A new theme song for us runners?? Can't really go wrong when Sam Roberts is involved.
I heard this in the car on the way home tonight and it caught me right away.
Do you like?
February 25, 2010
February 19, 2010
I'm Back ... with Team Running Free
Last week I received an email announcing that I had been selected again to participate with Team Running Free. I will be based out of the very handy Milton, Ontario location and look forward to working with Jane and all the other members of our team.
This will be my third year with Running Free. I had some amazing experiences during my first two years in 2007 and 2008 before taking last year off as I did not know which route I would travel and did not feel it was fair to the team to take up a spot.
Thankfully, Jeremy (team manager) found my past work valuable and he and Jane welcomed me back on the team for 2010. When I first started with Team Running Free, it was strictly a one store operation in Markham that sponsored 75 athletes from various sports reflecting the retail build of the store. Now there will be five stores with double the athletes supported through their very unique sponsorship program.
For local, passionate athletes that may not have the marketing pull of most of the pros, this programs allows us to afford many elements of our training (gear, nutrition, shoes, etc) that we usually would break our budgets on. Because of all the training we put in at the pool, the gym or on the roads, we tend to go through these products pretty quickly and it helps to have a great support system such as Team Running Free.
Click below to find out more about the team and our amazing sponsors and product suppliers!
http://www.teamrunningfree.com/
This will be my third year with Running Free. I had some amazing experiences during my first two years in 2007 and 2008 before taking last year off as I did not know which route I would travel and did not feel it was fair to the team to take up a spot.
Thankfully, Jeremy (team manager) found my past work valuable and he and Jane welcomed me back on the team for 2010. When I first started with Team Running Free, it was strictly a one store operation in Markham that sponsored 75 athletes from various sports reflecting the retail build of the store. Now there will be five stores with double the athletes supported through their very unique sponsorship program.
For local, passionate athletes that may not have the marketing pull of most of the pros, this programs allows us to afford many elements of our training (gear, nutrition, shoes, etc) that we usually would break our budgets on. Because of all the training we put in at the pool, the gym or on the roads, we tend to go through these products pretty quickly and it helps to have a great support system such as Team Running Free.
Click below to find out more about the team and our amazing sponsors and product suppliers!
http://www.teamrunningfree.com/
February 18, 2010
Great New Song from Alexisonfire!
I really like Alexisonfire (another great Canadian band) and crank the radio every time they get airplay. Although, I do also own all their cd's so I am not just stuck to their singles. The band is getting a little more main stream with Dallas taking over most vocals but I still like the screaming mix. Not for everyone that is for sure. Just ask my better half. HAHA
The Northern
The Northern
February 17, 2010
Why is Brunt Stealing my Blog?? HAHAHA
A couple days after my blog (one article below this) was posted Mr Brunt wrote a similar message. I guess I am not the only person writing a little on the negative side of the column these days. What he references from media around the globe is not the picture we were hoping to paint.
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centre/newsid=43691.html?cid=rssrsn
BTW - a few more days have passed and the games are not getting any better. The athletes are pouring their hearts out so it must be tough when everything around you is going wrong. I cannot believe how may errors, system glitches, officiating blunders, etc. are coming up at these games. I have never seen so many mistakes in top level, "organized" sport.
Go Canada Go!
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centre/newsid=43691.html?cid=rssrsn
BTW - a few more days have passed and the games are not getting any better. The athletes are pouring their hearts out so it must be tough when everything around you is going wrong. I cannot believe how may errors, system glitches, officiating blunders, etc. are coming up at these games. I have never seen so many mistakes in top level, "organized" sport.
Go Canada Go!
February 14, 2010
The Olympics So Far...Thank goodness there is time to improve!
I am going to be totally open and write exactly what I think so far as I spend my weekend hoping things get better in Vancouver and area. I have been watching a lot of the coverage and the experience viewed from a far has been very poor. I hate to admit this, as I am super patriotic, but sometime we have to be brutally honest. I can't imagine that we have looked very good from the eyes of the rest of the world.
