10 Questions with Richard Pady

1. You have been involved in multisport for a long time for a young person. How did you get started back when the sport did not have the hype, the pre-Olympic years?

RP - When I was 14 years old there was a little 1/2 Marathon in my home town of Midland, Ontario. I found out about the race 1 week before. Back then there were no books or websites (at least not in Midland). We didn't know what we were doing but my mom had me run half the course on Tuesday and half the course on Thursday and I raced the full 1/2 Marathon on the Sunday. For a kid who didn't really train for any sport at the time, I ran 1:45:21 on a very hilly course. I loved it. It was at that race I heard about a triathlon that was going to be held in town in June of that year (1989). It was a 1.5km swim, 45km bike, 12km run. No sprints back then. My sister and I started training a month out from the race.
We'd get our 10 speed CCM bikes out and try to ride the course or parts of it, we'd get into the pool and see how far we could go without stopping (I think I made it 10 lengths = 250m) and of course I didn't need to worry about the run because I had already done the 1/2 marathon in April. On race day, I wore my Body Glove windsurfing wet suit in the swim so I would not drown, I rode the 45km bike on my 10 speed with no aero bars and I think I walked 50% of the run. I finished in a time of 3:01:45 and my sister beat me, which to this day she still reminds me of anytime I do well in a race. I can't explain what I enjoyed so much about it but I was hooked and we started learning more about the sport and where other events would take place. I was so lucky to have two of the most involved people in the triathlon world here in Ontario at the time. Graham Fraser had his triathlon series, which to this day is one of the best series in the world, and Barrie Shepley was, and still is, one of the more involved men in the world of triathlon.
Graham's races and Barrie's coaching lead me to the career I had and the sport I love.

2. Looking back at some earlier results in your career, I recognized some familiar names in your races. Is there anyone you competed against during your first few years that you follow and cheer for when he or she races?

RP - I wonder who you are talking about .......... Actually there were so many close friends and training partners that I have followed and cheered on from the TV or the internet. Back then, triathlon was so small we didn't just race with which other we also traveled and trained together whenever possible. I spent many summers with Simon Whitfield and Jasper Blake training in the hills of Collingwood, Ontario. My training partner at the track for many years was Lori Bowden (helped I had a crush on her!!) and when I went to University I trained with Noel Harrington (1997 IMC champion) and Mike Buck who basically won every race he went into back in the 90's. Now I train whenever possible with my close friend Tara Norton. So in my 20 years in the sport I have been very lucky to train with some of the best athletes our sport has ever seen.

1. You have your Healthy Results Coaching business ( www.healthyresults.ca ) that, I assume, fills up most of your schedule. The address on the site states Orangeville, Ontario as the location. Why did you select this town as your base as opposed to the bigger cities in the area?

RP - It was a location that fit for both my wife and myself. My wife, Heather, was finishing up Chiropractic college in Toronto in 2000 and together we were trying to figure out where she could set up a practice and I could still run my coaching and personal training business. My sister, Kim, is also a chiropractor and was looking for a partner in her practice which was in Orangeville. It was a great fit for Heather. When we came up to Orangeville for the first time it became clear that it is one of the best training areas in the world for triathlon. I have been all over the world with triathlon and there are few places in the world that have as much variety of running and riding routes. Low traffic and beautiful roads. We also have two pools and three locations to open water swim.
Some think one down side is the snow in the winter, but we have great cross country skiing up here so it allows me to get off the bike trainer and get outside to build my endurance over the winter. My business might be bigger in the city like my friends who are coaches there, but I like the lifestyle of the small town. For me it's about lifestyle first, work second.

4. If my math is correct, you raced 9 years as a Pro from 1995 – 2003. What were the main factors in dropping from the professional ranks and racing as an Age Group athlete?

RP - Reality..................in 2003 it was clear I was not going to be like my friends Jasper Blake and Simon Whitfield and my focus in life was changing. In January of 2004, my wife and I welcomed the birth of our daughter Elizabeth. I was now a husband, dad, coach and then if there was any free time, an athlete. I do the sport for fun now and don't need the pressure of racing professionally.

5. Being a Professional Triathlete is a tough job and it is hard to make ends meet a lot of the time which turns a lot of Pro triathletes to coaching. Does coaching give you a similar level of satisfaction when you see someone else reaching their goals compared to the excitement of competing in your own race?

RP - Being a coach is more rewarding then my own racing career. I've always been the guy who is the leader in the group and enjoys helping people achieve their very best. I got into coaching not to pay the bills but because I wanted to stay in the sport I loved. I enjoy coaching athletes of all levels. I currently have two junior athletes with a world of potential, many first time Ironman or 70.3 athletes, and a hand full of elite age group athletes. Every hour of my day is different for me as a coach. I get a lot of satisfaction from my job, from seeing an athlete finish their first race or winning their age group. I'm very lucky to be able to love what I do for a living.

6. What words of advice do you most commonly give to your athletes?

RP - Training is all about being consistent. Everyone is looking for the upper hand in training or the magic workout or gear, but at any level unless you learn to train consistently nothing else matters. Being consistent is not as easy as it seems on paper. It is not about hours trained or finishing all the workouts in a program. It's about doing the right workouts, at the right time, at the right level of effort.

7. What race experience is your most memorable and why does it hold such value to you?

RP - In 1993 I missed making the national junior team by 3 second. I spend the next year preparing for the National Championships. I had the date written all over my walls in my bedroom "June 17th, 1994". It was my last year as a junior. I had a great swim and solid bike but it was my run that got me across the line in second place. Winning a silver may not be a gold but if you look at the athletes that came out of the junior ranks that year they all went on to very strong professional careers. It also was the race that turned triathlon in to a lifelong passion.

8. I was reading a blog yesterday and followed a link to a race a few Canadians had entered called the American Triple T Race. This is a three day, four race epic with a quick Prologue Tri on Friday. Two Olympic Distance Tri races on Saturday and a Half Ironman distance on Sunday. I noticed your name in the overall rankings and it looks like you put in an incredible performance for the combined four event win. Congrats! What drew you to this tough endurance challenge in Ohio?

RP - First, thank you.

Why TTT?....Peer Pressure........I had a few friends that did the race last year and they thought it would be something I'd do well at, well actually they told me I could win it. My biggest weakness is when I get challenged. I'm not as fast as someone who races ITU, but I do still swim under 20mins for 1500m, bike 40k an hour on a rolling course and can run a 35-36 minute 10k. A long with my speed I have been training off and on for Ironmans for 9 years, so I have the endurance most of the short course athletes don't have. But one of the real reasons I did the race was because I like to challenge myself. It is a one of a kind race.
It tests your speed, endurance, and mental strength over three days. All four races are some of the most challenging course you'll ever find. It is not like most endurance triathlons. You have to go fast in the first two events to stay in contact with the leaders but if you over do it you play for it on the Sunday race. I positioned myself well going into Sunday and won the race because I didn't fall apart on the final 21.1km run. To read more go to www.hrtchat.com

9. Seeing the results from question 8 and your results in the 2008 Muskoka 70.3 race you can tell you are still in amazing shape and you still love to race. How many races a year does it take to fill your appetite to compete? What other races are on your schedule in the future?

RP - Funny I don't really have much of an appetite to compete any more. I just race to see how fast I can go. I've done almost every triathlon in Ontario in the 20 years I've been in the sport. There were seasons back in the day (pre wife and kids) where I raced almost every weekend. Now I love the process of getting ready for a race and the art of getting in shape. Race day is more like the test to see if I did the training correctly. I train about half as much as most of the athletes at my level and I race even less.

(Since I stopped racing as a professional) In 2004 I raced once In 2005 I raced once In 2006 I raced once In 2007 I did 3 races In 2008 I did 2 races

My goal for 2009 is to get back into the sport I spend so much time talking about. I love coaching and I feel I'm even a better coach when I'm training and racing as I'm more in tune with workouts, dealing with the challenges athletes face and how to balance training with family and work.

10. What goals have you outlined for yourself in 2009?

RP - This year I'm doing Ironman Lake Placid for my charity www.race4kids.ca. On top of a fundraising goal of $250,000.00 to fight Childhood Cancer I hope to qualify for the World Championships in Kona. In Kona I'm hoping to medal in my age group (35-39). I know this goal is big, it will take more than likely a sub 9hr race in Kona to do it, but both my coach and I feel it is possible. Other then the three major events I'll do a hand full of running races and local triathlons (Huronia, Wasaga Beach, Bracebridge) here in Ontario.

