Open Source Triathlon

For Sale - Orbea Ora (2008) - $1200 - Vancouver BC

2011-11-21T22:01:00.001-08:00

The time has come to sell my trusty steed the Orbea Ora. This bike has served me well over the last 3.5 years and it is a sad day to see it go but I am going to be riding something new in 2012 so need to clear some room in the stable (A shoebox sized apartment in Vancouver)

For full details including a whole heap of photos I have created a sub page with all the details

http://opensourcetriathlon.blogspot.com/p/for-sale-orbea-ora-1200-vancouver-bc.html

Racing not Competing

2011-11-12T19:33:00.001-08:00

This was to be a precursor post to my race report for the ITU LongDistance Brick (Aka Triathlon with cancelled swim) World Championships, however except from the below I don't know what else there is to say. Except if Silverman does reincarnate in some form I would love to race an IM on that bike course.

For many people (including myself up until very recently)Triathlon is a sport about competing. Competing is a term for which I am surethere is a specific definition which I can currently claim ignorance to as I amflying back to Vancouver at 40,000 ft. How I define about is trying to achievethe best possible performance while a large degree ignoring those around you.This is particularly the case in long course racing which is a race aboutspreading your effort equally across the day.

Racing however is another form of competing – it is aboutfocussing on the overall result and adapting your plan on the fly even if itinvolves a degree of risk. The ITU Long Course champs was a good example ofthis. In the end the only thing that I considered a A result was a podium in myAG (M30-34). This meant that it was necessary to take some risks to try and makethat happen. This is a “non instinctive” thing for me to do at the moment as itinvolves decision points where you need to take some risks that you know willhave some negative consequences if they do not pay off.

On race day at ITU we had a TT Bike start. I had the idea ofthe race numbers in my AG and knew that the earliest person would be leavingabout 3 minutes ahead. So that essentially meant that anyone who passed me onthe bike was gaining on me for the run. A group formed early and I let it go tosome degree however after 30km saw that I was not that far back. From thatpoint on looked to work the bike, had a few flat points which is due to fitnessbut overall are happy with how I pushed the bike especially the last 30km whereI kept the gas on.

Coming out of my “world leading” J T2 I started to see werepeople were on the run course in ,y AG category up the road. A couple numberswere higher and that meant they started after I had. Decided to run the firstlap at my own pace and see what difference that made. Was fighting cramps onthe uphills (No excuses =fitness/conditioning) and after 1 lap saw that washolding pace if not losing it. With cramps still occurring on the uphills didwhat I could to manage them and smashed the downhills as hard as possible.

After 1.75 laps (of 4) it was “death or glory time”. If Iwanted to make it happen it was time totake a risk. Even though the legs felt pretty average for most of the run (wasavg 4:18 per/km at this point) it was time to go for it. Holding 4:18 per kmwas going to be nice but wasn’t going to cut it in terms of hitting the podium.

So in true VEGAS spirit it was time to roll the dice and start to push it hard. Pushing it hard when everything is telling you to just hangon is where I see the difference between competing and racing. When you competeyou do the “smart thing” and just hold the pace. When you are racing it meansputting down the hammer even though a lot of the feedback loops you are gettingyou are telling you it is going to be a very tough road.

I would love to finish this story telling you that Iachieved glory, hugged a care bear and found a leprechaun at the bottom of arainbow but it was not to be. After about 4 to 5km of at or below 4 min/km pacethe wheels feel off. The change in running style to avert cramping and smashingthe downhills had paid their toll and it was a death march home. In the end Iwould say I lost about 5 or 6 minutes by going for it as a shuffled to thefinish. However not having know if I could have hit the podium was not a risk Iwanted to take.

The Key Takeaways

In the end it was 14^th in M30-34 and a lot oflessons for the 2012 season. In the end I just need to get fitter and stronger,2011 has been a great year for so many reasons with a big focus on family andthe birth of our first child. I feel as I hit a winter of hard training I am atan awesome place to make the next jump in terms of fitness and experience andlook forward to improving as I go forward into IM Melbourne.

I am happy that my bad runs in races are getting faster andfaster and I now am off the mindset that for me any run slower than about 3:20in an IM for me is a bad run as ridiculous as that proposition sounds but it isjust my mindset at the moment. In the end though it is about doing not talking,so the next 4 months is just about getting the work done, getting fit, fasterin the pool, stronger on the bike and being able to execute the run I know Ican.

ITU Long Course Worlds

2011-11-05T05:31:00.000-07:00

Are racing in 2 hours time. 4km Swim / 120km Bike / 30km Run in Las Vegas.

Are feeling pretty ready for this one, will see what the day brings. Key focus is to work hard in the swim, work on the bike but stay calm and smoke the run.

Should be a lot of fun riding through the desert, previewed the course yesterday and from km's 15 to about 80 feel like going up and down to Hawi twice. Exposed to the wind, gradual climb with rollers. Last 40km of the bike is a gradual uphill with some steep sections so that is were time will be made up or lost.

Thanks to all who have sent messages of support. This is my longest race since Kona in 2010 so looking for a good solid effort and trying to empty the tank just at the right time. May take some risks on the bike to make the AG race catchable on the run, this is Vegas so if there is any where to gamble a little this is it!!

See you all on the flip side - time to go fast, have fun and smile/grimace lots.

-----------------------------------------

chip timing for ITU Long Course is at http://mychiptime.com/searchevent.php?id=6101

Bib no is #214. Hitting water at 7:25am Vegas Time.

Creating Lists - 5 Races I Want to Do

2011-10-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

Having a couple days down following getting some teeth yanked. Using today to create some list's, starting with 5 races I want to try ans do before 2020.

Challenge Roth
Norseman
Wildflower
St Croix 70.3
Escape from Alcatraz

List is in no particular order and had a few other options that were on the list but thought I would wittle it down to a core 5. The other's I considered were;

Embrunman, Coast to Coast Adventue Race, NoosaTriahtlon, Laguna Phuket Triahtlon, Alpe D Huez Triathlon

Note have already had the privilege of racing at Kona and hope to go back as well, so this list was races specifically that I have not done (Otherwise Ironman Canada would be on the list as well)

Any ideas on races that I have missed from my top 5?

The Monday Minute - Perfection is the Enemy of Good Enough

2011-10-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Stopwatch starts ....now

One of the best PM's I have worked with in IT used that quote. Sometimes I can focus on how I do not have 2h to get out and do a run. Obviously one hopes that most of the time you can make it happen but getting in two shorter runs was the theme on Sunday. Not perfect but better than nothing at all.

The Monday Minute

2011-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

So I am back training with full focus just as the weather has turned in Vancouver. One thing that I have decided to do is do a post everyday called the Monday Minute. How it will work is I will sum up a thought in 60 Seconds (of my mediocre typing speed).

Leaving on red top.....

You never Know

You never know when you are going to have that session that changes the game a little. Today was that type of day, after a big weekend of training and a swim last night I was back to the pool only 9 hours later. Slept like crap but did a little mental set form the walk from the car to the pool. Awesome progress, lots of tech work and a 6 second PR for the 200m free.

*that took like 85 seconds but it was close :)

Not Always Expected Results

2011-09-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had solid day training day yesterday with 120+ km on the road bike followed by a longer run off the bike than normal. Was being a bit laissez faire in terms of hydration but was feeling good on the bike so was not that stressed. When it came time to run however the body sent a few strong signals that drinking some more liquid would have been a good idea. In the end lost about 4.% of my body weight which is not an ideal thing.

As a result of my of testing the hypothesis of dehydration yesterday I was not expecting to survive a 100 min plus run this am. However races are not run based on a hypothetical model, the same goes with training. Got out there and got the work done, in the end actually felt fine through the run.

A bit of a random day of Vancouver weather today - and was not the nicest out there on the run. not many out there running, but based on my "straw poll" regarding who I saw it is the ones who get solid results who were out there putting in the time.

For those looking for some blogs and site to read and inspire you over the wintery months here are a few of the people I saw out there today;

Shared yesterday's ride and run with Gillian Calyton who is racing in Kona in a couple weeks time. Gillian was kind enough not to drop me on today's run and her blog is at rundriven.blogspot.com

Saw Rachel McBride who just finished 11th at the 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago. Her website which has a blog is at http://www.rachelmcbride.com/ and her facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-McBride/208614685864207

Last up saw Dylan Wykes out on a run. Just reading his blog now and even after racing a 30 min 10km in Toronto yesterday is back in Vancouver today and knocking off a couple runs ahead of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 3 Weeks. He is a genuinely nice guy and hoping he has an awesome day in Toronto. His website is at http://www.time-to-run.com/dylanwykes/ and look at the latest news section for his regularly updated blog.

Think the key theme from today's post its all about getting out there and getting it done day in day out. Have had a problem getting that rhythm going lately and that is my key focus. Seeing those who are getting awesome results out on a crappy Sunday morning gives me confidence that is the right place to be focussing my attention.

Meditation Thursday

2011-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Didn't get to actually sit aside and meditate as such but did have a bit of a chance to rest and refocus on the couple days ahead.

First spanner in the works this week was getting sick - meant easing back on the intensity a little but still got sessions in and just moved my hard run later in the week to Friday. One thing I find is can get focussed on missing the key part of a session (i.e; hard run) but is still better to get some work in and readjust throughout the week.

Mentally in the pool trying to remove a bit of roadblock in attitude I feel I have in that can be quite negative about my swimming. Just trying to focus on improving each swim and not worrying about how fast or slow i am going to some extent. Need to trust in the process and let the speed come after that. On the swim front are mixing it up a little and swimming at UBC a couple days a week in what are a bit more drill focused sets. Will still look to swim with VAC twice a week and hopefully get in another swim or two on my own. Work = results and need to spend a lot of time in the water to give it a real shot.

Mantra for the next few days into Monday will continue to be to execute - at the moment getting some solid consistency into the schedule is really important for me. Once that happens then other stuff will follow. In the end it is about not thinking about it too much and being in the moment each and every day.

Snowball Fight

2011-09-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is more random than even most of my blog posts - look forward to information about;

Jebus and his investing profile, home networking, moving furniture, how eating gluten free will save you time at the supermarket, why mondays are meant to be a crappy day, why stairs are a silent killer waiting to strike, tetris, 1950's home making, sourdough vs french bread, why rainbows suck, unpaid internships, meditation

Not everything is Lollipops and Rainbows

If all we did was ate lollipops we would be nutritionally defunct, lack teeth and have a surplus of plastic sticks left over. Rainbows suck as well because it normally means it was just belting down with rain.

Blogs by nature tend to be of the positive nature. So when you read a variety of sources of information everything is going perfect - especially when it comes to training not often do you get to hear about crap days or weeks.

However in essence the crapiness of some weeks makes the good weeks more worthwhile. Last week for me from a training perspective was a gong show.

The positives;
> When I missed the last in a set of stairs I did not break my ankle
> When I dropped the gas valve from a propane tank on my toe I only drew blood and did not break my toe.
> I had a good Monday

Monday's Are not meant to be Good.

Maybe having a good Monday was a bad sign - as in reality who ever really has a good Monday. Monday's are traditionally the day of the week where you get the crap out of the way and focus on better things.

You Can only Control the Controllables

Can't find where this quote came from but when I google it the top ranking hit is about the Financial Jebus. Now I know that Jebus had an early portfolio is precious metals but beyond that I did not know that that he was a skilled investor as well. I suppose when your dad creates everything you get the first choice of real estate.

Side bar discussions about Jebus aside - last week I did a spectacular crappy job of doing this. Didn't really plan any contigency into each day and that was compounded by every task taking longer than it should have. A lot of this was a bit of bad luck but if I should know three things by now they are as follows;

1. Making changes to home networks or anything that involves cables always takes longer than planned. It shouldn't but it always freakin done. In the end you end up with a great although likely over engineered solution.

2. Moving furniture is not like tetris in that once everything is moved you just hit game over and everything is good. When objects are moved there is normally about 2 times as much effort in cleaning up the crap that was hidden around or in said objects

3. BBQ's always take about 2x as much prep time as the actual duration of the event. Heck - one advantage of being gluten free I suppose is that you don't need to choose between sourdough and french bread which inevitably saves you at least 5 to 10 minutes on every trip to the super market.

Add to the above needing to complete a movie shoot at the office on short notice (that's a whole other story) , stepping back to the 1950's to support the family and friends canning effort, packing up my desk at work for the transition to working at home 60% of the time which also involved setting up the home office and booking a desk when I am in the office.

What Lessons Learned Really Means

To be honest I hate the term or at least the general use of the term lessons learned. The Traditional Definition as at http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/lessons-learned.html

"The purpose of lessons learned is to bring together any insights gained during a project that can be usefully applied on future projects"

My believe is the true meaning behind the definition is more like;

"I/we screwed up and by calling it out ourselves before someone else does then we can position it as a learning opportunity and avoid taking the full blame"

Looking in retrospect it is no surprise the week turned into a bit of gong show. Stress even if of an abstract type creates stress and I think that is the one key lesson from last week. I didn't really account for that in my week plan and when stuff started to snowball (hence the name of this post even if it took me a long time to get to it) It was hard to stop the madness from being over whelming.

In the end this is my fault, not the supermarket's for selling both sourdough and french bread although I am still tempted to blame that for my downfall

I need an unpaid intern and other solutions

Asides from hiring an unpaid intern to use to undertake a variety of tasks in my day to day life (if any one does want to apply it would be an interesting gig I can assure you and I sense that you would learn a lot vs some of the gigs out there) in the end it is all about just about getting stuff done in a more prioritized fashion

Someone at the track last night mentioned meditation and I think that given my schedule a couple of reflection and meditation windows each week to reset and look forward may be in order. Just an opportunity to step out of the wake to sleep schedule that I enjoy but can cause some craziness as well.

In the end it is about finding a way to make sure that a couple crappy days does not snowball into a crappy week. That's what happened last week and in the end it is crap like that costs you in the long term. If I can get it sorted that it doesn't happen again then that will be a good thing.

Why Write this Post

Let's be honest, my writing compared to most blogs I read suck. however wanted to put this out there that not everything always goes to plan. in fact most things don't - its all about how you deal with the deviations that makes a difference. A did a crappy job at doing that last week and I suppose in itself writing about this is my meditation for the last week with a view to have a good week.

Good news is I had a crappy Monday with my third straight morning of having a migraine so that means the universe is back to normal and ready to smash it for the remainder of the week. Next mediation and reflection point will be on Thursday so we will see how it goes.

This week

No Movie Shoots, No BBQ's, No AGMs, No All day Workshops, No household tetris, No 1950's
Canning Support, No packing up desks, No setting up offices, No re-configuring networks.

No Excuses and No Snowballs

Life feels simpler already :)

The "Off Season" In Review

2011-08-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

Heck it is August already. Just been at Ironman Canada for the weekend watching people race, proud of everyone who toed the line. from those who had aweosme days, those who finished their first ever IM and those who did not have the day they were looking for. In the end we are all lucky to be involved in a sport that gets us out to see so much of the outside world.

As you may know on Feb 26th, My very supportive wife and I had our first child Adelaide Elizabeth. As a result training took a planned back seat for the first part of this year as looked to get established as new parents and set up a routine. Coming of a year of two Ironmans the focus this year has been a late season push.

Starting to get back into solid training now having just completed the biggest two weeks of training since my Kona Build last year. Going to putting in a big winter and are racing ITU Long Course World Championships on November 5th in Las Vegas and then Ironman Melbourne in Australia on March 26th.

The last 3 Months have seen 9 races and will not go into to much detail but here is the wrap.

Eugene 5km (April 30th) - 8th Overall in 17:04

Was a a hilly course than anticipated. Also won 40lbs of pancake mix for beating a man dressed as a pancake!

Oak Bay Half Marathon (May 15th) - 7th Overall in 1:18:25

Wet day out there, would have liked to have gone faster but happy with a solid hit out in the correct direction.

