Good Friday Cycling Race - M3 Race Report

Surprisingly, I had very few nerves going into the first race of the season. As long as the bike was working well, I knew I had put in the work to stay close to my teammates so we could stick with the majority of the riders in the M3 field.

After my warm up, I did get to the start line behind most of the others in my category so this created a little worry but Coach Kris from our team, http://www.kurzawinskicoach.com/ , gave me a game plan to work my way up the pack to align with Richard and Phill. I really wanted to be up much closer to them on the start but the Commissionaires were being very strict with us staying on the right half of the road and forcing all late riders to the back of the pack. Oh well...

So the race starts and several guys go zooming up the other side of the road for the next few kilometres trying to get away from the back. I didn't want to risk a DQ so I "patiently" picked away at the right side. Once out of the tree lined section of the course, we were getting hit with a minor side wind that many were trying to avoid so the right side eventually started to open up, although I was wasting more energy than most of the other riders, I still felt that I was well below my usual race effort so continued up the side of the pack.

By the time we made our first right turn I had moved up into the top fifteen and could see Richard and Phill lurking up near the front. We were now into a head wind and the pace dramatically slowed as nobody wanted to lead out the group. This short stretch leading to a steep, twisting hill tested our braking abilities again so I just stayed put and waited for our first climb.

I dropped down to my small ring up front and spun up the hill with no worries. I was making good time up the hill and was actually getting caught in some of the guys starting to stall, which caused some drama but I strugged it off and crested the hill for my decent. During the decent, I passed a good number of athletes and made it up to see Richard and Phill both in around the top five.

Deciding I could give them a lead out for a while, I settled in behind the lead rider and made the next two climbs on his rear before making a little move as we headed down the hill after turning onto Safari Road. I was hoping Richard and Phill would pick this up and give me a signal to hammer but I think too many others were too close at this point to really make a major move this early in the race. I just kept pulling and monitoring my effort to make I was not burning too much too soon.

As we made the next right onto Brock Road, the huge peloton remained right on my tail. We had a tailwind along this fairly flat part so the speeds started to pick up and everyone held tight until we made our last turn of lap 1 back to the start/finish line.

At this point a few guys decided to pick up the pace and seemed to want to sprint for the line. Not sure what they were thinking but we all jumped on and nothing was established as we started lap 2. Not too much further up the road, my momentum had taken me back up to the front with WOB rider, Stanislaw Bielak. Kris told me to stay with him as much as possible as he had won the past few Good Friday races in this category. I was hoping he was ready to roll but he was not too interested in pulling so I basically had to roll to a stop before he would pull through.

Eventually, a few other riders grew tired of the slow pace and took the lead as we corned onto Westover Road. This was the head wind portion so their efforts were pretty much smashed by the breeze that was showing signs of waking up. I was starting to think this was going to take a sprint to win the race, which is not in my favour, so I was starting to plot a strategy to take off, hopefully with my teammates in tow.

I figured I would wait until we got through the three hills and then pick it up on the flats to see what would happen. With this plan set, I just tried to remain calm on the climbs to reserve my energy for the upcoming effort. Unfortunately, as we were descending on the Safari Road hill, our race was neutralized by an official to let the S4 group pass us. The pace car destroyed any chance I had as the group became like a can of sardines waiting for the race to start again.

Once the S4 group had passed, and gapped us, we were set free but it was chaos for the rest of the race as we had too many people trying to share a lane of this country road. Many were getting edgy and making their move on the other side of the yellow but I did not want to risk this. Especially, after watching one dude almost eat the front grill of a car coming up the other side of the road. Scary...

So the rest of the last lap was just a bunch of grapes floating along the course. I could see Richard and Phill just a couple bikes ahead of me but I was stuck dead centre with nowhere to go. By the time the group started to move along Brock Road for the last few kilometres, things were really getting pushy as I could see a lot of jockeying for position in the couple rows a head. This is when things got really crazy, just to the right of my bike, I saw one guy go down and the rider beside me could not avoid the mess. I was just hoping my teammates were OK but I could only see Phill still riding. I had a bad feeling Richard was a part of the carnage and started to get very cautious.

Around the last corner, to the sprint finish, all I could think was just get me to the line with the rubber side down. Thankfully, this short section opened up to the full road and the group spread out with most grabbing wheels on the right hand side. I saw an opening on the left and hammered down that side of the road passing a few people from the massive peloton. I ended up with the same time as the leader but back in 22nd place. Phill had a nice sprint just a few wheels back of the leaders and ended up in 9th place overall. Jon Westwood had a solid debut in the S4 category getting his feet wet in the sport with a 32nd place showing. Nicely done guys!

Thankfully, Richard ended up being cleared by the medical staff and is back at it already. It was a nasty tumble he took and can be read about on his blog http://richard-westwood.blogspot.com/

From the results page there were 52 riders that finished in the main group and 97 athletes that started the race in M3.

Also, it was good to see a bunch of tri and du folks out on the course. I know the roadies don't like to share their sport very much but we put in some good results. Congrats to Alex Auld, David Moore, Ryan Power, Derek Snider, Evert Lamb, Kevin Tearle, etc. ( I am sure there are more but too many names to sort through...)

Age Grouper Spotlight - Sean Delanghe

The 2011 Milton Duathlon was my first du in a little more than a calendar year. I spent most of 2010 racing triathlon but did not enjoy the swim training very much so I decided to go back to my comfort zone, run/bike/run.

As it turns out, one gentleman in this race would leave a lasting impression on me as he glided past me with about 500 metres left to the finish. I knew he was a strong runner, from the open 2k run, but I hoped I had put enough of a gap between us on the bike to avoid being caught on the final leg of the race. I guessed wrong. He put out an amazing effort, on a tough course, and fought very hard for that win.

Thankfully, I had a chance to chat with the victor after the race where I discovered he wasn't so new to the sport after all. We then connected over the internet through the summer and got out for a great training ride in his old stomping grounds, Collingwood. His cycling skills were impressive in the hills and he went on to a fantastic Centurion Canada race a few weeks after our scouting mission.

Dr. Sean Delanghe recently graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and has now set up shop in the Waterloo area. Make sure you look him up if you are in need of some attention ( http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/p/contact.html ) .

10 Questions with Sean Delanghe

Q1. How long have you been competing in duathlon/triathlon?

- I started with some Kids of Steel events when I was really young, along with some local, smaller scale races. However, I jumped into my first “adult” multisport race in 1999 when I was 13, the Collingwood Duathlon. The course was ridiculous, taking us up Grey Road 19 (7-8 km of climbing, which felt like a lot when I was 13), but I had so much fun.

Q2. Do you train as much as you would like or are there outside factors that limit your training?

- Work (and previously school) definitely limits the amount of time I train. However, I almost think this is a good thing. I get excited about getting out for a run or a ride, and I dream about this stuff throughout the busy day. Sure, I would be able to fit in more if I was less busy but I don’t think I would have nearly as much fun with it. Right now, training and racing is my release and I am more than happy to keep it that way.

Q3. How do you find training now that you are out in the workforce?

- I’m finding it easier than when I was in school, surprisingly. When I was in chiropractic school, my schedule was so inconsistent that I just had to squeeze in workouts whenever I “felt like it”. And then, during exams, it was almost impossible to put in any worthwhile work. While I am probably working more total hours now, the consistency is amazing. For instance, I know for a fact that I can do intervals with a group I lead every Monday night, whereas I did not have that luxury while in school. I just find it much easier to rely on scheduled training rather than will power on any given day.

Q4. If you had a full day to train (with fresh legs), which workout would you pick to make the most of this time?

- If I had a full day, I would without a doubt add more endurance work (especially long rides). Being able to sleep in, have a good breakfast and then get on the bike for 4+ hours without having to worry about other responsibilities would be amazing. Having the time to eat and rest properly after the workout (and potentially throw in another ride) would be a great day.

