After a few weeks of mild depression, as I worried about a possible long term injury, I am happy to say I am back in action. When I arrived back from Vegas I made an appointment to see my Physio as soon as I could and thank goodness her diagnosis was on the positive side. My fear was that I had a stress fracture in my shin but she checked things out and determined that it was just muscle strain along that region. I took a few more days off after the initial treatment and went back for a second round less than a week later. Now I am back in business as the pain has disappeared and I can run confident that I will not be adding to a small fracture in my lower leg.
Obviously, after sitting on the sidelines for a few weeks, I had to slowly ramp back up to the speeds and distances that I was hitting before I shut things down. Today is actually my first speed session coming off the injured reserve so I am excited to see if I can build it up or if I will be winded earlier than my January tests? I was entering February in great shape thanks to a much better diet but I have fallen off the sugar wagon since the stress levels increased. Thankfully, I have not gained much in weight but I do notice a little more chub around the belly than I was sporting three weeks ago.
It is tough to eliminate all the bad foods, as I am sure everyone can attest. Problem with me is that I don't just snack, I devour mass quantities of all items that get in my way. I am also a terrible impulse purchaser and will grab garbage foods as I walk to the counter to pay for the products I really need. Damn you smart marketing people!
Hopefully, the outdoor long rides will start up soon so I can burn off a few more calories! I did get out for a 90 minute cruise on Sunday to commute to work. It was a lot more enjoyable than sitting on the trainer so I will cross my fingers for the bigger, weekend sessions to commence in the coming weeks. My attention span on the trainer is 45 to 60 minutes so getting the endurance sets done are way too painful indoors. Hats off to all those 2 and 3 hour stationary cycling folks I read about!
Anyway, just wanted to drop a quick update before my blog got too stale.
Talk soon,
Larry
February 28, 2012
February 16, 2012
Here I am...
I know, I have been a little quiet for the past few weeks due to work and family stuff so here's a quick update.
Last week, I was in Las Vegas for a work related trip so I was kept pretty busy and away from my computer. It was not a great week as my training suffered and I fell back into some bad habits with poor eating and very little rest (tried to sleep but too many things bouncing around my head). Let's just say, I am not a big fan of the Vegas experience. Thankfully, I stuck to my plan of not gambling so I did not walk away from there minus any funds that I hope to put towards my running and cycling this season. That would have been a huge bummer.
Before I left for Vegas, I had a very amazing January of training. Specifically in my running where I put in some big weeks with a lot of solid speed work. I kept to my diet during the month and, by the end of the period, was feeling light and quick. I was getting super excited about month two of the new year but in the past week I think the volume may have caught up with me. As a precaution, I reduced my running last week in case it was a stress fracture in my shin.
The problem was not bothering me during the runs but I felt a little pain while sitting around during the meetings. It didn't help that I took a slap shot off that area in my last game between the pipes in hockey days before leaving for Sin City. I did run a few times on the treadmill at the hotel but decided to get a few professional opinions before making a possible fracture worse and having to take more time off to heal. After a visit with my physio today, it appears to be just a common strain that just needs some extra stretching and care. That was nice news for the day. I will stay with Tyler's cycling week plans to keep the impact off the area for a few more days and then ease back into the run. Hopefully, I will pick up where I left off and continue to get ready for the Sporting Life 10k.
Another thing affecting my training these days is the health of the people around me at home. Nothing major but everyone has been down with the flu for the past three weeks so it has been tough to leave the house without feeling guilty. Thankfully, I have the trainer set up in the basement this year so I can spend some time on it after everyone is sleeping. Although, on a few occasions I have been interrupted to help out after someone has had a coughing fit or needed to cool a fever. Fun times!
Anyway, just a quick note. I have my first 2012 Product Review almost completed so please keep an eye open for my report on CEP Compression Running Socks! So very amazing results from this product. Wish I had more of them for Vegas so I could recover during all the meetings!
Last week, I was in Las Vegas for a work related trip so I was kept pretty busy and away from my computer. It was not a great week as my training suffered and I fell back into some bad habits with poor eating and very little rest (tried to sleep but too many things bouncing around my head). Let's just say, I am not a big fan of the Vegas experience. Thankfully, I stuck to my plan of not gambling so I did not walk away from there minus any funds that I hope to put towards my running and cycling this season. That would have been a huge bummer.
Before I left for Vegas, I had a very amazing January of training. Specifically in my running where I put in some big weeks with a lot of solid speed work. I kept to my diet during the month and, by the end of the period, was feeling light and quick. I was getting super excited about month two of the new year but in the past week I think the volume may have caught up with me. As a precaution, I reduced my running last week in case it was a stress fracture in my shin.
The problem was not bothering me during the runs but I felt a little pain while sitting around during the meetings. It didn't help that I took a slap shot off that area in my last game between the pipes in hockey days before leaving for Sin City. I did run a few times on the treadmill at the hotel but decided to get a few professional opinions before making a possible fracture worse and having to take more time off to heal. After a visit with my physio today, it appears to be just a common strain that just needs some extra stretching and care. That was nice news for the day. I will stay with Tyler's cycling week plans to keep the impact off the area for a few more days and then ease back into the run. Hopefully, I will pick up where I left off and continue to get ready for the Sporting Life 10k.
Another thing affecting my training these days is the health of the people around me at home. Nothing major but everyone has been down with the flu for the past three weeks so it has been tough to leave the house without feeling guilty. Thankfully, I have the trainer set up in the basement this year so I can spend some time on it after everyone is sleeping. Although, on a few occasions I have been interrupted to help out after someone has had a coughing fit or needed to cool a fever. Fun times!
Anyway, just a quick note. I have my first 2012 Product Review almost completed so please keep an eye open for my report on CEP Compression Running Socks! So very amazing results from this product. Wish I had more of them for Vegas so I could recover during all the meetings!
January 27, 2012
Age Grouper Spotlight - Sean Delanghe
The 2011 Milton Duathlon was my first du in a little more than a calendar year. I spent most of 2010 racing triathlon but did not enjoy the swim training very much so I decided to go back to my comfort zone, run/bike/run.
As it turns out, one gentleman in this race would leave a lasting impression on me as he glided past me with about 500 metres left to the finish. I knew he was a strong runner, from the open 2k run, but I hoped I had put enough of a gap between us on the bike to avoid being caught on the final leg of the race. I guessed wrong. He put out an amazing effort, on a tough course, and fought very hard for that win.
Thankfully, I had a chance to chat with the victor after the race where I discovered he wasn't so new to the sport after all. We then connected over the internet through the summer and got out for a great training ride in his old stomping grounds, Collingwood. His cycling skills were impressive in the hills and he went on to a fantastic Centurion Canada race a few weeks after our scouting mission.
Dr. Sean Delanghe recently graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and has now set up shop in the Waterloo area. Make sure you look him up if you are in need of some attention ( http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/p/contact.html ) .
Q1. How long have you been competing in duathlon/triathlon?
- I started with some Kids of Steel events when I was really young, along with some local, smaller scale races. However, I jumped into my first “adult” multisport race in 1999 when I was 13, the Collingwood Duathlon. The course was ridiculous, taking us up Grey Road 19 (7-8 km of climbing, which felt like a lot when I was 13), but I had so much fun.
Q2. Do you train as much as you would like or are there outside factors that limit your training?
- Work (and previously school) definitely limits the amount of time I train. However, I almost think this is a good thing. I get excited about getting out for a run or a ride, and I dream about this stuff throughout the busy day. Sure, I would be able to fit in more if I was less busy but I don’t think I would have nearly as much fun with it. Right now, training and racing is my release and I am more than happy to keep it that way.
Q3. How do you find training now that you are out in the workforce?
- I’m finding it easier than when I was in school, surprisingly. When I was in chiropractic school, my schedule was so inconsistent that I just had to squeeze in workouts whenever I “felt like it”. And then, during exams, it was almost impossible to put in any worthwhile work. While I am probably working more total hours now, the consistency is amazing. For instance, I know for a fact that I can do intervals with a group I lead every Monday night, whereas I did not have that luxury while in school. I just find it much easier to rely on scheduled training rather than will power on any given day.
Q4. If you had a full day to train (with fresh legs), which workout would you pick to make the most of this time?
- If I had a full day, I would without a doubt add more endurance work (especially long rides). Being able to sleep in, have a good breakfast and then get on the bike for 4+ hours without having to worry about other responsibilities would be amazing. Having the time to eat and rest properly after the workout (and potentially throw in another ride) would be a great day.
Q5. Do you see yourself entering triathlon in the future or will you be sticking with duathlon for the next few years?
- I think for now I will be sticking with duathlon. I love training for biking and running, so duathlon was a natural progression of my love of both of these sports. I did pursue swimming for a few months one off season, but realized that I just was not having fun with it. I do have a decent swimming background so never say never (that’s for all the Justin Bieber fans out there hah!), but for now I’ll stick with duathlons and road races.
Q6. What is your most memorable sporting moment?
- I would have to go back to that first duathlon in Collingwood (1999). I was 13 years old and I remember being really intimidated by everybody around me. Even when I signed up, we had to argue with the people doing registration because they said I should be racing the Kids of Steel event, not the adult event. Everybody had their tri suits and easy laces, and seemingly nice bikes with areo bars. I was wearing old mountain bike clothes, had two pairs of running shoes (one for the first run, one for the second), and my dad’s old road bike. At that point my goal was to just finish the race. The distance was 4km-30km-4km and I remember finishing the first 4km in first place. I couldn’t believe what was going on because I was so used to being beat by other runners at my track club. I ended up being passed on the bike, but held on for 2nd place overall. It is a great memory, and one of the major reasons why I still race today!
Q7. How important is technology in your training?
- Up until Christmas this year, I never used any technology beyond a stopwatch. I just went based on effort - make it hurt during intervals, make it kind of hurt on tempo days, and keep it smooth-ish on endurance days. However, this year I received a Garmin 310 as a gift. I am just learning how to use it now, so things may change.
Q8. Which athlete inspires you to be the best you can be?
- The athletes that really inspire me include my parents and a group of my parent’s friends. They are all busy professionals, yet they have still found the time to stay not only fit, but competitive in endurance sports throughout their entire lives. For instance, two of these individuals were 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the 65-69 age group in the Collingwood Centurion last September. These people have shown me (from a young age) that it is possible to have a happy and successful family, social and professional life, while still pursuing sport at a high level.
Q9. What are your main goals for 2012?
- My main goal is to be faster than last year. I wouldn’t mind diving into a 34:something 10km, or breaking the 39km/h barrier during the bike leg of a duathlon.
Q10. Do you have any sponsors that you would like to mention?