Subaru Shawnigan Lake Olympic Triathlon (May 29th) - 3rd Overall in 2:22:05

44km long bike, struggled in the run on this one and didn't have a rockstar run split (41:52)

Saunders Subaru Victoria Half Iron Triathlon (June 19th) - 14th Overall in 4:26:26

88km Bike and 20km run on easy trails so should be a fast course.
Was in the process of training to race back to fitness and it showed. OK swim, pretty good bike but horrific second 10km in the run.

Subaru Vancouver Half Iron Triathlon (July 3rd) - 15th Overall in 4:29:37)

91km Bike and 20km run on trails so pretty close to a standard half.
Swim PR on a tricky swim course
Went for it - blew up at 60km on the bike and suffered all the way home. Run split was far from impressive and about 8 minutes of even close to good.
Learned a lot, was biking at the lead group pace (alas a few minutes back due to swim speed) but did not force down enough calories and was not fit enough so could not hold the mojo for the last 1.5 laps.

UBC Grand Prix Corporate Challenge (July 12th) - Team Victory

5.2km of pain on the UBC crit course. We had a work team in and won the show. Fun to ride flat out for 7 or so minutes.

Peach Classic Olympic Distance Triathlon (BC champs) (July 17th) - 23rd Overall in 2:15:59

No taper race, had a awful swim (Worst in quite a while) and lost a lot of time in the water.
Good solid bike and really happy with run which was reportedly long (approx 10.5km). Ran 37:47 whihc meant going through 10km in about 36 Flat.

Subaru Sooke International Half Iron Triathlon (August 7th) 4th Overall in 4:38:18

Very hilly bike course (5500 ft of climbing in 90km) made it a slow course (By 15 to 20 minutes)
Had one of my best tri swims in terms of execution. Potentially rode a little conservative on the bike however had a run that although did not feel great was getting closer to what I need to do (1:24:47)

5 Peaks Trail Series - Blackcomb 10.6km (August 20th) 24th Overall in 1:16:12

This was a real trail race with a ridiculousness amount of climbing all at an altitude of above 6000 feet.
Lots of power hiking, scrambling over snow etc on the ways up the hills. Loots of meek and timid descending going down
A hell of a lot of fun but was missing the presence of oxygen

THANK YOU

Thanks to all for the support and congrats to all of those who have had fantastic seasons thus far in 2011. The BC seen seems to be getting faster and faster at the moment and it is awesome to have so many people in Vancouver willing to do the work.

Thanks specifically to;

Leslie for being a great wife and MOM.
My family from folks in Oz to Les' family through BC
Clint my coach for putting up with some inconsistent weeks throughout this year and bulk updates to the training log. If you are interested in getting a tri coach go to the Mecury Rising Site to check out the options.
Carla my Chiropractor - if you are looking for Chiropractor, RMT or the like check out her businesses website at www.baselinehealth.ca/
The race directors and companies that support racing in BC. It is much appreciated.

To my supporters/sponsors;

Thanks again for all the support. Looking to lay down some good results in the next 9 months.

Speed Theory - an awesome group of people who are heavily involved in the sport. Most of their staff where either supporting at or racing Ironman Canada this year. Support the people who support and employ people in your sport - SHOP LOCAL!

Forerunners - A long established Vancouver business (Celebrating 25 years) who do a lot to promote running in the local community. They have an awesome selection of shoes and a rockstar staff. I will be out running with the Wednesday night clinics again this Fall.

Newton Running - Have been running in Newtons for 3 years now and love the shoes.

Cycelops - being around the house a lot more means have been riding the trainer a lot and will be as are doing a IM at the end of winter. Have been super happy with the Powerbeam Pro Trainer as the dimension of power and generated resistance when suffering on a ride indoors is a great one.

VanRunning - This is a run specific coaching business I am involved in. If you get a chance to checkout the website at www.vanrunning.com and like the Facebook page where we will be hosting a whole heap of run related content throughout the rest of the year.

Insert Really Insightful Blog Post Here

2011-08-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

title says it all - still trying to digest the race on the weekend .

Shawnigan Lake Olympic Triathlon

2011-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Overall - 2:22:50

Overall 3/115

Male 3/79

May 29th saw my first triathlon of the year at the Shawnigan Lake Olympic Triathlon. After having raced the Half in the previous 3 years the Olympic was a good choice as with the exciting times associated with the first 3 months of being a dad 2011 had been a relaxed training year for the first 5 months with about 60% of my normal training volume in the bank. The body and the mind has enjoyed the break and although wanted to be a little sharper at the start of the racing season have been happy with where my priorities have been.

The main thing I had not done to this point in the year was any hard rides so this would be the test for me at Shawnigan.

Swim (1500m) - 26:59
(Avg Pace 1:48 per 100m)

Overall 26/115

Male 18/79

Two lap swim, had a good first lap but lost the group I was with at the lap turnaround buoy. This was a bad mistake as ended up getting lost in no mans land. That group swam 26:15 so that mistake cost me 40 seconds over the second lap.

T1 - 1:51

Overall 5/115

Male 4/79

Not the smoothest T1 in terms of getting wetsuit off and lost a little time as a result.

Bike (44km) - 1:11:12
(Avg Speed 37.1 km/h)

Overall 2/115

Male 2/79

This one hurt a little, essentially held the same pace I did for the half in 2010 so a fair bit more time to be gained here once I sharpen up. Carrying a few extra pounds so I am sure that did not help either. in the end though riding hard is always fun, split was a bit slower than I had thought could do and had a few scary moment's when had to dodge a firetruck at 45km/h as confusion abounded around the transition area. Two laps were soon done though and into T2.

T2 - 0:58

Overall 1/115

Male 1/79

T2 is not that complicated, got in, put my Newtons on and got out.

Run (10km) - 41:12
(Avg Pace 4:12 per km)

Never felt good on this run. Legs felt like heavy from the start and in the end just ran for position. Had come of the bike in 6th place and moved into 4th pretty early on. was forcing it a bit at this point and soon lost 4th place after being re overtaken. Zoned out a little bit at this point and the gap grew until hit the turnaround and got a sense of where I was at.

1 and 2 (Nathan and Paddy) were well ahead so my race was for 3 through 6 with 3 and 4 being about 300m ahead. This woke me up so smashed a couple hard km's to get into third and create a bit of space. From this point just tried to maintain the gap with the odd surge if it was closing. Was able to hold on to third and a spot on the podium. Not a great job but realistically based on where I came off the bike position wise was the best result could attain.

Closing Notes

Congrats to Nathan Killam on a strong performance and a convincing win.

Thanks to Speed Theory, Forerunners, Newton and CycleOps for their support.

From a personal perspective happy with the hit out, to be back racing was fun and looking forward to a good summer and fall of training. This report was written on a slight time delay and have already raced the Victoria Half since Shawnigan and are racing the Vancouver Half iron tomorrow so I am looking to catch up on the blog posts while watching Le Tour de France.

Provisional Triathlon Race Calender for 2011

May 29th - Shawnigan Olympic Triathlon - 3rd Overall (2:22:50)

June 20th - Victoria Half Iron - 14th Overall (4:26:26)

July 3rd - Vancouver Half Iron

July 17th - Peach Classic Olympic Distance (Penticton)

August 7th - Sooke Half Iron

Sept 11th - Banff Olympic

Oct 23rd - Austin 70.3

Also considering a trip to Cowtown at the end of July - but working that one out to if it is a good idea to do 2 half's in 8 days (Think I know the answer to that!)

It's June Already

2011-06-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

been an awesome year thus far even if tri has not been no 1 on the agenda for the most part. Fatherhood has been a blast and the body did well with a good mental break as focused on this exiting time.

After a couple races - focus is back and looking forward to a summer focussed on training. Essentially feel like I am in March Shape compared to a normal year so looking forward to putting the miles in over the summer and doing some races throughout the process.

Some race reports to come soon

Need to do 6 more races this year

2011-05-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Was 8th in the Eugene 5km 2 weeks ago.

Ran today and was 7th in the Oak Bay Half Marathon. Really happy about how I executed today with each 5km segment getting faster. Was a rain day (which was great for knocking down allergies) and the crowd support and participation of the Victoria community was awesome.

Not a PR but solid effort (1:18:26) on a hilly course. The work in florence paid off well and finished super strong in the last section. next up is all about getting the work done and getting the routine set.

thanks Clint, Rosalee, Les and Adelaide for braving the rain to cheer and congrats to Sara and Rachel for solid efforts out there (2nd and 5th in the Womens Race)

Mojo is coming back slowly

Day 4 at Camp

2011-05-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

No Photos yet;

Morning was a recovery morning - potentially from the dinner the night before. 3 Hour ride from Florence to Reedsport and return along the 101. then a Sand Hill circuit in the evening with 7 reps totaling 20 minutes of hard running around a course we plotted in the dunes (up down and around a few dunes).

Good riding today, just at base effort and some bloody hard work running the dunes taking inspiration from Herb Elliot.

Notes from Camp - Day 3

2011-05-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Photos and Video form Today below. Got some cheering from the group on the ride.

Easy Run in the am (4.7km)

Drove to Newport - visited the fishes then rode back to florence (80.4km)

Relaxing run on the beach post ride (6.6km)

Good times continue. Legs were a bit wrecked today from yesterdays session but felt good. Awesome riding down the coast, hilly but had a tailwind so was allllll goood.

Now to drink some wine, eat some dinner before being inspired by Herb Elliot for Tomorrows run.

Photos from Camp - Day 2

2011-05-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today was "The Workout". After warm up and drills it was;

60 x 20 Seconds Hard up the sand dune with 40 seconds to recover and start again. Aim was to get at least the same distance up the hill each time. One of these repeats is tough, was struggling to see the possibility of getting 60 done after 7 but got the work done, lost half my breakfast afterwards but will be mentally stronger for this one.

Rest of the day was a 1 hour spin and a hour run on the beach in the biggest headwind have ever run in. Same effort was + 6 min/km into it and sub 4 minute km's with it.

Thanks to Jerry for sharing the running workouts including "The workout" and letting me follow his tracks up the dune. Also thanks to Leslie, Adelaide, Haley, Paul and Gillian for cheering us on in our stupidity running up the dunes.

Good Times in Florence, Oregon continue.

notes from camp

2011-05-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday - beat a pancake (17:04 for 5km on a hilly course) - ran about 18km total

Sunday - watched a group of rockstars in the Eugene Half and Full Marathon with 7/7 from the vanrunning crew smacking down PR's. Supporter fartlek ended up with 19km of running.

Monday - Got lost in the sand dunes, ran, walked, used the sun for navigation for 15km. The rode 70km and ran 3km in the afternoon. Drank some brews and watched braveheart

Camp is fun! Will not be throwing any stones though as I am living in a glass house!

Just need some time to make the video - Runday the Lyrics

2011-04-03T17:47:00.001-07:00

Seven a.m., waking up in the morning
Gotta be loose, gotta do my mobility
Gotta do my leg swings, gotta tie my shoe laces
Seein' victory, no time for slowin
Satellites lockin, everybody's runnin
Gotta get down to the trails
Gotta catch my group, I see my friends (My friends)

Stridin the front pack
Drillin in the back pack
Gotta make my mind up
Which pack can I catch?

It's Runday, Runday
Gotta get fast on Runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the race day, race day
Runday, Runday
Gettin' fast on Runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the raceday

runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
Run, Run, Run, Run
Lookin' forward to the raceday

7:45, we're runnin' on the highway
Cruisin' so fast, I want time to float
Run, run, think about run
You know what it is
I got this, you got this
My friend is by my right, ay
I got this, you got this
Now you know it

Stridin the front pack
Drillin in the back pack
Gotta make my mind up
Which pack can I catch?

It's Runday, Runday
Gotta get fast on Runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the race day, race day
Runday, Runday
Gettin' fast on Runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the raceday

runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
Run, Run, Run, Run
Lookin' forward to the raceday

Yesterday was Intervals, Intervals
Today i-is Runday, Runday (runnin')
We-we-we so excited
We so excited
We gonna have a ball today

Tomorrow is Hill Day
And Strength comes after ... wards
I don't want this long run to end

So stridin in the front pack (In the front pack)
Drillin the back pack (In the back pack)
I'm stridin, drillin' (Yeah, yeah)
Fast strides, switchin' trails
Wit' a compression on my calves (Woo!)
(C'mon) Passin' by is a ipod wearer in front of me
Makes tick tock, tick tock, wanna scream
Check my time, it's runday, it's a long run day
We gonna have a run, c'mon, c'mon, y'all

It's Runday, Runday
Gotta get fast on runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the raceday, raceday
Runday, Runday
Gettin' fast on runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the raceday

runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
Run, Run, Run, Run
Lookin' forward to the raceday

It's Runday, Runday
Gotta get fast on runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the raceday, raceday
Runday, Runday
Gettin' fast on runday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the raceday

runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
runnin', runnin' (Yeah)
Run, Run, Run, Run
Lookin' forward to the raceday

Racing by Heart Rate - A New Zone System

2011-03-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

After a great amount of scientific research I have devised a new system for analyzing race data when racing by Heart Rate. Instead of using lots of confusing numbers the system relies on a mix of second guessing the amount of preparation you did before the race and your stubbornness factor over the last km.

The best thing about the product is it works using MS Paint Training Software which is available for all windows users. Unfortunately MAC support is not available at this time however If there was ever the reason to make the switch back to Microsoft I am sure this is going to be the thing that brings down Apple.

This project is still in Beta and I am willing to consider offers in terms of an equity partnership as this unique system looks to revolutionize the training and computing world.

The One Percenters

2011-03-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

Interesting discussion at the office today. A few people at work are in the triathlon and running world so we get some interesting water cooler talks going on occasion.

Topic came to Ironman about target times and how they piece together. Being a numbers guy at times I came to this following conclusion as I was at the Avalon Dairy Store (My new great find in Vancouver for organic dairy produce).

If you take 10 hours as a IM time for ease of math, that equates to 600 minutes. So a 1% improvement saves you six minutes over the space of the whole day. If over your whole training build you focus on improvements from this perspective then I think targeting a improvement can become a lot more realistic.

The faster you get, the less each % point gives you in terms of improvement and the harder these performance points are to achieve, but that is the fun part of it.

People Read this Blog

2011-03-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Found out from a reliable source is that people read this blog on occasion. Therefore I may need to put a post or so on here.

Been a crazy last 14 months which has included a

Trip to Oz
Watching Tour Down Under
Racing Geelong 70.3
Being in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics
Lots of Good Times training
Qualifying for Kona @ IMCDA on my 30th Birthday
More good times training
Changing jobs within my company
Having a blast racing Kona
Eating donuts and drinking beers post Kona!!
Getting a bit more involved in run coaching
A fun Christmas with Les' family and cousins
Running a half marathon a little under prepared
Having our first child two weeks ago
Being part of a team that delivered a significant project

So lots to talk about but also many things to look forward to. Training is about to get back into the mix so hoping for a late season peak before a focussed 2012.

The next post is in the mail!

Adelaide Elizabeth Hopwood

2011-02-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Big event happened on the weekend. Leslie and I had our first child, Adelaide Elizabeth Hopwood.

How to log workouts old school style

2011-01-24T22:48:00.000-08:00

i no own a garmin but i good finger paint - me run the purple line. Finger painting satellites must not have been calibrated to good

Cat 6 Racing - The Tour de Commute

2010-11-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

Its the winter series on the roads of Vancouver now - entry numbers are down but the competitiveness remains the same. Are starting to formulate some rules around the etiquette of Cat 6 Racing - The Tour De Commute

Here is the first installment - Rules 1 to 6

Rule No 1 - Every Hill is a King of the Mountain
The polka-dot jersey can be lost or won at any moment. Its all about 30 second power and the top of any climb or even slight rise will demonstrate dominance

Rule No 2 - A Intersection Shall be a Neutral Zone
Nothing shows a lack of Cat 6 etiquette like overtaking in an intersection. If a rider has shown their dominance (or early departure) by getting to the light early to press the button then the least you can do is wait until the other side before you attack

Rule No 3 - There are points for style
Unlike lower forms of racing (Cat 1 to 5 and that PRO Stuff) style counts. Style is mainly epitomized by riding as fast as possible while showing an inverse level of effort. When overtaking others it is imperative that you keep your breathing to a minimum and if possible cruise past with hands off the handlebars even though you may be at your max heart rate.

