Sponsor Announcement - 3SIXTY5 Cycling

Great news leading into the 2013 race season! Chris and Mark from www.3sixty5cycling.com were generous enough to throw their support behind me and have set me up with some awesome carbon wheels.

I made some time this morning to slap on the rubber and mount them onto my road bike for the first time. I elected to go with the C50M set to add some aero profile to my ride. 3SIXTY5 Cycling also offers a number of other excellent options (C38M, C88M, etc.) so please contact them (3sixty5cycling@gmail.com) if you are looking for some great carbon wheels or accessories at incredible prices.

 About 3SIXTY5 Cycling

 

 

3SIXTY5 Cycling bicycle parts are made by a group of companies in Taiwan and China who are major Original Equipment Manufacturers of carbon bike components and sports equipment. These are the same manufacturers that produce some of the most high-end products for many well-known brand names. We are a Canadian company selling direct to customers worldwide.

So why are our prices so good? Because we sell direct and we don't incur huge costs in brand building campaigns. Our typical customer is a cycling enthusiast with good knowledge of bike riding and technology, knows a good product when they see one, and found out about us through research or from their cycling network. By minimizing our cost of product promotion to a wider market audience, we aim to make the best cycling technology affordable to people who will truly enjoy it.

We believe that carbon composites make the most amazing bikes. Our products are designed for their high performance, strength, durability and good looks. Now everyone can afford them. All products come with a satisfaction guarantee and are warranted against defects in workmanship.

Let us help you ride 3SIXTY5 days a year...

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For more information, please check out their facebook page.

 https://www.facebook.com/#!/3sixty5Cycling

Spring into Motion 5k - Race Report

One of the early season races I love participating in is the Spring into Motion 5k held at the Gellert Community Centre in Georgetown. It is very close to home and hosted by Brad Mailloux and his Feet in Motion (local running store www.feetinmotion.ca ) crew.

This year we were welcomed by a warm morning considering the cold weather we had been blasted by this spring. Finally seeing the sun in the sky made it much more fun to get outside and enjoy a quick tour of the neighbourhood.

Feet in Motion does a great job in the community getting the youth of Georgetown active, which shows in the range of ages in the racers at this event. Having many of the local high school runners out, I was not sure how fast the younger gentlemen would travel across the 5k course but I then noticed a multiple champion of the race, Tim Shannon, warming up so I knew I would have one pacer out there for sure.

After a good warm up we were directed over to a new starting location which added about 120 extra metres to the route. I guess Brad must have re-measured the track and wanted to offer a true 5k for our stats. This was fine with me as I would like to challenge the sub 17min 5k on a correct course instead of pulling off the feat on a short loop.

When everyone had settled at the new line, the timer gave us our count down and we were off along the narrow park trail that led us out to the running path along 8th Line at the southwest corner of town. As usual, a large group of young guns went out very hard but I did not get distracted and kept Tim in sight as I knew he would be the one to beat on this day.

The stretch to 8th line was just over 200 metres where Tim and I took the lead as the younger legs started to burn out already so it was just the two of us out front heading north, up a slope and into a strong breeze. This is about a thousand metre section of the course where I stayed tucked in behind Tim as he broke the wind so I could save a little energy. I remember two years ago running shoulder to shoulder with him on the path as we both tackled the wind. As soon as we turned left into the sub-division he showed off his impressive speed and left me in the dust.

This year, I learned from that mistake and tried to save my inferior speed to see how long I could hang on to his heals. To my surprise, we made the turn together and I was not blasted off so I held onto his shoes as we received some tail wind support back down the slope in the nice neighbourhood of large homes.

Hanging on longer and longer, I started to get some confidence that this was going to be the race that I finally hammered that 17minute barrier so I pushed as hard as possible to not allow a gap each time it seemed a space was opening up between us. Eventually, he started to put in some distance and just before the 3k marker, he was showing his strength so I knew second place would be where I would settle but I thought I would still have a shot at my ultimate goal so I did not let off my accelerator.

At the 3k marker I was at 10:10 and a few seconds ahead of my pace at the Good Friday 5k so it was promising for sure. I kept up the intensity but as is my usual energy drain at this point of these 5k races showed up and I fought to minimize the damage I was doing to my chances. Tim was not too far up the road so I was starting to get mixed signals as to how I would end up. I estimated that I was around 20 seconds down on him and he had run 16:13, 16:32 and 16:08 in the past three years on this course. I figured if I kept that gap and he came in around 16:40, I would be in a sprint for my goal.

We soon looped through a few side streets before making our way back into the park across a community bridge. There was only around 500 metres left but I must have suffered too much in the  last kilometre or so as my watch was not showing a good reading. In the end, I miss my goal by 30 seconds but only 17 seconds behind the winning time. I guess the wind and extra portion of the course had some effect on Tim as well as he was over a minute off his amazing run of 2012.

Thinking back on the race, I was not upset as I put in a very good effort and was closer to a win than my previous few years. As always, I was impressed by the community support of this small town race and the amazing volunteers and organizers that made it such a great morning of running for everyone! It is also nice to be home in a few minutes to enjoy a full day of the weekend.

  Happy Training,
Larry
www.3sixty5cycling.com
www.endlessendurance.com

Good Friday Road race 5k - Race Report

GOOD FRIDAY ROAD RACE 5K - RACE REPORT

Being away from the race scene since my bike crash last August, I was both nervous and anxious to finally make a commitment to get on a starting line. I have felt ready since the start of 2013 but nothing has worked in my calendar up until now so I knew I needed to get back on the horse.

Even knowing I was going to be a little rusty going into this first event, I still wanted to push for that elusive sub 17min result at this distance. Mentally, I prepared for an all or nothing approach and bought into pushing as hard as possible knowing my training was leading me in that direction.

When I arrived at the race location early Good Friday morning, I realized that my work was going to be cut out for me as the course was not exactly flat and fast in nature. I took the extra time to drive the route and noted a few places I would have to be ready for as the gradual climbs would eat away at my legs having spent a lot of time on the treadmill during this cold and snowy winter.

After taking the tour, I got parked and took the shuttle in from the train station set aside for a majority of the folks travelling in for the run. I still had plenty of time after picking up my kit and slowly got into warm up mode trying to pick out some of the bib numbers I read off the registration lists. Some of the speedsters I wanted to chase around the Burlington roads were familiar by name but I had never seen them in person so I had to resort to finding them in the crowd based on their race numbers.

Finally, feeling ready to leave the warmth of the school gym, I decided to get changed into my favourite racing shorts so I went to the men's room as not to scare anyone with my white compression shorts. As I entered the first change area I placed the shorts on a bench and went into the washroom section for a very quick visit. I wasn't in there for any more than a minute and then returned to the empty change room to discover someone had lifted my shorts! I was bumbed out as I only had my tights now and it was getting too warm to race in them.

Luckily, I knew Peter from www.mynextrace.com was working his booth and, thankfully, he was able to hook me up with some shorts. They were basketball style shorts but at least they would allow some ventilation so I happily accepted his offer. Thanks Peter!!!

