Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 09, 2010

The Key to life

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Janelle Morrison (Calgary Triathlete) Seriously Injured in Car Accident

Outpour of Support for Calgary Triathlete Injured in Car Accident CALGARY, Alberta (November 23, 2010)- Former Calgary schoolteacher turned professional Ironman triathlete, Janelle Morrison, was involved in a serious head on collision west of Revelstoke, B.C. on November 21. Janelle is currently listed in stable condition however has suffered extensive injuries.


Due to the serious nature of her injuries Janelle had to be airlifted hospital in Kamloops, BC where she is currently in the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors state that had it not been for her exceptional physical condition, she may not have survived her injuries.

At the time of the accident Janelle was en route to Calgary to attend a Spin-a-Thon fundraiser for her and TriCommitment teammate Jordan Bryden, on Saturday, November 27. In spirit of Janelle, an athlete that never shies from adversity, TriCommitment will proceed with the Spin-a-Thon fundraiser in her honor as planned.

“Janelle is an incredible athlete and a great friend,” said Rose Serpico, co-owner of Calgary retailer Tri-It Multisport. "She is a fighter who knows how to push through adversity."

In 2008, Janelle Morrison left her full-time job as an elementary school teacher to pursue her Ironman dream in Penticton, BC. In her professional debut at Ironman Canada in 2009, Janelle raced to an overall 3rd place finish.

“Janelle and I face the same challenges of balancing training against earning a living as other professional athletes. We use fun events like this Spin-a-Thon as a way to give something back to the people who are kind enough to donate to us as emerging athletes”, said Bryden who is a London 2012 Summer Olympic hopeful. “With Janelle’s accident, we will be raising money not just so that her and I can compete, but just so that she can race again.”

TriCommitment, a unique innovative triathlon team comprised of Morrison and Bryden, aspires to share the sport of triathlon with others while raising money for emerging Canadian triathletes.

This Saturday TriCommitment will hold the Spin-a-Thon Fundraiser from 9:00am to 2:00pm in Eau Claire Market. The event has already garnered the support of star Canadian triathlete champions Simon Whitfield and Samantha McGlone who both donated signed championship race suits to the event’s evening auction.

Approximately 100-150 athletes and friends are expected to attend the indoor ride to support the athletes, supported by local coaches and fitness companies. Auction items will be on hand will include a jersey and signed hat from Lance Armstrong, and donations from many Calgary retailers.

The Spin-a-Thon will be followed in the evening by an after party and auction at 6:30pm at Spur Gastropub.

Donations will be accepted at both events for Janelle and a fund will also be set up in Janelle’s name to provide her with financial assistance during her recovery.

Participation in the fundraiser Spin-a-Thon and/or Party is open to the public, and registration is still open at www.tricommitment.com.

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

New Friday Run Class

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Not at the limit of 75 yet

This was the last group photo I took from BHC pool.  This was one of the largest group swims we had.  Still not quite close to the 75 person capacity of the pool.

Last picture from pool

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Alex riding the lava fields of Hawaii IM

Alex happy to ride in Hawaii Ironman 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

New wildflower video

Check out the new wildflower video for the 2011 camp.

http://nolimitstriathlon.com/Wildflower_Camp.html


California dreaming once again.... :)

Interesting Story

A while ago I posted on the blog the story about Ben who took on the challenge of losing weight and getting in shape. You can see the blog post below.

Well Ken past the link to his brother in-law and now he is doing a similar weight loss challenge. You can follow him on the following site.

http://dionmakesachange.blogspot.com

Just goes to show that you never know where inspiration will come from.
Happy Training and Good Luck to Dion!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Edmonton Fall Classic (5 and 10 milers)

Last Sunday Melissa took part in her 1st running race that was over 11Km. A 10 miler up in edmonton. The Fall classic road race. Melissa did very well in this race in 1:21 and placed 82 overall. My brother Greg also ran in this race and he chose to run in the 5 miler and he came in 83 overall in 47.53.

Nice running!
What race is coming up next? Halloween Howler and then Winterstart.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Confederation Park Relay





This was a fun race! The best part was the start. After the kids run we were all in a group talking etc...and then someone said...Hey when does the race start...we turn and see everyone running away. This was time for Ian (leg 1 runner) to make up some ground. :) If you have never done this race it really is quite fun. High intensity for 4 Km with a few good hills and 2 creek crossings. We had perfect running conditions for the race and everyone had a great time. Next year we are thinking of putting in the No limits kids in the full relay.

In the photo we have Ben (leg 3) Todd (leg 2) and Ian (Leg 1).

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thanksgiving 10 Km

Ian took part in the Calgary Thanksgiving day 10 Km on the weekend. This was a fun Fall test your fitness kind of run and he did very well. 38:47 which was 5th overall and 1st in his Age Group. Nice job Ian.

Looking forward to the relay this weekend at Confederation Park.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Doug BQs at Victoria

Doug had a great marathon on Sunday in Victoria. He finished in 3:25. This was a 35 min pb.

Nice job Doug!

Congratulations to Alex

On Saturday Alex finished the 2010 Hawaii ironman in a time of 14:13!!!!

Congratulations Alex I hope you enjoyed every minute!

What is next?

Monday, October 04, 2010

Good Luck to Alex and Doug

Good Luck to Alex who is competing in the Hawaii Ironman this saturday.
Good Luck to Doug who is competing in the Victoria Marathon.

I hope Alex and Doug have excellent days and enjoy the race to the fullest! :)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Races open to register

Sylvan lake and GWN (great white north) half ironman races are now accepting registration.

Both of these races will fill up, so if you want to do one of these races, sign up now!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Ian in T1 (Banff)

Sasquatch sighting in Banff triathlon

Amazing place to race -Banff-

Chris is out of the lake

Chris on the run in Banff

Ian headed to the Banff finish

Ian and Reid in Banff

Ken and family after Banff race

Banff triathlon

Ian's words say it best:

"Character race! Cold swim, colder bike and fun run to enjoy the scenery and reflect on the season. This would be an absolutely great race in the right conditions."

The morning was wet and the water was cold. I felt for the swimmers in the lake as the weather had been cool all week. Due to the cold the race organizers decided to decrease the distances of the swim by half (or more). Watching the sprint athletes come out I knew it was a cold one. A nice addition to T1 were changing booths. Where people could take off their wet clothes and put on dry stuff. On this cold day this was a wise decision.

I saw Ian run into T1 and he said "I can't feel anything". Arghh.

The rain continued to fall on the bikers. The location for this race was awesome. On a nice day this would be so pictureesque. Even on this cloudy day the scenery was great. The sun did start to shine on the run and the athletes started to shed their clothes.

Watching them run down Banff Ave to the finish was so cool!!!
Next year, cross your fingers for better weather.



Ken completed the Sprint and finished 17 overall
Ian completed the olympic and was 4th in his Age group and 22 overall
Chris completed the relay (swim and run) and finished with a huge smile.

Congrats to all the racers at Banff.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Tim's Worlds Race report

Race is done! Beautiful day on a really fast course (it might have been a bit short). Unbelievably fast racers, but a lot of fun.

I had a really good day (for me) and broke my PB by a crazy 9 minutes (again, probably a short course, but not 9 minutes short). My time was 2:11! My previous best (set earlier this year) was 2:20. My bike was fast (for me) and the run was great (especially the scenery along the Danube). The water for the swim was kind of gross, but that just gave me motivation to get out faster.

What a great day! And I did my best to enjoy it all along the way.

Maura, Stacy and Maura's Grandma met me at the finish to bookend a great experience.

Next stop Calgary.

Cheers to all!

