weeks ago.

I had actually negative split the marathon! Running the last half in 2:18:14. Out of everything I am most surprised and proud of that. My Avg. HR for the run was 148 bpm.

My Avg. HR for the entire day was 149 bpm, and I burned off 11 492 calories. I’ve never felt so fresh after an Ironman race.

The stats:
Swim – 1:27:30
T1 – 5:53
Bike – 6:21:10
T2 – 6:50
Run – 4:40:51 (2:22:37/2:18:14)
Total – 12:42:14


Other stuff:

After 13 Ironmans I think that I may have figured out how to race this thing. I’ve never felt so fresh during and after an Ironman race. Yes, I had lots left but who knows what would have happened if I took the risk and pushed too hard. I’ll save the risk taking for short course racing.

No more banning of alcohol before the race. With all the great wineries in the area I was unable to resist every day and I had my best race.

Rick Choy: Way to finish another one. 4 down 3 to go, and I thought I was crazy for doing 3 Ironmans last year.

Angus Kim: Congrats on another Ironman finish. This time as a married man.

Thanks to the A & R Ironman Crew (Lana & Michelle) for all your support and cheering all day. We couldn’t do it without you guys. Marie – tough luck but you will achieve your goal one day.

Thanks to Ian at www.imfit.ca for his guidance for the past few months in making sure I improved my aerobic engine on both the bike and run, for the FIST bike fitting (I’ve never been as comfortable on my bike), and his fitness testing services (which accurately determined all of my HR training/racing zones). All of these were key to all of the improvements I made this season. Don't mess around with your bike fit and go to see him. Also if you are serious about your training, you need to get a fitness test done.

If you plan on doing this race here are a few tips:

Pick up you race kit on Friday (crazy long line-ups on Thursday but none on Friday).

Don’t waste your money buying Banquet tickets for your family. It is a huge rip-off and the food is absolutely horrid. Monday’s dinner saw the return of the McRib – not a good thing.

There really is no reason to show up to either banquet (unless it is the second one where they give out the DVD – even then you can show up late). Very boring, bad food and huge line-ups to get in (people start lining up over and hour before). If you show up an hour late you can walk right in though.


Up next:

Wasaga Beach Sprint Duathlon, Base Borden Duathlon, Pace bunny at Waterfront ½ Marathon.

Toronto Island Duathlon Race Report

Race: Toronto Island Duathlon
Date: Saturday August 18, 2007.
Location: Toronto Island, Ontario
Description: Duathlon 5km/30km/5km
Website: www.multisportcanada.com

This race was used as a final tune-up for Ironman Canada and I didn’t care much about placing anywhere. So I will try and talk about the new course, my prank on Angus, and my mishaps.

The Race

The Run (5km) – As I mentioned in my last report, my buddy Angus Kim (Team RF member) got married last week. So my plan was to decorate this bike with Just Married stickers, and signs that morning. The only obstacle in the plan was that he did not leave the transition area until a few minutes before the start of the race.

When he finally left, I got to work with my decorating. Unfortunately for me the horn went off to start the race and I was still in sticking my stickers on his bike and hanging signs on the racks. Since I didn’t care much for today’s result I finished my decorating and ran out of transition to catch up with the rest of the 1st wave. I was a little over 3 minutes behind at that point. I was not going to kill myself to get back into the thick of the field (I have IMCAN in a week) so I just ran steady the whole way. I somehow still ran 25:16 for the 5 km. My Avg. HR was 155 bpm.

The Bike (30 km) - My Litespeed Saber is being shipped to IMCAN so I brought out my Litespeed Siena for this one. I love flat courses so I was looking to kicking some butt on this one. After the first lap of the bike I was feeling cruddy. I was pushing fairly hard but was not passing anyone, and people who I usually pass by time on the bike were gaining on me. I was severely puzzled. Yes, it was windy but not that windy. Could it be fatigue or overtraining? I was thinking that this is not a good thing heading into Ironman Canada. It felt like I was doing a spin class with a tension of 10.