Running to the line in Peter's Shorts

SO now it was time to race! I picked out my targets on the start line and then settled behind them in the second row leaving the younger runners to rule the left side of the road. We waited around listening to instructions before the sporadic countdown began. I remember a few call outs at a minute and thirty seconds with a little pause before we were sent off surprised not to hear a gun or horn.

As the youthful athletes sprinted out, the older side of the line cautiously picked their way through the field heading downhill to through the eventual finishing line. At this point there were a good 30 or so kids up ahead of me as we commenced the first climb of the route. It was a mild tester on the legs but seemed to slow down some of the teenagers so I moved up a little through the field still following my two markers who were closer to my age category.

We then zig-zagged around a few side streets for short distances before hopping on one of the longer streets we would run along. As we turned on this stretch, we had a quick downhill twister to negotiate where things started to string out a little more closing in on the first kilometre sign. Just around that section we started a long portion into the wind that took us back up the other side of the valley. I knew this would cut into the great opening km (3:06) I was able to roll off so I just wanted to minimize the damage and tuck into a few of the runners around me to help save my legs for later.

As we continued closer to the second kilometre one of my pacers had moved up the field and out of reach while the other gentleman was hanging right beside me flip-flopping with me as we both took turns cutting the breeze. Coming up to the halfway portion of the race we turned north as the road climbed up again through a mild S bend on the street before a few quick turns to get us onto Plains Road.

Soon after starting our journey east on Plains, we hit the 3 km marker where I finally looked down at my watch again and saw 10:12. At this point my legs were feeling good but also knew that I tend to fade badly around this part of a 5k before waking up again in the final 500 metres. Doing the math, and knowing we had a tail wind and mostly downhill final two kilometres to the line, I really felt like I had a chance to hit my goal on this challenging course.

Starting the third kilometre, I was still in contact with many young high school and university runners but one of the guys around my age was starting to find his second wind. I tried to pull closer in the following few hundred metres heading south off Plains but was not making any progress on the runner I wanted to stay tight with. I continued to dig deep but was running out of run and gas as we made our final turn  onto Fairwood Place Road. The man volunteering on the corner mentioned it was 400 metres to the finish so I tried to muster up one final push knowing the downhill area where we started would keep the momentum going. Unfortunately, I just didn't have the wheels on this day and I saw the board hit 17:00 as I rounded the bend about 100 metres from the line. I still had a PB in mind but was not getting up to full sprinting speed. As I passed the clock it was just reaching 17:10 so I just tried to get it to stop as close to that as possible and settled for 17:12 on my watch but 17:14 on the results sheet. Not sure how that happened but have a feeling they used the second timing mat as I let up as I hit the first one.

In the end, I beat my previous best of 17:18 on a much tougher course so this was a very satisfying result coming back after a long layoff. I was able to place 1st in the 30-39 AG and tip my cap to Andrew Taylor and Paul Leduc for their impressive races in the 40-49 category. They were the two gentlemen I followed around the Aldershot roads, eventually coming up a little short of my ultimate running goal.

Stay tuned for some exciting Sponsorship information to come very soon on this blog!!!!

It's been a while...

Wow, can't believe how long it has been between posts, yet, it doesn't seem like I have missed writing about much.

So what have I not blogged about of late? Not a heck of a lot. Work, family and hockey have been super busy so I have made an effort to get these taken care of first and then get my training in during the gaps in time I find. Usually, that means a lunch workout as well as a late night trip to the gym.

I was really hoping to get out of that habit and switch into a productive morning person but this habit is not wanting to work with me. I don't think daylight savings has helped this out as I was hitting the gym for a tready or trainer ride pretty late but treating it like an hour earlier to justify being there so late. Good luck getting out of bed to train the next morning after a bunch of those sessions per week.

Hopefully, I can get rolling on the other side of the day soon as I would like to use the mornings to get back into cycling shape. I am not sure how much safer the morning is to ride (due to the crazy commuter traffic) but most people seem to think my late night riding is pretty dangerous. Sometimes, I see their point but the route I take at night offers a secure ride in my mind. Problem is you are stuck on this route within the city limits so it does become rather monotonous so getting out on to the country side would be a welcoming change.

With the weather remaining cold and snowy around the GTA, it appears I have some time to incorporate this change any way. I have been riding outside but usually it has a secondary purpose as I need to get to work in a quicker time than the bus often offers. In previous years, I have used my cross bike or MTB option so my road bike has been protected from the elements. After trashing the MTB and being too lazy to tune up the cross bike, I have been riding my roadie all this time and the winter has not been kind so it looks like I have a spring project coming up.

Thankfully, I got a head start on this and picked up some new parts along the way so I can get the Tarmac rolling nice and smooth in time for the dry, warm weather we should expect soon. I can't wait as it has been too long since my last group ride and I feel I am falling behind the crew as they have been training together with Coach Kurzawinski indoors and are probably light years ahead of me in terms of cycling. Running, on the other hand...

 

Great Pic of Bald Eagle taken by my Mom

I have been following Kevin's guidelines for my run training and been cranking up the speed a lot the last few months. I can tell I am hitting new levels of running speed so I am itching to race. As I mentioned in the past, I have been avoiding runs for a number of reasons but I think I am finally turning that corner. My last obstacle was the winter weight I was training at so I said enough is enough and joked about a Biggest Loser program for March. My facebook posting was actually met with interest so we have a number of us working together to improve our waistlines this month.

So far, I have dropped my winter weight and reached my pre-challenge goal so now it is time to keep the momentum rolling to see if I can get down to my ideal race weight by March 31. This gives me plenty of time as I do not plan to run (race) anytime this month but just continue to push the training to put me in a good spot for a PB effort at a few 5k events in mid to late April. Before that, I hope to get in a few road races on the bike with the team. I have been so tied up with other stuff in life so I have neglected my racing schedule so far. I am now just getting organized so I hope I did not leave it too late to get into some of the events I wish to compete in on two wheels.

Well, just thought I better update the blog before I lose all the readers out there. Hope to see everyone out at the races and group runs/rides very soon. Hurry up spring!

Larry

Catching Up To Do...

So I was away in the Kona area last week with work so I have a bunch of catching up to do with family, training, everyday work duties, etc. A lot of people (mostly co-workers) ask me why I do not take much time off work and this is exactly the reason. I hate falling behind and then having to stress to catch up when I return. Sure it is nice to see the world, enjoy some down time and relax now and then but I would rather give a smooth, consistent effort than rush to prep for the time off, get lazy for a week and the have to scramble to get back up to speed.

Although, the Kona trip was work related, I was still able to get in a bunch of running miles during some free time but, unfortunately, I missed out on a bike adventure along the IM route. We did drive almost the full extent of it so that was neat to see the views caught on TV and photographs. I now have an even deeper appreciation of how tough that bike course must be as the winds were howling and the temperatures (even in January) were very hot.