Q5. Do you see yourself entering triathlon in the future or will you be sticking with duathlon for the next few years?

- I think for now I will be sticking with duathlon. I love training for biking and running, so duathlon was a natural progression of my love of both of these sports. I did pursue swimming for a few months one off season, but realized that I just was not having fun with it. I do have a decent swimming background so never say never (that’s for all the Justin Bieber fans out there hah!), but for now I’ll stick with duathlons and road races.

Q6. What is your most memorable sporting moment?

- I would have to go back to that first duathlon in Collingwood (1999). I was 13 years old and I remember being really intimidated by everybody around me. Even when I signed up, we had to argue with the people doing registration because they said I should be racing the Kids of Steel event, not the adult event. Everybody had their tri suits and easy laces, and seemingly nice bikes with areo bars. I was wearing old mountain bike clothes, had two pairs of running shoes (one for the first run, one for the second), and my dad’s old road bike. At that point my goal was to just finish the race. The distance was 4km-30km-4km and I remember finishing the first 4km in first place. I couldn’t believe what was going on because I was so used to being beat by other runners at my track club. I ended up being passed on the bike, but held on for 2nd place overall. It is a great memory, and one of the major reasons why I still race today!

Q7. How important is technology in your training?

- Up until Christmas this year, I never used any technology beyond a stopwatch. I just went based on effort - make it hurt during intervals, make it kind of hurt on tempo days, and keep it smooth-ish on endurance days. However, this year I received a Garmin 310 as a gift. I am just learning how to use it now, so things may change.

Q8. Which athlete inspires you to be the best you can be?

- The athletes that really inspire me include my parents and a group of my parent’s friends. They are all busy professionals, yet they have still found the time to stay not only fit, but competitive in endurance sports throughout their entire lives. For instance, two of these individuals were 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the 65-69 age group in the Collingwood Centurion last September. These people have shown me (from a young age) that it is possible to have a happy and successful family, social and professional life, while still pursuing sport at a high level.

Q9. What are your main goals for 2012?

- My main goal is to be faster than last year. I wouldn’t mind diving into a 34:something 10km, or breaking the 39km/h barrier during the bike leg of a duathlon.

Q10. Do you have any sponsors that you would like to mention?

- I’d like to thank Compressport Canada for helping me out with some gear. Squire John’s (a ski and bike shop near Collingwood) for helping me out with a bike this year. Maikawa Financial for helping me out with some gear. Also, I have to thank my #1 all time sponsors: Mom and Dad!

Dr. Delange is also blogging and has started a very imforative site for us athletes!

http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/

Age Grouper Spotlight - Kane Picken

My first impression of Kane was from an early 2010 FMCT club TT. I was studying the results from one of the races I missed and noticed a new name up near the top. As the name did not ring a bell, I checked a few of the local results sites to learn more about this new Falcon but I could not dig up anything on my computer.

A few weeks later, after another club time trial, we got to chat a little and introduce ourselves. From the accent, I knew he was from another hotbed of triathlon a tiny distance to the south, Australia. Growing up down under, Kano had built quite the resume in the sport but had just taken some time off as he moved to Canada. He and his fiancee (now wife) were just getting settled in the area and he was feeling the itch to compete once again.

After using the 2010 season to get back into form, Kano had planned out an amazing calendar of races for 2011. He had a few of the favourite local races mixed in with some famous selections south of the border. I knew from a few of our training sessions that he was in great shape as he ramped up for Ironman Louisville so I was very surprised to hear about his illness that sidelined him just a few months before the big race. Unfortunately, a string of set backs followed so he had to pass up many of the events he had worked so hard to prepare for, ultimately tossing the 2011 triathlon season away.

Thankfully, this tough Aussie is feeling healthy again and is ready to take aim on a promising 2012!

10 Questions with Kane Picken

Q1. How did you get started in the sport of triathlon?

- In my late twenties, I was at a difficult point in my life. I needed to make some changes. I had always been active but had found myself sliding quickly out of control. So, I decided it was time to get happy and healthy. A short run to the end of our road kicked it off. Originally, it was to get fit for the up coming rugby season but, when I stumbled across an adventure race in Men’s Health, my focus changed direction. My dad bought a mountain bike for me he had seen for sale and away I went. The adventure race was a three-man team so my uncle, dad and I entered and had an absolute blast! A couple of weeks later I raced my first triathlon 300m/10k/2.5k and I’ve been hooked ever since.
 

Q2. How tough was it to sit out most of 2011 due to health issues?

- Some years are forgettable, 2011 is going to be one of them. It was extremely tough. For all of us time is precious, especially, when you spend all your spare time training for triathlons. I’m sure many can relate to me when I say I had minute-by-minute of everyday planned out. Ironman Louisville was my main target for the year and I was ready to go big. I was the fittest I had ever been and determined to reach my goals. Being hospitalized and diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis certainly brought the wheels to a screeching halt. I think the news that racing Louisville was now out of the question was harder to take than the diagnoses. Being 2 months out from the race, I felt I still had time. Once I had recovered, I began training again in hope there was still a chance. However, after my second hospital visit, and a mere 6 hours from death due to organ failure, I realized it was time to let it go. I still traveled to Louisville to be a part of the action. I was surprised by the visit of my mum and one of my sisters. What I learnt from all this was it's time to listen to my body. Rest when you’re tired; take two days off if that’s what you need, be smart.

Q3. What are your long term goals in the sport?

- My long term goals in the sport of triathlon are to make multiple visits to Hawaii for the World Championships. I want to win my age group at a domestic Ironman event. Also, I would like to take a trip to Las Vegas for the 70.3 World Championships. I would like to continue to love the sport and enjoy doing it for the right reasons. Lastly, I hope to inspire more friends to get involved so they can reap the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Q4. How do you motivate yourself to push through all the long training hours?

- I’m motivated by the fact that I like to work hard and I like to see results (I’m not happy with my results). I’m motivated by my long-term goals. I’m motivated because I’m not the best so there is always room for improvement. Training for triathlons, and competing in them, is rewarding and a positive way to live life.

Q5. What piece of gear would you love to purchase if you had an unlimited budget?

- Electronic shifters
 
Q6. What is your favourite training session?

- It’s a toss up between a long ocean swim with mates or a long brick session. I love the ocean swims as there is no black line, the water is clear and beautiful, it’s peaceful and I like nothing more than swimming in salt water. Long brick sessions are tough and rewarding. Spending 6hrs of your Saturday or Sunday out on the road and trails isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it builds real character and confidence.
 
Q7. Do you have any sponsors you would like to mention or thank?

- Clif Bar has given me great support and I’m happy to refer anyone to try their products. They have a huge selection for every kind of workout or recovery and the best thing is they taste great. Steve Keating, owner of Du, tri and Run in Streetsville, has given me amazing support. I’m very thankful for his generousity. For any of your triathlon needs in the Mississauga area, be sure to visit Steve. Maverick Hair Studio for men. It’s the place to go for stylish haircuts to keep you looking fast. Lastly, if you’re in the Erin area, “The Shed” has great coffee and super friendly staff to boot.

Q8. What do you find different between Australian and Canadian triathlon at the local level?

- Truthfully, there is not a huge amount of difference. Taking nothing away from the competition here, which has plenty of great athletes, I find the competition goes a lot deeper in each age group back home. Some races cracking the top 20 can be hard. Canada lacks in the number of Pros racing at each event. However, I like what Multisport Canada is doing this year with the Elite Age Group division and some prize money to go with it. Other than that, both countries have great race options, friendly competition and are well organized.

Q9. Who is the one triathlete you would love to spend a training week with?

- I can’t go past Craig Alexander. He is a humble, hardworking champion who always puts his family first.

Q10. What is the best piece of training advice you have received and from whom?

- Something that I live and die by now, especially after last year’s issues, is it's better to do too little rather than too much. Over training will only lead to injury. This was advice given to me by my Uncle, a multiple Hawaiian Ironman finisher.