- I’d like to thank Compressport Canada for helping me out with some gear. Squire John’s (a ski and bike shop near Collingwood) for helping me out with a bike this year. Maikawa Financial for helping me out with some gear. Also, I have to thank my #1 all time sponsors: Mom and Dad!
Dr. Delange is also blogging and has started a very imforative site for us athletes!
http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/
As it turns out, one gentleman in this race would leave a lasting impression on me as he glided past me with about 500 metres left to the finish. I knew he was a strong runner, from the open 2k run, but I hoped I had put enough of a gap between us on the bike to avoid being caught on the final leg of the race. I guessed wrong. He put out an amazing effort, on a tough course, and fought very hard for that win.
Thankfully, I had a chance to chat with the victor after the race where I discovered he wasn't so new to the sport after all. We then connected over the internet through the summer and got out for a great training ride in his old stomping grounds, Collingwood. His cycling skills were impressive in the hills and he went on to a fantastic Centurion Canada race a few weeks after our scouting mission.
Dr. Sean Delanghe recently graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and has now set up shop in the Waterloo area. Make sure you look him up if you are in need of some attention ( http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/p/contact.html ) .
10 Questions with Sean Delanghe
- I started with some Kids of Steel events when I was really young, along with some local, smaller scale races. However, I jumped into my first “adult” multisport race in 1999 when I was 13, the Collingwood Duathlon. The course was ridiculous, taking us up Grey Road 19 (7-8 km of climbing, which felt like a lot when I was 13), but I had so much fun.
Q2. Do you train as much as you would like or are there outside factors that limit your training?
- Work (and previously school) definitely limits the amount of time I train. However, I almost think this is a good thing. I get excited about getting out for a run or a ride, and I dream about this stuff throughout the busy day. Sure, I would be able to fit in more if I was less busy but I don’t think I would have nearly as much fun with it. Right now, training and racing is my release and I am more than happy to keep it that way.
Q3. How do you find training now that you are out in the workforce?
- I’m finding it easier than when I was in school, surprisingly. When I was in chiropractic school, my schedule was so inconsistent that I just had to squeeze in workouts whenever I “felt like it”. And then, during exams, it was almost impossible to put in any worthwhile work. While I am probably working more total hours now, the consistency is amazing. For instance, I know for a fact that I can do intervals with a group I lead every Monday night, whereas I did not have that luxury while in school. I just find it much easier to rely on scheduled training rather than will power on any given day.
Q4. If you had a full day to train (with fresh legs), which workout would you pick to make the most of this time?
- If I had a full day, I would without a doubt add more endurance work (especially long rides). Being able to sleep in, have a good breakfast and then get on the bike for 4+ hours without having to worry about other responsibilities would be amazing. Having the time to eat and rest properly after the workout (and potentially throw in another ride) would be a great day.
- I think for now I will be sticking with duathlon. I love training for biking and running, so duathlon was a natural progression of my love of both of these sports. I did pursue swimming for a few months one off season, but realized that I just was not having fun with it. I do have a decent swimming background so never say never (that’s for all the Justin Bieber fans out there hah!), but for now I’ll stick with duathlons and road races.
Q6. What is your most memorable sporting moment?
- I would have to go back to that first duathlon in Collingwood (1999). I was 13 years old and I remember being really intimidated by everybody around me. Even when I signed up, we had to argue with the people doing registration because they said I should be racing the Kids of Steel event, not the adult event. Everybody had their tri suits and easy laces, and seemingly nice bikes with areo bars. I was wearing old mountain bike clothes, had two pairs of running shoes (one for the first run, one for the second), and my dad’s old road bike. At that point my goal was to just finish the race. The distance was 4km-30km-4km and I remember finishing the first 4km in first place. I couldn’t believe what was going on because I was so used to being beat by other runners at my track club. I ended up being passed on the bike, but held on for 2nd place overall. It is a great memory, and one of the major reasons why I still race today!
Q7. How important is technology in your training?
- Up until Christmas this year, I never used any technology beyond a stopwatch. I just went based on effort - make it hurt during intervals, make it kind of hurt on tempo days, and keep it smooth-ish on endurance days. However, this year I received a Garmin 310 as a gift. I am just learning how to use it now, so things may change.
Q8. Which athlete inspires you to be the best you can be?
- The athletes that really inspire me include my parents and a group of my parent’s friends. They are all busy professionals, yet they have still found the time to stay not only fit, but competitive in endurance sports throughout their entire lives. For instance, two of these individuals were 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the 65-69 age group in the Collingwood Centurion last September. These people have shown me (from a young age) that it is possible to have a happy and successful family, social and professional life, while still pursuing sport at a high level.
- My main goal is to be faster than last year. I wouldn’t mind diving into a 34:something 10km, or breaking the 39km/h barrier during the bike leg of a duathlon.
Q10. Do you have any sponsors that you would like to mention?
- I’d like to thank Compressport Canada for helping me out with some gear. Squire John’s (a ski and bike shop near Collingwood) for helping me out with a bike this year. Maikawa Financial for helping me out with some gear. Also, I have to thank my #1 all time sponsors: Mom and Dad!
Dr. Delange is also blogging and has started a very imforative site for us athletes!
http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/
January 26, 2012
This stuff is crazy...
So I was shopping at Best Buy over the holidays and as I was waiting for a sales person to help me, I found myself glued to a promo video playing on one of the televisions.
It was a cycling video but it was beyond extreme and I could not stop watching. I could not believe the single track spine riding these guys were pulling off at incredible speeds.
There is no way in hell I could ever muster up the courage to tackle this type of route but man is it ever cool to watch. They did not show any crashes but now that I have watched more of these on youtube I have seen what happens when you go off course. Early retirement...
Also, I am going to be adding a Product Review section to my site in between Age Group Spotlights. I really appreciate the help of @kevinjagger from CEP Canada as I ramp up to start this new blog series. Stay tuned...
It was a cycling video but it was beyond extreme and I could not stop watching. I could not believe the single track spine riding these guys were pulling off at incredible speeds.
There is no way in hell I could ever muster up the courage to tackle this type of route but man is it ever cool to watch. They did not show any crashes but now that I have watched more of these on youtube I have seen what happens when you go off course. Early retirement...
Also, I am going to be adding a Product Review section to my site in between Age Group Spotlights. I really appreciate the help of @kevinjagger from CEP Canada as I ramp up to start this new blog series. Stay tuned...
January 17, 2012
Age Grouper Spotlight - Kane Picken
My first impression of Kane was from an early 2010 FMCT club TT. I was studying the results from one of the races I missed and noticed a new name up near the top. As the name did not ring a bell, I checked a few of the local results sites to learn more about this new Falcon but I could not dig up anything on my computer.
A few weeks later, after another club time trial, we got to chat a little and introduce ourselves. From the accent, I knew he was from another hotbed of triathlon a tiny distance to the south, Australia. Growing up down under, Kano had built quite the resume in the sport but had just taken some time off as he moved to Canada. He and his fiancee (now wife) were just getting settled in the area and he was feeling the itch to compete once again.
After using the 2010 season to get back into form, Kano had planned out an amazing calendar of races for 2011. He had a few of the favourite local races mixed in with some famous selections south of the border. I knew from a few of our training sessions that he was in great shape as he ramped up for Ironman Louisville so I was very surprised to hear about his illness that sidelined him just a few months before the big race. Unfortunately, a string of set backs followed so he had to pass up many of the events he had worked so hard to prepare for, ultimately tossing the 2011 triathlon season away.
Thankfully, this tough Aussie is feeling healthy again and is ready to take aim on a promising 2012!
Q1. How did you get started in the sport of triathlon?
- In my late twenties, I was at a difficult point in my life. I needed to make some changes. I had always been active but had found myself sliding quickly out of control. So, I decided it was time to get happy and healthy. A short run to the end of our road kicked it off. Originally, it was to get fit for the up coming rugby season but, when I stumbled across an adventure race in Men’s Health, my focus changed direction. My dad bought a mountain bike for me he had seen for sale and away I went. The adventure race was a three-man team so my uncle, dad and I entered and had an absolute blast! A couple of weeks later I raced my first triathlon 300m/10k/2.5k and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Q2. How tough was it to sit out most of 2011 due to health issues?
- Some years are forgettable, 2011 is going to be one of them. It was extremely tough. For all of us time is precious, especially, when you spend all your spare time training for triathlons. I’m sure many can relate to me when I say I had minute-by-minute of everyday planned out. Ironman Louisville was my main target for the year and I was ready to go big. I was the fittest I had ever been and determined to reach my goals. Being hospitalized and diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis certainly brought the wheels to a screeching halt. I think the news that racing Louisville was now out of the question was harder to take than the diagnoses. Being 2 months out from the race, I felt I still had time. Once I had recovered, I began training again in hope there was still a chance. However, after my second hospital visit, and a mere 6 hours from death due to organ failure, I realized it was time to let it go. I still traveled to Louisville to be a part of the action. I was surprised by the visit of my mum and one of my sisters. What I learnt from all this was it's time to listen to my body. Rest when you’re tired; take two days off if that’s what you need, be smart.
Q3. What are your long term goals in the sport?
- My long term goals in the sport of triathlon are to make multiple visits to Hawaii for the World Championships. I want to win my age group at a domestic Ironman event. Also, I would like to take a trip to Las Vegas for the 70.3 World Championships. I would like to continue to love the sport and enjoy doing it for the right reasons. Lastly, I hope to inspire more friends to get involved so they can reap the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Q4. How do you motivate yourself to push through all the long training hours?
- I’m motivated by the fact that I like to work hard and I like to see results (I’m not happy with my results). I’m motivated by my long-term goals. I’m motivated because I’m not the best so there is always room for improvement. Training for triathlons, and competing in them, is rewarding and a positive way to live life.
Q5. What piece of gear would you love to purchase if you had an unlimited budget?
- Electronic shifters
Q6. What is your favourite training session?
- It’s a toss up between a long ocean swim with mates or a long brick session. I love the ocean swims as there is no black line, the water is clear and beautiful, it’s peaceful and I like nothing more than swimming in salt water. Long brick sessions are tough and rewarding. Spending 6hrs of your Saturday or Sunday out on the road and trails isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it builds real character and confidence.
Q7. Do you have any sponsors you would like to mention or thank?
- Clif Bar has given me great support and I’m happy to refer anyone to try their products. They have a huge selection for every kind of workout or recovery and the best thing is they taste great. Steve Keating, owner of Du, tri and Run in Streetsville, has given me amazing support. I’m very thankful for his generousity. For any of your triathlon needs in the Mississauga area, be sure to visit Steve. Maverick Hair Studio for men. It’s the place to go for stylish haircuts to keep you looking fast. Lastly, if you’re in the Erin area, “The Shed” has great coffee and super friendly staff to boot.
Q8. What do you find different between Australian and Canadian triathlon at the local level?