Once again, thank you very much for your time!

LARRY BRADLEY

Milton Du is coming soon...

I have not been blogging much in the past as family life and work have left a little time to train and not much else. Hopefully, I can get back into the swing of things with some quick hits and maybe have some people follow my work.

I read a lot of the blogs out there, mostly the Canadian pros like Simon, Kyle and Brent and the likes, to see how the multisport community runs. I am always impressed by the training they are able to achieve in a week but am also amazed at how they tend to change things up a lot and go with the flow for most of their workouts. I think it says a lot about how well they know their bodies and how they know what needs be done during their week to make it a successful training week.

I was following my plan to a "T" earlier this season but a few opportunities have changed things up such as my membership with Fletcher's Meadow Cross Trainers and training with friends. These make the training load much more enjoyable and motivating.

This week was a great week for me leading up to the Milton Du on Sunday. Last Saturday, Tom and I got out to Milton to ride the course and check out the road conditions this year. On Sunday, Tom and I got in a nice and easy long run during the kids nap in the afternoon. Then I had a great TT on Monday, some decent km's on the bike and run on Tuesday and a very fine brick session on Thursday with a PB on one of my home loops (16:29).

After my results from Victoria's a few weeks ago, I am very excited to best my times of last year on some of the courses. Hopefully, one weekend, that will be good enout for the win. Tough to say as you just never know who will show up for an event.

Best of luck to all those heading to Milton this weekend!

Larry Bradley
Age Group Du Guy

Victoria's Duathlon - Waterloo (5/18/09(

Our crazy weather of the past few weeks took a holiday in time to offer an incredible day for racing at Victoria’s Duathlon 2009. The night before, I had mentioned to my wife that I would stay home if the winds continued to blow as strongly as they were. Thankfully, when I got out of bed early to put some finishing touches on my bike, the conditions outside were showing excellent potential so I packed up the last of my gear and headed to Waterloo.

After getting registered, talking to some multisport friends and getting organized in transition, it was time to race. I requested to start in Wave 1 with the elites and top age groupers so that I could test my training with the best on the course. It was a strange start as the little girl they had as the official starter sounded the horn pre-maturely during the instructions sending all the athletes down the driveway. Everyone was quickly called back to the line for the real start. The next time, when the countdown reached zero, she hit it twice, so I stopped thinking it was a false start (as a couple of guys left a few seconds early). The rest of the field was off so it was already catch up time. I sped up to find the duathletes I usually race with (Bruce Bird and David Moore) and settled into a quick but manageable pace. A little farther out, I was surprising holding my own and running very smoothly so pushed a little harder than anticipated. I stuck close to a bunch of the triathletes I recognized from previous years on the circuit and came into transition in very good shape, just under fourteen minutes for the opening four km.

With a large group of runners pretty tight into T1 race positions flipped around but I was out to the bike in one of my best transitions and was feeling excited about the ride. I gradually got up to a steady cruising speed and, by the five kilometre sign, was catching up to four or five other riders that were all over the map with their pace. I was happy to be around because of their past results compared to my skill level, but honestly I would much rather be away from the traffic as it draws the attention of the unpredictable officials.

Today, my reason to cycle solo was punctuated as I was hit with a 2 minute drafting penalty for the actions of other riders (in my opinion). My consistent pace had me boxed in with this group and I didn’t feel like they were going to distance themselves if I dropped back. Dropping off would have ruined my momentum so I just kept plugging away trying to stay out of the way. I moved past the small group on a downhill and got back to the right side (as far right as the winter beaten road would safely allow without flatting) but heading up the next incline, two athletes went past me and gradually slowed pushing up the hill. Trying to stay out of their direct line, I moved to the yellow centre line and continued my own pace up the hill, which was faster than their current speed. This apparently, is a violation (pardon my ignorance as I am still fresh to the sport in only my third full year) and I was suppose to let them pass and let them fool around while I slowed to give them 5 metres.

When the motorcyclist gave me the penalty I was overly frustrated as I did not see what I had done to gain an advantage. I just wanted to ride as hard as I could and was trying to ignore the others around me as they seemed to be playing games that I could not avoid. As he tried to explain things, I sat up in my saddle to argue my case and lost more time and focus as we verbally battled back and forth for a few hundred metres.

By this time other riders were catching me and I was losing a lot of speed. I had to mentally block this out and get my head back into the race. I had not trained all winter to let this spoil my day! In the end, I blistered down the rest of the course and even passed the group (still riding together!!!) during the last 5 km of the ride, this time making sure not to get caught up in their games. My average speed of 38.4 km/h was way faster than previous rides in this race and we had an extra 5 kilometres to ride this year.

After another smooth transition, I was off for the run and sitting in a very good position. My goal was to keep it under sixteen minutes for the final four km as I knew I had expending a lot of energy to get back into the race. Most of the athletes on the run had stretched out on the road and were looking strong so I didn’t see too many opportunities to move up the charts. I continued to race my own race and it seemed to be going very well as I felt like I could actually run this final leg instead of shuffling to the finish line.

I finally saw the group chasing me at the turn-around marker, two kilometres out. I had not lost a spot on the last run to this point but knew it would be short lived with the speedy youngster, Taylor Reid, pushing through the field. He ended up zooming by just after we made the turn and was not slowing down. My focus remained to keep loose and get to the finish line. This relaxed frame of mind actually helped me patiently track down one cycling specialist about five hundred metres from the line. With only the grassy section around transition left, I hit the gas for one final burst and broke the (imaginary) tape in 1:17:17, posting a third leg time of 15:22.

This would have placed me in 11th spot (the seventh place athlete was DQ’d but is still on the sheet) for the entire race, well ahead of my top 25 goal. With my two minute penalty, I ended the day in 17th place and a huge improvement over 2008.

Even with the disputable penalty assessed against my race, I am still very happy with my improved runs and efficient transitions. My bike time was 12th fastest in the field and could have been a little quicker if I was just allowed to race. I will take all these positives into Milton when the season resumes in two weeks.

Thanks for reading,
Larry Bradley

Photos from Victoria's Du - 2009

FIRST RUN, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE LEADERS
OUT TO THE COURSE ON THE BIKE
TRYING TO MAKE UP TIME AFTER PENALTY
AT THE FINISH LINE, 17TH PLACE

Around the Bay - PICS!