 

Our View at Lunch - Hiking Day

 

 

Alright, now that I have that distraction behind me, it is time to get serious. My running feels very good these days so it is just a matter of getting back down to race weight and finding a great race to inspire me to do so. I have not raced since August and need to get back on the horse. It is almost like I am too nervous to get back on the line as I do not want to have a sub-par performance and find out I am way behind schedule. This is silly so I just have to get registered and stick to the plan.

 

On the bike, things are starting to come along...slowly. I was not going to push it too much out of the gate and really focus on the run but I have had some encouraging words from my 2012 team to get my butt into gear. I will not race as much as last season but would like to help out where I can to get the M2 fellas some upgrade points so that they can join our strong threesome in M1. This sounds a lot more safe than M3 so hopefully I can register with the group and work my role to give them a chance to point in some early races. I know riding with these guys is very tough and will do nothing but improve my riding strength so I hope I can find enough time per week to saddle up with the http://kurzawinskicoach.com/ group.

 

This takes us to sponsorship, or lack there of in my case. I spent as much time as I ever have allocated to this part of the game and still have nothing new to show for it. I am not really shocked, to be honest, as Canadian businesses do not seem too interested in getting behind Age Group athletes. I did have a few leads that I thought would pay off but in the end my name was not called so I will just continue to save money by shopping for deals and wearing, eating and riding what ever make financial sense.

 

In 2013, I will have Rudy Project (proud team member for a number of years) in my corner but no other gear support in my lead up to DuWorlds. Thankfully, I have some great friends with stores in the area that have always lent a helping hand so if you are looking for shoes and running gear, carbon bike gear or tri products please pay them a visit! Feet in Motion (Georgetown www.feetinmotion.ca ), 3sixty5 Cycling (online www.facebook.com/3sixty5Cycling ) and Endless Endurance (online http://www.endlessendurance.com/ ) .

 

 

 

 

Quick Update...

Happy 2013 everyone!

Not much out of the ordinary is going on with me so I have been quietly trying to get back down to a respectable weight. I really dove into the holidays this year with treats and more treats. I didn't get too crazy with the drinks but the snacking certainly did some damage by the time the new year rolled in.

For the past week I have been back to hammer time and passing by all the sweets that seem to be lingering around the house and at work. The first few days were very tough to resist but I survived the initial temptation and now find it much easier to stick to my apple or banana snack and the figure is starting to take shape as an athlete again.

On the training front, I have been working with Kevin Smith ( @DU_Smithy ) to get me down to the fastest running times my body can handle in my advancing age. Come February, I will be hitting the ceiling on this age group so have to stay shape to keep ahead of the younger bucks in the 35-39 AG.

I have also finally motivated myself to get back on the trainer to build back to the place I was last summer on the bike. I can feel I lost a bunch of power and endurance so it looks like I better get back to my 2012 frame of mind that helped me increase my cycling before the crash in August.

It may only be January but I am eagerly awaiting some dry roads so I can safely ride outside again. The cold is not the big issue for me but the lack of space on the roads with the snow and ice taking up the shoulder, does not make for friendly encounters with motorists. This week has started out warm so I may just get some open road cycling this weekend.

In other news, I am off to the Kona area for a business trip in a few weeks. Although, this is for work, I hope to use some spare time to train in the nice warm weather of Hawaii. I don't think they have too much more daylight but as long as the air is warm in the morning and nights, I should be able to rock out a solid week of running, swimming and maybe even a ride or two on a rental.

On a parting note, check out the photos my Mom has been snapping in the Sarnia area. It is a hobby of hers and she has captured some cool shots of birds and animals we don't always get to see in action.

www.picsbylou.blogspot.com

 

Runnin, Runnin, Runnin...

Nothing too exciting to report these days, although, I wish there was. Trying to fit in races this winter has been very tough with other commitments but that is OK, there are lots of those in the future so a few missed ones now is not the end of the world.

Wishing I signed up in time for Egg Nog Jog 2012!

Not having a goal does make some things in my athletic life difficult to keep in check. The training portion is still going strong so that is keeping a smile on my face but the diet has taken it's usual hit this off-season. It is frustrating to see how hard I train to not see any physical improvements. I know there is only one person to blame for this so until that person gets a lot more strict with his food choices, things will remain this way for a number of months. Last year, I was able to turn the corner very quickly after the holiday season and was doing very well with my weight in January so I will use that as a guide and try not too get too far out of shape in the next few weeks.

So talking about the new year brings up another topic I have not shared over the blog. With the kids getting a little more independent as they get older, I am able to squeak out some extra group training sessions and I have finally made time to travel down to Oakville on Monday nights for the Toronto Olympic Club - Oakville group runs. I have been wanting to do this for years as fellow duathlete, Kevin Smith, has been mentioning this run for a long time. I knew he was leading a group to some quick running times and was certain that I would benefit from his coaching and leadership.

To date, I have made it to six consecutive Monday night runs. Just knowing that the other runners are putting in a serious effort, and that someone is expecting us to , makes me more accountable for my short interval session of the week. The group also meets on Wednesday night in Oakville for some longer tempo runs but I am currently tied up on that night so I cannot join in during the winter. Some of them also gather in the High Park area (Toronto) on Saturday with the main TOC crew for a spirited run but I am in the middle of the kid's skating lessons right now so those two items conflict on my calendar.

With the runs I have been able to make, I can tell this group will be a great help in getting me faster for the World Duathlon Champs next summer so I have decided to join the TOC for 2013. With Tyler working hard on his new gym and some other ventures, I did not want to bother him this year so having the chance to work with one of the top duathletes for this season will be a new experience that should continue my growth in the sport. There are not too many people out there that know as much about the duathlon in this area as Kevin so I will be sure to pick his brain as much as possible in my pursuit of a strong showing at the big race in Ottawa.

On the sponsorship end of business, there have been a few positive emails of late but nothing signed or sealed so I will keep my finger crossed that something comes a long. Better not mention too much at this point as I would surely jinx myself so until I have confirmed info, I will keep things under wrap.

Until the next update, have a Happy Holiday season and stay safe out there!

Larry

Glad you found me again...

Hi folks,

Sorry about the confusion - if my last blogspot address misdirected you but I figured it was finally time for a change. I had created the original URL back when I started out with a sponsor that I am no longer working with. They are a great business but since I moved to Mississauga, a number of years ago, I tend to visit other stores closer to home.

So, I decided today was the day and changed the blog address to reflect a more generic description of me. I am sure it looked silly to potential sponsors by promoting my blog with an old sponsor in my blog address. I have been thinking about a change for a while now but was not sure how much of a mess it would create.

Apparently, there will be a little updating to do as I have now lost my blog lists for friends I was following. I know this is a big reason many people come here (to see if there is any new info on other blogs on my blog list) so often so I will work to get these updated ASAP.

Also, my link on other blog pages will not work any longer so if you want to keep my link fresh you will have to update on your site as well. Sorry!