- Truthfully, there is not a huge amount of difference. Taking nothing away from the competition here, which has plenty of great athletes, I find the competition goes a lot deeper in each age group back home. Some races cracking the top 20 can be hard. Canada lacks in the number of Pros racing at each event. However, I like what Multisport Canada is doing this year with the Elite Age Group division and some prize money to go with it. Other than that, both countries have great race options, friendly competition and are well organized.
Q9. Who is the one triathlete you would love to spend a training week with?
- I can’t go past Craig Alexander. He is a humble, hardworking champion who always puts his family first.
Q10. What is the best piece of training advice you have received and from whom?
- Something that I live and die by now, especially after last year’s issues, is it's better to do too little rather than too much. Over training will only lead to injury. This was advice given to me by my Uncle, a multiple Hawaiian Ironman finisher.
Make sure you follow Kane on his blog @ http://kanepicken.blogspot.com/ !
A few weeks later, after another club time trial, we got to chat a little and introduce ourselves. From the accent, I knew he was from another hotbed of triathlon a tiny distance to the south, Australia. Growing up down under, Kano had built quite the resume in the sport but had just taken some time off as he moved to Canada. He and his fiancee (now wife) were just getting settled in the area and he was feeling the itch to compete once again.
After using the 2010 season to get back into form, Kano had planned out an amazing calendar of races for 2011. He had a few of the favourite local races mixed in with some famous selections south of the border. I knew from a few of our training sessions that he was in great shape as he ramped up for Ironman Louisville so I was very surprised to hear about his illness that sidelined him just a few months before the big race. Unfortunately, a string of set backs followed so he had to pass up many of the events he had worked so hard to prepare for, ultimately tossing the 2011 triathlon season away.
Thankfully, this tough Aussie is feeling healthy again and is ready to take aim on a promising 2012!
10 Questions with Kane Picken
Q1. How did you get started in the sport of triathlon?
- In my late twenties, I was at a difficult point in my life. I needed to make some changes. I had always been active but had found myself sliding quickly out of control. So, I decided it was time to get happy and healthy. A short run to the end of our road kicked it off. Originally, it was to get fit for the up coming rugby season but, when I stumbled across an adventure race in Men’s Health, my focus changed direction. My dad bought a mountain bike for me he had seen for sale and away I went. The adventure race was a three-man team so my uncle, dad and I entered and had an absolute blast! A couple of weeks later I raced my first triathlon 300m/10k/2.5k and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Q2. How tough was it to sit out most of 2011 due to health issues?
- Some years are forgettable, 2011 is going to be one of them. It was extremely tough. For all of us time is precious, especially, when you spend all your spare time training for triathlons. I’m sure many can relate to me when I say I had minute-by-minute of everyday planned out. Ironman Louisville was my main target for the year and I was ready to go big. I was the fittest I had ever been and determined to reach my goals. Being hospitalized and diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis certainly brought the wheels to a screeching halt. I think the news that racing Louisville was now out of the question was harder to take than the diagnoses. Being 2 months out from the race, I felt I still had time. Once I had recovered, I began training again in hope there was still a chance. However, after my second hospital visit, and a mere 6 hours from death due to organ failure, I realized it was time to let it go. I still traveled to Louisville to be a part of the action. I was surprised by the visit of my mum and one of my sisters. What I learnt from all this was it's time to listen to my body. Rest when you’re tired; take two days off if that’s what you need, be smart.
Q3. What are your long term goals in the sport?
- My long term goals in the sport of triathlon are to make multiple visits to Hawaii for the World Championships. I want to win my age group at a domestic Ironman event. Also, I would like to take a trip to Las Vegas for the 70.3 World Championships. I would like to continue to love the sport and enjoy doing it for the right reasons. Lastly, I hope to inspire more friends to get involved so they can reap the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Q4. How do you motivate yourself to push through all the long training hours?
- I’m motivated by the fact that I like to work hard and I like to see results (I’m not happy with my results). I’m motivated by my long-term goals. I’m motivated because I’m not the best so there is always room for improvement. Training for triathlons, and competing in them, is rewarding and a positive way to live life.
Q5. What piece of gear would you love to purchase if you had an unlimited budget?
- Electronic shifters
Q6. What is your favourite training session?
- It’s a toss up between a long ocean swim with mates or a long brick session. I love the ocean swims as there is no black line, the water is clear and beautiful, it’s peaceful and I like nothing more than swimming in salt water. Long brick sessions are tough and rewarding. Spending 6hrs of your Saturday or Sunday out on the road and trails isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it builds real character and confidence.
Q7. Do you have any sponsors you would like to mention or thank?
- Clif Bar has given me great support and I’m happy to refer anyone to try their products. They have a huge selection for every kind of workout or recovery and the best thing is they taste great. Steve Keating, owner of Du, tri and Run in Streetsville, has given me amazing support. I’m very thankful for his generousity. For any of your triathlon needs in the Mississauga area, be sure to visit Steve. Maverick Hair Studio for men. It’s the place to go for stylish haircuts to keep you looking fast. Lastly, if you’re in the Erin area, “The Shed” has great coffee and super friendly staff to boot.
Q8. What do you find different between Australian and Canadian triathlon at the local level?
- Truthfully, there is not a huge amount of difference. Taking nothing away from the competition here, which has plenty of great athletes, I find the competition goes a lot deeper in each age group back home. Some races cracking the top 20 can be hard. Canada lacks in the number of Pros racing at each event. However, I like what Multisport Canada is doing this year with the Elite Age Group division and some prize money to go with it. Other than that, both countries have great race options, friendly competition and are well organized.
Q9. Who is the one triathlete you would love to spend a training week with?
- I can’t go past Craig Alexander. He is a humble, hardworking champion who always puts his family first.
Q10. What is the best piece of training advice you have received and from whom?
- Something that I live and die by now, especially after last year’s issues, is it's better to do too little rather than too much. Over training will only lead to injury. This was advice given to me by my Uncle, a multiple Hawaiian Ironman finisher.
Make sure you follow Kane on his blog @ http://kanepicken.blogspot.com/ !
Get the Press Rolling...
I was looking back at some posts from last year and came across a number of the online interviews I conducted. I really enjoyed learning more about the folks that make up tour local triathlon community so I figured I had better pick up where I left off in 2011.
I have one person in mind (a nominee from 2011 just as I was moving into race mode) that I have contacted so hopefully I can start off with this gentleman and get the ball rolling.
If you have an Age Group athlete that you would like to nominate, please send the information my way and I will do my best to find out more about this local talent.
Please re-visit some of the great guest from the past through the link below.
http://larryofteamrunningfree.blogspot.com/search/label/interview
Some of the people you can read about through this link are...
Canadian AG Athletes
-Paul Gonsalves
-Rhys Spencer
-Marco Sadeghi
-David Frake
-Tommy Ferris
-Glenn Camplin
-Luke Ehgoetz
-Carlos Vilchez
-Bruce Bird
-Richard Pady
And Canadian Pros
-Brent Poulsen
-Simon Whitfield
-Tom Evans
Enjoy!
I have one person in mind (a nominee from 2011 just as I was moving into race mode) that I have contacted so hopefully I can start off with this gentleman and get the ball rolling.
If you have an Age Group athlete that you would like to nominate, please send the information my way and I will do my best to find out more about this local talent.
Please re-visit some of the great guest from the past through the link below.
http://larryofteamrunningfree.blogspot.com/search/label/interview
Some of the people you can read about through this link are...
Canadian AG Athletes
-Paul Gonsalves
-Rhys Spencer
-Marco Sadeghi
-David Frake
-Tommy Ferris
-Glenn Camplin
-Luke Ehgoetz
-Carlos Vilchez
-Bruce Bird
-Richard Pady
And Canadian Pros
-Brent Poulsen
-Simon Whitfield
-Tom Evans
Enjoy!
January 14, 2012
Head Strong...
In my early career, I was fortunate enough to learn several sides of the pro sports business from many of the top players in the industry. One person, in particular, presented countless opportunities (scouting, practice goaltending, video analysis, etc.) to me during those years that eventually led to my part-time (hobby) role as an Assistant Video Coach in the NHL (and now as Video Coach in the AHL).
On several occasions I would visit his office to discuss how his work with athletes improved the product on the ice or in the dressing room. He obviously could not get into specifics or names (which I was not interested in anyway) but it was always interesting to hear how the mental strength of an athlete adds huge gains to their physical skills. There are so many obstacles a pro athlete needs to tackle during their rise to the top and anyone without mental toughness is sure to struggle and will out on reaching their full potential.
Through this friendship, I soaked in as many examples as I could. When I then took up running, to get back into shape, I thought back to his lessons to help me get through the tough miles on the road. I knew that I had to reinforce my physical effort with a positive mental state to ensure I put the most into my training. If you could hear my thoughts during training and racing you would see how much I took away from his teachings.
So, why am I sharing this? Well Mr. Paul Dennis has recently created a twitter account for all to follow. If you would like to receive thought provoking tweets from Canada's top sports psychologist please follow @dennissportpsy on twitter!
On several occasions I would visit his office to discuss how his work with athletes improved the product on the ice or in the dressing room. He obviously could not get into specifics or names (which I was not interested in anyway) but it was always interesting to hear how the mental strength of an athlete adds huge gains to their physical skills. There are so many obstacles a pro athlete needs to tackle during their rise to the top and anyone without mental toughness is sure to struggle and will out on reaching their full potential.
Through this friendship, I soaked in as many examples as I could. When I then took up running, to get back into shape, I thought back to his lessons to help me get through the tough miles on the road. I knew that I had to reinforce my physical effort with a positive mental state to ensure I put the most into my training. If you could hear my thoughts during training and racing you would see how much I took away from his teachings.
So, why am I sharing this? Well Mr. Paul Dennis has recently created a twitter account for all to follow. If you would like to receive thought provoking tweets from Canada's top sports psychologist please follow @dennissportpsy on twitter!
January 5, 2012
Things are taking shape...
Wow, what a difference a week makes!
My training has been very solid in the new year but the biggest difference so far is my improved diet. I have cut out the sweets and have been snacking a lot more wisely and it is already showing, big time! I know it is easy to do this for the short term, when I set my mind to it, so it is going to be very important that I keep on track throughout the year. The past few seasons I have been overly relaxed with my eating habits and ended up racing much heavier than I would have liked. I know I will have to enjoy the odd day of bad food choices now and then but must reduce those instances in a big way.
So what else is happening? Actually, not a heck of a lot. Just trying to set up a race calendar for 2012 that includes a little bit of all my passions. A little running, duathlon and triathlon. Makes for a busy year so I hope I can pick some of my favourites and work them into an OCup cycling schedule.
