Not going to lie; rolling into my first Centurion my cycling confidence was not exactly in the right place for the daunting task I had signed up for. After a horrible effort at Tour de Terra Cotta (DNF) and a few back of the pack results in earlier attempts, I was wondering how I was going to pull off my longest ride while keeping pace with some very experienced veterans of the sport…
With early start times in September you are bound to wake up to crisp, cool temperatures, especially north of the city. Centurion Canada race morning definitely held true to trends which meant I was going to have a difficult time deciding what to wear for my 172k ride around the scenic country side of Collingwood. The forecast looked very promising for the rest of the morning so the trick would be to wear enough to stay rolling in the early miles of the race, knowing too much clothing would come back to haunt in the final few hours of the ride. I used my previous fall experiences to apply the race layer and then added some items that I could afford to toss out at the start line.
The FMCT squad had planned to gather in our resort parking lot at 6:30am so I made sure to be ready to go before the group assembled. Once we had much of the team together, we made the short ride over to the start line at the main staging area in the Village of The Blue Mountains. The riders for the C50 Mile race were just getting into position for their send off so we milled about for a few minutes, took some group photos and then grabbed a spot in the line slowly forming for the C100 Miler.
Due to the incredible turn out for both races, they announced a delay in our start by 8 minutes so I got in some final prep work before joining Richard Westwood and Sean Delanghe in the start corral. Even though we were in the first corral of 1,000 riders, we still had quite a few people in front of us. It would have been nice to edge our way to the very front but I reminded myself that this was my first Centurion and I have never raced over 100k before so there was a world of unknown ahead of me on this day. My motto for today was “Be Patient!”
As the lead vehicles rolled the huge group out, it took us just over 30 seconds to reach the timing mats and then it was game on. The neutral start from the escort of police and officials allowed us to bunch up pretty close to front which led to a few close calls in the group as turns and round-a-bouts forced everyone to throw on the binders. I picked a safe spot on the right edge of the road and stayed alert to avoid rear ending the mass of riders ahead. With my attention focused on the sudden stops, I lost sight of Sean as he weaved his way closer to the front. I knew it was not a great place to take any risks with my bike handling skills so I stuck to my plan and held my line on the shoulder of the road.
We stayed neutral much longer than expected as the peloton stayed tight up most of the first climb on the east side of the mountain. I was afraid this climb was going to be a free for all, forcing me to expend too much energy trying to stay near the front. Thankfully, it was much easier than anticipated and Richard and I stayed in touch right up until the neutral roll out was lifted. My Falcon teammate then picked up the gap really well when it formed and I followed in behind as we pushed harder over the final few hundred metres of the climb.
At this point, we were right on the back end of a pace line that was stringing out over the rolling hills that followed the major climb. It was tough for me to see what was happening up ahead and, by the time we had a better visual, the massive peloton had gapped our group. This was not a big deal to me as I was just happy to be in a larger group with Richard and some strong riders.
As we made a left turn to head south on Grey Rd 2, I started to feel the powerful breeze we were going to be battling for much of our journey. I made sure to stay mid pack, sheltered but also in position if a smaller group decided to break off the front.
Our chase group continued along the open roads at a very respectable clip during the next several kilometres on top of the mountain and I remained comfortable, slightly back from the stronger riders pulling us along. I did not want to make any crazy mistakes, especially, this early in the event and just tried to enjoy the amazing sights the region has to offer.
Getting closer to one of the trickier descents on the tour, I started to get a little nervous not knowing how the rest of the group would tackle this twisting, quick drop out of the hills. I was feeling good in this group and knew if I got too conservative there would be a chance they could create a gap which would be tough to close as an individual.
Thankfully, nobody went too wild in this drop zone and I actually descended very well. My bike was rolling as smoothly as many of the faster guys so I was able to move up near the front runners and was hoping Richard was able to stay close. After a few minutes of downhill action, we finally flattened out at the base and I could see that he was right behind my wheel and we were in a great spot to start our eastward push across to the Creemore area of the route.
Over these flatter roads, we were riding two by two but the wind was hammering on an angle and bashing the riders at the front and on right side of the line. Unfortunately, I was caught over on this side for much of this stretch of road and had to work a little more than those on the left but was still feeling good and held my spot trying not to disrupt the flow.
Coming across County Road 33, we picked up a few more riders that had been spit out by the peloton and they put in some nice work up front on this windy crossing. We then approached our right hand turn that would take us through the farm lands leading into the town of Creemore; I saw the signs up ahead and scanned down the road we would soon be traveling along.
I was a little disappointed at this time not too see any groups within reach on the road. I knew the peloton was huge and it would be tough to crack the top 100 (a secondary goal I had in mind) if we kept tight in our current spot but I remained patient knowing it was still early in the ride.
Once we made the turn onto Fairgrounds Road, most of the south bound asphalt was flat and some of the top riders were starting to get anxious to pick up the pace. I made my way up the pack to see what was happening and noticed a group of 10 or so started to rotate through a few strong pulls. I looked back and saw a tiny gap starting to form and didn’t want to lose contact with these guys so I jumped in for some time at the front.
As the rotation continued, a few guys dropped off and the numbers were getting down to just a few of us. I could tell this was starting to work the legs a little more than I was wanting at this stage so I decided to back out. Thankfully, the bulk of our pack had stayed close and were drafting off the tornado leading the charge so I dropped back to catch a breath and spotted Richard being smart, staying out of the trouble ahead.
As luck would have it, I had pulled off at a good time as I could now see the Creemore climb in the horizon. I regrouped and settled into a better spot for the uphill spin. It ended up being an easier hill than expected and also had a rewarding backside that took us into town so I was able to fully recover before doing a little zig-zag on some of the small town streets.
After passing through another feed zone in Creemore, we were directed west where we finally received some tailwind help and had a beautiful riverside ride along the Mad River. I assume most of the other riders knew what was coming up as everyone was strung out along the road with very few willing to jump on the front. I now know this was for a good reason as the climb was much tougher than it looked from the bottom.
At the beginning of the climb I was making good progress up the hill. As I focused on my breathing and cadence I must have missed Richard, and a few others, passing on my left side. Nearing the ¾ point, the climb was tearing up our group and I was in the middle of the two pods wondering where Richard had gone as I could not see him in the line of guys falling off the back.
Finally, on a steeper pitch, I spotted him leading the charge of the group in front of me. Damn, I now had some damage control to catch a wheel before being dropped off the collection of the climbers forming ahead. I dug deep and jumped out of the saddle to make sure I did not miss that train. Just as I was clipping back on to the end of this new, smaller chase pack, I saw Richard pull off the front and move to the middle of the lane to see if I was still on. I gave him a quick wave so he could easily spot me and we kept on rolling, a few people lighter than minutes earlier.
Moving on, the pace seemed to get more spirited heading towards Badjeros. I had not fully recovered from the hill effort yet and was working much harder to stay on the wheel ahead of me. To my relief, we crossed this section in fast order and had to gear down for the turn before shooting north on Country Road 63. This tiny break in pedaling was enough for me to catch a drink and find some energy for the next challenge.
As we continued, a few riders (including Merrill Collins - the overall female race winner!) attempted several breaks. I was feeling in control of my heart rate again and, as I had seen so many little breaks quickly reeled back by the momentum of the group, I decided to just monitor their progress. I was pretty confident we would stay in contact so I held my position and conserved as much energy as possible.
One triathlete, riding with aero bars, must have thought they were going to get away for the long haul and decided to time trial across the two hundred metres, which seemed to spark Richard’s interest. He started to gear up and I had to make a quick decision. I held tight knowing my split second hesitation would have missed the boat, which seems to have entered Richard’s thoughts as well as he instantly pulled back, giving up his chase before exiting our group. It was a good call on our behalf as it didn’t take long before the entire crowd had caught the four escapees.
All together again, we then turned left onto Concession 10 where we had encountered a 500 metre gravel section during our scouting ride two weeks earlier. The Centurion organizers had warned us that we would have to negotiate this during the race so we were all prepared for a gravel encounter. Being a very cautious rider, I knew I needed to be up near the front of the group so that I would not be spit out the back. As I saw the construction sign, I readied myself for the bumpy ride and got up to lead the group. To my surprise, the horizon was dark black and looking much more inviting.
Somehow, work crews had delivered a patch of fresh, smooth asphalt in the place of the dreaded gravel. This made my day and I settled down, pumping myself up for the next big task 20 miles up the course. I knew it would be very important to conserve as much as possible before the KOM climb in Kimberly so I just stayed tucked in the group as we passed through Feversham and Eugenia.
During this stretch, we actually picked up more stragglers who seemed very willing to stay out front for our group. This helped our pace a great deal as we reached the big descent out of Eugenia. It is a fairly straight road down into the Talisman Resort region so we safely stayed two by two with most of us just holding our positions.
For some reason, I thought I had several people behind me coming down this hill so by the time we got through the valley and reached the start of the KOM climb; I was shocked that Richard and one other gentleman were the only people to start the timed ascent behind me.
In my practice ride, I took this climb far too easy. I knew I would be left in the dust on this day if I assumed that pace again so I pushed a little harder on the pedals and got into a good rhythm. Before I knew it, I was making very good time up the hill and past most of our group. I actually settled into the three hole before Richard decided to pull around me and attack the front two riders in a powerful acceleration. He looked super fresh so I was not about to match his effort but tried to stay close without over cooking the system.
This turned out to be a wise move as I had a very respectable KOM split and held onto the group which was now even further reduced as some failed to catch back on at the top through the feed zone.
We now had about 40k to go. Richard warned me this would be the real racing section and he was bang on. The group covered the next downhill mileage in very quick time and before I knew it we were staring at the infamous Ravenna climbs where I had a bunch of trouble during our pre-ride.
In the first portion of the climb I was actually feeling confident and ready to roll. The momentum of one of the early slopes had me out leading the charge before Richard wisely caught my attention, reeling me back in due to the head wind and tougher hills to come. We kept pace with the rest of the crew for a few more kilometres before Richard looked over to me and stated he was going for it. I quickly evaluated my situation and decided I would be best to hang on with the group until we crested the steeped portion as I didn’t think I had break away legs for toughest section still to come.
Showing perfect timing and amazing conditioning, Richard darted out on the hardest section of the race and nobody could match his move. I hung on to the back of the group around the corner in Ravenna where we were presented with a crazy, steep test that knocked my legs off. I looked down at my watch and noted 160k and 4:28 as the exact place and time that I lost touch with the group.
I then struggled up the rest of the hill and tried to time trial my way back to the splintered line of a few riders that remained from our group. Just as I was about to reach that last wheel we hit another 15% grade and once again I lost all forward progress. I was now in survival mode.
I knew I had to get to the next corner where the downhill speed of Scenic Caves Road would allow me to reach the finish. Unfortunately, some of the guys I had left behind (before the turn at Ravenna) had pulled together, recovered and were now easily passing me. I tried to grab their wheels but just could not latch on. I put my head down and burnt every last calorie in my body to make it to the corner to accept my free ride down the mountain.
After making another solid drop down to the base, I now had a little finishing kick to hammer it back to the Village. I got on the end of a small pace line and entered with a huge smile, very happy to reach the end of a successful and incredible rookie century ride.
As I saw Richard waiting at the finish, I could tell just how excited he was about our ride. He had a similar experience at Tour de Terra Cotta so it was great to see him pull off such an impressive ride.
Congrats to each and every Falcon that participated in this amazing event. Every one of you worked so hard to prepare for this challenging ride and you should be very proud of your achievements!
Bravo to all the family and friends of the Falcons that helped us through this incredible weekend!
Lastly, I have to give kudos to my duathlon buddy, Bruce Bird, for pulling off an impressive victory. Tough to match that performance!
September 21, 2011
September 14, 2011
Weekly Update
This weekend should be a blast as a large group of the FMCT Falcons are heading up to Collingwood to ride in the Centurion Canada event. We are jetting up Saturday to enjoy the atmosphere and then hitting the bikes Sunday morning. We have several folks in both the 50 miler and 100 miler distances so you should see a lot of our jerseys along the routes.
A few of us, plus some of the guys I know from duathlon and triathlon, hope to hang on with some of the quicker cyclists through this hilly adventure. This is going to make it tough but we have put in a bunch of solid training so we should do pretty good for hacks (as a number of the elite cyclists tend to think of us).
As we have built up for this event, and others like Tour de Terra Cotta, etc., a number of us have found a love for cycling and bike racing. This has us looking around for a local bike club that has a racing section attached to the membership. We have looked at several web sites and have a few groups in mind but would love to hear any suggestions. Some early possibilities are Mississauga Bike Racing Club and Kurzawinski Coach - Racing Team.
On the running side of things, I have Scotia Bank Toronto Marathon coming up in mid October. I had been doing really well getting prepared for this but a slight groin pull/tear has made running difficult in the last week. It is fine during cycling efforts so I have reduced the running volume for a few days to let it get back to normal. It really is not a bad thing as I was going to give myself a little break to make sure my legs are ready for the 172k ride this weekend.
Hopefully, next week I can get back to a run focus and also hit some of the XC running races I have been looking at. Here are some of the races I had in mind and hope to be able to toe the starting line for...
Oct 2 – Taylor Creek 5K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race#1
Oct 16 – Ontario Masters Marathon Championships - Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Oct 30 - Sunnybrook 8K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race #3
Nov 6 - Hamilton Marathon????
Nov 13 – Ontario Masters Cross Country Championships – OMA Cross Country Series Race #4
Nov 20 - Winter Running Fest XC - Guelph
Those are my options right now. I will not be able to do all of them, even if I am healthy after the Centurion, so I highlighted the ones that seem to be more realistic but nothing is in stone at this point.
Thanks for reading!
Larry
A few of us, plus some of the guys I know from duathlon and triathlon, hope to hang on with some of the quicker cyclists through this hilly adventure. This is going to make it tough but we have put in a bunch of solid training so we should do pretty good for hacks (as a number of the elite cyclists tend to think of us).
Another great Mid-Night Ride on a Fall Like Night
As we have built up for this event, and others like Tour de Terra Cotta, etc., a number of us have found a love for cycling and bike racing. This has us looking around for a local bike club that has a racing section attached to the membership. We have looked at several web sites and have a few groups in mind but would love to hear any suggestions. Some early possibilities are Mississauga Bike Racing Club and Kurzawinski Coach - Racing Team.
Chasing down my shadow on the Night Ride
On the running side of things, I have Scotia Bank Toronto Marathon coming up in mid October. I had been doing really well getting prepared for this but a slight groin pull/tear has made running difficult in the last week. It is fine during cycling efforts so I have reduced the running volume for a few days to let it get back to normal. It really is not a bad thing as I was going to give myself a little break to make sure my legs are ready for the 172k ride this weekend.
Hopefully, next week I can get back to a run focus and also hit some of the XC running races I have been looking at. Here are some of the races I had in mind and hope to be able to toe the starting line for...
Oct 2 – Taylor Creek 5K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race#1
Oct 16 – Ontario Masters Marathon Championships - Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Oct 30 - Sunnybrook 8K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race #3
Nov 6 - Hamilton Marathon????