Let me know if you see anything else out of whack so I can fix those issues as well...

Talk soon,
Larry

The days go by...

Although, there is not too exciting to blog about, I still would like to keep things fresh so I hope the weekly updates do not bore too much.

Today, I was checking race sites to see if the MCC had confirmed the date for this year's Chilly Willy. To my surprise the event came up as cancelled on www.mynextrace.com so I emailed the organizers. They quickly responded that the event would be a MCC members only run this year so the public cannot participate. This is a shame as I have enjoyed this event on a number of occasions and was looking forward to an 8k race in a few weeks. I guess it is back to the drawing board.

In run training news, I had another great week with several solo runs and a few excellent group runs. On Friday I joined Robbie T for a spirited double looper on the Egg Nog Jog course. Not an easy course at training speeds and even tougher when we decided to drop the pace for much of the run. On Sunday, I managed to get out with the Falcons as we visited the Caledon Hills around Inglewood. I was feeling good and made sure to attack the hills as hard as I could just to push the legs. This was another solid workout for the week in which I posted close to 100k so things are looking very good these days.

To start this week, I was able to zoom down to Oakville after work and get a run in with Kevin Smith and his TOC Oakville group. With many of the TOC racing in Kingston the previous day, the group was small and the pace was fun. It was a good setting to chat and see what the running club can offer for 2013 as I look to push this part of my game to a new level. I have been on the fence with Kevin's crew for a few years now as the schedule has usually conflicted with mine but I think I can make it work this season so I look forward to working with someone that has kicked my butt for many years on the duathlon scene.

Unfortunately, I do not have any news on the sponsorship side. This is good and bad. Good in that I did not hear any rejections. Bad in that rejections at this time usually puts other requests at risk as many teams have already been selected so adding a request to their inbox will surely not be considered this late in the game. In some instances I did send out several applications to "like" companies but with some categories, I really would like to go with the brands I currently use and trust. Hopefully, a few positive responses come in soon and the whole effort will not be a wasted use of time.

Lastly, it is time to hop back on the bike asap. I have been reluctant coming back from the crash and now I have created a routine without riding. With the chill back in the air today it looks like the trainer will be back in business so i better get things set up and stop making excuses. I really need to get back up to speed on this beast as I was clipping along pretty well around the end of June thanks to rides with Kurzawinski Coach and his crew. This fall and winter, though, I will need to spend a lot more time on the TT bike to make sure I am ready to nail the duathlons next spring.

So, that was my week. Anyone have any exciting news they would like to pass along?
Happy training!
Larry

Paying Interest on Borrowed Time...

So the past few weeks have not gone as planned. It happens and seems to be common around this time of year with Halloween and a number of birthdays in the family. All these fall/winter holidays and celebrations make it very hard for a sweet tooth to stay in shape.

Add the rash of injuries (including a rolled ankle last weekend on the trails) I have juggled this season and this fall has not developed the way I pictured a few months ago. Being able to race only a couple times since my rib injury (July 5th) has been tough, checking the stat sites each weekend to see how my times may have matched up against those racing away.

After procrastinating through a lazy weekend, in terms of training, I woke up today and put on a positive face and decided to shape up. First order of business - pull on some cold weather gear and get my butt out the door for a short gallop around the local trails. With that accomplished it was time to squash the poor eating habits and pass by the candy bags collected by the kids last week. Next on the to do list - find a race and get signed up!

During a visit to my buddy Kane's place yesterday, he dropped the news that Egg Nog Jog in Terra Cotta appeared to be sold out already. Damn, I was hoping to register soon if my ankle and foot held up over the next week. This is the other part about being injured, it is hard to commit to races. I hate tossing money away on registration fees and not showing for the event. With my current luck, I would get paid up for the race and then not be able to hit the start line on December 9th.

So now I will hunt around for another race (probably the MCC Chilly Willy 8k in late November) and make the Boxing Day 10 Miler a short-term goal race (if it is not sold out!) to see how I am progressing through the off season.

Lunch Time Run with Co-Worker Gearing Up for Company Triathlon (Jan 2013-Hawaii)

On the sponsorship front, I have a few leads on the go, which is really nice to know. I don't want to get too excited as it is very early but I hope something comes through for 2013! As we all know, soliciting sponsors is tough work and is a commitment in its own. That being said, I did have one bad experience last week that was disappointing to say the least. I was going to go public with the experience but decided it would be best to leave all bridges in place and just hope they learn from their communication error.

In the new world of social media, companies must make sure they have all the lines of communication represented by knowledgeable staff with consistent messaging. It is too often that the online staff replying to Facebook and twitter do not have the correct information and this leads to communication mix ups. With so many competitors in the market, you cannot afford to drop the ball and open the door to the competition.

Anyway, that is the past and it is time to get back to business, again. It is amazing how motivating my Sunday www.sportstats.ca and www.chiptimeresults.com viewing can be. Seeing friends and the competition posting awesome results every weekend gets me ready to tackle the new week.

Hopefully, you are feeling as inspired as I am today!
Larry 

On a huge thank you note... Kano (or Kane as he was referred to above) hooked me up large with some nutrition on the weekend. The man is all class and one of the most unselfish people I know. The sad part is that he, and his household, are moving back to Oz in the new year after a few years in Canada. Let's hope his move back home brings him some some good luck for his future in triathlon. Can't wait to see him rocking Kona in a few years!

Brand me, please...

The boredom of the off-season is tough to battle through most of the time. The lack of big goal races leads to excuses in training and diet as you dream of warmer days. I know you are suppose to just relax and enjoy some rest for the mind and body but I find it tough to pass the time during this eight month stretch of eventless days.

I guess the upside is we have more time to read and write so many blogs are kept more current so being stuck in front of a computer is not all that bad. Also, it gives us time to put some work into our annual sponsorship campaigns. As many Canadian age groupers know, these are very hard to come across and a lot of the work we pour into selling ourselves comes up empty in the end. Thankfully, there are some spots available here and there so most of us don't walk away 100% disappointed from the process.

Before I started throwing out requests a month ago, I sat down and really questioned my needs for the 2013 season. Being that I have already committed to the World Duathlon Championships in Ottawa, I know next year is going to be much busier than my last two seasons. I am really going to put a solid push in for this event and will need a lot more nutritional, footwear, recovery gear, cycling supplies, etc.  to make this happen.

With these products in mind, I have started my search and initiated a number of talks with suppliers I frequently use or would like to partner with. I am sure most of them will not pan out in the end but I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

If you are reading along and think I could help your brand in 2013, please send me a message ( larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca ) and maybe we can scratch each others backs.


Thank you very much!
Larry Bradley

 

Cool runnings...

With so many great events taking place in the fall, it is sometimes tough to sit around and not race. Every weekend I spend some quality time on Sportstats.ca or Chiptimeresults.com to cheer on friends and check out how everyone is progressing. I could easily get out there and join the crowds running the streets of Toronto, the expressway in Stoney Creek or the shoreline of Niagara but I have not taken the initiative to click on a registration page and commit to one of these big, local gems.