Tim

Shane's Worlds Race Report

Well I am done World Championships for 2010 and I am quite sore. I finished many hours ago but this is the first time I have been able to get to the computer. The swim was very cold and only 14.9 degrees, which for some of you if you remember is slightly warmer than Vancouver in 2008 worlds. I started off very well in the swim and finished slightly under the 22minute mark. Great for a swim with no swim warm up. (No one was allowed a swim warm up before the start of the race.) We were in the water approximately 2 minutes before the gun went off.

The transitions were pretty long and I was in the first transition about 3 minutes (about the same for the second transition) When I got onto the bike I felt great and was able to push throughout the ride. The bike turned out to be a little bit short and my time was around the 53 minute mark. (I think it was about 4 to 5K short). Nonetheless i was flying on the bike and i figure with the added distance i would have come in around the hour mark. Which for me is an unbelievable ride. Previous best on the bike was around the 1:10:00 mark or so. I pushed harder than i ever have before on the bike and it showed up on the run with my legs really heavy from 4k to 8k.

The run was fairly flat and i was able to go pretty good for the first 4K or so and then the slight up hills showed up in my quads and i slowed coming up and going over the chain bridge. During the run, we crossed this bridge 3 times, with the slight incline over the bridge each time. But once i got to the top of the bridge for the last time, i knew there was only 2k left and less than 8 minutes of pain and the next 500m of the 2K was down hill. I was flying coming down the hill and onto the flats and I kept it going. I was able to push through to the finish and left everything on the course. I finished the run in 43:20 and finished the triathlon in 2:04:00. Which is a massive personal best!!!!!!!!!!! (previous pb in the triathlon was 2:17:45) Even with the added distance on the bike I still beat my previous personal best by almost 7 minutes overall.

What a great day to be me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yipppppppeeeeee! Now i can go and have a great time tonight. The beer will be flowing and the desserts will be great over the next couple of days.

Thank you all for your support over the last year and a special thanks goes to my younger brother and training partner for all the workouts we completed together since January and the big push at the end. Thanks Kim! Thanks for keeping me focussed on training and just being there in the pool on the frigidly cold morning swims in February.

Kyle and Shane in Budapest

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Good Luck to Shane and Tim at the World Champs!

Best of Luck to Shane and Tim who will be representing Canada at the world championships this weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

Tear it up guys!!!!

Ben's Vancouver Race Report (1st Olympic distance)

Vancouver Stanley Park Race Report:

Pre-Race:

Race started at 7:00a.m. so I was up at 5 to get ready. Ate 2 eggs and a bowl of porridge to fuel up before the race. I was a bit nervous in the morning. I'd done an open water a couple days before and I'd forgot that I'd be swimming in the ocean, which is a lot different than a lake swim. Have to deal with saltwater, current, waves and sometimes even a couple critters swimming underneath you...

Set-up my transition, made sure I had two gels in my jersey pockets, one for the bike at the 20k mark and one for the 5k mark in the run. Also I had dumped half a pouch of electrolyte powder into each of my water bottles and mixed them up with water for the bike. Made sure to mount my HR monitor/cadence sensor on my bike handlebars so I could get a cadence reading during my ride. Headed over to the swim to do a quick warm-up in the water and get use to the shock of the water temperature.

Swim:

The swim course consisted of two laps of a triangular shaped course. During my warm-up in the water I noticed that the water was really, really shallow all the way to the first bouy before dropping off. It was actually possible to walk/wade all the way to the first buoy as the water was only about 2ft deep. Also, ocean floor up to the first bouy was rocky, not the kind of round stones that are common around lakes, but a mix of sharp pokey stones, that enjoyed digging into your feet, mixed with a touch of sand. This was the fun stuff we'd get to run through.

Swim start was rough, I don't mind duking it out in the pack but I had positioned myself too far back, and ended up near the rear of the pack. It wasn't until I'd reached the first bouy that the water was deep enough to start swimming. The icy water, even though I'd attempted to get use to it during my warm-up still came as a shock, and there was a about 20seconds where I kept thinking "what am I doing?" Found it difficult to breathe, so I popped my head up, breast-stroked for maybe 10 seconds then got back in the water. I had to breath every two strokes (normally I breath every 3) before I calmed down, relaxed, and got into my rhythm of one, two, three, breathe, one, two, three, breathe, one, two, sight. Before I knew it I'd rounded the second bouy, then the third and I was back on form. Found myself thinking, "This whole Olympic distance thing isn't soo bad after all!" Swam as far as I could before the water became two shallow and I had to stand up to run around the first bouy to begin my second lap. Stepped on something really sharp and I felt my foot slide, but didn't pay much attention to it. Swam a negative split and even managed to see two crabs and what I think was a jellyfish.

1st Transition:

Hit the beach running, and had the top half of my wetsuit off by the time I'd reached the top of the beach and entered the bike area. We were assigned transition zones based on our number and luckily mine was right near where the swim exit was, making it super easy to find my stuff. Had some issue getting my wetsuit off, my fingers were numb from the swim and I had issues pulling the suit over my ankles. Managed to get it off, pulled socks on, bike shoes, jersey, helmet and threw the bike over my shoulder to run to the mount line.

Bike:

The bike course wound it's way through Stanley Park, it was a four lap course which managed to show off some good Vancouver sites, in typical Vancouver weather, aka pouring, drenching rain...Course was slick, one major climb, the rest was pretty flat. There was one wicked descent though.
Conditions were brutal, I tried wearing sunglasses to keep the wind/rain out of my eyes, however after about 30seconds my lenses were covered in water and I couldn't see anything. Almost fell once on the course. There was a sharp corner, and I thought I could make it by sticking to the inside, unfortunately I wanted to turn left and my bike wanted to try hydroplaning and keep going straight, managed to regain control before I hit the curb and rounded the corner, luckily there was no one around me. Also the cadence sensor I had mounted on my bike during pre-race decided that it doesn't like to work in the rain, so I couldn't see how my time was or how my cadence was doing. Still managed to hammer pretty hard, not my best bike time, but I still gave it pretty good. Popped one gel at the 20k mark, had some issues drinking water on the bike as the course was twisty windy, and didn't afford a lot of good sections to catch a break. Fingers were nearly frozen by the end.

2nd Transition:

I left my feet in my bike shoes during transition, normally I try sliding them out, but my fingers were so numb I couldn't undo the clips and velcro on my shoes. Ran to my trans zone, racked my bike then began the incredibly difficult process of trying to unlip my bike shoes and use the quick ties on my running shoe laces. The gentleman beside me summed it up perfectly when he yelled: "&%$#ing FINGERS!!!". Gloves would have been a good choice this race. Eventually managed to get my shoes on and headed out of transition. Noticed a tingling in my left foot and a slight pain sensation, but I brushed it off as my legs just trying to get use to the run.

Run:

The run was a 5k out and back, which we had to do twice. The first 1.5k I could feel my legs were sore but I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other and waiting for my legs to return, it wasn't until about 2k in that I looked down and thought to myself "Hmm, that's funny, when did my left shoe turn pink?"
Kept running and at the turnaround for the first 2.5k my left foot really started to hurt. I wasn't running very fast at all, my strides were really short and I was beginning to run/limp a bit. Only 7.5k to go though, it's do-able, not going to be able to do it in the time I want, but it's do-able. Ran the next 5k, and by this point I was sure I had done something to my foot. Popped a gel at the halfway point and kept on going. The last 1.2k there was a corner with a race official letting racers know they were almost done. It was at that point that I gave myself a lil' pep-talk, berated my injured foot for dragging the team down, and resigned myself to pick up the pace. Finished strong, sprinting/going as fast as I could for the last 800m.