From the very boring opening ceremonies (only reason I kept watching was to see who would light the flame), terrible weather, tragedy on the luge course, broken ice surfacing machines for speed skating, the bad lip synching of the big musical guests at the ceremonies, the mechanical delay in lighting the indoor cauldron, the embarrassing ride of shame to get to the outdoor cauldron on the back of a pick up in the rain (Poor Gretz!), the idiot activists in Vancouver, the 18-0 womens hockey score, it has just been tough to say the games have been going as planned. I am sure there is more but this is just off the top of my head as I take a moment to blog.
Thankfully, our amazing athletes have performed well and keep me going back to watch more. I can only imagine the stress they are under and so far they have been trying their hearts out to perform to their bests. I know there is so much emphasis on medals but when you are putting in your top result against this level of competition, you have to feel they have done all they could to proudly represent themselves, their families and the country!
Let's cross our fingers for some better luck for the Olympics.
Larry
From the very boring opening ceremonies (only reason I kept watching was to see who would light the flame), terrible weather, tragedy on the luge course, broken ice surfacing machines for speed skating, the bad lip synching of the big musical guests at the ceremonies, the mechanical delay in lighting the indoor cauldron, the embarrassing ride of shame to get to the outdoor cauldron on the back of a pick up in the rain (Poor Gretz!), the idiot activists in Vancouver, the 18-0 womens hockey score, it has just been tough to say the games have been going as planned. I am sure there is more but this is just off the top of my head as I take a moment to blog.
Thankfully, our amazing athletes have performed well and keep me going back to watch more. I can only imagine the stress they are under and so far they have been trying their hearts out to perform to their bests. I know there is so much emphasis on medals but when you are putting in your top result against this level of competition, you have to feel they have done all they could to proudly represent themselves, their families and the country!
Let's cross our fingers for some better luck for the Olympics.
Larry
February 11, 2010
Gear Review - Sable WaterOptics 101MT
As a rookie swimmer, it is very important for me to have accessories that work properly so that I don’t have to worry about anything other than learning my stroke. When I first started my swimming journey in August 2009, I picked up a cheap pair of goggles from a big box retailer due to the convenience of its location. I knew I needed to start in the pool (I had just signed up for a triathlon that was less than a month away) as soon as possible to adjust from my duathlon ways and prepare for a 650m swim.
With the lower end eye wear, I struggled to find a rhythm in the pool as I was always stopping to adjust, tighten or dump water. I would fog up often and felt as though I was swimming blind through the tight lanes during busy lunch time length swims. I actually ran into two people during this period of darkness while trying to pass slower swimmers. Not cool!
When it came time to race, I actually became so frustrated with my goggles that I pulled them down around my neck and swam without anything over my eyes for 400 metres of the swim leg. I had a horrible time sighting in the small lake and was all over the course. I could not see the people in front of me and was very worried about being hit the entire time I was in the water. Thankfully, those days are over!
Knowing that I had ventured into the water, Syd Trefiak (my triathlon guru), offered up a pair of his Sable WaterOptics 101MT for my use. When I received the package in the mail, I immediately opened the protective carrying case and tried them on just to see what all the buzz was about. At first, the lenses were a little too close together but that was a quick fix thanks to all the adjustable nose pieces that Sable offers with this model. I quickly selected the one that fit best on my face and was amazed by the clarity of the vision. Next step, get them in the water…
That afternoon, I took my new goggles over to the pool to break them in. Right away I could see why so many top athletes are using these goggles. I could see everything in the water so much clearly and with a much larger peripheral scan than before. I started to take my first laps with my new gear and my confidence in the water grew exponentially in seconds. I could see all my fellow swimmers and now had the security in the water as I was no longer afraid that I was going to run into something or someone. After a few laps of my warm up, I noticed the other great thing, no fogging up on the lenses. Usually, when I stopped in the past, I would have to lift my eye wear to get rid of the painful pulling around my eyes and to wash them out to remove the condensation - but not on this day. I left my eye gear on while grabbing a quick break before getting back to business.
The comfort, clarity and confidence these goggles provide has definitely enhanced my swim training experience. It is one less thing I worry about when I visit the water and now all I focus on is my form and the targets ahead of me in the pool. I am extremely thankful that these Sable WaterOptics were recommended to me!