There are a few things holding me back but mostly it is just laziness that seems to have set into my legs. I am still getting my daily workouts in but, compared to the spring and summer, I have significantly reduced the work load and don't feel obligated (no current goals on the calendar) to get my butt out of bed for that second workout to get me to my usual state of fitness.

Thankfully, a couple of my favourite December races should get me motivated (Egg Nog Jog, Chilly Willy) in short order so, hopefully, I can slide in a warm up run or two in before the final month of the year.

Other than running, I finally got out on the bike for my first ride since the crash on the August long weekend. It felt good to get out with the Kurzawinski Coach group as we zipped through the Caledon side roads. For the most part I felt solid with most of the pace, until Richard and Coach decided to do a spinning train that I held on for a few km but gassed myself going up a small hill. I guess it is time to spend some more time in the saddle before I lose too much of the bike power I had this summer.

Also, it is that time of the year when most companies look to fill their sponsorship rosters. I have not had a lot of luck with soliciting these in the past but will hand out a few submissions this fall in hopes that a couple people jump on board. I know in Canada it is always tough to get assistance as many companies has small budgets and do not always see the benefit of sponsoring Age Group athletes. I totally understand the business of  sport so I realize we should not expect many businesses to be able to pour money into this expense line so when someone does jump on board, it is a very nice gesture on their behalf.

Anyway, just a quick update to keep things relatively fresh.

Good luck to everyone lacing up over the next few weeks!

Larry

Hi folks,

A good friend of mine (a duathlete, turned triathlete and coach), Tommy Ferris, has asked if I could post a plug on the site for his new Triathlon Team based out of the Toronto region.

Tommy started Ignition Fitness earlier this season and has done a lot of incredible work with John Salt and his Recharge with Milk Triathlon Series , providing on-site support and video blogs (to pre-view race sites) for all MSC athletes.

He is now working very hard on an exciting offer for athletes looking to excel in 2013.

You can find all the awesome details of his announcement @ http://www.ignition-fitness.com/athlete-team/ !

All dressed up and nowhere to go...

The last few weeks have been actually pretty productive for my run training. The neck and back issues have not left me 100% but I feel good enough to train my legs so that keeps me happy for now.

I still have limited range in my neck so riding a bike is not very safe out side of my short commute to work. I would really love to get out there on the open roads again but do not want to risk another accident to set me back as therapy is really not fun (or cheap).

Over the past two weeks I have put in close to 200km on foot and feel that my endurance is back and my speed is getting close to where we left off a few months ago. Also, with the extra running my weight has been come back down to a level that I enjoyed right before the crash. Some of this I imagine is from lost muscle in my upper body and the rest is actual fat reduction from a month of pure pigging out while sitting around doing nothing at all.

With this total layoff right after the accident, and the recent fear of re-injury in my upper back area, I had not worked many muscles above the belt for quite some time. Last week, I decided it was time to get back to the gym and strengthen some of these zones, specifically the core, as we all know how important this is for running. It took a few days to get back into the routine but I am already feeling much better about this region going into a possible race week (more on this below).

The other muscle regions of the upper body may require a lot more time and patience to get back to previous levels, it seems. Although, I was never a very buff person by any stretch of the imagination, I personally still see a reduction in mass in my chest, arms and shoulders. I think this has accounted for a little of the lost weight and may be a welcome new look as the two sports I focus on (cycling and running) do not require super strength from these areas. I am sure if I was swimming, it would be much more important but I think I may just try to keep the smaller me and see how it translates in my results down the road.

Back to my potential race schedule...

When I got back to running, I was using the Chase the Coyote trail race (this Saturday) as my first test event. With some new family commitments, this may be tough to work into the mix as the kids both have skating lessons and my wife and I have been invited to help out on the ice. Given my back ground and training in teaching this sport, it is a very cool opportunity to have ice time with the kids as they get their skates up to speed before their future days of hockey or ringette (if they decide to continue in those paths?).

On Sundays, my daughter has a lengthy, morning tumbling class so I usually choose to keep our son busy around the house as hanging out at the gym for three hours is far too much for his attention span. With these two activities, weekend mornings are crazy busy so I must be very considerate when trying to plan a race to attend. It would be awesome if some events were in the afternoon so I can keep the routine at home but I am not seeing many of those. If I am going to add some extra work to my better half, it is most likely going to be a Sunday morning which is exactly the opposite of my original plan so I need to plan my fall again.

As I am very interested in testing my current race fitness (was preparing to race this Saturday as a lead up to a bigger event in late October or early November), I am looking for something this Sunday? There are several options out there but I am trying to pick one that is close to home, is the least disruptive to family and is not just a flat hammerfest.

I have been scouting all the races on www.mynextrace.com and www.roadraceresults.com but if anyone knows of a run that is posted somewhere else, please send the info my way!

Talk soon,
Larry

Time to get back to business...

It's been a while since I was able to spend some time on the blog. Firstly, a crash in a local cycling race just after the Cobourg Duathlon made things very tough to sit around at a computer due to the pinching sensation in my neck and shoulder area. All I wanted to do was lie down and keep as much pressure off the area for as long as possible. I started with all sorts of physical therapy as soon as the accident happened so, thankfully, things are now starting to get back to a more tolerable state.

In the first couple of weeks, I did absolutely nothing athletically and just tried to catch up on other aspects of my life, as long as it did not require any lifting. In the third week, I was on work assignment in California so I had some extra time to attempt to get back into the swing of things. I tried to run early in the week but the pounding of the activity was forcing the nerve to pinch again so I just stuck to the recumbent bike in the gym for the first few days.

At the end of the week, our group had the opportunity to travel to South Lake Tahoe. Being surrounded by such amazing landscapes, I could not help but force myself to get in at least one awesome run at 7,500 feet. I warmed up on the bike in the hotel gym and then coated my neck and shoulder with deep heat before heading up to some serious trails that snaked through the mountain side at the Heavenly Ski Resort.

It was quite an incredible experience to run at this altitude on these extreme trails. By the time I returned to the hotel, I was ready to cancel my flight home to relocate to the mountains, immediately. Although, I am sure my family would not be too understanding of this decision...

The next day, my body was asking for a break so I just went for a long walk along the scenic lake before the town woke up. This was the perfect break I needed to get my focus back before allowing the bad habits to take over.

The week of August 27th, I was back in Mississauga but on vacation to look after my son as our daycare provider enjoyed some much deserved time off. Getting back on the scale, I started the week off much heavier than before the crash. My new goal was to get back to race weight as soon as possible so I would be ready to run when things allowed for that movement.

Seeing a few emails flying around regarding the weekly track workout, I decided being around a group setting would be a nice, motivating boost. On the Tuesday, I did a solid brick session with the FMCT Falcons at the track where  we set up our trainers on the side of the track and then did laps around the circuit in various intervals. From this effort I could tell cycling was still out of the picture for me (I could not look up while seated on the bike) but at least the running was coming along.

