In 16 weeks, one of the best races will take place, the Mississauga Marathon and 1/2 Marathon (May 11th).
If you would like to make this a goal of yours and need some assistance (tips, coaching, training program, group runs, etc.), please feel free to contact me and we can discuss further.
I do have a group you can join, or we can do individual training. Also, the event has a 10 km, 5 km and 2 km race.
Check it out at www.mississaugamarathon.com
The next race entry price hike comes soon so sign up.
Til next time.
RH
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Happy New Year & Triathlon Magazine Canada
Happy 2008 Everyone!
I just wanted to send out a quick plug that you should all get a copy of the recent issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada.
It is even more outstanding than it usually is. It has a huge piece on the best triathletes and duathletes in Canada (all categories), an article from Chris McCormack, a bunch of other great stuff, and a few pieces from me of course.
By the way, the 57 Du's in 57 Days is underway and so far so good.
Visit the link in the last posting and join us.
Til next time.
H
I just wanted to send out a quick plug that you should all get a copy of the recent issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada.
It is even more outstanding than it usually is. It has a huge piece on the best triathletes and duathletes in Canada (all categories), an article from Chris McCormack, a bunch of other great stuff, and a few pieces from me of course.
By the way, the 57 Du's in 57 Days is underway and so far so good.
Visit the link in the last posting and join us.
Til next time.
H
Friday, December 21, 2007
57 Du's in 57 Days Challenge
To help keep you fit in these winter months, you might want to take part in this challenge.
Please sign up and enjoy.
http://www.teamrunningfree.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=619#619
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Please sign up and enjoy.
http://www.teamrunningfree.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=619#619
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Local newspaper articles
Here is a link to a story in the local paper.
http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Sports/article/64476
Here is another one from the summer:
http://yorkregion.ca/News/Sports/article/48285
http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Sports/article/64476
Here is another one from the summer:
http://yorkregion.ca/News/Sports/article/48285
Saturday, November 17, 2007
It's Been a While But Check This Out
I'll post some more stuff soon (at least once a week).
But check this video out of a girl who snapped her leg (quite a few times actually) just before the finish line at a cross-country race. It happens just after the 30th girl finishes.
ESPN did a story on it. The link is below.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=311184&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab8pos1
">
But check this video out of a girl who snapped her leg (quite a few times actually) just before the finish line at a cross-country race. It happens just after the 30th girl finishes.
ESPN did a story on it. The link is below.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=311184&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab8pos1
">
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ironman Hawaii results
There were some surprises but my picks were pretty good.
Congrats to Macca on a wicked race. I'm a huge fan of his. He is clearly on of the greats of this wicked sport.
It would have made my day if Sam McGlone or Michellie Jones had won as well.
Nice job by Tim DeBoom too. What a great comeback from a few years of bad luck and injuries.
Men’s Results
1. Chris McCormack (AUS) 8:15:34
2. Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:19:04
3. Torbjorn Sindballe (DEN) 8:21:30
4. Tim DeBoom (USA) 8:22:33
5. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:23:31
Women’s Results
1. Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 9:08:45
2. Samantha McGlone (CAN) 9:14:04
3. Kate Major (AUS) 9:19:13
4. Joanna Lawn (NZL) 9:26:47
5. Rebecca Preston (AUS) 9:26:55
Congrats to Rick Choy on his finish (first time at the big dance).
Til next time
RH
Congrats to Macca on a wicked race. I'm a huge fan of his. He is clearly on of the greats of this wicked sport.
It would have made my day if Sam McGlone or Michellie Jones had won as well.
Nice job by Tim DeBoom too. What a great comeback from a few years of bad luck and injuries.
Men’s Results
1. Chris McCormack (AUS) 8:15:34
2. Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:19:04
3. Torbjorn Sindballe (DEN) 8:21:30
4. Tim DeBoom (USA) 8:22:33
5. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:23:31
Women’s Results
1. Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 9:08:45
2. Samantha McGlone (CAN) 9:14:04
3. Kate Major (AUS) 9:19:13
4. Joanna Lawn (NZL) 9:26:47
5. Rebecca Preston (AUS) 9:26:55
Congrats to Rick Choy on his finish (first time at the big dance).
Til next time
RH
Friday, October 12, 2007
Kona goes tomorrow
Some people look forward to the Superbowl as their big yearly sports event, not me. This weekend is all about the World's Greatest Sporting Event, the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Tomorrow morning, the world's best athletes will jump into the waters to do a 3.81 km swim, ride 180 km and finish with a 42 km run.