Post Race Thoughts:

Finishing time was 2:43:22. Didn't do as well as I was hoping, my target time was 2:30, but given that I've been training for Sprint Distance the past 4 months, as well as the fact that conditions were terrible and I sliced my foot open midway through the swim, I'm okay with it. Things to improve would've been taking some warmer clothes for the bike; arm warmers and gloves would've been a good idea. Also, if I'm racing in pouring rain again, I might duct tape over the vents in my bike shoes to prevent my feet from getting so cold. All'n all though, it was a good race, good finish to an excellent race season, and I think Olympic distances are the way to go. That's the distance I want to focus on for next year, and I know I'll be even faster come next season!

Cheers!

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Mike's IMC race report

Hi All,

You all know I completed Ironman Canada (IMC) yet again this year. It's been a long tough year and this last week has been as eventful as the entire year. The race was on Sunday and I just got home last night. Today, I spent my time still hurting, unpacking, hurting more, accepting a new job at an oil sands company (no i'm not leaving Calgary), resigning from my current job (very happy about that), and now having a scotch to celebrate the week's accomplishments while i write this message. I'm sure the scotch will help with my recovery!


Many of you may remember my email from last year and how dramatic my swim was. Well, thankfully that wasn't the case this year! My swim is the event that concerns me the most. I've worked hard to improve my swimming over the last year, but I still enter it with quite a bit of trepidation. I now have a pre-race strategy that has worked well for me this year. First, i get into the water as soon as possible for a very long warm up. This year i got in immediately after the pros took off at 6:45am (they start 15mins before the rest). During my warm up, i was feeling very strong and confident, which helped strengthen my confidence for the day. And then, bonk! I came head to head with another swimmer who was on his way back in. Hm, i'm sure i was sighting well. Okay, try not to let this be a sign for the day to come. At the start of the swim, i went as far left as possible to avoid crowding, which causes me to panic during the start. Then, while waiting for the start, i stayed very calm and completed some relaxation breathing exercises. I know it all sounds a little excessive, but hey, i could drown out there! When the race started, i began to walk out slowly waiting for the mass to move on. Once i found some prime swimming real estate I was on my way. I kept thinking; "holy smokes, how far am i from everyone? there's no one around me. Hm, don't over think it. Okay, focus on my stroke...stretch...good catch...where'd he come from...focus...what the..." and then bonk, ouch, i can't see! Some one had elbowed me in the face and knocked my goggles off. "stay calm...are my contacts still in...where's the bloody finish...jeez this feels far...whew! at last, here are...hey that wasn't so bad!"

When i got out of the water, i didn't know what my time was and figured it was around 1hr30mins. I mean, with perfect ideal conditions i was hoping for 1hr25mins at the best. I found out after the race i did 1hr22mins!! Success, all that hard work has been paying off. So, on to the bike.

I got on my gear, and the change tent was a mad house. What ever...stick to the race plan. I started my ride, and put on my arm warmers. It was pretty chilly. for the first 60k, i was riding like a superstar. Lance who? I felt great, was riding strong and sticking to my nutrition plan. Then the first mountain pass. Okay, this felt harder than last year, but i settled into a rhythm and rode strong. The following hills (7 of them) started to wear me down but i was still feeling pretty strong, but then the winds got stronger. Don't think too much about...don't let the negative thoughts sink in too deep. I reached the out and back section still on pace for around a 6hrs bike. My goal for this race was to finish the bike between 6 hrs and 6hrs10mins. I know, not much room for error. At the turnaround for the out and back, i was hitting the headwinds again. Ugh, man this sucks! And then i was the gradual uphill to the second (and last) mountain pass. Along with the winds, everyone around me (including me) were doing 10kph! Ugh, i'm so over this! Then the negative thoughts really took hold. I had decided that if i wasn't feeling better by the climb, I would get off my bike and be done when i saw my family. The reality of the decision likely wouldn't have allowed my to quit, but man, i was really struggling. Sure enough, my family had decided not to face the traffic nightmare and opted not to be on the mountain. Whew, decision made! Once on the climb though i started to warm up (despite the rain) and my spirits started to turn around. Then on the decent...well, a parka would have been nice! It was REALLY FREAKIN' cold. Nevertheless, i gave it full gas, and finished the ride in 6hrs24mins. Not bad all things considering. I was satisfied with that.

Thankfully, at the last minute, i decided to put a spare pair of socks in my run gear bag. Ahhh, dry and warm:) I got on the rest of my gear and was off for the run. Hm, this isn't so bad. Wait...ow! What the...! My back and glutes were cramping...bad...especially my lower back. Ow! Go away! As i was running through town...oh, hey there's a friend, i can't let them see me walk...high five! Ugh, my back is killing me! Stop, walk, stretch, run. Oh, there's my family! "Where have you been?!" Big HIGH FIVES! Okay, it's been long enough...stop, walk, stretch, run. After the third mile marker, my lower back stopped cramping and i was able to run much more comfortably...except now my butt really hurt...whatever, suck it up! Then, i started running to each water station, but i was feeling very strong and comfortable. As like last year, soup and water were my lifeline. I had difficulty containing my excitement that my run was going so well. It's still a long way anything can happen. Aside from my muscles, i was feeling very strong and energetic, mentally, emotionally, etc. Around the 11mile mark of the run, the course gets hilly. Overall, i handled these hills fairly well and felt strong. For the run, I was planning for 4hr15min-ish run, and for the first half of the run, this seemed possible. But on the way back the hills started to take there tole. My racing was done and now it was all about just finishing. Nevertheless, during the run my spirits never weakened and remained upbeat and satisfied my accomplishment given the day's conditions. As i ran along Lakeshore drive for the final mile, i saw my aunt cheering. To say she was enthusiastic would be an understatement. Always great to see when your pushing for the end. Then i saw my mother and her husband cheering, which was motivating to say the least. I knew i was done, the end was just a few short minutes away. All concentration was abandoned and i allowed myself to soak in the environment and celebrate a little. At the finish, I grabbed the tape, raised it over my head, felt nothing but complete satisfaction.

This has been a long and challenging year for me, and that finish wasn't just your regular race completion victory. It was a big one. Okay, Ironman's already big, but even bigger. Whew! I completed my run 4hrs44mins. 30mins off pace, but i'm completed satisfied. Over all my race was 1hr19mins faster than last year, and i finished in 12hrs44mins50sec. Long day!

So, same as last year. I'm still not getting the tattoo, but i have decided to take the off from doing ironman. I plan on focusing on some Half's, i really want to do Muskoka next year, so you ontario folk better be around! I also plan on riding more. Of course, next year is a long way away and anything can happen or change. Sorry this email was so long but i had 13hrs to cover!

Thanks again for the support. I'm not good on facebook and i'm not great at staying in touch very much, so I made up for it here.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Mike on his way to the finish (turn your head )

John on his way to the finish

The winds were so bad....


Small boys and parking meters were being blown away..... :)

Kevin on his way to the finish at IMC

Todd in a blanket


After I got back to my hotel my boys wante to take a picture of me with my blanket on as they saw me. I was in a good mood as I was eating chips and soon to drop into a hot tub.

Cold day at IMC




Although this is not me, I bet I was one of the 1st riders to come up with this trick. I stopped at an aid station and said I need something to keep me warm and they gave me a rescue blanket and tied it around me. It worked for a few minutes.

