Wasaga Beach Sprint Triathlon (Turned Duathlon)- 1'st OA 57:57

I have raced in Wasaga the past three years, and this was to be my fourth year at the event.  My first ever race at Wasaga was a picture perfect day: the sun was shining, the water was flat...a bikini contest was going on...things were good.  Unfortunately, the good times could not last, and we have had three straight years of bad weather for the event.  There was the monsoon two years ago, rain last year, and no swim this year (wind).  So considering that the sun was out on Sunday, I wasn't too upset that the swim was cancelled, because honestly, there has been worse situations.

Wavy Wasaga-NO SWIM

Pre-Race

After my race in Edmonton (where it has since started snowing), I was ready for some down time.  I took the whole week leading into the race off training, and also did some other things that I don't always have the energy for in race season (like play a round of golf Saturday night...followed by some badminton).  Probably not the best thing to do before a race (my back was kinda tight), but I was taking a pretty relaxed approach to the whole thing.

Golfing in style

My brother Dan (the original Danosaur) was also out racing again this weekend.  He is getting more comfortable with the sport, and he always seems to be having a good time.

Danosaur's can't fly, but they can jump 

Run 1

I've only ever done one other duathlon (2 years ago in Wasaga), where I made the mistake of going out way to hard on the first run.  Du's are kinda tricky because it's way too easy to go out hard (since the legs are fresh), which results in a miserable bike and second run.

Leading out the run

I lead out the field, and set the pace at a steady fast tempo (at least for me...the other guys were breathing kinda hard).  I kept things in control, and didn't try to run away from anyone (since my only real goal was to cross the timing mat first).  I put in a bit of an acceleration to cross the mat ahead of Aaron De Jong, and then trotted off to transition.

Just a small acceleration

Bike

Aaron actually beat me out of transition (I was definitely slacking), but I passed him at maybe 400m into the bike.  I went by him pretty fast, which is probably why he shouted over he would see me at the finish (I must look pretty intimidating on my bike).  I just road steady (steady as in 40km/h average speed) and didn't put myself under any pressure to ride any harder.

My "I'm coming for you" face

Run 2      

I came off the bike feeling pretty fresh, and had one final duathlete to chase down (the actual duathlon started 3 minutes ahead of the triathlete duathlon).  I passed Scott Finch maybe 500 metres into the run (and reassured him I was racing the triathlete duathlon).  

Smooth sailing

It was then smooth sailing all the way to the finish, where I crossed the line first and collected my second overall win of the season (Yaay Andy)!!

Here comes your overall winner

Post Race

After the race, I got the pleasure of meeting Andrew Yorke (4th place finish in triathlon at the Commonwealth Games), who was at the event watching his girlfriend race.  He was super nice and great to talk to.  Cool guy! (I didn't ask for a photo though...next time).

So overall my second ever duathlon went much better than my first, and definitely left a better taste in my mouth that the last one (although I won't be intentionally signing up for one any time soon).  This was my second to last triathlon (well duathlon) for the year with one more race out in Lakeside to finish up the season (although that one will also be a pretty chill race for me).

Podium

  A big thanks goes out to Multisport Canada, who as always, puts athletes (and their safety) first, and always puts on a great race (despite the weather).  Thanks also to eLoad for keeping the throat wet on the bike, and also to my friends at Mettle Multisport for the lift up to Wasaga (great club by the way).  Thats it for now, thanks for checking in :)

With Christine and Susan

Edmonton Age Group World Championships-DNF

I'm just getting settled back at home after a week in Edmonton for the Age Group World Championships.  I had been planning on doing this race since July 2013 after my 2'nd place overall at the Toronto Triathlon Festival.  Edmonton was my first "big" race, meaning my first ever out of province race, and my first ever World AG Champs.  I was really hoping for a great race, and my build and taper going in were solid.  Unfortunately this race gave me another first; my first ever DNF.

Pre-Race

I flew into Edmonton a week in advance of my race (to adjust to mild altitude and surroundings) with the rest of my family coming along as well.  We stayed at a recently renovated truck stop (Yellowhead Motor Inn), which was clean and very affordable (although being right beside a highway and train-yard was a bit annoying).

I had a pretty relaxed week heading into the race.  I did a few sessions in the awesome Kinsman pool, checked out the race site, watched the mens pro race, and took a lot of public transit, which was free for athletes (and also super sketchy).

Race-Day  

Race morning was early (got there at 5:30am) and was kinda cold (you could see your breath).  I wore my recently acquired Mexican vest (flashy pink) as I went through my pre-race routine, and was ready to go at 7:30am for race time.  

Swim: I lined up to the middle left of the pack (which I thought was a good spot).  I went out hard off the gun, but ended up getting run over by a ton of other swimmers.  Coach Brent wasn't kidding when he said I should be prepared to battle (quite literally).  After nearly drowning on the first lap, I finished the swim (kinda far back), and made my way to the bike.  

Bike: I had to make up some time, so I went out pretty hard (and kept up the effort).  The course was suited to my riding, and I managed to put together the days second fastest ride (and get back in the race).  I had passed about 20 people, and got myself up into the top 10 (may have been top 5).  

Run: I was starting the run with about four other guys, and was going at an ok pace.  I wasn't feeling great, but I really ran into trouble about 1km in.  It started as a small cramping pain in the lower left abdomen, which quickly developed into a large cramping pain (which I couldn't shake).  This then spread up into the chest, and pretty much spelled disaster for my race.  I hobbled through the first lap of the course (getting passed by almost everybody), and decided to call it in at the turnaround point.