HOME AT LAST

TRYING TO FIND MY PACE WITH ROBBIE-T

ROBBIE-T TOO SMOOTH FOR ME TODAY

Around the Bay - Race Report

On Sunday, March 29th, 2009, I finally experienced the great tradition that is the Around the Bay road race. I have had this race in my plans for the past few years but have always registered too late and been disappointed to hear that the race is sold out.
This year was no different as I went to the website just a couple of days into February and received the same message. For me, it is tough to commit to a 30k race before knowing how my body feels at the start of the training season and this year I felt strong and relatively quick. Therefore, seeing the SOLD OUT sign on the registration page was a bit of a downer. Thankfully, a member of my marathon clinic had a co-worker looking to unload his race number so we arranged the transfer with the race officials and I was set to run my rookie Around the Bay.
Fast forward to the day of the event and I woke up to a miserable rainy mess of a day. As I drove over to Hamilton it continued to pour down rain with wind that never seemed to stay consistent in the direction of origin. This is what I gathered as I drove along the QEW through Burlington by observing the flags along the highway. My ultimate goal, already a very extreme target for my abilities, was definitely in doubt now.
Before the race, I looked around for some of the Canadian Triathletes but the arena was too large of a staging area to find familiar faces. I had also arranged to hook up with Robbie-T from the Running Maniacs as his goal was to go under 2 hours as well. He has been posting very solid results over the past few years so I knew he would be right there no matter the conditions.
After we set out for a warm up we got settled into the starting corral near the 2 hour pace bunny and Team Running Free member Mike Bosch. We timed it pretty well that we only had to stand still for a couple of minutes in the rain before the gun was blasted to send all the runners down the road. The mass of participants made for a slower than usual start for me, which probably allowed me to actually finish the race. When the three of us finally broke away from some of the other runners, we hit our pace of just under 4 minutes per kilometre (3:57 for the 1st KM). As the race continued through the streets of East Hamilton, and towards Lake Ontario, we kept our pace pretty even but I was not feeling as confident in my effort as I was hoping.
Our pack of three stayed together right up to the 10k marker which we hit at 40:08 (39:57 on my watch) on the gun timer beside the road side sign. At this point we hit an overpass bridge and I started to waiver with Mike and Robbie-T starting to pull away as we headed north along the Lakeshore. By the 11k marker they had about a 10 second gap and my energy levels were very poor so I had to let them go.
Along this stretch, I tried to maintain the pace of the other runners in my sight and was able to do a little damage control reaching the half way point less than 1 minute off the 2 hour pace. This was a little piece of motivation as 2:03 sounded a lot better than 2:05 in my mind given the factors of the day. For the next 5k, I was clipping along with a much better rhythm trying to erase the thoughts of saving my body for another day. I think the choice of shorts may have been poor given the lack of running I have done in the cold this year as my quads were aching much more than I can remember from any race in the past.
Anyway, as I headed along the service road in Burlington towards 20k, I felt like I was moving a little quicker but I could not get back to the 4 minute kilometres that I needed. 2/3 of the race were thankfully behind me and I had been out on the course for 1:21:42 so I had lost almost another minute since the last 5k sign and would have to pull off a 41 minute 10k through the hardest part of the race with dead legs to hit 2:03. Not exactly what I had planned for leading up to this event.
Well, to keep the story shorter, I ran the hills as well or better than those around me but I think we were all in the same boat, trying to hit a crazy goal and now paying for it in a big way. Only a few experienced Masters seemed to have the energy to make shorter work of the rollers, among the runners I could see so it would have been neat to watch the quicker guys blow by the hills.
Finally, I reached the summit of the last, and most famous of the climbs. It was here that I knew I would be able to finish so I made my way along the slightly downhill decent to Copps Coliseum as quickly as my legs would move. I had lost even more time to my goal struggling through kilometres 22 to 25 and just wanted to make it respectable. As I made my way down the service ramp at the arena I turned on the jets for one last effort to save a few seconds and move up one additional spot at the line in 2:05:31 on the gun or 2:05:20 for the chip time.
Since I had to get home to get ready for work, I left Hamilton right after changing out of my soaking wet gear. I looked up my times on the live tracker at home where I was originally 85th overall and 12th for my age group. Looking again later in the evening I had moved down to 90th overall and 14th in the 35 to 39 AG. Oh well, I am sure it is very tough to keep track of so many athletes (over 10,000 reported to have participated in the event) so I expected some correction from the live tracker.
All in all, a pretty good experience which really tests your running ability early in the season. I was a little disappointed in my time given all the work I have done in training but also proud that I didn’t quit the race as there were several points where I was ready to after 2 hours was no longer an option. I have a good feeling that my duathlon training is on track as I try to even out my cycling abilities with my running skills.

My Interview with Tom Evans

So I spend a little of my spare time in front of the computer trying to learn as much about this sport as I possibly can. During my surfing, I enjoy looking at results and studying the times and splits to see just how good some people are out there.

As I was going through the Ironman website, I picked out a name (as I always check out the Canadian content) that kept coming up near or at the top of these tough races. I did not know much about this 40 year British Columbian dentist so I had to learn more.

I searched the internet a little more but did not see much more than stats and race clippings so I decided to dig a little deeper. I created a few questions from what I had already read and sent it along to Dr. Evans. I didn't expect to see anything for a little while, if at all, but he was such a great sport that he returned my email within the same day.

This just adds to my many great experiences in this sport and is very refreshing after many years dealing with professional athletes in some of the big money sports.






10 Questions with Tom Evans –
1. When did you find the sport of triathlon and how long did it take you to turn professional?

TE - I watched IMC in 1999 and signed up for the 2000 race. 2002 was my first professional year.

2. You have won several big races but when searching for data on the web, besides results on event sites, your personal info (bio, sponsors, upcoming races, etc.) is pretty hard to find. Do you like to keep a lower profile than the other pros or am I not searching in the right place (please provide your website in your answer if you have one, thank you!)?

TE - I don’t really see much value in a website as there are so many out there. I also don’t have the time to maintain one properly. The guys I train with have started a blog which is just for fun www.teambigdeal.blogspot.com however I have not posted there (yet). If I ever do start a website it will be to promote my dental practice. I am currently offering root form dental implants for $1000 each ($2500 including crown) in order to make the cost of replacing a single tooth with an implant equivalent to a 3 unit bridge.

3. What is the toughest part of triathlon for you, racing or training (why)?

TE - The only part of triathlon I do not enjoy is the air travel to and from a race. For the most part I will just be racing locally to minimize air travel with the bike.

4. The sport of golf has created a lot of controversy in the past because of huge developments in gear technology. Do you believe the newer triathlon bikes and wheels sets create the same type of issue in triathlon? Is it fair that some athletes are being left behind because they do not have the funds to ride the same calibre of bike as the ones who ride the top models?

TE - Technology is not a problem…drugs are. There needs to be much more testing on this front.

5. As you participate in mostly longer races, you can only select a few races in a year to avoid burnout and injuries. Are there any races out there that you would love to compete in if you had unlimited resources to race whenever you felt like racing?

TE - I have yet to race (triathlon) in Europe. Hopefully IM Germany or Roth will work out at some point in the future.

6. What keeps you motivated to stay at such an incredible level of performance well past the proverbial “peak” athletic years?

TE - My triathlon season is only 8 months long. I focus on cross country skiing for the other 4 months. This approach keeps me mentally and physically fresh.

7. When you finally decide that you have had enough of professional competition, will you still get the same enjoyment by winning your Age Group or do you think you will continue to compete as a pro for your entire triathlon career?

TE - I’m always just looking to perform to the best of my abilities. Age should not matter nor the category I’m entered in.

8. What other sports do you participate on a regular basis that you believe helps your triathlon performance?

TE - Skate and classic cross-country skiing.

9. I saw a humourous posting on the Slowtwitch forums where a gentleman challenged you to a paddling race. I think you really surprised him with your extensive kayaking background. Will this challenge take place?

TE - I spent many years on the river but that is something I have not done for many years. Time is always the limiter in terms of “extras”

10. What is the question you are asked the most from Age Group athletes looking to improve their overall triathlon results, and your response to that question?

TE - To answer most questions properly I usually refer people to a good coach.



Thank you very much for your time Tom!

If the pros have time to post...

So I took a beating last year when I was updating my training log each night as one gentleman made a comment that I should worry about getting faster instead of posting blogs. Well, I may not be a pro and, at the age of 35, probably will never be pro. One thing I do know is that I have come very far since my chicken wing eating, beer drinking days only a few years ago. Another thing I know is that I also like to write and communicate with outher that share my passion for multisport. My family and friends are very supportive of my lifestyle change but they do not get too interested in the sport to create conversation. Therefore, I get my daily dose of chat on the internet. All the amazing people I have met in this sport live far enough away that we do not get to see each other unless we are at the same events.

For the past few weeks I have found some extra time and energy to start re-visiting some of my favourite blogs (Simon Whitfields, Canadian Triathletes, etc.) and they have inspired me to write more often. I hope you can follow along and drop a line when you get some time of your own!
Happy training,
Larry

More Bike Pics from Tour Down Under

Lance's New Trek!!

Tour Down Under Pics

This is the bike Team Astana displayed for their booth. I think this may have been the $20,000 bike they raffled off down there for Lance.

Cobourg Olympic Du - 2008 Ontario Championsips

A very solid field of duathletes including Team Canada duathlete Kevin Smith of Oakville, 2007 Subaru Series winner Zach Steinman, 2008 Subaru Series leader Bruce Bird and several athletes from Ottawa (that we do not get to race too often) assembled in the small eastern town of Cobourg.

I was not certain of my participation until the morning of the race due to a recent knee injury that had me avoiding running for several days leading up to this highly anticipated weekend. I was out for some interval training when I began my first speed pickup only to have a grinding sensation on the right knee stop me in my tracks and force me to walk home.

This has been a smaller issue for the past month or so but it was only a stiffness lasting only a few minutes during quicker runs. I figured it would either go away in time or explode into a season ending injury but if I wanted to get the races in I would have to train trough it. After personally treating it for the past few days, I was hopeful that it would allow me to compete as I hate to sit out in any sport due to injury. Not a great mindset in this sport but we only have a few events left so there is all fall and winter to heal.