LARRY BRADLEY
With the lower end eye wear, I struggled to find a rhythm in the pool as I was always stopping to adjust, tighten or dump water. I would fog up often and felt as though I was swimming blind through the tight lanes during busy lunch time length swims. I actually ran into two people during this period of darkness while trying to pass slower swimmers. Not cool!
When it came time to race, I actually became so frustrated with my goggles that I pulled them down around my neck and swam without anything over my eyes for 400 metres of the swim leg. I had a horrible time sighting in the small lake and was all over the course. I could not see the people in front of me and was very worried about being hit the entire time I was in the water. Thankfully, those days are over!
Knowing that I had ventured into the water, Syd Trefiak (my triathlon guru), offered up a pair of his Sable WaterOptics 101MT for my use. When I received the package in the mail, I immediately opened the protective carrying case and tried them on just to see what all the buzz was about. At first, the lenses were a little too close together but that was a quick fix thanks to all the adjustable nose pieces that Sable offers with this model. I quickly selected the one that fit best on my face and was amazed by the clarity of the vision. Next step, get them in the water…
That afternoon, I took my new goggles over to the pool to break them in. Right away I could see why so many top athletes are using these goggles. I could see everything in the water so much clearly and with a much larger peripheral scan than before. I started to take my first laps with my new gear and my confidence in the water grew exponentially in seconds. I could see all my fellow swimmers and now had the security in the water as I was no longer afraid that I was going to run into something or someone. After a few laps of my warm up, I noticed the other great thing, no fogging up on the lenses. Usually, when I stopped in the past, I would have to lift my eye wear to get rid of the painful pulling around my eyes and to wash them out to remove the condensation - but not on this day. I left my eye gear on while grabbing a quick break before getting back to business.
The comfort, clarity and confidence these goggles provide has definitely enhanced my swim training experience. It is one less thing I worry about when I visit the water and now all I focus on is my form and the targets ahead of me in the pool. I am extremely thankful that these Sable WaterOptics were recommended to me!
LARRY BRADLEY
February 4, 2010
An Early February Update
Well, nothing too exciting happening in the cool, winter months this off-season around Mississauga. Work has been much busier of late so I have dedicated much more effort there. Also, my better half has been swamped with her job so I have tried to give her more time to concentrate on her work. Add hockey duties to the weekends and some longer training usually saved for Saturdays and Sundays has suffered but that is the balance act required when you are doing triathlon for the love of sport.
To keep things positive, since most aspects of my life are in that state these days, I thought I would quickly post a little list of my recent happenings...
- finally had a nice enough day to take my daughter skating (not too cold but cool enough to have ice outside).
- I have finally cut my diet cola intake in half. I used to drink the stuff exclusively. Added water and some tea (no additives) to the mix.
- I had some nice feedback from my swim coach last week. It is slowly coming but makes a lot more sense these days. I know what I want to do in the pool so it is just a matter of getting the body to do it.
- Syd Trefiak hooked me up with a great pair of Sable goggles which has improved my experiences at the pool. Thanks Syd!
- I have officially hit another level in my running. I looked at my training stats from last year at this time and I am consistently running the same effort around 30 to 40 seconds/km quicker in training. I am confident that I can go faster!
- We are only 52 days (or so) away from the Around the Bay 30k road race. Time to switch over from base training and start to get a little more specific for this distance if I want to go under 2 hours. Was 2:05 last year but a touch heavier and was concentrating on my marathon class.
- I will move into the second season of the 35 to 39 Age Group this week. Still in the lower half of this AG. HAHA
- With the help of my friends and teammates (FMCT), I am starting to enjoy the sport more for the social aspects and not just the competition. I will still try to do my best in each race (you still need to try in the event when you pay as much as we do to race) but missing a training element, or day, is not the end of the world.
- I have read some really good blogs of late so thank you to the others writing great pieces for me to read.
- I have had some amazing chats with some of the guys in the hockey industry about cycling. They even brought me back a wicked tee shirt from Lance's bike shop while they were between games in Texas.
- Using the weights in a smarter fashion this year and not putting on too much extra weight that I carried last spring into the season. I may have been a lot stronger (able to lift and push more pounds) but I was too bulky and heavy. Last year was my first time in the gym to train for multisports and I was watching the other guys and trying to do more than them.