Nov 13 – Ontario Masters Cross Country Championships – OMA Cross Country Series Race #4
Nov 20 - Winter Running Fest XC - Guelph
Those are my options right now. I will not be able to do all of them, even if I am healthy after the Centurion, so I highlighted the ones that seem to be more realistic but nothing is in stone at this point.
Thanks for reading!
Larry
September 7, 2011
CarrotFast 5k - OMA Championships
Recently, I was checking out the race calendars looking for some filler races due to the scheduling conflicts I have experienced of late. I missed a few important events because of work travel and other weekend events that have popped up.
As I read through all the upcoming attractions in the area, I noticed that one of them was going to serve as the Ontario Masters 5k Championships. I have looked into joining the OMA for a few years now as they hold a number of great Cross Country races in the fall. Usually, I wait too long and end up missing a few of them so the membership fee becomes a little steep for a single race or two.
This year I got organized and placed my membership with the OMA and therefore decided to test out my first official event with their 5k Championship. The association selected the community 5k in Bradford to hold their provincial finals so I added this to my wish list, on account that I could get down to race weight in less a week.
Well, I managed to cut out a bunch of junk from my horrible diet and kept up my training volumes so I was able to get down to a weight that I was comfortable running at. With this being a "B"ish race, I did not taper heading into the weekend so just made sure not to hammer too hard in the two days leading up to the Saturday event.
One race day, I showed up nice and early and put in one of my best warm up of all time. Lots of stretching, strides and a medium effort around some of the course. The air was humid and I was sweating up a storm before the start but kept well hydrated.
As we eventually lined up on the road, I could tell there were quite a few good athletes out for this one. Many of them looked very young and associated with the Newmarket Huskies Club which meant it was going to be a solid test. Once the gun went off, we had a quick downhill to the first street. I kept thing under control and settled into a comfortable pace about fifteen people back in the pack.
In the first kilometre, we rounded through an industrial area so the roads were very quiet with lots of room to pick a solid running line. I looked down at this point and noticed we hit the first marker in 3:15 but I knew the next 1000 metres would slow as we headed back up the minor slope up to 8th Line where we would complete the out and back portion of the run. In the last piece of the industrial park, I was now running in 12th place keeping one of my targets close.
I had seen a few familiar names in past results and figured I should be able to run close to those times on a good day so I did not want to fall off their pace. As we turned right onto 8th Line we started to get the benefit of a strong tail wind as well as another slight downhill speed zone. We all picked up the effort to take advantage of this and I was actually able to pass one of my targets and start to move up on the next group of three runners before the turn around.
I knew the last part of the race was going to be a little more challenging as we headed into the wind and had to gradually make our way back up to the hill. I also have a lot of confidence in my uphill running and hoped this would work to my advantage against the group a few seconds ahead of me.
Not too long after the turn I noticed one of the competition had lost a bunch of his speed so I jumped past him a hundreds metres past the pylon and set my sights one the remaining two from that group. As we pushed through the wind I could tell I was slowly making ground on them but it was taking a good effort so I was not sure how much I would have left for the final sprint to the line. Just after the midway point of the hill I finally caught those two and was up to 8th place with mostly younger runners up ahead.
I was now approaching the final left turn with only a few hundred metres to go. Seventh place looked too strong to catch and I was trying desperately to hold of a surge from behind from Kevin Farr, one of the athletes I had just past. On this day, he saved much more than I had and he easily beat me down to the finish line, leaving me with a 9th place finish on the day.
All in all, I was quite happy with my 17:25 race result on this day. I ended up 3rd in the 30-39 AG and 1st in the M35 AG for the Ontario Masters Championships.
Next up is the Centurion Road Cycling event followed by some XC running races and a marathon or two. Time to make up for a slow start to the 2011 season!
Thanks for reading!
Larry
As I read through all the upcoming attractions in the area, I noticed that one of them was going to serve as the Ontario Masters 5k Championships. I have looked into joining the OMA for a few years now as they hold a number of great Cross Country races in the fall. Usually, I wait too long and end up missing a few of them so the membership fee becomes a little steep for a single race or two.
This year I got organized and placed my membership with the OMA and therefore decided to test out my first official event with their 5k Championship. The association selected the community 5k in Bradford to hold their provincial finals so I added this to my wish list, on account that I could get down to race weight in less a week.
Well, I managed to cut out a bunch of junk from my horrible diet and kept up my training volumes so I was able to get down to a weight that I was comfortable running at. With this being a "B"ish race, I did not taper heading into the weekend so just made sure not to hammer too hard in the two days leading up to the Saturday event.
One race day, I showed up nice and early and put in one of my best warm up of all time. Lots of stretching, strides and a medium effort around some of the course. The air was humid and I was sweating up a storm before the start but kept well hydrated.
As we eventually lined up on the road, I could tell there were quite a few good athletes out for this one. Many of them looked very young and associated with the Newmarket Huskies Club which meant it was going to be a solid test. Once the gun went off, we had a quick downhill to the first street. I kept thing under control and settled into a comfortable pace about fifteen people back in the pack.
In the first kilometre, we rounded through an industrial area so the roads were very quiet with lots of room to pick a solid running line. I looked down at this point and noticed we hit the first marker in 3:15 but I knew the next 1000 metres would slow as we headed back up the minor slope up to 8th Line where we would complete the out and back portion of the run. In the last piece of the industrial park, I was now running in 12th place keeping one of my targets close.
I had seen a few familiar names in past results and figured I should be able to run close to those times on a good day so I did not want to fall off their pace. As we turned right onto 8th Line we started to get the benefit of a strong tail wind as well as another slight downhill speed zone. We all picked up the effort to take advantage of this and I was actually able to pass one of my targets and start to move up on the next group of three runners before the turn around.
I knew the last part of the race was going to be a little more challenging as we headed into the wind and had to gradually make our way back up to the hill. I also have a lot of confidence in my uphill running and hoped this would work to my advantage against the group a few seconds ahead of me.
Not too long after the turn I noticed one of the competition had lost a bunch of his speed so I jumped past him a hundreds metres past the pylon and set my sights one the remaining two from that group. As we pushed through the wind I could tell I was slowly making ground on them but it was taking a good effort so I was not sure how much I would have left for the final sprint to the line. Just after the midway point of the hill I finally caught those two and was up to 8th place with mostly younger runners up ahead.
I was now approaching the final left turn with only a few hundred metres to go. Seventh place looked too strong to catch and I was trying desperately to hold of a surge from behind from Kevin Farr, one of the athletes I had just past. On this day, he saved much more than I had and he easily beat me down to the finish line, leaving me with a 9th place finish on the day.
All in all, I was quite happy with my 17:25 race result on this day. I ended up 3rd in the 30-39 AG and 1st in the M35 AG for the Ontario Masters Championships.
Pic - OMA 5k Medalists (courtesy OMA - D Smith)
Next up is the Centurion Road Cycling event followed by some XC running races and a marathon or two. Time to make up for a slow start to the 2011 season!
Thanks for reading!
Larry
August 18, 2011
New Info Box on my Site >>>
I received a few emails lately regarding my weekly training schedule. I am more than happy to give you the basics of my day-to-day workouts so I am adding a text box to the right side of my blog to show how my week should break down.
I am given a program once a week from Tyler and try to stick to it as much as possible. As I have other responsibilities, I sometimes have to switch things around but usually find the time to get each element included during the corresponding seven day period.
Ideally, I would like to stick to the original layout as it is created with speed days, rest days, easy days, long days, etc. in a particular order to get the most out of my body. If I am forced to switch things around, I must get creative with the schedule but, with experience, I am usually able to re-arrange the week to make it flow smoothly so I do not place conflicting workouts close together. This can kill the performance of future workouts so I have to be careful not to tax my body too many workouts in consecutive order.
I also train with friends on occasion so I have to flex the schedule here and there to allow for some of these training opportunities. I will usually go with the flow with friends and then check out my schedule to see what workout the run or ride resembled the most and then cross it off the "To Do" list for the week.
If you have any further questions about my training, please send me an email at larrybradleytoronto(at)yahoo.ca
I am given a program once a week from Tyler and try to stick to it as much as possible. As I have other responsibilities, I sometimes have to switch things around but usually find the time to get each element included during the corresponding seven day period.
Ideally, I would like to stick to the original layout as it is created with speed days, rest days, easy days, long days, etc. in a particular order to get the most out of my body. If I am forced to switch things around, I must get creative with the schedule but, with experience, I am usually able to re-arrange the week to make it flow smoothly so I do not place conflicting workouts close together. This can kill the performance of future workouts so I have to be careful not to tax my body too many workouts in consecutive order.
I also train with friends on occasion so I have to flex the schedule here and there to allow for some of these training opportunities. I will usually go with the flow with friends and then check out my schedule to see what workout the run or ride resembled the most and then cross it off the "To Do" list for the week.
If you have any further questions about my training, please send me an email at larrybradleytoronto(at)yahoo.ca
August 11, 2011
Niagara Duathlon - Race Report
Having registered for the Niagara Duathlon some time ago, I had to work some magic and get a whole bunch of things accomplished at home/work in order not to waste an entry. The timing of the race was brutal for me with travel the week leading up and the need to fly out right after the race but I knew I could regain a lot of confidence if I could get to that starting line.
Thankfully, I had a ton of support and by mid-week I had my pass punched to make the short trip to Grimsby for the event. I knew this was not going to be a blazing fast race for me so I treated it as more of a great training opportunity and stuck to my regular program leading into the weekend. This included a killer treadmill session on Thursday night. Tyler had posted a 3x2mile workout and I upped the ante by increasing my previous efforts by a large margin in an attempt to strengthen my mental game.
That part of my race was lacking in a big way last Monday, in le Tour de Terra Cotta, so I needed to push the limits and pull through the dark spots of doubt that a “track” workout presents. I admit it was a very tough night at the gym but I passed the test and used the positive vibes to flow into the weekend. Unfortunately, the sore muscles from this treadmill run also followed me into the weekend...
On the drive to the race site, I plotted a simple plan as this was my first duathlon in quite a while (since Milton). I knew I was not going to be on top of my game so the game plan was to hold off on the opening run, control the heart rate on the bike and battle through the negative thoughts running those final 7k. I was not racing for a PB or a win. I told myself to go out and have fun and let the chips land where they may.
After setting up transition, stretching and going through the many other pre-race routines, I got over to the duathlon starting area for some final instructions from Mitch. He confirmed the course would be exactly the same as 2009 (the last time I competed in this race) which meant a 2.3k run, 25 bike ride and 7k run.
As usual, I got out into the clear and started to work on the pace. The air was very heavy with crazy humidity so breathing was not easy and the sweat was pouring out of my system. No worries, we are getting used to it these days, just relax and avoid pushing too hard.
With the opening kilometre rolling downhill most of the crowd stayed tight. One younger gentleman decided to pick it up a touch so I filed in behind and let him lead down into the wooded trail that made up a 300m loop into the bush. This year, the trail was marked out amazingly with lots of highlighted paint on the roots and obstacles. This made it very easy to concentrate on the task at hand so I just kept on his heels and forgot all about the Garmin.
Without looking back, I could tell we had a just a few others on our tails now so things were shaping up the way I had hoped. As we trudged up the wood chipped path out of the forest, I could tell the leader starting to slow a touch so I pulled through and took over as we ran up the sidewalk back to transition. He must have dropped off a little more in the final 750m as I only had one other athlete join me into the park entrance to wrap up the first run of the day. I stayed up in front through the run course sign and quickly clicked on my helmet and grabbed my bike off the rack.
Although, I have not practiced my bike mount in a long time, I executed a great start to the cycling leg of the race and was strapped into my shoes with one of my best transitions ever. Right away, I started to move through the triathletes already on course and worked the average up to prepare for the tough climb to present itself around three kilometres into this portion of the duathlon.
As I reached the bottom, I could see several people struggling and walking their machines up the hill. The thick air was causing some issues here so I knew I had to spin up or risk burning out. Luckily, I have been working on this a lot of late and I made smooth work of the hill and got back to speed before starting my zig zag around the Niagara countryside.
On the flats, I was comfortably reaching a solid pace for me and was happy with my progress through the field of triathletes. I was clipping along untouched until close to the half way mark of the ride when a speedy cyclist whizzed past. I did not know this person but his number seemed to be in the range of those assigned to the duathlon so I wondered who this could be?
“Oh well, no worries, don’t panic.” I told myself as I knew the run would be the place to see him again. I hoped!
Keeping this person in sight (albeit, in the distance), I picked up the intensity a little just in case he created a huge gap but held the effort within my limits. At this point, I had another duathlete catch and pass me. Wow, these guys were riding hard today!
Just after he passed, I backed off wisely and held a legal gap coming into a twisting section of the course. In my slowing, I had a female triathlete pass me and get in between us. I backed off again but she was almost on his wheel as we went through a corner where a motorcycle official was sitting. He pulled out and followed for a very short period of time but did not say a word. Wow, if that was me on that wheel I would have been hammered with a penalty for sure.
Oh well, I just kept my distance and then moved past her when she fell of his pace nearing the tricky and speedy downhill section leading to the lake. I entered the decent a few seconds behind the second place duathlete and made up my mind to get aggressive down the curving drop off. I was moving slightly quicker than he was and ended up having to brake just as I was about to pass as he moved to the centre of the lane to avoid a man hole in the road. My speed dropped so I backed in behind him and was now content to follow him into transition. The next few kilometres back offered several short burst between turns which should have been very routine but I put a scare into myself on the second last corner.
Leaning into the turn, my hand slipped of the handle bar due to the sweat pouring out of my body. Luckily, I kept the bike up right and was able to continue on for the last few minutes to the bike dismount sitting in third overall.
As we hit the line, I saw the athlete ahead of me still had his cycling cleats on so I knew I would have an advantage and leave the zone up one position. This held true and I executed another smooth change over into my runners and was out through the gate to finish off the race.
Having not run very hard off the bike for a long time, it took awhile to get comfortable. Within the first 500m, I was dropped back into third place as Tim Little easily made his way up the road. Trying to think up a new strategy on the fly, I was surprised to notice Erik Box (the super cyclist who easily had the quickest bike split) mixed in the middle of several triathletes. I figured he would be way out on the course by now so I was amazed to see him so soon. Making my way past him, I could now focus on the new leader just ten yards up ahead.
At the 1km point, I was starting to feel much better in the legs. We rounded a few corners heading into the quiet, lake front community and I was closing the gap nicely. By the time we reached the 2km marker, I had pulled even and just kept my eyes looking forward not worrying about his position behind me.
During most of this stretch, I had a female triathlete (she posted the top ladies run split of the day) either right beside me or just in behind. I could tell we were doing a fine job feeding off each other. Anytime I started to slow, she would start to move up which motivated me to pick things up.
When we hit the turnaround near, the midway point of the run, I finally looked back through the field to see my competition. I was now around 400m clear of second so the gap was growing, although, another fellow (the person who ran the second fastest opening leg) was looking strong now positioned in third. There was no room to cruise for the time being.