When running, my neck and spine are straight so the pressure is released from the joint, therefore, I am not in as much discomfort. During the brick, I watched the others around me and fed off their efforts, driving my intervals beyond expectations. It was a key moment in my desire to push myself to get better, faster.

Since then, I have been working a lot harder to shed the pounds, get back the mileage in my legs and now to start ramping up the speed. Last week, I got up to 80km of running in 6 days and started to feel a bit more like my old self so I am currently planning my fall running schedule.

As my kids are getting a little older, and becoming more involved in their own pursuits, I have to get creative in putting things together to avoid timing conflicts. As I look at the available runs coming up, I am not feeling ready for a fall marathon or even a half marathon, at this point in time.

One thing I did promise myself earlier this year was to start taking more risks on the races I pick to run. I always get so wrapped up in trying to better a previous PB that I end up settling for easy and fast courses. As I looked over the list of things to come, I think I will tackle some trail runs and cross country events to push myself a little more. I need to get comfortable with the feeling of exhaustion again as I seem to be taking things too easy in recent duathlons, which will not cut it at Worlds in 2013.

A few years ago, when I was really testing my limits in weekly club Time Trails, I knew how to deal with the hurt. In races, the pain did not scare me and I pushed my limits through the entire race. I know easing through duathlons has been an issue to me and know for a fact that my running and cycling are much stronger individually compared to a few years ago. Problem is, this is not translating in the duathlon and it shows in my result times in recent events.

So, if I want to hit my long term goals (which are almost upon me), it is time to toughen up!

Cobourg Olympic Duathlon - Race Report

The weeks leading up to the Triathlon Ontario Duathlon Championships were very frustrating for me. I had penciled this race in as my big event of the year and was getting very excited to test out my fitness against a strong field. Unfortunately, my goal was sent off course after a fluke slap shot in hockey caught the right side of my ribs and slightly cracked a bone.

During the next two weeks I could not run at all and had to stick to the road bike (couldn’t get into aero position on TT bike) in order to get in some training. Without being able run, I was seriously considering a DNS and was starting to feel like I had wasted a summer of training.

Thankfully, after two weeks of riding only, I got through a test run without too much pain. This gave me a full week before the race so I decided to ramp things up for the first few days of the week to see how the ribs would react. Although, there was some cramping in that area, the actual pain was insignificant so I elected to make the trip to Cobourg to try my luck on Saturday.

With the 2013 World Championships awarded to Ottawa just one week earlier, the last minute rush of athletes wanting to qualify made for an interesting competition. Many of these folks traveled from the Ottawa region in hopes of punching their ticket for a hometown championship and I had not raced some of these athletes and was not sure what to expect.

Wanting to race well, and not knowing exactly what to anticipate from my body on this day, I made sure to get in a long, solid warm up. I could tell right away that my legs were not as fresh as I would have liked (due to the over training to get back from injury) but I was looking forward to racing some speedsters like Kevin Smith and Jesse Bauer for the first time in a long time. I knew they would put the boots to me on the run so I hoped to keep it close and shorten the gap on the bike to make it respectable.

As the horn blasted, I burst from of the gate to avoid the stampede and then let Kevin and Jesse take the lead as we headed out on the two loop run. I knew Mr. Smith would be in around the 33 to 34 minute range so I was not going to get caught up in that game and just slipped back a little and settled into a steady pace. Jesse, on the other hand, was willing to match Kevin’s run and hooked himself on his right hip as we headed out for our first view of the quiet neighbourhood.

During the opening 2.5k, I could feel I was not reaching my usual pace and the two leaders were quickly fading into the distance. I did not feel drained of energy but my legs just did not turn over or have the jump I am used to in the first run. Circling back from the turn around, it was obvious that it was going to be tough to compete with them, even with a faster bike, so I put my focus on holding third.

With the tail wind on the back section of the loop, I felt like I got back to the start of the next lap in alright time but my watch was telling another story. I was hoping to drop into the 36 range without stressing the system too much but now I was already well off that pace and I had someone running off my heels.

This was a nice little kick in the pants that I needed. I found some more power to start the next 5k run and could see I was opening a tiny space between fourth and myself. By the time I got to the far end of the route, I was around 100 metres clear and assumed my bike would extend that lead. I then used the wind to push even harder to transition and made my first 10k more presentable at 37:30.

Transition was not totally smooth as I did run into some trouble getting into the bike zone. I was headed into the proper “Run In” gate until a bunch of spectators and volunteers started to direct me to the finish line? Thankfully, the Sportstats guy was paying attention and stopped me before reaching that mat. I ended up losing around 15 seconds in the confusion but remained calm and finally got to my bike.

Once again (Welland Half Iron Du), I opted to ride with my cycling shoes instead of my tri shoes. The 10 seconds of extra transition time would be easily paid back with extra power on the bike so I quickly slipped into my better shoes before grabbing my ride off the rack. As soon as I reached the mount line I knew I was set to roll and I quickly made my way out of town to the country side along King Street.

Passing a number of triathletes along the way, I felt like I was negotiating the head wind well as we travelled east for the first 8k, or so, section on the highway. The speed then increased with a right hand turn towards the lake. I used this short road (Archer Road) to catch my breath before we were directed out to the east again along Lakeshore Road. On Lakeshore, I finally caught a glimpse of the triathlon race leaders so I kept my eyes peeled for Kevin and Jesse.

It wasn’t very long until I noticed the lead duathlete with Mr. Bauer only a few hundred metres behind. I was not sure if I was making up as much time as I wanted so I hurried to the turn around and then used the tail wind back to hammer on the gas. At the turn around I had a triathlete hook on to my back and he stayed there for a number of kilometres before making a pass when I reached King Street again.

I didn’t care so much but was disappointed when he did not continue to pull away. We were in a zone with a lot of wind assistance but I was not able to use it to the fullest or I would have been too close and risk a drafting penalty. I thought I would be able to get past him but I think it would have been a slow pass which can lead to issues if an official comes by without seeing the whole lead up.

Eventually, I decided that I was losing time so I powered up and put out a full effort to make sure I passed this rider and then got far enough in front that I would not get in his way. This lead me into the north portion of the course so my timing was not great as I now had a gradual uphill and head wind to contend with. Thankfully, I saw the 25k marker and knew I could handle the next 15k at a higher effort without blowing up too badly.

Having raced on this section in the past, I knew the hills would soon be upon me. I was now in a relatively open space on my side of the road and was starting to see the leaders zip past as they descended back to town. I tried my hardest to close the gap even more but on one of the more steep climbs I did not use the correct gearing and grinded my way up which cost me a bunch of seconds and energy. My train of thought was it was the last climb and the downhill would allow me to rest on the other side. Thinking back, I should have been less lazy and flipped down to the small ring and scurried up the hill and then hammered it back to Cobourg.