The First 10k
As expected Kevin Smith went out quickly with his great running experience and talent. Ottawa resident, Matthew Pieterson went along with Kevin showing his great speed, as well. The chase group including Zach, Bruce, Adrian Lawson and Randy Fontaine who stayed back a few hundred metres going at a pace more manageable to ensure energy for their bike portions. I ended up solo for much of the run in 8th, taking care not to push the knee too much but maintaining sub 40 pace.

From a few tests this week I knew the injury was not an issue on the rides so I wanting to push the bike as hard as I could on a challenging course. Coming through the final 5k lap (we ran 2 loops of 5k), I picked it up a little but had Guelph native, Ross Horsley, on my tail just 13 seconds behind. He just beat me by two spots in Orillia last weekend so I knew his bike skills were going to be tough to hang with.

T1
I went back to putting on my bike shoes in transition after a disastrous experiment in Orillia but actually felt very good about my change over and left side by side with Ross (had his shoes already clipped on the pedals). I jumped on my bike at the mount line and got rolling in a smooth fashion, able to pass Ross who was having a little trouble getting his feet into his attached shoes.

40k Bike
The first seven kilometres took us out the east end of town and were pretty flat. Ross and I were a minute or two behind most of the top racers so they were slightly out of sight as we made the corner off of Queen Street to the paved country roads. We battled back and forth for the first 10k until his power came into play on a long, winding hill. He was still in reach but probably around 300 metres in front as we negotiated the corners and rollers of the scenic farm lands.

Unlike many Subaru races, the duathletes made up much of the front runners so we did not see many other cyclists until the 17k area when Matthew started to come down the other side of the road leading the spread out group of leaders. By this point, Bruce’s amazing cycling had brought him into second with Kevin a little back in third. I could see the turn-around up on the approaching hill and got a sudden burst of confidence knowing I was staying on pace with all these great duathletes.

In an attempt to keep focused and away from over analyzing the numbers, I did not bring a stop watch or bike computer so I was not sure, until this point, how fast Ross and I were traveling. I was just going as hard as I could and now some of the few top triathletes were getting tracked down by the QR Seduza.

I found my second wind bringing it home and wanted to bridge the gap between Ross before the change-over to our final run. We were both moving at a high rate across the back roads of Cobourg. Patiently I was able to inch closer and eventually overtake him as we hit the flats and then turned into town. As we reached our final turn onto the street leading to the transition zone, Ross over shot the road so I made it to the dismount line first and then got to the rack with him busting his butt to get back on track.

T2
I set up my transition well with a controlled dismount with shoes intact on the pedals, running my bike without stopping forward momentum. This saves a lot of valuable time in tight races and something I have been able to practice and improve on lately. I got my bike on the rack in decent time and then slipped on my racing flats again for the final 5 kilometres. Making my way to the exit of the corral I could tell my legs were rubber, burnt up from the effort to reel in Ross on the bike.

Final 5k
Having a good idea that I would not be able to push my knee into a higher ranking than seventh, I decided to stay close to Ross if he made a move and hopefully have a little kick to keep seventh. I was confident we would have nobody else behind us so my focus was on one person coming out onto the run course.

As we hit the road from the short trail leading from transition, Ross blew by me with great form. This was not good as he was looking incredibly strong and I was going in the opposite direction. I made one sudden push but I did not have his energy and I was now just running to finish without doing any extra damage to my knee.

Without my watch I could not tell my splits but I was probably closer to 4:15 per km than what it shows on the stats page (most athletes were pretty sure the 5k was a little on the long side so this would make sense). This is slower than I would like and could have been an opening for a chaser so I kept my eyes on the bibs after I made the turn at the halfway pylons.

Thankfully, everyone that may have had a chance to catch me was in the triathlon so I was able to relax and enjoy the tail wind that brought me home. I actually made it through the 5k having only Ross pass me so I was happy that I was able to keep a respectable pace without putting any additional stress on my body leaving next weeks season ending Subaru Race a possibility.

Conclusion
Although, this was not my fastest Olympic Duathlon, I was able to take away a lot of positives from this year’s provincials. Last year, I finished in the 20’s with a weaker field after a horrible bike portion in Guelph. This year I made it up to 8th and 2nd in my five year AG.

Guelph Lakes II Sprint Duathlon

The final duathlon of the Subaru Triathlon season wrapped up on the Labour Day long weekend under beautiful, warm morning skies. The race was held at the Guelph Lakes Conservation Area but had to be moved to another section of the park due to poor water quality at the beach the triathletes usually swim in. The temporary GLII venue changed our running courses (2k and 7k) and added to the “in park” cycling distance (slower speeds due to speed bumps and road quality), giving it a new race feel to many of the veteran competitors.

Due to the parking limitations in this portion of the Conservation Area, many people trickled in slowly and the line of cars on the roadway created a tiny issue. The organizing team realized this problem and pushed back the start time fifteen minutes but I was already set in the transition zone when this announcement was made so I figured I would head up to check out the entire 2k run for this duathlon. Although, it was in a new spot the run looked very similar and there were not any unusual challenges until the last couple of hundred metres when we had to come down a grassy trail towards the transition zone to get to our bikes. That part of the run was a little bumpy under our legs but short in nature.

With my knee condition still in question, my game plan was to go out and enjoy the last weekend of racing and not put too much pressure on myself to perform. I had plenty of time to warm up and things were actually feeling very strong and pain free. As the other duathletes made their way up to the line, I could tell the field was much larger than normal and many top names were in attendance. This had me re-position my previous goals for the day and I was now wanting to hit a top five finish, which would be tough with Bruce Bird, Derek Alldritt, John Stewart, David Frake, Pat Menzies and Bruce Grant assembling next to me in the starting gate.

As we waited for our final instructions, the race director came over his loud speaker to announce a Quintana Roo in the first row had blown a tire. As soon as I heard Quintana Roo I knew this was my ride and I would not have time to fix anything, even if I had brought the goods to do so. Before leaving home I had decided that a flat on the course would be the end of my day so I just left my kit on my training bike at home. With the first of two waves ready to head out, I was encouraged by my fellow athletes to go down and check to see if it was my bike. I ran down quickly only to confirm my fears. I bolting into the expo area to see if any of the bike shops were set up but, as per my luck, none of them had made the trip on this day so I was done, flat on the rack.

A million ideas spun around in my head but nothing realistic that I could actually accomplish in the space between the first and second wave. My only option left was to get a fast 2k run in and then cheer on the rest of the guys. I sprinted up to the line just as the second wave of runners were sent off and I quickly got out into the lead of the group that included all the female duathletes and males over 45. I felt a little guilty setting such a blistering pace but I needed to release some angry vibes. I continued to blaze along the course as the first group were making their way back down the other side of the road. As we crossed paths, I could see that some new faces were out in the lead so I became very interested to see how this race would play out. Maybe I would not even have been top 5 if I had raced?

I hit the turn around with some distance between me and Bruce Grant and hammered it down the home stretch, picking off some of the stragglers from the wave ahead of us. I am not sure if this pace would have been ideal if racing the whole event but looking at the times of the first wave, it would have been required to make it to the bike in my usual fashion.

Racing down the cross country section of the 2k run, I quickly looped around the transition zone to the swim entrance where we were all directed to the gate to grab our rides. I made one last wish that somehow my bike was ready but it was not to be as I pinched the back wheel only to feel empty rubber. Damn.

Disappointed, I walked over to the picnic table at the back of the fenced in area and watched the entire field of athletes file out onto the bike course before getting up some energy to go for a run. With the roads blocked off due to the race, I could not leave so I used the time to get an additional workout in so that I would have more family time once I got home. I wanted to get a longer run than 7k so I headed out on the same course as the cyclists and used the marked roads to measure my distance. Before I reached the 5k marker, the leaders were zooming past me and I could see how the duathlon had shaped up into the usual battle with Bruce leading the charge. I then noticed David, John and Derek right behind Mr. Bird, moving at incredible rates as they prepared for their final 7k runs.

When I finally got back to the event site, after a speedy 14k run, the leaders had already crossed the finish line so I made my way down to see how it all turned out. As I predicted, Bruce’s fantastic season on the Subaru Series wrapped up with another impressive win. I thought David Frake would be the one to challenge him on this day but Peter Phillips came out of nowhere to take second. Mr. Phillips was followed David, Derek and John for the top five finishers. I would have needed a strong ride with a very good 7k run to crack this top 5. Although, I missed out on a great race, I now have many goals in place for 2009 inspired by the great competition we have created over the past 10 events.