-Just trying to improve one day at a time...I still have 40 more years of this sport to perfect it.
Keep in touch!
Larry
To keep things positive, since most aspects of my life are in that state these days, I thought I would quickly post a little list of my recent happenings...
- finally had a nice enough day to take my daughter skating (not too cold but cool enough to have ice outside).
- I have finally cut my diet cola intake in half. I used to drink the stuff exclusively. Added water and some tea (no additives) to the mix.
- I had some nice feedback from my swim coach last week. It is slowly coming but makes a lot more sense these days. I know what I want to do in the pool so it is just a matter of getting the body to do it.
- Syd Trefiak hooked me up with a great pair of Sable goggles which has improved my experiences at the pool. Thanks Syd!
- I have officially hit another level in my running. I looked at my training stats from last year at this time and I am consistently running the same effort around 30 to 40 seconds/km quicker in training. I am confident that I can go faster!
- We are only 52 days (or so) away from the Around the Bay 30k road race. Time to switch over from base training and start to get a little more specific for this distance if I want to go under 2 hours. Was 2:05 last year but a touch heavier and was concentrating on my marathon class.
- I will move into the second season of the 35 to 39 Age Group this week. Still in the lower half of this AG. HAHA
- With the help of my friends and teammates (FMCT), I am starting to enjoy the sport more for the social aspects and not just the competition. I will still try to do my best in each race (you still need to try in the event when you pay as much as we do to race) but missing a training element, or day, is not the end of the world.
- I have read some really good blogs of late so thank you to the others writing great pieces for me to read.
- I have had some amazing chats with some of the guys in the hockey industry about cycling. They even brought me back a wicked tee shirt from Lance's bike shop while they were between games in Texas.
- Using the weights in a smarter fashion this year and not putting on too much extra weight that I carried last spring into the season. I may have been a lot stronger (able to lift and push more pounds) but I was too bulky and heavy. Last year was my first time in the gym to train for multisports and I was watching the other guys and trying to do more than them.
-Just trying to improve one day at a time...I still have 40 more years of this sport to perfect it.
Keep in touch!
Larry
January 28, 2010
Look Out - Fat (me) Triathlete coming through....
My co-workers are having a "Biggest Loser" contest and they are going by Body Fat % loss as the main factor. I didn't think I needed another competition at this time so I stayed out but I did an initial weigh in just for Sh%&s and giggles.
To my surprise my Body Fat % is at the very high end of the healthy range of things for the 31 to 50 age group. How can this be? Obviously, the folks putting this guidleline in place are leading people to very unhealthy ideals.
If a 35 year old guy that does pretty well in his AG at races, trains 15 to 20 hours a week (at pretty high intensity) and eats a lot better than most of the population is just barely meeting the body fat target what does this mean?
Check out the charts-
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/bodyfatpercentage.html
Also, if you look up the male triathlete range, I am way above the 5% to 12% bar so I guess all the triathletes they measured were pros cause I happily see all shapes and sizes out there at our local events.
Even on the Health Canada site, my Body Mass Index is only a fraction of a number off being overweight?
I think it is time they re-viewed these numbers and made them a little more realistic before they drive people to very unhealthy lifestyles.
To my surprise my Body Fat % is at the very high end of the healthy range of things for the 31 to 50 age group. How can this be? Obviously, the folks putting this guidleline in place are leading people to very unhealthy ideals.
If a 35 year old guy that does pretty well in his AG at races, trains 15 to 20 hours a week (at pretty high intensity) and eats a lot better than most of the population is just barely meeting the body fat target what does this mean?
Check out the charts-
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/bodyfatpercentage.html
Also, if you look up the male triathlete range, I am way above the 5% to 12% bar so I guess all the triathletes they measured were pros cause I happily see all shapes and sizes out there at our local events.
Even on the Health Canada site, my Body Mass Index is only a fraction of a number off being overweight?
I think it is time they re-viewed these numbers and made them a little more realistic before they drive people to very unhealthy lifestyles.
January 25, 2010
Good Night Conan! Vroom Vroom Party Starter.
January 22, 2010
Always looking for more readers...
