2010 Timberman 70.3 Confirmation

Well, you start to swim and you get to sign up for some of the big boy races. I have decided to follow a bunch of Falcons south in 2010 for my first real destination event with an official confirmation today for the 2010 Timberman 70.3.

I usually have a tough time getting signed up this early for an event so I was pretty happy that they were still accepting registration. I am sure a bunch of folks will make their New Year's resolution to do Ironman races so who knows what next week will bring for availability.

Currently, we have over 15 members from our tri club making the trip across to Gilford, New Hampshire so it should be a great time. I know I will set some very high goals for my first Ironman performance so I look forward to the training efforts to come.

Now that I feel like I am over that holiday speed bump (a solid run and swim over the past day) it is time to get a little more serious this season. Not so much training wise but diet wise. I would really like to drop a little more weight for my races in 2010 and know my appetite for treats was a major stumbling block. Hopefully, I can use the discipline I see in others (higher level, elite athletes) to keep myself out of the snack cupboard at home.

Write soon,

Larry

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Lots of stuff left to do and it is hitting midnight here. More stuff to place under the tree, more treats to eat, more cleaning up for the big day tomorrow.

Just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season.

Take care!
Larry

Blasts from the Past - Canadian Duathlon Championships

Always on a quest to learn more about the sport I love, I took some time today to look back on some stats and even went deeper into the archives than before. It is really neat to see some of the familiar names (friends, co-competitors, pros, etc.) participating before my days of duathlon. I hooked up the links to the Age Group results for the years I could find (so far...) but if you want to see more (U23, Pro, etc.), I am sure you can follow the path names from the links to get all the awesome results from those years.

Enjoy!!!

Canadian Duathlon Championships


2009 – Cancelled

2008 – Montreal, QC

( http://sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44032 )

2007 – Parry Sound, ON

( http://team.swyft.ca/ID%20Male%20final.txt )

2006 – Hamilton, ON

( http://www.chiptimeresults.com/resultsreader.php?y=2006&r=mshamiltonDu.htm )

2005 – Ottawa, ON

( http://www.sportstats.ca/res2005/riverkd.htm )

2004 – Quebec City, QC

( http://www.sportstats.ca/res2004/duqca.htm )

2003 – Calgary, AB

2002 – Calgary, AB

2001 – St.Albert, AB

2000 – Kananaskis Village, AB

Impossible is Possible

I have resisted posting much about my secondary sports passion, hockey, but I could not pass this one up. I used to follow the game very closely and continue to work in it at a pro level (for almost a decade) so it is hard to keep most of my postings geared toward multisport.

As a goalie in that sport I have always followed the players in that position with great interest. I started organized hockey too late to have any chance of a pro career but I used the NHL tenders on TV as coaches, trying to copy their various styles. I was not a stand up goalie (that is for sure) and I was not flexible enough to be a true butterfly goalie so Martin Brodeur's hybrid style was right up my alley. I do not like the Devils as a team but I continue to cheer on their goaltender as he makes his claim as the greatest of all time.

What Martin Brodeur achieved last night, versus the Pittsburgh Penguins no less, is simply one of the most amazing hockey records of the modern era. Terry Sawchuk's record of 103 Shutouts was long considered the most far fetched dream any player in the NHL could imagine. Well, that has changed and Martin re-wrote the record books last night with a convincing 4-0 win.

With each passing season, Mr. Brodeur climbed closer and closer to this major milestone, setting many of other records along the way including most wins, most minutes played and most games played. The last three were all previously held by the retired, Patrick Roy (I was never a big fan!).

Next up for the Canadian born back stop, the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and another shot at Gold. At the start of this season I was starting to doubt the selection of the 37 year old as his play was not up to his previous standards. An average 7-4 record during the first month of play, along with a very high GAA, he has settled into his usual consistent ways and now holds a 23-8-1 record with a 2.10 GAA and .921 save percentage. With Luongo not able to find his zone, it may be totally up to Martin to win the Gold in Vancouver.

Gearing up for the Holidays.

I finally pulled myself up off the couch and got outside for some excercise. It has been a very lazy week for me with far too many calories to count so I had to do something today.

Not really up for running in the cold for some reason (I used to enjoy it a lot more before I started to get comfortable with the treadmill at the gym) these days so I topped up the air in the cross bike and hit the roads for a medium distance ride.

The roads were actually in pretty good shape and I was happy to get out during the day to enjoy the sun. I bundled up nicely as it was a touch chilly with a cool wind out of the north. I headed down 9th line to Oakville and then across Lakeshore to visit Gears Bike Shop. I needed to replace some cleats from one of my other rides so this seemed to be a good opportunity to get it done.

As my cross bike has my cleats that match my mtb shoes, I could not use my botties designed for my road shoes. This was the only part of me that ended up getting cold. Man did they get cold! I was probably right on the edge of frost bite (flashbacks to skating on the pond as a kid) as they took a long time to thaw and to get the feeling back into them .Guess I will have to splurge for some another set of booties!

Other than the cold feet, it really did feel good to get on the bike outside. I ended up with 46k under my wheels and a decent workout on my legs and heart. Nothing too major as I am going to hold off until January 1st before I get back to some sort of structure.

Yesterday, we ended up being in the same spot as the torch run so we parked our car and got out to cheer the folks on as they passed by the Square One shopping mall. It was a cool experience that I did not plan on viewing but I am very happy that we had the chance, now that we saw it live.

Now I have to get ready for my last minute shopping marathon. I am one of those day before X-Mas shoppers and enjoy the challenge of finding something neat for my family members under the gun. Some traditions I just love to keep, especially when I see others cracking as the big day nears. HAHA

Please Don't Drink and Drive!

I cannot say that my past was without stupid mistakes but I can proudly say that I have been able to learn from my errors and hopefully help others avoid bad choices in life. I hope!

This is only one very sad story (that I just read on Slowtwitch.com and thought I would share) of far too many. I selected this one only because it fits the theme of my page but I could have selected any number of examples of unnecessary loss to help with my message.

Awareness is still the number one educational tool for this problem so I hope some new people get a chance to read and pass it along.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/A_life_changing_experience_1148.html

This is not just a holiday message but stats prove that the occurence of this behaviour is far greater at this time of the year. Please remember that this applies to the entire year!

Thank you!

Egg Nog Jog Photo

AT THE 10K MARK!

Photo credit - Sue S (FMCT Falcons)

Thank you Sue for snapping a pic of my 1st Egg Nog Jog!

Egg Nog Jog 10.8k Race Report

As I was driving up to Terra Cotta to take part in the 2009 Egg Nog Jog, I asked myself, “Do I really want to run in this rainy, winter weather?” For some reason the answer was yes so I continued to drive up the road a little further to my destination just fifteen minutes north of Mississauga.


After arriving at the Terra Cotta Conservation Area to park, I moved through the busy registration routine and then headed back to my car to suit up. It was mild enough to warrant shorts on this day (my opinion, HAHA) so I pulled them on and tied up the spikes before heading out to the road for my warm up and stretching. During this pre-race run I kept on my wind pants and hoody but it didn’t take long to get up my body temperature so I jogged back to the car to peel down to my race gear.

Start time was now upon us so I ventured towards the line where I met up with a number of Falcons and friends including Marko, Peter, Robbie-T, Jen C A, and Hans. After a brief chat to discuss the conditions, strategy, gear, etc., we all switched our attention to the task at hand and moved over to the starting line. I was actually surprised to see the front of the corral so empty, almost like nobody wanted to be on the chalk. There were over 500 people registered for the race so the numbers were there but everyone seemed more than happy to approach this one with caution. This course does have a reputation.

Once the cow bell sounded, I took off in my usual fashion (bad habit!). With a few days of rest my legs felt amazing and I was quickly out to the front of the group as we darted down the park’s laneway. I did not expect to jump out to that position (and was not really wishing to be in the lead) but with the open space around me, I did not have to worry about making the turn onto the road in a crowd. I rounded the corner and started to make the big drop in elevation that would lead us down into the tiny, tiny village of Terra Cotta.

This is a severe plunge right out of the gate and a place that can easily ruin the rest of your race if you don’t control your speed. As my Garmin hit 1km it read 3:14 so I knew I was in jeopardy of falling into this trap. Thankfully, it was around this time when the first two runners to pass me cruised by to offer up some sort of guidance. I knew from past results that the leaders would be in the 36 minute range so I was happy to let them lead knowing that they would most likely be heading for that approximate finish time.

For the first two kilometres we were running downhill as the track leads us west of the little hamlet. I ended up going through this section a touch too fast and when I hit the first climb, along the rolling hills of 27th Sideroad, I was starting to feel the wind come out of my sails. I hoped that I could push hard up the hills and then catch a little rest on the down side to set up for the turn onto a flatter section of road on 10th Line, just over 4km from the start of our journey. This approach came in handy as I made the turn still sitting in third spot but there were two pods of chasers coming hard. The fear of getting caught by this many runners helped me pick up my pace again. I was really looking to finish in the top 10 on this day and if they all went past I would be sitting on the edge of this goal.

Shortly after hitting 10th Line the road turns to gravel (snow, ice and gravel on this day) so it was time to make hay with the spikes. I knew I had about 1200 metres of relatively level roadway until the biggest climb on the course so I stepped up my speed and focused on keeping smooth to save some energy for the Egg Nog Jog’s version of “Heartbreak Hill”.

I ended up putting in another respectable split during this stretch and held my position until the bottom of the hill. At this point, I was met by another runner making an effortless ascent up the winding slope. I waited for the competitor to pull alongside before checking to see who it was. As he slowly pulled away I would see (we raced earlier this season) that it was Greg McNab.

This gentleman, from Burlington, is a very strong runner and has put up some very impressive times for our age group this year. With his experiences on the hills, and with this race last year, I realized that I better keep to my plan and just get to the seven kilometre marker before making any defensive moves.

From my one training run on this course, I had an elevation map on my Garmin and knew that after the 7th kilometre it was predominantly a downhill ride back to the finishing tape at the conservation area. For now, I just had to worry about getting up the rest of this hill without zapping too much of my energy. It was not a pretty site but I pushed on up that sucker (with a little help from photographer Nick!) and finally got my legs back up to speed for the short zone leading up to our last real uphill tester.

I was still happily running along in fourth spot through the tail end of the 10th Line portion of the route. I could see Greg opening up a larger gap as we approached the next turn onto Wellington Road 42 but this directional change gave me an opportunity to check my rearview. As I made my right hand turn, I could see Rob in his orange “Runningmania.com” singlet making his move. He had dropped the rest of the group and was the only person I could see being a threat, unless I really blew up on the decent.

There must have been about three kilometres left so I figured he was going to put a good push on in the next few minutes. He is a patient runner with solid pacing skills and he would probably have a little more in the tank than I at this time in the race. I knew I had to get into the next gear and just keep my eyes forward and that is what I did, using the fans’ cheering as a gauge to measure how close he was.