After running another kilometre or so together, my female pacer started to drop off so I had to use the other targets up the road to stay on track. I felt really confident heading into the final two thousand metres as I entered the wooded trails again. I looked back to see if anyone was in striking distance and I was clear so I pulled back the reigns a touch to avoid any stupid slips in the mud and loose wood chips.
I navigated through the lengthy forest path and finally hooked back up with the sidewalk, having a kilometre left and still holding a comfortable lead. I was starting to get excited to wrap up the multisport season with a victory and coasted into the park under control. I could have posted a slightly faster overall time but there was no need to hammer in this heat as I was already a soaking mess after racing through that thick, moist air.
In the end, I had a little over a minute up on the second place duathlete (the gentleman in third at the turn around) which was marginally slower than my 2009 result. With all the things going on of late, I was very happy with my race and stoked to rebuild my confidence to help get through the off season training.
With work asking me to head out to Modesto for some training, I could not stick around after the race. I’m sorry if I did not have a chance to catch up with some of you. Enjoy the rest of your race season!
Thanks for reading!
Larry
Thankfully, I had a ton of support and by mid-week I had my pass punched to make the short trip to Grimsby for the event. I knew this was not going to be a blazing fast race for me so I treated it as more of a great training opportunity and stuck to my regular program leading into the weekend. This included a killer treadmill session on Thursday night. Tyler had posted a 3x2mile workout and I upped the ante by increasing my previous efforts by a large margin in an attempt to strengthen my mental game.
That part of my race was lacking in a big way last Monday, in le Tour de Terra Cotta, so I needed to push the limits and pull through the dark spots of doubt that a “track” workout presents. I admit it was a very tough night at the gym but I passed the test and used the positive vibes to flow into the weekend. Unfortunately, the sore muscles from this treadmill run also followed me into the weekend...
On the drive to the race site, I plotted a simple plan as this was my first duathlon in quite a while (since Milton). I knew I was not going to be on top of my game so the game plan was to hold off on the opening run, control the heart rate on the bike and battle through the negative thoughts running those final 7k. I was not racing for a PB or a win. I told myself to go out and have fun and let the chips land where they may.
After setting up transition, stretching and going through the many other pre-race routines, I got over to the duathlon starting area for some final instructions from Mitch. He confirmed the course would be exactly the same as 2009 (the last time I competed in this race) which meant a 2.3k run, 25 bike ride and 7k run.
As usual, I got out into the clear and started to work on the pace. The air was very heavy with crazy humidity so breathing was not easy and the sweat was pouring out of my system. No worries, we are getting used to it these days, just relax and avoid pushing too hard.
With the opening kilometre rolling downhill most of the crowd stayed tight. One younger gentleman decided to pick it up a touch so I filed in behind and let him lead down into the wooded trail that made up a 300m loop into the bush. This year, the trail was marked out amazingly with lots of highlighted paint on the roots and obstacles. This made it very easy to concentrate on the task at hand so I just kept on his heels and forgot all about the Garmin.
Without looking back, I could tell we had a just a few others on our tails now so things were shaping up the way I had hoped. As we trudged up the wood chipped path out of the forest, I could tell the leader starting to slow a touch so I pulled through and took over as we ran up the sidewalk back to transition. He must have dropped off a little more in the final 750m as I only had one other athlete join me into the park entrance to wrap up the first run of the day. I stayed up in front through the run course sign and quickly clicked on my helmet and grabbed my bike off the rack.
Although, I have not practiced my bike mount in a long time, I executed a great start to the cycling leg of the race and was strapped into my shoes with one of my best transitions ever. Right away, I started to move through the triathletes already on course and worked the average up to prepare for the tough climb to present itself around three kilometres into this portion of the duathlon.
As I reached the bottom, I could see several people struggling and walking their machines up the hill. The thick air was causing some issues here so I knew I had to spin up or risk burning out. Luckily, I have been working on this a lot of late and I made smooth work of the hill and got back to speed before starting my zig zag around the Niagara countryside.
On the flats, I was comfortably reaching a solid pace for me and was happy with my progress through the field of triathletes. I was clipping along untouched until close to the half way mark of the ride when a speedy cyclist whizzed past. I did not know this person but his number seemed to be in the range of those assigned to the duathlon so I wondered who this could be?
“Oh well, no worries, don’t panic.” I told myself as I knew the run would be the place to see him again. I hoped!
Keeping this person in sight (albeit, in the distance), I picked up the intensity a little just in case he created a huge gap but held the effort within my limits. At this point, I had another duathlete catch and pass me. Wow, these guys were riding hard today!
Just after he passed, I backed off wisely and held a legal gap coming into a twisting section of the course. In my slowing, I had a female triathlete pass me and get in between us. I backed off again but she was almost on his wheel as we went through a corner where a motorcycle official was sitting. He pulled out and followed for a very short period of time but did not say a word. Wow, if that was me on that wheel I would have been hammered with a penalty for sure.
Oh well, I just kept my distance and then moved past her when she fell of his pace nearing the tricky and speedy downhill section leading to the lake. I entered the decent a few seconds behind the second place duathlete and made up my mind to get aggressive down the curving drop off. I was moving slightly quicker than he was and ended up having to brake just as I was about to pass as he moved to the centre of the lane to avoid a man hole in the road. My speed dropped so I backed in behind him and was now content to follow him into transition. The next few kilometres back offered several short burst between turns which should have been very routine but I put a scare into myself on the second last corner.
Leaning into the turn, my hand slipped of the handle bar due to the sweat pouring out of my body. Luckily, I kept the bike up right and was able to continue on for the last few minutes to the bike dismount sitting in third overall.
As we hit the line, I saw the athlete ahead of me still had his cycling cleats on so I knew I would have an advantage and leave the zone up one position. This held true and I executed another smooth change over into my runners and was out through the gate to finish off the race.
Having not run very hard off the bike for a long time, it took awhile to get comfortable. Within the first 500m, I was dropped back into third place as Tim Little easily made his way up the road. Trying to think up a new strategy on the fly, I was surprised to notice Erik Box (the super cyclist who easily had the quickest bike split) mixed in the middle of several triathletes. I figured he would be way out on the course by now so I was amazed to see him so soon. Making my way past him, I could now focus on the new leader just ten yards up ahead.
At the 1km point, I was starting to feel much better in the legs. We rounded a few corners heading into the quiet, lake front community and I was closing the gap nicely. By the time we reached the 2km marker, I had pulled even and just kept my eyes looking forward not worrying about his position behind me.
During most of this stretch, I had a female triathlete (she posted the top ladies run split of the day) either right beside me or just in behind. I could tell we were doing a fine job feeding off each other. Anytime I started to slow, she would start to move up which motivated me to pick things up.
When we hit the turnaround near, the midway point of the run, I finally looked back through the field to see my competition. I was now around 400m clear of second so the gap was growing, although, another fellow (the person who ran the second fastest opening leg) was looking strong now positioned in third. There was no room to cruise for the time being.
After running another kilometre or so together, my female pacer started to drop off so I had to use the other targets up the road to stay on track. I felt really confident heading into the final two thousand metres as I entered the wooded trails again. I looked back to see if anyone was in striking distance and I was clear so I pulled back the reigns a touch to avoid any stupid slips in the mud and loose wood chips.
I navigated through the lengthy forest path and finally hooked back up with the sidewalk, having a kilometre left and still holding a comfortable lead. I was starting to get excited to wrap up the multisport season with a victory and coasted into the park under control. I could have posted a slightly faster overall time but there was no need to hammer in this heat as I was already a soaking mess after racing through that thick, moist air.
In the end, I had a little over a minute up on the second place duathlete (the gentleman in third at the turn around) which was marginally slower than my 2009 result. With all the things going on of late, I was very happy with my race and stoked to rebuild my confidence to help get through the off season training.
With work asking me to head out to Modesto for some training, I could not stick around after the race. I’m sorry if I did not have a chance to catch up with some of you. Enjoy the rest of your race season!
Thanks for reading!
Larry
July 25, 2011
Quick Update
Hey Folks!
Sorry for being horrible at updating lately. Work, family and training are keeping me very busy these days so I have been a little distracted. Not to mention the tdf coverage I have been glued to...
I plan to write a report on my amazing experience at the Peterborough Half Ironman a few weekends ago with the Won with One program. So happy I accepted the challenge and had an opportunity to spend time with many awesome athletes.
Other aspects of training keeping me on the go are the miles required on the bike to get ready for a few longer cycling events (Tour de Terra Cotta and Centurion Canada) plus the usual running to stay ready for one or two more duathlons.
This season has not really lined up the way I expected and many of the races I thought I would be taking part in have changed or been dropped to allow for other weekend adventures. This being said, work has now asked me to travel to California the week of the Duathlon Provincial Championships.
I have been gearing up for this all summer thinking it would be my big "A" race of 2011. As I am also traveling the week before (Calgary) and racing a few weekends leading up to that date, I just cannot see how I am going to manage to enter that race without adding a lot of extra stress to several aspects of life. Also, coming back on the Red Eye from the West Coast always kills my body so I don't think I will be in great form for a Saturday race. I hate to walk away from this race but it may be the best for many reasons. Stay tuned...
Talk soon,
Larry
Sorry for being horrible at updating lately. Work, family and training are keeping me very busy these days so I have been a little distracted. Not to mention the tdf coverage I have been glued to...
I plan to write a report on my amazing experience at the Peterborough Half Ironman a few weekends ago with the Won with One program. So happy I accepted the challenge and had an opportunity to spend time with many awesome athletes.
Other aspects of training keeping me on the go are the miles required on the bike to get ready for a few longer cycling events (Tour de Terra Cotta and Centurion Canada) plus the usual running to stay ready for one or two more duathlons.
This season has not really lined up the way I expected and many of the races I thought I would be taking part in have changed or been dropped to allow for other weekend adventures. This being said, work has now asked me to travel to California the week of the Duathlon Provincial Championships.
I have been gearing up for this all summer thinking it would be my big "A" race of 2011. As I am also traveling the week before (Calgary) and racing a few weekends leading up to that date, I just cannot see how I am going to manage to enter that race without adding a lot of extra stress to several aspects of life. Also, coming back on the Red Eye from the West Coast always kills my body so I don't think I will be in great form for a Saturday race. I hate to walk away from this race but it may be the best for many reasons. Stay tuned...
Talk soon,
Larry
July 8, 2011
Peterborough Race Weekend - Preview
Well, it is here and I am really excited about the race this weekend with Brian Cowie. I have had the amazing opportunity to hang out with Brian for the past few weeks as his hotel is very close to my house and work area in Mississauga.
Brian was in town early for the Canadian Cycling Championships where he and his pilot, Ed Veal, captured 3rd in the ITT (even after mechanical problems) and 2nd in the Road Race.
This week, we were able to take out the tandem bike for a tour so I could get used to the unique characteristics of the ride. It wasn't quite as bad as I feared and we had a fun morning booting around the outskirts of Mississauga. We also got out for lunch and some other bonding time so I think we will have a solid race now that we have been able to meet in advance of the event. Brian is very easy going and is not putting any pressure on the race so this will help keep the atmosphere calm come Sunday morning.
As the Peterborough race weekend (Sprint and Half) will be a large gathering for the Won with One program, we are heading up Saturday afternoon to meet the rest of the group and pick up our race kits as a team. This should be a fantastic chance to get to know a bunch of the athletes and guides in the program so I am looking forward to the weekend.
Coming out of this opportunity, I have stepped back and reconsidered my stance on swimming. Sure, I may not love crowded swims at restricted times but I did not mind the open water aspect of the sport. I put way too much pressure on my training in year one and set myself up for failure. 100% my fault.
I am now going back to the drawing board and going to give triathlon another go and ease my way into the competition. I might not be ready this season but in 2012 I will probably enjoy a mix of my favourite duathlons and triathlons.
For triathlons, I will get away from unrealistic expectations and will not walk away from a race disappointed in my results. It has to be a learning experience and I now know it is going to take some time. There are too many neat races out there for the triathletes and I would love to get involved. This may eventually lead up to the iron distance in a few years which I still have on my "To Do" list.
Other than this, not too much is new. I have been training very diligently of late and I think things are coming along very nicely. Indications from my cycling rides are that I am getting stronger and my running is slowly improving as we jack up the track work now that the outside sessions are bearable. Although, my treadmill training was really solid this winter, I finally realized that you cannot totally replace the track with a machine so I had to toughen up again in the elements!
To learn more about these great athletes and the program...
http://wonwithone.com/one/index.php
http://briancowieparalympian.blogspot.com/
http://swimbikerunryan.blogspot.com/
Brian was in town early for the Canadian Cycling Championships where he and his pilot, Ed Veal, captured 3rd in the ITT (even after mechanical problems) and 2nd in the Road Race.
This week, we were able to take out the tandem bike for a tour so I could get used to the unique characteristics of the ride. It wasn't quite as bad as I feared and we had a fun morning booting around the outskirts of Mississauga. We also got out for lunch and some other bonding time so I think we will have a solid race now that we have been able to meet in advance of the event. Brian is very easy going and is not putting any pressure on the race so this will help keep the atmosphere calm come Sunday morning.
As the Peterborough race weekend (Sprint and Half) will be a large gathering for the Won with One program, we are heading up Saturday afternoon to meet the rest of the group and pick up our race kits as a team. This should be a fantastic chance to get to know a bunch of the athletes and guides in the program so I am looking forward to the weekend.
Coming out of this opportunity, I have stepped back and reconsidered my stance on swimming. Sure, I may not love crowded swims at restricted times but I did not mind the open water aspect of the sport. I put way too much pressure on my training in year one and set myself up for failure. 100% my fault.
I am now going back to the drawing board and going to give triathlon another go and ease my way into the competition. I might not be ready this season but in 2012 I will probably enjoy a mix of my favourite duathlons and triathlons.
For triathlons, I will get away from unrealistic expectations and will not walk away from a race disappointed in my results. It has to be a learning experience and I now know it is going to take some time. There are too many neat races out there for the triathletes and I would love to get involved. This may eventually lead up to the iron distance in a few years which I still have on my "To Do" list.
Other than this, not too much is new. I have been training very diligently of late and I think things are coming along very nicely. Indications from my cycling rides are that I am getting stronger and my running is slowly improving as we jack up the track work now that the outside sessions are bearable. Although, my treadmill training was really solid this winter, I finally realized that you cannot totally replace the track with a machine so I had to toughen up again in the elements!
To learn more about these great athletes and the program...
http://wonwithone.com/one/index.php
http://briancowieparalympian.blogspot.com/
http://swimbikerunryan.blogspot.com/
June 30, 2011
Big Sale at Wheels of Oakville
Just heard that Wheels of Oakville has a huge deal on Zipps with built in power metres for crazy low prices.
If you are in the market for one of these amazing products make sure you call down to the store to see if they have your needs covered. Don't wait long as they are flying through these wheels!
Wheels of Oakville
2371 Lakeshore Rd W, Oakville, ON
Contact: info@wheelsofoakville.com
905-825-0055
If you are in the market for one of these amazing products make sure you call down to the store to see if they have your needs covered. Don't wait long as they are flying through these wheels!