So who is going to win at the big dance?
I know who I WANT to win. But will they?
My faves for victory are Michellie Jones (no surprise--see my first blog entry), and Chris McCormack. I'll be cheering for them the whole way along with Canadian Samantha McGlone of course.
Here are my picks for top five in both the women's and men's race.
Women
1. Michellie Jones
2. Samantha McGlone
3. Natasha Badmann
4. Desiree Ficker
5. Kate Major
Also watch for: Joanna Zeiger, Joanna Lawn, and Heather Gollnick.
Men
1. Chris McCormack
2. Normann Stadler
3. Craig Alexander
4. Rutger Beke
5. Tim DeBoom (suspiciously quiet and under the radar)
Watch for: Jasper Blake, Cameron Brown (also under the radar), Tom Evans and Chris Lieto. Faris Al-Sultan just dropped out of the race (6:10am).
Go Canada!!!
It should be an awesome day of racing.
Til next time
RH
Tomorrow morning, the world's best athletes will jump into the waters to do a 3.81 km swim, ride 180 km and finish with a 42 km run.
So who is going to win at the big dance?
I know who I WANT to win. But will they?
My faves for victory are Michellie Jones (no surprise--see my first blog entry), and Chris McCormack. I'll be cheering for them the whole way along with Canadian Samantha McGlone of course.
Here are my picks for top five in both the women's and men's race.
Women
1. Michellie Jones
2. Samantha McGlone
3. Natasha Badmann
4. Desiree Ficker
5. Kate Major
Also watch for: Joanna Zeiger, Joanna Lawn, and Heather Gollnick.
Men
1. Chris McCormack
2. Normann Stadler
3. Craig Alexander
4. Rutger Beke
5. Tim DeBoom (suspiciously quiet and under the radar)
Watch for: Jasper Blake, Cameron Brown (also under the radar), Tom Evans and Chris Lieto. Faris Al-Sultan just dropped out of the race (6:10am).
Go Canada!!!
It should be an awesome day of racing.
Til next time
RH
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon
This past weekend I performed the role of the 2 hr (10 and 1) Pace Bunny at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I finished with a time of 2:00:00.4, and I am happy to say that all those that followed me finished sub 2 hrs and reached/surpassed their goals (I told them to blast off with 1 km to go if they hadn't taken off already).
I did this last year and once again it was a ton of fun. This year we more more recognizable so I had lots more followers and runners asking me questions along the way.
This is one of the better races to do. Brilliantly organized, nice route, a cool finish area, it always seems to have awesome weather, the Expo is one of the best on the circuit, and their pacer program is unique.
I was also real cool to see the fastest marathon run on Canadian soil. Check this out. http://www.teamrunningfree.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=98
Thanks to Alan and Michael of the Canada Running Series. They put on awesome running events and this event keeps getting better and better. I hope they take me back for pacer duties for a third year in a row.
I did this last year and once again it was a ton of fun. This year we more more recognizable so I had lots more followers and runners asking me questions along the way.
This is one of the better races to do. Brilliantly organized, nice route, a cool finish area, it always seems to have awesome weather, the Expo is one of the best on the circuit, and their pacer program is unique.
I was also real cool to see the fastest marathon run on Canadian soil. Check this out. http://www.teamrunningfree.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=98
Thanks to Alan and Michael of the Canada Running Series. They put on awesome running events and this event keeps getting better and better. I hope they take me back for pacer duties for a third year in a row.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Ken Danby
My favourite artist died this past weekend while on a canoe trip up in Northern Ontario. I just love his artwork. It's too bad the world will not see any more brilliant art from this Canadian legend.
My condolences go out to his family.
Ken Danby
At the Crease
My condolences go out to his family.
Ken Danby
At the Crease
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Race: Wasaga Beach Sprint Duathlon
Date: Saturday September 8, 2007.
Location: Wasaga Beach, Ontario
Description: Duathlon 5km/20km/2.5km
Website: www.multisportcanada.com
After doing Ironman Canada a few weeks ago, all I’ve been doing is slacking and not partaking in much exercise at all. This week I finally did 2 slow runs totalling 41 minutes (6.5 km). Both achilles were still achy and so was my left knee. So while I was looking forward to letting it all hang out at Wasaga, that possibility was not likely.
I got 2.5 hrs of sleep (no explanation), I did not feel like racing but headed out anyway since I love racing at Wasaga. Got to the race site in 1 hr and 25 minutes (found a new quicker route: 400, 26, 27, and 92 into Wasaga).