Another thing I have been doing of late is catching up on some reading. A very good posting I just read comes from local triathlete, Rhys Spencer. He lays out a great summary of what it takes to complete a quick Ironman so please check it out http://rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ .
I also enjoyed reading Ricard Westwood's latest analysis of his training program. If you are an Age Group cyclist interested to see how one of the top performers in his AG gets it done, you would be wise to follow his link at http://richard-westwood.blogspot.com/ !
Of course, there are several other worthy reads from the list of blogs I follow so please scan over to the left side of my page and add some to your daily information gathering!
Lastly, I will leave you with a video that I have been studying of late. Coach Tyler continues to emphasize the importance of efficiencies in my running. Forefoot running with higher knee action are some of the mental keys I have been using of late. This YouTube video demonstrates what I have been trying to incorporate into my drills. I hope you enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaYQwq6TnXY&feature=related
My training has been very solid in the new year but the biggest difference so far is my improved diet. I have cut out the sweets and have been snacking a lot more wisely and it is already showing, big time! I know it is easy to do this for the short term, when I set my mind to it, so it is going to be very important that I keep on track throughout the year. The past few seasons I have been overly relaxed with my eating habits and ended up racing much heavier than I would have liked. I know I will have to enjoy the odd day of bad food choices now and then but must reduce those instances in a big way.
So what else is happening? Actually, not a heck of a lot. Just trying to set up a race calendar for 2012 that includes a little bit of all my passions. A little running, duathlon and triathlon. Makes for a busy year so I hope I can pick some of my favourites and work them into an OCup cycling schedule.
Another thing I have been doing of late is catching up on some reading. A very good posting I just read comes from local triathlete, Rhys Spencer. He lays out a great summary of what it takes to complete a quick Ironman so please check it out http://rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ .
I also enjoyed reading Ricard Westwood's latest analysis of his training program. If you are an Age Group cyclist interested to see how one of the top performers in his AG gets it done, you would be wise to follow his link at http://richard-westwood.blogspot.com/ !
Of course, there are several other worthy reads from the list of blogs I follow so please scan over to the left side of my page and add some to your daily information gathering!
Lastly, I will leave you with a video that I have been studying of late. Coach Tyler continues to emphasize the importance of efficiencies in my running. Forefoot running with higher knee action are some of the mental keys I have been using of late. This YouTube video demonstrates what I have been trying to incorporate into my drills. I hope you enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaYQwq6TnXY&feature=related
December 28, 2011
2011 - Year in Rear View
Sitting here as the final days tick down I have to admit I am not totally satisfied with my athletic achievements during the past 365 days. I set some big, but obtainable, goals for 2011 but only cashed in a few solid performances.
Looking in the mirror, as scary as it may be (HA HA), I can only blame myself for the short comings. I laid out a silly schedule that I hardly stuck to. On workouts, I got lazy on the bricks and it showed big time on the few duathlons I competed in. Lastly, I never really got serious about my eating habits and raced almost every event 5 to 10 pounds over my desired weight. If I really want to take my performances to the next level in 2012, I will have to get serious about cutting calories. This older body just doesn't have the metabolism it once had.
So thinking back on the year, here is a quick month by month account of how 2011 played out.
January - things were going really well to start the new year. Tyler had us geared up on the spinning and strength end of the training with several group sessions per week. I was getting through the routines with more ease than a few months earlier so I was getting pumped about the season. At the end of the month I went on a work trip to the USVI and this set me off track with the food and drink.
February - Back at it with the gang until I made a bad lift with the kettle bells and trapped a nerve in my upper back. This required several weeks of physio and reduced my running and cycling for most of February and March.
March - A lot more rehab on the back continued to slow my desired speed work I had planned. Due to the condition of my back I decided to hold off pre-registering for any races until I knew I would be ready to race up to my potential.
April - My back and neck were feeling much better so I jumped into the Spring into Motion 5k to see how things were lining up. It turned out to be a tough day with wind and snow but I managed to go mid 17 minutes so I felt OK with speed. With Mississauga Half Marathon as a priority race in May, I had to adjust the rest of my duathlon schedule as I would not have recovered enough to race Victoria's Du.
May - As my first major race arrived, I felt ready to run fast but at the Mississauga Half Marathon the wind was not our friend and I missed out on sub 1:20, again. This time by less than 20 seconds so that was disappointing but I took the positives and keep training hard for my first duathlon in June.
June - This month was rather busy with the Milton Duathlon to start things off. I was third on the opening run, first off the bike but suffered on the run to finish second to a new friend. This should have motivated me to pick up my brick training but I brushed it off thinking I will get back in the next race. The second race was a four person, 5k relay. It was after work so I rushed down to Exhibition Place to meet Jo Jo and the crew. I ran a strong 5k but still mid 17 minutes. Lastly, I ran the 10k portion of a triathlon relay team in Guelph Lakes. With Ang and Richard, we pulled off the win but I still wanted to go faster than 37minutes. At the end of the month I changed my Peterborough Half Ironman Du focus to the Tri as Syd and Ryan asked me to guide Brian Cowie.
July - Brian and I completed the Peterborough Half Iron Triathlon on a very hot and humid day. It was quite an experience and I am very happy to have had the privilege to race with Brian. We have stayed in contact since the race so I am very thankful for this opportunity to make a new amazing friend. After Peterborough, I had to travel twice for work (Calgary and California) so my schedule had to be adjusted again. This meant I missed out on the Provincial Duathlon Championships in Cobourg.
August - With my commitment to Centurion Collingwood to my FMCT friends, cycling took a front seat for the next few months. I spent a lot of weekend time riding with the gang so running was not too important. I did not want to go into a 100mile bike race without the proper training. In early August I did wet my duathlon whistle one more time for 2011 and raced the Niagara Duathlon. It was a decent race and I managed the victory to add some confidence to my future training.
September - After joining the Ontario Masters Association (looking to do fall XC races) I decided to take a flyer and race Carrotfast 5k. It was the OMA 5k Championships so I tested my running legs against all my cycling training and was able to match my earlier 5k time of 2011, winning my AG for the 2011 OMA 5k Championships. After that it was all about Centurion. Leading into the race I ended up tearing a muscle in my lower abs that hurt my running but I could continue to ride. When race day finally came, I settled in with a good sized chase group and did well to navigate through the challenging hills of Collingwood. I did end up falling a part in the last 10k but still beat my expectations on time and average pace so that added to the cycling fire.
October - With our cycling legs still in fine working order, the FMCT gang decided to tackle the 100km Tour de Hans in Waterloo. My injury continued to hurt on my runs so I skipped a xc race and jumped on the tour and had an amazing race. I hung with the lead group for 30k and then battled hard to create a new chase group and ended up in 21st overall. My next race was suppose to be a shot at sub 2:50 in the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I was not sure if I was up for it but the injury was feeling better. I was then called out to California the week before race and once again had to ditch my plans due to travel. I probably was not ready for the marathon but now wanted to finish the season on a good note so signed up for the Hamilton Half Marathon.
November - In this month I ended up striking one goal off my 2011 list. In the Hamilton Half Marathon, I raced to a 1:17:41 time and finally went sub 1:20 for a half marathon. I was then taking some time off when a friend asked me to run the Mississauga Canoe Club 15k so I decided to just go all out and try to see what I could do. It was not my best effort but I still beat the FMCT club record so I could take some positives out of the race.
December - This has been down time. I was going to race the Boxing Day 10 Miler but I had a conflict with work so I just kept running and added some swims and bike rides in there. I hope this time to recharge the batteries will get my motivation fueled up so I can get off on the right foot in 2012.
Looking in the mirror, as scary as it may be (HA HA), I can only blame myself for the short comings. I laid out a silly schedule that I hardly stuck to. On workouts, I got lazy on the bricks and it showed big time on the few duathlons I competed in. Lastly, I never really got serious about my eating habits and raced almost every event 5 to 10 pounds over my desired weight. If I really want to take my performances to the next level in 2012, I will have to get serious about cutting calories. This older body just doesn't have the metabolism it once had.
So thinking back on the year, here is a quick month by month account of how 2011 played out.
January - things were going really well to start the new year. Tyler had us geared up on the spinning and strength end of the training with several group sessions per week. I was getting through the routines with more ease than a few months earlier so I was getting pumped about the season. At the end of the month I went on a work trip to the USVI and this set me off track with the food and drink.
February - Back at it with the gang until I made a bad lift with the kettle bells and trapped a nerve in my upper back. This required several weeks of physio and reduced my running and cycling for most of February and March.
March - A lot more rehab on the back continued to slow my desired speed work I had planned. Due to the condition of my back I decided to hold off pre-registering for any races until I knew I would be ready to race up to my potential.
April - My back and neck were feeling much better so I jumped into the Spring into Motion 5k to see how things were lining up. It turned out to be a tough day with wind and snow but I managed to go mid 17 minutes so I felt OK with speed. With Mississauga Half Marathon as a priority race in May, I had to adjust the rest of my duathlon schedule as I would not have recovered enough to race Victoria's Du.
May - As my first major race arrived, I felt ready to run fast but at the Mississauga Half Marathon the wind was not our friend and I missed out on sub 1:20, again. This time by less than 20 seconds so that was disappointing but I took the positives and keep training hard for my first duathlon in June.
June - This month was rather busy with the Milton Duathlon to start things off. I was third on the opening run, first off the bike but suffered on the run to finish second to a new friend. This should have motivated me to pick up my brick training but I brushed it off thinking I will get back in the next race. The second race was a four person, 5k relay. It was after work so I rushed down to Exhibition Place to meet Jo Jo and the crew. I ran a strong 5k but still mid 17 minutes. Lastly, I ran the 10k portion of a triathlon relay team in Guelph Lakes. With Ang and Richard, we pulled off the win but I still wanted to go faster than 37minutes. At the end of the month I changed my Peterborough Half Ironman Du focus to the Tri as Syd and Ryan asked me to guide Brian Cowie.
July - Brian and I completed the Peterborough Half Iron Triathlon on a very hot and humid day. It was quite an experience and I am very happy to have had the privilege to race with Brian. We have stayed in contact since the race so I am very thankful for this opportunity to make a new amazing friend. After Peterborough, I had to travel twice for work (Calgary and California) so my schedule had to be adjusted again. This meant I missed out on the Provincial Duathlon Championships in Cobourg.
August - With my commitment to Centurion Collingwood to my FMCT friends, cycling took a front seat for the next few months. I spent a lot of weekend time riding with the gang so running was not too important. I did not want to go into a 100mile bike race without the proper training. In early August I did wet my duathlon whistle one more time for 2011 and raced the Niagara Duathlon. It was a decent race and I managed the victory to add some confidence to my future training.