Oh well, another lesson learned. I did end up having a decent ride in the end and posted the top bike split for the duathletes. As usual, I then compared the ride to my triathlon competitors and felt like I left some time out on the course. (Thankfully, Kevin and Jesse had enough of a lead that it didn’t make a big difference in the end so I am not thinking “what if?”.)

Back to the race, I came off the bike in third position and got the bike racked in solid time. As I did not see any other duathlete on the bike within striking distance, I was confident that I could bring home a podium finish so now I had to decide how much effort I would place on the final 5k? I started out on the run and my legs did not love me at all. I could tell I was not going to be pushing a great split so I thought I would coast it out and hope a triathlete would pass me and wake up my legs.

I kept up my shuffle but nobody really pushed from behind so I just cruised it to the turn around and watched the bibs to make sure nobody was sneaking up on me. With no duathletes in sight, I pushed on to a 21:00 split over the 5k to bring it home in 3rd Place Overall and 1st in my Age Group.

This was the best result for me at the provincials (fourth attempt) so I was happy that I decided to race and excited to get back to racing after the frustration of my injury.

It was also nice to catch up and cheer on many friends in Cobourg so I must congratulate all those who competed!

Great races to Falcons – Peter H, Joe and Jade!

Awesome work to friends – Mark K, Patryk B, Brad M, Richard P, Roger H, Eric T and Duncan M!!!!

Also a huge congrats and thanks to Kevin Smith for taking the Ontario Duathlon title. I have known Kevin for a number of years through the sport and he really has been a positive influence on my duathlon pursuit.

And a job well done by up and coming duathlete, Jesse Bauer. It was great to chat with this young talent after the race. Keep up the great work!

I would not continue to be in the game without the help of family, friends and sponsors. Thank you all!
http://www.hiperformanceonline.com/
www.fmct.ca
http://endlessendurance.com/
www.feetinmotion.ca
http://kurzawinskicoach.com
http://www.rudyproject.com/

Sorry Folks...

Blogger seems to have changed my format on my blog and I have had issues trying to get my side banners (friend lists) back up and functional.

Sorry...I will try to work some magic as I miss having update links to other blogs for easy reading.

Fighting through the bumps and bruises...

As we all know too well, life does not always stick to the script so sometimes you must improvise.

After a little recovery from the half iron distance duathlon in Welland, I started to get back on track after the Canada Day long weekend. With my sights set on racing The OCA Road Race Championships (July 15) and Triathlon Ontario Duathlon Championships (July 28) I knew I was in the right zone for the performances I expected.

On Tuesday, July 3rd I received a call from a buddy to fill the net for his summer league team and decided to strap on the pads for the first time in a few months. I thought it would be a harmless night on the ice and was just looking forward to catching up with some hockey friends I had not seen in some time. Unfortunately, late in the game I took a puck to an unprotected section under the arm that smoked my rib cage. I have had shots hit all over the place in the past so just took a few deep breaths and carried on for the final few minutes of the game. After the game, things didn't seem to bad so I just assumed it was a bruise and nothing would come of it.

The next day I did my usual training and things were not too bad, just a touch sore so I still thought it was a simple bruise. No worries.

On Thursday, I started the day out with an easy 50 minute run and was not feeling much discomfort at all so things felt good. After work, a group of co-workers set off down town (Toronto) to participate in the YMCA Relay for Strong Kids. It was a 2 or 4 person relay event held on the Honda Indy race track (2.9k) where each runner was responsible for a loop (or two loops for the 2 Person Teams) on the race track so I was going to use this as a speed workout and see how the legs were coming back from the Welland race.

Prior to my lap on the track, I put in a very good warm up and got ready for a speedy round on a very warm evening. When I got my turn, I hammered it out of the gate and kept the pedal down right through the timing mat. I was hoping to break 10minutes for the circuit and was even more please to see I had hit 9:04 for 2.8k (lost 100 metres in the hand off zone). This was easily my best pace for this distance so things were looking great for my upcoming duathlon.

That was until I tried to get out of bed the next morning and felt the pain in my right side ribs. I could not twist or stretch at all and was in a world of pain. Not good. So it turns out to be a minor crack on the rib which is now affecting my run training as it feels like someone is punching my side with every stride. Thankfully, I can still ride the bike, unless I try to real crank it up a hill.

As I monitored the situation last week I decided it would not be a smart idea to race OCA's ( Richard mentioned there was a steep climb so the competition would drop me in a heart beat) so I did not register for that race which was not too devastating. With Duathlon Champs coming up in a few weeks, I will have to make a call by July 18th. To miss Cobourg would really hurt as this was to be my "A" race of the summer and I was down to my lowest weight in years and feeling great for that duathlon distance.

The good news was that I felt strong enough to ride the Horseshoe Centurion with a bunch of the Falcons. While reading a few of their emails last week I could see some of them were interested in hitting the course at a solid pace so I figured I would be able to help pace their efforts. When we arrived north of Barrie for the event, I could see Laura G was really excited to test out her cycling power against the best women in the field. She is a very strong rider but mentioned she has never really raced on a road bike so I figured she would be leading the Falcon charge and hoped I could help out with my experiences.

Even though we arrived in good time to the race, the usual cycling die hards were super eager to get on the roads so the starting corrals filled up quick. This was something that we could not control too much so we pushed out and took it easy up the neutral section. We ended up getting through a lot of the crowd but there were still plenty of riders ahead of us by the time the race started. As soon as we hit the timing mats it was game on and I started to set a solid pace for Laura to copy.

Over the course of the scenic and hilly course we played leap frog with several tiny packs making up even more ground on the folks that must have been spit off the lead peloton. It felt great to have the pulling power to grab on group and then jump up the road to the next and I definitely received an amazing bike workout during the ride.

By the time we reached the finish, we had gathered a nice sized group of our own and posted a very respectable pace for the terrain. I am sure we could have finished up ahead of our overall placing if we had set out with some faster groups but I believe it was a great learning experience and it has lit a fire in a potential cycling star.

As it is with long events such as this, you miss out on the others not immediately around you. Fortunately, we had time to catch up with everyone after the ride and get all the great stories of successful Falcon glory. Congrats to everyone that completed the Centurion Ontario - Horseshoe 100k!

Welland Half Iron Du - Race Report

This one is a little bitter sweet. It is always nice to win but when you don't reach your expectations it takes away from the celebration. This is even more exaggerated when the racers beside you (the triathletes) are sailing past with ease on the same course.

Leading up to this race, I was not sure if I was prepared for the Half Iron distance so I had originally planned to do the Saturday Sprint Du for a quicker result on the flats of Welland. But, between my desire to complete the entire course (DNF in the triathlon a few years ago) and Tyler's words of encouragement, I decided last week that I would give it a shot.

I then did some research to see who else would be hitting the Half Iron duathlon and found out one of this season's most consistent racers, Florian Ong, would be in the field. I knew he had been both running and cycling speed so I was curious to see how I matched up at this point in the year.