I kept charging ahead and was finally nearing the 10k marker. I was sure the support coming from the Falcons at our club’s tent they set up would be all the energy I would need to make it through the final 800 metres in very strong fashion. I soaked in the loud applause as I reached the tent and then rounded the bend down Winston Churchill to the start/finish line. When I was directed into the driveway, I took another glance back and could see Rob was not very far back so I could not let up.

Getting into the park, I could now see the time counting up. I had missed the sub 40 minute barrier but still had a very good shot at sub 41. Another kick for good measure and a few extra seconds put me over the line in 4th spot with a clocking of 40:37.

Even though I missed my secret stretch goal of sub 40 minutes, I was extremely happy with my race. It was a very amazing season of athletics where I was able to meet a number of great people through the club, racing and online. After the race I congratulated all the other fantastic athletes and then headed over to the covered shelter in the park for some Egg Nog and mingling before the awards. As Greg took third overall, I was moved into 1st in the 30-39 Age Group which earned me a very nice prize from Brad Maillaiux and his Georgetown store, Feet in Motion. Who knew you would get such a great prize from such a local event!

BTW – How inspiring is it to have a world class athlete take time out of her busy schedule to run the course to cheer all of us weekend warriors on! Lisa Bentley was out cheering on one of her athletes but she always spreads the joy to everyone else as well. We are lucky to have such a classy ambassador of athletics supporting our races!

Last Race of the Year

This Sunday I will be joining a bunch of the FMCT Falcons in their yearly tradition of running the Egg Nog Jog. This is a 10.8km race held in Terra Cotta and is a very tough course with many hills, cold weather and usually snow covered roads (so I am told).

I have actually been training pretty hard to have a solid race here. After this one, I am going to take a little break, as per the suggestions of many people, and enjoy a lot of treats. The spot I visit for most of my lunches, "Buka Bean and Begal", has loaded up on a huge selection of amazing looking treats for the holiday season. I have resisted the temptation to purchase some of the awesome shortbread cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, cinnamon rolls, etc. since they started the display a month or so ago. I am going to sugar load on Monday for sure!

This place is a great little cafe at Erin Mills and Millcreek in Mississauga that has a fantastic lunch for those on the move. I usually make my routes end at this point and take out my lunch for the walk back to the office. If you ever get a chance, stop in as the folks that own and operate the cafe are really nice and very good at making a tasty lunch. Just a heads up that they are only open for mornings and mid afternoon meals so you will be disappointed if you show up after 4pm during the week.

Back to the race, I was hoping to go fast and really test my hill legs but that plan was built when the weather was unseasonaly warm. Things have changed in the past week and we now have snow, cold air, and super gusting wind. I almost feel like I trained too hard and should have been just putting in the base training that most others are wisely doing at this time of the year.

For me, it is tough to slow down as I know one of the reasons I have been able to improve at my rate is my work ethic. I have been fortunate not to burn out, to date, but I really need to listen to those that know the sport and put it in cruise control for a month or two. If anyone wants to share a typical base building week, please send it my way. I would love to see exactly how others are putting their's together.

Anyway, I will get my race report up to share my experience in the Egg Nog Jog. If you are taking part in the event as well make sure you say hi!

2010 Tentative Schedule

I have attempted to map out my season for 2010, based on what I know so far. Once again, I am disappointed that OAT and Triathlon Canada have not posted the provincial or national championship locations at this point.
I am not sure why they cannot be more organized on this matter, especially in Ontario, as Trisport and Multisport have had their calendars set for a little while now (the usual race holders for such events).

(UPDATE - I RECEIVED A VERY THOUGHTFUL MESSAGE FROM RACE DIRECTOR, RANDY SPARROW, TO INFORM ME ABOUT THE CANADIAN TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS IN KELOWNA, BC ON AUGUST 22, 2010. THIS IS A PART OF THE PUSHOR MITCHELL KELOWNA APPLE TRIATHLON WEEKEND (WHICH LOOKS TO BE AN AMAZING EVENT WHEN I CHECKED OUT THE WEB SITE!).



PLEASE VISIT http://www.appletriathlon.com/ TO GET ALL THE DETAILS!


THANK YOU RANDY! now if only OAT and Triathlon Canada could get their site updated...)


They must know that most of us are trying to set up our training calendars before January. I have had to make some major overhauls in the past few years to re-shuffle events to make the Provincial or National championship races fit. With some races (mostly the destination ones) selling out, we have to make early commitments to ensure spots so I can only cross my fingers that they will select dates away from the destination race I am about to sign up for.

The provincial du championship is a race I have competed in during each of my multisport years and I look forward to the event to see if I am making progress and to test my abilities against the best field of the year. It would be a severe burn if I sign up for one of the 70.3 races now (so that I don't miss their cut off) and then OAT goes and selects a date for the Du Championship within weeks of the 70.3.

2010 Schedule

*Around the Bay - 30k Road Race
*Victoria's Du - May 24 (a yearly tradition!)
*Milton Sprint Tri - June 6 (my first Tri on the Subaru series!)
*Guelph Lakes Olympic Tri - June 20 (first attempt at this swim distance)
*Muskoka Long Course Tri - July 25 (my favourite race location)
*Timberman 70.3 - Aug 22 (85% convinced but must reg very soon)
*Guelph Lakes II - Sept 4 (tri or du??)

2010 Maybe List

*Peterborough Half Iron - July 4 (depends on swim progress)
*Niagara Sprint Tri - Aug 8 (depends when/where Ont. Du Championship?)
*Lakeside Sprint Tri - Sept 19 (depends on weather)

More Music Reco's

I should really be pushing my Canadian listening pleasures but most of them are more for the chill moments of my life (i.e. work) and not really my first picks for training.


Dance/Urban, whatever they call it these days, is not my usual genre but I have found a spot on my playlist lately for more beats.

Today, while I was on the tready at the gym, Much More Music played most of these newer hits and I felt my energy levels boost so they work for me.

Here are three selections that caught my attention and I seem to be stuck on for a pick me up.

"Empire State of Mind" - Jayz feat. Alicia Keys
"Meet Me Half Way" - Black Eyed Peas
"I Got A Feeling    " - Black Eyed Peas

Have fun and don't be afraid to make your music diverse!

Tax Breaks on Race Entry Fees

Just wondering if, or should, race entry fees be subject to tax breaks to help out all active Canadian residents?

The one area that I think they should qualify for sure is the portion that is put towards any charity donation by the race organizer. I realize the full entry does not go to the charities but there is usually a small component that is paid out per entry fee. This amount should be displayed on a receipt that the athletes could use at tax time and claim on the donation line of their income tax return. This would be a great start (if it is not already allowed?) and for most of us the small amount per race would add up over the course of the year.

I am sure I am not the only person to have these thoughts but when I put together my annual return (and a few other family member returns as well), I continue to see other items on the income tax forms that I would consider non-essential or specific to a very small population.

I know our kids are given special consideration for some of their activity fees but why not extend this into the later years. There are so many benefits to getting people off their butts as they age. Hopefully, the money the government would return into our hands would be off-set by the savings in the health care system thanks to more healthy people.

Another possible positive spin off would be the "role model" effect on kids. Assuming a large number of people actually use this as a motivating factor to become active, it may rub off on the youth and they too will follow in the healthier footsteps of the adults they have in their lives. I know my active lifestyle is brought up in the conversations of my 3 year old on a number of occassions. I am not going to push her into any of the sports I enjoy but there is a much greater chance that she will want to try something if her parents are participants.

Just a couple thoughts as I sit here icing after another late night run.

Happy training,
Larry

Joke of the Day...

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, grabbed a snack, and slipped quietly into the garage. I threw the bike on the rack, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.


I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."

My loving wife of 5 years replied, "Can you believe my stupid husband is out cycling in that?"

iRun.ca | January 2010 Issue

iRun.ca January 2010 Issue

The price of convenience...

So I went to register for a race online today. The timing matrix went a little something like this...

If I paid before Nov 1 - $37.00 (missed that one)
If I paid after Nov 1 - $42.00 (I am in this bracket)
If I pay race day - $48 (cash only)

I figure I may as well save $6 and sign up today but as I get through the registration screens, I finally come to the invoice which states there will be a $4.20 service fee for online registration! Last time I checked, this is 10%! I did some very rough math based on some guessing (200 people registered at $37, 300 people @ $42) and the high side of this would be a $2000.00 pay out to the online company.

I am not sure if they get hit with the credit card fees (or if the race promoter has to pay that in the service) but it is still a pretty big take away at the expense of us athletes. And they don't even offer American Express as a payment option!

To me, I would rather pay an extra $1.80 that goes directly to the race even if I miss out on the door prize if 500 people register before I do.

Pro or Age Grouper

I brought this up on another forum back when I first cracked into the sport about three years ago. At that point in time, I wondered why some super fast people were racing as Age Group athletes when they would easily meet the Elite times in this area? I was also curious as to why people raced elite on HSBC, or another one-off event (i.e. Windsor Duathlon), but Age Group on Subaru?

Now that I have had a some success in duathlon (mainly by default as most of the top athletes are too busy with the triathlon to fill the high positions in the Du), I wonder if I should apply for my Elite status with OAT for Duathlon?

Not sure what benefit I would get out of this as most duathlon races in the area do not offer that category, and I will be racing many more triathlons this season, so the only race this would really matter for is the Ontario Du Championships. I know I will not be a top three elite duathlete in Ontario, even if I worked my butt off this year, but I guess it would be more of a status reward for getting into the overall top 10 (8th in 2008, 6th in 2009) in the province. It would also open up an Age Group spot for somebody else that has been close to the podium for a few years.

To be honest, I think all the guys and gals, who have been up at the top of duathlon over the past few years, should go into an Elite category to battle it out and allow other Age Groupers a chance to taste the top three or five in a race.

What are your thoughts?

I would also love to hear why some of you have decided to apply for Pro/Elite status (benefits, pride, money, etc.) or why you have elected to compete at the Age Group level, even though you are more than fast enough to race at the top of many events?

Or, should it be up to the governing bodies to decide if we are Elite or Age Group? I know this is a whole new can of worms!!!!

Wintercross 5k XC Race Report

What a flash back the Wintercross 5k race was this weekend in Guelph. I had not competed in a XC running race since my high school days and I definitely had a blast reliving those days. There are so many unique characteristics of these events that make it much different than your usual road running race, the grass/dirt trails, spikes on the shoes, the commonly cooler weather and the team atmosphere. A nice change from my routine on the pavement or treadmill.


I started my morning off arriving much earlier than required as I thought it was a 9am start. My race, the first of the day, actually was not scheduled until 9:45am so I had lots of time to prepare and even had a chance to walk the 2.5k loop to grab a visual of the great course.