September - After joining the Ontario Masters Association (looking to do fall XC races) I decided to take a flyer and race Carrotfast 5k. It was the OMA 5k Championships so I tested my running legs against all my cycling training and was able to match my earlier 5k time of 2011, winning my AG for the 2011 OMA 5k Championships. After that it was all about Centurion. Leading into the race I ended up tearing a muscle in my lower abs that hurt my running but I could continue to ride. When race day finally came, I settled in with a good sized chase group and did well to navigate through the challenging hills of Collingwood. I did end up falling a part in the last 10k but still beat my expectations on time and average pace so that added to the cycling fire.
October - With our cycling legs still in fine working order, the FMCT gang decided to tackle the 100km Tour de Hans in Waterloo. My injury continued to hurt on my runs so I skipped a xc race and jumped on the tour and had an amazing race. I hung with the lead group for 30k and then battled hard to create a new chase group and ended up in 21st overall. My next race was suppose to be a shot at sub 2:50 in the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I was not sure if I was up for it but the injury was feeling better. I was then called out to California the week before race and once again had to ditch my plans due to travel. I probably was not ready for the marathon but now wanted to finish the season on a good note so signed up for the Hamilton Half Marathon.
November - In this month I ended up striking one goal off my 2011 list. In the Hamilton Half Marathon, I raced to a 1:17:41 time and finally went sub 1:20 for a half marathon. I was then taking some time off when a friend asked me to run the Mississauga Canoe Club 15k so I decided to just go all out and try to see what I could do. It was not my best effort but I still beat the FMCT club record so I could take some positives out of the race.
December - This has been down time. I was going to race the Boxing Day 10 Miler but I had a conflict with work so I just kept running and added some swims and bike rides in there. I hope this time to recharge the batteries will get my motivation fueled up so I can get off on the right foot in 2012.
December 20, 2011
Some New Web Reading Material...
Hey Folks,
I made some changes to the site so I hope you have a chance to check out the new link tabs across the header of the page. I have replaced some of the side material (results, links, etc.) and added pages for a nicer, clean read.
Let me know if you have any more comments of questions!
Thank you,
Larry
I made some changes to the site so I hope you have a chance to check out the new link tabs across the header of the page. I have replaced some of the side material (results, links, etc.) and added pages for a nicer, clean read.
Let me know if you have any more comments of questions!
Thank you,
Larry
December 8, 2011
Interactive Reflection - Why?
I am sure most of you are in the same boat as I am and often have friends or family ask you why? Maybe it is even you asking this question when you are looking in the mirror in the morning?
Why do I train as frequently and as hard as I do for a recreational pastime?
When I think of my days in hockey and golf, I do not recall wanting to spend hours a day on training. Even though I wanted to be the best I could be in those sports, the norm (among the people I competed against and with) was not to practice a hour or two or three per day to improve my game day performance.
With hockey it was always just show up at the rink, once or twice a week, and play the game. In golf, we just booked a tee time and whacked the ball around a course (when you could find six hours of spare time). I would maybe go to the driving range a few times a month to try to fix the numerous flaws in my swing, but not five or six time a week.
There is definitely something different about triathlon...
I would love to hear from as many readers as possible. As the comments and email responses come in, I will add them below on this posting to create a motivational piece to spark everyone for the new year.
Please send me a comment or email (larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca) so I can post your thoughts!
Larry,
Why do I train as frequently and as hard as I do for a recreational pastime?
When I think of my days in hockey and golf, I do not recall wanting to spend hours a day on training. Even though I wanted to be the best I could be in those sports, the norm (among the people I competed against and with) was not to practice a hour or two or three per day to improve my game day performance.
With hockey it was always just show up at the rink, once or twice a week, and play the game. In golf, we just booked a tee time and whacked the ball around a course (when you could find six hours of spare time). I would maybe go to the driving range a few times a month to try to fix the numerous flaws in my swing, but not five or six time a week.
I would love to hear from as many readers as possible. As the comments and email responses come in, I will add them below on this posting to create a motivational piece to spark everyone for the new year.
Please send me a comment or email (larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca) so I can post your thoughts!
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Larry,
the short answer is "it's in me".
When I was about 9 or 10, I got my first bike and, though I don't remember much about riding around on it, one memory that does stand out is circuit racing around the mini strip mall not far from my house. The tarmac went completely around the mall and my friends and I used to race around it. It was dangerous, as we'd have to weave in and out of cars that were driving in to buy milk or whatever, but that didn't stop me. The cars were just obstacles to go around. I loved this game; it was the thrill of racing but there was also the high from exerting myself. When I was a bit older, I'd used spend hours hitting a tennis ball against the school wall. This time I was by myself which showed that it wasn't just about competition; the activity itself was enough. Now I'm 55 and I still get the same feeling of elation when I'm out riding my bike or in the middle of a run. It doesn't happen all the time but often enough to keep me coming back. Throw the thrill of competition in there and the elation is magnified tenfold. So I don't know what the scientific or philosophical or medical answers are. All I know for sure is it's in me.
-richard http://richard-westwood.blogspot.com/
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For me, Triathlon (SBR) is my thing and my lifestyle now. My kids have their hockey/soccer, etc. and I have my triathlon. I think what makes it addictive to most is when we see that little bit of improvement year over year. This just makes me want to train more and harder. In our sport, we have world championship events that are out of reach for most, but after doing the 70.3 World Championship in Florida, the Boston marathon and recently "qualifying" for the NYC marathon, the last thing that really motivates me is to earn and take a Kona slot for Ironman. It's that carrot that is out in front me and drives me to keep working harder and harder, even as I approach that magical 40 number in age. A lot of people in triathlon who give it their first go, quickly get addicted, as they, like me, can see those small incremental improvements year over year. In doing triathlon/running/cycling, you surround yourself with like minded individuals and you feed off each other. I'm not going to lie that I watch what you do and think to myself, "man, can I do that?"
In addition to the performance improvements, a lot of people see dramatic physical changes to their body the more training they do, which is also a huge motivating factor. I'm as fit now as I have ever been in my whole life, and that is awesome. I look forward to 2012 and the challenges that lie ahead, as I'm sure you do as well.
-Luke http://mytriathlonandtrainingadventures.blogspot.com/
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The reason why I originally got into it is kind of funny. I started racing and training for mountain biking when I was about 12 because- believe it or not- I was a huge X-Men fan, and I wanted to push myself and my body to be as close to a super hero's as possible!
Obviously not my main goal now, but that's what got the ball rolling way back when! haha
-Sean http://www.drdelanghe.com/
December 1, 2011
Mississauga Canoe Club 15k - Race Report
This race was not originally on my calendar so I wasn't totally prepared to go super hard for 15k. A co-worker, who has always been supportive of my racing and my tri club, is a member of the "Missy" Canoe Club and asked a few of us in the office to join in the fun. It didn't take much to convince me to run so I re-arranged my weekly schedule to make it fit into my training so I that I wouldn't miss out on any of my workouts.
Although, the weather was a little cool and wet on the morning of the event, I was curious to see how close I could take this race to my 15k split in the Hamilton Half Marathon. This kept the motivation high while I warmed up in the chilly rain as the rest of the small field assembled near the starting line. As the gun time neared, I decided shorts were still acceptable but went with arm warmers and a tri top to kept a little warmer up top.
With the Canoe Club trying to keep costs down (rightfully so) they designed the course to stick to the walking paths around the Lakefront Promenade Marina. This made for a lot of twists and turns with some blinds spots out on the course so I made sure to listen to the lead bike guide during the pre-race instructions. When it was time to begin the run, I positioned myself behind some of the younger athletes and just came off the line in a relaxed effort. This was probably a good call as many of the teenaged runners went off like canons, getting out well ahead of me to the start of the path.
I was fairly certain a good number of them would burn out after their short sprint so I just set my target on a few of the smoother looking ones and slowly made made way through the crowd. By the time we had covered the first kilometre I had moved up to sixth spot with a couple solid looking runners chasing the bike very quickly. One of them was relatively young but had great form so I was not sure what to expect from him at this distance. The other was a familiar face from a few previous races. I knew he was a gamer so there was no way I was going to stay on his heels for 15k. I just patiently hung back as we circled RK McMilland Park to the west of the starting area.
After making the loop around this tree filled park (could not see the competition during this section), we doubled back past the beach cove and headed to the northeast trails. I was now running in fourth spot, about a hundred metres back of third, feeling confident that I could catch this guy somewhere down the road.
We were just over three km into the race as we zigged and zagged along Waterfront Trail and I was making solid ground on my target. From a previous 10k race on these grounds, I was now comfortable enough with the course to zone out (take my mind off the pain building in my legs) for a little while and focus on my form and pace.
As I reached the 5k mark (water station), I could tell I had fallen too far off the pace of the two leaders so there was little chance of reeling them back in. I now had to settle with the possibility of a third place finish. Not so bad but not exactly they way I imagined the day...
A little further through Marie Curtis Park, as I neared the turnaround at the far east end of the course, I noticed I wasn't too far off that podium position. I hurried over to the volunteer pointing out the turn marker and made a quick pivot to re-trace my steps. Two things hit me at this point. Firstly, my legs died on me right out of the blue. Secondly, I could now see how close two runners were just behind me. Oh Oh!
The twosome on my rear brought a bit of a spark but I felt like I was suddenly struggling with my form over the small rolling mounds of asphalt, fighting despreately to speed up. By the time I weaved through the kilometre in the forest, I had lost contact with the last spot on the podium. I hit the 7km aid station and was afraid that reaching for a drink would stop me in my tracks so I just kept my eyes forward and hoped to hold off the guys on my heels.
Watching my garmin on the way back to the marina, I could tell my pace was suffering compared to my early splits. My goal of fifty-five minutes was in jeopardy now so it was all about getting through the final portion of the race without losing too many spots or dropping out. Thankfully, my mental game was on to make up for the lack of physical game on this day and I talked myself into staying as efficient as possible.
This was not pretty, believe me. I couldn't see the guy running in third at this point so I was starting to doubt some of the upcoming turns on the course as we twisted back to Lakefront Promenade Park for another loop. I got through the loop for the second time in the race and was really not sure where we were heading next for the last four kilometres. I just hoped the volunteers were on top of the situation as they directed both 8k and 15k runners along the pathway.
Lucky for us, they did a great job! I travelled back along the Waterfront Trail, along the back edge of an industrial park, and counted down the distance knowing the final turnaround must be coming soon. Shortly after that thought, I watched the leader zoom past me with second place a litttle back from the young, talented runner. After I saw third place, I knew I was getting close to my final switch back and hit the line and blasted off to get back up to speed. I could once again see 5th and 6th place licking their lips so I just gunned it for the final two km.
