Spectating Is Exhausting!

 This past weekend Sara and I played spectator at the inaugural Ironman Muskoka. First off, check who I grabbed a picture with - none other than 6-time Hawaii Ironman champ Dave Scott. Dave came to Muskoka with a lady friend who decided to enter the race last minute. He said he rode most of the course, about 150k of it, and he said it was a legit and challenging course.

 We watched our club mates from TCOB and other friends facing this epic course. For the bike we positioned ourselves near Dwight Beach road and Hwy 35. We saw everyone for both loops. We purposely chose this area for the proximity to our campground and to encourage the athletes in an area not covered by a lot of spectators. People were appreciative of the cheers and well wishes.

 Once done with the bike it was onto town for the run. We decided to park ourselves in the exact spot we occupied for the 70.3 on Hwy 60. We chose this spot because it's on a stretch of road that tends to be long and rolling and hot when exposed to the sun. Our spot is also on the crest of a hill on both sides, the apex. With our big red beach umbrella, lawn chairs and cooler, we set up camp and began cheering.

 Observing an Ironman for the first time, I got a new perspective of this event. There are as many stories as there are athletes, each one unique. For some the day turns out great, for others not so good. It could nutrition problems, overpacing mistakes, or the body just came up flat. At any rate, the amount of work put in in preparation does not always equate to Ironman success. Emotions can be raw. I was amazed by how many athletes thanked us for being out all day cheering. I witnessed a lot of people digging deep. My range of Ironman finishes is from 11:09 to 13:55 so I know that anything can happen and, while spectating, I witnessed this first hand. I will admit that, by day's end, we were exhausted! Not as exhausted as the athletes but pretty bagged nonetheless. I now have a new appreciation for Sara and the many races she's watched me compete in.

 At the end of the day, Ironman is a race that we sign up for and attempt to conquer. If it doesn't turn out as expected so be it. There will be other races. The last two years while completing four Ironmans I would classify my races as unsuccessful in that I did not come close to meeting my expectations. At the same time I did 4 Ironmans in 2 years - not a lot of people can say that. Taking this year off of Ironman racing was the smartest thing I could have done. I feel more rested and rejuvenated. More importantly, I'm enjoying training again and feel more motivated to put in the work.

 

While my tri-season is over for 2015 I look forward to building a base and increasing strength. Next year I age up to the 50-54 age group and I'd like to put in a good year for the big 5-0!!

 

Cheers!

Manic Monday: McDonalds Edition

Cheers!

August Is Awesome

 The summer of fun continues. Next stop? Great night out with friends. We headed out with Ted and Corinne, Jay and Tara to the Bayfront for Corinne's birthday dinner. Sara and I have not been down there before - it's pretty sweet. The night was perfect for some outdoor patio chillin.

 The angels - no Charlie, just us clowns.

 Next day it was back on the training. Katie was in town so we did 40k with her and headed out for 60k more afterwards. As you can see from the sky the weather was awesome!

 Sporting my new TCOB jersey. The jersey unfortunately does not decrease the level of dorkness in me.

 Another ride with Sara - tried the panoramic while taking a pee - I can multitask!

 Also got some beach time in at Long Point - the waves were mint. Did a ton of body boarding. Sara had her beach hair going.

 Next up - long run. 20k total with a ton of hills in Kings Forest. Here I am looking dorky about 2k in.

 Here I am post run soaking in the "Cement Pond".

 Gran's birthday celebration. My daughter Emily came by for the festivities. Her 22nd birthday is coming up which means I'm getting old!

 Long Point again! Logan and I trying the new raft. We didn't get far but had a ton o' fun. Long Point is beautiful.

 Check out that sand.

 Next day Sara and I headed off up north for the Bracebridge Olympic. We stayed in Huntsville. Here's Sara with my pre-race refreshment at Three Guys and a Stove Restaurant.

 Sara ready to go in her TCOB kit. The Bracebridge Olympic is a time-trial start with swimmers going by number every 5 seconds. Because we registered so late Sara and I, for some reason, were only a few spots from each other. We were quite tired coming into the race due to hectic race and life schedules but were excited to be racing. A last minute change saw the bike course extended to 42km. No problem there. The Bracebridge course is fun. A cool swim in a small river, a mix of flat and challenging hills and a mostly flat run. The heat of the day had its effect on the run but we were happy with the result.