Binbrook Duathlon

After a full day to replay this race over a few times in my head, I still cannot decide if I am satisfied with the total experience or a little disappointed with the way I planned my aggressive attack on this course.

I arrived very prepared on this race morning as I had really thought most of my pre-race routine out and executed a lot of the little details the night before. My equipment was packed, nutritional products collected and my bike set up for a quick park and rack upon entry to the Binbrook Conservation Area. This quiet park south west of Hamilton was another perfect spot for multisport with ample parking and amenities to serve the growing number of participants on the HSBC Triathlon Series.

Once past the gatehouse at the entrance to the conservation area I had a short drive to the grassy parking lot and picked out a spot very close to the transition area. I gathered up all my gear, unloaded my bike and made my way over to the athletes staging where I easily found a position on the overflow rack that was actually more assessable to the exits than the age group spot that had already filled up. This may have helped on my best transition times to date in any duathlon!

After setting up my spot, I wandered over to pick up my race kit (I was even pre-registered for another time saver!). I then had a cheerful group of volunteers apply my body markings and also set me up with my timing chip. Having all this completed with so much extra time before the event I even was able to take the bike out for a test run to adjust a few things and hopefully improve my aero during competition. I rode for a few minutes out on the driveway to work out my legs then took my ride back to the t-zone before easing into a relaxing jog, building up to a few sprint burst before making my way to the starting line two minutes before the official gun.

As the Duathlon was first to go we had a nice crowd to cheer us off and with the final count down to “ONE” we were off and running. I jetted out very quickly and got to the head of the pack, jumping on the heels of the tour guide on his mountain bike. From the transition zone we headed down the short grass towards the lake and followed the pathway through the fields along the shoreline. This path took us to a trail cut through a young forested area that snaked through the park just off the lake and brought us back to another grassy path leading to the lake’s dam.

I was surprised to remain out in front at this point and figured I might as well add to the lead I was feeling strong and knew some of the better cyclists would reel me in once they got to their specialty. The bike guide pulled me down the edge of a gravel road that crested the dam to the east of the lake. It was only a 200 metre run along this section before the first Duathlon turn point (triathlon turn around was further down the dam) as I made the turn 100 metres in the lead. With the help of my tour guide, I was now heading back through the pack of runners to retrace my opening steps. I kept the pace up but now started to feel a little lost without the aid of KM markers as I really could not tell what that pace was. It is tough enough to gauge pace on flat asphalt but on trails that twist, dip and raise it is even tougher.

A little more than seven minutes into the race I passed back along the beach near the start/finish line and continued out to the west end of the park, a little concerned that I was pushing too hard. I really didn’t know what to expect next in regards to terrain so I stayed on the bikers tail as he lead me into another bush trail that curved its way through the conservation area. This was another loop with a small hill that was just large enough to test the knees. ! When I got to the top of the loop I had opened up an even larger lead and was determined to finish the 4.5km trail run with under 4 min/km splits.

Once again, the loop led me back through the field of runners. It was a great feeling to hear their words of praise as they motivated me to push on even quicker towards our bikes. I took a look back and the closet runner was 30 seconds behind my pace as I made my way up the gentle hill on the edge of the lake and into to T1.

I kept my running pace right through the transition to my ride and quickly slipped on my cleats, helmet and exited out the back door to the mount zone. I was the first athlete on the road (tri or du) and the Police escort was there waiting for me at the gatehouse of the park. This was a first time experience for me and I was pretty excited to be out in the lead, although, I knew it was not going to last very long.

After a kilometre on the road I looked down and realized I wasn’t getting up to my normal speed. Was it the quick run on the bumpy terrain or the Saturday training session that was finally catching up with my legs? Whatever it was I tried to power through and kept pushing on the pedals. Around 3k out from the park the inevitable pass occurred as two riders in tight formation and relaxed aero position pushed out to the left and made their move, pulling away to take their turn with the Police bike.

I continued to spin along the relatively flat course afraid that my legs would burn out in a lower gear but I just couldn’t create any speed and the winds hitting me from all sides were not helping out the cause. With every turn along the route I thought this is going to be the stretch I catch one gust that would give my legs the boost they needed to rest up for the final run but it was not to be as they always seemed to hit from another front angle. I just buried my head, trying to stay with each rider that passed but they eventually would get away from my pursuit.

As I looped back along the return side of the road, I counted down the clicks to transition making sure I kept my position respectable. I realized most of the athletes passing by were from the triathlon so I knew I was still in decent shape in the overall scheme of things.

I finally hit the park driveway disappointed in my cycling effort and wanted to get back out on the trail to hunt down my competition. A quick dismount from the bike led to another speedy transition and I was back on the run course, mixed in with the triathletes this time round. I got into a shuffle that seemed to quicken the further along I got out from home base. I was slowly making my way through the other runners (all from the tri) and reached the turn around on the dam again.

As the Triathlon participants were running a longer finishing route they continued past the turn point so I knew I had only three people in front and nobody behind at this time. The gentleman in position three was roughly 400 metres in front of me and runner five, at that time, was 500 metres back of me.

As the heat of the day was starting to make its presence felt, I elected not to push things and decided to stick to my current pace mentally accepting a fourth place finish. This was one of the first times I have made this decision but my body was telling me this was the correct choice.

I kept on shuffling through the same course as we started on, 4.5k of grass paths, gravel trail and asphalt driveway. Winding out to the west loop I noticed I was holding pace with the other runners and could feel the end of the run getting thankfully closer. I took one last look in the rearview and there was still a nice gap so I ran solo for the last 1.5k for the first time in any race. Nobody to catch, nobody to push, no need to kick. I made my way up to the finish corral and the announcer had the play by play to confirm my fourth place finish (2nd in AG) as the fans brought me to the line.

My first experience on the HSBC circuit was now in the books but with mixed emotions. Did I let one get away or should I take it for what it was, a positive training race along the way to bigger goal?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Multisport Canada - HSBC Triathlon Series crew prepared a very professional event and seemed very organized and accommodating. They had plenty of people on duty and made it very easy for athletes to get information and direction. The run course was visibly marked and easy to follow, especially with the biker guide leading me through the first time! The bike course was well controlled in respects to traffic and flow thanks to many Police officers on the course and on the corners. The post-race food was decent and enough to satisfy my hunger and thirst after a challenging day on the course. The awards presentation went quickly and wrapped up in time to get back to Toronto to enjoy the afternoon at home. One item on my wish list would be more km markers along both run and bike routes to help with pacing.

In summary, the beautiful weather, friendly athletes (a large contingent of Running Free athletes) and relaxing setting made for a great Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the event Multisport Canada produced and hope to get out on this series a few more times this season!

Milton Duathlon

The latest stop on the Subaru TriSport circuit brought a large number of triathletes and duathletes together for a multisport meet at the Kelso Lake Conservation Area just outside Milton, Ontario. The first outdoor triathlon this season brought enormous crowds of athletes and spectators to this great rural setting, only half an hour from the chaos of Toronto. Although, the forecast was a little scary at times during the week the weather turned out to be incredible with tons of sun and very little wind, conditions perfect for racing.

I arrived at the park slightly before the gates were scheduled to close giving myself plenty of time to get prepared and ready to race. Even though I was running off less sleep than usual, I felt fresh and couldn’t wait to test my training against the other duathletes in the 159 person field in the Du.

After a lengthy drive through the park, I finally found a spot for my vehicle and got all my gear together and assembled Barry’s Cannondale and wheeled it down to the transition zone. The transition area was a buzz and jammed with athletes and bikes so it was tough to find a spot for my ride. I ended up squeezing in on the last bar of my wave (I couldn’t see an over flow section) and the bike racks were so full that I couldn’t leave my bag around the bike so I pulled out my essentials and laid them out tight to the wheels. To make room for other athletes I took my bag over to the side of the zone to the fence line hoping I would not have to make an emergency visist to the bag during the race.

Due to time constraints during the week, I unfortunately was not able to get over to Running Free to stock up on gels and bars for this race so I had to make my way up the hill to the post-race “village”. I spotted a vendor selling gels and purchased a few to take along on the ride. After getting them prepared and taped to the bike I had around fifteen minutes to warm up. I found a nice, quiet spot to stretch out and also watch the first wave of triathletes commence their swim. After working out most of the tightness in my upper body, I proceeded to run a few hill climbs and some quick sprints to wake up the leg muscles. Feeling a little more limber I was off to the starting line for the 5 minute count down and instructions from one of the race officials.