My legs were too tired to put any length into my stride so I had to concentrate on just speeding up the cadence of my shuffle. This was enough to increase the gap and provide a respectable final few thousand metres. I was very relieved to make my way back to the marina parking lot and see a low 56 on the clock. I made a final sprint to keep it under 57 minutes and broke the tape in 56:32 (on my garmin).
This was good for 4th place overall and a nice, new standard for 15k (not including splits from longer races)for me to aim for next year. I still have not seen the actual chip time results so I am not sure how that looked for my age but I would assume two of the three runners ahead of me where under thirty years of age.
Although, the weather was a little cool and wet on the morning of the event, I was curious to see how close I could take this race to my 15k split in the Hamilton Half Marathon. This kept the motivation high while I warmed up in the chilly rain as the rest of the small field assembled near the starting line. As the gun time neared, I decided shorts were still acceptable but went with arm warmers and a tri top to kept a little warmer up top.
With the Canoe Club trying to keep costs down (rightfully so) they designed the course to stick to the walking paths around the Lakefront Promenade Marina. This made for a lot of twists and turns with some blinds spots out on the course so I made sure to listen to the lead bike guide during the pre-race instructions. When it was time to begin the run, I positioned myself behind some of the younger athletes and just came off the line in a relaxed effort. This was probably a good call as many of the teenaged runners went off like canons, getting out well ahead of me to the start of the path.
I was fairly certain a good number of them would burn out after their short sprint so I just set my target on a few of the smoother looking ones and slowly made made way through the crowd. By the time we had covered the first kilometre I had moved up to sixth spot with a couple solid looking runners chasing the bike very quickly. One of them was relatively young but had great form so I was not sure what to expect from him at this distance. The other was a familiar face from a few previous races. I knew he was a gamer so there was no way I was going to stay on his heels for 15k. I just patiently hung back as we circled RK McMilland Park to the west of the starting area.
After making the loop around this tree filled park (could not see the competition during this section), we doubled back past the beach cove and headed to the northeast trails. I was now running in fourth spot, about a hundred metres back of third, feeling confident that I could catch this guy somewhere down the road.
We were just over three km into the race as we zigged and zagged along Waterfront Trail and I was making solid ground on my target. From a previous 10k race on these grounds, I was now comfortable enough with the course to zone out (take my mind off the pain building in my legs) for a little while and focus on my form and pace.
As I reached the 5k mark (water station), I could tell I had fallen too far off the pace of the two leaders so there was little chance of reeling them back in. I now had to settle with the possibility of a third place finish. Not so bad but not exactly they way I imagined the day...
A little further through Marie Curtis Park, as I neared the turnaround at the far east end of the course, I noticed I wasn't too far off that podium position. I hurried over to the volunteer pointing out the turn marker and made a quick pivot to re-trace my steps. Two things hit me at this point. Firstly, my legs died on me right out of the blue. Secondly, I could now see how close two runners were just behind me. Oh Oh!
The twosome on my rear brought a bit of a spark but I felt like I was suddenly struggling with my form over the small rolling mounds of asphalt, fighting despreately to speed up. By the time I weaved through the kilometre in the forest, I had lost contact with the last spot on the podium. I hit the 7km aid station and was afraid that reaching for a drink would stop me in my tracks so I just kept my eyes forward and hoped to hold off the guys on my heels.
Watching my garmin on the way back to the marina, I could tell my pace was suffering compared to my early splits. My goal of fifty-five minutes was in jeopardy now so it was all about getting through the final portion of the race without losing too many spots or dropping out. Thankfully, my mental game was on to make up for the lack of physical game on this day and I talked myself into staying as efficient as possible.
This was not pretty, believe me. I couldn't see the guy running in third at this point so I was starting to doubt some of the upcoming turns on the course as we twisted back to Lakefront Promenade Park for another loop. I got through the loop for the second time in the race and was really not sure where we were heading next for the last four kilometres. I just hoped the volunteers were on top of the situation as they directed both 8k and 15k runners along the pathway.
Lucky for us, they did a great job! I travelled back along the Waterfront Trail, along the back edge of an industrial park, and counted down the distance knowing the final turnaround must be coming soon. Shortly after that thought, I watched the leader zoom past me with second place a litttle back from the young, talented runner. After I saw third place, I knew I was getting close to my final switch back and hit the line and blasted off to get back up to speed. I could once again see 5th and 6th place licking their lips so I just gunned it for the final two km.
My legs were too tired to put any length into my stride so I had to concentrate on just speeding up the cadence of my shuffle. This was enough to increase the gap and provide a respectable final few thousand metres. I was very relieved to make my way back to the marina parking lot and see a low 56 on the clock. I made a final sprint to keep it under 57 minutes and broke the tape in 56:32 (on my garmin).
This was good for 4th place overall and a nice, new standard for 15k (not including splits from longer races)for me to aim for next year. I still have not seen the actual chip time results so I am not sure how that looked for my age but I would assume two of the three runners ahead of me where under thirty years of age.
November 29, 2011
Hiperformance Online - Come run with us...
Hey Folks,
My coach, Tyler Lord, is rolling out an exciting new training program for 2012 and he would love to have everyone out for a FREE orientation run.
What - Hiperformance Online orientation run
When - Sunday, December 11, 2011
tyler_hiperformance@hotmail.com
(I will post more information about the program specifics as they are posted up on the Hiperformance Online site! Stay tuned...)
My coach, Tyler Lord, is rolling out an exciting new training program for 2012 and he would love to have everyone out for a FREE orientation run.
What - Hiperformance Online orientation run
When - Sunday, December 11, 2011
Where - Hiperformance Training Centre - 118 Thomas Street, Oakville
Tyler (Pro triathlete, Head Coach), Glenn Camplin (amazing, local AG triathlete) and myself will be in attendance to lead the group through the quiet streets of Oakville. There will be several distances to pick from so everyone is more than welcome to come out and see what the program has to offer.
Please come out and see what all the buzz is about!
If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP, please send your correspondance to the contact below -
(I will post more information about the program specifics as they are posted up on the Hiperformance Online site! Stay tuned...)
November 21, 2011
Road 2 Hope Half Marathon (2011) Race Report
Missing the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon a few weeks ago, I thought I would just pack it in for the season and take some time to rest and recuperate. Thankfully, other people had better ideas and I soon found myself gearing up for the Hamilton Road to Hope Half Marathon. I had put in a lot of work for the marathon and my coach did not want to see me waste all the effort so he recommended this date for me to compete.
Having raced this particular event last year, I knew it was a fast course but I still had to be ready and on my game to hit the time he had in mind for me. So I took the three weeks and made a very solid push in training to get myself ready to go sub 1:20 in Hamilton. As luck would have it, Tyler made a last minute change to his schedule to help pace my effort. Heading into the race with this support, I was feeling very good about my chances.
On Sunday morning, I grabbed my gear and headed towards the Hammer. On my way, I picked up Tyler and we drove to Confederation Park (the finish area) to catch the shuttle bus up the hill to the starting line. During the ride we discussed the strategy of the day so I knew what to expect and where I wanted to be in relation to his position on the course.
When we arrived at the high school (our warming centre), we grabbed a spot in one of the halls and I slowly prepared my kit for the race. I was not sure how warm it would feel come gun time so I was taking a long time deciding what to wear. As I weighed my clothing options, I had a chance to chat with Laura G (FMCT) and Luke Ehgoetz. Laura was gearing up for the full so she had a bit of a head start and was just about to make her way over to the line. Luke was running the half with us so I was interested to see what his game plan was for the 21.1k.
After we discussed this, and checked in our bags, it was time for a quick warm up outside. It was incredible running weather so I ended up ditching the short sleeve technical shirt I had under my top and just went with tri top and gloves on this early November morning.
At the start line, I tucked in behind Tyler and let him lead out of the tight chute. Unfortunately, I did not battle very hard once the gun sounded and I found myself falling off the pace, getting stuck behind some folks that were not hitting the pace the lead group was pushing. With a sharp right turn about 100 metres out of the school driveway, I had to wait to get around the corner before I could negotiate the crowd and then bridge up to the group I wanted to be running with. I wasn’t expecting to generate this kind of acceleration in this part of the run so once I caught up to Tyler I just sat on his heels for a few minutes to get the heart rate back down.
Over the next few kilometres we kept things under control, hanging slightly back from the chase group (the solo leader was well ahead of them). A few times I felt the urge to surge up to one of the other small packs in between us and the chase but Coach T wisely held me back keeping me just under our targeted pace across the flats leading up to the Red Hill Valley Parkway.
Just after the 5k marker we arrived at the downhill section as we merged onto the expressway. We had the benefit of a solid tailwind at this point so Tyler pumped up the pace and I just stuck on his tail. Most of the small groups were now strung out down the road so we just ran our own pace and did not worry about working with anyone else, for the time being.
On the decent, I was cruising along quicker than planned but I was doing well staying with my coach for most of this drop towards the lake, usually following him or just behind the twosome or threesome he was pulling along. This held true until the 8k area when I made a mental mistake trying to grab a cup of energy drink from an aid station. I missed the first one when I took my eyes off the cup and had to scramble to reach for another before passing through the zone. This brief lapse in focus seemed to knock me slightly off their pace and a gap opened up between myself and Tyler, Hugo Reyes and Michael Enright.
Tyler had mentioned Hugo’s talent level (as we watched him charge out at the start of the race) so when Tyler started to run beside Mr. Reyes, I figured they were going for a much quicker time than I could manage. My new plan was to just try and keep my gap around a hundred metres back. With the wind helping I knew I would be OK to work alone for the moment but I also knew once we changed direction, in a few thousand metres onto Barton, I would be expending a lot of extra energy going solo.
As I reached the 10k sign, I looked at my watch (35:23) to notice I was around ten seconds ahead of last year’s pace. This had me a little worried as I remember how much time I gave back in the last half of the run in 2010 and I felt like I was struggling a lot earlier this year. Shortly after the sign, I started to climb up the exit ramp from the expressway and decided to skip the aid station that would have added a few extra metres (on the far side of the curve). I saw Tyler, Hugo, Michael and another runner all head towards the volunteers so I hoped that my shorter route to Barton would allow me grab onto the back of their line to find some protection from the wind.
Similar to 2010, the wind was slowing everyone down along this short detour to Woodward Avenue. Tyler was now pushing ahead of the rest of us and looking very strong as I joined in behind Hugo and Michael. Once we turned right onto Woodward, we enjoyed more assistance from the wind and I just let my legs go and led the group for a few minutes with my coach a little ways up the road.
Over the next few kilometres, the three of us kept swapping positions leading the small pack to the lake front portion of the course. The cross wind was pretty tough along Beach Blvd as Hugo and Michael started to fade a little so I decided to just run on my own and try to chase down Tyler who was now about 50 metres up the street. When we finally reached the turnaround at 16k, I was not too far off but realized it would be a mistake to bridge up since the last five kilometres were going to be killer with the winds howling from our right.