Rule No 4 - Every Car, Truck and Pedestrian is Out to Kill You
It is just a fact of life - every time you go on to the roads you need to remember this rule. Stop signs, red lights, the correct side of the road and a basic respect for human life is absent out on the roads of Cat 6 Racing - Everyone is a winner by just getting to their destination safe.

Rule No 5 - Multi Stage Races
A stage is defined as a king of a mountain or race between intersections after a red light. Multi stage races are where combatants contest a series of these throughout a morning commute. Victory is defined by "dropping" someone at an intersection (Creating a break and getting through a green light before the "peleton" receives a red light. Very similar to the Paris Roubaix in 2006 - however running yellow or red lights to achieve victory is not recommended as it contradicts Rule No. 4

Rule No 6 - The Finish Line is where you make it
Just won a king of the mountain that you do not wish to relinquish, or a multi stage race (One that passes through multiple intersections were combatants had to come to a stop). Then conveniently attack then turn off to a side street once you have finished your attack (remembering to keep breathing controlled as per rule no 3)

Let us know if you have any rules to add - stay safe out there. I am riding the "snow bike" due to the cold and icy conditions.

Training Is the Fun Part! What a Weekend

2010-11-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

Every now and then you have a period of 36 hours in your life that is absolutely awesome. This weekend was definitely of that variety. Sat morning woke up at 4 "stupid o'clock" am and headed out to the start of the Haney 2 Harrison Relay with our team from Speed Theory - The Speed Wrestlers.

H2H

Haney to Harrison is a 100km relay with a team of 8 ) My leg race report is at the bottom) and it was the first time I had got to do this event (Is moving next year so will be the last also). Awesome day which included some napping in the save on foods car park early on. Leslie was super nice in buying food on her drive out the condo at a more reasonable hour and that evening we had a spectacular dinner of roast beef and veggies. Hit up the after party for a little bit then headed back to get some rest ahead of Sunday.

All in all was awesome to hang out with such a fun group of people. One of the things I like about tri/running is the friends I have made and this was a good example of that.

The Bagel Ride

So Sunday was the bagel ride, if we could get Mike Adams back to Granville from Harrison Hot Springs (120km with a fair few stop lights (Means slowing to and accelerating from and stop), in under 4:10 then Murray had to buy him a breakfast bagel (Value $4). Rachel Kiers was doing a workout ahead of IMAZ so after the 30 minutes to warm up we sucked her wheel (hard to do) for her 2x40min race pace efforts and took the lead during her 15 minutes spin. Once we had got back to Haney (where Rachel's Car was) it was me an Mike.

We were hitting a little traffic and a few more stop signs but kept the work up. At about 93km or so took a 12km pull Fabian Cancellara style (basically until I blew) to make sure we got Mike as close as possible for the last 15km. HR avg a lazy 180 for this section and when I blew it was monumental, with that mike was on for his 30 minute Hastings street sprint to Granville. In the end he hit 3:28 for the 120km which given the amount of traffic and decelerations and accelerations required was awesome

After about 10 minutes of recovery the legs came back and I managed to roll over Granville about 10 minutes back at 3:38. Met up with Mike at Speed Theory and a breakfast bagel, 2 sausage rolls, can of coke, cookie and coffee later had replenished the system a little!!!

All in all this was the best training ride I have ever done - was a lot of fun, with friends, hard work and how my riding needs to be. We actually went through 90km between 15km and 105km in 2:30:30 which considering the stop start nature of the ride is pretty damn awesome.

Thanks All

This ranks as one of my most enjoyable Tri/Running weekends ever and thanks to all who were part of it.
Looking forward to when off season is over and actually start training!!! I am not sure if you should have one of your hardest ever rides during off season but I figure if I can take this attitude to my sessions then 2011 will be a lot of fun.

Are officially getting back into the training game for 2011 this Saturday the 13th of November.

-------------------------

My H2H Race Report - Leg 8

I was on the last leg so was a lazy 7 hours from the start before I got to run the leg which was 7.87km. I executed my race plan perfectly of going out at 5km pace and blowing up. The blow up came a little earlier than expected and came 9:20 and 2.75km in. At this point I was averaging 3:25 min/km. The next 4.1km did not come as easy and averaged 3:50 min/km, with about 1.25km to go I rallied and ended up averaging 3:33 min/km. Considering I raced Kona 4 weeks ago and have run 5 times since (Including the relay) was pretty happy with this as really had no expectations.

Was 4th fastest of 198 to run my leg (28:56) and as a team we came 18th overall (out of 198) and 2nd in the recreational division.

This Week - Getting Back to a Routine

2010-10-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

So have had 3 weeks of no structure. Relaxing, chilling and working on other projects. Are back into the "training" routine on Nov 9th and an't wait but until then the structure will be limited.

This week I plan to get into good eating and sleeping habits and just get the routine going again. Plan on cycle commuting all week, will hop in the pool for some drills and to do a benchmark set and go for a couple short runs.

This weekend brings on Haney to Harrison and will be running the last leg which is 8km and is flat and fast so that should be fun. The next day are going to ride back from Harrison to Vancouver and will be fun to get in some miles on the bike.

So although not that much structure on the agenda will hopefully try and get the routine set ahead of getting in a really solid winter which will revolve heavily around the pool.

Monday Night Lactate Based Run Sessions (Vancouver )

2010-10-31T18:45:00.000-07:00

For those that are Vancouver based and interested in working on your running over the winter I am involved in a Monday session that we are holding out at UBC with myself and Jerry Ziak (2:17 Marathoner). For full details of what the session is about and to sign up online please visit http://vanrunning.blogspot.com/ for all the details

We have people running who are at everything from 33 minute 10km pace to 60+ 10km pace. They way the workouts are structured allow for everyone to work to their potential in a group environment and we have a strong emphasis on drills and post run strength work out to build people into better runners and help prevent injury.

Hope to see you out there!!!

Ironman Access - A Analytical Uneducated View

2010-10-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

So here I my thoughts on the issue of the day which would appear to be about Ironman Access. In reality there should be many more issues in the world that we should be a lot more worried about but this does seem to be the one in my universe at the moment.

What Do we Expect of WTC

WTC stands for World Triathlon Corporation. Only one word is important in this description which is corporation. Corporations are generally structured to serve the best interests of their shareholders which in this case is a private equity company called providence equity.

Private equity normally targets a brand which it perceives to be undervalued, add as much value as it can in a short time period and then flip the brand. This is what Providence has done with WTC.

When it bought WTC most of its races were licensed out and most probably at sub maximal value. So by taking back these races and running them itself it created economies of scale and by running them itself replaced the middleman (Independent Race Directors) with its own employees. These savings were not passed on to the consumer (Demand still exists) so this increased profit.

It then expanded the race series, firstly with the expansion of the 70.3 series, with a small expansion of the IM series then to the huge move into the Olympic Distance market. This made sense, in 70.3 they have a product that can have many more repeat visits (Racing 2 IM's in a year is a huge commitment but racing 2 or 3 70.3's may not be) then the Olympic Distance market in the states seemed somewhat fragmented and lacked a brand that had national scope.

WTC has also branched out to other potential revenue sources, through both aligning their key brand - the word IRONMAN with products that have direct and indirect relevance to triathlon (I would have picked up a IM mattress from the kona expo but was a bit to fit in my luggage). They have looked to maximize their merchandise income (Although I think to some degree they could improve this aspect through a stronger online presence).

So when it came to IRONMAN Access they saw a market. The opportunity was as follows;

Opportunity

- Many people get stressed out about if they will be able to enter a event online - even going to the extreme of travelling to the race site

- A lot of these people like to be able to control as many aspects of there life as they can and for a certain amount of this demographic money is not really an inhibitor

If we can charge people to alleviate these fears and guarantee entry in their chosen event then we have fulfilled the opportunity.

Benefit

So we see the opportunity, however how as a private corporation whose boards job it is to maximize value for our shareholders (Not our customers) do we benefit from this opportunity.

The answer was IRONMAN access. By charging $1000 to alleviate this fear they stand to make a tidy sum of money. Lets say that 1000 people sign up each year - that equates to $1 Million dollars of revenue that is essentially 95% profit. That is a pretty impressive figure for setting up a website.

So is the WTC doing the Wrong Thing?

Most likely no. The fact is that WTC has a mission and that mission is nothing to do with triathlon. Its mission is to maximize profit and this move does exactly that for its shareholders. This is what it has done with this product and from that perspective it makes total sense.

The only risk it has with this product is the potential fall out from its repeat customer base who is offended by this approach to preferential treatment to those who can afford it. However the reality is that this "membership" concept allowing early access to pre-sales is not something new and is seen in many other industries. However it does in some aspect take away some of the tradition around race entry that did exist although with things like CEO, corporate and community fund slots I am not sure how much this really existed.

As much fall out that there is around this the real impact to individuals is likely quite low. It may mean that 100 or so slots at certain races are pre bought decreasing the available pool of entries by around 3 to 4%. If you are ready to enter in person at the site this likely has no impact (IMC had huge lines this year but I think only 60% of spots were sold at site) and to be honest if you at sat at your computer at 10am on the Monday chances are it would have no impact either.

From a PR perspective they could have done this better (strong alignment with charity) however in the end they are going to make $1 million dollars plus a year.

Should we expect more behavior along this line?

YES .................. WHY

Just read above - Maximizing Profit is the clear mandate of the WTC - PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

This is not the first thing along those lines, the new pro rules were set up to protect the brand and the prestige of their race series. Making PRO's race 2 WTC IM's a year is designed to prevent them supporting and racing other series. They are making business decisions to protect their brand.

There was not a huge uproar about the Pro rules because most people did not see a direct impact on them (Although one could argue that by weakening local races there is a potential downstream affect through lower quality fields - which equals less media - whic equals less sponsorship which equates to higher entry fees).

However the Pro rules are most probably the most aggressive in protecting the WTC product by indirectly preventing pros who wish to compete in Kona (A huge financial perspective from a marketability perspective) from supporting other major series at the HIM and IM distance (Rev 3 , Challenge etc)

In addition to this field sizes should be a concern - from a competitive aspect it is hard to run a fair race in regards to the large swim packs that come out in terms of drafting. To decrease fields sizes is not going to happen so this would seem to be a ongoing issue (more for athletes than the WTC). However there are likely solutions but none of these are easy and to be honest the WTC likely has little motivation around this.

So what is the real problem?

Well if their is a concern about the WTC dominance in the North American Triathlon market place then it could mostly be blamed on KONA. While WTC owns this brand and this race from many Pro's perspective this will still remain a key target. Also form a top age grouper perspective this will also be the case. These individuals (through competing, coaching etc) tend to be the top influencer's in the triathlon marketplace.

However for everyone else who competes in an IM then why would they do a IM race if they do not have their sites set on KONA? The answer is that WTC tends to put on a good show and has a large stranglehold on the IM distance market. This will not be broken till a series (either a single brand or a collection of races) competes with WTC by attacking from a niche perspective. To some degree this seems to be what Rev 3 is doing by offering a improved customer experience.

Is WTC all bad

I say no - although their prime purpose is not the success of Long distance triathlon they do have a vested interest to a limited degree. There are more IM races than ever before, the sport is growing from a participation and that has to be good.

They are also definitely not the most community focussed of all organisations and are definitely focussed on a high profit low cost (Maximize volunteer to employee ratio, minimize officiating costs (less referees)) product.

I am still annoyed then what can I do?

If you are not shooting for Kona or Vegas (The new Clearwater) then race independent races or other series. From a Olympic Distance and Half IM perspective there are many options out there that are worth considering and many fantastics races. From a full IM perspective the options are a bit more limited and the race experience may vary but my understanding is that some great races do exist.

Understand who the WTC partners are in your purchasing decisions and let those companies know why you are avoiding their brands. Letters to the partners are likely to be more effective than letters direct to WTC. These partners pay WTC money or provide services in exchange for their partnership.

What do I see as the pressing problem with the WTC - PRIZEMONEY

If you know what it takes to do an Ironman then you should have a appreciation for how hard the pros train. I am not a PRO so this is not self serving but to have the winner of the world championships take in only $110000 is plain embarrassing. Heck if you win something like IMC you only get $12K (total purse $75k) - that is pretty embarrassing for a event which generates $1.75 Million in entry fees (Plus maybe some sponsorship) . even if you assume costs of $1 million dollars (No idea if this is accurate) then that equates to paying out 10% of your profit to who should be stars of the event.

Now the pros need to do what they can to maximize their value but in terms of winning an Ironman their should be some sort of incentive and $12k sounds like something that would just pay the travel costs in a year for a Pro who is trying to make it. The fact is there is no incentive for WTC to do more on this front unless their is a potential impact to its bottom line.

Conclusion

I have no firm conclusion - this is more of a brain dump. For me my displeasure with this approach by WTC is it more reflects the consequences of having a for profit private company in charge of our sport vs a real governing body who looks out for long distance triathlon (ITU's prioirties are Elite Olympic Distance, Elite Olympic Distance and Elite Olympic Distance). WTC is doing what it needs to do which is to make money.

I like racing so will continue to do so but in the years I am not targeting Kona or Ironman Canada I will likely try and support races that support the sport at a more grass route level while at the same time making a commitment to paying a reasonable amount to the pro field (As i believe that is important)

So those are my intial thoughts - until something replaces KONA or KONA is brought back into a not for profit organisations hands I sense these issues will continue to exist.

--------------------------------------------

Note - I did not research or reference this blog so figures, numbers and history may be incorrect. However I have commented to the best of my knowledge.

Also IRONMAN ACCESS is not a product I would buy. However in a consumer society that demands certainty and access I can see why there is a market

Kona 2010 - Racing at the Show

2010-10-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

The Background Story

KONA

For anyone who is involved in the sport of triathlon they know the place Kona has in this sport. The word Kona is so much more than just a race venue in the world of triathlon. It is where Julie Moss collapsed within site of the finish in 1982 on Ali'i Drive. It is were many of the sports great have come and face disappointment on multiple occasions before eventually getting a win.

Kona has names that are iconic in the tri world, whether it be Ali'i drive, Palani hill, the Queen K, Hawi or the energy lab it is a place I felt like I knew even before I first landed there. Growing up in Australia I remember watching Kona on TV with my Dad, I remember Greg Welch coming close to winning on a few occasions before finally breaking through in 1994.

At that time and until I landed in Kona race week that place seemed so far away. So far away from growing up in Australia where a road trip to Melbourne was a big journey, so far away when I decided to sign-up for Ironman Canada 2008 even though I could swim about 50m. Throughout the whole time (probably 20 years ago) from when I first saw Kona on TV there was something that resonated within me about Ironman Hawaii, the lava fields, the energy lab and the like.

The Recent Journey

After 18 months in the sport of Triathlon in March 2009 I decided to set some goals in terms of getting faster. On my blog I call it the "process of getting faster" and that is what I focussed my goals around. This involved a bit more structure and focus to see what was possible. I came out of Ironman Canada 2009 (10:26) knowing I could go faster and also knowing that I loved this sport.

The thing about triathlon is that it doesn't lie, while natural talent and ability plays a role in triathlon like all sports it is hard to fake it when you are racing for 2 to 10 hours (or more). The sport doesn't care who you are, what you have done, what potential you have. Come race day all it cares about is did you do the work day in day out. Did you get out of the bed to go to the pool? did you get that ride done in the 3 degree weather or did you cut it short? did you push that interval to 100% or just 98%? Basically triathlon is honest, it tells you by your results if you came prepared, if you race smart and if you were prepared to hurt.

So post Ironman Canada 2009 I decided to put a real focus on the process of getting faster. That meant making sure the process made sense in terms of my aim of getting faster. I started to work with Clint Lien - Mercury Rising Triathlon. At this point as if you are investing 15 to 20 hours a week into training you want to do it in a structured objective way. Through working with Clint I have been able to focus my energy into executing the plan and hence removing a lot of the potential excuses.