As the official counted down the final seconds we crept to the line and pushed off along a cool, shaded lane of dirt and stone. I have not trained on this type of surface so it took some time to adjust to the feeling of rocks pushing through my racing flats.

The start of the 2k run was a slight incline which separated the group quickly. I attempted to stay near the front runners (some I recognized from other runs and I am aware of their talents) hoping they would set a solid, fast pace. The first kilometre seemed to rush by in an instant and then we were guided around the turn and back past the other racers following us along the narrow path. By this time the leaders were slowly pulling away but were not too far out of reach which was very encouraging. We gradually closed in on the transition area from a steep, gravelly decent to the timing mats at the gate. At this point I was in 6th spot and hoping to complete a speedy transition.

I rushed to my bike, clipped on my helmet, got my cleats on in good fashion and made my way to the bike course happy that I had not dropped many spots during the change, as was the case in Waterloo. I mounted the bike smoothly on the fly and got clipped into the pedals. It was now a huge mix of athletes on the bike course with a lot of late wave triathletes and other duathletes required to share the road.

The first stretch on wheels for us was the park’s main driveway (with a few speed bumps) that took us out to our first real public road of the race. I was making good time on Barry’s Cannondale and could sense I would be stronger today than in the past as the bike was just made for speed.

As this race was very close to family and friends I was fortunate to have a helpful cheering section just as I turned out from the conservation area. I used their support to grab some extra energy and started cranking it out heading north on Tremaine Road on my journey to the dreaded “6th Line Hill” that everyone had spoke about leading up to the event.

It was a short ride on Tremaine to a controlled left turn onto Campbellville Road where I was among a large number of riders bunched together minutes away from the climb. We got our tempo up moving down a hill toward the right hand turn at the foot of the 6th Line which tested my turning for the first time on this bike. I didn’t want to take a big chance on this turn so I made space for myself and went wide around the bend. Meeting us around the turn was our big challenge of the day, the 1.3 kilometres of slow, pumping accent up the escarpment that brought everyone to crawl as they made their way through the high gears.

Although, I was not intentionally attacking the hill, I seemed to be moving up a quicker than the riders around me which inspired me to push forward as I huffed and puffed up this intense slope. As I approached the top I began to beam in delight that I had made it up one of my biggest cycling tests to date making up several spots lost along the way.

With this obstacle in the books, it was time to fire the burners and I started to get up to speed making my way through the crowds of athletes along the rolling hills of the Milton high lands. Most of the rollers of asphalt up here were gentle and I geared through them very smoothly gaining many more positions than losing. At around the 7k mark, a group of seven riders, myself included, broke out from the rest of the pack and battled back and forth for most of the next 20k. As we caught the next groups we would line out, down the middle yellow line, and make our pass then scatter back into formation to avoid drafting and the penalties associated with getting caught. During this long stretch of racing we made a couple testing turns that almost put me down due to the pebbles on the wide spot of the corners. In both instances I had my cleat come out of the clip but I was able to catch myself before the bike could slip out from under my weight. These novice mistakes forced me to make some time up to catch the group so I could use their pace to keep my position near the leaders of the duathlon.

Shortly after my second brush with disaster on the 15th Side Road turn we found ourselves back on the 6th Line, making our way back to the big hill and a chance to bomb it down the slope of the Niagara Escarpment. By the time we reached the crest a few of us had created a little gap from the four other competitors giving us plenty of space on the road. After a slight hesitation on my behalf, I hit the hill in line with the others making sure I had some room to move just incase someone bailed ahead of me. I had a very fast decent tucked nicely on my aero bars not wanting to loose any ground on the two that hit the hill before me. As advertised, the left back onto Campbellville Road approached quickly so I started to apply the brakes just before the base of the slope and made the corner comfortably, able to jump out of the saddled to power back up another little hill on the way back to Tremaine Road.

I knew my fans would be waiting patiently for my return but since Tremaine angled down to the park I was flying by them a little faster this time and was only able to give them a little wave of appreciation for cheering me on.
Again pumped up from my cheering section, I made my way back down the park entrance and pedaled my way past more riders trying to set myself up for my goal of a top 15 position. Little did I know I was doing much better thanks to my best ever bike time, which turned out to be 16th out of the 159 participants.

Next on the race agenda was Transition 2. I prepared well in advance for my dismount and touched down right at the line for a solid start to the change over. As I ran to the bike rack my glasses dropped from my jersey but there was no way I was going to back track (the reason I buy very cheap one!) and grab them. When I reached the bar I was only behind one other guy on my rack which really was surprising given the bikes stationed there before the race. Everything seemed to be flowing nicely and the new elastic laces worked like a charm (I used them for the very first time). As I was slipping on my second shoe and just about to take off my helmet, my first error of the day occurred. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my bike was falling. I continued to slip on my shoe and looked up to see the whole rack had collapsed as the two of us had jarred it enough to pop out the stanchion to my left. I guess there were so many people on this rack to start the race someone probably pulled the stand too close to the end of the pipe. The smallest vibration down the bar would send it to the ground. I wasn’t sure if it was when I put my bike on or if the other gentleman had created a little ripple along the pole but it had toppled over and we both scrambled to get our bikes back vertical. Thankfully, some very helpful fans were standing on the other side of the fence and saw this and quickly got the bar back on the stand and saved us a great deal of time.

Finally, onto the 7.5k run to end this event and my legs were feeling the effects of the longer ride and the uphill trail climb to get the run started took a lot more out of them. Due to the number of triathlon waves out before us there were still a great number of athletes out on the trail before us. Most of them were in the same boat, slowly making their way down the trail. After a kilometre of running too slow for my liking, I started to shuffle my feet with a lot more purpose and started to make up a lot of ground through the masses.

At this point we were still climbing upwards to higher ground but I was pulling away from the others and had only been passed by one runner, the same gentleman from the rack debacle who I know from past races is a better runner and didn’t want to burn myself out trying to stay with him. After a brief stint on the road we headed into another conservation area lane and up into the trail system that included a steep climb into the bush. This trail traveled up to a loop where we finally started to move downhill. At this stage of the race I felt rejuvenated and really started to pick up the pace. Back down the trail and along the driveway towards home I continued to make positive stride and positions. It felt good to find this hidden energy and the folks I passed graciously complimented my kick back to Kelso. After doubling back much of the trail into Kelso a new twist sent us out past the ski chalet where we all parked. Remembering this section of the park from the walk in at the start of the day, I knew nobody was going to catch me so I kept pouring on the gas and made up a number of spots (not sure if the were in the Du or not but didn’t take any chances). After a slow start to the run I came home with the 5th fastest leg to finish over 2 minutes quicker than my total race goal of 1:33:00 with a final chip time of 1:30:44. This placed me in 6th overall!

During the first two postings on the results board I was listed 3rd in my 5 year age group but they must have changed that age grouping just before the awards ceremony and I was bumped to 4th in an expanded 10 year age category. Oh well, that part was out of my control and I was very pleased by my effort and desire to race on this particular day. I have poured a lot into training lately and the gains have been amazing. I would like to send a special thank you out to Syd Trefiak for sharing a whole lot of knowledge with me and getting me on the right track this season. It is very much appreciated!

See you on the course!

AdiPacer - Scotia Bank Waterfront Half Marathon

With swag in hand it is official that I will be leading some great runners down the waterfront in the Scotia Bank Half Marathon on Sept 30th. Adidas sponsors this pace bunny program and has been generous in gear which is very much appreciated. I am leading the 2:15 continuous charge of runners and look forward to the task and the training runs planned to get the runners prepared. Frist one is this Saturday, June 2 so it should be a blast putting in a nice long run with some folks looking to hit their goals in this race.

Hope to see you on the course!

Victoria's Duathlon - Waterloo

Although the Victoria Day long weekend is not the true beginning to summer, it has long been treated as Canada’s first summer holiday and this year the weather was absolutely perfect! With this beautiful weather hitting the region all multisport enthusiasts can sense summer right around the corner it comes naturally that we want to get started with the season to test out all our winter training and the new equipment collected over the break.

The first event on the schedule was held this past weekend on the holiday Monday in the quiet outskirts of Waterloo at the Community Fellowship Church. I set out on my trip a few hours before the 11 am start time and arrived at the site in plenty of time to register and pick up my race kit before putting my bike on the rack and starting a warm up. The staging area was very well set-up and conveniently close to the large parking area making it ideal for athletes to get set up without any long walks or shuttles. The Church was built more like a community centre and offered a very good facility for registration and post-event festivities central to the transition area and the parking lot.