I love all the comments the readers of my blog leave. Luckily, I have several positive people that stop by and add their opinions to my thoughts or ideas.
If you have a couple of extra seconds, I would be honoured if you could add my site to your blog roll or web links!
If you would like to leave your name or site , please do so and I will add you to the amazing collection of blogs I follow daily.
To those that have already added me, I really do appreciate the promo so thank you very much!
Happy training!
Larry
If you have a couple of extra seconds, I would be honoured if you could add my site to your blog roll or web links!
If you would like to leave your name or site , please do so and I will add you to the amazing collection of blogs I follow daily.
To those that have already added me, I really do appreciate the promo so thank you very much!
Happy training!
Larry
Comment From Stuart
Since comments are not always viewable on the main page I thought I would bring Stuart's comment out to the front page...
Not really related to your OP - but just saw this on the TriSport website - a "pay-what-you-can" group training run Jan 30 to support long-term projects in Haiti
http://www.whatsup.ca/news10/01-19-10_road2hope_enews.html
Looks like a good way to support a great on-going cause - & will also be motivating to be with a group of runners for the first time this winter
Stuart
Not really related to your OP - but just saw this on the TriSport website - a "pay-what-you-can" group training run Jan 30 to support long-term projects in Haiti
http://www.whatsup.ca/news10/01-19-10_road2hope_enews.html
Looks like a good way to support a great on-going cause - & will also be motivating to be with a group of runners for the first time this winter
Stuart
January 20, 2010
ATTENTION ALL DUATHLETES!!
I just received word that a 2010 National Championship for Duathlon is not in the works this season in Canada. This is not 100%, but pretty darn reliable info, as it appears that Triathlon Canada cannot get a host for the event so we will not see this championship for a second straight year.
My source mentioned that the races to qualify for the 2011 Worlds in Gijon, Spain will be announced "in the near future" so keep your eyes peeled for this announcement.
My source mentioned that the races to qualify for the 2011 Worlds in Gijon, Spain will be announced "in the near future" so keep your eyes peeled for this announcement.
January 19, 2010
2010 Ontario Duathlon Championships???
OK - I know some of you folks are in the know (wink, wink) so I am posting this question.
When and where will the 2010 Ontario Du Championships take place?
I find it very ridiculous that this event has not been posted to date. I am sure there are triathlon dates not posted as well but I have not looked (I am not ready for that competition, yet).
How hard is it to plan ahead and have this set up, or at least keep the website current (it is 2010 after all). Surely, many of the OAT folks realize that serious athletes start building their calendars before the new year and plan out their year based on the Subaru, Somersault, HSBC, etc. schedules.
I actually posed the question to OAT in very early December and was told that it would be announced soon. Well, "soon" has passed and I have not seen a posting on the OAT website or the HSBC website (rumour was that they have the place and date due to a two year agreement with OAT and this is the second year)
Wonder why some top athletes don't show up for these events? Probably because they already set their schedule and cannot switch it up to make them fit. I recently registered for an Ironman 70.3 event so that will be a focus for several weeks around the date of that event. My luck will be that the Ont. Championship will fall in that time period and I will not be able to compete but if I waited any longer I would have been out of luck as the Ironman events fill very early (in most cases).
I know I am never going to be a popular person with our governing bodies but the athletes need a voice and deserve value for the money they pay for these memberships.
Thank you,
Larry Bradley
When and where will the 2010 Ontario Du Championships take place?
I find it very ridiculous that this event has not been posted to date. I am sure there are triathlon dates not posted as well but I have not looked (I am not ready for that competition, yet).
How hard is it to plan ahead and have this set up, or at least keep the website current (it is 2010 after all). Surely, many of the OAT folks realize that serious athletes start building their calendars before the new year and plan out their year based on the Subaru, Somersault, HSBC, etc. schedules.
I actually posed the question to OAT in very early December and was told that it would be announced soon. Well, "soon" has passed and I have not seen a posting on the OAT website or the HSBC website (rumour was that they have the place and date due to a two year agreement with OAT and this is the second year)
Wonder why some top athletes don't show up for these events? Probably because they already set their schedule and cannot switch it up to make them fit. I recently registered for an Ironman 70.3 event so that will be a focus for several weeks around the date of that event. My luck will be that the Ont. Championship will fall in that time period and I will not be able to compete but if I waited any longer I would have been out of luck as the Ironman events fill very early (in most cases).