Through out 2010 I had some solid races (UBC Olympic (2:07) , Shawnigan Lake Half Iron (4:20)) and coming into Ironman CDA felt like I could put in a good day. With 9:34 at Ironman CDA I had the opportunity to take a Kona slot and get to go to the island.

The Build to Kona

The build to Kona went well, as always there were some crap days but I thought I executed well. Coming into race week I had done what I thought could be done to race strong. As always there are a few things in retrospect I would change but overall I was very happy with my prep.

I knew I wasn't going to swim the lights out but at least I felt relaxed and fit in the water. Bike wise I felt strong although it is hard to get an exact gauge until you get into race mode and form the run perspective felt like I was pretty strong.

I had a good hit out at the Vancouver Olympic Triathlon (2:09) in miserable conditions were I spent half the day just trying not to step on more barnacles after slicing my foot 50m in and avoiding laying the bike done in the wet.

Race Week

So it was time as the plane came into land at Kona airport I got my first view of the Lava fields. It was an exciting time seeing the blackness that the lava fields provide to the landscape. That day I got to run down Ali'i drive and start to soak in some of the atmosphere of Kona in race week. The next day I swam at the pier and started to fully appreciate the type of vibe that having 1500 or so fast people in the one place creates.

Early in the week I tried to soak as much in as possible. This included a ride in the winds at Hawi, the only way I could describe the gusts is to set up your trainer on a slight angle then get a fried to try and push you off while you fight to stay upright - only one word describes it and that word was - WOW!!!!. Having said that I found it it a lot of fun to ride in and was a little bit disappointed it was a little calm out there on race day.

We had a good crew there from Vancouver and combined with the hospitality of Lifesport and their Victoria, BC contingent had an awesome time in the lead up to race day. To be able to share this experience with Les and people I am super happy to call my friends was awesome!!!

Race week workouts all went well, I felt relaxed and ready. Come check in on the Friday got to soak up the atmosphere that is the day before the show with the bike count and all the associated activities that you need to do on the day before a race.

The Show is Here - Race Day

Overall 10:05:34
500 of 1847 - Overall
462 of 1344 - Male
100 of 162 - M30-34

It was then time to race. I seem to be lucky that I sleep well the night before races. after about 7 hours I was up, went for a quick jog then got down some pre race food. Made sure to get to the race site early, got my bags and bike finalized then chilled for 20 minutes before the pros left. At this time it was time to make my way to the water, and with about 10 or so to go I got in my warm - up then went out to float in the bay.

I was relaxed and excited at this point. Floating in the bay, helicopters overhead, people everywhere, US anthem plays and before you know it is time. A cannon goes and the madness starts!!!

Swim - 1:19:48

1350 of 1847 - Overall

1036 of1344 - Male

148 of 162 - M30-34

The first 300m or so was pretty damn rough. I had expected it to be a little bit more civilized, had seeded myself towards the back but was just warfare out there. Once the madness stopped it was about finding a rhythm. I thought I focussed pretty well throughout the swim, kept my concentration up and swam pretty strong in the last half. Based on a quick glance at my watch coming round the far buoy I think I may have negative split the swim. However it was not what I had expected but in the end 5 minutes over a Ironman is a short time so exited the water and got into T1

T1 - 2:55

265 of 1847 - Overall

Just had a slowish T1. Stopped to get sunscreen put on and also had one of my bike shoes on before had taken off swim skin. Other than that no major errors and proceeded to get out of there. The M30-34 racks were at the back of the pier so this meant a long run with the bike through transition.

Bike 5:17:00

546 of 1847 - Overall

520 of1344 - Male

96 of 162 - M30-34

Set out on the bike and just aimed to do nothing stupid until I got out of town. In fact aimed to do nothing stupid all day but this is the part were it pays to be the most alert. By nothing stupid I meant not going out like I was in a 40km TT and avoiding getting taken out or going down.

After having navigated town it was time to hit the queen K. The plan was to ride patiently until 40km to go then pick up the pace if all felt good. The weather on race day looked like it would bring headwinds for that last 40km so being cooked at that point was not an option. Heading out on the queen K felt good. got my nutrition in, made sure to cool down with two bottles over my head at every station and kept hydrated.

I was passing a lot of people which I had not fully expected so made sure to keep and eye on my HR and perceived effort. In hindsight I played it a little safe out there but I made the decision based on what feedback I was getting from around me so it made sense at the time. Going out to Hawi it was cool to see the pro race going the other way. Was starting to pass more people in this section as well. Had to play it cautious at times when passing as people were getting blow about a little and didn't want to get side swiped int eh act of passing.

On the return just tried to stay aero and then it was time to hit the Queen K once more. At this point I started to pick up the pace and was just flying past people who seemed to have blown up early n the bike. Kept on getting fluids down, staying aero and making sure I was going through my calories.Looking at my return trip from Hawi I seemed to hold pace with those who rode around 5:05 to 5:10 so definitely think held back a little too much on the journey out.

The bike was fun, its a weird feeling just riding through the lava fields on a closed highway when you are in a rhythm. Had a few moments, especially when seeing the pro race going back the other way were I was just thinking "WOW - I am racing Kona". Just tried to soak it up as much as I could while trying to execute the plan.

Riding done it was time to come back into town, get the legs ready to run and hit into T2. I just tried to keep the effort up on the last couple mile while getting ready. Unstrapped the feet then hit T2.

T2 - 1:55

3 of 1847 - Overall

This part is going to take longer to write than the time I spent in T2. I suppose it is due to my swim being so slow but I always feel like I am chase mode when racing. Transition is something that I feel I can save time in by being calm, relaxed, organised and acting with a sense of urgency.

I think I handed my bike off to somebody - the fact it was in one piece post race indicates this was the fact. I then proceeded to get to the bags and tents in a fast controlled manner. Grabbed my bag, got to the end of the change tent, shoes on, plastic bag with hat, nutrition, sunscreen, salt tabs and on my way.

In the end i had the 3rd fastest T2 on the day. This was even with putting my left shoe on my right foot to start. Got everything done i needed to do and out onto the run course it was.

Run - 3:23:54

311 of 1847 - Overall

278 of1344 - Male

61 of 162 - M30-34

Out on to the run it was. The first couple hundred meters I used to empty my bag, start to get another layer of sunscreen on. It was then time to find a rhythm. After the first mile i had got down my initial bunch of liquid nutrition and was about to head out on Ali'i drive. My main aim was not to run to fast in this section and just hit a rhythm, to be honest I never felt a great rhythm out there. It was just a diesel type of day, normally I come good form this feeling but it was just not happening.

I was still passing people but the one thing you notice in Kona is very few people are walking. Everyone there is willing to work hard and keep on moving so the normal carnage you see on an Ironman course is not there. Heck if they ran a normal Ironman on that course the finisher rate would be pretty low but luckily most people out there know what they are doing.

Coming upon Palani i was focusing on keeping my core temp down and made sure to take it easy up the hill. Then I hit the Queen K!!! this was the one part of the course I had not run any of in training and heck was it hot!!! (Somewhere around 40 degrees before accounting for the reflective heat of the pavement) I was just baking up there and focussed all my attention on getting my core temp down. In the end I think I lost around 9 minutes in the 6 miles before I hit the energy lab. Cooling down involved putting ice were ice should not live, creating man cans with sponges and showing off way too much chest hair.

I had run the energy lab early in the week and i can only describe it as an oven. Already cookin from the outside in I was a little worried about what would happen but I seemed to come good. There was slight breeze which may have helped just enough and before I knew it was passing people once again. I was hopping to see my kiwi mate Tony as I was entering the lab, as I knew I was not on track for a super fast day and if I saw him coming out as i was entering it would mean he was on track for about 9:30.

I will admit though when I did see him I took a split (2 minutes or so) and my next goal was to keep moving and bridge the gap. After stopping to grab my bottles out of my special foods bag I exited the lab and back onto the queen k. At this point in the run it is pretty much all about moving forward as fast as possible - its just that that is not always that fast. One thing I do is to make sure I keep getting calories down so focussed on that. I came upon Tony with about 6km to go. Tony put in a crap load of work this year and in the end it was a stomach that did not want to play on race day that slowed him down. he had an awesome year with rock star performances at ITU Long Course Worlds, IMC (Winning his age group) and Kona. He gave me push to go for sub 10 and I managed to keep the speed up for a couple more miles but just could not hold at that pace.

I then hit the last climb before Palani. After a good 90 minutes of very limited crowds it started to thicken up again. As I came over the crest and down Palani it was a mile to go and I just made sure to enjoy this as much as I could. At this point sub 10 was out of the question so just free wheeled it down Palani and made sure to enjoy Ali'i Drive.

A buddy got me an aussie flag (Dazza the IRONFAN) before the shoot and just soaked it all in. Was an awesome mile being able to run down the drive that has so much history. The day didn't bring the exact result I was looking for but had one of the most enjoyable days of my life.

Racing Kona is something I hope I will do again, but regardless I think every opportunity will be a once in a lifetime experience. To be part of the show is something special and I definitely enjoyed it!!!

The Wrap

Its been an amazing journey thus far. I am going to write a individual thank you notes to as many people as I can. Here is the high level view but I am sure I have missed some people. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to follow, encourage, inspire, volunteer, put up with me, compete against etc etc over the past few years.

Leslie (My Wife) - ROCKSTAR!!!!! Thanks for all the support
Mum and Dad - Taking me to all those sports finally paid off

Family in BC - Thanks for all the support. Especially the Penticton Crew for all the support when I am up there training
Non Tri Friends - Your support is hugely appreciated. This sport is a bit anti social come race season!!!

Clint - Awesome working with you as a coach - have and will continue to learn a lot
Jerry - thanks for all the informal advice and feedback - beers are coming soon
Training Partners - Thanks all, is not possible without you all. Big shout out to Rachel who have done a heap of sessions with this year and have learned a lot from. Also a huge shout to Tony, even though on other sides of the world think we helped motivate each other across the season

Forerunners - Thanks for the support over the past couple years
Newton Running - Shoes rocked and helped me hold it together on a tough run day
Speed Theory - Thanks for all the support - great to be affiliated with such a nice group of people
SpiderTech - Thanks for all the support, especially the support during race week. The tape helped prevent the hamstrings form cramping in the last few miles of the run
Podium Imports - Thanks for doing the work to get us a Orca swim skin come race week
Mercury Rising Triathlon - Clint's coaching company - good crew of athletes with 3 of us racing in Kona
Lifesport - Thanks for all the help during race week and access to the lounge for Leslie and I
Dr Carla Cupido - For all the positive vibes and keeping my body healthy week in week out

Les and I after the day - Thanks for getting up at STUPID O'Clock on Race Day to come support!!!!

What Next

So are still working out the answer to that question. Next year will likely be a "developmental year" were I focus on my swim and my general speed. That will likely mean racing local in the West Coast Triathlon Series as well as a few other small events around BC. Half Ironman will be my distance of choice and hope to be able to lay down some good results locally.

Depending on how the year progresses my thoughts are I may then aim for the 30th anniversary of Ironman Canada in 2012. Lot of time, lot of training and a lot of fun to be had between now and then.

Thanks again for all the support, this sport is absolutely FANTASTIC and I feel lucky to be a part of it. I can't wait to get back training but having a break is an important thing so at the moment my bike commute to work will suffice in terms of exercise for the moment.

Thanks for coming on the journey and look forward to to continuing it in 2011 and beyond

Its not a race report but it is the thought process

2010-10-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

So Kona 2010 is now in the past. Have struggled to get to writing a race report as wanted to fully digest the day and the experience.

Speaking to Les (my wife) during the week of the race she said to just make sure I enjoyed the day as much as every other IM I had done. With A races I find this easier, with B races if you do not do everything perfect it is easy to dissect them in the hope that can find that extra % for the A race. I was defientely somthing that I made sure I did as the day went on.

So did I enjoy it? Definitely, in fact it is the only IM where I never once asked why am I doing this. In fact I never felt the race had any true "dark" moments. In fact the race and race week was one of the most awesome experiences of my life and leaves me more motivated about this sport than ever.

In terms of overall result I go away not totally content. Had thought would do a bit better out there but in the end racing doesn't lie and I was about 5% slower than I thought I would be and what I could do.

I thought I would swim around 1:15 or so and was just simply slower than that at 1:19. Plain and simple I just need to work out this swimming thing and if getting my butt kicked at Kona is what it takes then that should be inspiration enough to make it work.

In terms of plan execution I thought I did a good a excellent job of following the plan. My effort in the first 140km on the bike was a little low, however understand why that was. Essentially I was not anticipating passing as many people as I was so was cautious about going any harder as had to respect the course especially the last 40km where people have been caught out before. In some regards maybe i had a little bit too much respect for the bike course however not having the opportunity to ride the full course before race day certainly was a factor. So a 5:17 bike is what I delivered vs the close to 5 that may have been possible.

The run was a weird one - never hit my stride and was a big cloud of grey were I never felt super but was able to diesel it out.I made a big point of soaking up the last mile down Palani and through Kona and making sure I enjoyed and remembered that as clearly as I could. Before IM CDA (3:11 Run) if you had given me a 3:23 IM marathon anywhere I would have taken it. So the fact I felt I had a bad run and ran 3:23 is a good thing! The takeaway form this perspective is just have to get stronger and fitter and be able to get cadence going on those tough days.

So in the end it is my second fastest IM time with a 10:05 in Kona so any disappointment is all relative. I actually debated with doing this post at all as it may look a little bit ungrateful or the like. Let me assure you that I had the most awesome time in Kona and especially the process leading to it. It is an honor to get to race on the Big Island and run down Alii drive at the end of an Ironman. So from that perspective I could not be happier.

What the result does give is motivation and a sense of being able to step it up to another level is possible. In the end it is just about getting stronger, fitter, smarter and more experienced. My bad day needs to be faster and my good days faster still.

You only achieve what you aim for in life and that is why we have goals, just because you miss them the first time does not mean you give up on them. You just get back to business and work harder to acheive them. Not sure when I will be back at Kona but my thought is want to be able to confidently go for a 153 as my good day. That is a Sub 1 hour swim, sub 5 hour bike and sub 3 hour run.

Next up will be the race report which will focus on the experience!

Photos from Kona and Some Thank You's

2010-10-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

Huge thanks to those who made this journey possible. Currently planning the next steps and getting set to write a race report. So first we have some thanks and some photos;

Leslie - ROCKSTAR!!!!! Thanks for all the support

Mum and Dad - Taking me to all those sports finally paid off

Family in BC - Thanks for all the support. Especially the Penticton Crew for all the support when I am up there training

Non Tri Friends - Your support is hugely appreciated. This sport is a bit anti social come race season!!!

Clint - Awesome working with you as a coach - have and will continue to learn a lot

Jerry - thanks for all the informal advice and feedback - beers are coming soon

Training Partners - Thanks all, is not possible without you all. Big shout out to Rachel who have done a heap of sessions with this year and have learned a lot from. Also a huge shout to Tony, even though on other sides of the world think we helped motivate each other across the season

Forerunners - Thanks for the support over the past couple years
Newton Running - Shoes rocked and helped me hold it together on a tough run day
Speed Theory - Thanks for all the support - great to be affiliated with such a nice group of people
SpiderTech - Thanks for all the support, especially the support during race week. The tape helped prevent the hamstrings form cramping in the last few miles of the run
Podium Imports - Thanks for doing the work to get us a Orca swim skin come race week
Mercury Rising Triathlon - Clint's coaching company - good crew of athletes with 3 of us racing in Kona

Lifesport - Thanks for all the help during race week and access to the lounge for Leslie and I
Dr Carla Cupido - For all the positive vibes and keeping my body healthy week in week out

To everyone who cheered, volunteered, elbowed me in the swim, followed online etc - Thank-you!!!. Planning for the next few years has begun and hope to have you all on the journey.