Even though I was early by my standards, I still did not beat the rest of my age group to the transition area so I had to make my way to the overflow area and find an empty rack to get my things in order for the race. By this time the weather was warming up so I decided to make some last minute changes to my gear before heading out of the paddock for some quick stretches and to look around to acquaint myself with the start/finish area.

At 11:00 am the Elite athletes, and then some, pulled up to the line and were rushed off by the horn, down the Church driveway into a left turn down the first of many country roads covered during the event. My age group was in the second wave, three minutes behind the Elites and soon we were out of the gate and on the heels of the first wave. The 4k run to start this duathlon was mostly flat with only one average hill on the loop that went up at around 600m into the race and then took us down around 3.2k on the way back to the transition to the bikes.

I went out quickly in our wave and focused on a few better athletes that I hoped I could stay close to during the run (knowing they would pull away from me in the ride). I was pretty certain they would pace me to a respectable first leg of the race and we hit the first km marker at roughly 3:30 (even with the uphill climb), and maintained the pace as we flattened out and watched the first wave loop back down their side of the road. It didn’t seem long before we approached the 2k turn around marker that sent us back down the right side of the road where we got a good look at the competition. It was motivating to see some of the other runners chasing you down and I knew I wanted to hold them off so I kept up the pace with the leaders of our group. Shortly after the 3k sign, we plunged down the hill that was followed by a very minor grade back up to the driveway, hitting the transition area in good shape just under 15 mins.

In T1 I slapped on my helmet, strapped on my shoes, squished in a quick GU tri-berry gel and made a dash for the “bike on” line. It didn’t seem like I was in there long but the transition was poor on the stats sheet and is a definite area to work on in training.
I was now on the bike, clipped in and ready to see if the extra cycling I have worked on would pay off compared to my times at the end of last season. Reading some info leading up to this race I fully expected the hills and it didn’t take long for our group to start the roller coaster that would make up the terrain for close to the entire ride. With the slow, hard pumping ups also came the speedy downs, even on my cheap bike, some reaching over 60 km/hour. I pedaled as well as I ever have and really pushed the bike but my lack of experience and department store bike left me a little behind some of the competition I had used my running to pull away from earlier. Oh well, it’s only my third duathlon and plenty of time to improve in this discipline.

During the final 7k of the ride, a group of four other cyclists and I battled back and forth as I would grab the lead up the hills and they would take back the positions on the downhill portions and flats. Even though I know I will be able to hold them off with more training, I loved the chess game it provided and it was a fun race within the race that sped up the entire group as we twisted through the country side leading us back to the transition zone for the final 4k run. My average speed on the bike posted at 34.2 km/h, close to 2 km/h better than my pace from last fall but something I need to increase even more to be more competitive in this sport.

The group pulled into the “bike off” zone together with my bike slightly behind them at the line. With another slower than anticipated change of gear I started back out to the same 4k route on foot a little behind. It didn’t take my legs long to stretch out and I rapidly over came the deficit from my slow transition and charged past them and up the hill. I then caught a few more runners and followed by a small gap as I turned back for the final 2k of the event. Looking around at the 2k turn I felt there was only one person running at a pace that could catch me and a few ahead in the distance that I had a realistic chance of reeling in. It wasn’t long before the tall, smooth runner pulled up to my right and settled into a side-by-side run for over a kilometre picking off a few others that were beginning to fade in the heat. We continued past 3k and started down the hill together but his long legs covered the downward slope more efficiently and he started to pull away with only 500 m remaining. I hit the driveway and looked back and did not see any other challenges so I decided to exhaust the tanks and make a final sprint to the line in hopes of taking back that one position. The lumpy grass path leading us to the finish line was a little unsettling under my rubberized legs but I kept my balance and had just enough gas to catch and pass him with only 50 m to spare. The final push also helped me hit my goal to go under 4 mins/km on the last leg of the race.

In retrospect, it was a very satisfying first multisport race of the season and provided a lot of reinforcement that I am still improving. There were a lot of the Team Running Free teammates out competing hard with great results. I got a chance to meet a few of the group and that was worth the trip alone. The weather was fantastic for this event and I can only hope every race weekend will match these conditions. The race crew put together another well run event that was organized, competitive and, as always, the volunteers were terrific!

See on all on the road soon!

Sporting Life 10K

For a night runner, an early wake up call is not always the way you want to get going to test your abilities against 8000 other runners but when you need to rely on public transit to get you to the starting line that is only the first struggle of the event. I have a bad habit of usually rushing around too much on race days so I was determined to change this routine and had everything packed up and ready to go the night before the run. Well, one missed bus, one slow bus and one taxi later and I arrived at another race later than anticipated with only 15 minutes to spare.
The worst part about being late this time was that I was supposed to meet two co-workers at a specific time and place that we selected earlier in the week. As I wandered into the vast crowd of athletes I noticed the cargo vans packing up so I pulled up beside the first one in line and got dressed quickly into my running gear, grabbed a few carbs from my bag and handed my extra gear over to the crew as they were sliding down the door. With this important duty off my checklist, I headed out to find my friends and hopefully get in a bathroom break before the gun. As luck would have it, I happened upon them only a minute into the search as they were waiting in line at the bank of port-a-potties. Looking at the time and the line up to get to the bathroom, I realized I would not have time to wait any longer so I wished them good luck and headed to the front of the pack.
As I made my way along the sidewalk to the starting line I could sense the excitement in the air and had a bad feeling I was not going to get to my time slot to hit the starting mats with the other runners of my pace. I scrambled up the side of the mob of people and got up near the front just as the gun went off. It took a couple of stutter steps to get in line with the crowd right before the starting banner and then I was off through the traffic. Although, runners were asked to line up according to estimated finish times, many were not in the right spot so I had a lot of weaving to do to find open daylight to allow me to settle into a pace. The downhill nature of the run made it difficult to tell if I had gone out too fast but my legs were feeling fresh so I decided to stick to that speed until the first KM marker and then adjust gears if needed. The marker didn’t seem to take long to reach and a voice on the megaphone clearly barked out the time so there was no need to pull back my long sleeves to check my watch. 3:44 for the first tenth of the race felt about right so I held that pace and continued down the unusually traffic free street and through Police patrolled intersection after intersection.

(I am in the red Running Free hat with red Brooks shorts near the front)

We rapidly hit the next KM marker with the group around me holding a steady pace, pretty much identical to the first split. With two k’s under our belts we continued down the steep hills of Yonge Street and were joyfully greeted from an overhead bridge by a vocal group of fans that pushed us along to our first slightly uphill grade of the race. I still felt strong and knew the upcoming climb (the only real uphill of any visible slope) would not wear on me at this stage of the race so I pushed on maintaining my pace and concentrating on my task ahead.
During the third KM we encountered another speedy decline that sent us speeding down the open street near Summerhill station and under another bridge then back to a more gradual decent to the lake as we passed St. Clair Street.
By this point of the race I had become accustomed to running with several members in the group so I knew which section of the road they preferred and was able to visualize the next portion of the race. We continued along past Bloor Street and came up on the fifth KM flags at 19:18 of the official time. I felt like I had a lot left in the tank at this point but knew the land was going to flatten out soon. Also weighing in on my course management was the wind coming from my left side that I figured we would be running straight into it once we turned east further down the street at Adelaide.
The crowds were great down this stretch of Yonge and the urban music near Dundas Square was a timely pick-me-up and a fresh diversion from the analytical stats turning in my mind. Heading further along Yonge, to areas more familiar to me, I was a lot more certain of the upcoming terrain allowing me to prepare for the left turn at Adelaide. This occurred just after seven kilometres and I was actually able to sling shot past a bunch of runners who took the turn too wide due to the number of people reaching that point bunched up like grapes. Footing on this stretch of the course was a little dicey due to the streetcar tacks laid down the middle of the road and, with the next turn to the right side, I settled close to the curb to avoid getting caught up on one of the rails. We traveled east along Adelaide for roughly 900 metres before turning back to the south on Sherbourne. This was a quick little feeder road to our sprint down Lakeshore, in the cool shadows of the Gardner Expressway. Hitting Lakeshore West we lined out in a string of runners with the wind to our backs. The nine KM marker approached but I didn’t dare look at my watch as I didn’t want to loose my focus and break the pace in my rubber legs. With less then half a kilometer left we hit the Air Canada Centre and I knew exactly how much track was left so I put it into high gear ready for a great finishing kick. The second last turn on to York brought the finish banner into site and I just tried to hold off any challenges from behind. With only 300 metres to go one caught and passed me and we made our final turn for home on Bremner. I thought he had me with his sudden burst of speed but I was not going down without a fight and just as I hit my kick his engine stuttered and stalled and I was able to regain my position from him about five metre from the timing mats.
I looked at the official time and was relieved to see the time very close to the time I visualized the past few weeks and was even happier when I looked at my stop watch to see 23 seconds less (which was true as per Sportstats.ca).
Now that the race is over I have had some time to look back on the event as a whole and not just the race itself. The weather was fantastic and just perfect for running. The opportunity to test your abilities against some of the very best runners from Canada, and even the World, is simply amazing. The volunteers on the course, the police at all those intersections and folks at the finish area were all very friendly and respectful of the athletes making my experience a positive one. Even when I came late to hand over my bag they did not complain or turn me away. They were careful taking the chip off my race shoes so they were not damaged. The crew recovered my bag quickly so I was able to stay warm and dry off in no time at all and the folks at the drink and food stations had an endless supply of treats so I could re-fuel. The only issue I had with the whole event, and it would not deter me from entering again, was getting to the start via TTC. From my house it just takes too long by bus and with all the road closures. It is one area I will have to plan a little better next year so that I can get a proper warm up and fuelling in before hitting my marks.
Overall, it was a fun race with great atmosphere (cheering crowds and music along the way) and terrific volunteers. I would recommend to all runners looking for an early race in the season. I will be back to improve on my PB, with asterisk.