 Post race. Sara ended up 4th in her age group and I managed 12th. An added bonus was winning a $150 Rudy Project Gift Certificate in the prize draw. Good timing because I need a new helmet! Sara won a wetsuit last year at this race so we're going to have to come back!

 

 

Cheers!

Enjoy Life!

 We are definitely making this summer count! We've camped a couple of times - both 5 nights each. We did Syracuse 70.3 in June. We've gotten a lot of swim, ride and run in. We are enjoying life the way we want and that's pretty cool. Up top has nothing to do with summer but Logan's hair reminds me of a 90s techno pop group, maybe Platinum Blonde or Spandau Ballet - pretty awesome.

 

 While we were up north Sara did the Gravenhurst Olympic. Very cool race when you head out on a steamship to the middle of the lake, jump off and basically head straight back towards shore. Also the Bolton boys - Kevin, Dave, Dave, Craig, and Doug - were racing as well. They always bring some laughs! Despite having an inner ear issue, Sara had a pretty good day.

 As the day went on it got more sunny and began heating up. I'm becoming quite the action sports photographer! Here's Sara powering back to transition. She averaged over 31.5k for the 40k - a good ride.

 

 Sara heading out at the first km in the run. From here you pretty much climb to the turn and some good downhills on the return. Sara said she felt good and enjoyed seeing the boys out on the run.

 

 Back at camp it was time to indulge. I like indulging. I managed to get a 80k ride into Algonquin followed by a 21k run the next day over the Muskoka 70.3 course with the TCOB crew.

 Next up was a work trip to Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay is beautiful during the summer. After work I headed to a local lake area that is just over 5km for a loop. I did a couple of loops to combine with my 2km swim at lunch. The rapids above feed into the lake.

 Here's the lake.

 The dam at the end of the lake and the rapids heading toward Lake Superior.

 Whenever I'm in Thunder Bay I always visit the Terry Fox memorial marking the spot where he had to end his Marathon of Hope due to cancer. It's moving. The memorial is well done and the view to Lake Superior is amazing. If you're ever there definitely check it out.

 Hero, Legend, Great Canadian.

 

 

Cheers!

Love Summer!

 Summer is awesome! I love summer. I've never been a fan of the cold. My body has always responded well to heat. Post Syracuse 70.3 (2 weeks post race to be exact) we headed north to Muskoka for some camping, training and race spectating at Muskoka 70.3.

 The riding into Algonquin Park is spectacular. Some good hills, huge shoulders, and awesome pavement. Once you enter the West Gate each kilometre is marked and you can reload drinks every 10k. The shoulder for the most part allows riders to be two abreast without interfering with traffic. It does get buggy if you stop like I did when I took this pic!

 Home base for the 5 days. We usually stay at Algonquin Trails Resort. It's a quiet, clean camping resort with an indoor pool, wifi and Dwight Beach is only a 2 minute drive away. Logan feels comfortable here and loves to ride his bike around, campfires and swimming - love it!

 On my long run I ran into (not literally) Lionel Sanders, defending champ of Muskoka 70.3. Great guy, chatted with me for about 10 minutes and snapped a pic so I could prove I met him. By the way I'm the one on the right with the one-pack!

 If you're ever in Dwight hit up Moose Café & Grill for breakfast - awesome. Logan is doing best moose impression - well played young man.

 Next up was cheering on Team TCOB members at the 2015 Muskoka 70.3. This is a legit course with hills constantly coming at you. It was very warm - the athletes dug deep. The pic above shows what it takes to be a good spectator - big umbrella, chairs, refreshments, sunscreen, and iPads. We parked ourselves on Hwy 60 because it was a no-man's land for spectators and we felt the athletes could use a lift on this long stretch.

 Pretty lady on the bike course in the morning!

 Here's a couple of action shots of Lionel Sanders on his way to winning the race. He ended up winning by 14 minutes - a dominating performance.

 Back at home we returned to our gardens in full bloom. The recent heavy rains have been welcome and the plants have responded. Looks beautiful.

 The Backyard Jungle.

 Don't forget the beverage, never forget the beverage! Next stop? Another week in Muskoka - mostly work but more training in store!

 

Cheers!