Photos from Kona thus far

2010-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thus far it is a selection of self portraits and one of the winds on the queen K.

Are settling into pre race week well, about to go register this am and do a short run in the afternoon. Are feeling acclimatised and have not yet felt as hot and as uncomfortable as I did on most of my multi layer Vancouver training days.

In fact thus far really like the looks of this course for how I race, swim is a little choppy and I tend to do well compared to my ability in these conditions. Bike has a few false flats and some rollers and encourages staying aero. Run will be tough but feel really comfortable in the hot humid weather. So we will see what happens on race day but hoping I can make a good day happen.

Thats it for now - will try and get some better photos over the next few days. Once I download my camera will hopefully have some more shots as well.

Arriving at the Show

2010-10-02T18:38:00.001-07:00

This is going to be fun! The enormity of this whole thing is just hitting in and will be landing in Kona in about 80 minutes. I come to Kona feeling ready but with a lot of respect as this is my first trip to the Big Island and it is a totally different race than anywhere else. At Kona finishing under 10 hours is not something different – it is the norm with approximately 20% of the qualified field breaking 10 hours. If you were to distribute this amongst the male field I would not be surprised if you get closer to 35%.

I am a lot fitter than going into Ironman CDA, mentally I am ready to succeed and now it is about a week of execution. On the flight today started to schedule my week to make sure I get enough rest and are ready come game time. One question I am getting asked is how do you expect to do, what are your goals etc. I am getting close to working that out but in essence that means to execute the run I know I can do. I nearly got there at IM CDA but faded a little bit more in the second half than I would have liked with a 5% fade.

As always the main goal on race day will be to have fun, as Clint put it in an email it is an honour to race Kona. I want to respect this opportunity and mentally make sure I do everything to push myself to the limit. To be able to toe the line in an event that has so much history and is iconic in the triathlon world and in some regards sporting legend with the annual NBC special that is televised around the world is crazy in some regards.

I remember watching the Kona special with my dad on the Wide World of Sports from 1991 or so onwards when Greg Welch was making a run until his win in 1994. At that point it seemed unworldly, both in the fact it was on the other side of the world from the outer suburbs of Adelaide and the sheer magnitude of the event. Something resonated with me at that point however and so here I am about to disembark into that world.

The Bike Set-up for Kona

2010-09-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Thought people might be interested in the bike setup for Kona. I posted this on my facebook but figured some of the wider world may be interested.

Thanks to the crew at Speed Theory for helping out finalize the set-up. Had the final pre race tune yesterday and did some modifications thanks to Doug to install an "emergency bottle cage" behind the seat.

If this looks like a promotion post fear not - I am not sponsored by any of the below brands or distributors. Having said that Podium Imports (Orbea, Reynolds, Arundel) put a lot back into the sport and as a result are very happy to support their brands.

Been very happy with my Orbea - I normally run a front Reynolds Strike as well, but with the cross winds known to be gusty are likely going to run with the assault (46mm vs 66mm) to allow me to stay aero for a lot longer.

Full Bike Set-Up

Rear Bottle Cage Holder

Front End Set-Up

The Specs

Frame - Orbea Ora
Components - Shimanao Ultegra
Chain Catcher - K-Edge
Base Bar - Progile Design Air Wing
Aero bars - Profile design carbon stryke
Rear Wheel - Reynolds Strike Clincher (66mm)
Rear Tube - Vredestein Butyl 60mm race tube with continental valve extender.
Front Wheel - Reynolds Assault Clincher (46mm)
Front Tube - Continental Race 60mm Butyl Tube
Tires - Michelin Pro3 Race
Pedals - Look Keo2Max
Frame Bottle and Cage - Arundel Chrono
"Aero Bar/Stem Cage" - Arundel Sport Black Cage - attached via zip ties and an old easy lace
Behind Seat Cage - Arundel Sport White - attached via a "liquid" special with a mount and zip ties
Spare Bag (Between Aerobars) - Arundel Dual
Spare Kit Contains - Two Vredestein 60mm Butyl Tubes, Two "screw on" Valve Extenders, BBB Microfold 6 Tool, 3 BBB Tire Levers, air chuck elite, 2 x 16g c02
Top Tube box - Bontrager Speed Box

Thansk to the crew @ speed theory for helping finalize the set-up today. Doug for the lend of his high wind friendly front assault, Mike Kiers for the lend of the Bontrager Speed Box to hold salt and the like

Race Week and Race Day Plans

2010-09-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

So I just did a new blog post about Race Week and Race Day planning at the Quest for Kona SpiderTech Blog. SpiderTech is one of my supporters for the build to Kona and are a big believer in their product which is a key part of keeping my healthy and hopefully able to perform well on race day in Kona which is 10 days away.

SpiderTech is a awesome application of KT Tape as due to the fact it is pre cut it makes it 100% easier to apply which for someone like me who struggles with these types of things is a huge advantage as it removes the guesswork.

Here is the start of the blog and visit http://www.l2computingsolutions.com/spidertech/?p=129 for the full version;

For the last month I have been using the SpiderTech Hip Spiders and the SpiderTech left shoulder spiders. I am one of those people that feels incredibly disorganized at times but are told by most people that they see me as the exact opposite. It is maybe my internal fear of not being organised that drives me to do race week and race day plans. So here is .......

click here for full post

Average Week Visualized - Balancing it All

2010-09-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

So I did something for work this week that shows a good picture. Having seen a presentation on the web regarding information design (http://www.informationisbeautiful.net) I decided to map out my average week in terms of how the 168 hours are spent. This is the same approach as used in the billion dollar-o-gram to show relationships between amounts proportionality.

The Boxes Explained

SLEEP - As you can see on this sleep takes up a big chunk of time. I firmly believe a focus on recovery is pretty key to being able to train consistently and race well.

WORK - Like many people work is a reality (Changing that reality is always possible but would have consequences beyond myself). My job does not involve manual labor however as demonstrated here it does take up time. Having said that though have used vacation at some key times this year to get in some key mid-week sessions.

TRIATHLON & RUNNING TRAINING - As you can see beyond work and sleep this is the next biggest box. This encompasses the time used to organize gear and do recovery activities as well. One of the things that I find helps in achieving this is incorporating sessions into my commute where possible. Leading up to a "A" race were sessions are quite specific and recovery time is at a premium is actually the hardest time to do this.

FAMILY & FRIENDS - In a big build the friends part of this gets squeezed. From a family perspective I am lucky to have a awesome wife who is extremely supportive of the madness!!! Come the off season/ winter build i will make sure to carve out more time for this space and appreciate the people who help support me.

RUN COACHING - Is another form of Work I suppose but is quite rewarding. Also do some recovery and strength stuff as part of this so it does have some side benefit in terms of training. One of my aims next year is to have my triathlon / running be close to neutral in terms of expense and income form this activity is a big part of the picture.

OTHER BOXES - Living life takes time, it is important to factor that in. In addition tot his I also volunteer on the board of my Triathlon Club and the Strata council at my building. One decision I made this year was to cut back the number of these commitments and this decision has helped the overall balance. Commuting is something that especially over the winter I like to combine with training to create some additional white space in my life.

Why I Will Grab an Aussie Flag on Ali'i Drive

2010-09-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

So was going through photos from the trip to Australia at the start of the year. When riding down to see the Queen Stage of the Tour Down Under dropped by the cemetery were my grandparents were buried. Unfortunately my Grandad died when my mum was 6 months old so I never got to meet him. My Nan died when I was 13 but had a huge influence on my early life.

Stubborn, argumentative and competitive she was a tough women who lived in a few remote communities during her time (including being first women on site at Radium Hill (A uranium mine in Outback Oz) which included such adventures as killing snakes in the laundry room). I remember her telling a story about bike racing as a young girl as well but are not sure of all the details around that. Nan was proudly Australian, a little annoyed that all her children married "POMS" (English) and was pretty big into sport.

When I registered for Kona online I had to think which country i would represent. I am about to apply for my Canadian citizenship and after 5 years definitely see myself as a little Canadian. However I know in the Winter Olympics i was cheering for Dale Begg-Smith much to the chagrin of many a Canadian. So for this time around I felt having AUS next to my name in the guide was the right thing to do.

When I grab that Aussie flag will make sure to think of everyone back in Australia who has and still have a huge influence on my life. It just happens that race day this year in Kona is on the 9th of October which is the same day that my Nan passed away 17 years ago. When the going gets tough out there I will make sure to draw on that stubbornness, toughness and determination that Nan taught me and push on through the pain.

One Month to Go

2010-09-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

So it is one month to Kona. a Couple weeks of hard work, feeling tired and struggling to get the work done ahead. Going to try and enjoy every bit of it. The good thing is only remember the good parts of IM CDA so it is perfect time to be getting ready to race my 2nd IM of the year.

Kona will be the my 4th IM but for those of you who are into Triathlon it represents something special and I feel honored to have the opportunity to go smash it (or get smashed) on race day. Hopefully this time in a month I will be running back into town down Palani Hill about to come down Ali'i Drive.

Its been a fun year and I thought I would share some of what has gone in terms of photos. I don't take as many photos as I should but some of these share part of the journey that has gone on in 2010. The selection below are from January and early February this year during my trip back home to Australia. Have a few more but all of these have a training and racing theme.

2010 began for me in an airport about to fly back to Australia. My first long run of 2010 i did as a destination run which involved running from my hotel past the opera house and over the harbor bridge in Sydney

Next up was a trip Tasmania and my first race of 2010. My parents got to see me race for the first time here at the Cadbury Half Marathon in Hobart, Tasmania

While in Tasmania I got to get a fair chunk of training in. This was actually the scene of my largest climb to date in 2010 climbing the 1210m (4000 ft) form sea level to the summit

Next up was Adelaide - this photo demonstrates what you look like after climbing for 45 minutes with insufficient water on a 42 degree Celsius day (108F)

Self portrait in Transition at the Geelong 70.3 in February.

It Has Been a Busy Two Weeks

2010-09-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Started with the drive to Penticton to train, volunteer and cheer at Ironman Canada and run the 5km Fun Run. Following the drive back to Vancouver, a week of work and coaching a couple of run session it was back in the Car and off to Sicamous. Following two nights on a houseboat it was time to be dropped of in waist deep water with my road bike near a forestry road for the 130km ride back to my car and back to Vancouver.

Helped support a long run on the Sunday Morning, checked my bike in for the Vancouver Olympic, got my swim and run in and crashed. Raced Vancouver Olympic on Monday, chilled (quite literally) post race then did some planning for the Winter of 2010. This am swam before work and a return to normal life for the next few eeks.

Some Recaps

5km Ironman Canada Fun Run

So it is a fun run, you get a bib but beyond that nothing. No timing, no medal etc. Having said that it was good to have a good TT effort, being Ironman Week a few of the Sherpas come out to run, however this year the fastest ones must have stayed on the sidelines.

After about 1km found myself in front of the field and just kept working my rhythm. Crossed the line first in around 16:02 with a slightly positive split over the two laps. Was a good hit out holding my HR near max for the last 10 minutes, and a new unofficial PR for the distance. Considering the course had 3 180 turns and was not tapered at all gives me good confidence I can run mid 15 at the 5km on a good day.

Good Penticton Training

Around the Fun Run managed to get in a couple swims in the lake and a good chunk of time on the bike laong with some informal hill repeats while getting in position to take photos at Ironman Canada. Is fun to get of the course at IMC and rode both green mountain road and narramata bench during the trip.

Ironman Canada

Woke up about 15 minutes before race start and took photos from the highway near the turnaround. This was a awesome perspective and a lot less crowded than the foreshore madness. After this hopped in the car, did a quick bit of cheering in OK Falls then headed out to 90km on the bike to volunteer and help run aid station 6. After that headed down to Maclean Creek Road to cheer on the run and get some photos before heading into town to see people after they had finished.

Hung around town till after midnight, watched the latecomers come in. During this time one of the most rewarding experiences was doing the last 2kms along lakeside with a guy who finished in 16:58. It was good to see someone just keep on pushing to make that cutoff and achieve their goal.

Was a great day at IMC, so many people achieved their goals and will try and do a “spectator report on IMC later in the week.

Back to Vancouver

After a day of work in Penticton along with lunch with some of those who had raced it was time to drive back to Vancouver. Passing Hope it was kind of daunting I was headed back to the interior in less than 72 hours time. A busy three days ensued with work, training and a couple coaching sessions. Did part of my long run with a friend I am doing the run coaching with and the middle 8km were at his “easy” pace which is a lazy 4 minutes a km. After running on Thursday night it was time to head back out in the car and drive to the interior once more.

Houseboating

Quite a while ago had signed up to go house boating. Had I known my race schedule I may have reconsidered but it turned into fun times. I am in pre race mode so was a coffee and water couple of days but still had fun with jumping of the boat, hot tubs, going to the 2^nd biggest party beach in North America, doing a trainer workout on deck and sleeping in a closet!! Was cool to hang out with a group of people who I don’t always get to hang out with heaps. With 8 of the 24 people having done Ironman in the past 3 years it was also a crew who understood the need to bring a bike and bike trainer on vacation.

NewRide – St Ives to Sicamous

So I was due back in Vancouver before the houseboat was due to dock. So it was onto the road bike followed by a wade through waist deep water (To much current to beach the boat) and via a little bit of forestry road to the highway for a 130km ride back to the car. Was a good hilly ride and the section on highway 1 was still quite scenic and makes me understand why people ride across Canada. One day I may ride across BC to Jasper or something but the allure of the prairies is not there yet for me. The ride was rewarded with a 6 hour drive home and knowledge of an early wake up the next day.

Sundays are meant to be relaxing

After a 5am wake up it was time to get ready to support the weekly long run I coach. After doing this in the am, picked up my bike from Speed Theory and checked it in for the Vancouver Olympic Triathlon in Stanley park. Being a no taper race it was then time for a swim and a long run. Is kind of daunting doing workouts with 12 hours of a race start but got them done and then crashed at home for a few zzz’s before an early wake up.

Vancouver Olympic Triathlon

3^rd fastest Bike Split, 3^rd Fastest Run . 2nd Fastest bike/run combination yet finished 8^th. Needless to say the swim cost me a little in this one (quite literally as there was money for the top 3). Having said that was happy with the effort, even spent 30 seconds on the bike to pick up my sunglasses I had dropped on the previous lap (otherwise would have had 2^nd fastest bike).

Good news for me being on a long course focus is that;
A. The swim in a Olympic distance race makes up approximately 22% of my time (Bike = 49% and Run 26%). Compare this to Ironman were it equates to around 12% of my time on a good day (Bike = 54% and Run 34%)

B. This was totally non taper race – even a negative taper if you look at the few days of training that proceeded it.

C. Felt like I could have held the paces at all three sports. Even though I tried to smash the swim could have held this pace all day and came out of the water fresh. On the bike I was working but top end but ability to power though the flats was a little down. Felt I I could have held this intensity for a half ironman so that is good to know. On the run ran pretty well but knowing I was a way back of the front was hard to really push. Ran well but didn’t have the “spring in the step” to really lay it down. Felt like I could have kept up the tempo for another 5km or so which is good to know as this was a tough run course to run fast one (Sharp turns, mix of surfaces and a few short sharp hills)

Will do a full race report in the coming days but in the end came in 8^th Place with a time of 2:09:32 (Swim 29:02, Bike (Including T1 and T2) 1:03:40, Run 36:51)

2010/2011 Planning

After a cold cold wet wet wait for awards did some planning for 2010 and 2011 with a friend. Will be an exciting year I hope and is fun to start to formulate some long term goals. After dinner with Leslie (who was able to step out of her office to cheer me on at the triathlon as it went right past the aquarium) it was time to go to sleep at the later hour of 7pm.

Back to the Chain Gang

Missing swims is not really an option given my current lack of talent so it was at dolphins with a bandaged foot (couple slight cuts from the rocks at second beach) for a 90 minute set before heading to the office. Routine is good and glad to be back into it as I prepare for Kona

Whats Next

Well its about putting the head down and executing every session before Kona as well as possible. SIMPLE AS THAT. If I manage to do that then I will have a good day. The last 10 days involved some reorganisation due to my travels but happy with the work I got done. If I can have a few solid weeks I will be looking forward to laying down a good effort in 4.5 weeks time.