I would say half the trail was covering the dirt service road (with some mulch fill) and the other half along the short, matted down grass paths of the Guelph Arboretum. There were some smaller, yet steep, hills to negotiate along the loop but it was relatively flat with the biggest test coming right at the end of the loop or finish, depending on which lap you were completing.

After doing the full inspection, I picked a place out of the wind to get changed into my gear. When I took out my spikes, I realized the tiny studs that came with the shoes were a little on the short side. I promptly went over to the vendor tents and, thankfully, the first place I went to had a large assortment for sale so I made the switch. By the time I had put on my running gear and stretched, it was about 20 minutes to gun time.

I decided to head over to the course to warm up where I could feel how sore and tight my lower quads were from the intervals on Thursday. When I went through Thursday’s workout, I figured this may be the case but I wanted to keep my training schedule on track and just use the 5k race as part of the tune up for my next goal.

As race time approached, there was a huge gathering on the very wide starting line. The event was announced as a sell out capped at 200 runners and everyone seemed to want a piece of the chalk. Along the line, large teams of school aged kids were already marking their spot and ready to have run. I did not want to be a fun wrecker by pushing them back so I grabbed a place along side of the eager little racers and toed the line.

By the time we were sent off, several other older racers had bunched up beside me so it was a tight start. On the gun, I needed to get out to the front to avoid the crowds once we were to funnel onto the trail about 150 metres from the start. With the speed of the youngsters, this was not an easy task but I managed to get up into the top 20 or so in time for the narrowing of the course.

We were out very quick as a group. I would love to tell you exactly how fast I was going but I had a brain cramp earlier in the morning and totally forgot my watches. Luckily, I knew Tyler Lord was racing the 5k (from reading his blog) so my plan (as of the car ride to the race) was to follow him as closely as possible. He is a very smart athlete with his pacing and has always hit the finish line before me. If I was able to stay near him I should run a respectable race.

Around 200 metres into the run Tyler pulled up beside me so I had my rabbit. We had a lot of younger athletes still out in front of us but I did not worry as I was sure many would burn out down the trail. There are very few runners under 20 years of age that are patient enough to run 5k races at an even pace as they tend to go out too fast and fade towards the end. I know this all too well from my own experiences back when I was a teen.

Cruising along, I continued to mark my pacer, staying just a few metres back as we made our way around the slightly rolling loop. My legs were not quite as fresh as I would have liked but I was hanging in there. At the end of the first lap we had the burner of a climb that wound through the start area. This took a little more out of me than expected so I started to fear I was going too quick. My competitive spirit had to take over now as there were so many runners that would have passed me if I was to let off the gas.

Thankfully, it was just over 2k to the end when everything started to really hurt. With my training efforts, I knew I would make it but I wanted to defend my current position. As Tyler made his way past a few more athletes, I was also able to make the same move and before I knew it I was getting very near the final climb and I was still only a few spots back of my fellow multisport athlete.

Finally, I could see the dreaded 150 metre climb up the grassy hill to the tape. I was hoping to just cruise at my current pace up the slope to finish under control but I suddenly heard some chasers making a move on my right. I was not about to give up my spot in the last couple hundred metres so I threw on the jets and started to pull away from the attack. During this sprint I was able to grab one more spot of my own as I hit the line in a clock time of 18:03.

That was good enough for 10th spot overall and 2nd in the 30-39 Age Group (the overall winner was in my AG!). It was also a PB for an actual 5k distance race so I was very happy to see some more progress even at this point in the season.

Rolling with the Mill

Today I had my most feared running workout planned but I had to wait until later in the night due to other committments. Most of the time hitting the road would not be a big deal but I do not like running the track in the dark for some reason, plus it was cold. Instead of venturing into the near freezing night, I headed to the gym to use the treadmill to complete my 5 x 2k workout.

The one aspect that make this tougher on the mill is the darn imperial measurements on the machine. I had to revisit math class before I went just to make sure I picked the proper MPH rate to hit my target of 3:30/km pace.

After completing my homework assignment, I figured that I would (and I may be wrong) have to run at 10.7 MPH for 7 minutes to get a 2km interval at the pace I needed. I don't usually crank up the machine that high so I made it work tonight.

I started off with a 15 minute warmup run with a touch of slope before ramping up the speed for my first interval. I opted to take the slope out of the speed portion of my run as I have only done this workout a few times before (on the track) with very little success.

Thankfully, I made it through all 5 reps (with 90 second breaks between 2k bursts). I was tired by the end of the workout and was very happy to see the last one hit the 7 minute mark that is for sure.

I realize this is totally different than the actual track so I am not getting super excited about finishing this workout at that speed I but I did leave the gym with a great sense of satisfaction knowing I did not give up or modify the workout to a lower speed when the time seemed to stand still during the final intervals.

Today's Music Pick - 11/26/09

Not sure if anyone is reading these but I might as well make it three days in a row...

I said I would go a little harder today so let's bring in Chicago - Punk band, Rise Against. These guys are gaining a lot of momentum these days and with their success they will soon be considered more rock than punk, i.e. Green Day.

Start off with "Savior" and "Audience of One" (AKA the "Ran Away" song) to get the legs pumping fast. If you want to slow things down a little with these boys try "Swing Life Away" and "Hero of War" (a really powerful, politacally charged anthem).

As you can see I figured out the old video linking so I hope it works. Enjoy!

Shaq - Going way above the call of fame....

It is not too often that I will say great things about Shaq but he really showed his soft side in this gesture...

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP)—Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl after being moved by national news coverage of the case of Shaniya Davis, who police say was kidnapped and killed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers player was touched by the stories he saw and got in touch with the family to see what he could do to help, a spokeswoman for O’Neal said Thursday.

More than 2,000 people attended the girl’s funeral Sunday. Her body was found Nov. 16 beside a rural road.

Her mother, Antionette Davis, who had reported the child missing six days earlier, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution. Mario McNeill is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping in the case.

“I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye,” O’Neal told The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.

Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, which handled the service, declined to tell the Fayetteville Observer newspaper how much it cost but added that a child’s funeral “averages around $4,500.”

A man who answered the phone at the funeral home Thursday told the AP that only the owner could comment and that he was away.

Shaniya Davis’ father, Bradley Lockhart, and his family had set up a trust fund in memory of Shaniya to help raise money to pay for the funeral. Lockhart was not available to talk Thursday, said a man who answered the phone at his home.

O’Neal is recovering from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for six straight games since getting hurt Nov. 12 against Miami.

Sugar Craving and Music

With a possible 5k XC race this weekend, my body is not cooperating and my sugar tooth is taking over. I have been putting in some decent fall hours on the bike and runs but all my crazy cravings are killing my attempted weight freeze. Last year, I entered the spring season 10 to 15 pounds above the ideal zone for me and it took a good portion of May and June to get things down to an effective racing weight. I really wanted to avoid the yo-yo effect this off-season but my silly binge eating is beating me once again.

On to a more uplifting message...

So far my music reco's have not really shown my true love of Canadian Music. I would estimate 80% of the music I own comes from Canadian Artists and I would proudly tell my friends to support the great talent our country has produced in the last few decades.

With that in mind, my top pick comes from GTA band, Metric. They have produced a number of great, up beat tracks but from their Myspace page (a great place to test the music before making the investment), I would point you toward "Gimme Sympathy". Once you dig into their catalogue check out "Poster of a Girl", "Dead Disco", "Combat Baby", etc., etc. Emily's vocals on the recordings are super energetic.

 http://www.myspace.com/metric


As a bonus, check out Stars, an amazing melodic band from Montreal.

www.myspace.com/stars

"Take me to the Riot" and the "Night Starts Here" are two awesome tracks suitable for the cool down of your workout.

The bands I have focused on so far may indicate a soft side to my music appreciation so I better show off my heavier side the next time out. Maybe some Alexisonfire, Finger Eleven, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, etc. for some gems that are perfect body movers but not as main stream.

Today's Music Pick - 11/24/09

Can you tell it is the off season? Wanted to write something tonight as I settle down before bed after my nightly run.

I found this fun, bubbly band a little while back on Myspace.com when I was looking for some new stuff that is not over played on our local radio stations. I would say their music is best suited for those nice, easy runs when you are bouncing along with a big smile on your face.

Faded Paper Figures, an Indie Electronica band from California, were featured on Grey's Anatomy a few times this TV season so they have the potential for big things. Catch them before they get big!

 http://www.myspace.com/fadedpaperfigures

If you have some time, take a moment to listen to the free music streaming on the link above. My two fav's are Metropolis and Logos, so far...

More Amazing November Weather

I know my fellow Ontario residents and I were complaining all summer that we did not receive the nice, seasonal warmth we expected. Thankfully, Mother Nature has paid back our region with some incredible fall weather that has all the outdoor lovers extremely happy.

Once again, we had much milder than usual conditions this weekend which was perfect for a few long rides (as per my distance scale!) that I was able to put in as my family headed out for the weekend. I would have loved to join them but my hockey gig ran both Sat and Sun so I had to stay home.

With a little more free time available, I tried to get some of the Falcons out for a Saturday AM ride but most of them are involved with the indoor sessions with Coach Rob so I ended up pulling myself out of bed nice and early to get a head start on the day. I suited up and headed north on the bike, towards Terra Cotta. I have not put many miles on the bike since the triathlon in September so I tried to keep things comfortable to allow myself to enjoy the hills and weather.

The first half of the ride was uphill and slightly into the wind. A solid workout to the half marker, at the Inglewood General Store, so I did not feel too guilty taking a quick break to down one of their amazing butter tarts.

After that brief snack it was back in the saddle and up the hill along the north side of the Caledon Golf Course. I made this climb count as I knew the rest of the ride would be smooth sailing, mainly down the escarpement with an added bonus of the tail wind. It was very fun to fly home without too much effort.

The next morning (after attending the Leafs' game Saturday night, doing some DD duties for my old hockey buddies after the game, waking up to do some more chores around the house, etc), I had the pleasure of joining Tyler, Brian and Glenn on a great ride through Halton. I had received a message during the Leafs game from Tyler to see if I was up for a tour and I could not turn down the opportunity.

We met at Dundas and 6th Line in Oakville and followed a route he had planned for us that covered a lot of territory to the west of Milton. It was a solid mix of opening and closing flats with some nice tester hills in the middle.

Being a guest, I just wanted to follow along and let them dictate the pace although, as we were cruising down the busier roads where we could not ride in pairs, I felt a little bad not taking too many pulls. It may have been for the best as I am still getting use to riding with others and tend to kill the pace. Tyler is a horse on the bike so he did a very fine job putting us through a solid 80k fall workout. Thanks for letting me tag along fellas!!!

After getting off the bike, it was back to work and by the time I got home that night, I was exhausted and could not find the energy for a run. With the prospects of getting up for work in the morning, I decided it was best to get some rest.