On our way along the lake front path to the finish line, Michael ended up catching and pulling past me with about 4k to go. My form was getting very ugly at this point and I could not match his speed to work with him (to be honest, I don’t think there was any place to hide from the wind from the direction it was coming from so I just tried to use a training course landmarks to get me closer to the line as fast as possible). The Brooklin, Ontario native eventually hit a wall with about 2.5k to the line and I slowly got around him. He held on for a few hundred feet until a twosome from the London area smoothly glided past us, knocking both of us out of the top ten.
I had nothing left in the tank but Michael seemed to have a little juice and tried to track them down. He eventually came up six seconds short of their time and I was another eight behind him. I was just happy to reach the tape before having to crawl.
I ended up breaking through in 1:17:40 and finishing 12th overall and 2nd in my Age Group. Tyler also set a PB finishing 45 seconds ahead of me in 8th position. Thanks Coach!
Congrats to everyone on their races in Hamilton! Great work by Luke to easily beat his goal and qualify for New York in 2011!
Having raced this particular event last year, I knew it was a fast course but I still had to be ready and on my game to hit the time he had in mind for me. So I took the three weeks and made a very solid push in training to get myself ready to go sub 1:20 in Hamilton. As luck would have it, Tyler made a last minute change to his schedule to help pace my effort. Heading into the race with this support, I was feeling very good about my chances.
On Sunday morning, I grabbed my gear and headed towards the Hammer. On my way, I picked up Tyler and we drove to Confederation Park (the finish area) to catch the shuttle bus up the hill to the starting line. During the ride we discussed the strategy of the day so I knew what to expect and where I wanted to be in relation to his position on the course.
When we arrived at the high school (our warming centre), we grabbed a spot in one of the halls and I slowly prepared my kit for the race. I was not sure how warm it would feel come gun time so I was taking a long time deciding what to wear. As I weighed my clothing options, I had a chance to chat with Laura G (FMCT) and Luke Ehgoetz. Laura was gearing up for the full so she had a bit of a head start and was just about to make her way over to the line. Luke was running the half with us so I was interested to see what his game plan was for the 21.1k.
After we discussed this, and checked in our bags, it was time for a quick warm up outside. It was incredible running weather so I ended up ditching the short sleeve technical shirt I had under my top and just went with tri top and gloves on this early November morning.
At the start line, I tucked in behind Tyler and let him lead out of the tight chute. Unfortunately, I did not battle very hard once the gun sounded and I found myself falling off the pace, getting stuck behind some folks that were not hitting the pace the lead group was pushing. With a sharp right turn about 100 metres out of the school driveway, I had to wait to get around the corner before I could negotiate the crowd and then bridge up to the group I wanted to be running with. I wasn’t expecting to generate this kind of acceleration in this part of the run so once I caught up to Tyler I just sat on his heels for a few minutes to get the heart rate back down.
Over the next few kilometres we kept things under control, hanging slightly back from the chase group (the solo leader was well ahead of them). A few times I felt the urge to surge up to one of the other small packs in between us and the chase but Coach T wisely held me back keeping me just under our targeted pace across the flats leading up to the Red Hill Valley Parkway.
Just after the 5k marker we arrived at the downhill section as we merged onto the expressway. We had the benefit of a solid tailwind at this point so Tyler pumped up the pace and I just stuck on his tail. Most of the small groups were now strung out down the road so we just ran our own pace and did not worry about working with anyone else, for the time being.
On the decent, I was cruising along quicker than planned but I was doing well staying with my coach for most of this drop towards the lake, usually following him or just behind the twosome or threesome he was pulling along. This held true until the 8k area when I made a mental mistake trying to grab a cup of energy drink from an aid station. I missed the first one when I took my eyes off the cup and had to scramble to reach for another before passing through the zone. This brief lapse in focus seemed to knock me slightly off their pace and a gap opened up between myself and Tyler, Hugo Reyes and Michael Enright.
Tyler had mentioned Hugo’s talent level (as we watched him charge out at the start of the race) so when Tyler started to run beside Mr. Reyes, I figured they were going for a much quicker time than I could manage. My new plan was to just try and keep my gap around a hundred metres back. With the wind helping I knew I would be OK to work alone for the moment but I also knew once we changed direction, in a few thousand metres onto Barton, I would be expending a lot of extra energy going solo.
As I reached the 10k sign, I looked at my watch (35:23) to notice I was around ten seconds ahead of last year’s pace. This had me a little worried as I remember how much time I gave back in the last half of the run in 2010 and I felt like I was struggling a lot earlier this year. Shortly after the sign, I started to climb up the exit ramp from the expressway and decided to skip the aid station that would have added a few extra metres (on the far side of the curve). I saw Tyler, Hugo, Michael and another runner all head towards the volunteers so I hoped that my shorter route to Barton would allow me grab onto the back of their line to find some protection from the wind.
Similar to 2010, the wind was slowing everyone down along this short detour to Woodward Avenue. Tyler was now pushing ahead of the rest of us and looking very strong as I joined in behind Hugo and Michael. Once we turned right onto Woodward, we enjoyed more assistance from the wind and I just let my legs go and led the group for a few minutes with my coach a little ways up the road.
Over the next few kilometres, the three of us kept swapping positions leading the small pack to the lake front portion of the course. The cross wind was pretty tough along Beach Blvd as Hugo and Michael started to fade a little so I decided to just run on my own and try to chase down Tyler who was now about 50 metres up the street. When we finally reached the turnaround at 16k, I was not too far off but realized it would be a mistake to bridge up since the last five kilometres were going to be killer with the winds howling from our right.
On our way along the lake front path to the finish line, Michael ended up catching and pulling past me with about 4k to go. My form was getting very ugly at this point and I could not match his speed to work with him (to be honest, I don’t think there was any place to hide from the wind from the direction it was coming from so I just tried to use a training course landmarks to get me closer to the line as fast as possible). The Brooklin, Ontario native eventually hit a wall with about 2.5k to the line and I slowly got around him. He held on for a few hundred feet until a twosome from the London area smoothly glided past us, knocking both of us out of the top ten.
I had nothing left in the tank but Michael seemed to have a little juice and tried to track them down. He eventually came up six seconds short of their time and I was another eight behind him. I was just happy to reach the tape before having to crawl.
I ended up breaking through in 1:17:40 and finishing 12th overall and 2nd in my Age Group. Tyler also set a PB finishing 45 seconds ahead of me in 8th position. Thanks Coach!
Congrats to everyone on their races in Hamilton! Great work by Luke to easily beat his goal and qualify for New York in 2011!
November 16, 2011
Trying to bring things back up to speed...
Well, my plans to have my race report completed have been sidelined. I was too busy enjoying a weekend away with the family and I tried to keep sports and work out of the mix. I will attempt to get this wrapped up this week, but with work being crazy of late, I am not sure exactly when I can fit it in.
I am also getting back up to speed with my program. Since the half marathon, I have been recovering. Most of that has brought back poor eating habits so I am carrying a little extra weight around that I have to shed to make running easier. Last night's run was amazing in the mild, fall weather we are experiencing. I got home after the run feeling motivated so I drove over to the gym to throw in some weight training as well.
As you can see over to the right, we are getting very run specific at this point in the season. This will give me a good indication if I am feeling up to Boxing Day 10 Miler. I better decide very soon as many of these traditional runs are selling out quickly these days. Tyler has told me to focus on the run so I will just fit in some extra rides on the side to keep my cycling legs ready to go once we get geared back up for the hard work to come. I don't want to fall too far behind the machines I have in friends like Richard, Sean and Luke.
Next is the swim. I received all kinds of advice from folks which led me to a Friday morning session in Meadowvale, blocks from my house. JJ is coaching a group through a drill structured class which is exactly what I need to become way more efficient in the water for Muskoka. I know JJ has a huge following, and is an amazing coach, so I am sure I am in great hands for this swim each week. Now I just have to decide when I will swim a few more times during the week. FMCT swims are starting in the new year so I have to get cracking on this to make sure it is OK with family schedule. As the kids are getting older, they are increasing their activity calendars so I have to make sure that I do not book anything that conflicts with Sparks, Swimming or Skating.
Anyway, just another quick update. Would love to hear how everyone else is spending their fall this season?
Talk soon,
Larry
I am also getting back up to speed with my program. Since the half marathon, I have been recovering. Most of that has brought back poor eating habits so I am carrying a little extra weight around that I have to shed to make running easier. Last night's run was amazing in the mild, fall weather we are experiencing. I got home after the run feeling motivated so I drove over to the gym to throw in some weight training as well.
As you can see over to the right, we are getting very run specific at this point in the season. This will give me a good indication if I am feeling up to Boxing Day 10 Miler. I better decide very soon as many of these traditional runs are selling out quickly these days. Tyler has told me to focus on the run so I will just fit in some extra rides on the side to keep my cycling legs ready to go once we get geared back up for the hard work to come. I don't want to fall too far behind the machines I have in friends like Richard, Sean and Luke.
Next is the swim. I received all kinds of advice from folks which led me to a Friday morning session in Meadowvale, blocks from my house. JJ is coaching a group through a drill structured class which is exactly what I need to become way more efficient in the water for Muskoka. I know JJ has a huge following, and is an amazing coach, so I am sure I am in great hands for this swim each week. Now I just have to decide when I will swim a few more times during the week. FMCT swims are starting in the new year so I have to get cracking on this to make sure it is OK with family schedule. As the kids are getting older, they are increasing their activity calendars so I have to make sure that I do not book anything that conflicts with Sparks, Swimming or Skating.
Anyway, just another quick update. Would love to hear how everyone else is spending their fall this season?
Talk soon,
Larry
November 10, 2011
Just chilling...
Hey Folks,
Just a quick hit this morning before I dive into another full day of webinar action at work.
I am currently working on my race report from the Hamilton Half Marathon. Should be able to post by the end of the weekend. It has been a crazy week at work but the timing is good. I have not completed anything of note, athletically speaking. Coach told me to recover and I am doing just that. I don't think he told me to binge on junk food so I will have some work to do coming off this week.
Not sure what is 100% for my next adventure. I want to run Egg Nog Jog but it may have sold out. I am not organized at this moment, in that aspect of my daily world, to just go and sign up. Between family, work, hockey work, etc... I am not sure how that weekend is shaping up for free time so need to sit down and sort through things before making the committment. That may be too late the way the entries are filling up. Oh well.
After that, Tyler wants me to test out the Boxing Day 10 Miler. Once again, not sure of my schedule so got to take a look at all the factors on that day before jumping in. Hope I can check things out tomorrow night.
Anyway, must be going.