The wind was strong and for the second year in a row the swim was cancelled for the triathletes. This meant everyone would be doing the duathlon. No difference for me but it would be cool to compare times with the faster triathletes.
The Race
The Run (5km) – Everyone was off like a shot. I was running faster than I normally do (usually holding back to ensure I stay injury free for my upcoming Ironman races) but I was not making much progress on the leaders. They were either going way faster than they should, or there were lots of fast runners out this morning.
I ran hard but comfortable, finishing the 5km run in 22:29. I was in 35th position at that point so I was looking forward to doing some passing on the bike leg.
T1 at Wasaga is one of the hardest on the circuit. You do about 1 minute of running on soft packed sand, then onto the asphalt to the bikes, and then you run your bike out another 50m or so to the bike mount line. I did it in 2:13.
The Bike (20 km)
Aerodynamics are especially important on this flat and windy course so I was excited to be back on board my Litespeed Saber (back from IMCAN).
I was hoping to plow through and catch up to the top 10 runners. But after 5 km, my legs felt heavy (still cooked from IMCAN) and I could not tap into my extra turbo boost effort. I was making calls to the engine room for more power but no one was answering. I lost some time in the no passing zone (trapped behind one guy taking it as a no speed zone as well), but I still managed to pass 19 people in the short 20km ride.
I did the bike in 34:03, averaging 35.2 km/hr. It was the 9th best bike overall.
T2 was quick except for that tough sand section before reaching the boardwalk, did it in 1:58.
The Final Run (2.5 km)
Out onto the run I saw that Pat Menzies, the first place guy in my age category was about 1 km ahead (we said hi to each other), and the second place guy was too far ahead as well so I just held a hard tempo until the end. I did the final run in 10:33. Total time for the race: 1:11:13, 19th overall, 3rd in the 35-39 age group.
The Stats:
5 km Run - 22:29
T1 – 2:13
20 km Bike – 34:03 (9th best overall)
T2 – 1:58
2.5 km Run – 10:33
Total Time – 1:11:13
Other thoughts
This is my 6th year doing this race and it still remains one of my favourites. The run course definitely has variety (sand, boardwalk, asphalt, some dirt and grass), and the bike is flat (but the ever-present wind makes it tougher).
Multisport Canada gave us cool tech shirts for this race, and arranged for free parking on the municipal lots for all racers.
Team Running Free was well represented and all looked to have kick butt races. Congrats to Karen Gamble, Peter Geering, Prem Hall, Gary Kennedy, Mike Leader, and Horacio Werchow. I missed some others but those races took place when I was chowing down on KFC (see below).
I was feeling tired and hungry on the way home. So since I had not yet rewarded myself with my yearly visit to KFC (usually happens after my last Ironman race of the year), I stopped off in Barrie, had a 4 piece meal, fries, cole slaw, and washed it down with a giant Dr. Pepper. It loved every morsel and I’m happy to report that it did not come back to haunt me later. Only 364 days until I get to eat it again. Mmmmm. I love the rewards of training and hard work.
As I write this, Rick “Crazyman” Choy has just finished Ironman Wisconsin in 13:37:40 (remember the dude just did Ironman Canada a few weeks ago). That’s 5 Ironman finishes so far this year, and 2 more to go (unless he has more planned). Way to go Rick. I’m jealous.
Up next: Borden Duathlon, Scotiabank 1/2 (2 hour 10 and 1 Pace Bunny)
Date: Saturday September 8, 2007.
Location: Wasaga Beach, Ontario
Description: Duathlon 5km/20km/2.5km
Website: www.multisportcanada.com
After doing Ironman Canada a few weeks ago, all I’ve been doing is slacking and not partaking in much exercise at all. This week I finally did 2 slow runs totalling 41 minutes (6.5 km). Both achilles were still achy and so was my left knee. So while I was looking forward to letting it all hang out at Wasaga, that possibility was not likely.
I got 2.5 hrs of sleep (no explanation), I did not feel like racing but headed out anyway since I love racing at Wasaga. Got to the race site in 1 hr and 25 minutes (found a new quicker route: 400, 26, 27, and 92 into Wasaga).
The wind was strong and for the second year in a row the swim was cancelled for the triathletes. This meant everyone would be doing the duathlon. No difference for me but it would be cool to compare times with the faster triathletes.
The Race
The Run (5km) – Everyone was off like a shot. I was running faster than I normally do (usually holding back to ensure I stay injury free for my upcoming Ironman races) but I was not making much progress on the leaders. They were either going way faster than they should, or there were lots of fast runners out this morning.