Make sure you follow Kane on his blog @ http://kanepicken.blogspot.com/ !

Weekly Update

This weekend should be a blast as a large group of the FMCT Falcons are heading up to Collingwood to ride in the Centurion Canada event. We are jetting up Saturday to enjoy the atmosphere and then hitting the bikes Sunday morning. We have several folks in both the 50 miler and 100 miler distances so you should see a lot of our jerseys along the routes.

A few of us, plus some of the guys I know from duathlon and triathlon, hope to hang on with some of the quicker cyclists through this hilly adventure. This is going to make it tough but we have put in a bunch of solid training so we should do pretty good for hacks (as a number of the elite cyclists tend to think of us).

Another great Mid-Night Ride on a Fall Like Night

As we have built up for this event, and others like Tour de Terra Cotta, etc., a number of us have found a love for cycling and bike racing. This has us looking around for a local bike club that has a racing section attached to the membership. We have looked at several web sites and have a few groups in mind but would love to hear any suggestions. Some early possibilities are Mississauga Bike Racing Club and Kurzawinski Coach - Racing Team.

Chasing down my shadow on the Night Ride

On the running side of things, I have Scotia Bank Toronto Marathon coming up in mid October. I had been doing really well getting prepared for this but a slight groin pull/tear has made running difficult in the last week. It is fine during cycling efforts so I have reduced the running volume for a few days to let it get back to normal. It really is not a bad thing as I was going to give myself a little break to make sure my legs are ready for the 172k ride this weekend.

Hopefully, next week I can get back to a run focus and also hit some of the XC running races I have been looking at. Here are some of the races I had in mind and hope to be able to toe the starting line for...

Oct 2 – Taylor Creek 5K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race#1

Oct 16 – Ontario Masters Marathon Championships - Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Oct 30 - Sunnybrook 8K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race #3

Nov 6 - Hamilton Marathon????

Nov 13 – Ontario Masters Cross Country Championships – OMA Cross Country Series Race #4

Nov 20 - Winter Running Fest XC - Guelph

Those are my options right now. I will not be able to do all of them, even if I am healthy after the Centurion, so I highlighted the ones that seem to be more realistic but nothing is in stone at this point.

 Thanks for reading!
Larry

CarrotFast 5k - OMA Championships

Recently, I was checking out the race calendars looking for some filler races due to the scheduling conflicts I have experienced of late. I missed a few important events because of work travel and other weekend events that have popped up.

As I read through all the upcoming attractions in the area, I noticed that one of them was going to serve as the Ontario Masters 5k Championships. I have looked into joining the OMA for a few years now as they hold a number of great Cross Country races in the fall. Usually, I wait too long and end up missing a few of them so the membership fee becomes a little steep for a single race or two.

This year I got organized and placed my membership with the OMA and therefore decided to test out my first official event with their 5k Championship. The association selected the community 5k in Bradford to hold their provincial finals so I added this to my wish list, on account that I could get down to race weight in less a week.

Well, I managed to cut out a bunch of junk from my horrible diet and kept up my training volumes so I was able to get down to a weight that I was comfortable running at. With this being a "B"ish race, I did not taper heading into the weekend so just made sure not to hammer too hard in the two days leading up to the Saturday event.

One race day, I showed up nice and early and put in one of my best warm up of all time. Lots of stretching, strides and a medium effort around some of the course. The air was humid and I was sweating up a storm before the start but kept well hydrated.

As we eventually lined up on the road, I could tell there were quite a few good athletes out for this one. Many of them looked very young and associated with the Newmarket Huskies Club which meant it was going to be a solid test. Once the gun went off, we had a quick downhill to the first street. I kept thing under control and settled into a comfortable pace about fifteen people back in the pack.

In the first kilometre, we rounded through an industrial area so the roads were very quiet with lots of room to pick a solid running line. I looked down at this point and noticed we hit the first marker in 3:15 but I knew the next 1000 metres would slow as we headed back up the minor slope up to 8th Line where we would complete the out and back portion of the run. In the last piece of the industrial park, I was now running in 12th place keeping one of my targets close.

I had seen a few familiar names in past results and figured I should be able to run close to those times on a good day so I did not want to fall off their pace. As we turned right onto 8th Line we started to get the benefit of a strong tail wind as well as another slight downhill speed zone. We all picked up the effort to take advantage of this and I was actually able to pass one of my targets and start to move up on the next group of three runners before the turn around.

I knew the last part of the race was going to be a little more challenging as we headed into the wind and had to gradually make our way back up to the hill. I also have a lot of confidence in my uphill running and hoped this would work to my advantage against the group a few seconds ahead of me.

Not too long after the turn I noticed one of the competition had lost a bunch of his speed so I jumped past him a hundreds metres past the pylon and set my sights one the remaining two from that group. As we pushed through the wind I could tell I was slowly making ground on them but it was taking a good effort so I was not sure how much I would have left for the final sprint to the line. Just after the midway point of the hill I finally caught those two and was up to 8th place with mostly younger runners up ahead.

I was now approaching the final left turn with only a few hundred metres to go. Seventh place looked too strong to catch and I was trying desperately to hold of a surge from behind from Kevin Farr, one of the athletes I had just past. On this day, he saved much more than I had and he easily beat me down to the finish line, leaving me with a 9th place finish on the day.

All in all, I was quite happy with my 17:25 race result on this day. I ended up 3rd in the 30-39 AG and 1st in the M35 AG for the Ontario Masters Championships.

Pic - OMA 5k Medalists (courtesy OMA - D Smith)

Next up is the Centurion Road Cycling event followed by some XC running races and a marathon or two. Time to make up for a slow start to the 2011 season!

Thanks for reading!
Larry

Niagara Duathlon - Race Report

Having registered for the Niagara Duathlon some time ago, I had to work some magic and get a whole bunch of things accomplished at home/work in order not to waste an entry. The timing of the race was brutal for me with travel the week leading up and the need to fly out right after the race but I knew I could regain a lot of confidence if I could get to that starting line.

Thankfully, I had a ton of support and by mid-week I had my pass punched to make the short trip to Grimsby for the event. I knew this was not going to be a blazing fast race for me so I treated it as more of a great training opportunity and stuck to my regular program leading into the weekend. This included a killer treadmill session on Thursday night. Tyler had posted a 3x2mile workout and I upped the ante by increasing my previous efforts by a large margin in an attempt to strengthen my mental game.

That part of my race was lacking in a big way last Monday, in le Tour de Terra Cotta, so I needed to push the limits and pull through the dark spots of doubt that a “track” workout presents. I admit it was a very tough night at the gym but I passed the test and used the positive vibes to flow into the weekend. Unfortunately, the sore muscles from this treadmill run also followed me into the weekend...

On the drive to the race site, I plotted a simple plan as this was my first duathlon in quite a while (since Milton). I knew I was not going to be on top of my game so the game plan was to hold off on the opening run, control the heart rate on the bike and battle through the negative thoughts running those final 7k. I was not racing for a PB or a win. I told myself to go out and have fun and let the chips land where they may.

After setting up transition, stretching and going through the many other pre-race routines, I got over to the duathlon starting area for some final instructions from Mitch. He confirmed the course would be exactly the same as 2009 (the last time I competed in this race) which meant a 2.3k run, 25 bike ride and 7k run.

As usual, I got out into the clear and started to work on the pace. The air was very heavy with crazy humidity so breathing was not easy and the sweat was pouring out of my system. No worries, we are getting used to it these days, just relax and avoid pushing too hard.

With the opening kilometre rolling downhill most of the crowd stayed tight. One younger gentleman decided to pick it up a touch so I filed in behind and let him lead down into the wooded trail that made up a 300m loop into the bush. This year, the trail was marked out amazingly with lots of highlighted paint on the roots and obstacles. This made it very easy to concentrate on the task at hand so I just kept on his heels and forgot all about the Garmin.