Have a heap of photos to post so will do a picture post once I sort them. Although I will include one which is me training on a houseboat. Good work on Kate for Photojacking this shot - ended up pretty sweet. Note the water slide in the back of shot - was a pretty sweet boat and my post ride recovery happened about 1 foot to the left I were I was riding.

Ironman Canada - Bike Aid Station 6 - Still Looking for Volunteers

2010-08-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

We are still looking for volunteers to help with Aid Station 6 on the Ironman Canada Bike Course

Full Shift is 9:30am to 2pm. This includes load up and clean up time.
Aid Station is No. 6 - it is located on the back side of Richter near the start of the rollers
If we have too many people respond there is another aid station at the top of yellow lake also looking for help.

Please contact me on jeremy.hopwood@gmail.com to help out

Rough Map of the location

View IMC Aid Station No. 6 in a larger map

Being Prepared to FAIL

2010-08-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

So have found the past few weeks a little tough - has been a mix of recovery and getting into the swing of things. Getting sessions done has not been an issue but the enthusiasm to get out the door has been lacking at times.

From people I talk to this is a normal phase that one goes through, main thing is that have got the work in and are now approaching 8 weeks to the show. Starting to get excited and motivated for that now (have forgotten about the pain of racing at IM CDA) and now want to suffer in training

Still trying to work out goals for Kona. Its a different place and race from any other Ironman and deserves a lot of respect. So one thing I have decided is that I am prepared to FAIL. Hopefully FAILING would just mean a long day and the use of glow sticks but I think it is important to go in with the realization that the day could go sideways.

So what advantage does being prepared to FAIL give me. It gives me the chance to have a FANTASTIC day. In Coeur d'Alene I felt I had a good to great day but not fantastic one. There are some things I know I can improve on and I am absolutely positive I can run faster as came of the bike with cramping hamstrings and this dogged me throughout the run. Having gone through the first half in 1:32 and finishing up with a 3:11 on a day when I felt like I was breaking done from mile 1 gives me the believe that I can run around 3 hours come race day. Training will tell me if this is realistic but its something I feel that I can do and why not do it at the show.

8 Weeks to go and looking forward to earning a good day by doing as many thing right over this period to make it happen.

Just another brain dump of a blog post but will be good for me to look back on these "dear diary" moments and hope that if you read and go through the motivational ups and downs of a season that it helps you realize that most people hit this challenge at some point or the other.

Would You Recognize a Good Day if They All Were

2010-08-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

So are home, a place I don't always get to see a lot of!!!. Anyway, after two days in Penticton training have come to a realization that bad days are in some regards a good thing. As without the days that you struggle you don't learn to appreciate the good days.

In the recovery start to build back up process have had a range of great days or bad days, not really many in between. Have been a bit grumpy after the bad days but in the end it is all part of the process.

So wanted to "analyze" this to get my head in a good place so I can execute well. Here is what I came up with;

I went deep at IMCDA. Didn't really realize this until now 5 weeks on but pushed myself really hard on race day. This is good to know that I have the ability to suffer, however it does take the body some time to recover.
Have to be selfish - in terms of recovery etc, the next 9 weeks need to be defined about making the right decisions day in day out.
Luck to pursue this dream - so need to live it and enjoy it even on the bad days
I know some awesome people who put up with me even after bad workouts!!!
I am fit - even still being in a recovery mode physically the sessions which I execute well are going fantastic.
You have to want to hurt and earn it - willing to do this but this got reinforced in my head over the past weekend.

So this post was just a general brain dump, first time looking to race to IM's in one year so it is a learning experience but looking forward to getting to suffer again. The more I suffer in training the easy it will be to go to that well on race day.

10 Seconds a day

2010-08-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

So had a swim time trial the other day - result wasn't what I wanted but is still a vast improvement from this time last year. However I have a number in my head that I want to swim in Kona and as a result I need to make sure every swim session I have between now and the (likely 50 or so) I am trying to swim as technically and mentally as strong as possible.

So how does one put this in to numbers - I need to find 10 seconds per session for my overall swim time and will be at were I want (maybe not where I need to be but it will be start) by the time I tow the line in Kona.

Time to get the sharpie out for the pull buoy and paddles. Every session has a focus and it is all about finding that 10 seconds. Whenever I am getting tired or slacking mentally it is all about that 10 seconds.

This is going straight to the pool room

2010-07-28T13:34:00.001-07:00

So there is a fantastic Aussie movie called the Castle and one of the quotes by the lead character Darryl Kerrigan is "This is going straight to the pool room"

Still a lot of work to do but this is a cool memento regardless of the road ahead.

Back to the Build

2010-07-22T00:50:00.001-07:00

Short Post - Is weird training for the 2nd Ironman in the year for the first time. Lucky I know so many great people in this sport, ran into a group ride with the crew form Speed Theory tonight so did this as most of my base ride after work.

Feeling awesome on the bike, swim as always needs work and had a sweet session on Tuesday night running which shocked the body back into run mode. Note if you ever need to get shocked back into form go for a 45 minute active recovery run with a 2:17 marathon. just copied my mates cadence and before I knew it was living in the 3:15 min.km land for 2km's!!!1

I compare everything time wise to building to IMC so for me at the moment it is like the start of June when the real training begins. Who know what happens in Kona - have to respect the island and fully realize that I may just blow up at some point but will be sure to have fun and enjoy the honor that I have in going to the big show - having said that are going to aim high and plan on having a good race

This is going to be fun! When you get to live the dream you better make sure you enjoy and I can ensure you I am and plan to make that continue

A New Discovery for Vancouver Riding - The British Wall

2010-07-18T12:08:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I had a hilly ride on the agenda, as was nice out figured I would hit up cypress. Instead of going my normal way out decided to cruise through British Properties for the first time and discovered a new little test which I am calling the British Wall (Please advise if there is a local name)

Essentially I rode up Taylor way into British Properties and took a left onto highland way. Taylor way was a nice little warm-up for what was to come which was around 2km at an average of around 10.5%. Think there were definitely some steeper sections in this and was using all the range in my compact as well as standing a lot.

This is definitely not a climb for the faint hearted and I think you would be nuts to do it on a tri bike. Map and elevation chart below

http://www.mapmyride.com/run/canada/bc/west-vancouver/814127948090185589

The full climb form Taylor way up is 4.31km with 335m of elevation equals an average of 7.8%. To see the brutality up close visit

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ca/bc/north%20vancouver/690127948177374961

Most of the elevation comes in this section however as you go up highland. It is only 1.47km but in that time you go up 171m. that equates to an average gradient of 11.6% with some sections that are definitely steeper. Not being a skinny mountain goat this was definitely the hardest section for me.

Always good to discover new training grounds and this was a good variation on the normal ride to cypress. The full loop I did was 91km with around 5000ft of climbing and was a good workout. Bike legs are getting pretty strong at the moment which is good and looking forward to some quality sessions in the next couple months.

<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/canada/bc/vancouver/225127941729375382">07/17/2010 Route</a> <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/canada/bc/vancouver">Find more Bike Rides in Vancouver, British Columbia</a>

3 Months till Kona

2010-07-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it is three months to Kona. Hadn't really planned on to IM's in the same year so it is an interesting feeling of getting ready to get back training after your A Race.

Have had a few people talk to me over the last week saying that I help motivate them to achieve and set their goals and that is truly humbling but also good to know that just through living my own life are doing a little bit to help others.

This got me thinking and by the end of this week I hope to have sent notes of thanks to all those that I look up to and have used and continue to use as examples over the past couple years since I started triathlon.

Have had a couple moments this week were I realize I am going to Hawaii which is always something that I had wanted to do however had not put it as a singular focus as believed focusing on executing the process day in day out would lead to creating options from which I could choose.

So it is now time to get back to focusing the process. That has been hard in the past week were the focus has been on recovery and aerobic only work and the weather has been nice. Feel I have made the right decisions though and look forward to the work ahead.

Summer Run Clinics at Forerunners

2010-07-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let those in Vancouver know about a couple run clinics I will be involved with in Vancouver for those targeting a Fall Marathon or Half marathon

Starting tonight i will be helping lead on of the Thursday Night interval groups @ Forerunners. This should be a fun clinic with a mixture of hills (Hills can be fun!!!), track and road, trail intervals. Thursday Nights start at 6pm - for more information regarding schedule and locations visit http://www.forerunners.ca/clinics.html

I am also involved in leading the Sunday run Clinic @ Forerunners starting this Sunday. This should be a awesome clinic with Jerry Ziak (2:17 Marathoner) designing and running the program. These runs will start at 8am and both full program and drop in options exist. All the details once again are @ http://www.forerunners.ca/clinics.html

I have had the pleasure of training with Forerunners groups for the last couple years and can definitely say it has been one of the key factors that has improved my running and as a result are excited to be involved in their summer clinics

Ironman Coeur D'Alene - Embracing the Moment

2010-06-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been absolutely amazing. Firstly I must say i feel truly lucky to have so many friends who have sent notes of congratulations over the last few days and are truly humbled by the kind words.

One of my key things in my race plan for IM CDA was to have fun and I definitely achieved that and I think that was a key to having a good day. On of the great things about the day in the end was that it was not a perfect day and I raced on the conservative side. This is awesome that it gives me hope and motivation that I can go faster in Kona.

Pre Race

I headed down to Coeur D'Alene the week before with Rachel Kiers and had a fun drive down which set the tone for the week which was relaxed, fun but focused on the task at hand. Upon arriving at the beautiful home of Kevin and Vonnie who were magnificent hosts went for a run which was a little bit of a rude awakening to the summer that Vancouver has missed out on. Having said that considering a full day in the car and a hilly run felt good and ready for the week ahead.

The rest of the week was filled with executing race week work outs, driving and riding the key parts of the course and getting to meet some of the local triathlon community. Race week can be stressful but staying out of town with great people and fun attitude made a huge difference. The highlight of the week was potentially the trip to Spokane were we embraced the hoop-fest spirit on our run

As race day approached Les and Mike came into town as did Colin and Clint and we had a house full of 5 people about to toe the line come Race Day along with three very supportive spouses.

The Result

9:34:23 (PR by 56 minutes)
23/2263 Overall (Including Pro Field)

9th Age Group Athlete
5/216 M30-34

3.86km Swim 1:11:07

75/216 - M30-34

529/2263 Overall

This was not the swim that I had planned on or hoped for and was a little disappointing. Was a calm swim until the first turn then all hell broke loose with people struggling to sight and for some reason stopping dead. I have the ability to swim faster and motivation is high to get more work in and make this swim quicker. Kona is a non wetsuit swim but I will go faster and do what it takes to make that happen.

In the end though I felt like I did not burn too many matches in the swim and just pushed the 5 minutes I lost aside as I exited the water and focused on the long day ahead.

T1 - 3:08

Nothing special, wet suit strip took some time and was methodical but not quick in the tent. Got some calories down on the way to the bike as planned and was soon on my way on the bike course.

Bike 180km - 5:07:28

5/216 - M30-34
38/2263 Overall

I rode very conservatively and just kept on thinking "respect the run". Executed my nutrition well, spun the hills, rested were it made sense and kept well hydrated. Definitely played the bike safe and may have left some minutes to the bank but better to have done that than borrowed as the interest rates on that transaction tend to be severe come the run.

This was my longest ride of the year and 3 more months of training should allow me to push a little harder on the bike in the confidence that the run will still be there. In the end though are stoked with my ride as was patient and executed the plan well.

T2 - 47 Seconds

Well I somehow had the fastest T2 out of everyone. Was trying to keep it slow and controlled and did everything I needed to do but still flow through there and was out on the run course.

Run 42.2km - 3:11:54

4/216 - M30-34
15/2263 Overall

Hit the run course and felt good, tried to make sure I ran no faster than 7 minute miles out of T2 and hit a rhythm. Focused on getting the calories in at each station and running relaxed with good form. When running out on lakeside not seeing any Age Groupers coming back for a while let me know I was in the race. Think I was about 15th after 10km and was picking guys off one by one.

Aside from fighting of a potential cramp felt good and as entered lap two just focused on keeping the rhythm. Hit a dark place at about 28km but just kept working. The miles were counting down and with 8km to go was on the way home and started drinking the coke. Hitting town again was fantastic and after making one last pass with a mile to go turned onto Sherman for the run home.

The run was fantastic, had the guy I had passed about 20 seconds behind so had to keep working but having the main street to myself was unreal. Once I realised I had executed a good day was pumped. Coming down the chute I was looking for Leslie and saw her beyond the finish line and was stoked to see here there.

Then it was done - New PR, Spot to Kona without needing to go to roll down and a fantastic way to spend my 30th Birthday.

The Aftermath

One of the best things about the day is that not everything went right. This means two things;

I troubleshooted and raced well which is key at this distance
I can definitely go faster and strongly believe my best Ironman for 2010 is still in me

In 100 days I will be toeing the line at the big show in Kona and are looking forward to getting ready to go fast. I don't want to just attend the show, instead I want to lay it down there and race strong and put down a good result. This past Sunday i got to race vs just chase and come Kona I want to take that to the next level against a strong field.

Key Sponsors & Supporters

Leslie

The photo below says it all. Aside from the fact you think I am crazy you are super supportive and was awesome to get to share the finish line experience with you - looks like at the next race we at least get to swim with turtles and dolphins. Last time we swam in the tropics you had to teach me how to survive so we could go snorkeling, hopefully are a little better in the water now!!!

Thanks to the whole crew @ Forerunners. Lucky to be associated with such a great group of people and look forward to being involved in the Summer/Fall Marathon clinic. I did my first ever interval workouts with forerunners and look forward to giving back 2 and a half years later.

Through forerunners are lucky to be associated with Newton. Wore the new model neutral trainers on the weekend and they felt awesome throughout the whole run. In the last 12 months I have put over 2300km of running in a except for track spikes for a couple of sessions this has all been in Newton shoes and my feet ad legs feel better than they have ever done.

Thanks for all the support. Having a bike that you know is in good condition is always a awesome feeling. I have basically grown into the sport of Triathlon with Speed Theory with their support and guidance. Was cool to get the photo of me finishing on the big screen at the store as well

Coach Clint

Thanks mate - followed the plan and executed on race day and had a good result. Huge thanks for Sara and yourself travelling down and supporting come race day. Think the pre race chat as simple as it was solidified the plan perfectly and prevented me form doing anything stupid especially on the bike.

Huge Thanks

In the past year I have trained around 750 hours averaging over 15h a week in 2010. This is not possible without the support and understanding of others. In no particular order here are a few people - sorry for those I missed and thanks for sharing the journey.

Family and Friends - Heck I even missed my own birthday party last year!!! Anyway thanks all.

To Mum and Dad thanks for all the support, still bounce my head when i run but will work on that. We were never a family flush with cash but you always allowed me to follow my sporting desires and that ethos is something that I have taken into life.

To my Vancouver non tri friends - next years sun run time is 45:28!!! Seriously thanks, had a awesome Olympics and will deifnetley be catching up over the summer. Thanks for all the text messages of support

Kevin and Vonnie - Thank you for opening up you house. Kevin awesome job on breaking 13 hours -awesome to see you achieve your goals

James, Laura, Olivia, Sophia, Barb, Al, Adrienne - Thanks for making the trip down to support. Was cool to see some familiar faces on the course.

Mike - Super Supporter, was awesome to see you at random spots on the course cheering on. Will make sure I repay the favor!!!

Rachel - Learned a heap about how to prep and execute from you and this is the stuff that done right day in day out makes a huge difference come race day

Clint and Colin - To have 5 people racing a IM in the one house could have been risky, but it was a super chilled and relaxed environment to be in pre race which was awesome

Jerry - Getting the opportunity to run with a sub 30 min 10km runner is awesome and your input and advice in terms of form and approach has been fantastic.