I ran hard but comfortable, finishing the 5km run in 22:29. I was in 35th position at that point so I was looking forward to doing some passing on the bike leg.
T1 at Wasaga is one of the hardest on the circuit. You do about 1 minute of running on soft packed sand, then onto the asphalt to the bikes, and then you run your bike out another 50m or so to the bike mount line. I did it in 2:13.
The Bike (20 km)
Aerodynamics are especially important on this flat and windy course so I was excited to be back on board my Litespeed Saber (back from IMCAN).
I was hoping to plow through and catch up to the top 10 runners. But after 5 km, my legs felt heavy (still cooked from IMCAN) and I could not tap into my extra turbo boost effort. I was making calls to the engine room for more power but no one was answering. I lost some time in the no passing zone (trapped behind one guy taking it as a no speed zone as well), but I still managed to pass 19 people in the short 20km ride.
I did the bike in 34:03, averaging 35.2 km/hr. It was the 9th best bike overall.
T2 was quick except for that tough sand section before reaching the boardwalk, did it in 1:58.
The Final Run (2.5 km)
Out onto the run I saw that Pat Menzies, the first place guy in my age category was about 1 km ahead (we said hi to each other), and the second place guy was too far ahead as well so I just held a hard tempo until the end. I did the final run in 10:33. Total time for the race: 1:11:13, 19th overall, 3rd in the 35-39 age group.
The Stats:
5 km Run - 22:29
T1 – 2:13
20 km Bike – 34:03 (9th best overall)
T2 – 1:58
2.5 km Run – 10:33
Total Time – 1:11:13
Other thoughts
This is my 6th year doing this race and it still remains one of my favourites. The run course definitely has variety (sand, boardwalk, asphalt, some dirt and grass), and the bike is flat (but the ever-present wind makes it tougher).
Multisport Canada gave us cool tech shirts for this race, and arranged for free parking on the municipal lots for all racers.
Team Running Free was well represented and all looked to have kick butt races. Congrats to Karen Gamble, Peter Geering, Prem Hall, Gary Kennedy, Mike Leader, and Horacio Werchow. I missed some others but those races took place when I was chowing down on KFC (see below).
I was feeling tired and hungry on the way home. So since I had not yet rewarded myself with my yearly visit to KFC (usually happens after my last Ironman race of the year), I stopped off in Barrie, had a 4 piece meal, fries, cole slaw, and washed it down with a giant Dr. Pepper. It loved every morsel and I’m happy to report that it did not come back to haunt me later. Only 364 days until I get to eat it again. Mmmmm. I love the rewards of training and hard work.
As I write this, Rick “Crazyman” Choy has just finished Ironman Wisconsin in 13:37:40 (remember the dude just did Ironman Canada a few weeks ago). That’s 5 Ironman finishes so far this year, and 2 more to go (unless he has more planned). Way to go Rick. I’m jealous.
Up next: Borden Duathlon, Scotiabank 1/2 (2 hour 10 and 1 Pace Bunny)
Extended Ironman Canada Race Report
Ironman Canada Race Report
The Extended Version
Location: Penticton, British Columbia
Description: 3.8 km Swim, 180 km Bike, 42.1 km Run
Website: www.ironman.ca
* WARNING: This is very long (could have been longer) and is pretty much just a spewing of thoughts that I jotted down during my trip to Ironman Canada. Hopefully you might find some interesting/entertaining stuff but I’ve included a lot of things so that I can remember what happened.
Wednesday
Flew out of Toronto at 11am on Air Canada.
Maybe this is not new but it is great to see Air Canada finally getting into the modern age and having touch screen on-demand personal entertainment devices at each seat. It was really cool and made the 5+ hour flight much easier to cope with.
Finally landed in Penticton at 5 pm (a bit delayed). Got picked up by Doug Copithorne at Best Car Rentals. Got our rental car (Doug upgraded us to a SUV at no extra charge—sweet) and made an immediate beeline for the ECM Tent to throw down a bunch of cash at Ironman Canada merchandise. I was only in town for 1 hr and spent $500+ already.
Checked in at Lakewynd B&B, and then went to dinner at the Hillside Estates Winery.
Had Potato & Leek Soup, Spinach Salad (w/ blueberries, papaya & goat cheese, and a New York Strip Steak, and a few glasses of wine. Then it was off to bed for a nice sleep at 11:15pm.