I know I am never going to be a popular person with our governing bodies but the athletes need a voice and deserve value for the money they pay for these memberships.
Thank you,
Larry Bradley
January 18, 2010
Building it up brick by brick.
Lately, it has been tough to slide in two workouts per day due to a number of things going on right now. Nothing bad, just a lot of real work and family stuff that needs to be priority.
That being said, I have gone back to a recommendation from a brief conversation I had with a very highly ranked Ironman. I asked him what should I really focus on to run better off the bike.
He said that I needed to lay down more than just one brick workout per week, if I wanted to be a solid runner off the bike. He also mentioned that even a 5 to 10 minute race pace run right after a cycling session can be helpful so it doesn't always need to be a full run in the brick. This can be a long enough effort to get the legs use to coming off the bike in a tri of du situation.
To get some workouts in from all three sporting elements the last week, I have had to go back to this philosophy and put in a few more bricks than usual as the night seems to be the only available training time. This is not a bad thing as I really enjoy the brick workout. I was not riding the bike as much as I should have been due to the running races and the weather in December so it is good to find the motivation to ride, even on the trainer. Now I just have to increase the attention span to go past that 1 hour ride barrier.
As for the runs off the bike, they have been the best runs after a bike session since I started multisport training. I usually put down a 10k run after the bike workout and they have been very strong with decent form (I have never been a pretty runner to watch) so I am very happy with the progress since the fall when I seemed to have found the next gear. Luckily, there are many more gears to find so I just need to keep up the running and wait for the track sessions to begin.
Hope everyone else is enjoying the start to 2010!
Talk soon,
Larry
That being said, I have gone back to a recommendation from a brief conversation I had with a very highly ranked Ironman. I asked him what should I really focus on to run better off the bike.
He said that I needed to lay down more than just one brick workout per week, if I wanted to be a solid runner off the bike. He also mentioned that even a 5 to 10 minute race pace run right after a cycling session can be helpful so it doesn't always need to be a full run in the brick. This can be a long enough effort to get the legs use to coming off the bike in a tri of du situation.
To get some workouts in from all three sporting elements the last week, I have had to go back to this philosophy and put in a few more bricks than usual as the night seems to be the only available training time. This is not a bad thing as I really enjoy the brick workout. I was not riding the bike as much as I should have been due to the running races and the weather in December so it is good to find the motivation to ride, even on the trainer. Now I just have to increase the attention span to go past that 1 hour ride barrier.
As for the runs off the bike, they have been the best runs after a bike session since I started multisport training. I usually put down a 10k run after the bike workout and they have been very strong with decent form (I have never been a pretty runner to watch) so I am very happy with the progress since the fall when I seemed to have found the next gear. Luckily, there are many more gears to find so I just need to keep up the running and wait for the track sessions to begin.
Hope everyone else is enjoying the start to 2010!
Talk soon,
Larry
January 11, 2010
Working out of Calgary for a few days...
Work has sent me off to Calgary for a few days so I am trying to make use of the facilities here at the hotel. Thankfully, the weather is a lot warmer out here than back in Mississauga so I should be able to run confortably outside a few times.
For the indoor workouts, the gym is not too bad and pretty much what you expect to get in most places these days but the pool was a disappointment as it is set up more for families. It has a big winding slide and a splash pad. The pool is not too big and it is very oddly shaped so not useful for completing any laps. Booo.
I do need to get some real work done while I am in town so I guess the swimming will have to wait until I geet back to the GTA.
Take care,
Larry
For the indoor workouts, the gym is not too bad and pretty much what you expect to get in most places these days but the pool was a disappointment as it is set up more for families. It has a big winding slide and a splash pad. The pool is not too big and it is very oddly shaped so not useful for completing any laps. Booo.
I do need to get some real work done while I am in town so I guess the swimming will have to wait until I geet back to the GTA.
Take care,
Larry
January 8, 2010
Swim Update
The one question I get more than any other these days is, "How is the swimming coming along?"