Without looking back, I could tell we had a just a few others on our tails now so things were shaping up the way I had hoped. As we trudged up the wood chipped path out of the forest, I could tell the leader starting to slow a touch so I pulled through and took over as we ran up the sidewalk back to transition. He must have dropped off a little more in the final 750m as I only had one other athlete join me into the park entrance to wrap up the first run of the day. I stayed up in front through the run course sign and quickly clicked on my helmet and grabbed my bike off the rack.

Although, I have not practiced my bike mount in a long time, I executed a great start to the cycling leg of the race and was strapped into my shoes with one of my best transitions ever. Right away, I started to move through the triathletes already on course and worked the average up to prepare for the tough climb to present itself around three kilometres into this portion of the duathlon.

As I reached the bottom, I could see several people struggling and walking their machines up the hill. The thick air was causing some issues here so I knew I had to spin up or risk burning out. Luckily, I have been working on this a lot of late and I made smooth work of the hill and got back to speed before starting my zig zag around the Niagara countryside.

On the flats, I was comfortably reaching a solid pace for me and was happy with my progress through the field of triathletes. I was clipping along untouched until close to the half way mark of the ride when a speedy cyclist whizzed past. I did not know this person but his number seemed to be in the range of those assigned to the duathlon so I wondered who this could be?

“Oh well, no worries, don’t panic.” I told myself as I knew the run would be the place to see him again. I hoped!

Keeping this person in sight (albeit, in the distance), I picked up the intensity a little just in case he created a huge gap but held the effort within my limits. At this point, I had another duathlete catch and pass me. Wow, these guys were riding hard today!

Just after he passed, I backed off wisely and held a legal gap coming into a twisting section of the course. In my slowing, I had a female triathlete pass me and get in between us. I backed off again but she was almost on his wheel as we went through a corner where a motorcycle official was sitting. He pulled out and followed for a very short period of time but did not say a word. Wow, if that was me on that wheel I would have been hammered with a penalty for sure.

Oh well, I just kept my distance and then moved past her when she fell of his pace nearing the tricky and speedy downhill section leading to the lake. I entered the decent a few seconds behind the second place duathlete and made up my mind to get aggressive down the curving drop off. I was moving slightly quicker than he was and ended up having to brake just as I was about to pass as he moved to the centre of the lane to avoid a man hole in the road. My speed dropped so I backed in behind him and was now content to follow him into transition. The next few kilometres back offered several short burst between turns which should have been very routine but I put a scare into myself on the second last corner.

Leaning into the turn, my hand slipped of the handle bar due to the sweat pouring out of my body. Luckily, I kept the bike up right and was able to continue on for the last few minutes to the bike dismount sitting in third overall.

As we hit the line, I saw the athlete ahead of me still had his cycling cleats on so I knew I would have an advantage and leave the zone up one position. This held true and I executed another smooth change over into my runners and was out through the gate to finish off the race.

Having not run very hard off the bike for a long time, it took awhile to get comfortable. Within the first 500m, I was dropped back into third place as Tim Little easily made his way up the road. Trying to think up a new strategy on the fly, I was surprised to notice Erik Box (the super cyclist who easily had the quickest bike split) mixed in the middle of several triathletes. I figured he would be way out on the course by now so I was amazed to see him so soon. Making my way past him, I could now focus on the new leader just ten yards up ahead.

At the 1km point, I was starting to feel much better in the legs. We rounded a few corners heading into the quiet, lake front community and I was closing the gap nicely. By the time we reached the 2km marker, I had pulled even and just kept my eyes looking forward not worrying about his position behind me.

During most of this stretch, I had a female triathlete (she posted the top ladies run split of the day) either right beside me or just in behind. I could tell we were doing a fine job feeding off each other. Anytime I started to slow, she would start to move up which motivated me to pick things up.

When we hit the turnaround near, the midway point of the run, I finally looked back through the field to see my competition. I was now around 400m clear of second so the gap was growing, although, another fellow (the person who ran the second fastest opening leg) was looking strong now positioned in third. There was no room to cruise for the time being.

After running another kilometre or so together, my female pacer started to drop off so I had to use the other targets up the road to stay on track. I felt really confident heading into the final two thousand metres as I entered the wooded trails again. I looked back to see if anyone was in striking distance and I was clear so I pulled back the reigns a touch to avoid any stupid slips in the mud and loose wood chips.

I navigated through the lengthy forest path and finally hooked back up with the sidewalk, having a kilometre left and still holding a comfortable lead. I was starting to get excited to wrap up the multisport season with a victory and coasted into the park under control. I could have posted a slightly faster overall time but there was no need to hammer in this heat as I was already a soaking mess after racing through that thick, moist air.

In the end, I had a little over a minute up on the second place duathlete (the gentleman in third at the turn around) which was marginally slower than my 2009 result. With all the things going on of late, I was very happy with my race and stoked to rebuild my confidence to help get through the off season training.

With work asking me to head out to Modesto for some training, I could not stick around after the race. I’m sorry if I did not have a chance to catch up with some of you. Enjoy the rest of your race season!

Thanks for reading!

Larry

Age Grouper Spotlight - Paul "Speedy" Gonsalves

Race mornings are nervous times, no matter how competitive or experienced you may be. Some athletes are weighed down by expectations. Some people are brand new to the sport and not sure what to expect. Others (including me during my first few duathlons) collect a stomach full of butterflies knowing there will be a point of exhaustion that will test you mentally and physically right up to the finish line.

When I first started this journey about five years ago, I built up a lot of pre-race stress. Often, I would be sitting in the registration line questioning my motives for driving to the event in the first place. As soon as I racked my bike, I could not wait for the darn thing to be over with so I could get to the food tent and just relax. Thankfully, I bumped into our featured Age Grouper early in my duathlon life and was able to pick up a few tricks to help smooth over many of the jitters I used to feel before stepping up to the start line.

It was my first time on the Grimsby course and many had extended a warning about the descent coming down the Park Road hill so I was getting a little worried as I set up my transition zone.

In a chance meeting, Paul “Speedy” Gonsalves, calmed these fears and helped me stay loose. He was in need of a tire pump and I happened to be nearby and able to assist in his search. During our conversation, as he inflated his race wheels, I was pleasantly surprised that someone very competitive in the sport could display a sense of humour and be so friendly in the moments before an event. Those usually tense moments were eased in a big way as we spoke and I had all but forgotten about the nerves I was battling minutes before.

From this encounter, I learned not to take things too seriously when approaching this hobby. I now make the time to mingle with those around me in transition which keeps my mind free of a lot of negative energy and gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people with the same passion for multisport.

Thanks to “Speedy”, I realized that you can have a bunch of fun at these events and still satisfy that tiny, competitive fire that burns inside us all.

10 Questions with "Speedy"

Q1. What brought you into the sport of tri/du?

- I started as a marathon runner back in the early 80’s (Yes, I’m that old). I lived in Rexdale but worked in downtown Toronto. I decided to ride to work 2 or 3 times per week for injury prevention and discovered I loved going fast. In 1986, I heard about a “Biathlon” in Mt. Tremblant that was an 80k bike and a 21k run. I did the event and recall having a blast and did very well at it. Soon after, I started racing Du’s with Trisport Canada. I wish to be still racing well into my 70’s and 80’s.

Q2. Have you always been strictly a duathlete? If no, why did you leave the swimming behind?

- I started off as a runner and started cycling as a means of injury prevention. I was also inspired as a kid by my Uncle Hilary, a world class rider who rode for the West Indies.

I don’t see myself as leaving swimming behind. I’m a decent swimmer and the reasons for doing Du’s has nothing to do my ability to swim.

Q3. You race a lot during a season, is there ever a point when you wake up the morning of a race and wish you had taken the day off running or duathlon?

- No, I rest like a “Rock Star”!  lol
I also have enough experience to know (i.e. Old) when I’m pushing too hard and when to ease off the training.