Thursday
Headed down to Okanagan Lake and had a 20 minute swim. Drove down to the Carmi Hotel to pick up my bike from Aubrey Bryce (Enduro Training Systems), the best bike shipping service around. Then headed back to Okanagan Park for race kit pick-up.
Spent some more time in town before heading back to the B & B.
Went for a 45-minute bike ride, followed by a 20 minute run.
Went to the Welcome Dinner. The regular sort of stuff had a decent spread. Lasagna, Cheese Ravioli, BBQ ¼ chicken, pasta salad, regular salad, brownies, Gatorade and water.
Friday
Got up at 8am, weighed in at 170 lbs and went for a 41 minute run on the KVR Trail. Everything felt great and the scenery along the trail made me wish that I lived and trained here.
Got back to the B&B for a shower, breaky (Omelette, 2 pcs of toast with jam, juice, and coffee).
Drove into town, met with the gang (Marie, Angus, and JP). They went for a ride along the run course while I stayed in Okanagan Park to walk around the expo again and to see the pro press conference.
Had a late lunch (2:30pm) at the Sumac Ridge Winery Bistro with Wifey, Michelle and Angus. A must do if you are in Penticton. We ate tons. I had a goat cheese platter, kosher salt fries with blackberry ketchup, sirloin steak, and 3 types of ice cream. I knew that I probably threw on an extra few pounds in this sitting but it was well worth it. On the way out I bought a few bottles of their special edition Ironman Canada wines.
Got back into town at 4:50pm and attended the Welcome Banquet. I knew from last year that for some unexplainable reason people start lining up for this thing over an hour before the doors open. We arrived at a perfect time because we walked right in and joined the food line (like we needed to eat more). We did have to sit in the overflow section outside but that was fine. Since we did not need more food, we took the opportunity to stock up on Gatorade, pop and water. They did show some nice videos and presented lots of stuff about the history of the race but other than this you really don’t need to attend this dinner. Use the money you would have used for tickets for your family and take them to a nice dinner in town or at some winery.
Ooops. Almost forgot to mention that Angus had a case of the waterworks during a video clip of Dick Hoyt talking about his son. Caught you in the act buddy. I could not resist mentioning it.
The whole gang was in a social mood so we wasted a bunch of time chatting outside the convention centre and then made our way over to Salty’s at 9:30pm for some drinks and some eats. I had a giant pint of Naramata Nut Brown Ale (I think I’m hooked on this stuff—smooth, refreshing and no aftertaste), and 12 East Coast Oysters. We checked out of there at 10:45 pm and called it a night.
At the B&B I packed my transition bags, showered, weighed in at 178.5 lbs, and hit the sack at 12:30 pm.
Saturday
Woke up at 8:30 am, weighed in at 172.5 lbs (what a relief), had breaky and left for town with all my equipment.
Got to the race site at 10 am and quickly checked in my Bike and Transition Bags.
Walked around the Expo again, chatted with the Triathlon Magazine Canada guys, caught up with the rest of the gang and we went for lunch at the Penticton Lakeside Hotel. Took advantage of their great deal (BBQ Chicken Breast sandwich and salad bar for $10-12).
We all broke off to do our own thing, and the Wifey and I went to the movies and saw the “Bourne Identity”.
It was then off to Subway for my traditional night-before meal. I ordered a Footlong Oven Roasted Chicken Breast.
Back at the B&B I started on my Infinit mixing, eating, relaxing, showering, shaving, and prepping my stuff for race day. The Infinit mixing is long process since I was fitting in 12 scoops of fuel into one bike bottle, along with 4 scoops into a Fuel Belt flask. It takes quite a while for the mix to settle before you can put in more power and start again. But I will put up with this minor irritant because it is the fuel source that works best for me in Ironman racing.
Feel asleep in between 10 and 10:30 pm.
Sunday
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.
After finishing I had a nice long chat with Wifey and Michelle. Then get my finisher picture taken, had a Powerbar Recovery drink, and got a great massage. I was starting to feel especially chilly so I nixed my plans of “icing” my legs in the lake.
Gathered all my belongings and went back to the B & B. Showered changed and headed back to town to watch JP and Angus finish.
JP finished in 14 and change and Angus rolled in at a comfortable 16:30ish. headed back to the B & B. I was wired and did not fall asleep until 3 am.
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
Monday August 27th
I really did not sleep much, I was still hyped from the race and going through it in my head a million times, wondering where I could have been faster. Got up at 6 am and did not bother trying to go back to sleep.