Well, to be totally honest, it has been a lot tougher than expected. Sure I can now swim for longer periods of time which is pretty neat as I was barely making it through 25m of freestyle in Aug/Sep 2009. I am now confident enough to make it through an Olympic distance swim without having to pull out the breast stroke. The problem is that swimming is so technical and I am wasting so much energy trying to go at an average pace.
Last night, I had a poor practice due to a lack of energy (the 30 minute tempo run that ended 4 minutes before the swim did not help, bad idea) and dehydration so I ended up exiting the water a little early to avoid being sick. The one good thing that came from this was that I was able to watch a few of the better swimmers with Hans and we picked out key elements in their stroke that I should work towards.
Coach Hans has been very good at pointing out a lot of my flaws and I really appreciate all the suggestions and tips he gives me at our Thursday night swims. Now I really need to get these pointers to work in my stroke. It is going to take time as there are so many areas of concentration for me to improve on and you can only do so many things in one session.
The good thing is that I know I can do it as my starting point was so aweful and I have managed to get to my current comfort level in the water, which is a minor win to me. I am going to stay positive and continue to work towards my secret goals in the water. Milton will be my first test in 2010 and I do not want to be one of the last athletes pulling into transition for my Age Group.
If I use my run and cycling work ethic, anything is within my reach.
Talk soon,
Larry
Well, to be totally honest, it has been a lot tougher than expected. Sure I can now swim for longer periods of time which is pretty neat as I was barely making it through 25m of freestyle in Aug/Sep 2009. I am now confident enough to make it through an Olympic distance swim without having to pull out the breast stroke. The problem is that swimming is so technical and I am wasting so much energy trying to go at an average pace.
Last night, I had a poor practice due to a lack of energy (the 30 minute tempo run that ended 4 minutes before the swim did not help, bad idea) and dehydration so I ended up exiting the water a little early to avoid being sick. The one good thing that came from this was that I was able to watch a few of the better swimmers with Hans and we picked out key elements in their stroke that I should work towards.
Coach Hans has been very good at pointing out a lot of my flaws and I really appreciate all the suggestions and tips he gives me at our Thursday night swims. Now I really need to get these pointers to work in my stroke. It is going to take time as there are so many areas of concentration for me to improve on and you can only do so many things in one session.
The good thing is that I know I can do it as my starting point was so aweful and I have managed to get to my current comfort level in the water, which is a minor win to me. I am going to stay positive and continue to work towards my secret goals in the water. Milton will be my first test in 2010 and I do not want to be one of the last athletes pulling into transition for my Age Group.
If I use my run and cycling work ethic, anything is within my reach.
Talk soon,
Larry
January 3, 2010
2010 is Now!
It's January in Mississauga and it is darn cold. Add the winds we have experienced of late, and it is even worse. The last three nights of running have required several layers and even two toques the other night.
It was to the point where I considered running with the wind and taking a bus back home after my run to avoid training head on into the blustering chill out of the north. After thinking through the plan, I figured that was cheating (plus I am too cheap to waste money on bus fare) so I did not go along with the devil on my shoulder. I know that this is character building time so I sure hope it pays off come the spring.
On a resolution note for the new year, I stayed away from banning my mouth from treats as I knew that would be very short lived. Instead, I have set my goal in 2010 to becoming a morning trainer. This will be a tough change from all the late night hours I put in on the roads but will give me some better options when the mornings become brighter. It is also a piece of mind thing with my family as they think training at night is a little risky.
From past experiments with running in the AM, I have lacked the energy to reach my usual training paces. I tried to change that by eating and than running but that led to cramps. Anyone have any suggestions to get me up to my regular energy outputs in the morning? On the bike, I am able to consume before or during the workout without the same issues so I am not too worried about losing any intensity for this part of my training.
Other than that, it has been great to spend a lot of time with my family over the past few weeks. The usual colds and other little illnesses have kept us inside most of the holidays but we have had a lot of fun playing with all the cool new toys Santa placed under the tree. Mini hockey is my favourite and it sure beats the make shift doorways I used to use as nets when I was a wee lad.
I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!