Prerace fun

Carrie heading out for her marathon

Elaine having fun the day before IMC

Carrie and Tina are done IMC

Elaine heading to the finish at IMC

Todd going up Richters pass

Doug at Ironman Canada

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

IMC 2010

Ironman Canada 2010

IMC 2010 is over. Just like that. But what a day. The weekend before the race the temperature was 30. Race day was calling for a high near 20 with thundershowers in the afternoon. The morning looked great. A nice temperature to race and the water was fine and calm. The swim back to shore after the turnaround was a bit choppy but not too bad. Once on the bike we had favourable weather leading to Richters Pass. On the downside is where the winds started. Nice headwind for the rest of the way. Once on yellow the weather changed depending on what time you reached it. The earlier riders found lots of rain, hail and some flooding on the roads. I was told that the rain stopped later but the cool weather stayed. Back into town the winds really picked up. A strong wind blowing from the North which occasionally brought some light rain. This was not pretty and it was hard watching the runners head out in this weather. So the weather continued to change depending on where you were and when. This change in weather really made this IM an incredible challenge for all.

We had some great results:
Kevin finished in 11:22
Doug finished in 11:23 (first time out for Doug)
Elaine finished in 11:24 and was fast enough for a Hawaii spot but turned it down (6th)
Mike finished in 12:44
John finished in 13:19
Tina and Carrie finished their 1st IM together at 14:39

This was a hard fought race for all finishers and I am very proud of everyone’s great effort. Who signed up for 2011?

Monday, August 23, 2010

Good Luck from Brian to all Ironman Racers!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL IMC 2010 RACERS !

I would like to wish everyone the best of luck and have a safe race at IMC . I am sure you all have set personal goals, finishing times, which I hope you all achieve. I will be at IMC encouraging each one of you along the way and I look forward to seeing you all crossing the finish line healthy.
To my good friend John Howey – you have trained hard and are prepared for the race and I am certain you will post a PB but just remember to set the bar high, really high, for next year – good luck buddy!

GOOD LUCK to everyone and enjoy your day!

Brian Ricker

Apple Triathlon

The Apple triathlon was held over the weekend. This was the National champs and was a qualifing race for the National Team that is going to the 2011 Worlds being held in China.

Ian had his sights on this race all year and was hoping to grab a spot for Team Canada. Well I just checked the results and he finished in 2:11 which was good enough for 45 overall and 6th in his age group and this will guarantee him a spot. Congrats Ian.

Chris was also racing today and he went out and finished in 2:38. This is a great time for Chris.

Nice job guys!!! Next race is IronMan Canada!! :) Then Banff and then Worlds....

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Shanes Riding Mtn Triathlon race report

Chalk another one up for experience…
The day started off well. It was raining and slightly cool but still good for racing in. I was not scared of the rainy dreary weather as I excel and love running in the rain and as long as I am warm, I like to ride in the rain as well. (I think I like to have a day where it is gross out, as so many people don't like the rainy day.)
The bike warm up was good and my legs were a little sore and tired but I did not think about it. After the hard week I had, I thought I was doing really well. Next, was to get my bike into transition and warm up on the run.
The run warm up was good and My legs once again felt tired but I quickly pushed that out of my mind. I got down a part of the run course and realized that it was going to be a trail run for the 1st 5k and got excited. I was now pumped and looking forward to the run.
I got back to transition with lots of time before the race start. (As transition closed at 8:30am, half hour before swim start, I had to get into the water early as there was a meeting at 8:30 and marshaling at 8:45.) It was good that I got into the water so early, as there was no time after the meeting and marshaling. I was in the water at 8:15 and the only person warming up. It was cold out and I was wondering if I had made the right decision so far before the start of the race and having to stand outside in the rain before the race. Luckily the water was warm and I just kept telling myself that I would be alright. Once the warm up was done I was out of the water at 8:30 and back in transition for the meeting. I was fine as far as body temperature until 10 minutes before the race and then I was shivering. I just kept saying that I will warm up, I will warm up.
Well the gun went off and I quickly got punched in the head by the guy next to me. It came out of nowhere and it hurt. Well that is the last time I got hit during the swim. The swim turned out to be one of the toughest swims I have ever done, because of the high waves and rainy windy weather. The swim quickly turned into a survival test and not totally about the speed. (the swim consisted of 2 laps of a 750m course). The swim tom the first buoy was fast but after that it was very hard to see the next buoy. I had to rely on watching for other swimmers as I could not see the buoys due to the high waves. It was a very hard swim across the waves. I did not see the 2nd buoy until I was approx. 50m from it. Once around the 2nd + 3rd buoy, it was a straight shot to the turnaround (or start-finish area). The waves along this stretch were coming across you (barrel roll like) and were starting to make me feel sea sick. The 2nd lap was better, as I knew what to expect and there was no one around. The spot between the 1st and 2nd buoy was better and I was able to time my spotting at the top of the waves better. I came out of the water in 3rd place overall (1st in my age group) and felt strong coming into transition. Official time: 24:26
Once in transition I put on my no limits jacket (the new one) grabbed my gloves and took off on the bike. Leaving transition I felt great and very light on my feet. I was ready tom tackle the bike. It was drizzling and I was able to get into some what of a rhythm even though there were a lot of hills. My HR on the way out on the bike was around 168 to 175 but I was feeling good. My legs were good and I was pushing as hard as I felt I could. I did not feel like I was overdoing it even though I was 5 to 8 beats over my AT. The bike course was very hilly and would be comparable to Wildflower. The last 5k before the turnaround was all uphill and I felt like I was getting into a rhythm. The way back down the big hill was fun and I was flying. Then at approximately the 25k mark my front tire all of a sudden felt like it had some spring. (Not a good sign). I thought that was odd and pedal up a small incline and then the tire was totally flat. Well the good bike ride was over. (up until this point my IT bands and back were just starting to hurt.). I changed the tier, checked the rim, the tire and then proceeded to get the CO2 out. Well the 1st one failed and no air went in, I thought that is why I have 2 CO2 cartridges. Well I had as much luck with the 2nd one. Well luckily within the next 5 minutes someone with a pump came by and lent it to me. I was back on the bike after 17 minutes of frustration. Once back on the bike I felt like a million bucks and just started hammering. I was passing people like there was no tomorrow. Well just as I started to think about the run, my front tire went flat again. (approx. 35k mark) Once I stopped the bike, I got off and swore again on the side of the rode. (After getting home, later in the day I found a very small piece of wire in my tire.) Bike ride was over....race was over.
Well once a race official picked me up and I got back to transition, I dropped off my chip and ended up chatting with one of the lead race officials. I discussed with her what transpired and she convinced me that I should do a run anyways, just to get the confidence for the run. So, I dropped my bike off in transition, put my running shoes on and took off on the run course. Before I knew it I was flying down the course and I had covered 2.5k. Up until this point I was not sure how far I was going to run but decided at this point to do the entire 10k. I felt like I was flying and very powerful and strong. I was passing everyone. It felt really awesome.  I turned a potentially crappy day into a great one. I ended the run with a time of 42:40, only 20s from my PB in a 10k during a triathlon. I also felt that I could have pushed a bit harder at the end, during the run.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Women's only Strathmore Sprint triathlon

Sunday was a picture perfect day to race. Sunny and very Little wind. Not your typical Mary race. Perhaps her bad weather luck is over with races. :)

After volunteering all morning she hopped in the water and raced. Mary raced well winning her age group and placing 5th overall. Great job Mary! Maybe you just have to volunteer at every race you do to have good weather. :)

It was great to watch all the racers on Sunday. Especially the ones that were completing their 1st ever triathlon. Congrats to all the ladies that took part in the race!!!!