Had breaky and went to the race site. The line-ups for race registration was nuts, and so was the lines for pictures and the merchandise tent. So I decided to drop off my bike to Aubrey first and come back later when the lines hopefully would be shorter.
Dropped off the bike, visited Starbucks (Lite Mocha Frapp), hooked up with the rest of the crew, and finally got my pictures, results, and checked out the finishers stuff (resisted the temptation to buy anything).
We tried to have lunch at the Dream Café (healthy but really tasty food) but they were closed on Mondays. So the A & R Ironman crew headed up to the Lost Moose Lodge. Nestled on the east side of one mountains neighboring Penticton, this place had an awesome view of the city. The lunch menu was half decent and their burgers had some unique ingredients. Their dinner menu looked much better. We ate tons anyway, and had some more Naramata Nut Brown Ale.
Went back to the B & B and napped from 2 – 5:45 pm.
Made our way to the Awards Banquet at 6:30 pm (making sure to be at least 1 hr late), and walked right in. Got some food/slop (No taste chicken breast, Fake Ribs/McRib, overdressed Caesar salad, rice & chickpeas, a small offering of desserts, water, pop and Gatorade. Definitely not worth the $35 some people had to pay to get their family and friends in.
This was also the most boring event I’ve ever sat through. It is best to go and have a nice dinner with family and friends and then show up in time to see the Pro awards presentation, the race video, and get a copy of the DVD.
Interesting note on the DVD this year. While the video was playing, I walked out of the hall and 2 ladies were giving them out (they usually wait until it ends), so I got a copy and was hustling out to tell my friends to hurry up and get theirs before the madness begins. By the time I get them the mad rush for the video has started and the ladies announce that they had run out of videos, and that everyone had to contact NA Sports to have a copy mailed to them (after paying the shipping fee of course). Needless to say that there were a ton of angry people since they only had 2 boxes worth of videos. The ladies were facing the wrath of the crowd and so they quickly packed up and got out of there.
People still waited in the lobby for their videos for at least 20 minutes (not believing that they ran out already) and no one made any further announcements. Most of the peeved off throng eventually dispersed and only a small few remained just chatting with each other (as our group was doing). Suddenly, some NA Sports staff run in with a huge shipment of DVD’s. They were wondering where everyone was and we told them what transpired. They commented that someone should not have made that announcement that they ran out of DVD’s because they had enough for everyone. So basically whoever was left hanging around the convention centre luckily got their videos. Not good, but it was the only poor organizational thing I’ve seen all weekend though.
Since it was our last night in Penticton together, we all went out to a pub (KVR Brew Pub? At the Ramada). We enjoyed some beverages, had a fun time, and left just after midnight.
Back at the B & B, Wifey and I packed like mad because our flight left at 6:50am. I finished packing at around 3:30 am and hit the sack.
Tuesday August 28
Left the B & B at 5:40 am, got to the airport at 6 am, checked in quickly (my suitcase weight 53 lbs—the 5 bottles of wine and 2 bottles of Gatorade helped contribute to that).
Waited for the flight and saw Lance Watson and Lucy Smith. They ended up sitting right in front of us on the flight. We flew out on time at 6:50 am.
Our flight was delayed in Vancouver. We boarded on time (an older plane from 1988, a 767-300), but sat on the plane for 75 minutes for it to take off. It finally took off at 10:33 am (1:33 pm Toronto time) and we landed in Toronto at 5:15pm. There was no fancy entertainment system on this flight so I used the time to finish at book called “Full Time in Sub-Nine.” A solid read but I didn’t really learn anything I didn’t already know. A lot I learned at the race a few days ago.
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.
Angus Kim: Congrats on another Ironman finish. This time as a married man.
Johnny P: I know you wanted to go faster but you did wicked with what fitness you had. Congrats. Thanks for waiting for me in T2, running together for that 4-5 miles was fun.
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 your 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.
The Extended Version
Location: Penticton, British Columbia
Description: 3.8 km Swim, 180 km Bike, 42.1 km Run
Website: www.ironman.ca
* WARNING: This is very long (could have been longer) and is pretty much just a spewing of thoughts that I jotted down during my trip to Ironman Canada. Hopefully you might find some interesting/entertaining stuff but I’ve included a lot of things so that I can remember what happened.
Wednesday
Flew out of Toronto at 11am on Air Canada.
Maybe this is not new but it is great to see Air Canada finally getting into the modern age and having touch screen on-demand personal entertainment devices at each seat. It was really cool and made the 5+ hour flight much easier to cope with.
