Spring Is Here!

This winter was not fun to say the least - it was one of the colder ones we've had. Because of this and having done one 70.3 and two Ironmans last year (last one in mid November), I took an extended break from training to allow some much needed recovery. Allowing myself to become a little deconditioned was good for me to prevent burnout and allow my body to rest. After a couple of months I started to get into a regular routine around mid January. Now that spring is here I'm looking forward to getting outside. Pictured above is one of the new additions to the stable. I want to incorporate some mountain biking to mix things up and bring some fun.

 I have made some decent gains from Zwift this winter. I did an outdoor 72km ride outside and I was surprised how good I felt. I will continue to use it once a week even during the summer. I look harmless don't I?!!

We've enjoyed some family activities as well. One of our favourites is Logan's special needs soccer. We've been doing this now for several years and we have so much fun.

Here's the other addition to the stable! Sara's new Cervelo P3. She was due for a new ride and this bike is awesome. This past weekend was its maiden voyage and Sara reports that it handles like a dream. Oh and the colour is awesome too according to her!

This August I will be back in Mont Tremblant for my 13th Ironman. Ironically, it will be 30 years almost to the day since my first Ironman in 1989 at Ironman Canada. I was 23 then and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had been doing triathlons since 1984. I'm writing this from Windsor at the moment which was the site of my first race - an Olympic distance race.

I remember doing a half ironman (they went called 70.3 back then) the weekend before the Ironman in Orillia. There was no internet, coaching and there was a quarterly magazine - not much guidance available to recommend not doing a long race one week out. I was okay in Penticton til about the 16k point in the marathon and I did a lot of walking and shuffling from there. Nevertheless it was a life changing event and I still remember details like it was yesterday. 

Here's to creating more in Mont Tremblant - Cheers!

Ironman Cozumel #12

 

Ironman Cozumel, my second Ironman in 2018, was a pivotal one. It was my 12th Ironman which satisfies the major criteria for the Ironman Legacy Program and the path to participation to the World Championships in Kona. We arrived 8 days pre race to acclimatize and enjoy Cozumel. The race was the reason for the trip down but we also planned on having a vacation as well.

Sara was enjoying herself of course and liked that I was behaving myself because I could do Happy Hour runs for her and my daughter Emily.

All racked and ready to go. The race is unique in that there are 2 transitions. The swim is a point to point along the coast in the tropical waters - so clear and beautiful. The bike is 2.75 laps around the island and ends downtown then finally 3 out n back laps for the run through the town with all the nightlife.

Swim went really well. Although it was choppy I ended up with a PB of 1:07:30. It was odd because the buoys were not numbered and it was difficult to know where I was in the swim. I was pleased with the result.

Onto the bike I felt great. I thought the ride would have drafting but I was pleasantly surprised to see virtually no drafting whatsoever. The ride had pretty strong headwinds on the back side of the island but it was only for about 18k but 3 times. I was going along nicely til 60k when I flatted. I unfortunately had the wrong CO2 for the wheel size and had to wait for support to properly change it. Once I had a pump in hand it was all good but I lost 25 minutes and all momentum.

It took me about 30 minutes to get back into a rhythm but the rest of the ride was just hot and windy.

More heat on the run! I didn't feel great on the run. The accumulation of fatigue from Ironman Mont Tremblant and the 34C heat caught up with me. I developed a blister that impacted my run but I ran as best as I could. Sara enjoyed her margaritas road side while cheering though!

Finally number 12 is official in a time of 12:51. My 2018 season ended with one 70.3 and two Ironmans. My Ironman All World ranking for my 50-54 age group ended up with a 11th place ranking in Canada and ranked 381 in the world. 

Now on to Hawaii....

Cheers!

Ironman Mont Tremblant 2018 Race Report: Cheers Dad!

I haven't posted since the Mont Tremblant 70.3 in June -damn Instagram! I find that my blog gets neglected because it's so easy to post on Instagram in bite-sized moments. I vow to get going on this more moving forward as it represents my personal time capsule. Anyway, Ironman number 11 is in the books - this one taking place in beautiful Mont Tremblant. Number 11 is significant for me for two reasons:

1) Number 11 was somewhat of a self imposed mental hurdle. When I did my first Ironman in 1989, I set out with the lifetime goal of completely 10 in total. Back then that seemed like a stretch goal. In many ways it was. I had gaps that were dictated by life - kids, work, not feeling it. In fact, my second Ironman (Lake Placid) did not come around til 2000 after an 11 year break.