Next race is the Apple this weekend!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Ben's Chaparral race report

Lake Chaparral Race Report

Pre-Race:
Woke up at about 6a.m, got all my stuff together (that pre-race checklist you had sent me last race comes in VERY handy!), mixed together a quick shake in the blender (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, barley seed, chocolate protein powder, yogurt, milk, and granola). Set up my transition area from 6:30 to 7:15. Also stopped to get my bike tuned as my brakes and front derailer needed some adjustment. In regards to selecting a transition area, I chose to put my stuff at the far end of the rack on the rack closest to the run exit. That way I could be sure to remember where my stuff was, as I had some issues going to the wrong rack last race.

After setting up my stuff and attending the pre-race meeting it was only 8:00 and I didn't race until 10:05. I went back home, had an omelette with about 4eggs and veggies. Kept drinking water, filled out my Race Plan form, which helped to keep me focused and get me into "race mode".

Got back to the race site by about 9:30, put on my wetsuit, visited with some friends who were out to watch. Kept drinking water. Got into the Lake ~15mins before start, splashed around, did a quick warm-up. I found being in the lake really helped to calm me down, and get rid of any last minute nervousness.

Swim:
The swim was awesome. As it was my first open-water, I had a lot of fun. I positioned myself about mid pack, as I don't consider myself to be too fast a swimmer. Having to fight for a position is a lot of fun. Adds a whole new dynamic to racing, and it really gets the adrenaline pumping. Managed to fight my way to the front of the middle of the pack. Settled into my stroke and just swam. Got into a rhythm of swimming 3 strokes, breathe, 3 strokes breathe, 2 strokes, sight; then just focused on swimming my own race.
Pre-swimming the course the day before was a major help, as coming out the lake the boat ramp is really slick with algae. They had people there helping to pull you out, and it's not worth it trying to stand up. It's better to just swim right up to the person's hand, then have them pull you the rest of the way.

1st Trans:
Came out of the water running, already had my wetsuit off to my waist. Little bit of an issue trying to get the suit over my timing chip, but managed to eventually get it off. Having a Tri top underneath my wetsuit would've saved me a couple seconds, but I didn't have too much of an issue throwing my jersey on. Had my HR belt with me too, I used it as a race belt and had pre-pinned my number to it when I was setting up my transition earlier. I prefer to carry my bike as I find it easier to run, ran to the mount line, hopped on, and I was off.

Bike:
Bike was fun. Really fun. I had mounted my cadence sensor on my handlebars before the race, tried to keep my cadence >90 the whole bike leg. I was flying past people. There was another guy, race number #113, he was on a tri bike, and for the first half of the course we were racing neck and neck. Eventually I managed to pass him on the inside of the first corner, I find riding on the drops really easy to corner at speed. Got going pretty fast down the hill, and I remembered from riding the course earlier that there were some pot holes to watch out for. Took in some water on the bike. Going up the hill #113 managed to pass me, and I wasn't able to catch him for the rest of the race. Did both laps at about the same pace, made sure cadence was high, glad I had my brakes adjusted before the race as it enabled me to do some good cornering.

2nd Trans:
I slid my feet out of my shoes while still on the bike, although I think I may've done it a bit too early. I should've pushed harder and waited another block before doing it. Hit the dismount line running, easily found my transition zone. Had a tiny issue sliding my feet into my running shoes as I left my elastics a touch too tight, but managed to get them in, cinch the elastic laces and I was off.

Run:
Run off the bike was rough. I had a bit of a stitch in my right side, and after taking in some water from the first aid station it only felt worse. Kept running through it though, as I knew eventually it would fade. Took me awhile to find my legs, and there was a group of about 4 guys who passed me right off the first loop of the park. Then at about 1.5km a girl flew past me, that's the pace I want to run at eventually. She was FAST! Kept going at my own pace waiting for my leg muscles to remember how to run. It wasn't until the next aid station, the stitch was gone, I had another cup of water. Another man passed me but we were going at about the same pace, so I stayed right behind him for the next 400m. Finally my legs returned ~3km? and I was gone. I stepped out to pass the guy in front of me and as I was going past him he must've seen my tri shorts:

Man: "Hey you train with Todd too? Have a good race buddy! Finish strong!"
Me: "Thanks man! You too!"

It's amazing what a little encouragement does...I was really moving after that. Flew through the next 600m to the transistion zone/final park loop, then increased my pace even further as I knew I was almost done. Last loop of the park I burned through and I made sure to finish strong and sprinted the last 100m to the finish line. I ended up catching 3 of the 4 guys who had passed me right at the start (I never caught the girl, she was quick), and finished only about 5m behind the 4th guy. Definitely ran a very strong negative split.

It was a good race! I had a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one!

Need a ride to Ironman?? Lynn can help

I'm traveling to Penticton from Calgary Wednesday, August 25, returning Monday, August 30 if anyone is interested in sharing the fuel and 9 hours in the car with me. Please contact Todd for Lynn's email.

Monday, August 09, 2010

Bill's finish at Chaparral

Ben on the run (Chaparral)

Teri exiting the water at Chaparral

Pete looking very fast at Chaparral

Lake Chaparral triathlon

On Sunday we had Lake Chaparral triathlon. The weather sort of cooperated. A bit drizzly but not cold. We were lucky not to have any thunder or lightning. Johnny and I arrived just in time to watch the men olympic swim start. Watching from the dock with old racing buddy Mark was cool. Rose joined us and we watched Madi have a strong swim leg for her part of a relay.

Then the Sprint race started. We saw Ben back in action for race number 2, Bill taking on another sprint and Teri taking on her 1st triathlon since her hip replacement (Wow).

Well the ladies were 1st off and Johnny and I cheered from the dock again and we watched Teri exit in what seemed top 10. So far so good. Once she was off on the bike we went back to watch the Men exit the water. It was very busy and I ony saw Ben and Bill exiting T1 and hopping on their bikes.

Watching the race was fun as we get to see racers that we have not seen in a while. We saw Pete, Ben, Corey and Mario. They were all looking good.

Once the bike was over we moved over to the grass to watch the finish. Here we saw Teri finsih strong and win her age group. Ben had an incredible sprint to the finish and placed 3rd in his Age group. Bill was also having a good race and he finished 3rd in his Age group.

Nice racing everybody! Next race is the Apple and then it is IronMan Canada! :)

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Shane's Regina Beach race report

Well the day was great and the warm up on the bike felt good. There was a little wind but nothing to be concerned about for a round here. While in transition, at the top of the hill, there was a very long line up to get our timing chip and swim cap. (The people running this were not very efficient which in the end, delayed the start of the race by 15 minutes.) Therefore I had allowed for some miscellaneous time during the warm-up but not the 20 minutes we spent in line at the top of the hill. So, by the time we walked down to the bottom of the hill I had to make a decision on whether to complete a run warm up or skip it. Well, I decided to skip the run warm-up, as you know I take a long time to warm up for the swim. It was also 20 minutes to start time with a meeting in there some where. The swim warm-up went very well and just as I was finishing up, the announcer said that we are going to be delayed by 15 minutes. (This would have been nice to know 20 minutes ago, oh well.) Back in the water I went for a little bit more swimming.