Finally landed in Penticton at 5 pm (a bit delayed). Got picked up by Doug Copithorne at Best Car Rentals. Got our rental car (Doug upgraded us to a SUV at no extra charge—sweet) and made an immediate beeline for the ECM Tent to throw down a bunch of cash at Ironman Canada merchandise. I was only in town for 1 hr and spent $500+ already.
Checked in at Lakewynd B&B, and then went to dinner at the Hillside Estates Winery.
Had Potato & Leek Soup, Spinach Salad (w/ blueberries, papaya & goat cheese, and a New York Strip Steak, and a few glasses of wine. Then it was off to bed for a nice sleep at 11:15pm.
Thursday
Headed down to Okanagan Lake and had a 20 minute swim. Drove down to the Carmi Hotel to pick up my bike from Aubrey Bryce (Enduro Training Systems), the best bike shipping service around. Then headed back to Okanagan Park for race kit pick-up.
Spent some more time in town before heading back to the B & B.
Went for a 45-minute bike ride, followed by a 20 minute run.
Went to the Welcome Dinner. The regular sort of stuff had a decent spread. Lasagna, Cheese Ravioli, BBQ ¼ chicken, pasta salad, regular salad, brownies, Gatorade and water.
Friday
Got up at 8am, weighed in at 170 lbs and went for a 41 minute run on the KVR Trail. Everything felt great and the scenery along the trail made me wish that I lived and trained here.
Got back to the B&B for a shower, breaky (Omelette, 2 pcs of toast with jam, juice, and coffee).
Drove into town, met with the gang (Marie, Angus, and JP). They went for a ride along the run course while I stayed in Okanagan Park to walk around the expo again and to see the pro press conference.
Had a late lunch (2:30pm) at the Sumac Ridge Winery Bistro with Wifey, Michelle and Angus. A must do if you are in Penticton. We ate tons. I had a goat cheese platter, kosher salt fries with blackberry ketchup, sirloin steak, and 3 types of ice cream. I knew that I probably threw on an extra few pounds in this sitting but it was well worth it. On the way out I bought a few bottles of their special edition Ironman Canada wines.
Got back into town at 4:50pm and attended the Welcome Banquet. I knew from last year that for some unexplainable reason people start lining up for this thing over an hour before the doors open. We arrived at a perfect time because we walked right in and joined the food line (like we needed to eat more). We did have to sit in the overflow section outside but that was fine. Since we did not need more food, we took the opportunity to stock up on Gatorade, pop and water. They did show some nice videos and presented lots of stuff about the history of the race but other than this you really don’t need to attend this dinner. Use the money you would have used for tickets for your family and take them to a nice dinner in town or at some winery.
Ooops. Almost forgot to mention that Angus had a case of the waterworks during a video clip of Dick Hoyt talking about his son. Caught you in the act buddy. I could not resist mentioning it.
The whole gang was in a social mood so we wasted a bunch of time chatting outside the convention centre and then made our way over to Salty’s at 9:30pm for some drinks and some eats. I had a giant pint of Naramata Nut Brown Ale (I think I’m hooked on this stuff—smooth, refreshing and no aftertaste), and 12 East Coast Oysters. We checked out of there at 10:45 pm and called it a night.
At the B&B I packed my transition bags, showered, weighed in at 178.5 lbs, and hit the sack at 12:30 pm.
Saturday
Woke up at 8:30 am, weighed in at 172.5 lbs (what a relief), had breaky and left for town with all my equipment.
Got to the race site at 10 am and quickly checked in my Bike and Transition Bags.
Walked around the Expo again, chatted with the Triathlon Magazine Canada guys, caught up with the rest of the gang and we went for lunch at the Penticton Lakeside Hotel. Took advantage of their great deal (BBQ Chicken Breast sandwich and salad bar for $10-12).
We all broke off to do our own thing, and the Wifey and I went to the movies and saw the “Bourne Identity”.
It was then off to Subway for my traditional night-before meal. I ordered a Footlong Oven Roasted Chicken Breast.
Back at the B&B I started on my Infinit mixing, eating, relaxing, showering, shaving, and prepping my stuff for race day. The Infinit mixing is long process since I was fitting in 12 scoops of fuel into one bike bottle, along with 4 scoops into a Fuel Belt flask. It takes quite a while for the mix to settle before you can put in more power and start again. But I will put up with this minor irritant because it is the fuel source that works best for me in Ironman racing.
Feel asleep in between 10 and 10:30 pm.
Sunday
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.