I hope everyone else was able to put in some extra time in the fantastic outdoor conditions. It is now time to get ready for a 5k XC race this weekend. It is the opener for the Canadian XC Championship geared to those not quite up to racing against the nations top runners. They should be cool to watch after my run though! Mr Whitfield is confirmed to test his legs against Bairu and Coolsaet and gang. Should be fun.

Thanks for reading!
Larry

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

As with most athletes, I love my music. I don't listen to it on the bike or when I run but it has to be on at the gym or when I hit the trainer at home.

I recently found this song and had to share it. It is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll.

The video is nothing hot but the electronica tune from this alt rock band gets me going.

Link to the You Tube video for the song!

Fall Update...

With the busy season behind most of us, it is sometimes tough to keep the blog fresh. Nothing too exciting (except my little guy's 1st birthday!) these days but I will throw down as few bullet points...

-A couple great race reports to read from Clearwater from Bruce Bird (4 parts) and Syd Trefiak. Click their names to visit their sites!

-Took a week and a half off after the marathon. Now my left knee has been acting up since tweaking it on the downhill portion of the marathon. Trying to get ready, and faster, for Guelph 5k XC (Nov 28) and Egg Nog Jog (Dec 13) but have to be very careful.

-Set up my first massage appointment since switching jobs. My legs need a good treatment session. Had a nice sports clinic downtown TO but it is much too far to visit now that I work in Meadowvale.

-Had a little spell in the pool last Thursday and had to leave practice half way through. Second time I have not been very clear in that pool. Not sure what happened but was dizzy and nauseous for most of the night when I got home. Felt 100% the next morning. Been back in the water at another pool twice this week and felt fine (even broke 1:40 for 100m for my first time during one of the intervals, wahoo!). Hope it is not the pool in Brampton that is giving me issues as that is my big session with Hans and FMCT.

-Had a fun run with the Falcons on Sunday to tour the Egg Nog Jog course. Man, this is a tough course and will require some strategic pace changes to hit my secret goal!

-Had a fantastic email from Jeremy at Running Free sent to me the other day. My application for team status has been submitted so I will cross my fingers. I really missed their support last season, but that was my (silly) choice.

Last, but not least...

Don't forget to visit the websites of our local pros. They have all kinds of great articles and tips throughout their postings. I know it has helped me since I started to follow along. Follow the links below to visit their sites...

Tyler Lord

Jen Coombs

James Loaring




Well, that is it for this post. I hope everyone is staying motivated and healthy!

Larry

70.3 World Championships - Canadian Results!

OK - a little bit to explain here until I find some better stats pages. Had to separate men from women as the sort would only show top 100 and we had 138 Canadians in the field when sorted by Country.

Rank is the Canadian Rank by gender. Position shows your place after each element with the third number being your overall place. The Pros and the Age Groupers were separated but men and women were all combined in those categories. Example, Brent McMahon was our top athlete and finished 25th Pro Male and Jason Sandquist was our top Amateur Male and was 25th out of all Non-Pro triathletes. Hopefully, I can find a way to sort later that will not take too long to get the Age Group rankings. I know, for example, Bruce Bird finished 11th in the 40-44 Age Group for men but his totals are broken down by overall amateur, therefore, 104th among amateurs.


RANK -- NAME -- POSITION -- AGE/CAT -- SWIM -- BIKE -- RUN -- TOTAL
1 -- MCMAHON, BRENT -- 4/13/25 -- 29/PRO -- 0:21:49 -- 1:59:52 -- 1:19:44 -- 3:44:52
2 -- RUSSELL, ANDREW -- 7/22/28 -- 27/PRO -- 0:21:54 -- 2:01:13 -- 1:19:20 -- 3:45:57
3 -- SYMONDS, JEFF -- 38/30/33 -- 24/PRO -- 0:22:34 -- 2:02:55 -- 1:16:58 -- 3:46:57
4 -- POULSEN, BRENT -- 45/42/37 -- 27/PRO -- 0:22:55 -- 2:03:02 -- 1:17:42 -- 3:47:41
5 -- MARCOTTE, KYLE -- 58/53/53 -- 32/PRO -- 0:24:15 -- 2:10:00 -- 1:22:41 -- 4:02:16
6 -- SANDQUIST, JASON -- 224/94/25 -- 40/I -- 0:29:14 -- 2:09:41 -- 1:21:06 -- 4:05:18
7 -- ALLAIRE, PATRICK -- 205/102/45 -- 31/I -- 0:29:00 -- 2:10:22 -- 1:24:03 -- 4:08:17
8 -- BIRD, BRUCE -- 386/26/104 -- 41/I -- 0:30:46 -- 2:05:01 -- 1:33:00 -- 4:13:30
9 -- HILTON, BRAD -- 243/89/142 -- 37/I -- 0:29:26 -- 2:09:06 -- 1:32:44 -- 4:16:35
10 -- BRICHIERI-COLOMBI, ANTHONY -- 71/140/146 -- 31/I -- 0:26:55 -- 2:13:33 -- 1:31:33 -- 4:16:51
11 -- PEAKER, BRIAN -- 478/254/175 -- 50/I -- 0:31:32 -- 2:12:26 -- 1:29:54 -- 4:18:50
12 -- BIERNACKI, TONY -- 511/126/176 -- 44/I -- 0:31:51 -- 2:08:06 -- 1:33:07 -- 4:18:51
13 -- WALKER, ROD -- 530/248/180 -- 41/I -- 0:32:05 -- 2:11:26 -- 1:29:52 -- 4:18:59
14 -- KRETZ, PATRICE -- 276/247/211 -- 49/I -- 0:29:43 -- 2:13:38 -- 1:31:32 -- 4:20:45
15 -- WOOLSTENCROFT, FRANK -- 1051/400/224 -- 31/I -- 0:37:13 -- 2:09:15 -- 1:27:17 -- 4:21:15
16 -- COCHRANE, TED -- 248/292/231 -- 36/I -- 0:29:29 -- 2:14:12 -- 1:30:37 -- 4:21:52
17 -- CROLL, BRYCE -- 332/429/289 -- 26/I -- 0:30:15 -- 2:17:29 -- 1:31:19 -- 4:24:33
18 -- ROTH, JAIMIE -- 305/327/340 -- 50/I -- 0:30:02 -- 2:15:20 -- 1:36:05 -- 4:27:18
19 -- ST-ONGE, FRANCOIS -- 510/388/349 -- 40/I -- 0:31:51 -- 2:14:33 -- 1:34:07 -- 4:27:41
20 -- AMES, PETER -- 565/428/405 -- 46/I -- 0:32:21 -- 2:15:08 -- 1:36:48 -- 4:30:14
21 -- DANDURAND, YVES -- 663/425/409 -- 50/I -- 0:33:08 -- 2:12:25 -- 1:35:41 -- 4:30:24
22 -- LABELLE, JEAN SEBASTIEN -- 818/322/410 -- 34/I -- 0:34:23 -- 2:10:57 -- 1:39:13 -- 4:30:26
23 -- MAIER, TOM -- 542/463/426 -- 44/I -- 0:32:13 -- 2:15:52 -- 1:32:26 -- 4:31:07
24 -- HARDING, DAVID -- 454/687/434 -- 48/I -- 0:31:21 -- 2:23:26 -- 1:31:41 -- 4:31:42
25 -- SCHELLENBERG, RYAN -- 421/489/449 -- 30/I -- 0:31:05 -- 2:18:36 -- 1:37:22 -- 4:32:25
26 -- FRIESEN, LES -- 606/622/452 -- 28/I -- 0:32:40 -- 2:20:46 -- 1:33:24 -- 4:32:41
27 -- LEVESQUE, RAYMOND -- 917/486/465 -- 58/I -- 0:35:22 -- 2:14:06 -- 1:37:22 -- 4:32:59
28 -- TSAI, MING-CHANG -- 434/206/469 -- 37/I -- 0:31:13 -- 2:11:33 -- 1:45:58 -- 4:33:12
29 -- JAMER, DOUGLAS -- 802/654/471 -- 29/I -- 0:34:16 -- 2:18:14 -- 1:34:08 -- 4:33:21
30 -- MERCER, SCOTT -- 1063/753/475 -- 32/I -- 0:37:21 -- 2:18:03 -- 1:30:44 -- 4:33:37
31 -- LEBLANC, ROBERT -- 881/699/477 -- 45/I -- 0:35:00 -- 2:19:11 -- 1:33:11 -- 4:33:47
32 -- SAVARD, MARTIN -- 475/470/513 -- 35/I -- 0:31:29 -- 2:17:01 -- 1:39:43 -- 4:35:20
33 -- KOZAK, BRIAN -- 976/504/529 -- 45/I -- 0:36:07 -- 2:13:20 -- 1:36:08 -- 4:35:53
34 -- SHORTER, MARK -- 753/737/550 -- 53/I -- 0:33:49 -- 2:21:06 -- 1:33:36 -- 4:36:45
35 -- PAYNE, BRYAN -- 908/758/573 -- 44/I -- 0:35:16 -- 2:21:02 -- 1:34:44 -- 4:37:50
36 -- MCMULLEN, MARK -- 610/660/601 -- 41/I -- 0:32:41 -- 2:21:10 -- 1:39:43 -- 4:39:13
37 -- PAPPS, AARON -- 452/476/634 -- 35/I -- 0:31:20 -- 2:17:16 -- 1:45:17 -- 4:40:34
38 -- MORRIS, BRADLEY -- 649/438/636 -- 41/I -- 0:33:01 -- 2:15:24 -- 1:46:04 -- 4:40:39
39 -- HADDOW, NICHOLAS -- 571/848/642 -- 24/I -- 0:32:24 -- 2:28:39 -- 1:33:23 -- 4:40:47
40 -- MCCLEERY, SHAWN -- 821/867/667 -- 48/I -- 0:34:25 -- 2:25:57 -- 1:35:08 -- 4:42:48
41 -- WICKS, SHANNON -- 204/405/682 -- 34/I -- 0:29:00 -- 2:17:32 -- 1:49:54 -- 4:43:27
42 -- VAN PRAET, RYAN -- 4/3/4 -- 30/C -- 0:33:44 -- 2:16:39 -- 1:43:43 -- 4:43:52
43 -- HLADY, MARK -- 365/567/688 -- 50/I -- 0:30:35 -- 2:20:00 -- 1:45:08 -- 4:43:59
44 -- WELSH, ROBERT -- 1112/776/694 -- 42/I -- 0:38:20 -- 2:18:57 -- 1:38:22 -- 4:44:31
45 -- GRAHAM, RANDY -- 855/638/720 -- 45/I -- 0:34:41 -- 2:18:45 -- 1:44:12 -- 4:46:03
46 -- LOUGH, CHRISTOPHER -- 186/624/734 -- 53/I -- 0:28:35 -- 2:23:37 -- 1:47:38 -- 4:47:04
47 -- BARNES, HARRY -- 933/899/737 -- 63/I -- 0:35:33 -- 2:25:55 -- 1:38:29 -- 4:47:09
48 -- PATRY, MIKE -- 220/295/741 -- 47/I -- 0:29:11 -- 2:15:33 -- 1:56:30 -- 4:47:25
49 -- SMITH, DAN -- 924/426/791 -- 46/I -- 0:35:28 -- 2:12:26 -- 1:56:00 -- 4:49:58
50 -- MACKENZIE, DOUG -- 436/497/811 -- 52/I -- 0:31:13 -- 2:17:50 -- 1:55:11 -- 4:51:49
51 -- CHOW, JASON -- 1200/625/813 -- 35/I -- 0:40:42 -- 2:12:52 -- 1:52:56 -- 4:51:59
52 -- LAURIN, DANIEL -- 867/610/924 -- 37/I -- 0:34:51 -- 2:17:08 -- 2:02:23 -- 5:01:03
53 -- FRY, JAMES -- 314/946/936 -- 68/I -- 0:30:05 -- 2:33:30 -- 1:51:29 -- 5:02:15
54 -- DRAKER, DWIGHT -- 851/1084/941 -- 45/I -- 0:34:39 -- 2:38:45 -- 1:41:44 -- 5:02:31
55 -- KOSTIC, MILOS -- 1151/978/942 -- 68/I -- 0:39:12 -- 2:22:50 -- 1:47:59 -- 5:02:37
56 -- HETHERINGTON, JOHN -- 905/983/996 -- 61/I -- 0:35:13 -- 2:29:49 -- 1:55:34 -- 5:08:12
57 -- BRYCE, AUBREY -- 1244/647/1005 -- 61/I -- 0:43:01 -- 2:08:47 -- 2:08:02 -- 5:08:48
58 -- HERN, DOUG -- 928/942/1026 -- 56/I -- 0:35:30 -- 2:25:56 -- 2:00:45 -- 5:12:06
59 -- AHLAN, JASON -- 981/971/1029 -- 34/I -- 0:36:11 -- 2:29:26 -- 2:00:23 -- 5:12:12
60 -- VIEIRA, ABILIO -- 1042/1141/1055 -- 51/I -- 0:37:07 -- 2:41:50 -- 1:48:29 -- 5:15:10
61 -- MCLEAN, BYRON -- 1144/1151/1067 -- 48/I -- 0:39:05 -- 2:40:07 -- 1:48:53 -- 5:17:10
62 -- DESRUISSEAUX, CARL -- 395/1206/1068 -- 35/I -- 0:30:51 -- 2:59:37 -- 1:41:45 -- 5:17:16
63 -- JONES, CRAIG -- 614/955/1081 -- 35/I -- 0:32:44 -- 2:26:48 -- 2:07:42 -- 5:19:21
64 -- GARCIA, JOSEPH -- 1253/1198/1090 -- 65/I -- 0:43:59 -- 2:43:39 -- 1:44:54 -- 5:21:07
65 -- MCPHAIL, ROB -- 1018/1144/1092 -- 55/I -- 0:36:44 -- 2:41:12 -- 1:53:09 -- 5:21:48
66 -- KOTUK, HENRY -- 667/990/1105 -- 55/I -- 0:33:10 -- 2:32:43 -- 2:10:33 -- 5:24:41
67 -- CAMERON, JEFFERY -- 1138/1056/1120 -- 30/I -- 0:38:57 -- 2:31:15 -- 2:06:28 -- 5:27:33
68 -- STANTON, PETE -- 1225/952/1184 -- 63/I -- 0:41:37 -- 2:21:06 -- 2:32:47 -- 5:45:24
69 -- PEET, ROBBY -- 1022/1283/1189 -- 35/I -- 0:36:47 -- 3:30:20 -- 1:34:48 -- 5:47:59
70 -- WATTS, DAVE -- 1211/1121/1197 -- 71/I -- 0:41:13 -- 2:33:22 -- 2:26:36 -- 5:52:13
71 -- MILLICAN, GLENN -- 1282/1255/1228 -- 46/I -- 0:47:03 -- 2:53:03 -- 2:14:26 -- 6:04:30
72 -- CURTIS, JOHN -- 1241/1247/1234 -- 64/I -- 0:42:31 -- 2:54:08 -- 2:21:23 -- 6:07:45
73 -- AMYOT, DOMINIQUE -- 1302/1295/1292 -- 71/I -- 0:53:39 -- 3:33:10 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
74 -- SEEDHOUSE, ERIK -- 108/--/-- -- 45/I -- 0:27:31 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
75 -- BOUCHER, JEAN -- --/--/-- -- 42/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
76 -- HAMMILL, JOHNNY -- --/--/-- -- 27/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
77 -- HERBST, MARK -- --/--/-- -- 53/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
78 -- MARTENS, DARREL -- --/--/-- -- 41/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
79 -- SIMPSON, MICHAEL -- --/--/-- -- 26/PRO -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
80 -- TREFIAK, SYDNEY -- --/--/-- -- 32/G -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
81 -- VAN KOOTEN, CHRIS -- --/--/-- -- 28/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
82 -- WERNER, RALPH -- --/--/-- -- 46/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00