Wheels of Oakville
2371 Lakeshore Rd W, Oakville, ON
Contact: info@wheelsofoakville.com
905-825-0055
June 24, 2011
New Direction for Peterborough Half Iron - July 10th
It is now official so I will post on my blog the recent adjustment in my race prep for Subaru's Peterborough Half Iron Distance race.
Last Friday, I received an email from Syd asking me to help out a visually impaired triathlete that was coming in from BC to race the Half Iron Triathlon. Syd is the guide for Ryan Van Praet and they are both very involved in the program and were looking for a guide for the day to help out a fellow athlete, Brian Cowie. (I believe Ryan and Brian went 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in Ironman 70.3 Worlds last fall so these guys are super talented!)
Thankfully, I was training for the event (as a duathlon) so my training hours were in line with the amount of time needed to race this event. The only worry I had was the lack of swimming in my training this year but, after speaking to Syd, he was very confident that I could guide Brian through the swim at a comfortable level and then Brian would display his cycling skills to move his way up through the field.
So after a day of thought, I knew I could not let this opportunity pass and confirmed my availability to help Brian around the course in Peterborough. Now that we have connected, I have found out that Brian is also going to be in the area for the Canadian Cycling Championships (TT and RR) so we will have some time to work out some of the rookie jitters I have before my guiding debut.
With a lot of his focus on the Cycling Championships next week, he is just aiming to have a fun and relaxed day on the triathlon course on July 10th so he has reduced the amount of pressure I was feeling when I first accepted the position. I was very honoured to be thought of by Syd and Ryan so I did not want to fail in my assignment.
The "Won with One" program is bringing in a large group of talented athletes for the Peterborough Race (Sprint and Half Iron) so please show your support for these amazing traithletes.
To find out more about Brian Cowie please visit his blog -
http://briancowieparalympian.blogspot.com/
Last Friday, I received an email from Syd asking me to help out a visually impaired triathlete that was coming in from BC to race the Half Iron Triathlon. Syd is the guide for Ryan Van Praet and they are both very involved in the program and were looking for a guide for the day to help out a fellow athlete, Brian Cowie. (I believe Ryan and Brian went 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in Ironman 70.3 Worlds last fall so these guys are super talented!)
Thankfully, I was training for the event (as a duathlon) so my training hours were in line with the amount of time needed to race this event. The only worry I had was the lack of swimming in my training this year but, after speaking to Syd, he was very confident that I could guide Brian through the swim at a comfortable level and then Brian would display his cycling skills to move his way up through the field.
So after a day of thought, I knew I could not let this opportunity pass and confirmed my availability to help Brian around the course in Peterborough. Now that we have connected, I have found out that Brian is also going to be in the area for the Canadian Cycling Championships (TT and RR) so we will have some time to work out some of the rookie jitters I have before my guiding debut.
With a lot of his focus on the Cycling Championships next week, he is just aiming to have a fun and relaxed day on the triathlon course on July 10th so he has reduced the amount of pressure I was feeling when I first accepted the position. I was very honoured to be thought of by Syd and Ryan so I did not want to fail in my assignment.
The "Won with One" program is bringing in a large group of talented athletes for the Peterborough Race (Sprint and Half Iron) so please show your support for these amazing traithletes.
To find out more about Brian Cowie please visit his blog -
http://briancowieparalympian.blogspot.com/
June 22, 2011
Guelph Lakes I - Triathlon Relay Race Report
For the full race report including Ang's swim and Richard's bike portions, click the link below...
http://fmct.ca/events/article_2011_06_20_1126.php
My 10k Run of the Relay
We spoke about entering the Guelph Lakes Olympic race as a relay quite some time ago and made it official a few weeks ago as Ang, Richard and I got organized and completed the paperwork. Just like my FMCT teammates, I was coming into this event a little tired due to the large hours of training I was able to accomplish in the past seven days so I was a curious to see how the legs would perform over 10k. Thankfully, with the run being at the end of the triathlon, I had plenty of time to warm up and enjoy the amazing atmosphere around the event.
For the first leg of our race, Richard and I were able to watch Ang work her magic in the water. We stayed down on the beach for the first loop and cheered her on as she ran across the sand for her re-entry into the lake. We then headed back up to transition so Richard could suit up for his bike ride and I could start my nutritional intake and stretching. I wasn’t long into this routine before our super swimmer entered the bike zone and passed the chip band over to Richard to send him off on his ride through the Wellington County side roads.
I figured I would now have just a little over an hour before my part so I started to prepare as I chatted to Ang about her adventures in the water. Time passed so quickly and before I knew it the leaders started to make their way back into the park. Following the elites into transition was a cyclist who surprisingly placed his bike on the other relay rack across from our spot. You could tell he put in a monster effort by the way his team was reacting so I was curious as to where they were out of the water. As I started to ask them about their positioning, I noticed Richard’s yellow Cervelo coming into the dismount area on the far side of transition. The countdown was on.
Mr. Westwood had thrown down a mighty performance of his own and we were now just a little more than a minute back in second. After a slight hesitation, watching Richard rack his bike, I finally swapped the timing chip over to my ankle and sprinted out of transition. Usually, I don’t get to leave T2 feeling this fresh during a regular duathlon so I got a little excited and hammered across the first rolling portion of the run.
In the first kilometre, I passed a few of the top age group triathletes but could not find my relay target in the winding park roads. I had set my watch the night before to capture the splits every km so when I got my first reading (3:27) I knew I better settle down. We were running into the wind at this point and still had a grassy section to negotiate in the middle of the run so I didn’t want to blow up before reaching this point.
Shortly after passing this first marker on the road, I came to a straightaway on the course where I could finally see the lead runner in our race. He was a few hundred metres up the service road running with a couple of individual triathletes. I started thinking over a few strategies on my approach and figured it was best to continue the attack with limited knowledge of the talent of the runners behind me. If one of them posted a sub 35 minute 10k, it would probably be enough to catch me so I could not let up. As I inched closer, I was confident that the lead change would happen soon so I could then work at picking off some more of the overall leaders as they could keep me inspired to go fast. Although, they would blow the doors off me if they had not already swam and cycled!
As we hit the 3k sign, I made my way past the “Speedplay A” Runner and complimented his effort before carrying on towards the first turn around. During this tiny uphill piece, I caught a number of other triathletes but was not really motoring as quickly as I imagined. The passes were becoming tougher and tougher as I moved closer to the top ten of the overall race.
Just after 5k, the course sent us down a loose gravel trail that lead into a rough section of farm land. We were running on a soft path that was cut down about the width of a tractor. When I ran the route in 2009 (in a duathlon) we did this portion but I was expecting a right turn in the first field down to the forest. I guess they decided to change this and we were now sent out even further into a second field. I was working to stay on the tractor tire marks and keeping an eye out for other racers coming down the trail as it was a free for all for positioning.
Finally, I got to the back of the second field and saw that we were heading towards a clear cut in the forest. It seemed like this new section was running longer than the older course and I was starting to wonder how deep we would be sent into the bush. Thankfully, the turnaround popped up just a few feet into the trees and I could now visualize the finish of my run.
With my splits getting slower during this cross country adventure, and the gravely uphill just a few hundred metres ahead, I pushed as hard as possible to keep my tempo up. I eventually made my way back onto the tar and chip park roads and tried to force my form to resemble the track efforts I held earlier in the week.
This seemed to get me closer to my desired pace and I kept the pedal down all the way back home. After spotting Richard out on the course cheering me along, I got another boost for the final 1000 metres and arrived at the hilly section knowing the finish was very near. I used my climbing abilities to hammer up the slopes and tried to feed off some recent descending tips I have been eating up from the guys I have been running with of late. It all worked really well and I had a strong finish to hit 37:32 for my 10k.
In the end, Team Chocolate Pie Buttertart put in a very solid team effort with everyone making huge contributions to our Olympic Relay victory. Thanks to Ang and Richard for making the day so fun! I can’t wait to team up for our next race, hopefully, with some more FMCT teams in the mix showing off the Falcon colours!
Notes:
http://fmct.ca/events/article_2011_06_20_1126.php
My 10k Run of the Relay
We spoke about entering the Guelph Lakes Olympic race as a relay quite some time ago and made it official a few weeks ago as Ang, Richard and I got organized and completed the paperwork. Just like my FMCT teammates, I was coming into this event a little tired due to the large hours of training I was able to accomplish in the past seven days so I was a curious to see how the legs would perform over 10k. Thankfully, with the run being at the end of the triathlon, I had plenty of time to warm up and enjoy the amazing atmosphere around the event.
For the first leg of our race, Richard and I were able to watch Ang work her magic in the water. We stayed down on the beach for the first loop and cheered her on as she ran across the sand for her re-entry into the lake. We then headed back up to transition so Richard could suit up for his bike ride and I could start my nutritional intake and stretching. I wasn’t long into this routine before our super swimmer entered the bike zone and passed the chip band over to Richard to send him off on his ride through the Wellington County side roads.
I figured I would now have just a little over an hour before my part so I started to prepare as I chatted to Ang about her adventures in the water. Time passed so quickly and before I knew it the leaders started to make their way back into the park. Following the elites into transition was a cyclist who surprisingly placed his bike on the other relay rack across from our spot. You could tell he put in a monster effort by the way his team was reacting so I was curious as to where they were out of the water. As I started to ask them about their positioning, I noticed Richard’s yellow Cervelo coming into the dismount area on the far side of transition. The countdown was on.
Mr. Westwood had thrown down a mighty performance of his own and we were now just a little more than a minute back in second. After a slight hesitation, watching Richard rack his bike, I finally swapped the timing chip over to my ankle and sprinted out of transition. Usually, I don’t get to leave T2 feeling this fresh during a regular duathlon so I got a little excited and hammered across the first rolling portion of the run.
In the first kilometre, I passed a few of the top age group triathletes but could not find my relay target in the winding park roads. I had set my watch the night before to capture the splits every km so when I got my first reading (3:27) I knew I better settle down. We were running into the wind at this point and still had a grassy section to negotiate in the middle of the run so I didn’t want to blow up before reaching this point.
Shortly after passing this first marker on the road, I came to a straightaway on the course where I could finally see the lead runner in our race. He was a few hundred metres up the service road running with a couple of individual triathletes. I started thinking over a few strategies on my approach and figured it was best to continue the attack with limited knowledge of the talent of the runners behind me. If one of them posted a sub 35 minute 10k, it would probably be enough to catch me so I could not let up. As I inched closer, I was confident that the lead change would happen soon so I could then work at picking off some more of the overall leaders as they could keep me inspired to go fast. Although, they would blow the doors off me if they had not already swam and cycled!
As we hit the 3k sign, I made my way past the “Speedplay A” Runner and complimented his effort before carrying on towards the first turn around. During this tiny uphill piece, I caught a number of other triathletes but was not really motoring as quickly as I imagined. The passes were becoming tougher and tougher as I moved closer to the top ten of the overall race.
Just after 5k, the course sent us down a loose gravel trail that lead into a rough section of farm land. We were running on a soft path that was cut down about the width of a tractor. When I ran the route in 2009 (in a duathlon) we did this portion but I was expecting a right turn in the first field down to the forest. I guess they decided to change this and we were now sent out even further into a second field. I was working to stay on the tractor tire marks and keeping an eye out for other racers coming down the trail as it was a free for all for positioning.
Finally, I got to the back of the second field and saw that we were heading towards a clear cut in the forest. It seemed like this new section was running longer than the older course and I was starting to wonder how deep we would be sent into the bush. Thankfully, the turnaround popped up just a few feet into the trees and I could now visualize the finish of my run.
With my splits getting slower during this cross country adventure, and the gravely uphill just a few hundred metres ahead, I pushed as hard as possible to keep my tempo up. I eventually made my way back onto the tar and chip park roads and tried to force my form to resemble the track efforts I held earlier in the week.
This seemed to get me closer to my desired pace and I kept the pedal down all the way back home. After spotting Richard out on the course cheering me along, I got another boost for the final 1000 metres and arrived at the hilly section knowing the finish was very near. I used my climbing abilities to hammer up the slopes and tried to feed off some recent descending tips I have been eating up from the guys I have been running with of late. It all worked really well and I had a strong finish to hit 37:32 for my 10k.
In the end, Team Chocolate Pie Buttertart put in a very solid team effort with everyone making huge contributions to our Olympic Relay victory. Thanks to Ang and Richard for making the day so fun! I can’t wait to team up for our next race, hopefully, with some more FMCT teams in the mix showing off the Falcon colours!
Notes:
Also participating in the same relay race was a very good friend of mine, Paul Galbraith, with his dad and sister. I grew up with Paul and his family so it was awesome to see them in their triathlon debut. Paul’s dad, who turned to swimming for exercise last year, has lost some serious weight and it was the Highlight of the Day to see him come into transition way before his expected time! Great work Team Galbraith!
Congrats to all the blog readers who competed on Sunday! Patryk B., Darcy B., Glenn C., Sean D., Stuart S., John E., John S., Paul G., Vittorio S., Duncan M. (hope I didn't miss anyone!)
June 16, 2011
Age Grouper Spotlight - Paul "Speedy" Gonsalves
Race mornings are nervous times, no matter how competitive or experienced you may be. Some athletes are weighed down by expectations. Some people are brand new to the sport and not sure what to expect. Others (including me during my first few duathlons) collect a stomach full of butterflies knowing there will be a point of exhaustion that will test you mentally and physically right up to the finish line.
When I first started this journey about five years ago, I built up a lot of pre-race stress. Often, I would be sitting in the registration line questioning my motives for driving to the event in the first place. As soon as I racked my bike, I could not wait for the darn thing to be over with so I could get to the food tent and just relax. Thankfully, I bumped into our featured Age Grouper early in my duathlon life and was able to pick up a few tricks to help smooth over many of the jitters I used to feel before stepping up to the start line.
It was my first time on the Grimsby course and many had extended a warning about the descent coming down the Park Road hill so I was getting a little worried as I set up my transition zone.
In a chance meeting, Paul “Speedy” Gonsalves, calmed these fears and helped me stay loose. He was in need of a tire pump and I happened to be nearby and able to assist in his search. During our conversation, as he inflated his race wheels, I was pleasantly surprised that someone very competitive in the sport could display a sense of humour and be so friendly in the moments before an event. Those usually tense moments were eased in a big way as we spoke and I had all but forgotten about the nerves I was battling minutes before.
From this encounter, I learned not to take things too seriously when approaching this hobby. I now make the time to mingle with those around me in transition which keeps my mind free of a lot of negative energy and gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people with the same passion for multisport.
Thanks to “Speedy”, I realized that you can have a bunch of fun at these events and still satisfy that tiny, competitive fire that burns inside us all.
Q1. What brought you into the sport of tri/du?