April Training

4-30-07
Got all my training in today so I am able to relax tonight for a change. 42k on the bike during the two way commute. Very windy conditions today, specially tonight so things were very tough but results slowly showing on the bike. Hit the Lakeshore for a very quick 8k run at lunch. Didn't have my stop watch (very forgetful these days) but by the clock on the side of the Queen's Quay building it was at most 33 min's. It felt quick and I have gone below 32 before so I think it was just a little over that magical 4 per km pace. Sporting Life 10k this weekend so one more quick trainng run tomorrow and then taper for rest of the week. Can't wait as I really think I can hit my goal.
4-28-07
After a grueling 17K run late last night I decided to take it a little easier today and stick to 10K or so but combine it with a trip to the bike store to pick up my bike stand. I got geared up and threw on my backpack to bring it home. I wanted to go at a slower pace but that always changes once you get moving so I got the the store a little quicker than I expeced and a lot sweatier than planned. The sales rep grabbed my bike stand and brought it out to the front desk. It was in a box that had no way to fit in my backpack so I stood there for a minute and thought about my options. As usual I selected the most insane solution and started to run back the 5 or so km's home with the box under my arm. Luckily, it was very light but when the legs started to get tired my whole stride suffered. I was going to stop and get on the bus but for some reason my legs just kept moving. I actually made decent time with the awkward parcel and now have a great stand to tune up my bike on.
4-26-07
Technically a day off running and cycling today so I just hit the ice for an hour and a half of goaltending during a fun game of pick-up. A good little sweat but nothing compared to a real training session but my body needs a day to relax. Just looking at some running sites and then round out the day with some push-ups. Hopefully, the weather clears up so I can bike to work in the morning. Good night all!
4-25-07
More meaningful time spent on the bike this morning and evening with the daily commute. Little scare in the morning as my rear brake cable slid out of place and I was without rear brakes for the rest of the trip into work. Happened at a bad spot going down a little slope with speed just as a turn for the Lakeshore path approached. Made the turn but was a little too close for my nerves. Tightened the cable for the ride home so that went smooth. Supper and family time and back out for a good 10k run, although legs were a little sluggish to start still hit my goal for the night so good day of training!
4-24-07
With the warmer weather getting better everyday, I can finally combine my commute to work with some training by getting on the bike in the morning and pedeling 21km to my office. I am not one to take many relaxing rides so it is a great training run to get the blood flowing in the morning and to build a great appetite in the evening. 42km round trip is just what my upcoming duathlon season needs as I am very green on the bike and really want to compete this season with my age-groupers. I am always accepting cycling tips so fire them my way ( shaggytour2005@yahoo.com )!
4-23-07
Not one to stick to a schedule, I decided today would be a good day to run home from work, an 18k journal from the heart of the city along Bloor to the West Mall / 427 area. It started out very windy and very wet with a major thunderstorm passing through the area. That could not slow me down and I pushed along making pretty decent time even with a few stops along the way for traffic lights. Just before High Park, I caught another runner and we continued along together for approx. a km so that was a friendly positive to the run. Felt strong for most of the run and ended up at the desired location in around the time expected, just under 5min/km. A quick stop for a refreshingly cool Gatorade and a short little walk home to re-fuel on supper.

ENDURrace 8K - Waterloo

Spring is here in all its glory and this made it a great time to finally pull out the shorts for running. As most male runners can attest, tights are comfortable but create an open door to many jokes and harsh comments from passing traffic.

I arrived in Waterloo just minutes before the gun as highway 401 was a mess and I had just wrapped up a slow, frustrating game of golf with my buddies. The Run Waterloo group was more than accommodating and rushed me through the registration process and made all the nessacery adjustments to ensure my time from last week would be added to this race for the overall combined event time. After getting through check in I headed for a quick change and fast fuel up of Amino Vital and a power bar. I wanted to get them in the system earlier but could not reach them while driving so I had to get them down quick and run to the line.

The little jog over there acted as my warm up along with some standing stretches as the race crew counted down the last seconds leading up to the horn. Off we went along the same starting stretch as the week before along the back side of the community centre of RIM Park. I could tell the pace was not as brisk right from the horn so I settled in around 20 runners back of the leader and got into an early pace that I hoped to maintain for the duration of the race. As we heading down University Ave., a nice two lane road with a fresh, fast surface, we lined out to protect ourselves from the slight breeze blowing into our faces. The first km passed in just under 4 minutes, which was the pace I was aiming to hit, so I took note of the stride and tried to repeat the motion turn after turn. We approached our next corner as we made our way to the mile marker on Northfield Drive, a single lane highway with many rolling hills, and the leaders began to pull away down the slope and up the first hill in the horizon. A group of five of us let them go and settled into our own pack in a nice consistent pace as we hit KM markers two through four along this stretch. By this time the hills started to take some victims and our group dwindled to three as we turned right onto Sawmill Road through a little settlement with some gracious cheers from the local residents. This was just a short tease of flat road that made way to our next right turn back towards RIM Park on Woolwich Street. Our race experience was tested right away on this section with a steep downhill decent that rubberized the leg muscles and lead to brief flat piece of ground to a bridge that required full concentration due to the uneven nature of the bridge surface. The race was now only 2k from completion and I was picking up the pace after a tasty GU gel and coming up to a group of two more runners that had been a little out of reach earlier. I have always loved the hills and our next one was a doozy. I knew that I could catch both of them there and maybe crack the top ten for the race. The hill was a pace killer to be sure but I leaned into the grade and pumped my way past one of the runners half way up and came up on the heels of the next as we hit the crest. We were almost even as we pushed on to a horizontal stretch of back country, His stride on the flats was a little smoother than mine at this point and he effortlessly started to pull away down the country road leading to the familiar finishing leg (last 1.5 km was were we completed the ENDURrace 5K last week). We twisted down a small hill along the back side of the community centre's soccer pitches relieved to see the finishing banner. My target was now out around 40 metre in front and I knew I only had 500 metre left to bring him in with an uphill to the line as my only advantage. One last turn and up to the line we raced. He heard my footsteps quicken with my challenge and picked up his turnover with a final sprint. So close but I could only narrow the gap to 3 seconds at the line but good enough for tenth spot and a very satisfying race in perfect weather and a country side setting.

The Après-Race was once again very good with plenty of food and drinks to re-fuel and friendly atmosphere to relax and chat with other participants. A very nice family from Waterloo joined me for the awards and were very socialalbe and very knowledgeable on the runs that the Kitchener-Waterloo area has to offer.

I will have this two run series marked for next year so come join me in Waterloo for a nice break from the rat race in the GTA.

Larry Bradley
teamrunningfree.com