Here are the Canadian Women results! Magali was 3rd overall Pro Female! Unfortunately, the position is mixed in with the men for both the pro and amateur women so it is very tough to tell how each of these awesome triathletes finished for the gender. From a quick search Cathy Yndestad was second in her Age Group for a silver medal performance. I am sure we had many more podiums so I hope to get a better sort ASAP.


RANK -- NAME -- POSITION -- AGE/CAT -- SWIM -- BIKE -- RUN -- TOTAL
1 -- TISSEYRE, MAGALI -- 70/67/57 -- 28/PRO -- 0:25:34 -- 2:15:17 -- 1:20:31 -- 4:05:27
2 -- YNDESTAD, CATHY -- 66/360/275 -- 31/I -- 0:26:48 -- 2:20:29 -- 1:32:16 -- 4:24:02
3 -- ROLLINSON, AYESHA -- 66/84/73 -- 32/PRO -- 0:25:28 -- 2:28:29 -- 1:25:44 -- 4:24:42
4 -- MAZER, SAMANTHA -- 300/511/333 -- 24/I -- 0:29:59 -- 2:20:38 -- 1:31:28 -- 4:26:48
5 -- KEEFE, LAURA -- 574/645/442 -- 36/I -- 0:32:26 -- 2:20:36 -- 1:32:54 -- 4:32:06
6 -- BAILEY, MARGIE -- 597/755/489 -- 37/I -- 0:32:34 -- 2:23:42 -- 1:31:08 -- 4:34:17
7 -- NIELSEN, JANET -- 227/515/512 -- 26/I -- 0:29:17 -- 2:21:28 -- 1:39:54 -- 4:35:20
8 -- WARR, PATTI -- 570/597/617 -- 47/I -- 0:32:23 -- 2:19:31 -- 1:42:03 -- 4:39:40
9 -- ANDERSON, ANGIE -- 536/478/625 -- 42/I -- 0:32:10 -- 2:17:35 -- 1:45:08 -- 4:40:07
10 -- DEHAAN, CHANDRA -- 377/558/643 -- 28/I -- 0:30:42 -- 2:20:13 -- 1:43:39 -- 4:40:51
11 -- BRIDGES, KRISTEN -- 987/713/645 -- 35/I -- 0:36:20 -- 2:18:36 -- 1:39:49 -- 4:41:06
12 -- BURKE, SARAH -- 55/703/661 -- 31/I -- 0:26:40 -- 2:28:01 -- 1:40:39 -- 4:42:06
13 -- REICHERT, JULIA -- 447/995/691 -- 22/I -- 0:31:17 -- 2:35:48 -- 1:30:21 -- 4:44:15
14 -- NICOL, JENNIFER -- 749/780/740 -- 35/I -- 0:33:45 -- 2:23:39 -- 1:43:44 -- 4:47:21
15 -- SEIFFERT, ELIZABETH -- 699/747/742 -- 46/I -- 0:33:20 -- 2:23:24 -- 1:44:54 -- 4:47:32
16 -- MCLEAN, KIMBERLY -- 782/807/759 -- 33/I -- 0:34:03 -- 2:24:56 -- 1:43:53 -- 4:48:33
17 -- WILEY, SARAH -- 632/841/788 -- 44/I -- 0:32:54 -- 2:26:37 -- 1:43:24 -- 4:49:54
18 -- SWENY, ANDREA -- 139/763/800 -- 25/I -- 0:28:01 -- 2:29:04 -- 1:47:48 -- 4:50:53
19 -- KENWELL, CARLEY -- 381/866/824 -- 25/I -- 0:30:44 -- 2:30:03 -- 1:45:01 -- 4:52:42
20 -- TINDALE-FOX, CARMEL -- 432/883/830 -- 48/I -- 0:31:12 -- 2:30:06 -- 1:44:59 -- 4:53:03
21 -- HOUGHTON, CARRIE -- 762/967/834 -- 34/I -- 0:33:54 -- 2:31:43 -- 1:41:26 -- 4:53:22
22 -- LIDSTONE, PENNY -- 515/802/836 -- 33/I -- 0:31:54 -- 2:26:33 -- 1:49:03 -- 4:53:35
23 -- CHAMBERLAIN, ELIZABETH -- 646/826/837 -- 41/I -- 0:33:00 -- 2:26:54 -- 1:48:01 -- 4:53:36
24 -- NELSON, KIM -- 518/689/850 -- 38/I -- 0:31:57 -- 2:21:30 -- 1:52:28 -- 4:54:36
25 -- CARLYLE, MARIANNE -- 294/728/863 -- 47/I -- 0:29:54 -- 2:25:32 -- 1:53:15 -- 4:55:31
26 -- ROSS, LAURIE -- 385/835/871 -- 47/I -- 0:30:45 -- 2:28:45 -- 1:50:23 -- 4:56:22
27 -- TURCOTTE, ISABELLE -- 895/770/875 -- 35/I -- 0:35:07 -- 2:22:32 -- 1:52:50 -- 4:56:52
28 -- BRODEUR, FANNY -- 773/1024/899 -- 31/I -- 0:34:00 -- 2:34:37 -- 1:43:46 -- 4:58:46
29 -- JOHNSON, LAUREL -- 535/959/918 -- 43/I -- 0:32:09 -- 2:32:26 -- 1:48:58 -- 5:00:26
30 -- CHOW, MICHELLE -- 431/761/940 -- 30/I -- 0:31:11 -- 2:25:29 -- 1:58:42 -- 5:02:28
31 -- CAUNT, CHARLOTTE -- 94/815/945 -- 24/I -- 0:27:23 -- 2:32:00 -- 1:56:28 -- 5:03:03
32 -- THOMPSON, ASHLEY -- 1103/1146/954 -- 26/I -- 0:38:06 -- 2:42:17 -- 1:37:36 -- 5:03:52
33 -- KIRKER, JILL -- 878/1014/956 -- 53/I -- 0:34:58 -- 2:31:15 -- 1:48:39 -- 5:04:11
34 -- VAN VLACK, DAWN -- 1067/997/964 -- 41/I -- 0:37:23 -- 2:29:04 -- 1:51:00 -- 5:04:53
35 -- LOMAX, BRENDA -- 1099/1053/967 -- 46/I -- 0:38:02 -- 2:31:52 -- 1:45:54 -- 5:05:01
36 -- BALL, MICHELLE -- 977/878/975 -- 40/I -- 0:36:09 -- 2:24:20 -- 1:54:30 -- 5:05:57
37 -- LOUNT-PRETRE, TINA -- 1024/1005/1008 -- 42/I -- 0:36:48 -- 2:30:22 -- 1:55:22 -- 5:09:10
38 -- GOODACRE, MARY -- 1114/1112/1042 -- 59/I -- 0:38:23 -- 2:37:10 -- 1:51:10 -- 5:14:13
39 -- RUSSELL, NOREEN -- 1003/1061/1080 -- 46/I -- 0:36:29 -- 2:33:27 -- 1:59:47 -- 5:19:16
40 -- HELLE, JANICE -- 1083/1106/1091 -- 53/I -- 0:37:45 -- 2:37:01 -- 1:58:43 -- 5:21:11
41 -- DUBORD, MONIQUE -- 1162/894/1107 -- 44/I -- 0:39:22 -- 2:21:47 -- 2:16:55 -- 5:25:16
42 -- ROSS, DENISE -- 1251/1196/1116 -- 55/I -- 0:43:33 -- 2:42:45 -- 1:51:40 -- 5:27:04
43 -- LINDER, BRIDGET -- 1093/1203/1131 -- 29/I -- 0:37:56 -- 2:51:13 -- 1:55:30 -- 5:31:28
44 -- NICKERSON, CINDY -- 1180/1182/1150 -- 53/I -- 0:39:45 -- 2:43:41 -- 2:02:46 -- 5:36:10
45 -- MCGONIGAL, LOUISE -- 1227/1081/1157 -- 66/I -- 0:41:44 -- 2:29:40 -- 2:17:02 -- 5:38:00
46 -- WALSH, BRENDA -- 1279/1216/1164 -- 54/I -- 0:46:23 -- 2:44:42 -- 2:01:51 -- 5:39:59
47 -- MACKINNON, KATHRYN -- 1111/1245/1191 -- 44/I -- 0:38:19 -- 2:56:09 -- 2:04:05 -- 5:49:32
48 -- JACOBS, THEA -- 1273/1264/1219 -- 53/I -- 0:45:57 -- 2:55:43 -- 2:09:11 -- 6:01:10
49 -- MACDONALD, CAROL -- 1205/1240/1229 -- 60/I -- 0:40:45 -- 2:53:37 -- 2:20:50 -- 6:06:05
50 -- MCLEAN, DEBBIE -- 1195/1263/1243 -- 48/I -- 0:40:24 -- 3:02:58 -- 2:20:46 -- 6:14:18
51 -- DEE, CAROL -- 1277/1273/1259 -- 58/I -- 0:46:22 -- 3:02:20 -- 2:27:08 -- 6:27:21
52 -- BAKER, KRISTIN -- --/--/-- -- 29/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
53 -- FABIAN, KIMBERLY -- --/--/-- -- 37/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
54 -- GRUNDMAN, BONNIE -- --/--/-- -- 50/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
55 -- PETCH, SUSAN -- --/--/-- -- 61/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00
56 -- SALOMON, TANYA -- --/--/-- -- 37/I -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00 -- 0:00:00