Larry
It was to the point where I considered running with the wind and taking a bus back home after my run to avoid training head on into the blustering chill out of the north. After thinking through the plan, I figured that was cheating (plus I am too cheap to waste money on bus fare) so I did not go along with the devil on my shoulder. I know that this is character building time so I sure hope it pays off come the spring.
On a resolution note for the new year, I stayed away from banning my mouth from treats as I knew that would be very short lived. Instead, I have set my goal in 2010 to becoming a morning trainer. This will be a tough change from all the late night hours I put in on the roads but will give me some better options when the mornings become brighter. It is also a piece of mind thing with my family as they think training at night is a little risky.
From past experiments with running in the AM, I have lacked the energy to reach my usual training paces. I tried to change that by eating and than running but that led to cramps. Anyone have any suggestions to get me up to my regular energy outputs in the morning? On the bike, I am able to consume before or during the workout without the same issues so I am not too worried about losing any intensity for this part of my training.
Other than that, it has been great to spend a lot of time with my family over the past few weeks. The usual colds and other little illnesses have kept us inside most of the holidays but we have had a lot of fun playing with all the cool new toys Santa placed under the tree. Mini hockey is my favourite and it sure beats the make shift doorways I used to use as nets when I was a wee lad.
I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!
Larry
December 29, 2009
2010 Timberman 70.3 Confirmation
I usually have a tough time getting signed up this early for an event so I was pretty happy that they were still accepting registration. I am sure a bunch of folks will make their New Year's resolution to do Ironman races so who knows what next week will bring for availability.
Currently, we have over 15 members from our tri club making the trip across to Gilford, New Hampshire so it should be a great time. I know I will set some very high goals for my first Ironman performance so I look forward to the training efforts to come.
Now that I feel like I am over that holiday speed bump (a solid run and swim over the past day) it is time to get a little more serious this season. Not so much training wise but diet wise. I would really like to drop a little more weight for my races in 2010 and know my appetite for treats was a major stumbling block. Hopefully, I can use the discipline I see in others (higher level, elite athletes) to keep myself out of the snack cupboard at home.
Write soon,
Larry
December 24, 2009
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Lots of stuff left to do and it is hitting midnight here. More stuff to place under the tree, more treats to eat, more cleaning up for the big day tomorrow.
Just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season.
Take care!
Larry
Just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season.
Take care!
Larry
December 22, 2009
Blasts from the Past - Canadian Duathlon Championships
Always on a quest to learn more about the sport I love, I took some time today to look back on some stats and even went deeper into the archives than before. It is really neat to see some of the familiar names (friends, co-competitors, pros, etc.) participating before my days of duathlon. I hooked up the links to the Age Group results for the years I could find (so far...) but if you want to see more (U23, Pro, etc.), I am sure you can follow the path names from the links to get all the awesome results from those years.
Enjoy!!!
Canadian Duathlon Championships
2009 – Cancelled
2008 – Montreal, QC
( http://sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44032 )
2007 – Parry Sound, ON
( http://team.swyft.ca/ID%20Male%20final.txt )
2006 – Hamilton, ON
( http://www.chiptimeresults.com/resultsreader.php?y=2006&r=mshamiltonDu.htm )
2005 – Ottawa, ON
( http://www.sportstats.ca/res2005/riverkd.htm )
2004 – Quebec City, QC
( http://www.sportstats.ca/res2004/duqca.htm )
2003 – Calgary, AB
2002 – Calgary, AB
2001 – St.Albert, AB
2000 – Kananaskis Village, AB
Enjoy!!!
Canadian Duathlon Championships
2009 – Cancelled
2008 – Montreal, QC
( http://sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44032 )
2007 – Parry Sound, ON
( http://team.swyft.ca/ID%20Male%20final.txt )
2006 – Hamilton, ON
( http://www.chiptimeresults.com/resultsreader.php?y=2006&r=mshamiltonDu.htm )
2005 – Ottawa, ON
( http://www.sportstats.ca/res2005/riverkd.htm )
2004 – Quebec City, QC
( http://www.sportstats.ca/res2004/duqca.htm )
2003 – Calgary, AB
2002 – Calgary, AB
2001 – St.Albert, AB
2000 – Kananaskis Village, AB
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