- I started as a marathon runner back in the early 80’s (Yes, I’m that old). I lived in Rexdale but worked in downtown Toronto. I decided to ride to work 2 or 3 times per week for injury prevention and discovered I loved going fast. In 1986, I heard about a “Biathlon” in Mt. Tremblant that was an 80k bike and a 21k run. I did the event and recall having a blast and did very well at it. Soon after, I started racing Du’s with Trisport Canada. I wish to be still racing well into my 70’s and 80’s.
Q2. Have you always been strictly a duathlete? If no, why did you leave the swimming behind?
- I started off as a runner and started cycling as a means of injury prevention. I was also inspired as a kid by my Uncle Hilary, a world class rider who rode for the West Indies.
I don’t see myself as leaving swimming behind. I’m a decent swimmer and the reasons for doing Du’s has nothing to do my ability to swim.
Q3. You race a lot during a season, is there ever a point when you wake up the morning of a race and wish you had taken the day off running or duathlon?
- No, I rest like a “Rock Star”! lol
I also have enough experience to know (i.e. Old) when I’m pushing too hard and when to ease off the training.
Q4. Are you more proud of what you currently achieve or what you accomplished in the past?
- I haven’t thought of what I do in terms of pride. Regardless of race results, I have a sense of accomplishment that on that day I raced as smart and as hard as possible without leaving anything in the tank.
Q5. What moment in your multisport life do you look back on with fondest memories?
- When I first heard my eldest son, Christopher, yell “Go, Daddy, Go!”
Q6. You told me you used to take the sport too seriously for a recreational outlet. Are there any examples of things you did back then that you shake your head at these days?
- Nothing specifically comes to mind, but definitely no joy. Intense focus and little or no social interaction with fellow racers, spectators and race volunteers/officials.
I’m surprised when people make the assumption that my nick name is a function of my performance. “Speedy Gonsalves” is just my way of keeping the racing real and fun. I must admit, I do get a kick out of hearing people cheer "Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba! Hepa¡ Hepa! Hepa! Yeehaw!" ("Go on! Go on! Up! Up!).
Q7. At what moment did you change the focus from purely results driven to a fun, social event that should not be taken too seriously?
- The turning point for me was 2001 at my 1st World Championships in Italy. I was in Italy on 9-11 and the race was a few days later. I was getting more and more anxious about world events and the upcoming event. I remember cheering on the Canadian ladies race the day before my event and I couldn’t help but notice that the women were embracing the moment, flying through the course and appeared to be having so much fun. It was at that moment I remembered why I raced and that was to do my best and have fun. Immediately, I felt my shoulders relax as my anxiety faded away. The next day, I set a personal bests on the 10k run and 40k bike as part of the overall event. The more relaxed I am, the better I seem to do for the same fitness level.
Q8. Can you describe your bike mascot and the origins of this aerobar ornament?
- You must be referring to “Rocky the Rooster” who is my 3rd rubber chicken/mascot. I can’t remember when the 1st mascot came to be but it was following the 2001 World Championships and my renewed “Sense of Fun”. The 1st time I used it, a fellow competitor complained to an OAT official that it “Gave me an unfair aerodynamic advantage”. I remember the OAT official having a good laugh. Now it’s true that it does represent an unfair aerodynamic advantage, but whoever said life was fair was selling something.
Q9. What keeps you motivated to stay in great racing shape with so many other responsibilities?
- My love of dark beer (Waterloo Dark, Smithwicks, Newcastle Brown, etc.), chocolate and cheesecake.
Q10. What is the greatest piece of advice you have heard during your tri/du career?
When I first started this journey about five years ago, I built up a lot of pre-race stress. Often, I would be sitting in the registration line questioning my motives for driving to the event in the first place. As soon as I racked my bike, I could not wait for the darn thing to be over with so I could get to the food tent and just relax. Thankfully, I bumped into our featured Age Grouper early in my duathlon life and was able to pick up a few tricks to help smooth over many of the jitters I used to feel before stepping up to the start line.
It was my first time on the Grimsby course and many had extended a warning about the descent coming down the Park Road hill so I was getting a little worried as I set up my transition zone.
In a chance meeting, Paul “Speedy” Gonsalves, calmed these fears and helped me stay loose. He was in need of a tire pump and I happened to be nearby and able to assist in his search. During our conversation, as he inflated his race wheels, I was pleasantly surprised that someone very competitive in the sport could display a sense of humour and be so friendly in the moments before an event. Those usually tense moments were eased in a big way as we spoke and I had all but forgotten about the nerves I was battling minutes before.
From this encounter, I learned not to take things too seriously when approaching this hobby. I now make the time to mingle with those around me in transition which keeps my mind free of a lot of negative energy and gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people with the same passion for multisport.
Thanks to “Speedy”, I realized that you can have a bunch of fun at these events and still satisfy that tiny, competitive fire that burns inside us all.
10 Questions with "Speedy"
Q1. What brought you into the sport of tri/du?
- I started as a marathon runner back in the early 80’s (Yes, I’m that old). I lived in Rexdale but worked in downtown Toronto. I decided to ride to work 2 or 3 times per week for injury prevention and discovered I loved going fast. In 1986, I heard about a “Biathlon” in Mt. Tremblant that was an 80k bike and a 21k run. I did the event and recall having a blast and did very well at it. Soon after, I started racing Du’s with Trisport Canada. I wish to be still racing well into my 70’s and 80’s.
Q2. Have you always been strictly a duathlete? If no, why did you leave the swimming behind?
- I started off as a runner and started cycling as a means of injury prevention. I was also inspired as a kid by my Uncle Hilary, a world class rider who rode for the West Indies.
I don’t see myself as leaving swimming behind. I’m a decent swimmer and the reasons for doing Du’s has nothing to do my ability to swim.
Q3. You race a lot during a season, is there ever a point when you wake up the morning of a race and wish you had taken the day off running or duathlon?
- No, I rest like a “Rock Star”! lol
I also have enough experience to know (i.e. Old) when I’m pushing too hard and when to ease off the training.
Q4. Are you more proud of what you currently achieve or what you accomplished in the past?
- I haven’t thought of what I do in terms of pride. Regardless of race results, I have a sense of accomplishment that on that day I raced as smart and as hard as possible without leaving anything in the tank.
Q5. What moment in your multisport life do you look back on with fondest memories?
- When I first heard my eldest son, Christopher, yell “Go, Daddy, Go!”
Q6. You told me you used to take the sport too seriously for a recreational outlet. Are there any examples of things you did back then that you shake your head at these days?
- Nothing specifically comes to mind, but definitely no joy. Intense focus and little or no social interaction with fellow racers, spectators and race volunteers/officials.
I’m surprised when people make the assumption that my nick name is a function of my performance. “Speedy Gonsalves” is just my way of keeping the racing real and fun. I must admit, I do get a kick out of hearing people cheer "Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba! Hepa¡ Hepa! Hepa! Yeehaw!" ("Go on! Go on! Up! Up!).
Q7. At what moment did you change the focus from purely results driven to a fun, social event that should not be taken too seriously?
- The turning point for me was 2001 at my 1st World Championships in Italy. I was in Italy on 9-11 and the race was a few days later. I was getting more and more anxious about world events and the upcoming event. I remember cheering on the Canadian ladies race the day before my event and I couldn’t help but notice that the women were embracing the moment, flying through the course and appeared to be having so much fun. It was at that moment I remembered why I raced and that was to do my best and have fun. Immediately, I felt my shoulders relax as my anxiety faded away. The next day, I set a personal bests on the 10k run and 40k bike as part of the overall event. The more relaxed I am, the better I seem to do for the same fitness level.
Q8. Can you describe your bike mascot and the origins of this aerobar ornament?
- You must be referring to “Rocky the Rooster” who is my 3rd rubber chicken/mascot. I can’t remember when the 1st mascot came to be but it was following the 2001 World Championships and my renewed “Sense of Fun”. The 1st time I used it, a fellow competitor complained to an OAT official that it “Gave me an unfair aerodynamic advantage”. I remember the OAT official having a good laugh. Now it’s true that it does represent an unfair aerodynamic advantage, but whoever said life was fair was selling something.
Q9. What keeps you motivated to stay in great racing shape with so many other responsibilities?
- My love of dark beer (Waterloo Dark, Smithwicks, Newcastle Brown, etc.), chocolate and cheesecake.
Q10. What is the greatest piece of advice you have heard during your tri/du career?
- "Keep the rubber side down"
June 10, 2011
YMCA 5k Relay - Race Report
I will keep this one short. Promise!
On May 31st, I traveled to downtown Toronto on a warm, humid evening. I had accepted a spot on the "30 Somethings'" relay squad that my buddy Jowene had put together for a YMCA charity event. The race consisted of 4 people per team and each of us were to complete 2 laps of the CNE grounds in order to run 5k per person.
With over 500 teams of runners and walkers, there were sure to be a lot of quick folks out there so we just threw together a group of guys that were all about the same speed to see what we could do.
Before the 7:00pm race start, we were a little late getting organized so Jimmy (our lead runner) did not have a lot of time to prepare but did an amazing job getting warm before being sent along for his opening laps. He got out to a quick start before some of the speedsters caught him during his 5k. He came into the relay exchange area just a little over 18 minutes and sent me off for my run.
I pushed things right away and was able to pass a number of teams during my first loop. I tried not to get caught up in my time as it was a hot night and I had been training pretty hard right into this race so I was just hoping to hit the 17:20 mark to give our team a chance.
On my second loop, the heat slowed me down a touch and I should have grabbed some water at an aid station but the slower racers on the course had grouped up in this area so I continued onto my exchange and handed off to Jo Jo (Jowene) posting a 17:30 split.
Jo Jo then put in another solid effort to move up a few more spots in the team classifications and completed his 5k in 17:59 (i believe that was what his watch split said) before handing off to our anchor, Andrew. Mr Cooke than hammered through the last two laps to maintain our position and came within 10 seconds of hitting the Overall Podium.
In the end, we came in 4th Overall and 1st in the Team Age Group rankings. This was a very fun event made even more enjoyable as we were handed some great weather for the first time this spring. I look forward to hooking up with the team again next year as we try to jump onto the overall podium in 2012.
On May 31st, I traveled to downtown Toronto on a warm, humid evening. I had accepted a spot on the "30 Somethings'" relay squad that my buddy Jowene had put together for a YMCA charity event. The race consisted of 4 people per team and each of us were to complete 2 laps of the CNE grounds in order to run 5k per person.
With over 500 teams of runners and walkers, there were sure to be a lot of quick folks out there so we just threw together a group of guys that were all about the same speed to see what we could do.
Before the 7:00pm race start, we were a little late getting organized so Jimmy (our lead runner) did not have a lot of time to prepare but did an amazing job getting warm before being sent along for his opening laps. He got out to a quick start before some of the speedsters caught him during his 5k. He came into the relay exchange area just a little over 18 minutes and sent me off for my run.
I pushed things right away and was able to pass a number of teams during my first loop. I tried not to get caught up in my time as it was a hot night and I had been training pretty hard right into this race so I was just hoping to hit the 17:20 mark to give our team a chance.
On my second loop, the heat slowed me down a touch and I should have grabbed some water at an aid station but the slower racers on the course had grouped up in this area so I continued onto my exchange and handed off to Jo Jo (Jowene) posting a 17:30 split.
Jo Jo then put in another solid effort to move up a few more spots in the team classifications and completed his 5k in 17:59 (i believe that was what his watch split said) before handing off to our anchor, Andrew. Mr Cooke than hammered through the last two laps to maintain our position and came within 10 seconds of hitting the Overall Podium.
In the end, we came in 4th Overall and 1st in the Team Age Group rankings. This was a very fun event made even more enjoyable as we were handed some great weather for the first time this spring. I look forward to hooking up with the team again next year as we try to jump onto the overall podium in 2012.
June 6, 2011
Milton Duathlon 2011 - Race Report
The violent thunderstorms of Saturday were well past us when I woke early Sunday morning for my first duathlon of 2011. It wasn’t that the race time was particularly early but park entrance was mandatory before 8:30 due to the Try-A-Tri race. The race was held at Kelso Conservation Area just to the west of Milton so a very short 20 minute drive from home so I had no problem getting to the site by 8:00 and having lots of time to enjoy the incredible weather leading up to my 10:00 race.
Not having to rush, I had everything set up in plenty of time and was able to get in a quality warm up near the starting area. I used the time to look over most of the first run (which was pretty muddy from the rain the day before) and talk to a few folks hanging around, waiting for the games to begin (Thanks for the cheering Terry!).
Having so many new faces in the du field, I was not sure what to expect from the others. There sure looked like a number of them could take out the pace, but as Mitch sent us out for our race, I found myself up front without much of a sprint needed to get clear of the group. It seemed as though we were all going to ease into this one so I just made sure to run down the trail in a good line to avoid some of the puddles that had accumulated.
I was running together with a young, 23 year old for much of the first kilometre. He had a nice, long stride and appeared to be holding back compared to my effort so I was starting to wonder what he was going to bring on the bike. As we pushed closer to the turn around, Sean Delanghe (a name I did not know at the time but certainly do now!), put in a surge from the three hole and started to push the pace. I didn’t want to hammer the first run too much so I let him, and the other younger athlete, spread out in front as I comfortably held on to third around the sandwich board marker, just past 1km.
As we made our way back through the mass of runners, we settled into a solid mid three minute pace. The gap remained constant through much of the second/last kilometre so I was happy to hit transition in good shape with lots of leg left for the bike. I entered the zone fifteen seconds back of the lead covering the 2.21k opening leg in 7:55 (3:35 pace).
For T1, I had decided to put my cycling shoes on before mounting the bike as I have not practiced the transition much this season. I figured that I would save time by getting the shoes on nice and tight on my mat instead of slowing down on the bike trying to fumble around with straps. I believe this was the correct choice on the day as I got out to a serious pace on the Argon E114 with my best start on this course in four attempts.
With my course knowledge, I attacked the turns and caught the second place duathlete (Jerret Kennedy, coming off a strong 2010 season) right around the second km. As we climbed a minor grade on Campbelleville Road, a number of triathletes we sitting behind a slow moving mobile home. They had bunched up on the back end of the vehicle and were not sure what to do as crossing the yellow line would have risked DQ. Not wanting to give up more time to the leader (Sean), I told the crowd I was passing the RV on the right side so make some room. Not sure why they were not doing this themselves but I managed to get by without dropping too many seconds and was able to keep my cool. I then proceeded to pass the group of riders the vehicle was stuck behind before making a right turn onto Sixth Line.
Reaching Sixth Line hill, I was averaging a little over 40km/h even with the small traffic issue. My legs were feeling really strong so I decided it was time to push up this sucker with authority. I was making some good time moving past the triathletes on the course and finally spotted our duathlon leader a few hundred metres up the hill. He was moving well up this section so the gap remained the same during the climb as we hit the 5k marker at the top. Thankfully, I was able to recover from the ascent in good time and got on my horse to begin the battle for first place. Within a few minutes of hitting the top, I reeled in top spot and worked as hard as possible to make some space assuming he would be tough on the last run.