Okay now onto the race, when the gun went off I charged into the water and there were people around me but within a 100m I was out front, or so I thought. Out of the corner of my eye at about the 200m mark I could see a couple arms coming in from my right. Anyways, back to my swim. The swim to the first buoy was approx. 325m and for the entire length a guy kept running into me and I kept looking to see if I was off course, but I was not. Then eventually, the person disappeared and I never saw them again. Upon reaching the first buoy, I was feeling pretty good at this point and tried to pick it up to the next buoy as I could see a couple people in front of me approximately 25m. When I turned at the second buoy I could still see the person in front of me and I gained ground. So on the way back to the beach, I pushed it to see if I could catch this person. Still my arms felt pretty good and I told myself to push harder. I actually did not see this person on the way back to the beach but when I got up out of the water and ran around the buoy and was about to dive back in the water for the second lap I saw the person and he was just standing up out of the water. The start of the second lap is always hard as you know with the standing up and running a bit and then diving back in. For probably the first 4 minutes at least I just told myself to breathe and relax. My arms at this point were really sore and almost tight and very sluggish. I was really trying to think about long smooth strokes and forget about the pain I was in. Well about half way to the 1st buoy of the 2nd lap, I did start to feel better. And between the 1st and 2nd buoy, I actually got very relaxed and had to tell myself to push. Then I was off to the races and began to push harder and harder. Finally onto the last leg of the swim, I could see splashes in the distance and said lets go, I feel good for this part of the race. Well, I got to the edge of the beach and someone said that you are 4th out of the water. I felt pretty good at this point. I stood up and run for the swim transition area. Once into this transition, I tried to relax and be methodical in getting my wetsuit off. I was a little light headed. Once the wetsuit was off, I put my one shoe on and almost fell over and then steady myself and put the other on. Once again almost fell over.

Now, it was onto the 650m steep hill to the bike transition. I felt good coming out of transition, but that lasted about 50m, where my lungs and stomach did not feel very good. I thought I was going to puke right there. Well, thank god it past. The hill climb was a grind (and I would say it is similar to the hill on the bike course at Wildflower but not as long and I had to run up it.). I just tried to keep focus on the top of the hill and one foot in front of the other. I can’t imagine how high my HR was at this point but maybe it was better I did not know. There was nothing easy about this hill, except maybe when you got to the top.  Well the bike transition, went off without a hitch and I was out of there within 15seconds of getting to my bike. Now onto the bike.

When I first got onto the bike, I was still feeling very tired from the run up the hill and the swim and I tried not to push too hard off the start. I could see the guy in front of me and he was about 400~500m in front. I just kept telling myself to relax and try not to sprint at this time. Just get into your rhythm and then begin to push. (The shoulders on the road that we were biking on were about a 2 feet wide and then gravel and a bit of a drop.) Well, I had taken a few sips of my drink and then I started to calm down and get into a groove. I could still see that guy out front and decided it was time to get into the aero position, as the head wind was a problem at the moment.

Well, I am still not sure what happened next but I remember getting down into the position and then taking a drink and the next thing I know I was on my side sliding of the pavement, with my bike sliding out in front of me. It happened so fast that I had no time to react properly. After I stopped sliding, I remember looking straight up to the sky and thinking did that really happen and damn my leg hurts. I also heard a voice behind me ask if I was alright. I said, “yes, just some scrapes but I feel fine, thank you.” (I bet it looked pretty weird from the lady in the car behind me. I am just glad she wasn’t any closer.) Well, at this point I was a little shocked on what just transpired, and I got up off the ground and began to look at my bike. At first glance, it did not appear to have much wrong other than the seat turned sideways and the brakes off a bit. I fixed both of these things and got back on the bike. (Quitting at this point did cross my mind, but only for a split second and then I said lets go.) So, I got back on my bike and I quickly got going again but realized that I only had the lower chain ring of gears. I got off the bike again and tried to fix it or at least jam it in the top chain ring so I could have my top gears. No such luck. I said to myself I cannot do anything about it and just go with what I got. Not having the upper (big ring) on the way out, did not matter as the head wind was strong enough that I could not shift up to those gears anyways. But on the 2nd half of the lap with a tail wind, I could not go like I wanted. Going down some of the small hills, I had to glide and not pedal as I was cycling at 115 rpms for a long period of time and not getting any grip. (While I was laying at the side of the road and fixing my bike, four people passed me. The crash happened at approximately 4K of the bike.) From this point on, I just tried to push as hard as I could go and see what I could do, even though I crashed. One more person passed me on the bike ride the rest of the time and it happened to be my younger brother and I stayed with him on the way out on the second lap but he dusted me soon after that. In addition, to the crash and the bike trouble something wasn’t agreeing with me as far as nutrition and I puked a couple times on the bike.

Upon arriving in the bike transition, I was feeling not bad, considering what had happened and was looking forward to getting onto the run and hoping that my luck would turn around.

Well the luck did not turn all around but I was able to get through the run with a few problems. One being for about the first 8 minutes, I felt like I could not breath and I actually seriously thought I would abandon. But that ended up passing and I was able to focus more on the run. But the entire length of the run I felt nauseous and wanted to throw up. And so, I just said that I will just keep moving and hopefully get over it. Well, that did not happen and I actually threw up going up the hill just before the turnaround. I felt a little better but the nausea came back and I held it in for the rest of the run. It was hard as my legs felt fine and actually really good but every time I sped up I felt even worse in my gut. At approximately 1K to go, three guys passed me and I tried to stay with them but it felt even worse. So, I just chugged along and eventually got to the finish and had a last burst of speed at the end and finished.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Alex all smiles at 70.3

Doug at 70.3

Mary at 70.3

Mary's 70.3 race report

I haven't written any race reports in a while so here are the details of my Calgary 70.3:

This was my second half Ironman distance race, ever, and I was very excited to be competing on my stopping grounds opposed to in Stoney Plains. I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed although not much sleeping occurred on the evening prior to the race. I went to bed around 10:30 but woke up at 12, 1:30 and 3am to thunder and lightning and when my alarm went off at 3:40 it was pouring. My scheduled bus out to Ghost lake was at 4:15 and I wondered if I should take a later one to avoid standing around in the rain while officials debated whether there would be a delay or possibly the cancellation of the swim portion of the race. I decided to continue on as planned and by the time I got to the lake the rain had stopped and everything was proceeding as scheduled.

Once on site, I hit the bathrooms first, pumped my tires, organized my bags, and then ran into Elaine and Steph who were also racing. I put on my wetsuit and started heading towards the lake and ran into Tina and Viv. This was a total surprise. My family was away this wkd and I had assumed that I would not have any support on the course. It was so great to see familiar faces and get a last minute pep talk. Ambient temp. was 13C and water temperature around 17C. It didn't feel too cold to me but lots of competitors had on neoprene caps so I decided to double cap and wore ear plugs to prevent the cold water from piercing through my ear canals...I hate that feeling.

Elaine positioned us in an optimal spot amongst all the other female age groupers (about 250) in the front of the pack on the far left. She kept telling me to hug the boats to our left. This worked out really well and although I lost her immediately at the start I was swimming hard (could hear myself breathing)and had a great line to the farthest buoy. The swim course was 1 loop that I was visualizing as a rectangle. Turns out it was more of a wedge shape. I never asked Elaine what to target when heading back to the boat launch. From the farthest point away I could not see any landmarks. I swam straight back not sighting anything and continued to stay to the left. I remembered the official saying stay left in order to not collide with swimmers in subsequent heats. After about 300m, I started observing that I was the farthest person left and about halfway back concluded that I was very wide. Made correction but extra swimming cost me some time. Oh well, lesson learned- know where you are going!

T1- I'm used to having my stuff all set out in transition. Getting changed in a muddy, grassy area, out of a bag, is new to me and I felt very disorganized = slow T1. Temp was about 13C and stormy (although not raining) so I donned only arm warmers but grabbed my light rain/wind resistant jacket just in case. Wind was minimal on the bike and I got excited to ride the familiar course. My core was a little cool and my feet very cold but within minutes they were numb. Glad I decided to take the time to put on socks but also should have had toe warmers on my shoes as well. I underestimated the effect of 17C water on bare feet. Was reasonably comfortable and biking well but then it started to rain around 40k and I was really cold and uncomfortable. I decided to take the time to stop and put on my jacket. Was so thankful I had it- it made a huge difference. I had a decent ride with a really strong last 20k. Course was a wee bit long at 94k but I had done many 90k+ rides (thx Tina, Viv, Kendall) in the weeks prior and unlike last year at GWN, I wasn't wishing I was done with the bike leg at 60k. Transitioned to run and conditions were ideal. Overcast and 15C. Hit the 1km mark and realized I still had 1 arm warmer on. Oops. Better than realizing you are running with your bike helmet. Saw "my crew", now including Kendall, Ian and Lisa, tossed my arm warmer, and headed down into the weaselhead. BTW, it took about 3km for my feet to thaw and along the way I ran into Alex, another No Limits athlete, who commented on her thawing feet. Then she was off- a very speedy runner!