Make sure you read some of the blogs on the left side of my web page. A lot of cool posts from my friends of late.
Talk soon,
Larry
Just a quick hit this morning before I dive into another full day of webinar action at work.
I am currently working on my race report from the Hamilton Half Marathon. Should be able to post by the end of the weekend. It has been a crazy week at work but the timing is good. I have not completed anything of note, athletically speaking. Coach told me to recover and I am doing just that. I don't think he told me to binge on junk food so I will have some work to do coming off this week.
Not sure what is 100% for my next adventure. I want to run Egg Nog Jog but it may have sold out. I am not organized at this moment, in that aspect of my daily world, to just go and sign up. Between family, work, hockey work, etc... I am not sure how that weekend is shaping up for free time so need to sit down and sort through things before making the committment. That may be too late the way the entries are filling up. Oh well.
After that, Tyler wants me to test out the Boxing Day 10 Miler. Once again, not sure of my schedule so got to take a look at all the factors on that day before jumping in. Hope I can check things out tomorrow night.
Anyway, must be going.
Make sure you read some of the blogs on the left side of my web page. A lot of cool posts from my friends of late.
Talk soon,
Larry
November 3, 2011
Getting the game face on...
Since I finally officially registered the other day, I cannot turn back now. I wasn't thinking about it anyway but sometimes you get up on a race day and would rather stay in bed. When you register on race day, such as I do very often (bad habit), there is no financial commitment so being lazy (especially when the weather is crappy) and staying home does not create such a guilty feeling.
So Sunday is my next challenge at the Hamilton Half Marathon. Looks like there is a good field of runners signed up so I hope I have a few people to work with to chase down my goal. I feel like I have put in an excellent fall of training and the weight has come down to a comfortable running level so I am excited to see how things pan out.
I know from the last few half marathons that the legs are going to hurt in the final 5k at the pace I raced during those events but I would really like to hammer a little more out of the gate to see how low I really can go on this downhill course. Tyler believes I have a faster time in my system, based on my training paces and shorter race results, so that may be just the vote of confidence I need to try to push the pace a little more. Hopefully, others will want to go after this time range as well so that I have some company on the road. I am sure we will encounter some wind down along the lake shore area so every extra body counts during this stretch!
Other than getting ready for this race, I have been trying to find a place to swim in preparation for the 2012 Muskoka 70.3. Not an easy task given my demands. I need something very close to home, something that is open early or very late and something that isn't crazy expensive. Not sure I am going to satisfy all these demands but I better pick something soon as I would like to be in the water 5 or 6 times a week before the new year to improve as much as possible before next fall.
Well, that's just a quick update for now. I hope everyone has a great race weekend and make sure you say HI! if you are in Hamilton this Sunday. Good luck!
Larry
So Sunday is my next challenge at the Hamilton Half Marathon. Looks like there is a good field of runners signed up so I hope I have a few people to work with to chase down my goal. I feel like I have put in an excellent fall of training and the weight has come down to a comfortable running level so I am excited to see how things pan out.
I know from the last few half marathons that the legs are going to hurt in the final 5k at the pace I raced during those events but I would really like to hammer a little more out of the gate to see how low I really can go on this downhill course. Tyler believes I have a faster time in my system, based on my training paces and shorter race results, so that may be just the vote of confidence I need to try to push the pace a little more. Hopefully, others will want to go after this time range as well so that I have some company on the road. I am sure we will encounter some wind down along the lake shore area so every extra body counts during this stretch!
Other than getting ready for this race, I have been trying to find a place to swim in preparation for the 2012 Muskoka 70.3. Not an easy task given my demands. I need something very close to home, something that is open early or very late and something that isn't crazy expensive. Not sure I am going to satisfy all these demands but I better pick something soon as I would like to be in the water 5 or 6 times a week before the new year to improve as much as possible before next fall.
Well, that's just a quick update for now. I hope everyone has a great race weekend and make sure you say HI! if you are in Hamilton this Sunday. Good luck!
Larry
October 26, 2011
Project IronReady Web Site
Hi folks.
Just wanted to jump on this morning to direct you to a new site out there in cyber space. My duathlon buddy, Mark Keating, has decided it is time to chase his goal of completing an Ironman distance race. He has started a blog to document his journey and has also included a very thoughtful charitable aspect to his adventure.
Please help Mark out by following along and adding some vocal support.
I know all positive messages will help keep him on track during those tough hours of training!
http://www.agegroupdiaries.com/
Thank you,
Larry
Just wanted to jump on this morning to direct you to a new site out there in cyber space. My duathlon buddy, Mark Keating, has decided it is time to chase his goal of completing an Ironman distance race. He has started a blog to document his journey and has also included a very thoughtful charitable aspect to his adventure.
Please help Mark out by following along and adding some vocal support.
I know all positive messages will help keep him on track during those tough hours of training!
http://www.agegroupdiaries.com/
Thank you,
Larry
October 18, 2011
Like the flip of a switch....
I could have easily fallen into the routine of poor eating and lounging around every night like I did this weekend. It is amazing how fast the body can change, forming bad habits in such a short period of time. You get lazy for a few days and the next thing you know it becomes tough to get up for the next workout.
Thankfully, I am surrounded by awesome friends that will not let me fall down that path. Over the past two days, I received inspiring messages from Richard Westwood, Tyler Lord and Glenn Camplin telling me to get back on the horse, so I did.
I made sure the family was down for the night and set out for an easy run on a beautiful, fall night. Since I was running on the trail system in Meadowvale, I had little to worry about so I was able to use the time to think about what I want to do to wrap up 2011. I didn't wear a watch or carry any other distractions and just enjoyed the quiet, evening air while building up my game plan once again.
At first, my direction was a little aggressive but I think the race and distance I settled on will be a fair challenge so I look forward to getting some revenge on a course that I know I can go faster on. As I was already prepared for last weekend's marathon, it shouldn't take much more to hit the line in 3 weeks with a good chance at reaching (and surpassing) one of my major goals this season.
Thanks to Richard, Tyler and Glenn for getting me rolling again!
Thankfully, I am surrounded by awesome friends that will not let me fall down that path. Over the past two days, I received inspiring messages from Richard Westwood, Tyler Lord and Glenn Camplin telling me to get back on the horse, so I did.
I made sure the family was down for the night and set out for an easy run on a beautiful, fall night. Since I was running on the trail system in Meadowvale, I had little to worry about so I was able to use the time to think about what I want to do to wrap up 2011. I didn't wear a watch or carry any other distractions and just enjoyed the quiet, evening air while building up my game plan once again.
At first, my direction was a little aggressive but I think the race and distance I settled on will be a fair challenge so I look forward to getting some revenge on a course that I know I can go faster on. As I was already prepared for last weekend's marathon, it shouldn't take much more to hit the line in 3 weeks with a good chance at reaching (and surpassing) one of my major goals this season.
Thanks to Richard, Tyler and Glenn for getting me rolling again!
October 17, 2011
A bit of this and a bit of that...
So, I was suppose to run the Toronto Marathon on the weekend and had a goal of 2:50 in mind for this event. When I agreed to be a back up pace bunny my schedule was wide open but boy did things change.
In the weeks leading up to the race, I received word that I needed to fly out to California for a week of business training and would return Saturday morning, only 27 hours before the marathon. I also noticed the hockey schedule posted online that showed games on Saturday and Sunday of the marathon weekend.
I continued to train hoping to find a way to fit everything into the short gaps of time that I now had to work with but, on my flight home from California, I realized that it would be better if I scrapped the marathon plans and help out around the house Sunday morning instead of running 42.2k.
Luckily, I was not called in to replace any of the original pace bunnies so I would have been able to run my own race, therefore, the decision not to run at the last minute did not affect anyone else but certainly gave my wife a little relief as I was able to spend more time at home than expected this weekend.
Now that this event has passed, I am finding it difficult to re-set my short term goals for the rest of 2011. I kind of feel spent from the past 2 years of training and racing. I know the hockey schedule is just getting rolling so I really do not want to book a new race on a weekend that also includes hockey. I also am not feeling motivated to race anything more than 10k so that drops a bunch of the event options off the table.
As you can see, I am currently stuck without a game plan for October, November and December of this year so it will take a huge commitment on my end to stay focused on training during this period of time unless I find a goal to work towards.
Thankfully, I do have someone to kick my arse back into gear but Tyler and I have decided to give this week a "what ever" attitude and I will see how I feel at the end of the week. He will try to his best to get me back into the flow next week. It may be tough but if I can circle something on the calendar about a month down the road, it will be much easier to snap out of this lull.
This morning I still feel tired from the traveling so I have not attempted any workout. I did not lift any athletic type shoes on the weekend either so hopefully, I find some inspiration very soon as sitting around and snacking are not a good combination for my weight maintenance. I am always amazed at how fast the pounds attach to my frame.
As I ponder my future, I will leave you with a pic from yesterday's Toronto Marathon. Maybe they can spark the fire in my competitive spirit soon!
In the weeks leading up to the race, I received word that I needed to fly out to California for a week of business training and would return Saturday morning, only 27 hours before the marathon. I also noticed the hockey schedule posted online that showed games on Saturday and Sunday of the marathon weekend.
I continued to train hoping to find a way to fit everything into the short gaps of time that I now had to work with but, on my flight home from California, I realized that it would be better if I scrapped the marathon plans and help out around the house Sunday morning instead of running 42.2k.
Luckily, I was not called in to replace any of the original pace bunnies so I would have been able to run my own race, therefore, the decision not to run at the last minute did not affect anyone else but certainly gave my wife a little relief as I was able to spend more time at home than expected this weekend.
Now that this event has passed, I am finding it difficult to re-set my short term goals for the rest of 2011. I kind of feel spent from the past 2 years of training and racing. I know the hockey schedule is just getting rolling so I really do not want to book a new race on a weekend that also includes hockey. I also am not feeling motivated to race anything more than 10k so that drops a bunch of the event options off the table.
As you can see, I am currently stuck without a game plan for October, November and December of this year so it will take a huge commitment on my end to stay focused on training during this period of time unless I find a goal to work towards.
Thankfully, I do have someone to kick my arse back into gear but Tyler and I have decided to give this week a "what ever" attitude and I will see how I feel at the end of the week. He will try to his best to get me back into the flow next week. It may be tough but if I can circle something on the calendar about a month down the road, it will be much easier to snap out of this lull.
This morning I still feel tired from the traveling so I have not attempted any workout. I did not lift any athletic type shoes on the weekend either so hopefully, I find some inspiration very soon as sitting around and snacking are not a good combination for my weight maintenance. I am always amazed at how fast the pounds attach to my frame.
As I ponder my future, I will leave you with a pic from yesterday's Toronto Marathon. Maybe they can spark the fire in my competitive spirit soon!
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