Q4. Are you more proud of what you currently achieve or what you accomplished in the past?

- I haven’t thought of what I do in terms of pride. Regardless of race results, I have a sense of accomplishment that on that day I raced as smart and as hard as possible without leaving anything in the tank.

Q5. What moment in your multisport life do you look back on with fondest memories?

- When I first heard my eldest son, Christopher, yell “Go, Daddy, Go!”

Q6. You told me you used to take the sport too seriously for a recreational outlet. Are there any examples of things you did back then that you shake your head at these days?

- Nothing specifically comes to mind, but definitely no joy. Intense focus and little or no social interaction with fellow racers, spectators and race volunteers/officials.

 I’m surprised when people make the assumption that my nick name is a function of my performance. “Speedy Gonsalves” is just my way of keeping the racing real and fun. I must admit, I do get a kick out of hearing people cheer "Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba! Hepa¡ Hepa! Hepa! Yeehaw!" ("Go on! Go on! Up! Up!).

Q7. At what moment did you change the focus from purely results driven to a fun, social event that should not be taken too seriously?

- The turning point for me was 2001 at my 1st World Championships in Italy. I was in Italy on 9-11 and the race was a few days later. I was getting more and more anxious about world events and the upcoming event. I remember cheering on the Canadian ladies race the day before my event and I couldn’t help but notice that the women were embracing the moment, flying through the course and appeared to be having so much fun. It was at that moment I remembered why I raced and that was to do my best and have fun. Immediately, I felt my shoulders relax as my anxiety faded away. The next day, I set a personal bests on the 10k run and 40k bike as part of the overall event. The more relaxed I am, the better I seem to do for the same fitness level.

Q8. Can you describe your bike mascot and the origins of this aerobar ornament? 

- You must be referring to “Rocky the Rooster” who is my 3rd rubber chicken/mascot. I can’t remember when the 1st mascot came to be but it was following the 2001 World Championships and my renewed “Sense of Fun”. The 1st time I used it, a fellow competitor complained to an OAT official that it “Gave me an unfair aerodynamic advantage”. I remember the OAT official having a good laugh. Now it’s true that it does represent an unfair aerodynamic advantage, but whoever said life was fair was selling something.

Q9. What keeps you motivated to stay in great racing shape with so many other responsibilities?

- My love of dark beer (Waterloo Dark, Smithwicks, Newcastle Brown, etc.), chocolate and cheesecake.

Q10. What is the greatest piece of advice you have heard during your tri/du career?

- "Keep the rubber side down"

Age Grouper Spotlight - Rhys Spencer

The power of networking over the internet has allowed me to learn much more about our sport and the people who make it so great. Thankfully, many of them are incredibly friendly and more than happy to pass along advice and comments based on their wealth of experiences.

I first came across the name, Rhys Spencer, after the 2010 Victoria’s Duathlon. This race usually contains a solid mix of the region’s top triathletes and duathletes so you know the competition will be tough. The field is much larger than our typical duathlons with many athletes taking advantage of this first event of the season to assess their fitness levels. This is what makes it such a great, early season test.

When I was looking over last year’s results, hoping to see a respectable bike split after a lot of off-season training, I noticed several of the people finishing around me had hammered their two wheelers over the 30k course. From that comparison, Rhys’ name popped out in a big way as he was right beside me in the finishing column but his bike split was much faster. In fact, it was the 4th fastest of the day. Because I could not recall his name from a past race, I ended up digging through some of his other results on the web where I could see he definitely knew what he was doing out there on a bike.

Coincidentally, it was around this time I also noticed his name in a Twitter reply on my coach’s site. If he knew Tyler, I figured he must have some intriguing triathlon opinions so I decided to follow his tweets. Quickly, I could see that he had a vast background in triathlon and cycling so I sent a few cycling questions in his direction which he swiftly answered with amazing responses.

As I thought about future guests for this Local Age Grouper series, I figured I could use the forum to ask this interesting, Toronto based Ironman a little more about his racing history and the use of philanthropy in many of his events. Of course, he generously accepted and provided some fantastic insight on what makes him so much more than your usual weekend warrior.

10 Questions for Rhys Spencer

Q1. In early blog entries ( http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ ), you mentioned that you had been through a significant lifestyle change. How did you get away from your bad habits to find the world of triathlon (and cycling)?

- Well, quitting smoking after 7 years was hard but I remember thinking, if I can do that cold turkey, I can do anything. So I started to mountain bike with some friends in Dundas who were very influential in my decision to me lead a cleaner life. We all enjoy our beer (then) and our wine (now!) but we hung out a lot back then and hit the local trail scene in Waterdown and Dundas. I was hooked and quitting smoking was actually quite easy because I had this outlet that made me feel really good and healthy which kept me away from the behaviors that I associated with smoking. You want to quit smoking? Three rules:

• you have to WANT to
• realize you are quitting a behavior as much as an addiction
• find an outlet and set yourself up for success

Mountain biking was that outlet. Soon, I was reflecting on my teen years, watching The Badger Hinault and Greg LeMond in the tour with my Italian neighbours, and the famous 1989 Iron War in Hawaii between Dave Scott and Mark Allen. I said, "well, you just quit smoking, picked up mountain biking & didn't finish last...you can do anything...". From there, it was an 18 month progression from duathlon, to sprint tri, to the Peterborough half Iron Distance to Ironman Florida in 2000.

Lastly, at the time I was getting into all this, I met my wife to be whose dad, when alive, was a HUGE ROADIE! Luck would have it, I found the love of my life who also "got it" when it came to 6 hour rides followed by 2 hour naps and plates of pasta. I am truly blessed in that regard!

Q2. You have used your athletic abilities to accomplish much more than personal glory. Through fundraising efforts, you have given a large portion of funds back to the community. What initially gave you the idea to use your racing as a charitable outlet?

- Truthfully, it started on a whim and then quickly grew into something that "felt right". My first Ironman I did it initially via my employer where they matched what I raised and we donated to the Food Bank of Toronto. It was as fulfilling as the accomplishment of finishing an Ironman and that nugget of memory I placed very near to me and promised never to forget.

Q3. How do you decide which charities to support when you are drawing up a fundraising plan?

- One commitment I made to myself was to change it up. Sometimes volunteering turns to work because you are repeating year over year over year and the reward I have witnessed with others, begins to fade and it turns to work. So I said to myself, "what do you feel passionate about that needs help TODAY...?" So charities I have supported include the aforementioned Toronto Food Bank, Breast Cancer Society, Lymphoma and Leukemia Foundation, Sick Kids Hospital, United Way Peel Chapter, to name a few. It keeps it fresh and I get to learn about their causes and why they are important, under-funded and need awareness.

My mother passed of AML Leukemia and my wife's father, a brain tumor, so clearly those two charities are a constant thread for our charitable donations budget.

Q4. You changed your 2011 schedule due to a recent invitation to compete in the Ironman Championships, via the lottery. What will be the goal for this year’s Kona race?

- I struggle with this every swim session!!!!!!!! I want to compete, I would love to leave the Ironman sport on Alii Drive with a PB but I am realistic. I haven't raced Ironman in 3 years, I just started swimming, after a year off and I took 8 weeks off running this spring. So, I have a lot of catch up to do. Other side of brain is saying, the sport has become very fast in 40-44 age group so treat this race like a celebration of turning 40, a celebration of "what's possible", a celebration of where I came from, and a celebration into Ironman RETIREMENT!

I think that was therapy typing that, the goal is: HAVE FUN!

Q5. Will you still be able to ride in the Tour for Kids, as per your earlier plans? Or, will training for Kona be too much of a distraction at that point?

- My #1 commitment in 2011 is to do the Tour for Kids charity ride. 3 great cancer camps are supported by amazing fundraisers, athletes and volunteers. What a celebration! And, if we map out where it lands, in relation to Kona, I actually think the Tour for Kids is a perfect block of training. It is 7 weeks before the race, gives me a huge bike test (doing 800K over 4 days) and I can then recover for a week and hit out some hard epic runs and swims while maintaining bike fitness with some threshold work in the odd local road race/time trail. The whole package is just one big celebration of giving back and athletics, a perfect marriage!!