After finishing I had a nice long chat with Wifey and Michelle. Then get my finisher picture taken, had a Powerbar Recovery drink, and got a great massage. I was starting to feel especially chilly so I nixed my plans of “icing” my legs in the lake.
Gathered all my belongings and went back to the B & B. Showered changed and headed back to town to watch JP and Angus finish.
JP finished in 14 and change and Angus rolled in at a comfortable 16:30ish. headed back to the B & B. I was wired and did not fall asleep until 3 am.
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
Monday August 27th
I really did not sleep much, I was still hyped from the race and going through it in my head a million times, wondering where I could have been faster. Got up at 6 am and did not bother trying to go back to sleep.
Had breaky and went to the race site. The line-ups for race registration was nuts, and so was the lines for pictures and the merchandise tent. So I decided to drop off my bike to Aubrey first and come back later when the lines hopefully would be shorter.
Dropped off the bike, visited Starbucks (Lite Mocha Frapp), hooked up with the rest of the crew, and finally got my pictures, results, and checked out the finishers stuff (resisted the temptation to buy anything).
We tried to have lunch at the Dream Café (healthy but really tasty food) but they were closed on Mondays. So the A & R Ironman crew headed up to the Lost Moose Lodge. Nestled on the east side of one mountains neighboring Penticton, this place had an awesome view of the city. The lunch menu was half decent and their burgers had some unique ingredients. Their dinner menu looked much better. We ate tons anyway, and had some more Naramata Nut Brown Ale.
Went back to the B & B and napped from 2 – 5:45 pm.
Made our way to the Awards Banquet at 6:30 pm (making sure to be at least 1 hr late), and walked right in. Got some food/slop (No taste chicken breast, Fake Ribs/McRib, overdressed Caesar salad, rice & chickpeas, a small offering of desserts, water, pop and Gatorade. Definitely not worth the $35 some people had to pay to get their family and friends in.
This was also the most boring event I’ve ever sat through. It is best to go and have a nice dinner with family and friends and then show up in time to see the Pro awards presentation, the race video, and get a copy of the DVD.
Interesting note on the DVD this year. While the video was playing, I walked out of the hall and 2 ladies were giving them out (they usually wait until it ends), so I got a copy and was hustling out to tell my friends to hurry up and get theirs before the madness begins. By the time I get them the mad rush for the video has started and the ladies announce that they had run out of videos, and that everyone had to contact NA Sports to have a copy mailed to them (after paying the shipping fee of course). Needless to say that there were a ton of angry people since they only had 2 boxes worth of videos. The ladies were facing the wrath of the crowd and so they quickly packed up and got out of there.
People still waited in the lobby for their videos for at least 20 minutes (not believing that they ran out already) and no one made any further announcements. Most of the peeved off throng eventually dispersed and only a small few remained just chatting with each other (as our group was doing). Suddenly, some NA Sports staff run in with a huge shipment of DVD’s. They were wondering where everyone was and we told them what transpired. They commented that someone should not have made that announcement that they ran out of DVD’s because they had enough for everyone. So basically whoever was left hanging around the convention centre luckily got their videos. Not good, but it was the only poor organizational thing I’ve seen all weekend though.
Since it was our last night in Penticton together, we all went out to a pub (KVR Brew Pub? At the Ramada). We enjoyed some beverages, had a fun time, and left just after midnight.
Back at the B & B, Wifey and I packed like mad because our flight left at 6:50am. I finished packing at around 3:30 am and hit the sack.
Tuesday August 28
Left the B & B at 5:40 am, got to the airport at 6 am, checked in quickly (my suitcase weight 53 lbs—the 5 bottles of wine and 2 bottles of Gatorade helped contribute to that).
Waited for the flight and saw Lance Watson and Lucy Smith. They ended up sitting right in front of us on the flight. We flew out on time at 6:50 am.
Our flight was delayed in Vancouver. We boarded on time (an older plane from 1988, a 767-300), but sat on the plane for 75 minutes for it to take off. It finally took off at 10:33 am (1:33 pm Toronto time) and we landed in Toronto at 5:15pm. There was no fancy entertainment system on this flight so I used the time to finish at book called “Full Time in Sub-Nine.” A solid read but I didn’t really learn anything I didn’t already know. A lot I learned at the race a few days ago.
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.
Angus Kim: Congrats on another Ironman finish. This time as a married man.
Johnny P: I know you wanted to go faster but you did wicked with what fitness you had. Congrats. Thanks for waiting for me in T2, running together for that 4-5 miles was fun.
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 your 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.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
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
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.
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.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
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
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
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
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