For the rest of the ride north, I tried to make up for the lost average (dropped more than 10km/h from going up the hill). This seven or eight kilometre section is rolling with a slight up slope and tiny headwind to hold the speed back. By the time I had crossed the top portion of the bike route, and hit the 15k marker, I was only averaging 32.5km/h so I had a lot of work to do on the way home to best my three previous efforts in Milton.
The next stretch, heading south (with tailwind), became a speed fest so I threw it down to my low gear and grinded away to pick up the pace. I was now finding some open space on the roads and could bury my head and hammer away. This continued until our last significant climb, just before re-joining Sixth Line, where I grabbed a small breather as I spun up the hill before turning right.
After the re-group, it was time to fly again and I managed to push the average to 35.5km/h before dropping down the escarpment where I picked up another kilometre per hour giving me some confidence to better my old times on this track. For the last four kilometres, I just kept the pedal down, using the wind and down slope to finally hit 37.5km/h just before the parking area in Kelso. At this point, there were some cars in line at the gate house and a few other athletes being cautious so I had to drop the speed more than I was planning for the dismount.
I reached T2 in first place but was not sure how far back my chasers were. I had a quicker transition but, as I started to run, I could feel I was not my old self. Our first challenge out of the bike zone was a dirt/gravel hill that I just could not attack. I tried to ease into the run hoping to find my legs up the trail but as I reached the next section nothing was turning on. I made my way through the park and turned north onto Appleby Line to face the tough climb towards Hilton Falls. Even though I was passing a lot of triathletes, I knew I was falling behind my goal of sub thirty minutes for this hard 7.5k run.
Trying to just get through the uphill portion (basically the entire first half), I looked for positives to motivate my legs but they did not respond. Finally, I made my way around the forest loop in Hilton Falls happy to know the way home would be downhill. I took a quick peak coming out of that park with just about three k to race and did not spot anyone from the duathlon.
After a long downhill run on Appleby, I finally made it to the back end of Kelso attempting to feed off the speed of one of the triathletes. It helped for a bit but I was still running a lot slower than usual and was not aware of the danger sneaking up behind.
With just under a kilometre to go in the race, a familiar runner pulled up beside me and started to pass. It was Sean and he was looking very strong. I tried to stay on his hip but a tiny cramp in my stomach was holding me back. I thought if I could keep the gap small enough for a final sprint I may be able to pull it off but the new race leader kicked it up a notch with around five hundred metres that I just could not close. I gave it one last effort but had nothing in the tank. I took a glance back to make sure nobody else was charging and set into a slow jog to the finish line way off the run split I had visualized for the past few weeks.
So overall, I ended up in 2nd place and 1st in my age group. I was happy with most of my race including the controlled first run and a PB on the bike course. I admit I am concerned with my final run off the bike as my run conditioning and speed is so much better in 2011 than the past but it did not translate into the duathlon on this day. I am sure Tyler and I will work this out and hammer some solid bricks in training before my next set of races.
Post race I got to thank my Aunt Cathy and Beth for coming out to cheer me along the course. It is always fun to race in front of family and friends so to have a decent result made it more rewarding.
I also had a chance to meet the winner, Sean Delanghe, and chat about his racing. It is always great to meet people that are excited about the sport so I Congratulate Sean on his impressive performance!
And…Congrats to all the others who raced in Milton!
Paul “Speedy”, Kevin, Darcy, Mat, Cameron, Jennifer, Carlos, Duncan (ageless wonder!), Shane. I hope I did not forget anyone!
Thanks to all my Sponsors and Supporters! HiPerformance Training, Mark Keating, FMCT Falcons, Endless Endurance, Feet in Motion, Zym
Lastly – a quick analysis of the top triathletes that competed in 2010 and 2011. Their 2011 bike splits were marginally quicker in most cases but their 2011 runs were close to a minute slower than 2010. Last year, the weather was cold, windy and rainy before the race (so I bailed) but this year the conditions seemed ideal. I guess we have not had time to adjust to running in the heat so it took a lot more out of us than expected. Interesting!
Not having to rush, I had everything set up in plenty of time and was able to get in a quality warm up near the starting area. I used the time to look over most of the first run (which was pretty muddy from the rain the day before) and talk to a few folks hanging around, waiting for the games to begin (Thanks for the cheering Terry!).
Having so many new faces in the du field, I was not sure what to expect from the others. There sure looked like a number of them could take out the pace, but as Mitch sent us out for our race, I found myself up front without much of a sprint needed to get clear of the group. It seemed as though we were all going to ease into this one so I just made sure to run down the trail in a good line to avoid some of the puddles that had accumulated.
I was running together with a young, 23 year old for much of the first kilometre. He had a nice, long stride and appeared to be holding back compared to my effort so I was starting to wonder what he was going to bring on the bike. As we pushed closer to the turn around, Sean Delanghe (a name I did not know at the time but certainly do now!), put in a surge from the three hole and started to push the pace. I didn’t want to hammer the first run too much so I let him, and the other younger athlete, spread out in front as I comfortably held on to third around the sandwich board marker, just past 1km.
As we made our way back through the mass of runners, we settled into a solid mid three minute pace. The gap remained constant through much of the second/last kilometre so I was happy to hit transition in good shape with lots of leg left for the bike. I entered the zone fifteen seconds back of the lead covering the 2.21k opening leg in 7:55 (3:35 pace).
For T1, I had decided to put my cycling shoes on before mounting the bike as I have not practiced the transition much this season. I figured that I would save time by getting the shoes on nice and tight on my mat instead of slowing down on the bike trying to fumble around with straps. I believe this was the correct choice on the day as I got out to a serious pace on the Argon E114 with my best start on this course in four attempts.
With my course knowledge, I attacked the turns and caught the second place duathlete (Jerret Kennedy, coming off a strong 2010 season) right around the second km. As we climbed a minor grade on Campbelleville Road, a number of triathletes we sitting behind a slow moving mobile home. They had bunched up on the back end of the vehicle and were not sure what to do as crossing the yellow line would have risked DQ. Not wanting to give up more time to the leader (Sean), I told the crowd I was passing the RV on the right side so make some room. Not sure why they were not doing this themselves but I managed to get by without dropping too many seconds and was able to keep my cool. I then proceeded to pass the group of riders the vehicle was stuck behind before making a right turn onto Sixth Line.
Reaching Sixth Line hill, I was averaging a little over 40km/h even with the small traffic issue. My legs were feeling really strong so I decided it was time to push up this sucker with authority. I was making some good time moving past the triathletes on the course and finally spotted our duathlon leader a few hundred metres up the hill. He was moving well up this section so the gap remained the same during the climb as we hit the 5k marker at the top. Thankfully, I was able to recover from the ascent in good time and got on my horse to begin the battle for first place. Within a few minutes of hitting the top, I reeled in top spot and worked as hard as possible to make some space assuming he would be tough on the last run.
For the rest of the ride north, I tried to make up for the lost average (dropped more than 10km/h from going up the hill). This seven or eight kilometre section is rolling with a slight up slope and tiny headwind to hold the speed back. By the time I had crossed the top portion of the bike route, and hit the 15k marker, I was only averaging 32.5km/h so I had a lot of work to do on the way home to best my three previous efforts in Milton.
The next stretch, heading south (with tailwind), became a speed fest so I threw it down to my low gear and grinded away to pick up the pace. I was now finding some open space on the roads and could bury my head and hammer away. This continued until our last significant climb, just before re-joining Sixth Line, where I grabbed a small breather as I spun up the hill before turning right.
After the re-group, it was time to fly again and I managed to push the average to 35.5km/h before dropping down the escarpment where I picked up another kilometre per hour giving me some confidence to better my old times on this track. For the last four kilometres, I just kept the pedal down, using the wind and down slope to finally hit 37.5km/h just before the parking area in Kelso. At this point, there were some cars in line at the gate house and a few other athletes being cautious so I had to drop the speed more than I was planning for the dismount.
I reached T2 in first place but was not sure how far back my chasers were. I had a quicker transition but, as I started to run, I could feel I was not my old self. Our first challenge out of the bike zone was a dirt/gravel hill that I just could not attack. I tried to ease into the run hoping to find my legs up the trail but as I reached the next section nothing was turning on. I made my way through the park and turned north onto Appleby Line to face the tough climb towards Hilton Falls. Even though I was passing a lot of triathletes, I knew I was falling behind my goal of sub thirty minutes for this hard 7.5k run.
Trying to just get through the uphill portion (basically the entire first half), I looked for positives to motivate my legs but they did not respond. Finally, I made my way around the forest loop in Hilton Falls happy to know the way home would be downhill. I took a quick peak coming out of that park with just about three k to race and did not spot anyone from the duathlon.
After a long downhill run on Appleby, I finally made it to the back end of Kelso attempting to feed off the speed of one of the triathletes. It helped for a bit but I was still running a lot slower than usual and was not aware of the danger sneaking up behind.
With just under a kilometre to go in the race, a familiar runner pulled up beside me and started to pass. It was Sean and he was looking very strong. I tried to stay on his hip but a tiny cramp in my stomach was holding me back. I thought if I could keep the gap small enough for a final sprint I may be able to pull it off but the new race leader kicked it up a notch with around five hundred metres that I just could not close. I gave it one last effort but had nothing in the tank. I took a glance back to make sure nobody else was charging and set into a slow jog to the finish line way off the run split I had visualized for the past few weeks.
So overall, I ended up in 2nd place and 1st in my age group. I was happy with most of my race including the controlled first run and a PB on the bike course. I admit I am concerned with my final run off the bike as my run conditioning and speed is so much better in 2011 than the past but it did not translate into the duathlon on this day. I am sure Tyler and I will work this out and hammer some solid bricks in training before my next set of races.
Post race I got to thank my Aunt Cathy and Beth for coming out to cheer me along the course. It is always fun to race in front of family and friends so to have a decent result made it more rewarding.
I also had a chance to meet the winner, Sean Delanghe, and chat about his racing. It is always great to meet people that are excited about the sport so I Congratulate Sean on his impressive performance!
And…Congrats to all the others who raced in Milton!
Paul “Speedy”, Kevin, Darcy, Mat, Cameron, Jennifer, Carlos, Duncan (ageless wonder!), Shane. I hope I did not forget anyone!
Thanks to all my Sponsors and Supporters! HiPerformance Training, Mark Keating, FMCT Falcons, Endless Endurance, Feet in Motion, Zym
Lastly – a quick analysis of the top triathletes that competed in 2010 and 2011. Their 2011 bike splits were marginally quicker in most cases but their 2011 runs were close to a minute slower than 2010. Last year, the weather was cold, windy and rainy before the race (so I bailed) but this year the conditions seemed ideal. I guess we have not had time to adjust to running in the heat so it took a lot more out of us than expected. Interesting!
June 2, 2011
Age Grouper Spotlight - Rhys Spencer
The power of networking over the internet has allowed me to learn much more about our sport and the people who make it so great. Thankfully, many of them are incredibly friendly and more than happy to pass along advice and comments based on their wealth of experiences.
I first came across the name, Rhys Spencer, after the 2010 Victoria’s Duathlon. This race usually contains a solid mix of the region’s top triathletes and duathletes so you know the competition will be tough. The field is much larger than our typical duathlons with many athletes taking advantage of this first event of the season to assess their fitness levels. This is what makes it such a great, early season test.
When I was looking over last year’s results, hoping to see a respectable bike split after a lot of off-season training, I noticed several of the people finishing around me had hammered their two wheelers over the 30k course. From that comparison, Rhys’ name popped out in a big way as he was right beside me in the finishing column but his bike split was much faster. In fact, it was the 4th fastest of the day. Because I could not recall his name from a past race, I ended up digging through some of his other results on the web where I could see he definitely knew what he was doing out there on a bike.
Coincidentally, it was around this time I also noticed his name in a Twitter reply on my coach’s site. If he knew Tyler, I figured he must have some intriguing triathlon opinions so I decided to follow his tweets. Quickly, I could see that he had a vast background in triathlon and cycling so I sent a few cycling questions in his direction which he swiftly answered with amazing responses.
As I thought about future guests for this Local Age Grouper series, I figured I could use the forum to ask this interesting, Toronto based Ironman a little more about his racing history and the use of philanthropy in many of his events. Of course, he generously accepted and provided some fantastic insight on what makes him so much more than your usual weekend warrior.
Q1. In early blog entries ( http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ ), you mentioned that you had been through a significant lifestyle change. How did you get away from your bad habits to find the world of triathlon (and cycling)?
- Well, quitting smoking after 7 years was hard but I remember thinking, if I can do that cold turkey, I can do anything. So I started to mountain bike with some friends in Dundas who were very influential in my decision to me lead a cleaner life. We all enjoy our beer (then) and our wine (now!) but we hung out a lot back then and hit the local trail scene in Waterdown and Dundas. I was hooked and quitting smoking was actually quite easy because I had this outlet that made me feel really good and healthy which kept me away from the behaviors that I associated with smoking. You want to quit smoking? Three rules:
• you have to WANT to
• realize you are quitting a behavior as much as an addiction
• find an outlet and set yourself up for success
Mountain biking was that outlet. Soon, I was reflecting on my teen years, watching The Badger Hinault and Greg LeMond in the tour with my Italian neighbours, and the famous 1989 Iron War in Hawaii between Dave Scott and Mark Allen. I said, "well, you just quit smoking, picked up mountain biking & didn't finish last...you can do anything...". From there, it was an 18 month progression from duathlon, to sprint tri, to the Peterborough half Iron Distance to Ironman Florida in 2000.
Lastly, at the time I was getting into all this, I met my wife to be whose dad, when alive, was a HUGE ROADIE! Luck would have it, I found the love of my life who also "got it" when it came to 6 hour rides followed by 2 hour naps and plates of pasta. I am truly blessed in that regard!
Q2. You have used your athletic abilities to accomplish much more than personal glory. Through fundraising efforts, you have given a large portion of funds back to the community. What initially gave you the idea to use your racing as a charitable outlet?
- Truthfully, it started on a whim and then quickly grew into something that "felt right". My first Ironman I did it initially via my employer where they matched what I raised and we donated to the Food Bank of Toronto. It was as fulfilling as the accomplishment of finishing an Ironman and that nugget of memory I placed very near to me and promised never to forget.
Q3. How do you decide which charities to support when you are drawing up a fundraising plan?
- One commitment I made to myself was to change it up. Sometimes volunteering turns to work because you are repeating year over year over year and the reward I have witnessed with others, begins to fade and it turns to work. So I said to myself, "what do you feel passionate about that needs help TODAY...?" So charities I have supported include the aforementioned Toronto Food Bank, Breast Cancer Society, Lymphoma and Leukemia Foundation, Sick Kids Hospital, United Way Peel Chapter, to name a few. It keeps it fresh and I get to learn about their causes and why they are important, under-funded and need awareness.
My mother passed of AML Leukemia and my wife's father, a brain tumor, so clearly those two charities are a constant thread for our charitable donations budget.
Q4. You changed your 2011 schedule due to a recent invitation to compete in the Ironman Championships, via the lottery. What will be the goal for this year’s Kona race?