Training Buddies - From the last couple years have had the opportunity to meet with and train with a number of cool people. Whenever I am on the bike I just think to try and bike like a Kiwi (Tony and Paul) as not sure what it is in the pristine waters down there but you guys train hard!!!

Carla - Getting hit by a SUV 6 weeks out form your A race is not ideal but you are a legend and got me up and going very quickly. Add to that regular sessions and are learning a lot about how to maintain, strengthen and recover my body.

Coeur D'Alene - Lovely City and these races are never possible without the support of a city and the volunteers. Running down Sherman street with people lining the last 800m was an awesome feeling

Everyone - Have been truly overwhelmed in the past few days with messages of support pre race and congrats post race. This is so appreciated and I am truly humbled by the messages. Hope to do everyone proud in 100 Days time.

Next Up

This Picture Sums it Up

2010-06-30T11:07:00.001-07:00

Les was able to to into the finish and present my medal and we were lucky enough to get this photo

9:34:23
Going to Kona - 9th Age Grouper, 5th M30-34, 21st Male and 23rd Overall including Pro's.

Will post more later but a huge thanks to everyone who was part of the journey.

Thanks for all the messages over the past few days as are truly thankful for each and everyone I have received.

Turning 30 - But First Priority Swim 3.8km, Ride 180km and Run 42.2km

2010-06-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow I turn 30 but to be honest the amount of focus I have on that is pretty minimal.

In 12 hours I will be standing on the beach getting ready to embark on my Third Ironman and swimming 3.8km, riding 180km and running (Hopefully) a marathon. At the moment I am fittest and leanest I have been in my life and are ready to have a good day.

No matter what happens out there I have had a great time preparing for this race and know that I have done the right things and made the right decisions. Pretty much there are a few guarantees in the time I will spend out on the course tomorrow;

Will Have Fun
Will have some dark moments
Will wonder at some times why the heck I am doing this

Regardless of the result (Confident of laying down a good one - however this distance has so many variables) racing an Ironman is one of the most exciting days that you can experience and I am looking forward to executing the plan tomorrow and savoring the experience. Will learn about myself once again tomorrow and plan to have a heap of fun doing it.

That sits tomorrow - next time I post I will be 30 and most probably pretty sore and tired. Thanks to all who have sent messages of support and see you on the other side.

!!! Love this Sport !!!

Getting Ready

2010-06-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Quick update - nothing inspirational today. Have had a fun few days doing the last workouts and seeing part of the states have not been to before.

Just chillin at the moment at the house of the wonderful couple we are staying at in Coeur d'Alene. Not much to stress about as what has needed to be done has been done.

Have ridden good chunks of the course, swam in the lake and run and rode on the run course so are pretty orientated around the site. Was fun to get to see the town before race week really unfolded as I am sure tomorrow morning when we go swim it will be a little busier down at the lake.

Have also had the opportunity to meet a few of the local athletes on the night we arrived and at the lake each morning as well. A couple are hitting the distance for the first time so reminded them to do the one thing I always remind myself to do and that is have fun.

Looking forward to the day - it is my birthday after all. Had a fun run adventure running in Spokane today and getting into the hoopfest spirit (worlds largest 3 on 3 basketball tournament).

Not much else to add - will clean the bike tomorrow, set up race bags and all that fun stuff tomorrow. But for now it is time chill ahead of a good day on Sunday

Are Those Last Ten Minutes Worth It?

2010-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

So, this is my third time around building for ironman and as I hit the last 10 minutes of my Run on Sunday I realised that too some degree these 10 minutes represent some of the most enjoyable time of the experience. These ten minutes represent the point were I tend to reflect on the journey thus far. This post focuses on what went through my head in those 10 minutes.

In addition to the details below I have had the opportunity to meet a huge number of great people many who have become good friends. So in addtion to all the successes of the journey below I have had a lot of fun doing it hanging out with fantastic people.

Those Ten Minutes

Since I made the decision to jump into the world triathlon 34 months ago in August 2007 there have been a lot of exciting things to happen. To give some prospective on the journey thus far here are some quick facts;

Learning to Swim – Ocotber 2007

33 months ago in October 2007 I could swim about 30 metres at a stretch and being in water that was more than 6 feet deep was not a comfortbale experience. For the next 4 months success was determined by being able to swim that little bit further each session. 25m became 50m which became 200m which became 1500m etc. The slow slow lane in public swims was my place of residence and when I graduated to the slow lane I saw this as a step. A lot of this took place at UBC pool where I often now have 4km plus swim sessions as the norm. So every time I get to jump in the water there it is a good queue to where I have come from.

First Triathlon – March 2008

My first tri was in March 2008 in the UBC Olympic – Lining up I figured that breaking 3h would define success. In the end I went 2:52:55 with the swim taking around 40 minutes (2:40 per 100m). This year as part of the build to Ironman Couer D Alene I went 2:07:47 with a swim of 26 minutes

Taking the plunge – IMC 2008

2008 the focus centered on Ironman Canada – growing up in OZ, kona got a lot of press especially when Greg Welch was racing. Having always just seemed better at endurance stuff the concept of doing Ironman seemed feasible and some times you just need to make the jump.
In August 2007 when I signed up asides from needing to learn how to swim (details, details) I had already rode 200km in a day (on a mountain bike) and done a 100km run/hike race in Australia so new that in isolation it was possible. So at that point the journey had begun

From zero effective base to IMC in 10 months was obviosually and accelerated plan and not one I would recommend, but I made sure I raced a lot that year completing 3 HIM’s before race day. With family in Penticton I spent a lot of time riding which got the engine built enough to go 11:27:44 on race day. In the end IMC 2008 was about completion but through the journey enjoyed the process and made the decision that would give it another go in 2009

2009 – Seeing what can be done

After an unstructured “off season” which stayed active but just maintained base decided to put a focus in 2009 on getting faster. To some degree I did not know what the outcome of this really was but had started to form some longer term goals at this point. I would say however that while 2008 was about exploring the sport, 2009 was about seeing what potential I had to improve.

I raced a lot in 2009 both running and tri and by year end had toed the start line a total of 18 times. Five times in Triathlon (4 Half Ironmans, 1 ironman), 1 Swim Race and 12 running races. I learn a lot every time I race and in a lot of regards 2009 was all about learning. Coming in to Ironman 2009 I knew what I needed to work on over the next two years and in some regards Ironman Canada validated my thought process coming in with a time of 10:26:07. 2009 was a fun race and a good journey but I left with a new focus on what I wanted to target and achieve goal wise.

The process for 2010 and beyond then started soon after Ironman Canada 2009. The last quarter of 2009 was strucutured triaing and my first time working formally with a coach. This part of the cycle was learning about how to adapt to this enviornment, learning to love the pool and getting the work in.

2010 – Clear Focus on the Process

I am a process guy. By that I mean that if you focus on achieving day in day out the big picture will happen if the process is correct. The process needs to evolve based on feedback in the form of outcomes however in the end day in day out I just want to focus on achieving each component of each workout as well as I can. If I do that and trust in the process I know I will find success

2010 Started in an airport on the way to Oz for a holiday to visit family and friends but also an opportunity for summer trianing. For these 5 weeks 100% of my sessions were solo and even with a fair chunk of travel consisitency was good. Raced Geelong 70.3 and although not my best day (4:38) for a race that I did not have much invested in was a good result and essentially a hard trianing day.

Afer a cough filled time back in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics I was able to regain some momentum starting in March. Trianing has been the main focus and form a consistency perspective has been the best aspect. Consistency has not been perfect but I would guess that have hit about 97% success rate in following the plan. Stuff has been rescheduled or modified slightly and some things to improve on form an approach perspective but overall have been happy in what I have done from this perspective.

Next Up – Ironman Coeur d’Alene

With PR’s at Comox half Maarathon (1:16:36), Vancouver Sun Run 10km (34:05), UBC Olympic (2:07:42) and Shawnigan Half Ironman (4:20:25) to some degree the first half of 2010 has already been a success. However the journey continues and the next step is Ironman Coeur d’ Alene.

All about those ten minutes

As I finished that last 10 minutes run on Sunday got to think about if I am ready for the third crack at the IM distance. The answer is I am ready, regardless of what happens come race day feel I am in the right place and the process has been a success. In those last 10 minutes got to reflect upon the journey above and this one has been the most enjoyable yet.

Having had that chance to refelct now is the time to reset and look forward to June 27^th. The next 12 days is about getting mentally ready, setting/reaffirming goals and sharpening up physically for race day. That is what I need to do to achieve the best result possible and beyond that.

Looking forward race day and embracing whatever may be dealt up.

2010 Shawnigan Lake Half Ironman Race Report

2010-05-31T20:57:00.001-07:00

4:20:25 (New PR)
5/177 Overall - 2/11 M30-34

http://www.triseries.ca/shawnigan_lake/index.php
http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2010/multi/ShawniganHalf2010.html

Good Strong result. This was race 6 for the year and was the last "racing" hit out before the A Race for the year in Ironman Coeur d'Alene which is 4 weeks away. Even though still things to improve on felt like I actually got into the race for the first time ever in a triathlon rather than it being essentially an Individual time trial. This was a lot of fun and part of the racing experience that due to coming out of the swim behind the action I have not gotten much exposure to.

Was actually a little nervous coming into this race the day before which is unusual for me, but showed i had something invested in this. Camped about 15 minutes drive away a got a good 8 hours sleep the night so the nerves had gone away once had finished my pre race workouts.

Swim (1.9km) – 33:26
(1:46 per 100m) (35/177)

Swam well but swam badly. What this means is thought I swam strong with a good work rate but directionally was getting wrong more times than I got it right. Missed making a jump into a decent pack form the start and felt like I was passing people form that point forward. Add to that swimming like a drunk snake I figure I may have swum around 150 bonus metres. Some open water work to do ahead of IM CDA along with the knowledge that I find it easier to navigate in the big fields. Was hoping to swim around 31 minutes so a little disappointed with this, think the directional stuff is possible to work out so are taking the positive side out of this effort.

T1 – 2:30 (Estimate)

No Transition times this year so is an estimate. Longer transition than years past as well as the race grows in size. Got going pretty quick out the water, so so on the wetsuit removal but pretty slick overall. Ran up to the mount line and most probably made at least 5 spots in T1 and the run to the mount line.

Bike (88km) – 2:19:39 (New PR)
(37.8km/h) – 3/177

There is something fun about bombing around on a bike at high speed. Shawinigan is a 4 lap course full of rolling hills and a total of 2500 feet of climbing across the journey. Worked this pretty hard and attacked the hills. Normally i don’t catch up with my main competition until the run but was started coming upon people I knew pretty early on. Still pretty much rode the whole ride on my own although did have a little back and forth with Wade Carlson for the last 1.5 laps. On the last lap it was getting pretty slick so took some sections a little easier so took it a little easy and got ready to run which let Wade re overtake and open a little gap before T2. Figured I should be able to go between 2:16 and 2:20 so happy with this bike.

T2 2:00 (estimate)

Pretty slick, took a extra 10 seconds finding my rack as a wetsuit was covering my Newton's. Got them on quickly even though right foot was frozen (Like many of my brick runs in the cold this year) grabbed my nutrition and got out of there. Made up about 30 seconds and a pass on Wade through transition and hit the run course one second ahead.

Run (21.1km) – 1:22:50 (New PR)
(3.56 min/km) 5/177

This was painful but fun. Legs were pretty smashed form the bike and took a little while to come clear as well as get feeling back into my feet. Did not know where I was at until the first turnaround (6.5km), could tell that was a long way from 3rd but only just in front of 5th through 8th. At about 8km Colin McArthur came up on my shoulder and was running strong.

Made the decision to make this my race (Top 3 Guys were Pro’s) and went with him to try and fight for the AG and M30-34 Win. Ran side by side for about the next 8km, I knew based on how my legs were feeling was going to struggle on the loose gravel at about 16km (the whole run course is gravel but this section is particularly rough) so through in a few surges here and there when thought it was worth a shot to create a break. Colin was strong enough to hold on and then gapped me on the loose stuff. Ended up holding the gap of about 40 seconds from 17km to the finish but couldn’t find a way to close it back in. Once I knew was not going to catch him eased it back a little and took the slippery last 500m easier.

Happy with my run, I find I can not run as well on the gravel vs the road but happy with a time on the loose stuff only 8% slower than my current Open Half Marathon PR. Was hoping for something between 1:20 and 1:24 so this was in that range. Added bonus was that ran an even to negative split over the half marathon.

Other Thoughts

Being in the mix to some degree was fun. Gives even more incentive to get the swim up to standard so are in it from the start. Nutrition was a bit different in the cold but got done around 215 cal per hour on the bike and 150 cal per hour on the run which is fine for a Half IM.

Next up is Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 27th. More training to go but this has been the focus and are looking forward to laying down a strong performance and hopefully executing a really strong run

Thanks to Sponsors, Supporters, Friends

Firstly to my Sponsors for 2010;

Speed Theory - Why support your LBS? Well had a good example over the last two weeks. Jeremy and the crew at Speed Theory helped out a lot following getting knocked of my road bike by a SUV about 10 days ago. This saved me a lot of stress in the days post getting hit. Even got a phone call post race from Doug passing on congratulations to the Speed Theory athletes who had raced. Bike also did its job taking me to the 3rd overall fastest bike split of the day
Forerunners - Is a great group of people down there. I lead one of their run groups every Wed night and are going to be involved in their Fall Marathon clinic (Chief Waterboy!). A lot of racing knowledge in that store and have gained a lot of information just by chatting to the guys at the store.

Newton Running - I do 99% of my running in Newton Performance Racers or Newton Performance Trainer and the product works well for me. I find my feet get a lot less beat up than they used and find them comfy pairs of kicks to race and train in.

Some other thanks to my support network;

Clint my coach from Mercury Rising Triathlon. As well as running a camp that week, helping set up half the race site it seemed he was also out there cheering come race day. Learning a lot and having fun doing it as well.

Dr Carla Cupido - Have been working with her as my Chiropractor for the last 16 months and has helped how I recover day in day out. Especially helpful over the last few days after having been hit at a key time of my race year.

To friends, training partners

Thanks for everyone who wished me well and congrats to all who had good races on Sunday. Was quite a big Vancouver crew across on the island and was luckily enough to know quite a few of them. Had a good battle with Colin on the run and hopefully we can both hold a similar pace (without the surges) if we meet up on the run course in 4 weeks time. Rachel Kiers won the women’s race and Mike put in great effort on his road to IMC. We even had 12 people at the buffet dinner on the ferry back to Vancouver.

Last but not least

Mum and Dad will catch up again on skype this week. Think the Tasmania winter is warmer than the Vancouver Summer at the moment
To Leslie – see you in July!!! – Wait wrong answer, in the off chance that you read this thanks again for the support. Will try to be unpacked before I go to bed tonight :)

Lance Crashes in ATOC - Video Showing how Hard Core Cycling Is

2010-05-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

These guys are absolutely hard core!!!! its essentially a moving triage while you ride back to the pack.

To all those that think cycling is not as tough as the NHL & NFL should watch this. Have heard a stat that an average of 30% of the Tour de France field crashes every year. Think the Giro hit about 40% in the first 10 days.

UBC Olympic Triathlon – May 16th 2010

2010-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

2:07:47

First ever Podium - 3rd Overall

3/244 Overall
2/26 M30-34

http://www.winningtime.ca/10/10ubctri/oly.txt

So managed to get 3^rd Overall and my first ever podium on Sunday at the UBC Olympic Triathlon. This was my second ever Olympic race after having done ubc as my first triathlon 26 months ago. Even with a longer run course than in 2008 I managed to PR by a lazy 45 minutes and 8 seconds. So the work over those last two years and especially the last 16 months is starting to show results.

Congrats to Nathan Killam on the Win and Colin McArthur on 2^nd. Good strong all around performances by both of these guys got them great results come race day. Hopefully Colin and I both have strong days at IMCDA in less than 6 weeks time.