When I don't have earphones in my ear I often struggle with lots of negative thoughts. I picked a mantra and said it to myself the ENTIRE time. There wasn't any room at all for any negative thoughts. Another good distraction was saying something positive to every runner I passed. This technique worked really well.
I watched for and spotted Elaine, Steph, Doug, and Alex running by on their way back. They all looked like they were running strong although I did note that everyone looked fairly uncomfortable. I reminded myself that racing is hard and I tried to run a bit harder myself. Made it to the 10.5k turnaround and was still feeling pretty good although there was definitely tightening in my glutes and hamstrings. Made my way through the undulating course and braced myself running down the steep hill. Everyone always says take advantage of gravity but running down steep hills is hard on the legs. At 16km there was a final uphill (weaslehead) to crest to get back towards the finish for the final 4km out and back portion. This is where I hit the proverbial wall. I got to the top of the hill and my legs were done. Not only were my hamstrings really tight but my quads were now screaming. I slowed a bit and walked the next aid station and found that walking was as painful as running. I continued with my slow jog to the finish feeling like I had to anvils strapped to my feet. I had taken 2 gels on the run...maybe a 3rd would have helped? I'm not sure. Many of the other finishers were also lamenting on how hard the last 4km were even though that was the flattest portion of the course.

I finished in 6:16 missing my overall goal time by 16 min. However, I feel like I had a very successful day. Yes, I had a mistake on the swim, but, I had a great first 900 meters. My goal pace on the bike was slow by 2km/hr but it wasn't exactly ideal biking conditions and I pushed as hard as I could and felt strong for the entire 94km. And, although I also missed my goal time on the run, my pace for the first 16k was bang on and I had no knee or GI issues as I did last year at GWN. Now I have some things to work on and improve for next year. I'm already looking forward to Calgary 70.3 2011.

Calgary 70.3 half ironman

Last weekend was Ironman Calgary 70.3. This is a big race for many in Calgary as they have been training all year to see how they do.

Well we had a few racers taking place.
1st off we had Monika taking place in her 1st Half Ironman. She was a bit nervous about the distance and unsure how she would do. After a few pointers regarding her pacing she managed to survive just fine leading the No limits crew to a 5:17 finish and 1st in her age group.
Doug was also racing. Just another stepping stone on his way to IronMan Canada. Doug used this race as a great chance to practice his pacing for IM. He held back on the bike and this enabled him to have a solid run. Doug finished in 6 mins back of Monika in 5:23.
Another IMC racer was Elaine. Just like Doug was using this as a practice day for pacing and racing an Ironman. Elaine did great and finished 2 mins back of Doug in 5:25 and quick enough for 2nd in her age group.
Next up was Alex, and yup you guessed it. Also using this as a training day for IMC. Alex did well by crossing the line in 2:04.
Lastly Mary was up. This was her big race of the year and typical of Mary's races the weather was poor on the bike. I will not say much about Mary's race as there is a race report to read above.

Great racing everyone!!! If anyone has any photos please send some my way so I can show them off.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Ian and Katie make the news



http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_thompson_nicola/salmonarmobserver/sports/

Katie's Salmon Arm race

I forgot to mention that Katie also raced the Salmon arm triathlon. She was a bit tired just having completed the West Coast Trail. Katie was 2nd Female overall. Nice job Katie and we are looking forward to your next race in Vancouver.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Ben's 1st ever triathlon!

Here's a quick recap of my race in Devon though:

First off, I kicked ass. All this training has really helped me
improve. Final time was 1:17:28 (I figured I'd finish at about 1:20,
so I did better than I had estimated). I came 6th overall, 1st place
time was 1:13.

Swim:
Pool swim, three people per lane. My swim time was 15:24 with a pace
of 2:04/100m. I was first out of my lane. Stroke felt good, I was
really focused on not letting myself "go" too early and wanted to swim
a neg split. As it turned out I think I kept the same pace the whole
way through. Of the two other people in my lane, one was a woman who
exited the pool about 3s behind me, and the other was a man who I
lapped about 3 times. About 400m in I lost track of my lengths
though, and I think I may've swum and extra 50m...In talking to my
other lanemate afterwards, she thinks the same thing. If that's the
case then it would've dropped my final time by ~1min.

1st Trans:
Went really smooth. After my experience with trying to put my feet
into my shoes while riding and falling off 2 weeks ago, I decided to
simply slip my bike shoes on first and run with my bike to the mount
line. Only place I could've lost time was in fiddling with my bike
jersey, had a bit of an issue sliding it on, which probably only cost
me 5 seconds.

Bike:
Stayed in the drops the whole ride. Cadence avg was 87rpm. It was a
simple out and back loop, really flat, no hills. On the way back
though there was a wicked headwind.

2nd Trans:
Managed to slide my feet out of my shoes while still on my bike, so I
hit the dismount line barefoot and running. Threw my bike over my
shoulder and ran to the rack. Unfortunately I ran to the wrong rack,
and realized my stuff was two racks over. Cost me maybe 10s. Slipped
my shoes on fast though, I'd put elastic laces in my runners the day
before, so total transition time was maybe 30s.

Run:
Legs felt weird. Took me awhile to find my stride. I'd tried
increasing my cadence at the end of the bike to get some blood
flushing through my legs to prepare me for the run, but it still felt
really weird. They had the kms marked out on the bike route with
little signs, so by about 3km I started to hit my stride. I was
really cautious about not starting out too fast, although in
retrospect I realize I probably could've upped my pace sooner. Once I
hit 4km I was really moving, and I ended up sprinting the last 200m to
the finish.

Overall:
I'm pleased with how my race went, I had a really good time. The
whole time I was biking and running I had a big smile on my face. The
entire race nobody passed me, which is kind of a good feeling. And
right up until the end of the day (when the faster heats started
going) I was in first position on the leader board. Still, I'm
pleased with a 6th place finish for my first tri (pun intended).
Can't wait until Lake Chapperal though, as I have a feeling it'll be
more competitive, as the tri community in Calgary is a lot larger than
the one in Edmonton. Should be a good race!

Cheers!
Ben

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Race resuts - Ian and Shane

Last weekend Shane took part in the Regina Beach triathlon. He was really looking forward to seeing how he would do as his training has been going very well. Unfortunately Shane crashed on his bike. He is OK. Just a lot of scrapes. Even with the fall and not being able to shift his bike post fall he ended up placing 12 Overall. It was nice to see his brother do so well in 5th overall. Nice job Kim! Shane I hope you heal fast! :(

Ian was racing his 2nd race in 2 weeks. This time it was the Salmon Arm triathlon. this race has a bit of a different order. Swim, run, bike. 4 years ago this was his 1st ever triathlon and this time he was the overall champ! By almost 5 mins. Nice job Ian!

Next race up is Calgary 70.3. Best of luck to all racers!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Busy weekend

Lots of races this weekend.