Q6. A few years ago, your major focus was the Ironman distance triathlon but in recent seasons you have concentrated more on your cycling. Why did you decide to switch the direction in your recreational pursuits?

- I hate swimming. I really do. That bloody black line is like a horrible relationship but you keep going back for more brutal suffering. And trust me, my wife Meredith will tell you, letting go of Ironman was like a break up for me because I couldn't figure it out. It had been 10 years of my identity and gave me a real belief in myself. I owe the sport that much. It has helped my career, my relationships, and my beliefs. Sounds corny but it is true. Then last year I crashed bike racing, got really battered and bruised and couldn't swim or run. That was the plug, I was done because I was forced away and I realized how free I felt. Kind of like finally walking away from a bad relationship!! So I focused 100% on the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont and had a superb time.

Kona is too sweet to pass, so 1 more year, and I will say knowing that I feel liberated and free to train and enjoy all of it. It is a great feeling!

Q7. To date, what is your most memorable sporting moment?

- As a competitor I have one very poignant, special moment. I finished IMUK in 2006, eight months after my mom passed. I crossed that line and had my dad, sister, bro-in-law, wife, niece and nephew there. I was a euphoric 30 seconds off a PB but a hard course. But that wasn't why it was euphoric. I ran the last 5K in 22:30 and it felt like a sprint, thinking only of my mom. I was running on air and when I finished and hugged my dad, it was that 10 seconds that told me so much about life, about my family. I will never forget that and it can't be repeated.

As a fan, being at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with my dad and my mom in 2003 watching Wales beat Ireland for their first Grand Slam in 25 years. That means going unbeaten in the Six Nations beating Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and Italy. Think Canada - Salt Lake City Olympic gold medal game, on steroids.

Q8. Who is the one athlete from the sport of triathlon, or cycling, that you love to watch compete?

Simon Whitfield. He's such a warrior racing, and a down to earth great guy to ride a bike with and chat. What he did in Beijing, with that much pressure, was poetry in sport.

Q9. What is the one thing you would do (if you were running the show - OCA) to make the sport of cycling more popular in Ontario?

- Too many to list. I can't even start. I will say, culturally, cycling is a mess both from the athlete and the UCI, the CCA, and OCA. Wait, the answer really? Outsource race organization to 1 organizer to consolidate and create a consistent, safe race experience. That one person is Graham Fraser.

PS: PLEASE GRAHAM!!!! -:)

Q10. From your years of experience, what advice would you give to someone about to attempt their first Ironman?

- The same thing someone told me on the balcony of the Florida hotel the night before mine. A total stranger said this and it really resonated.

"You're prepped, fit and ready to go. Two things: you only do your first one ONCE so enjoy it, and something WILL go wrong. What separates a good from bad race is problem solving."

To learn more about Rhys and his Charitable Causes, please visit his blog.

http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/

Mississauga Half Marathon - Race Report

I had the Mississauga Half Marathon marked on my calendar as soon as I experienced the disappointment of last fall’s Hamilton Half. I think most readers of the blog know how frustrated runners were by the bad course measurement at Road2Hope so I needed to test out another course and Mississauga seemed like a good fit for my schedule.

With race morning finally here, I was very excited to make my way over to the Square One Shopping Centre to hit the starting line. I live pretty close, and the early start (7:30am) meant very little traffic on the roads, so it was a quick commute which brought me into the parking area about an hour and a half before the official start time. This gave me plenty of time to slowly prepare my gear and get some more nutrition in before dropping off my bag for the beginning of the point to point run.

As forecasted, the weather was not very nice on this rainy, windy spring morning so I kept dry and warm inside the car for a number of minutes. I was actually not too worried about the drizzle and cool temperatures but was not too pleased with the direction and speed of the wind we would have to battle for a majority of the race.

With just under an hour to go, I decided to walk over to the main gathering area for my final preparations and to see if I could find any friends in the crowd. With about five thousand people starting at this position, it can be tough to spot folks (especially when most are wearing extra gear so picking jerseys is not an option) but I did manage to get in a few pre-race good lucks with some fellow Falcons and online buddies.

Finally, the wait was over and it was go time. I grabbed a spot in the first corral and noticed some of the faces and names (on their bib) around me so I did not want to be right on the line as this would only force me to start out far too quick off the gun. Settling in the second row, behind local elite Predrag Mladenovic, I cautiously started my 21.1k journey down to the lake. Judging from past results, I assumed I should be around top 20 so I just wanted to stay back from the leaders and ease into a smooth rhythm.

For the first five km we had the wind to our backs. This was a section I should have padded the pace stats a little more for later in the race but I started chatting with one of the marathon runners and fell off my target a notch. He was doing his first full and was interested in my experiences. Never one to turn down a chance to talk racing, I continued gabbing until I finally noticed my slow start around the 3.5k area. When I realized this slip in speed, it was time for a downhill portion to the Credit River bridge so I used the down slope to help pick up the pace.

Just after the five kilometre marker, I turned south on Mississauga Road for an eleven km section through the beautiful estate area of the city. To my surprise, the wind was slowing us much more through this stretch than I imagined. At this point I was running solo and could not protect myself from the elements so I had to focus and tried to keep as close to the game plan as possible.

A little further down the road the course turned left into the University of Toronto, Mississauga where we all did a loop around the campus. I could now hear some footsteps so I hoped that this person would gradually work past me so I could rest in their draft for a while. This did not happen as soon as I thought and I was getting tired pushing through the breeze. Thankfully, once we got to the University Recreation Centre, he finally made his move. I got on right away and we reached the 8k timing mat together (he started a little farther back so it looks like he was quicker to this point) before cresting the large hill on Mississauga Road dropping us into the valley.

He descended faster than I and I could tell he was trying to pick up some lost time as well. At the intersection of Dundas and Mississauga Rd, he started to add more time between the two of us but I ran a very tight line through the curves of the next section to get back on his heels before the climb at 10k. We reached that marker in 37:30 (3:45 pace, which would have been the plan given more favourable wind conditions) so I was now worried that I had fallen well behind where I need to be to battle a head wind during the final 4.5k along the lake shore.

By the time we had climbed to the top, I had taken the front position of our twosome and was trying to get back up to speed as quickly as possible. I did a shoulder check to make sure he was locked on and was happy to see him following closely. I led for a few hundred more metres before he picked up his pace and started to swing through. With only one runner in striking distance (about 300m ahead of me), and nobody directly behind, I figured this may be the only guy that could team up to help cut through the gusty air.

As he pulled up beside me, I asked what his goal was and he mentioned he was trying to hit 3:45 splits but had zoned out for a bit. He was now struggling through the breeze to make up ground so was onboard to work together and try to get back on track.

For the next five kilometres we took turns pulling off the front and saving energy on the back. We were making strides on the gentleman ahead and I was starting to plan the next bridge hoping we could create a threesome. Passing by Lakeshore Blvd, we made it down to the 16k marker slightly slower than 3:45 pace so I knew it was going to be a huge task to pick up time once we reached the bottom of Mississauga Road where we had to turn left to begin our tour along the coast of Lake Ontario.

When we finally funneled onto the asphalt trail, the force of the wind hammered us dead on. This brought out a few select curse words from my mouth and I knew it was now time to dig very deep into reserves. Unfortunately, only seconds into the turn I could tell I was starting to lose my team mate.

Just a few metres ahead, though, was the gentleman we gradually brought back to us so I hoped he had some horses left for the home stretch. I finally pulled up beside him on the walkway over the river and told him he could jump on because we would be wounded ducks trying it solo. He hooked on and we started our push through the mix of side streets and paths along the south end of Port Credit.

