As it turns out, one gentleman in this race would leave a lasting impression on me as he glided past me with about 500 metres left to the finish. I knew he was a strong runner, from the open 2k run, but I hoped I had put enough of a gap between us on the bike to avoid being caught on the final leg of the race. I guessed wrong. He put out an amazing effort, on a tough course, and fought very hard for that win.
Thankfully, I had a chance to chat with the victor after the race where I discovered he wasn't so new to the sport after all. We then connected over the internet through the summer and got out for a great training ride in his old stomping grounds, Collingwood. His cycling skills were impressive in the hills and he went on to a fantastic Centurion Canada race a few weeks after our scouting mission.
Dr. Sean Delanghe recently graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and has now set up shop in the Waterloo area. Make sure you look him up if you are in need of some attention ( http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/p/contact.html ) .
10 Questions with Sean Delanghe
- I started with some Kids of Steel events when I was really young, along with some local, smaller scale races. However, I jumped into my first “adult” multisport race in 1999 when I was 13, the Collingwood Duathlon. The course was ridiculous, taking us up Grey Road 19 (7-8 km of climbing, which felt like a lot when I was 13), but I had so much fun.
Q2. Do you train as much as you would like or are there outside factors that limit your training?
- Work (and previously school) definitely limits the amount of time I train. However, I almost think this is a good thing. I get excited about getting out for a run or a ride, and I dream about this stuff throughout the busy day. Sure, I would be able to fit in more if I was less busy but I don’t think I would have nearly as much fun with it. Right now, training and racing is my release and I am more than happy to keep it that way.
Q3. How do you find training now that you are out in the workforce?
- I’m finding it easier than when I was in school, surprisingly. When I was in chiropractic school, my schedule was so inconsistent that I just had to squeeze in workouts whenever I “felt like it”. And then, during exams, it was almost impossible to put in any worthwhile work. While I am probably working more total hours now, the consistency is amazing. For instance, I know for a fact that I can do intervals with a group I lead every Monday night, whereas I did not have that luxury while in school. I just find it much easier to rely on scheduled training rather than will power on any given day.
Q4. If you had a full day to train (with fresh legs), which workout would you pick to make the most of this time?
- If I had a full day, I would without a doubt add more endurance work (especially long rides). Being able to sleep in, have a good breakfast and then get on the bike for 4+ hours without having to worry about other responsibilities would be amazing. Having the time to eat and rest properly after the workout (and potentially throw in another ride) would be a great day.
- I think for now I will be sticking with duathlon. I love training for biking and running, so duathlon was a natural progression of my love of both of these sports. I did pursue swimming for a few months one off season, but realized that I just was not having fun with it. I do have a decent swimming background so never say never (that’s for all the Justin Bieber fans out there hah!), but for now I’ll stick with duathlons and road races.
Q6. What is your most memorable sporting moment?
- I would have to go back to that first duathlon in Collingwood (1999). I was 13 years old and I remember being really intimidated by everybody around me. Even when I signed up, we had to argue with the people doing registration because they said I should be racing the Kids of Steel event, not the adult event. Everybody had their tri suits and easy laces, and seemingly nice bikes with areo bars. I was wearing old mountain bike clothes, had two pairs of running shoes (one for the first run, one for the second), and my dad’s old road bike. At that point my goal was to just finish the race. The distance was 4km-30km-4km and I remember finishing the first 4km in first place. I couldn’t believe what was going on because I was so used to being beat by other runners at my track club. I ended up being passed on the bike, but held on for 2nd place overall. It is a great memory, and one of the major reasons why I still race today!
Q7. How important is technology in your training?
- Up until Christmas this year, I never used any technology beyond a stopwatch. I just went based on effort - make it hurt during intervals, make it kind of hurt on tempo days, and keep it smooth-ish on endurance days. However, this year I received a Garmin 310 as a gift. I am just learning how to use it now, so things may change.
Q8. Which athlete inspires you to be the best you can be?
- The athletes that really inspire me include my parents and a group of my parent’s friends. They are all busy professionals, yet they have still found the time to stay not only fit, but competitive in endurance sports throughout their entire lives. For instance, two of these individuals were 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the 65-69 age group in the Collingwood Centurion last September. These people have shown me (from a young age) that it is possible to have a happy and successful family, social and professional life, while still pursuing sport at a high level.
- My main goal is to be faster than last year. I wouldn’t mind diving into a 34:something 10km, or breaking the 39km/h barrier during the bike leg of a duathlon.
Q10. Do you have any sponsors that you would like to mention?
- I’d like to thank Compressport Canada for helping me out with some gear. Squire John’s (a ski and bike shop near Collingwood) for helping me out with a bike this year. Maikawa Financial for helping me out with some gear. Also, I have to thank my #1 all time sponsors: Mom and Dad!
Dr. Delange is also blogging and has started a very imforative site for us athletes!
http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/
1 comment:
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