2) This was my first Ironman since my Dad's passing. He loved these events. The scheduling on Ironman Mont Tremblant 2018 was two weeks from the one year anniversary of his death which made my day a little bittersweet. Needless to say, I had many conversations with him on the day.

 This race was very cool for all the friends that were racing as well. My coworker from Alberta, Cory Spooner, brought his family and his parents. They were an absolute blast to hang out with. Sara, in particular, enjoyed the daily margaraita celebrations! All my friends from SO-TRI, TCoB, IronCanucks, TriHart, and Chris Dolson. I believe in the community of triathlon  and this race was unique for me in that there were so many participants I crossed paths previously. It made it all the more enjoyable looking out for and cheering on everyone.

 Sara in her happy place!

 The leadup to race day was good. We stayed at La Bete golf course condos. This was our third time staying there and it's great. Easy access to the race plus quiet and peaceful. My prerace activities kept the motor warm and I felt ready to go. My internal motto for the race was "be grateful, give to others, and get after it." I'm grateful to be able to do this. Give encouragement and help others in need. Get after it in the sense that it's just another day and don't let fear guide the day.

 All racked up and ready to go. I did not go with my race wheels as I wanted more control on the dsecents with the cross winds.

 Like the tent setup - kept everything dry.

I don't have any pics from the swim. I had Sara drop me off and head back to the condo to look after Logan. The swim was significantly delayed due to fog. We started the swim over an hour late. Ironically, when they announced the delay the visibility was so much better than we actually started the race. Once I got going, I found the first kilometre challenging as you (and everyone else) could not see the next buoy. A couple of times a kayaker redirected us as we were off course. By the the halfway point the sun was burning off the fog and we were good to go. The other challenge during the swim was being hungry half way through. With the delay I was now needing some calories and could not wait to get to transition for some much needed nutrition. My swim time was 1:12.47 - not bad for 4000m covered instead of the 3800m. Oh that fog!

Once on the bike I realized that I didn't have the same pop in my legs that I had in training leading up to the race. Not sure if it was the delay or the nutrition deficiit early but I just didn't feel strong. I decided to keep things steady and within myself for the day and not try to force it. My goal was to "be boring" all day long - stay aerobic and keep my heartrate in check.

The Tremblant bike course is awesome. It feels like two courses in one - the highway section with long hills and more wind exposure and the Duplessis section which is more Muskoka like. The wind on the second loop definitely impacted the race and it was pretty hot as well. I focused on my pace, hydration and nutrition. I was way off my goal for the bike. I was targeting a sub 6 hour ride which was where my training showed but ended up with a 6:23. Again, I felt a little flat but I did not let any of this faze me - I was grateful for the day.

 Once on the run I had the same strategy as I did for the bike. I focused particularly on kilometre 1-5 and 21-26 as there was significant climbing. Once onto the bike path I kept it steady. It was here that I got to see all of the friends and family. This was the best part of the race for me. I've never been at a race where I knew so many people. It was so cool to cheers each other on. It definitely kept me going - I looked forward to seeing each person. Sara was in her usual spot around kilometre 12 and 30 which is ideal as there is not many spectators in that area. It aslo allowed her to look after Logan as well. Once she saw me go by on the second loop she was able to get down to the finish.

 The finish at Mont Tremblant is amazing. Once you enter the village near the top it's a meandering downhill. The crowds are big and loud and the setting in the village is spectacular. Sara surpised me with being right on the barrier so close to the finish. Her pics have been better than my FinisherPix. I was grateful for my day overall. Not my best time, not my worst. While I didn't meet my time goals I was completely satisfied. I was off my run goal by 11 minutes and finished with a 4:26 marathon. Given the heat and hills I was good with that. My overall time was 12:13:55.

 This pic was from the Ironman website just after I crossed the line. Sadly I didn't have the stomach to drink the free craft beer offered in the food tent. I did grab the poutine but ate it once my stomach settled and it was so good!

 Always happy to be done. It's a long day with so many thoughts and highs and lows.

 Putting medal #11 into the cabinet. What's next?

Ironman #12 is coming up November 18th this year in Cozumel. If I'm able to get it done I will be able to apply to the Ironman Legacy Program at the end of the year. My journey has taken 29 years to get to 12. The closest I ever got to qualifying in my age group was 35 minutes in 2011. I've had to go a different route but the trip has been fun. Once I apply, I will receive a timestamp for my entry to the Ironman World Champs in Hawaii. It will likely be at least two years from now and I will have to complete a 70.3 to maintain my validation. The good thing about Cozumel is that I will have some time to enjoy the island, the beach, the margaritas and reflect on a great year.