I was exerting every last bit of energy counting down the final steps of the race. With one kilometre to go, I picked up the pace again but my fellow racer was not able to respond and fell off a few seconds behind. We had actually worked our way closer to another fading runner but it would take a massive effort this late to grab another position. I used the slight glimmer of hope to produce a final sprint around the bay and up to the finish line. This brought me within seven seconds of a top ten and eighteen seconds away from the elusive sub 1:20:00.

After getting through the timing mats, I waited to thank the two racers I had worked with and was happy to hear that they were appreciated of the team work. I may have missed my goal but was proud of my effort under less than ideal weather conditions. There will be other attempts and new goals down the road!

I then gulped down some fuel and recovery drinks and made a smart decision to visit the massage tent. This is the first time I have taken advantage of this resource at a race and must say it was the best idea of the day! Next, it was time to warm up in some dry clothes and hang out friends as we checked out the results and waited for some others to wrap up their journeys.

On a parting note, I must give a big round of applause for all the great volunteers and spectators (especially the fellow Falcons!) for braving the crappy conditions. It is very much appreciated!

Spring into Motion 5k - Race Report

I had this date marked on my calendar a long time ago to get my season started. The Spring into Motion 5k was a perfect race to get my 2011 events rolling as it was super close (to home) and held on a quick, relatively flat course. I wanted to check my speed and overall run progress before hitting the Mississauga Half Marathon in May and thought this would be a perfect chance to do so.

Listening to the weather reports leading up to race day, I could tell we may be in for some trouble and they were not lying! I woke up early and looked out the window to see snow and hail flying across my window. I took a step outside the door and the cold and gusting wind did not impress me at all. At this point, I actually talked myself out of racing and went back to bed.

Thirty minutes later, my daughter came into the room and woke us up. Now it was sunny out so I went back downstairs to check the temperature and the air was much warmer. With a hour to spare until race time, I quickly got geared up and jumped into the car to make my way up to the event site.

Unfortunately, the nice weather was short lived. When I hopped out of the car it was snowing and windy once again but it was too late to turn back now.

After trying to warm up in the elements, I hit the start line and got ready to give it my best. As they sent us off, I settled in behind Tim Shannon (a local speedster who has won this race the past few years) and hoped to escape some of the wind. Being a little larger than Tim, this did not protect me as much as I planned. After a little more than a kilometre we were running slightly uphill and getting hammered by the wind. We hit the first km marker in 3:23 and I was praying that this early effort into the wind would not hurt too much further down the road.

During the next kilometre, there was a tailwind, going downhill so I was sticking very close to the pace I needed for my goal but Tim was starting to pull away from me. I was running alone by the time we started to hit the twisting stretch in the South Georgetown subdivisions.

As my watched beeped to warn me about pace, I could not find the 3km marker (it had been downed by the wind) so I was running a little blind but was pretty sure I was starting to feel the effects of too much effort at the start of the race.

Coming out of a crescent street, my watch alerted me about the 4th goal split. I looked up ahead and found the 4k sign so, at this point, I knew I was not hitting my targets. With a good gap ahead and behind me I could have just eased in to the finish but I knew I needed a solid, full race effort out of this race to judge my current fitness so I kept the pedal down.

The final portion of the course took me across an icy wooden bridge back to the community centre park. In the park there was an asphalt path for the final 500m or so but most of the last sprint would be into the wind.

Just as I was ready to make my final turn, I could hear the cheers for Mr. Shannon as he wrapped up his race in 16:35. I knew I could not get there in less than 25 seconds (to hit my goal), especially, into this silly wind but I gave it every last drop of energy to finish strong.

Final time ended up being 17:24 for 2nd overall. This is 6 seconds slower than my PB from last year but I know the weather added many seconds to this result and really messed with the game plan Tyler and I discussed.

I have to thank Brad and his Feet in Motion crew for putting on another great event in trying conditions. Brad knows how to keep the athletes happy and his prizes are second to nobody!

Check out the video below to see how windy the start was!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_AMMBMP1LU

Age Grouper Spotlight - Tommy Ferris

Overcoming obstacles is nothing new to my next spotlight guest. Tommy Ferris has battled back from a string of injuries over the past few years to prepare for another season of high level competition against the best age group athletes in Ontario.

I met this highly motivated athlete a few years ago as we jockeyed for position during a few early season duathlons. After he caught my attention, with a very strong effort in the Milton Sprint Du (the first time we were in the same field), we spoke a few times online to discuss training, future races and lots of other duathlon stuff.

We then met up again that summer for the Ontario Duathlon Championships in Gravenhurst. In this race, he showed off his efficient running form to pull off a gutsy pass, finishing one spot ahead of me in 5th Overall. I knew from this late race surge that he had the heart of a winner.

Even though we have only raced head to head in one race since Gravenhurst (due to injuries, my attempt at triathlon, different race schedules, etc.), we have kept in touch and offered up support for one another.

As this Toronto based Graphic Artist prepares for a return to triathlon in 2011, I will be cheering him along, hoping he reaches all his multisport goals!

10 Questions with Tommy Ferris

Q1. What made multisport an attractive recreational outlet for your post graduate years?

- I actually competed in triathlon before starting post secondary ed, so I was hooked on multisport long before I'd finished school. After graduating, I moved to Toronto to start my career. I was broke (my first apartment was a closet. I'm not kidding!) and couldn't afford a gym membership so the only training I did was some running with a few running groups here and there and riding my bike throughout the city. I always wanted to return to multisport and, after a couple of years as a competitive rower, I began competing in duathlons at the end of rowing season. I started with duathlon because it had been years since I'd done any swimming other than jumping in the lake at the cottage. What made multisport so attractive for me, at that point especially, was it was something I could do on my own. Rowing is a team sport and if your crew is one rower short, the entire team is affected. Another attraction with multisport was it's a sport I could take with me anywhere; all I needed was a pair of running shoes or my bike. I had to give up rowing in early 2008 so it was at that point I started training full-time for the duathlon.

Q2. You have had a number of tough injuries over the past few seasons. What motivates you to continue training as hard as you do?

- Yes, injuries have been a huge struggle for me. My 2009 ended early with a stress fracture, 2010 ended early with a torn AC joint as a result of a bike crash, and 2011 started with some fairly debilitating tendinitis in my knee as a result of running too hard in slippery conditions. I feel like I'm constantly walking a fine line... if i push myself too hard and go too far over that line (in an attempt to get faster) I'll hurt myself, and if i stay on this side of the line my run speed won't improve but I'll remain injury-free. In the past, I was a strong runner that struggled on the bike, but because of my injuries things have now done a complete 180. My riding is my strongest discipline and running is my weakest. In fact, I feel it's awful and it's nowhere near where I'd like it to be. What motivates me to keep going is the belief that there's a strong runner inside me trying to come out but keeps getting set back.

Q3. Which race do you believe is your best overall performance? Why do you pick that particular race?

- In terms of athletic performance I'd have to say my race in Welland (2010) was my best so far. My goal heading into that race was to let someone else set the pace on the first run, average more than 40km/h on the bike, and then run a faster time on the second run. All three of those things happened and it felt like the perfect race. However, the performance I'm most proud of would be my race at the Duathlon World Championships in September 2010. I had a good first run (almost setting a 10k PB), made up 12 spots on the first lap of the bike, and was on my way to a top-10 finish... I was having the exact race I'd wanted. On the second lap of the bike I went down hard in a nasty crash. I was traveling more than 60km/h when I wiped out and I thought I was finished. Spectators ran over to help and gathered up all of my things (including the lens that had popped out of my sunglasses!) and called the paramedics. While I was lying on the ground letting my spinning head and nerves settle, I closed my eyes and the letters "DNF" flashed before me in black and white next to my name. I'd worked so hard and traveled so far to be there that I had to try getting up. I ended up finishing the race covered in dirt and blood on my mangled bike, and the fact that I was able to fight through that and cross the line on my own two feet is something I'm quite proud of.