- I struggle with this every swim session!!!!!!!! I want to compete, I would love to leave the Ironman sport on Alii Drive with a PB but I am realistic. I haven't raced Ironman in 3 years, I just started swimming, after a year off and I took 8 weeks off running this spring. So, I have a lot of catch up to do. Other side of brain is saying, the sport has become very fast in 40-44 age group so treat this race like a celebration of turning 40, a celebration of "what's possible", a celebration of where I came from, and a celebration into Ironman RETIREMENT!
I think that was therapy typing that, the goal is: HAVE FUN!
Q5. Will you still be able to ride in the Tour for Kids, as per your earlier plans? Or, will training for Kona be too much of a distraction at that point?
- My #1 commitment in 2011 is to do the Tour for Kids charity ride. 3 great cancer camps are supported by amazing fundraisers, athletes and volunteers. What a celebration! And, if we map out where it lands, in relation to Kona, I actually think the Tour for Kids is a perfect block of training. It is 7 weeks before the race, gives me a huge bike test (doing 800K over 4 days) and I can then recover for a week and hit out some hard epic runs and swims while maintaining bike fitness with some threshold work in the odd local road race/time trail. The whole package is just one big celebration of giving back and athletics, a perfect marriage!!
Q6. A few years ago, your major focus was the Ironman distance triathlon but in recent seasons you have concentrated more on your cycling. Why did you decide to switch the direction in your recreational pursuits?
- I hate swimming. I really do. That bloody black line is like a horrible relationship but you keep going back for more brutal suffering. And trust me, my wife Meredith will tell you, letting go of Ironman was like a break up for me because I couldn't figure it out. It had been 10 years of my identity and gave me a real belief in myself. I owe the sport that much. It has helped my career, my relationships, and my beliefs. Sounds corny but it is true. Then last year I crashed bike racing, got really battered and bruised and couldn't swim or run. That was the plug, I was done because I was forced away and I realized how free I felt. Kind of like finally walking away from a bad relationship!! So I focused 100% on the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont and had a superb time.
Kona is too sweet to pass, so 1 more year, and I will say knowing that I feel liberated and free to train and enjoy all of it. It is a great feeling!
Q7. To date, what is your most memorable sporting moment?
- As a competitor I have one very poignant, special moment. I finished IMUK in 2006, eight months after my mom passed. I crossed that line and had my dad, sister, bro-in-law, wife, niece and nephew there. I was a euphoric 30 seconds off a PB but a hard course. But that wasn't why it was euphoric. I ran the last 5K in 22:30 and it felt like a sprint, thinking only of my mom. I was running on air and when I finished and hugged my dad, it was that 10 seconds that told me so much about life, about my family. I will never forget that and it can't be repeated.
As a fan, being at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with my dad and my mom in 2003 watching Wales beat Ireland for their first Grand Slam in 25 years. That means going unbeaten in the Six Nations beating Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and Italy. Think Canada - Salt Lake City Olympic gold medal game, on steroids.
Q8. Who is the one athlete from the sport of triathlon, or cycling, that you love to watch compete?
Simon Whitfield. He's such a warrior racing, and a down to earth great guy to ride a bike with and chat. What he did in Beijing, with that much pressure, was poetry in sport.
Q9. What is the one thing you would do (if you were running the show - OCA) to make the sport of cycling more popular in Ontario?
- Too many to list. I can't even start. I will say, culturally, cycling is a mess both from the athlete and the UCI, the CCA, and OCA. Wait, the answer really? Outsource race organization to 1 organizer to consolidate and create a consistent, safe race experience. That one person is Graham Fraser.
PS: PLEASE GRAHAM!!!! -:)
Q10. From your years of experience, what advice would you give to someone about to attempt their first Ironman?
- The same thing someone told me on the balcony of the Florida hotel the night before mine. A total stranger said this and it really resonated.
"You're prepped, fit and ready to go. Two things: you only do your first one ONCE so enjoy it, and something WILL go wrong. What separates a good from bad race is problem solving."
To learn more about Rhys and his Charitable Causes, please visit his blog.
http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/
I first came across the name, Rhys Spencer, after the 2010 Victoria’s Duathlon. This race usually contains a solid mix of the region’s top triathletes and duathletes so you know the competition will be tough. The field is much larger than our typical duathlons with many athletes taking advantage of this first event of the season to assess their fitness levels. This is what makes it such a great, early season test.
When I was looking over last year’s results, hoping to see a respectable bike split after a lot of off-season training, I noticed several of the people finishing around me had hammered their two wheelers over the 30k course. From that comparison, Rhys’ name popped out in a big way as he was right beside me in the finishing column but his bike split was much faster. In fact, it was the 4th fastest of the day. Because I could not recall his name from a past race, I ended up digging through some of his other results on the web where I could see he definitely knew what he was doing out there on a bike.
Coincidentally, it was around this time I also noticed his name in a Twitter reply on my coach’s site. If he knew Tyler, I figured he must have some intriguing triathlon opinions so I decided to follow his tweets. Quickly, I could see that he had a vast background in triathlon and cycling so I sent a few cycling questions in his direction which he swiftly answered with amazing responses.
As I thought about future guests for this Local Age Grouper series, I figured I could use the forum to ask this interesting, Toronto based Ironman a little more about his racing history and the use of philanthropy in many of his events. Of course, he generously accepted and provided some fantastic insight on what makes him so much more than your usual weekend warrior.
10 Questions for Rhys Spencer
Q1. In early blog entries ( http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ ), you mentioned that you had been through a significant lifestyle change. How did you get away from your bad habits to find the world of triathlon (and cycling)?
- Well, quitting smoking after 7 years was hard but I remember thinking, if I can do that cold turkey, I can do anything. So I started to mountain bike with some friends in Dundas who were very influential in my decision to me lead a cleaner life. We all enjoy our beer (then) and our wine (now!) but we hung out a lot back then and hit the local trail scene in Waterdown and Dundas. I was hooked and quitting smoking was actually quite easy because I had this outlet that made me feel really good and healthy which kept me away from the behaviors that I associated with smoking. You want to quit smoking? Three rules:
• you have to WANT to
• realize you are quitting a behavior as much as an addiction
• find an outlet and set yourself up for success
Mountain biking was that outlet. Soon, I was reflecting on my teen years, watching The Badger Hinault and Greg LeMond in the tour with my Italian neighbours, and the famous 1989 Iron War in Hawaii between Dave Scott and Mark Allen. I said, "well, you just quit smoking, picked up mountain biking & didn't finish last...you can do anything...". From there, it was an 18 month progression from duathlon, to sprint tri, to the Peterborough half Iron Distance to Ironman Florida in 2000.
Lastly, at the time I was getting into all this, I met my wife to be whose dad, when alive, was a HUGE ROADIE! Luck would have it, I found the love of my life who also "got it" when it came to 6 hour rides followed by 2 hour naps and plates of pasta. I am truly blessed in that regard!
Q2. You have used your athletic abilities to accomplish much more than personal glory. Through fundraising efforts, you have given a large portion of funds back to the community. What initially gave you the idea to use your racing as a charitable outlet?
- Truthfully, it started on a whim and then quickly grew into something that "felt right". My first Ironman I did it initially via my employer where they matched what I raised and we donated to the Food Bank of Toronto. It was as fulfilling as the accomplishment of finishing an Ironman and that nugget of memory I placed very near to me and promised never to forget.
Q3. How do you decide which charities to support when you are drawing up a fundraising plan?
- One commitment I made to myself was to change it up. Sometimes volunteering turns to work because you are repeating year over year over year and the reward I have witnessed with others, begins to fade and it turns to work. So I said to myself, "what do you feel passionate about that needs help TODAY...?" So charities I have supported include the aforementioned Toronto Food Bank, Breast Cancer Society, Lymphoma and Leukemia Foundation, Sick Kids Hospital, United Way Peel Chapter, to name a few. It keeps it fresh and I get to learn about their causes and why they are important, under-funded and need awareness.
My mother passed of AML Leukemia and my wife's father, a brain tumor, so clearly those two charities are a constant thread for our charitable donations budget.
Q4. You changed your 2011 schedule due to a recent invitation to compete in the Ironman Championships, via the lottery. What will be the goal for this year’s Kona race?
- I struggle with this every swim session!!!!!!!! I want to compete, I would love to leave the Ironman sport on Alii Drive with a PB but I am realistic. I haven't raced Ironman in 3 years, I just started swimming, after a year off and I took 8 weeks off running this spring. So, I have a lot of catch up to do. Other side of brain is saying, the sport has become very fast in 40-44 age group so treat this race like a celebration of turning 40, a celebration of "what's possible", a celebration of where I came from, and a celebration into Ironman RETIREMENT!
I think that was therapy typing that, the goal is: HAVE FUN!
Q5. Will you still be able to ride in the Tour for Kids, as per your earlier plans? Or, will training for Kona be too much of a distraction at that point?
- My #1 commitment in 2011 is to do the Tour for Kids charity ride. 3 great cancer camps are supported by amazing fundraisers, athletes and volunteers. What a celebration! And, if we map out where it lands, in relation to Kona, I actually think the Tour for Kids is a perfect block of training. It is 7 weeks before the race, gives me a huge bike test (doing 800K over 4 days) and I can then recover for a week and hit out some hard epic runs and swims while maintaining bike fitness with some threshold work in the odd local road race/time trail. The whole package is just one big celebration of giving back and athletics, a perfect marriage!!
Q6. A few years ago, your major focus was the Ironman distance triathlon but in recent seasons you have concentrated more on your cycling. Why did you decide to switch the direction in your recreational pursuits?
- I hate swimming. I really do. That bloody black line is like a horrible relationship but you keep going back for more brutal suffering. And trust me, my wife Meredith will tell you, letting go of Ironman was like a break up for me because I couldn't figure it out. It had been 10 years of my identity and gave me a real belief in myself. I owe the sport that much. It has helped my career, my relationships, and my beliefs. Sounds corny but it is true. Then last year I crashed bike racing, got really battered and bruised and couldn't swim or run. That was the plug, I was done because I was forced away and I realized how free I felt. Kind of like finally walking away from a bad relationship!! So I focused 100% on the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont and had a superb time.
Kona is too sweet to pass, so 1 more year, and I will say knowing that I feel liberated and free to train and enjoy all of it. It is a great feeling!
Q7. To date, what is your most memorable sporting moment?
- As a competitor I have one very poignant, special moment. I finished IMUK in 2006, eight months after my mom passed. I crossed that line and had my dad, sister, bro-in-law, wife, niece and nephew there. I was a euphoric 30 seconds off a PB but a hard course. But that wasn't why it was euphoric. I ran the last 5K in 22:30 and it felt like a sprint, thinking only of my mom. I was running on air and when I finished and hugged my dad, it was that 10 seconds that told me so much about life, about my family. I will never forget that and it can't be repeated.
As a fan, being at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with my dad and my mom in 2003 watching Wales beat Ireland for their first Grand Slam in 25 years. That means going unbeaten in the Six Nations beating Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and Italy. Think Canada - Salt Lake City Olympic gold medal game, on steroids.
Q8. Who is the one athlete from the sport of triathlon, or cycling, that you love to watch compete?
Simon Whitfield. He's such a warrior racing, and a down to earth great guy to ride a bike with and chat. What he did in Beijing, with that much pressure, was poetry in sport.
Q9. What is the one thing you would do (if you were running the show - OCA) to make the sport of cycling more popular in Ontario?
- Too many to list. I can't even start. I will say, culturally, cycling is a mess both from the athlete and the UCI, the CCA, and OCA. Wait, the answer really? Outsource race organization to 1 organizer to consolidate and create a consistent, safe race experience. That one person is Graham Fraser.
PS: PLEASE GRAHAM!!!! -:)
Q10. From your years of experience, what advice would you give to someone about to attempt their first Ironman?
- The same thing someone told me on the balcony of the Florida hotel the night before mine. A total stranger said this and it really resonated.
"You're prepped, fit and ready to go. Two things: you only do your first one ONCE so enjoy it, and something WILL go wrong. What separates a good from bad race is problem solving."
To learn more about Rhys and his Charitable Causes, please visit his blog.
http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/
May 26, 2011
SOLD (Thank you!)
This is a Red alum framed 58cm road bike
Shimano 105 - 9speed components
Front forks are Bontrager Carbon
Seat post is carbon.
Brakes are Crane Creek
Wheel set is stock Bontrager and very durable.
Comes with Look pedals
$800 obo
Great starter or intermediate bike. I used it mainly to train with so I could save my tri bike for the races and important sessions. Components have some wear but lots of life and the frame is in excellent condtion.
larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca
Shimano 105 - 9speed components
Front forks are Bontrager Carbon
Seat post is carbon.
Brakes are Crane Creek
Wheel set is stock Bontrager and very durable.
Comes with Look pedals
$800 obo
Great starter or intermediate bike. I used it mainly to train with so I could save my tri bike for the races and important sessions. Components have some wear but lots of life and the frame is in excellent condtion.
larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca
May 20, 2011
Product Review – An AG Athlete’s (Not Scientist's) Perspective
Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews
I must admit I was curious to see if Honey Stinger could change my mind about the chew format of nutritional racing/training aids. I had a poor experience a few years back in the Muskoka Chase Duathlon when I tried another brand’s chew style product. As I reached into my jersey pocket, to start my run, the once jube jube like texture had melted away and I was left with a sticky mess of slim on my hand. It was a frustrating experience that killed my focus until I was able to reach the next water station to clean off the liquefied, jelly substance.
This memory was still very lasting in my mind when I was asked to try a few Honey Stinger versions recently. I was heading out for a training ride with the Falcons and decided to pack one of the flavours (Cherry Blossom) for an extra little kick around the hour marker. Reading the package, they suggested 5 to 10 of these Chews per hour. With 10 per pack, I thought I would test a few before the ride and still have more than enough energy left in the package for later.
They were very delicious and the product was very easy to consumer, similar to a cherry gummy candy. Satisfied with the taste and chewability test, I was now wondering how they would hold up under a bit of heat stored away in my pocket. As we pushed close to an hour into the ride, we came to a stop to regroup where I took the opportunity to pop back the rest of the Honey Stinger Chews. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had held their form and consistency so there was no mess in my hand or my clothing.
As we continued on our way, for another 30 to 40 minutes, I remained solid in the saddle and felt strong along the entire ride. For me, I look for a product that keeps me feeling powerful for the duration of the effort. If I bonk out on one of these rides, I know my training product has failed. Wishing to add some variety to my workouts (I have been in a gel only rut for a while), I was more than happy to see these pass with flying colours.
During the same week, I tested out the Pomegranate Passion Fruit (a nice dark fruit flavour with a hint of citrus/pineapple on my palette), Orange (a traditional orange taste) and Fruit Smoothie (I experienced a red grape/cherry taste from this flavour) on a mix of rides and runs and had great results with each sample.
My most solid workouts came when I consumed 4 or 5 chews pre-ride/run and left 5 or 6 chews to eat just before the hour mark of the training session. This gave me a little pep to start and kept me energized through cool down.
With a limited number of products trusted enough to carry along for the longer rides and runs, I am pleased to say Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews will always be welcome to tag along!