Thanks

Thanks to my supporters in Speed Theory, Forerunners and Newton Running.

Thanks to Clint of Mercury Rising Triathlon whom I have been working with since October. Still early days but definitely seeing a progression in the correct direction. Also thanks to those who I train with whether it be the dolphins crew in the early am (Think dolphins made up 4 of the Male and Female Podium) , the Speed Theory group for some of the adhoc sessions such as 10 b4 10 and Jerry, Art and co at Forerunners who I get some good feedback regarding the running side of things as well (especially the importance of drills/form)

Lastly thanks as always to Les and our friends for putting up with me either skipping or turning up late to many a social function. Can pretty much guarantee that will keep happening until July so apologies in advance.

Approach

Approach wise UBC Olympic was a training day type of race on the schedule before the next two key races on my schedule being Shawnigan Half Iron and Ironman Couer’d’Alene. Going into this one did not know what to expect. Had been a pretty big week of training but actually felt quite fresh coming into the weekend and after a light day of swim, bike, run on Saturday Race Day No 5 of 2010 was here.

In terms of goals didn’t really have much specific. Did do a race plan on how I wanted to execute effort wise but what this meant time wise was a bit of an unknown due to my inexperience at the distance added to a full training week. Essentially it was to have a good solid swim, go as hard as I could on the bike and run strong.

Race Report

Swim 26:05

(1500m - 1:44 per 100m)

Swim was a pool snake type swim, self seeding so got front 3^rd of my heat. As always before you know it it is go time and you are underway. It was 10 seconds between starts so first target was to get to the feet in front of me. This took about 300m or so and from this point on sat in, letting this person “negotiate” the overtaking and sneaking in behind whenever it happened.

Came through 800m in around 13:45 and after the 25m along the deck it was back in the water for the final 700m. Made a couple overtakes in the last 500m but generally just tried to sit on feet and not do any crazy accelerations.

T1 (including run to transition are) – Approx 2:00)

After sprinting through to the T1 area had a good T1 (helmet on, race number on, shoes on) and was heading out on the bike course. Had my sunnies attached so put these on in the first 200m of the bike.

Bike 1:00:02 (Guess splitting out T1 and T2 times)
(40km - Avg Speed 40 km/h)

Used the 1km out section to find a rhythm then started working hard on the 4 laps. Don’t have exact data but my pacing seemed quite even for all four laps. Main challenge was fighting the headwind while going back up the false flat along Marine, this made for tough going but just focused on keeping the cadence high. The hill going up 16^th felt pretty easy and was able to fly up this each time. Other than that the main focus was to accelerate hard out of the 12 180 degree turns on the bike course. I now know why the ITU guys practice these as there is much speed to be gained in these.

Good bike, felt like I was topping out power wise though. This is not a horrible thing though as feel I could hold this output for longer as was not red lining at all aspects. Overall this was the 2^nd fastest Bike Split including T1/T2 so happy with that aspect.

T2 (Approx 30 seconds)

Dismount, racked bike, helmet off, slipped into my Newton Racers and grabbed bottle with Gus taped to it along with a headband. Not much to improve here except my dismount which was a little bit slower than ideal.

Run 39:11
(10.71km – 3:40 min/km pace)

So post run was a little bit unhappy with this as thought I had blown up on the second half based on my watch, however the body had not felt this was the case. In the end based of multiple GPS watches of people who race it seems the course was around 10.71km. Due to the TT start and having started in the second to last heat the run was pretty much a individual Time Trial (Similar to the bike). As a result just went out trying to hold 3:3x km pace. Looking at post race data it seems I ran an even split even with the longer than expected run to the finish. Racing the run is one of my strengths so not sure the pure time trial nature brought the best out in me for this regard. However this is the same scenario for everyone.

In the end had the run been 10km it would have worked out to a split of around 36:35 which is about 7.5% slower than my sun run time of 34:05. In the end given the course (lots of turns), being off the bike and in a TT format is a ok result. Still room for improvement on this also but not every day can go perfectly.

Overall Impressions

Definitely happy with going sub 2:10. When did the math I figured it was achievable but you race to find out what is possible. Was fun to race this distance and look forward to doing some more of these more speed focused races into the future, especially as the swim improves as that is key at all distances but especially Olympic.

Not Poppin Fresh but a Sweet Result - 2010 Vancouver Sun Run (10km) - 34:05

2010-05-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

34:05 (New 10km PR)

Overall - 53/39855 Male - 51/17532 M25-29 25/2501
http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2010/run/SunRun10K2010Top100.html

Quick and Nasty summary, nice day for it out there except for head wind from 3km to 9km mark of the course which made it tough going.

Didn't know what to expect coming in as had a big week of training and legs were a little wrecked. However had a good showing and a new PR by 46 seconds which is huge at this distance. One day I will do one of these things tapered but that can be for another season.

Executed the race plan pretty well. Hit 3km around 9:58 (Plan was between 10 Flat and 10:20), hit halfway in 17:01 (was hoping for around 17), took the Burrard bridge easy.

Wanted to smash it form the top of the bridge on but legs were not "Poppin Fresh" at this point so was more of a drive to hold pace.

Lost some time between 6 an 8km before sucked it up and went for it. Attacked the Cambie bridge on ramp and went as hard as I could down towards the finish. got some spots in this section which is always nice.

First km (downhill) and last km both in 3:08 so a couple nice bookends there. Always things to improve on but like how the book is reading thus far (Thanks to Clint). No sub 34 so that will have to wait till another day but confident can bring something mid 33's on the right day and course.

Thanks to Forerunners, Newton Running and Speed Theory for their support.

Also congrats to all those who ran including Les (my wife) who ran the same time this year on less training. I;m taking credit with my run / walk strategy we worked out. Also for those who know of the 53:58 challenge all I can say is that I have a subsidized post IMCDA celebration. The boys came in around 56 minutes so looking forward to that come July.

Now to hit the pool to work on that as it needs a lot of work.

P.S - Always wanted to use Poppin Fresh in a race report now I have

Getting to Brunch Early - Sun Run 2010 Awaits

2010-05-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

So this time tomorrow the Vancouver Sun Run and another swim workout will be behind me. What to expect tomorrow I do not really know as have had a pretty solid week of training were have smashed the legs pretty good. Having said that I am the fittest I have been in memory and amp'd to race for the first time in 7 weeks.

The reality is I have never done a 10km race "fresh and taper'd" so not to worried from that aspect. My PR for 10km is 34:51 in Jan 2009 and to be honest I would be quite disappointed if I went the wrong side of that. I know I ran a 35:35 10km stretch in the back half of the Comox Half Marathon in March so are thinking something between 34 and 35 should be achievable.

The sun run course is an interesting one with a fast downhill first km, winding section until 3km, a sharp hill at 5km followed by the bridge then a false flat home till 9km before one more bridge crossing.

Still working out a plan but think I am going to mentally break up the race as follows;

> 0 to 3km

> 3km to 5.5km (Top of the Burrard Bridge)

>5.5km to 8.5km (On ramp to Cambie Bridge)

> 8.5km to Home

Will see what happens come race day but are hoping for good things. This is not a key race and is just another step towards the main goals of the year, however still want to go out there and run fast, hurt in a good way and hopefully smash it!

Regardless of what happens will be going to brunch after so can't complain about that.

Good luck to all those racing this weekend, for those doing the Sun Run is looking like a nice day.

The 53:58 Challenge

2010-04-28T16:50:00.001-07:00

So, out of Ironman Canada last year came a little bit of fun. I did not have a great run on race day and ran 3:47:15. This in turn meant that to their chagrin a couple of my friends of a non triathlon persuasion had to wait a little bit longer to go to the pub after the race.

Hence the challenge was created to run the 2010 Vancouver Sun Run at my pace from IMC 2009. This works out to 53:58 for the event. Vancouver Sun Run is approaching and on May 9th the results will show the extent of preparation undertaken. I have heard rumors about training guides taken from Mens Health magazine and Sunday morning gym visits.

Dennis and Paul who were my Best man and Groomsman at my wedding are the combatants for this challenge and as a bonus will not have to complain about the sun runners waking them up as they run past Yaletown on a Sunday morning!!

As with any challenge some financial incentive is in order and here are the rules of engagement;

If they beat 53:58 (chip time - i.e. start line to finish line) I put $53.58 to the food/drink tab
If they are slower they put their race time to the bar tab - i.e 58:43 = $58.43 to the food/drink tab
If I beat their times by more than 20 minutes they have to put a bonus $20 towards the food/drink tab

This should be a fun day - not so concerned with my own result now but the bonus $20 will help make sure I push towards the finish.

Execute Each Day as Best as I Can

2010-04-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

"Execute each day as best as I can - do this and good stuff will happen"

The above statement pretty much sums up what I am focusing on the moment. Is it complicated no - is it hard to do, definitely at times.

It is just under 10 weeks away from IM Couer d'Alene and there is still a lot of work to get done before race day but at the moment are feeling good, fitness is improving week by week and starting to get some good quality in sessions as well. Below is a brief summary of where I am at across the various aspects of tri at the moment. Essentially feel I am at a good launching place for the next 10 weeks ahead.

Swim - Is improving and happy with how it is rolling along. Just need to focus on each and every swim session to make sure I am executing to the best of my ability form and work rate wise. Racing is the only real test but to this point things are definitely heading in the correct direction. hit a new 400m LCM PR in the pool during a set on Saturday so that was a good encouraging sign.

Bike - Putting in some good miles and really starting to nail the Quality aspects of my workouts. Confidence is building and looking forward to Shawnigan Lake Half Iron on May 30th which will be a good indication of where my bike is at. Need to push hard when required in my sessions over the next few weeks and think the benefits will materialize. Ride so much on my own is hard to benchmark my exact level but in the few times I have ridden with others have been feeling good.

Run - Is going good, nearly feel better running off the bike than just out the door which I suppose is a good thing. Once again looking for an opportunity to test it all out but are able to run at a faster pace with lower HR which is a good indicator.

Rest & Recovery - Is a big focus at the moment and although have areas to improve on are doing well in this regard making sure I am getting enough sleep, eating hald decent and doing stretching/core work etc.

Mentally - Excited for the challenges ahead. At the moment the key focus for me is getting the work done day in day out. Have been doing a lot of training solo which definitely creates an inner drive. Have also had the opportunity to do some fun sessions with other people which always spices it up a bit.

Whats happening going forward?

Essentially it is more training in the lead up to IM CDA. Looks like I will be racing the Vancouver Sun Run (10km Road Race), UBC Olympic Triathlon (Pool Swim) and Shawnigan Half Iron in the lead up. Excited to race - especially Shawnigan as will be a good bench mark, but even more excited and motivated about having good sessions day after day. I believe if I do this and trust in the process good things should happen.

Enjoying life, the process and all that comes with it at the moment. Can't ask for more than that. today is a rest day of sorts so will be cranking out some "real work" while watching the Canucks game tonight.

Till next time

Bike Safety in Vancouver - Complaining Sometimes Has a Purpose

2010-04-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

So on Tuesday I got buzzed by a garbage truck on my way to work. Often in these situations the first thought that comes to mind is to take out some U-lock justice. Now the fact was that I was not riding with a U_Lock and this really achieves no good anyway as just creates a culture of tension between motorists and cyclists and in the end it is never the cyclist who wins in the long term with this scenario.

So what do I do, just stew and go that was annoying and go on. Well not in this instance, as it was a City of Vancouver Garbage Truck I memorized the number plate, noted the time and location of the incident and wrote the following email (edited to remove number plate details)

Just wanted to report that when I riding my bicycle to work on Tuesday the 13th of April south Bound on McDoanld prior to King Edward Avenue I had a garbage truck (Right Hand Drive so spatial sense should not be an issue) pass me leaving approx 1 Foot of space which had the potential to push me towards parked cars.

At the time there was sufficient room for the driver to overtake at at a safe distance (3 foot + ) and the aggressive driving had the potential to cause an incident which when riding a bike can have serious consequences. I am not sure if this is an awareness thing but wanted to raise this as a point of concern especially as the City of Vancouver is promoting green modes of transportation. Luckily I am quite confident on my bike and ride a significant distance each year so while this incident annoyed me it will not put me off cycling.

However if I was a new rider this type of incident could result in me not riding again for fear of the consequences.

Thanks for your time in looking into this and the education process for city drivers.

Jeremy

In Vancouver there are a few places to send this correspondence. In this instance I sent this to the following emails;

General city email - info@vancouver.ca
Cycling issue specific email address for the city - cycling@vancouver.ca
The Email List for the mayor and all Councillors - mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca
The Advocacy Group for Vancouver Cyclists - vancouver@vacc.bc.ca

In the end what I hope is that any correspondence like this can help raise awareness around safe driving around cyclists. I have heard of people getting buzzed by Translink buses and while this like the incident above is likely the exception sending a note to raise awareness id the responsible thing to do. In fact writing this blog post took more time than it did form me to send the above email.

For more information on the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) who are the advocacy group for Lower mainland cyclists visit - www.vacc.bc.ca

Another interesting resource and demonstration of how to educate both cyclists and drivers about safety can be seen by the Amy Gillett foundation in Australia. Amy Gillett was an Australia Cyclist who had represented Australia in Cycling and Rowing and was killed while training with the Australian team by a motorist in Germany. her family and friends have continued her legacy by creating the Amy Gillett Foundation which mission is to to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by interactions between motorists and cyclists. One of their campaigns that is garnering a lot of momentum is A Metre Matters - looking to educate drivers about overtaking at a safe distance. Through a variety of media mediums they are working on this education process.

In the end its all about education and not confrontation and this a two way street. I hope my decision not to chase down the truck and give the driver a piece of my mind and instead raise this issue with my local council will in turn raise awareness of how cyclists and motorists can co-exist on the road. Chances are the driver did not realize the precarious situation his overtaking maneuverer put me in but if these risks can be pro actively communicated the roads will be safer for all.

Best Running Commercial I Have Seen

2010-04-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

This commercial is definitely blog worthy, relates to running and is absolutely hilarious. Proves it doesn't always have to be totally serious - think some of this already goes on @ wreck beach in Canada.

Thanks to IronKim - http://twitter.com/ironkim and http://www.ironmantriathlete.com/ for posting this on her twitter feed

Also found this add for Nike Free as well that reminds me of parts of the Ironman Marathon were you are going through a lot of self doubt/talk/motivation

I hate Mornings ..... but

2010-04-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am slowing coming around to mornings. Do not think I will ever become a morning person but starting to get into a routine around them when it comes to training. Come the weekends there are some benefits to be had for sure.

Today awoke @ 5:30am and after a coffee and some breakfast while catching up some some blogs and the news. Headed out on the bike just after sunrise @ 6:40am. There are a few advantages to being out as this time including the lack of traffic on the road.

It was a little cold out to begin (around 2 Celsius) but a merino under layer did the trick and definitely encouraged me to get the work rate up to the required level straight away. Add to this the beautiful mountain views of Vancouver and feeling that was on my own out in the city and the first 90 minutes of my ride was quite peaceful even though I was working at a good rate.

After my time on the bike it was time for a run, and although the city had awoken it was still fun to run through Kits to Kits Beach and the edge of Granville Island. all in all was done @ 10:25am and was able to enjoy a relaxing day with Les before heading to the pool in the evening (ironically moved this workout from yesterday as choose sleep on Friday Morning)

Some of the things that have helped me tolerate early morning a little more are;

Creating Ride, Run and Swim Bags for the week each Sunday. This way if I am riding just grab the bag it has the bulk of what I need.
Filling bottles, setting up bikes etc the night before. So it is a no thought process in the morning.
Getting to bed early - cheating on sleep is a road to disaster.
Getting out the door is the hardest thing - Do everything in your power to make this easy so you can do it on Auto Pilot.
Reward - If you manage to achieve your early morning schedule for the week then grab breakfast after one of your workouts.

Nothing incredibly insightful but just some thoughts. Hoping to get an early start tomorrow as well as plan on chilling at home and watching the Masters and Paris Roubaix upon my return.