Clearwater 70.3 World Championships

For my friends and teammates - Bruce, Syd, Ryan and Bill. I am so excited to see how your races go this weekend. My best wishes go out to you for an amazing day of racing. Race fast and race safe!

For all the other Canadian triathletes in the field - Good Luck! I will be cheering from my computer!

2010 Sponsorships - As an Age Grouper is it worth looking?

For the past few years, I have tried to become faster in the multisport game, sometimes with the addition of better equipment/gear. Each fall I have put plans in place to, hopefully, solidify some help for the following season. As an age group athlete in Canada, it appears there is very little interest from suppliers and shops (except Running Free) to help us reduce the expenses we incur on a yearly basis.

Over the course of this three year period, I have purchased several bikes, wheels, shoes, electronics, etc. but have had to settle with used products or lower quality products to stay within my multisport budget.

This off-season, as I look to improve my triathlon bike, I wonder if it is worth placing more sponsorship requests to the bike manufacturers and shops or should I concentrate my time looking on ebay and other web sites for a used ride that will not blow up my pocket book?

I have had very poor responses from the Mississauga area bike shops in the past and most manufacturers put their support in certain shops carrying their products. With most shops in my area having little to do with multisport athletes, it makes a very tough task to obtain assistance.

I hope some of my readers have something to share on this topic. Maybe some tips on creating a proposal that may lead to help from that elusive supplier or shop.

Or you can just tell me to stop my dreaming and be happy with what I have (just in case my wife decides to add her two cents in a comment, HAHA)!

2009 RESULTS PAGE

Event -------------- Distance ---- Chip Time -- Overall -- Age Group

Around the Bay -------- 30k --------- 2:05:20 ---- 90th ----- 14th
(1st time I have run this, a little over weight, missed sub 2 goal)

Beat Recession #1 ----- 5k Trail ---- 0:20:19 ---- 4th ------ 2nd
(a very tough course with drastic climbs, over weight)

Victoria's SP Du ------ 4/30/4 ------ 1:19:17 ---- 17th ----- 2nd
(had a great race, 2 min draft penalty cost me the 11th spot!)

Milton SP Du ---------- 2/30/7.5 ---- 1:30:59 ---- 4th ------ 3rd
(helmet blew off bike so I had 1 extra minute added to T1 to find it)

Muskoka LC Du --------- 3/55/15 ----- 2:49:54 ---- 1st ------ 1st
(1st duathlon victory ever!)

Guelph Lakes 1 OLY Du - 5/40/10 ----- 2:03:56 ---- 1st ------ 1st
(getting closer to sub 2 hour Olympic du, PB at distance!)

Gravenhurst OLY Du ---- 10/40/5 ----- 2:03:27 ---- 6th ------ 2nd
(Provincial Du Championships, bested my PB for distance on tough course)

Niagara SP Du --------- 2.5/25/7 ---- 1:18:59 ---- 1st ------ 1st
(great race, led from T1 to finish, bike split was solid)

Guelph Lakes 2 SP Du -- 2/30/7 ------ 1:23:30 ---- 2nd ------ 2nd
(had a very good race, David Frake was winner!)

Lakeside 2 SP Tri ----- 600/20/4 ---- 1:03:03 ---- 6th ------ 3rd
(1st official triathlon with wet suit, had top bike split!)

Hamilton Marathon ----- 42.2k ------- 2:54:41 ---- 16th ----- 3rd
(PB for marathon and sub 3 hour goal met!)

Kevin Mackinnon previews Ryan Van Praet's race at the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3

This is a story by Kevin MacKinnon from Ironman.com. Ryan is a Chatham, Ontario triathlete with a great story of determination and desire. His guide is a good friend of mine, and my coach, Syd Trefiak and they are getting in their final preps for the 70.3 World Championships.

Please read Ryan's story below...

RYAN'S IRONMAN.COM ARTICLE!



LARRY

What to do Next???

Well, I must admit the marathon took a little more out of me than I expected. I knew I was going to be sore for a few days so physically I am where I anticipated. Mentally, I am ready for a break and it may be a little longer than just a few days.

I had planned to run the Ontario XC Championships with the Masters group but there were too many other commitments and I would be rushed around to make the race and then rushed to get to work after. Not an ideal race to be pre-occupied with other thoughts. After the Ontario's, was hoping to run in Guelph at the Nationals XC race at the end of November. This may also have been a poor idea based on work, costs and the post marathon rest.

The race itself is not a huge wallet crunch but the thought of paying the Ontario Masters association the membership fee for the full year to race in one or two events doesn't make sense. I contacted the association to see if the membership went for a full 12 months but, unfortunately, it is strictly January to December of the year you pay. This is because they have to pay into other associations on the members behalf so they all just keep things on a calendar basis. I totally understand and have no beef about this since they communicated this up front. I only found out about Ontario Masters a month or so ago (living in my own little world, i guess) so I could not have paid any earlier to take advantage of more races under their watch. I will be a member in 2010 for sure.

This all being said, I still would love to race at least one XC event this season and thankfully, there is a citizens 5k XC event held the same day as the Canadian Championships on the same track. It is earlier in the morning and you do not need the Masters membership for this, so it fits my needs pretty well.

After that, the Falcons have a few events they frequent in the winter. These include the Terra Cotta Egg Nog Jog and the Boxing Day 10 Miler. Hopefully, these will help me keep the weight down over the course of the holidays and set me up for a solid start to 2010.

Talk soon,
Larry

Road 2 Hope Marathon Race Report

Race morning was dark and a little chilly when I parked at Confederation Park in Hamilton. I seemed to be an early arrival so I made my way through the kit pick up very quickly and headed back to my car to get down to the essentials. I did not want to lug too much along on the shuttle. The bus ride went very smooth and I was at the starting line over an hour before the race. This was staged at a high school on the south-east end of the city and the gymnasium made excellent place to stay warm during the pre-race routine of stretching, fueling, etc.

As the minutes ticked away, I decided to check my stuff and go out for a warm up run. Along the way, I ran into a gang of Falcons assembled outside the school. They had taken the time to make the trip to lead the cheering for us and capture the day in photos. This support was a very nice gesture that I know I really appreciated along the course from these great fans. Thanks All!!!!!

When I got out to the street for a jog, I ran into fellow blogger, Tyler Lord, who was also getting in some pre-race work before hitting the line. He looked super prepared and focused for his first marathon experience. We wished each other luck and then finished up our warm ups around 10 minutes before the expected horn. I was also hoping to find some of the other guys from FMCT who had plans to run around the same time for this race.

Just as I reached the starting line, I finally ran into Brian, Marko and Richard from the club. I knew these guys (except Brian who was running the half) were aiming for a time pretty close to my goal so I wanted to get up to the front of the crowd with them. When the start was declared, we all headed along the outside of the parking lot for a lap of the school lot before heading out to the main road. I knew right away that my legs were feeling fresh but I wanted to be patient during the first few kilometres and not bolt out with the front runners, as per my usual tactic.

When we reached the first km marker, we were just under 4:00 which was a little fast but not too bad considering the excitement of the race. Marko had already pushed out with a faster group at this point and Richard was running to my right side on the edge of the pavement. It seemed like it would be easy to run as a team but with everyone having unique styles, it seldom works out this way once the event starts.