To try some of these yourself please see http://www.endlessendurace.com/ . They offer free shipping on any order within Canada so you cannot go wrong!
For more detailed information about the product visit http://www.honeystinger.com/ .
Product Details from the Endless Endurance Site-
Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews are formulated specifically for health-conscious individuals and athletes seeking a great tasting energy snack. Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews are unique as they are the first to include naturally occurring fiber and protein derived from 100% organic tapioca syrup and honey. Smaller and softer than other chews.
Made with USDA certified Organic ingredients. 160 calories per package Gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO ingredients. 0g Trans Fats and no partially hydrogenated oils. 100% RDA Vitamin C along with 1g protein and 1g fibre per package. Adults and kids love them!
Flavors: Cherry Blossom (CHERRY) Fruit Smoothie Mix (FRUIT) Orange (ORANGE) Pomegranate (POMEGRANATE)
May 16, 2011
Mississauga Half Marathon - Race Report
I had the Mississauga Half Marathon marked on my calendar as soon as I experienced the disappointment of last fall’s Hamilton Half. I think most readers of the blog know how frustrated runners were by the bad course measurement at Road2Hope so I needed to test out another course and Mississauga seemed like a good fit for my schedule.
With race morning finally here, I was very excited to make my way over to the Square One Shopping Centre to hit the starting line. I live pretty close, and the early start (7:30am) meant very little traffic on the roads, so it was a quick commute which brought me into the parking area about an hour and a half before the official start time. This gave me plenty of time to slowly prepare my gear and get some more nutrition in before dropping off my bag for the beginning of the point to point run.
As forecasted, the weather was not very nice on this rainy, windy spring morning so I kept dry and warm inside the car for a number of minutes. I was actually not too worried about the drizzle and cool temperatures but was not too pleased with the direction and speed of the wind we would have to battle for a majority of the race.
With just under an hour to go, I decided to walk over to the main gathering area for my final preparations and to see if I could find any friends in the crowd. With about five thousand people starting at this position, it can be tough to spot folks (especially when most are wearing extra gear so picking jerseys is not an option) but I did manage to get in a few pre-race good lucks with some fellow Falcons and online buddies.
Finally, the wait was over and it was go time. I grabbed a spot in the first corral and noticed some of the faces and names (on their bib) around me so I did not want to be right on the line as this would only force me to start out far too quick off the gun. Settling in the second row, behind local elite Predrag Mladenovic, I cautiously started my 21.1k journey down to the lake. Judging from past results, I assumed I should be around top 20 so I just wanted to stay back from the leaders and ease into a smooth rhythm.
For the first five km we had the wind to our backs. This was a section I should have padded the pace stats a little more for later in the race but I started chatting with one of the marathon runners and fell off my target a notch. He was doing his first full and was interested in my experiences. Never one to turn down a chance to talk racing, I continued gabbing until I finally noticed my slow start around the 3.5k area. When I realized this slip in speed, it was time for a downhill portion to the Credit River bridge so I used the down slope to help pick up the pace.
Just after the five kilometre marker, I turned south on Mississauga Road for an eleven km section through the beautiful estate area of the city. To my surprise, the wind was slowing us much more through this stretch than I imagined. At this point I was running solo and could not protect myself from the elements so I had to focus and tried to keep as close to the game plan as possible.
A little further down the road the course turned left into the University of Toronto, Mississauga where we all did a loop around the campus. I could now hear some footsteps so I hoped that this person would gradually work past me so I could rest in their draft for a while. This did not happen as soon as I thought and I was getting tired pushing through the breeze. Thankfully, once we got to the University Recreation Centre, he finally made his move. I got on right away and we reached the 8k timing mat together (he started a little farther back so it looks like he was quicker to this point) before cresting the large hill on Mississauga Road dropping us into the valley.
He descended faster than I and I could tell he was trying to pick up some lost time as well. At the intersection of Dundas and Mississauga Rd, he started to add more time between the two of us but I ran a very tight line through the curves of the next section to get back on his heels before the climb at 10k. We reached that marker in 37:30 (3:45 pace, which would have been the plan given more favourable wind conditions) so I was now worried that I had fallen well behind where I need to be to battle a head wind during the final 4.5k along the lake shore.
By the time we had climbed to the top, I had taken the front position of our twosome and was trying to get back up to speed as quickly as possible. I did a shoulder check to make sure he was locked on and was happy to see him following closely. I led for a few hundred more metres before he picked up his pace and started to swing through. With only one runner in striking distance (about 300m ahead of me), and nobody directly behind, I figured this may be the only guy that could team up to help cut through the gusty air.
As he pulled up beside me, I asked what his goal was and he mentioned he was trying to hit 3:45 splits but had zoned out for a bit. He was now struggling through the breeze to make up ground so was onboard to work together and try to get back on track.
For the next five kilometres we took turns pulling off the front and saving energy on the back. We were making strides on the gentleman ahead and I was starting to plan the next bridge hoping we could create a threesome. Passing by Lakeshore Blvd, we made it down to the 16k marker slightly slower than 3:45 pace so I knew it was going to be a huge task to pick up time once we reached the bottom of Mississauga Road where we had to turn left to begin our tour along the coast of Lake Ontario.
When we finally funneled onto the asphalt trail, the force of the wind hammered us dead on. This brought out a few select curse words from my mouth and I knew it was now time to dig very deep into reserves. Unfortunately, only seconds into the turn I could tell I was starting to lose my team mate.
Just a few metres ahead, though, was the gentleman we gradually brought back to us so I hoped he had some horses left for the home stretch. I finally pulled up beside him on the walkway over the river and told him he could jump on because we would be wounded ducks trying it solo. He hooked on and we started our push through the mix of side streets and paths along the south end of Port Credit.
I was exerting every last bit of energy counting down the final steps of the race. With one kilometre to go, I picked up the pace again but my fellow racer was not able to respond and fell off a few seconds behind. We had actually worked our way closer to another fading runner but it would take a massive effort this late to grab another position. I used the slight glimmer of hope to produce a final sprint around the bay and up to the finish line. This brought me within seven seconds of a top ten and eighteen seconds away from the elusive sub 1:20:00.
After getting through the timing mats, I waited to thank the two racers I had worked with and was happy to hear that they were appreciated of the team work. I may have missed my goal but was proud of my effort under less than ideal weather conditions. There will be other attempts and new goals down the road!
I then gulped down some fuel and recovery drinks and made a smart decision to visit the massage tent. This is the first time I have taken advantage of this resource at a race and must say it was the best idea of the day! Next, it was time to warm up in some dry clothes and hang out friends as we checked out the results and waited for some others to wrap up their journeys.
On a parting note, I must give a big round of applause for all the great volunteers and spectators (especially the fellow Falcons!) for braving the crappy conditions. It is very much appreciated!
With race morning finally here, I was very excited to make my way over to the Square One Shopping Centre to hit the starting line. I live pretty close, and the early start (7:30am) meant very little traffic on the roads, so it was a quick commute which brought me into the parking area about an hour and a half before the official start time. This gave me plenty of time to slowly prepare my gear and get some more nutrition in before dropping off my bag for the beginning of the point to point run.
As forecasted, the weather was not very nice on this rainy, windy spring morning so I kept dry and warm inside the car for a number of minutes. I was actually not too worried about the drizzle and cool temperatures but was not too pleased with the direction and speed of the wind we would have to battle for a majority of the race.
With just under an hour to go, I decided to walk over to the main gathering area for my final preparations and to see if I could find any friends in the crowd. With about five thousand people starting at this position, it can be tough to spot folks (especially when most are wearing extra gear so picking jerseys is not an option) but I did manage to get in a few pre-race good lucks with some fellow Falcons and online buddies.
Finally, the wait was over and it was go time. I grabbed a spot in the first corral and noticed some of the faces and names (on their bib) around me so I did not want to be right on the line as this would only force me to start out far too quick off the gun. Settling in the second row, behind local elite Predrag Mladenovic, I cautiously started my 21.1k journey down to the lake. Judging from past results, I assumed I should be around top 20 so I just wanted to stay back from the leaders and ease into a smooth rhythm.
For the first five km we had the wind to our backs. This was a section I should have padded the pace stats a little more for later in the race but I started chatting with one of the marathon runners and fell off my target a notch. He was doing his first full and was interested in my experiences. Never one to turn down a chance to talk racing, I continued gabbing until I finally noticed my slow start around the 3.5k area. When I realized this slip in speed, it was time for a downhill portion to the Credit River bridge so I used the down slope to help pick up the pace.
Just after the five kilometre marker, I turned south on Mississauga Road for an eleven km section through the beautiful estate area of the city. To my surprise, the wind was slowing us much more through this stretch than I imagined. At this point I was running solo and could not protect myself from the elements so I had to focus and tried to keep as close to the game plan as possible.
A little further down the road the course turned left into the University of Toronto, Mississauga where we all did a loop around the campus. I could now hear some footsteps so I hoped that this person would gradually work past me so I could rest in their draft for a while. This did not happen as soon as I thought and I was getting tired pushing through the breeze. Thankfully, once we got to the University Recreation Centre, he finally made his move. I got on right away and we reached the 8k timing mat together (he started a little farther back so it looks like he was quicker to this point) before cresting the large hill on Mississauga Road dropping us into the valley.
He descended faster than I and I could tell he was trying to pick up some lost time as well. At the intersection of Dundas and Mississauga Rd, he started to add more time between the two of us but I ran a very tight line through the curves of the next section to get back on his heels before the climb at 10k. We reached that marker in 37:30 (3:45 pace, which would have been the plan given more favourable wind conditions) so I was now worried that I had fallen well behind where I need to be to battle a head wind during the final 4.5k along the lake shore.
By the time we had climbed to the top, I had taken the front position of our twosome and was trying to get back up to speed as quickly as possible. I did a shoulder check to make sure he was locked on and was happy to see him following closely. I led for a few hundred more metres before he picked up his pace and started to swing through. With only one runner in striking distance (about 300m ahead of me), and nobody directly behind, I figured this may be the only guy that could team up to help cut through the gusty air.
As he pulled up beside me, I asked what his goal was and he mentioned he was trying to hit 3:45 splits but had zoned out for a bit. He was now struggling through the breeze to make up ground so was onboard to work together and try to get back on track.
For the next five kilometres we took turns pulling off the front and saving energy on the back. We were making strides on the gentleman ahead and I was starting to plan the next bridge hoping we could create a threesome. Passing by Lakeshore Blvd, we made it down to the 16k marker slightly slower than 3:45 pace so I knew it was going to be a huge task to pick up time once we reached the bottom of Mississauga Road where we had to turn left to begin our tour along the coast of Lake Ontario.
When we finally funneled onto the asphalt trail, the force of the wind hammered us dead on. This brought out a few select curse words from my mouth and I knew it was now time to dig very deep into reserves. Unfortunately, only seconds into the turn I could tell I was starting to lose my team mate.
Just a few metres ahead, though, was the gentleman we gradually brought back to us so I hoped he had some horses left for the home stretch. I finally pulled up beside him on the walkway over the river and told him he could jump on because we would be wounded ducks trying it solo. He hooked on and we started our push through the mix of side streets and paths along the south end of Port Credit.
I was exerting every last bit of energy counting down the final steps of the race. With one kilometre to go, I picked up the pace again but my fellow racer was not able to respond and fell off a few seconds behind. We had actually worked our way closer to another fading runner but it would take a massive effort this late to grab another position. I used the slight glimmer of hope to produce a final sprint around the bay and up to the finish line. This brought me within seven seconds of a top ten and eighteen seconds away from the elusive sub 1:20:00.
After getting through the timing mats, I waited to thank the two racers I had worked with and was happy to hear that they were appreciated of the team work. I may have missed my goal but was proud of my effort under less than ideal weather conditions. There will be other attempts and new goals down the road!
I then gulped down some fuel and recovery drinks and made a smart decision to visit the massage tent. This is the first time I have taken advantage of this resource at a race and must say it was the best idea of the day! Next, it was time to warm up in some dry clothes and hang out friends as we checked out the results and waited for some others to wrap up their journeys.
On a parting note, I must give a big round of applause for all the great volunteers and spectators (especially the fellow Falcons!) for braving the crappy conditions. It is very much appreciated!
May 3, 2011
Please Support a Friend - Follow his Blog...
Thanks to the internet, I have been able to create a respectable following of online friends and readers. I have been able to connect with and learn from so many people through this blog so I hope you find the material interesting as I pass it along.
As I have mentioned in the past, I may not have the technical advice for our sport but I try to use my voice to promote the sport and the people in the sport that have caught my attention. As I was reading my Facebook news feed this morning, I came across a posting from a friend that offered up a link to his blog and I decided to follow through to see what he was up to. I knew he was working on a project (through a few conversations we had regarding his upcoming cycling events) but his blog provided much more insight so I thought I would send along the link so others could follow along.
Below is the link for you to connect with Adam Fitzsimmons, who is promoting a wellness program within his industry to help support the CanHEAR Uganda mission.
http://fitwithphonak.blogspot.com/
I will admit I am now just reading more to learn about his cause but, from what I have seen so far, Adam is doing a great job using his passion in sport to promote a very worthwhile charity initiative.
Please check out his site and support him in any way possible. I am sure he will appreciate comments, donations or moral support to help him achieve his goals.
Thank you!
Larry
PS - if you have something you would like me to post, drop me a line at larrybradleytoronto (at) yahoo.ca .
As I have mentioned in the past, I may not have the technical advice for our sport but I try to use my voice to promote the sport and the people in the sport that have caught my attention. As I was reading my Facebook news feed this morning, I came across a posting from a friend that offered up a link to his blog and I decided to follow through to see what he was up to. I knew he was working on a project (through a few conversations we had regarding his upcoming cycling events) but his blog provided much more insight so I thought I would send along the link so others could follow along.
Below is the link for you to connect with Adam Fitzsimmons, who is promoting a wellness program within his industry to help support the CanHEAR Uganda mission.
http://fitwithphonak.blogspot.com/
I will admit I am now just reading more to learn about his cause but, from what I have seen so far, Adam is doing a great job using his passion in sport to promote a very worthwhile charity initiative.
Please check out his site and support him in any way possible. I am sure he will appreciate comments, donations or moral support to help him achieve his goals.
Thank you!
Larry
PS - if you have something you would like me to post, drop me a line at larrybradleytoronto (at) yahoo.ca .
May 2, 2011
Very Sad News for the Running Community
Danny Kassap, a popular and resilient Toronto runner, died suddenly early Monday morning.
Kassap passed away at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, but the exact cause hasn’t been reported. Funeral arrangements are underway. Kassap was 29.
For the full article, please click below to visit the Canadian Running Magazine link.
http://runningmagazine.ca/2011/05/sections/news/running-community-mourns-passing-of-danny-kassap/
Kassap passed away at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, but the exact cause hasn’t been reported. Funeral arrangements are underway. Kassap was 29.
For the full article, please click below to visit the Canadian Running Magazine link.
http://runningmagazine.ca/2011/05/sections/news/running-community-mourns-passing-of-danny-kassap/
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