Cheers!

Mont Tremblant 70.3

So I made my return to long course racing this past weekend after a 4 year break. I only did sprint races during the past 4 years and, during that time, had no desire to go long. I signed up for Tremblant 70.3 because I've heard it's a wonderful race and I wanted to check it off my list.

 Lake Placid and Mont Tremblant are similar for their environments and the multisport vibe. Mont Tremblant, in particular, has really embraced Ironman and have gone to great lengths to support athletes and their supporters and make their experience top notch.

 Sara, Logan, our neice Stephanie and I made our way to Mont Tremblant. We were staying, once again, at La Bete Golf Course which is about 9km outside the resort village on the bike course. Our condo faced the 7th green and was spectacular. The golf resort also had two heated pools that were not used at all so we had full reign - awesome!

 The new swim exit with stairs and new bridge. The lake is so clean and clear. The first two days were as the picture left shows - not a cloud in the sky. Race day had a mix of sun and cloud initially and, by the run, was cloud covered.

 Locked and loaded!

Sara dropped me off race morning and headed back to look after Logan. The new Ironman App is great because it allows supporters to monitor their athletes progress in real time. It makes it easier for sure. I warmed up in the water before the swim start but other than getting wet it was not effective as we had to wait over 30 minutes to get to the rolling start. The fighter jets and fireworks after the national anthem were pretty cool though.

 My swim turned out really well. I navigated well, did not go out too fast, and stayed out of traffic for the most part. My time of 33:37 was a significant improvement for me - totally unexpected. I made my way through transition and headed out on the bike.

The bike course is amazing. It feels like two bike courses in one. The highway portion has longer hills but also areas where you carry significant free speed. I hit my fastest speed of 71km per hour on the highway and high 60s on a few other parts. Once off the highway we head back towards the resort and on to Duplessis which is more Muskoka like with more punchy hills. I felt good throughout the bike and finished up in 2:48 with an average just over 32km/h.

Next came the run. I was a little anxious for the run as I had calf problems that complicated my training over the past two months. It really hampered my long runs. A couple of weeks before race day I managed to get a 21km run done but it was slow. My strategy was to go as steady as possible for as long as possible and manage the rest. What I didn'e anticipate is how freakin hilly the first/last 5 km of the run course was!!

The hills leading to the bike path are very challenging. Once on the bike path you run 5.5k out and back - it feels like a long time and did get somewhat congested at times. The good part is that it did provide opportunity to see friends who were also racing.

My run fitness started to show around 12km in and I knew I would struggle from there. My struggles were manageable on the bike path but once back on the hilly road section it was compounded. The last 5k is more net downhill which I could manage but several of the uphills required my walking them. Walking eats up time but it was a necessity to stave off cramping.

 I look down but I did celebrate! This picture (found on the Tremblant Facebook page - thanks Mark Trafford for alerting me!) missed my arms in the air smiling that I demonstrated as I crossed the line. The athlete jumping in the background gave me a tap of encouragement on the back as I walked the last steep hill a few minutes earlier. It was a simple supportive gesture on his part but it gave me a huge boost to get to the line. I thought a lot about my Dad who passed last September during the race - I read this gentleman's pat on the back as a sign my Dad was there in spirit. I thanked him right after this pic was taken. My Dad loved being at the races and we would talk about everything post race. This was the first event without him but I feel his presence in my mind and that gives me comfort.

 How about this for reward?! It was delicious!!

Cheers!

Oh the Places I've Been

My job as a specialty pharma rep has taken me to many wonderful places. I've been to Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Mexico, all the provinces, and now Whitehorse. Bonus for my Whitehorse trip? I got first class for the Toronto to Vancouver leg!

One thing I've learned from my travel is that the best way to see a place is to go for a run. Exploring on two feet has never disappointed. Check this pic from St. John's at Signal Hill - amazing.

 Newfoundland is beautiful!

 

 On route to Vancouver - hard to see but lots of mountains below.

 After 7.5 hours of flying I arrived in Whitehorse. Pictured her is the Yukon River which intersects Whitehorse. The area around Whitehorse is spectacular - nature at its best. There was a nice paved trail that followed the river on both sides (connected by bridges) that was well used. One thing is for sure, people around Whitehorse are very active.

 The local craft beer - I rather enjoyed the Arctic Red!

Cheers!