Q4. Who (if you could pick anyone in the world) would you love to have as a coach or mentor for this sport?

- It seems too obvious an answer, but I think Simon Whitfield would make a great mentor. He's an incredible athlete and having him guide me through the ins and outs and ups and downs of the sport would be amazing. There isn't anyone out there I can think of off the top of my head, so if I had the opportunity to pick any coach in the world I'd have to do some research. What I do know is that when I first took an interest in triathlon in the late 1990s, Peter Reid was the first athlete that sparked a flame inside me. I didn't know anything about the sport, and little information was available back then, but I somehow knew he was sponsored by Reebok. I remember going to the Reebok outlet in Cookstown and asking if they had Peter Reid posters for sale, and they were like, "Who's Peter Reid?". I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to be coached by him for sure!

Q5. After a number of successful years as a duathlete, you want to focus on Half Ironman Triathlons this season. What made you want to get back into the water?

- A few reasons. The first was I was feeling ready. It's been more than 10 years. I didn't want to start my swim training from scratch and get back into triathlons until I felt like a strong enough athlete on the bike. Swimming will likely be my weakest event for a long time, but as long as I can come out of the water in a position that isn't dead last, I'm confident enough with my riding that I'll be able to make up some ground and have a solid finish. I race better when I'm chasing people down from behind, and since the ride is the largest portion of any triathlon, I'll have plenty of time to do just that. The second is I've always wanted to race the 70.3 distance. The third is there's nothing like Kona for duathlon. I want to go to Kona someday to race in the Ironman World Championships, and I can't do that as a duathlete.

Q6. What is the one piece of equipment you wish you had in your arsenal?

- Power meter. As I'm transitioning into longer distances, race management will play a huge roll in my success on race day. A power meter is an excellent way to track and manage your power output when riding such long distances.

Q7. It appears the duathlon is losing many of it's competitors to the triathlon. Do you have any ideas that would help improve the duathlon?

- First and foremost, people need to start taking duathlon more seriously. I can't count the number of times people have said to me, "Oh, you only do duathlons." Well, I can tell you that as a duathlete I train just as hard or, in many cases, much harder than most triathletes. Duathlon is very tough. In triathlon your running legs are fresh and ready to go once you're off the bike, but by the time the second run rolls around in a duathlon, your legs are dead. Some series in Ontario are much better than others, but on a grassroots event level, race organizers need to stop treating duathlons like nothing more than a formality. From a big picture perspective, I think duathlon needs an annual event or series of events in North America with a large prize purse and lots of promotion that appeals to the world's top multisport athletes. Such an event would generate a lot of buzz and really get people excited about duathlon at every level.

Q8. Are you able to stick to a healthy diet or do other factors in life make it difficult to eat the way you would like to?

- I have a raw food-focused diet and do my best to always eat as healthy as possible, but just like everyone else I cave into those cravings for fast food every now and then. Life's circumstances make it difficult to always eat the way I'd like to, but I don't stress out about it too much. On the whole my diet is very good, so eating food that isn't so great every now and then won't have much of on impact on things overall.

Q9. You traveled to Scotland last season for the World Duathlon Championships. What was your overall impression of racing at this level?

- My overall impression of racing at that level was that there are truly some incredible athletes out there! I doubt I'll ever race a course as tough as that one in Edinburgh, and the fact that people were able to pull off the times they did still amazes me.

Q10. What is the one thing you hope to accomplish in the next 3 years of triathlon/duathlon?

- Over the next three years I'd like to climb my way up the rankings in my age group and qualify for the 70.3 world championships. In order to do that I'll have to get my injuries under control and really get a handle on my running. That's what I'm focusing on right now.

Please show your support of our local Age Groupers! You can follow Tommy Ferris on http://tommyferrisduathlon.blogspot.com/ as he tackles the Half Ironman world this season.

Egg Nog Jog 2010 - Race Report

Once again I walk away from a recent race not knowing exactly how to feel. I thought the effort was there but the result did not translate. It seemed that way for many, due to weather conditions, but a few made large moves forward over last year's time including second place finisher, Kyle Ferguson, who made a huge jump in position and time over his 2009 posting.

The cold, rainy weather was not what I hoped to see coming off such a beautiful, December Saturday. The wet morning had made for a sloppier course than last year as it was not as cold enough to keep the roads hard. In 2009, we had enough snow before this race to have a packed surface, which was ideal for my spikes. Today was one of those border line days as the asphalt areas were exposed and would have made a mess of my feet if I used a full shoes of spikes.

I ended up settling with three front spikes to save the balls of my feet and my baby toe from rubbing on the spikes when running on the harder areas. This made for decent traction on most of the course but I could have used a little more grip on the icy patches on the top end of the course. I don't think I gave up too much time due to shoe selection.

Onto the race, I had a good jump out of the gate to find lots of space around the first turn, just outside of the Terra Cotta Consevation Area drive way. Last year's winner, Darryl Bank, was also flying off the line and started to set a blistering pace heading down the 1500 metre drop zone. I knew that was beyond my talents so I just tried to hover around my previous year pace. I was hoping to have my Garmin to be able to measure this but for some reason it froze and was stuck on the time I pulled it off the charger. Damn technology!

A little further down the hill, a group of three more runners made their way passed me. In that group was Tim Shannon (a solid 32 minute 10k runner from Georgetown) so I figured they would burn me out so I settled in behind them. I tried to get my stride together by the time we made the bottom of the hill but felt that I was being short and choppy. When we reached the rollers I was not feeling to confident about my speed and knew there were a number of others right on my tail. I could hear their footsteps and hear their breathing.

Coming off the 1.5k of rolling, slushy road, I somehow managed to hold mt spot in the race as my uphill surges were just enough to offset their downhill gains. Our next road was the gravel side road that led to the lung busting hill just after the half way marker. This section was very slow due to the loose footing of mush we had to deal with. I was trying to extend my stride and push my pace higher leading up to the hill and felt things were starting to pay off but once again, I had a strong runner (Kyle Aiken) pass me at the very bottom of the hill and slowly edge away as we trudged up the steep and twisting slope.

I now felt like I was falling back pretty bad, almost going too slow up the hill in an effort to save energy for the home stretch. Shockingly, nobody else pulled past me by the time I reached the summit so I used the short downhill that followed to get back up to speed, hoping to chase down Kyle and maybe one or two others that apeared to be coming back to me. I started to close the gap during the next few kilometres on top of the hill and thought I could kick it down a notch and make even more gains. This was looking good until we got back to the ashpalt roads where the group got moving quickly. I am not sure what my pace was along the final few kilometres but I know I was pushing hard so they must have been busting along at incredible speeds.

My final two km's were very strong and I assumed I was pretty close to my time from last year and moving faster through this section. As I hit the 10k marker, I got a great cheer from the Falcons watching from the side of the road and fed off their energy to plunge down the last winding decline a few hundred metres from the finish line. When I reached the driveway in pretty close to sprint speed I hoped to see a 3X:XX number on the time clock but instead found a 41:XX to my disappointment. I kept the hammer down and finished in 6th spot overall and 41:35 (58 seconds slower than 2009). I missed my goal time by over a minute and a half but don't think I could have run to that time under these conditions.

As I congratulated other runners in the finish area, I tried to figure out where I had given up the most time compared to last year but just cannot come up with an answer.

The great thing about this "home" race is all the familiar faces I bumped into during the course of the event. There were so many FMCT Falcons and Running Maniacs out for the Egg Nog Jog and it was great to hear their stories over some post race snacks. Great Work Folks!

Lastly, the Georgetown Runners put on a great show under tough conditions. The work of their members and volunteers made the day much more enjoyable. Also, I would like to remind everyone to thank Brad Mailloux and his staff at Feet in Motion for their very generous prizes. Please support Georgetown's local running shop and visit  http://www.feetinmotion.ca/ for more info!

Brad (Feet in Motion) presenting my AG Award in 2009