For much of the first 15k, we headed along very flat, country side roads that were nice and quiet (except for some corners where there were some very helpful fans!). There was a slight wind hitting us face on at this point but it wasn’t a huge factor. I was running around a 4:06 average pace with a small group of athletes during this stretch. There was not much communication between us so it appeared everyone was happy going about their business alone. I, on the other hand, was interested in saving some energy, even if it was the smallest of effort in the light wind.

With this in mind, I tucked in to draft for a short period among the others around me. I held this for a few km’s and then, when I felt an extra boost, I headed forward to see if anyone was ready for some team work. Nobody followed along so I put in a quick surge to catch up to the next small group of two runners about 50 metres ahead. One of them was aiming for 2:53 (I had heard him mention this at the start when another person had asked about pacing) and was a very efficient runner, holding his spot on the centre yellow line. The other was over to his right wing doing his own thing so they were not exactly going about it together.

My fear was that 2:53 was much too quick for me but the pace they were currently hitting was not too taxing so I stayed close. Up the road, I could see Marko’s Falcon jersey among a group around 750 metres but I did not think it would be very wise to try to catch him solo. For some reason I did not feel confident looking back so I was not sure if Richard was still in reach. I think I was afraid of breaking my rhythm by twisting to look.

Thanks to the pre-race announcements, I knew that we would turn just after the 15k marker and have the wind to our backs. By this time, I was trailing the 2:53 “Pace Bunny” by a few metres and we had lost the other member of our group. It was around this spot that my confidence was growing and, to be honest, I seemed to zone out for a while before reaching the downhill stretch waiting after the half way point. I really do not remember too much about the next half an hour other than a flag pointing in our direction at a public prayer building (not sure which religion) that confirmed the hardest part was over.

When it was time to hit the parkway, around the 22k mark, I was slowly catching up to Marko who seemed to be favouring his sides. Once again, paying attention during the pre-race instructions paid off as I remembered that the water station entering the 6k long run on the Red Hill Valley Parkway was the only one until we came off the expressway. I was not really thirsty but knew I would need a little bit of energy during our speedy decent so I reached out for a drink and carried on where I received a visit from Shanta, who was riding along keeping all the Falcons’ spirits up. I told her that I was feeling great and pointed out Marko ahead. She rode up to talk to him and then came back to say he felt OK but she suggested I catch up to keep him company before she headed back to check on the others.

I then looped around the twisting entrance ramp to the expressway, amazed by the view from this height of the road. This part of the run was pretty neat as we had the rule of the entire eastbound lanes leading through the valley. It was a dramatic downhill section where I was making up roughly ten seconds per kilometre on my previous splits. It was a little tempting to go faster but I knew that may lead to some sort of disaster as some of my muscles are not use to the constant pounding of downhill running.

As we flattened out before our exit, I reached Marko and asked him how he felt. He mentioned that things were not staying down. This leads to many problems and I knew he was going to have a hard time keeping his pace. I felt really bad leaving him behind but he was very thoughtful and offered up his gels knowing I was clipping along on my goal time. I was already well stocked and did not want to leave him empty just in case he recovered a little down the road.

Next, was the climb up the exit ramp to the city streets where I started to recognize the familiar roads that made up the Around the Bay track I ran in the spring. I was still feeling strong and hitting my splits but I also knew, from ATB, that I had one more overpass to negotiate.

With less than 12k to go I could see the potential result in my calculations but was also aware that my legs would start to suffer at some point soon. I was still running very close to the pacer from way back in the race and we stayed side by side heading up to the last incline leading to the lakeshore road and trail. There were not many other marathon runners (lots of half marathon walkers) around us so I did not feel an urge to pass or hold my position which allowed me to remain patient.

Crossing the bridge, my natural hill climbing strength (for a recreational runner) left my running partner a few metres behind. I now started to head in the direction of the massive lift bridge that we would have to travel towards before switching back for the final 8 kilometres or so.

Halfway up this short section, we were split from the other walkers and runners as we had an additional kilometre up to our turnaround. Ahead of me, I could see only two other runners but I really was not too interested in pushing for their spots, although, I was slowly closing the gaps. I knew I was doing much better than expected and it was too late in the race to risk a burn out. By the time I reached the turnaround, I had caught the next spot and making ground on the person in front of him.

I ran a few more kilometres inching closer to another position but my pace was starting to buckle. The curl in my baby toe had rubbed a huge blister that was affecting my stride and this was throwing everything out of whack. I had 5.2km to go with enough buffer to reach the end in sub three hour fashion but my splits were deteriorating and I did not want to just finish after putting in so much effort earlier in the race. I mentally got back into running mode and pictured myself running around the block at home, thinking how short that 4k distance feels. With a little boost in spirits, I had caught up to the next fellow just as we were joined by the second overall female. She was trying to hold off third place and was hoping for a little pacing help from us.

This seemed to perk up the other runner and they started to pull away with only 2k to the finish. I truly did not know what overall place I was running so I did not let it bother me and I just pushed on thinking about the finish line. With approximately 1.5 km left, I saw Brian and Andrew from the club cheering me on and that brought on a nice surge in energy. The last part of the course took us around the back of the parking lot and into the park where I ended up catching the male runner. The second overall female was not too far ahead but I knew it would be very bad etiquette to make a sprint for that spot. As I approached the finish line, I caught site of the official race time and noticed that I was on the verge of breaking 2:55. I turned it up a notch just to make sure I did not miss this by a few seconds. Mission accomplished!

After the race, I wandered around on my tired legs looking for some liquids. I had walked right past the water piled up at the finishing chute and thought they had not supplied any to the runners. During this walk about, I ran into Tyler and congratulated him on an amazing effort on his part, 10th place overall.

I then found the water and headed back to my car to put on some warm, dry clothes before heading back to see the results. I was very happy to see my name in 16th spot overall, 3rd in my Age Group in a chip time of 2:54:41. This was well beyond my dream time!

Below, I listed a list of Falcons and friends that also competed with amazing results! Congrats to everyone on a great race!

Hamilton Marathon

10th -- Tyler L -- 2:51:38
16th -- Larry B -- 2:54:43
42nd -- Richard W -- 3:05:01
59th -- Mesfin K -- 3:10:04
97th -- Richard B -- 3:17:18
116th -- Marko D -- 3:20:29
132nd -- Brent P -- 3:23:20
136th -- Jara J -- 3:24:16
153rd -- Jim D -- 3:26:59
154th -- Bill V -- 3:26:59
172nd -- Kelly H -- 3:28:51
228th -- Dan H -- 3:34:02
239th -- Amanda H -- 3:35:07
437th -- James S -- 3:56:12
535th -- Wanda D -- 4:05:12
738th -- Dan M -- 4:49:52

Hamilton Half Marathon

45th -- Brian H -- 1:28:07
128th -- Kirsten D -- 1:37:55
216th -- Natalie W -- 1:44:24
464th -- Manish A -- 1:58:18

I would also like to quote Bill V for the support from those that turned up to cheer!

“Thank you to Andrew H, Angela N, Terri R, Nathalie L, Linda N, Nathalie B (and four footed cookie eating friend), Shanta O and Rick, for coming out and cheering us on. If I forgot anyone, I apologize but again thanks to all of you for your encouraging words.”

My Marathon Splits

Race Report almost done...

Here are the Garmin splits

KM Marker -- Split -- Running Time
1 KM -- 0:03:57 -- 0:03:57
2 KM -- 0:04:12 -- 0:08:09
3 KM -- 0:04:08 -- 0:12:17
4 KM -- 0:04:02 -- 0:16:19
5 KM -- 0:04:07 -- 0:20:26
6 KM -- 0:04:11 -- 0:24:37
7 KM -- 0:04:07 -- 0:28:44
8 KM -- 0:04:03 -- 0:32:47
9 KM -- 0:04:03 -- 0:36:50
10 KM -- 0:04:02 -- 0:40:52
11 KM -- 0:04:11 -- 0:45:03
12 KM -- 0:04:08 -- 0:49:11
13 KM -- 0:04:00 -- 0:53:11
14 KM -- 0:04:03 -- 0:57:14
15 KM -- 0:04:07 -- 1:01:21
16 KM -- 0:04:10 -- 1:05:31
17 KM -- 0:04:09 -- 1:09:40
18 KM -- 0:04:01 -- 1:13:41
19 KM -- 0:04:03 -- 1:17:44
20 KM -- 0:04:02 -- 1:21:46
21 KM -- 0:04:05 -- 1:25:51
22 KM -- 0:04:03 -- 1:29:54
23 KM -- 0:04:00 -- 1:33:54
24 KM -- 0:04:00 -- 1:37:54
25 KM -- 0:04:07 -- 1:42:01
26 KM -- 0:04:08 -- 1:46:09
27 KM -- 0:04:14 -- 1:50:23
28 KM -- 0:04:19 -- 1:54:42
29 KM -- 0:04:09 -- 1:58:51
30 KM -- 0:04:00 -- 2:02:51
31 KM -- 0:04:03 -- 2:06:54
32 KM -- 0:04:04 -- 2:10:58
33 KM -- 0:04:09 -- 2:15:07
34 KM -- 0:04:06 -- 2:19:13
35 KM -- 0:04:07 -- 2:23:20
36 KM -- 0:04:12 -- 2:27:32
37 KM -- 0:04:16 -- 2:31:48
38 KM -- 0:04:22 -- 2:36:10
39 KM -- 0:04:23 -- 2:40:33
40 KM -- 0:04:24 -- 2:44:57
41 KM -- 0:04:20 -- 2:49:17
42 KM -- 0:04:12 -- 2:53:29
42.2 KM -- 0:01:12 -- 2:54:41

TOTAL 2:54:41

Simon Carries the Torch!

How cool is that!!! La May Doan is also very deserving. They picked two great people to start the journey!

Final training run before the marathon

I am surprised at how serious I am taking this run. Usually my running races are just training efforts to gauge where my fitness is before going into a goal race on the duathlon circuit. The build up is that of any other day of training and I tend not to worry much about being truely prepared for the run.

For some reason, I am more organized and excited for this running event. My workouts have been very consistant with the program I am following and my body (feeling as strong as ever at this time of the season) has allowed me to keep up with all the quicker and longer runs I needed to incorporate into the sessions.

Tonight was my final run before taking two days off to rest up my legs for Sunday. It was only a short 6k run with 4k at a decent pace to keep the intesity in the system. It is a taper method (shorter runs with high intesity instead of my longer runs at a snails pace taper efforts of the past) I picked up in my readings that I hope translates into a solid, alert start to the run.