Race morning was calm and uneventful so I was ready to race when they summoned us to the start line. As usual, the field was not very big for the Half Iron Du so we had a lot of room to move out there. On the horn I bolted out with David Cook and we set the pace early as we crossed over the first patrolled crossing on the river front pathway. I felt at ease with the pace and continued to keep it level as I pulled away from Mr. Cook. The drop in weight and taper made the 3:30 pace feel very controlled as I followed the lead bike.

I held my form right up to the turn around and noticed I had a decent gap opening as I turned back towards transition. It appeared most of the competition was saving up for later in the race so I just went into cruise mode and smoothly followed the bike back along the asphalt trail to the arena. As I approached the crowds cheering on the swimmers, I could see I would hit the bike even earlier than the elite triathletes. Wow, this doesn't happen for us duathletes very often.

With a few hundred metres to the timing mat, I let off the gas even more and sailed through the opening 5k in 18:00 on the dot. I then got to my bike and slipped on my cycling shoes ( I decided to bring my cycling shoes instead of tri shoes as they are a lot better quality and should have added a little power) and made my way out to greet the police motorcycle for my escort out of town. I figured this would not last long with Nigel Gray and Len Gushe chasing out of the water so I just enjoyed the attention while it lasted.

During the first quarter of the ride things felt pretty easy hovering around 39km/h so I just tried to keep the pace around this mark and let the strong cyclist from the triathlon chase me down. I was actually surprised to stay out in the lead for so long as I ended up going 44k with the escort before Nigel finally took over the honours from me. Unfortunately, that was not the only thing that was going away as my hips and legs were feeling a sluggish. I was not sure if the wind was a touch stronger than it felt or what the issue was? I had stuck to my nutritional plan and was much more attentive to my intake than any training rides over the last few months.

After a few zig zags on the west side of the course we finally got to the short out and back section. As I made the turn around the pylon I could see Len was next in line to make a move with a couple smaller groups not too far behind him full off the top riders (Rhys Spencer, Jim Sunners, Jakub Macel, etc.). With the way I was feeling I was just hoping the chase groups did not include any duathletes so I checked out all them as I past by and did not see any red bib colours.

I was now back out on North Shore Road with just under 35k left in the ride and Mr. Gushe made his move as we climbed the only upslope visible on the course. As he went by I was surprised that I was not falling back too fast on the incline but my decision to rest on the downhill on the other side is when things started to stretch out and I was alone again but assumed the chasers would be on me very soon. At this point I was very uncomfortable in the saddle and having a hard time holding my average pace near 39km/h even with the slight tail wind on the way home.

After a few easy corners I was back on Feeder Road but things were not well. My gluts felt absolutely dead and I was not able to fire up the legs. I tried standing up, stretching, different positions but nothing seemed to be working and I was losing a lot of time. I was so frustrated and hoping the next set of riders would pass to motivate me but I was the only person around for as far as I could see. I continued to spin and stretch for 10 to 15 minutes thinking the race was over for me when I finally got a little action back out of the gluts and my legs started to push again. It was not pretty but I was moving along in the low 37's and counting down the kilometres to transition.

Finally, I made the last few turns to the dismount line just as Jakub hit the line with me. As I got off my ride I could tell the run was going to be a challenge. I had nothing in the back of my legs so I took my time in the zone to see if I could recover with some liquids and cool water on the body. During this rest break Jim and Rhys exited the zone so I decided it was now or never.

I got a shuffle going out of the arena parking lot and followed Rhys down to the path for a short 200 metres out and back before heading east to the main portion of the run. Just after getting around the turn marker, I slowly made my way past Rhys and started to think things may improve as I now set my sights in Mr. Sunners and Mr. Macel only 50 or so metres ahead. This chase continued for the next few kilometres as we navigated a few town side streets before rejoining the waterfront path system.

Nearing the 4km marker I could see Jim was getting his legs and Jakub appeared to be holding his side. I was thinking this would be a great time to bridge up to Jim and move past Jakub. I was not sure what our pace was at this time (as my stupid Garmin 405 froze due to sweat on the ride) but I knew I was not on my expected pace so running with a top 3 triathlete had to be an improvement.

With a little push I closed the gap on Jakub but Jim was still pulling away. It was on this surge that I started to cramp like I have never felt in a long time. I had to slow up to relief the pain and hope the next aid station could offer the right fluids to calm things down. Unfortunately, the water, Heed and Coke was not working so I had to start to worry about who was chasing me now. When I got out to the far end of the path for the first loop I watched the line of runners coming back. I finally found Florian who appeared to have a decent run going but he was a little more than eight minutes back. I was hurting a lot but didn't want to throw in the towel as the race leader.

On the course I had great encouragement from people like Richard Pady (on his bike cheering on his team), K Jacobson and her man Tanker (amazing volunteers at an aid station), as well as many friends racing along side. I knew they would understand if I called it quits (due to my cramping condition) but thankfully my legs would not let my brain take over and they kept moving, sometimes at a walk, towards the finish line.

For the last half of the run I just kept counting down the kilometres mixing in some average running with some walking just hoping it would be enough to hold off Mr. Ong in second place. Finally, I wrapped up the second loop of the Merritt Island section and headed back into town with only a couple km left. During this stretch I had a few more triathletes (Derek Virgo, Matt Barefoot, B Habermehl) pass me which definitely showed my lack of long course endurance.

So as I approached the finish line, even though I knew I was going to take the duathlon win, I did not show very much excitement as I fell very short of my pre-race expectations. Sure I can take a great training day out of the experience but, if you know me well, you know I expect a lot out of my race performances.

Congrats to all the amazing athletes who competed this weekend all over. Also, thanks to John Salt and his awesome Recharge with Milk MSC crew and volunteers for putting on an incredible race weekend!

Having a few days to let this race sink in, as well as speaking with a few people, it is clear that I need to narrow my focus on one sport. I am too critical of my results to compete all over the sports map as it just leads to unsatisfied feelings when I reflect on my performances.

This being said, I will try to keep to my schedule for the rest of this season (it is too late now to expect much of a change) and sit down with Coach Tyler to tackle 2013 at full force. The long term goals I set out when I started this journey in 2006 are fast approaching so if I really want to hit them I have to either get serious soon or just relax and abondon those lofty target?

Thanks for reading and supporting!
Larry

PS - I know some out there may question, "where is the fun?". I still love to get out and socialize on a group run or ride as much as the next person so it is not all work and no joy ;)

Am I Ready?

After a brief conversation with Tyler, I talked myself into the Half Iron Distance this Sunday in Welland. I have not been running quite those distances but my bike training is in line for a 90k race. Thankfully, the first run is only 5k this year so not as crazy as the 12k they had last year (I think that is what I saw in the results.) but still much more than the 2k I am used to from Peterborough.

Unfortunately, the duathlon at this distance does not usually pull too many athletes out but I hope some of the top guys show up as it will be nice to have a push out there. I say that now but come the mid-way point of the race I am sure I will be wishing it was just an easy training pace. HA HA

Hope to see a good group of duathletes in Welland this Sunday!