At the 15 km mark I was still struggling to hold 27 km/hr so I decide to flip open the latch on both of my brakes just in case they were rubbing. Eureka! All of a sudden my speed kicks up to 37 km/hr and I maintain 35 km/hr or higher for the rest of the course. This is going to mean a not so stellar bike split but I was relieved to know that I was still in good form heading into IMCAN. I did the bike in 54:34, averaging 33 km/hr, and with an Avg. HR of 165.

The Final Run (5 km) – I was so far behind any of the top age groupers so there was no need to kick it into overdrive and catch anyone. I kept it controlled (avg. HR of 159) and finished the final run in 23:45 - a negative split by 90 seconds (of course this was due to my delayed start). My legs felt great during the run and I hope it is a sign of things to come in one week. My Avg. HR for the entire race was 161 and I burned off 1818 calories.

The Stats:
5 km Run - 25:16
T1 – 41 seconds
30 km Bike – 54:34
T2 – 41 seconds
5 km Run – 23:45
Total Time – 1:44:55

Other stuff

Multisport Canada did another great job putting on this race. Despite the swim being cancelled (the water was 56 degrees), they staggered things fairly well to ensure that the bike course was not too crowded. A few things need improving (areas where the run course and bike course are too close to each other, line-ups for race kit pick up and ferry service, even more of a stagger to the waves). But John Salt of HSBC already mentioned improvements to all of these things at the post race awards so things should be perfect for next year.

During the bike leg when I was not feeling all that jovial, I was sure that I would not return to race here. But sitting and writing this hours later I am thinking that I will. It is a nice setting, I like the mix of asphalt, grass and trail on the run, and the bike course is tight in certain areas but flat (which suits me perfectly). The only real negative was the fleecing on parking fees in the area (not Multisport Canada’s fault), and the line-ups for the ferry and race kits. Hopefully this will be rectified by next year.

Mike Leader - thanks for unintentionally providing a distraction so I could decorate Angus’ bike before the race. You came by at the right time. Well, maybe a few minutes earlier would have better since I could have started with my actual wave. Nice race by the way.

Angus - Thanks for being a good sport and keeping that big “Just Married” sticker on your bike the whole day (even on the ferry ride back to Toronto).

Up next: Ironman Canada on August 26th.

Cobourg Race Weekend

Race Report
By Roger Hospedales, Team Running Free

Race: Cobourg Duathlons (International & Sprint)

Date: Saturday August 11 & Sunday August 12, 2007.

Location: Cobourg, Ontario

Description: International Du: 10/40/5 & Sprint Du: 5/20/2.5

Sport: Duathlon

Website: www.multisportcanada.com

Prelude
Having pulled my hamstring the weekend before (still don’t know how), and with my ongoing Achilles problems, I did not do anything but ice, stretch and physio from Sunday – Wednesday. With Ironman Canada only a few weeks away this was a huge scare. But things came around and I felt good enough to race on Saturday. I just was not going to push hard. It was all going to be about going at Ironman pace on the run, push a little harder on the bike if I felt good and pick up some points for the overall standings of the HSBC Duathlon Series.

The Races
Saturday - International Du:

The Run (10km) - Like Gravenhurst, I ran with my buddy and Team RF member, Angus Kim (getting married later today). However, this time we ran a bit faster. I wanted to run at my planned pace for Ironman Canada (HR in the 150’s) so Angus (also doing Ironman Canada) and I ran together for the entire 10 km, finishing it in 52:23 (well below our previous 1 hr run at Gravenhurst). My Avg. HR was 155 bpm.

The Bike (40 km) - In previous years my best bike leg at Cobourg was barely 30 km/hr so my goal for the bike was see how much my biking has improved and boost that average speed. I ended up having a good ride and averaged 32.4 km/hr. Could it be due to my new ride this year (Litespeed Saber)? I caught myself coasting a few times so there is still of room for improvement. My Avg. HR for the bike was 171.