As they say, all the hard work is now behind me and hopefully I have trained my body to perform efficiently come the weekend. I am confident that I can hit my goal (as long as the wind expected Saturday night has faded for us!) but have to make sure that I am satisfied with that time if I amm feeling strong around 26 to 28k into the run. Do I want to leave an even better time on the road and just be satisfied hitting the target? Not usually. Problem is that it can go from great to bad in a short period of time in the marathon so there is always the chance of blow up and totally destroying all the good achieved in the first part of the race.

In a 5k or 10k race you can keep the gas down and go after that super low PB. If you burn out around the three quarter pole you can usually still jog it in for a decent time. You can also run several of these in a year and try agian. With the marathon, I feel I am good for one (at race pace) per year, at the most.

Well, we will see how things unfold and I will be back with a race report for sure early next week.

Good luck to all those running this weekend! I know a bunch of Falcons will be gliding along side you.

If you are looking for sponsorship...

As a weekend warrior on the multisport scene, I know how expensive it can be to keep your gear up to date and fresh. Thankfully, one independant running store in the GTA has stepped up year after year and made it a little easier on the pocket book with their sponsorship program.

I just went to their website (as an Alumni member I like to visit and see what everyone is up to) to do some reading and noticed their application process is underway. Those that are interested have until Dec. 31, 2009 to submit their application for 2010 Team Running Free Sponsorship at one of their 4 stores.

I have been a beneficiery of this unique program in the past and would highly recommend it to others if you would like to be apart of a great team and save some money on your gear.

Here is a link to the website for more info!


I just thought I would pass this along!
Larry

Taper Week + Halloween Week = Certain Weight Gain

By nature, I have very weak will power to avoid junk food. When it comes to sugar coated treats, the battle is even tougher for my healthy conscious to claim victory.

I guess I was not looking at the whole picture when I signed up for the Hamilton Marathon, that is to be run on November 1st (one day after the trick or treat celebrations). When I committed to this race, I was just going with the flow of my FMCT teammates and thought a fall marathon would be a solid goal to keep the motivation levels up during the fall. Problem - I did not take the October 31st "Holiday" into consideration.

As a parent, the ability to avoid this date is not an option. There is no chance of keeping a three year old away from this annual sugar binge and the candy and chocolate that hangs around the house is way too convenient (and yummy!) to walk past.

I know, I should be stronger and resist but when you have the garbage food appetite that I have it is virtually impossible to do the right thing. I was not a 220 pound eating machine a few years back because I enjoyed being fat. There is something deep inside that craves sugar on a constant basis and in mass quantities.

My legendary (in my own mind) feats of over indulgence have been well documented. Multiple pancake eating competition victories, cake demolition parties, donuts by the dozen eating sessions, late night butter tart raids, etc., etc., etc.

Now as an person that works out for several hours a week, I sometimes feel I am above the "Calorie Law" and can maintain my weight even after consuming several thousands of empty calories. It is a bad habit that I must break, especially this week, if I want any chance of running to my goal time in the marathon.

For my sake, please hand out healthy snacks if you see me knocking at your door this weekend!

Happy Halloween!

Thumbs Up to the Elora Cataract Trailway

Today, on a family visit to the country side near Hillsburgh, I finally set out for a run on the trail I had seen several times on my gravel road jogs. I noticed the trail entrance at a few intersections along the way and it looked very well conditioned and maintained. I did not know what it was called until I searched for the name when I arrived home tonight.

Apparently, it is a 47km trail that was developed mainly on an old rail line. The Credit Valley and Grand River Conservation Authorities own the trail and it goes all the way from the east side of Elora to a small hamlet called Cataract, within the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park.

The portion I ran was a wide trail with a nice, fine gravel surface. I wanted to test out my XC spikes again and this trail was perfect for the run I wanted. It was mostly flat and the road and farmer's driveways are well marked and protected. That being, the gates that protect the trail are perfect for hikers, runners, cyclists (so you do not have to slow down to pass through) and they keep motor vehicles off the trail, until snow fall for snowmobiles.

I had a blast exploring the west end of Hillsburgh and want to complete the whole trail one of these days on my Cross Bike. From the section I experienced, I would highly recommend checking this little known gem out. I copied the website (that I have linked to below) for those interested and I hope you are able to enjoy this great resource just north of the GTA. I think you will be delighted by the scenic country side that winds through this portion of the province.


Elora Cataract Trailway Web Site

Great News - Muskoka Chase is On the Schedule!!!!!

Hi all! Janet and Mitch have announced their tentative 2010 schedule and they have found a way to fit on the Muskoka Chase even with the G8 Summit in Huntsville. During the course of 2009, Mitch seemed very worried that they would not be able to put on this great race. It is my favourite, for sure, so I am very happy to see it on the calendar. Now, I just have to decide if it will be a Tri or Du event for me?

2010 Subaru Series Schedule
Victoria's Duathlon - Monday, May 24

Milton Tri/Du - Sunday, June 6

Guelph Lake Weekend - Sat/Sun Jun 19/20

Peterborough Tri/Du - Sunday, July 4

Belwood Tri/Du - Sun, July 18

Muskoka Tri/Du - Sat/Sun July 24/25

Niagara Tri/Du - Sunday, Aug 8

Orillia Tri - Sunday Aug 22

Guelph Lake II - Sat Sept 4

Muskoka 70.3 - Sunday Sept 12

Drafting in Multisport

I have read a lot of blogs of late concerning the lack of officiating re: drafting in Kona. I also know from experience, that the rule is generally over looked in our local weekend events even though there are 3 to 5 motorcycles out on the course.

I guess the question I am asking is, is it worth having a rule that is not policed properly or consistantly enough to warrent the law?

I realize the rule is in there for the safety of the riders but have you ever seen the list at the end of a local event? You cannot tell me that only 2 or 3 people were drafting out of 400 to 800 athletes.

Usually, the officials are watching the top riders while the rest of the groups in behind get away with working together. The leaders are out there busting their butts and worried about getting too close to each other while the packs coming up behind are making time together and cutting into the lead. It may not result in a total reduction of the lead gap, but the energy they save may come in handy on the final run.

As someone who has received a drafting penalty, while riding close to the front of the race, and still doesn't agree with the call, I am always watching the riders around me. The one thing I watch most is the part of the rule I was apparently in violation of when I received my 2 minute penalty. That being, to drop back 5 metres (OAT Rule, 7 metres Tri Canada rules) as soon as the person's leading edge of their front wheel breaks the imaginary line across the front of your lead wheel.

When I was passed, going up an incline, I continued at my pace but the guys that went by me moved over in front of me and slowed down immediately as the hill became tougher. I maintained my pace and moved passed them. Now, when I overtake people on the road, I watch to see if they drop off my wheel right away or if they try to jump on for a free ride. Being in the duathlon, I have to come through a lot of triathletes in the field who get to the bikes earlier. As I make my way up the ranks on the bike, and get up to the better age group athletes, I notice many people do not drop off their pace. By the time I get to these people, my speed is not too much quicker so the time they spend in my draft becomes longer.

Because, I have been punished for this, I am more aware of the rule (as the officials and I had a pleasant chat after the race). I am not angry at the other riders as I do not expect others to break their momentum just because I get by them (as long as they are not hanging right on my wheel for miles after the pass) but I am disappointed that I have not seen any official hitting others for the exact same infraction.

I say, if you are not going to enforce the rule on everyone, than there is no use in having it. It should not matter if it is the leaders of the race or the mobs of age groupers hitting the road at the same time with only half a road to ride on. A rule is a rule and if it does not work (due to the number of people in the same area or the lack of officials in a race, etc.) than eliminate it or amend it. It is just like any other sport, call the game consistantly and everyone will know what to expect from the officials.

What do you think?

Meadowvale Half Marathon - Run Report

Yesterday's long run was only scheduled for 16k but I wanted to throw a curve in the mix to see how my legs would react. I had been out Saturday for a MTB ride on the trails and my legs felt absolutely dead. All the run training and the mini cold I was fighting off seemed to have zapped everything so I did not push on the bike and took the rest of the day off, athletically.

With a day of rest, I was hoping to be a lot more fresh come Sunday. When I walked outside to stretch, and link up my Garmin, the warmth of the mid afternoon sun was much hotter than I had just dressed for. I did not expect it to be that nice out so I had to replace my toque with a regular hat and thin down my glove selection. I had been out all morning with the kids at the park and it was not even close to this warm when we were playing. Even though I had switched down to a cap, thin gloves and shorts, I decided to stay with double layers up top just in case the wind and shade on the trails were a little cooler than my current position directly under the sun.

Mentally, I was really ready to throw down a solid 21.1k run at my projected marathon pace of 4:15/km so I was excited to get rolling, after a brief delay waiting for the watch to hook up. Clear blue skies and it still took 5 minutes to link??? Anyway...

For my route I had selected a single loop trail I had mapped out back when I was instructing the Running Room marathon group. The long link of hard top paths are a little known gem we have in Meadowvale as you can easily get out for a long run on these asphalt trails with very little disruption. This is key to me on my long runs as I tend to lose focus if I have to stop (for lights, traffic, etc.) near the end of these longer runs. If you are ever looking to run in Meadowvale let me know and I will send you some directions to these trails.

As for the run itself, I started out in good spirits but my body was not going quite as fast as I expected. I talked myself into being patient thinking I just needed a few kilometres to get into gear so I pushed on trying to stay near pace but it was much harder than in recent runs. Once my legs got into the rhythm the pace would come much easier and I would be able to glide at this pace, at least that is how I planned it to work.

Well, that never happened and I struggled the entire run trying to hover at my pace. After each kilometre my watch popped up the split and I kept on waiting for good news. The only good news was that I was one kilometre closer to the finish. I was looking for excuses for much of the run. Was I too hot with two layers up top? Was the wind beating me down? Was I lacking hydration or did I eat too much over the weekend? What ever it may have been, I kept my legs moving and stuck to my route as a DNF in training would be tough to swallow two weeks before the real run.

Thankfully, I had banked up a few quicker splits (but not much quicker) so by the time I reached 17k, I could relax a little more. If I did not hit 4:15 on the dot it would not be the end of the world but I knew I would be close enough so I could enjoy the final stretch of the run on a colourful fall day.

In the end, I was just barely able to keep it under 4:15/km. I really had to battle for that average pace, something I was not anticipating with my run training of late. Time now for some down time to rest up with only 13 days until the big marathon.

4:19/4:08/4:10/4:12/4:09
4:14/4:12/4:15/4:15/4:12
4:20/4:14/4:16/4:10/4:17
4:16/4:12/4:16/4:18/4:18
4:10
0:24

PS - Congrats to all those I saw in the results pages this weekend! Marko had a very fast Toronto Half Marathon. John put down a very solid Full Toronto Marathon. Paul posted a blazing 5k in Toronto. David Moore was up near the top of the Toronto Half Marathon. Jo-Jo was as quick as always in the Toronto Half Marathon. I am sure I missed someone so I am sorry but there was a lot happening this weekend!