Briefly here we go:

Coral Springs had a perfect day to race. Myron was out running his last triathlon of the summer fresh off his IM France finish. He had a good day and finished 6th overall, 1st in Age group in the Olympic distance event.

In the Sprint event we saw Monika take the overall win for the women. This was a warmup race for her big race coming up quick 70.3. Also in this race was Bill who finished just behind Monika in 8th place overall and 2nd in Age group.

Out in B.C. the peach classic was on. Ian had a good race and finished in a time of 2:15 which was fast enough for 3rd in his Age group. Doug also did the race after completing a week long IMC training camp. Doug was a bit tired going into the race but did well in 2:41.

Also in B.C. was the Heart of the Rockies triathlon. Kim and Gord were racing this one and believe it or not they unknowingly finished in the same time 3:19.

Back to AB was Magrath triathlon where Marj was racing. She was happy with her race and finished in 3:07.

Great work everyone and keep up the hard training.

Bill all done Coral Springs

Monika on the run ( Coral Springs )

Myron in T1 ( Coral Springs Olympic )

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Stampede running events

Last weekend was the Stampede 10 Km. Sean was out testing his leg speed and new racing strategies. He fininshed in 44:24. This was a 4 min improvement over his last 10 Km time. Nice.

Newcomer Monika was also running this weekend. Monika was using the half marathon in preparations for the Calgary 70.3. She finished in 1:37. Next up is another half with a short swim and bike as a warmup. :)

This weekend we have racers in Penticton doing the Peach Classic. Good luck to Doug and Ian! We also have some racers in Calgary at the Coral Springs events. Good Luck to Myron, Bill and Monika.
Also there is the heart of the rockies event in Invermere. Good Luck to Kim and Gord!

SO many races! :) Good luck and have fun everyone!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Kevin's lucky number 13

Lucky number thirteen

It’s been a busy season with a schwack of races so far. The big one (IMC) is still on the horizon and I am hopeful of a good day.

Thus far I have done the Hamilton around the bay 30k, Wildflower training camp and half Ironman, Oliver half, Banff Bikefest, Great White North and cheered Lisa on at IMCd (did a few stellar rides there as well). Not too sure where I found the time to work but it all seems to get done with only a few rough spots along the way.

My goal for Hamilton was to finish in 2:15 or better and get a silver medal. A gold medal and a sub 2:00 time seemed beyond my reach. My brother lives in Hammer Town and it was a great reason to make the trip east. Hanging with family was definitely the highlight of the trip. Had been very diligent with training coming into the race. Race day was great – big crowds, cool conditions and feeling good coming into it. The race was great for the first 22 km, on pace and feeling fine. What happened from km 22 to 30 was not as much fun… Legs cramped up and saw my goal time vaporize at about km 29. Actually watched the clock roll past 2:15 and felt very disappointed. Post race I was SORE! Legs and feet were killing me.

After licking my wounds and getting over being slow…It was back to training! Had a rocking camp with Todd and the No Limits crew in Cali! Even better, Lisa and I got to spend a few days in Santa Barbara before the camp – It was a great time. Wildflower was an amazing event! Super huge race with the youngest/cutest/drunkest fans ever – unreal. The race was great with an average swim, a great ride on the Kevelo and a trail run that was to die for. Felt strong throughout and happy to be racing in such a great place.

Next on the list was Oliver. Treated myself with a flight to Kelowna as Mike (Deluca) took my stuff out. Got to hang out for a day before the race which was fantastic. Race day was (again) great. It was the first ride on my new bike, an Argon 18 E-114. Interestingly, my swim/T1/bike time was almost the same to the previous year – 30 seconds slower… But I had a great run for the first 15 km then had some hamstring issues and had to stop for the occasional stretch. Even still it was a good run... Just have to dial the bike position a bit.

After Oliver it was up to Banff for the second annual Banff Bikefest! I did the ITT and new Road Race. Skipped the crit this year which turned out to be a crash fest. Felt like I left it out on the road for the 21 km TT but was almost a minute thirty slower than last year… The road race was 6 loops around Tunnel Mountain with almost 1000m of elevation gain. It was a combo of Cat 4/3/2 riders. The 2’s hammered from the gun forcing a break. Managed to reconnect with the leaders on lap 3 only to get popped again. Managed to not get swept from the course and had a BLAST – doing 80 kph ripping it down Tunnel Mtn. Dr., rotating pace lines on Banff Ave. It was everything I love about road racing!

Went to Coeur d’Alene to watch Lisa do IMCd. She had a great day and finished strong. I got some great rides in. Did the IM course and the Oly course along with a stellar loop around Hayden Lake. Got some new Newton shoes – the gal there said they’d make me fast (and sore at first…).

Last race was GWN. Missed racing with Todd as in years past but got to cheer on my sister-in-law in her first tri experience, she did the team thing with Lisa and Viv. Had an OK swim (same as previous attempts…). Had a good bike, feeling more settled with the position now and had a great run. Maybe the Gal in CDa was right. I was faster than before and my calves are still sore.

So here’s the funny thing. In Wildflower, Oliver and Stony I have been 13th in my age group each time. As they are progressively flatter courses – my times have fallen accordingly 5:20:07, 5:01:15 and 4:39:42. Similarly, my times from previous years has fallen 10:30 for Oliver and almost 21 minutes for GWN! Almost all of the changes come from the run. It makes me think that Hamilton maybe wasn’t such a bad thing.

I wonder if 13th at IMC is possible…

Katie on top of her age group at Canmore

Friday, July 09, 2010

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Shane's 10 Km race report (Moose Jaw)

I would like to start off by quoting a good friend of mine, “What a great day to be me!!!”

Well if you could not tell already I had a great day at the race this morning. I did not put any pressure on myself expecting a great result but I did have in the back of my mind that I could really run fast and I showed it.

I warmed up with my brother before the race and I felt pretty good…a few aches and pains but otherwise a felt great. We only had a few minutes to change into our racing flats and get down to the start and within a short time the gun had gone off and off I went. The first km or so, I just thought about getting into a rhythm with controlled breathing and fast pace. It was an unusual feeling in a race to be so relaxed and still run fast. I looked at my watch at the 2 and 3K marks and I was about 10 seconds under a 4 minute/km pace and still felt good. At the 5K turn, I was at 20 minutes flat and still felt in control and told myself that I needed to push. During the final 5K I kept thinking that the only way to beat my personal best in this distance was to keep pushing. And that I did, just when I thought I was taking it easy I would pick it up and keep the pedal to the metal. I think I slowed a bit between the 5.5K mark and the 7.5K mark as I had not looked at my watch and at the 8K mark I looked and the watch read 32:48, so I said only 8 more minutes of pain. (In the back of my mind, I said if I can do that I will beat my overall pb in the 10K). As well at this point I was dealing with some cramping issues in my side as well as feeling a little nauseous but I tried to think of something else.

I kept looking to the guy that was just in front of me and tried to focus on trying to catch him, he was approximately 5 to 10 seconds in front of me. (I kept saying that if I can close the gap a bit and then kick close to the end I will be able to beat him.) Well over the next 1K I closed the gap and at approximately 800m to go I passed him but soon after he passed me back and so I bided my time and with 200m to go I kicked it into high gear and blew passed him and into the finish line. It felt great and I was still nauseous but could hold it in. I completed the last 2K in 8:10 and finished in a time of 41:03, which is a new personal best for my ‘30s and only 13 seconds off of my fastest ever of 40:50 (at the age of 21). I felt so sick after the finish line but I also knew that I had put everything out on the line and I felt great for it. What a great day to be me!!!

I was so proud of what I have accomplished and I look forward to competing again in 3 weeks at the Regina Beach Triathlon. I ended up finishing 7th overall and 3rd in my age group.