The Final Run (5 km) – I surveyed the field and realized that I could be in the top 3 of my age group. I calculated that I had at least a 2-3 minute lead over the next guy so I ran at a slightly faster pace than the first run because I did not want a sprint finish. With about 2 km to go I saw that guy in my age group about 30 seconds back so I pushed the pace a bit and finished just 6 seconds ahead of him. My Avg. HR was 170. When the results were posted I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had finished 1st in the 35-39 age group. Sweet! I think all of the speedsters are showing up tomorrow but you can only race against the people that show up. That’s 150 points to my series standings and that should put me out of reach for anyone to catch me. My Avg. HR for the entire race was 165 and I burned off 2795 calories.

The Stats:
10 km Run - 52:23
T1 – 40 seconds
40 km Bike – 1:14:10
T2 – 40 seconds
5 km Run – 25:05
Total Time – 2:32:56


Sunday - Sprint Du:
Other than my usual tight Achilles, I felt fairly fresh race morning. I just felt a bit heavy from eating way too much food at Angus’ Wedding reception. I weighed in this morning with an extra 7 lbs on my frame.

I checked out the list of competitors and saw there were a lot of fast dudes here today. So I was just hoping to pick up some more points, and race at the upper end of my aerobic zone to make sure I don’t injure myself.

The Run (5km) – Ran a controlled up-tempo pace (for me anyway) and finished the run in 23:24. My Avg. HR was 162 bpm.

The Bike (20 km) – Once again I wanted to average more than 30 km/hr, and despite my chain falling off I was able to do this, averaging 31.9 km/hr for the bike leg. I had the 9th best bike split overall and my Avg. HR for the bike was 164. I definitely could have gone much faster. No excuses other than I was being a wuss.

T1 & T2 – I mention these because I had had the fastest transition times in the field. Gotta love free speed.

The Final Run (2.5 km) – The first 2 guys in the race were in my age group and there was no catching them. So I just ran steady until the end and finished the run in 12:16. My Avg. HR for the race was 164 and I burned off 1352 calories. I was 12th overall and 3rd in the 35-39 age group.

The Stats:
5 km Run - 23:24
T1 – 34 seconds
20 km Bike – 37:38
T2 – 28 seconds
2.5 km Run – 12:16
Total Time – 1:14:18


Other stuff
Congrats to the Multisport Canada crew for putting on another awesome race. The venue is in a cozy park setting, it is close to home, and there is a waterpark for the kids or for you to cool off in. Don’t let the tough bike course scare you, add this race to your calendars for next year.

Congratulations to Angus and Michelle on getting hitched this weekend. Thanks for inviting me to take part in your special day. It was awesome.

Congrats to Marie on completing her first Olympic Distance Triathlon. Now get going on that freestyle.

Great to see Team Running Free out in full force: Congrats to Syd, Kalon, Badith (first overall in the International Duathlon), Prem, Karen, Laurent, and Angus on some great racing in that heat and humidity.

Up next: The Toronto Island Duathlon on August 18, and then Ironman Canada on August 26th.

Woe is me

I was looking forward to putting in a solid 3 weeks of training before IMCAN and things were going well. I had an excellent bike ride on Saturday (aerobic ride - 120 km in 3 hrs 50 min) and enjoyed my rest day on Sunday.

However..........later that night my left hamstring acts up and it feels like I pulled it big time. This is after feeling perfect all day. I am totally puzzled.

So as of today, I have done zero exercise. I've just been icing, stretching, TP Massage balling, and finally some physio today. I am just hoping this clears up in time for IMCAN. We will see about the Cobourg races this weekend. Maybe I'll walk that run.

By the way, look for the new Ironman 70.3 Muskoka race on Sunday September 14, 2008. Signup is this Thursday at 7 am - www.ironmanmuskoka.com

But the HSBC series is going to announce a new Half Irondistance race that is coming to Bracebridege, Ontario too. I'll keep you posted or check www.multisportcanada.com for updates.

Now back to more icing.
Later
RH

How about taking up skateboarding?

Check out this crazy stuff.

Ironmen are still tougher and crazier though.

Cool Cycling video montage.

Check out this video. Real cool. Gotta love the Johnny Cash.