Calling it a day

Post Race

With this being my first ever DNF, I'm not too upset (maybe a bit disappointed, but not super upset).  I did everything right heading into the race, and ran into a totally unforeseen issue (at this point I'm saying it was the cold). I'm not left injured or burnt out, and this will totally give me some good motivation to train hard for next season.

Big thanks goes out to my family who travelled with me to Edmonton, my coaches (who kept me in check going into the race), Multisport Canada (who I have been racing with all summer), eLoad (for keeping me fuelled), and of course to all my wonderful blog readers (THATS YOU!!! if you made it this far :)  
I am planning on tossing in a few more MSC races this season to finish the tri season, and then transition to running cross country with York in the fall.  Thats it for now...thanks for checking in.

The Danosaur in action

Multisport Canada Bracebridge Triathlon: 3'rd OA 1:59:38

It was a family affair this past weekend in Bracebridge with both my Dad and brother Dan (the Danosaur) taking part in their first races of the season.  Both my Dad and Dan raced on Saturday (sprint and try-a-tri respectively) and I raced the Olympic Sunday.  This was my Dad's second ever triathlon (and also Dan's second ever triathlon), and they both did great (well maybe a bit above medium)!  My Dad came 5'th in his AG and was much improved from last years race (of course due to his amazing coach).  Dan came 11'th overall in his race, and had the surprise of winning a major draw prize afterwords (something I never seem to win...).  I'm sure this won't be the last race with the Bolton family racing together...

My race on Sunday had a pretty competitive start list including contenders like Cody Beals, Mikael Staer Nathan, Jackson Laundry, and Sean Bechtel.  I had been feeling much better after my race in Magog, so I was looking forward to a good fast race.

Swim: 20:58

I had problems with this swim last year.  I'm pretty sure that I swallowed some water which resulted in a bad case of Giardia.  This year, I made a bit of an extra effort not to swallow any water.

I started in 5'th posistion in the time trial start, which put me way out of reach of getting a draft from either Sean or Cody (starting 1 and 2).  Mikael started right behind me, so it was of no surprise when I felt him tapping on my heels about halfway through the swim.  I exited the water 3'rd with Mikael right behind me, and then got ready to chase down Sean and Cody.

Bike: 1:01:23

I knew both Sean and Cody would be riding fast, so I was putting in a good effort to try and make contact.  I seemed to be riding well, but didn't bridge up to either Sean (who I saw at the turn around) or Cody (who I didn't see). When I got back to transition (with Mikael still close behind), I was surprised to find Cody had not yet returned.  As I headed out for the run, I was just hoping he didn't have a crash.

Run: 35:59

In my previous years at this race, I have biked into the lead only to get passed into the run.  This year, I was way behind Sean after the bike, and now had Mikael right behind me to start the run (which put him ahead of me due to the 15 second gap at the start).  I knew I wasn't going to let him pass me without a fight, so I went out with a good pace and tried my best to keep it.  He kept close for a few kilometres, and then I began to open a gap on him.  I saw the gap was starting to spread at the turnaround (and I also saw Jack running close behind), but knew I had to run hard right to the finish (I needed to put at least 15 seconds between myself and Mikael).

I crossed the line with the gap still intact, and was only able to relax after I saw 15 seconds click by.  This was definitely a different scenario for me, and it was a great experience to have a situation like that on the run.

Post-Race

How we roll in triathlon

Compared to my race in Magog (where I was absolutely cooked post race), I didn't feel to bad after this race.  Sure things were a bit tired and sore, but overall I felt like one would expect after a good race.  I crossed the line second, but finished 3'rd OA due to the time trial start.

Rounding out the podium

The way I would say it is "it was a good race, but not a great race".  However, this was kinda the plan going in.  In past years, I have had great races in Bracebridge (like the past two years), only to have okay end of season races (also the past two years).  Going into the race this year, I knew I would feel very medium, but definitely not much more.  This is in anticipation for a great end of season race at the AG World Championships in Edmonton.











Thanks to Multisport Canada for putting on an amazing race (as usual), and also to eLoad for keeping me hydrated in the heat.

Magog olympic triathlon-AG National Champs

I had a pretty disappointing race put in Magog this past weekend for the AG national champs.  I couldn't bring myself to write about the race, so with inspiration from pro triathlete Trevor Wurtele I made an amusing video blog.  Enjoy!

Andy finally gets a win!! Huronia sprint triathlon

I was out racing the MSC Huronia sprint triathlon this past weekend.  For regular followers of my blog, you will know I have had quite a run of second place finishes (seven in a row to be exact).  This past weekend however, I finally broke the streak as I got my first overall win in a couple years (in my first ever sprint race).  It wasn't a particularly competitive race or an exceptional time, but considering I was training through the event, I am definitely pleased with the result.  Here are a few more details about the race (Triathlon Magazine Canada race recap)

Swim    

I didn't really see any swimmers I knew were fast at the race, so I figured I wouldn't have a problem leading out of the water.  Turns out I was wrong, and ended up getting smoked by super swimmer Brett Saunders.  I was back a bit further than I wanted to be (and didn't know if this guy was a fast cyclist or not).  

Bike

I saw super swimmer Brett up the road, and put in a bit of extra effort to catch up.  I got into the lead in only a few km, and just held my effort steady for the rest of the 20km.  I had ridden hard the day before the race, so I didn't know if my legs would be feeling great for the hilly and windy sections that made up the course.  I would say it was a solid effort...(medium effort...?)

Run

With a pretty good lead off the bike, I found a nice tempo pace and got into a good running rhythm.  My legs were feeling a bit fatigued at this point, but with only a 5km run, there were no issues.  Crossed the line first and got my first win of the season!

Number 1!

Conclusion

Funny thing this winning...I would probably say I feel a greater sense of accomplishment by pushing myself to the limit and finishing second than cruising to an easy win.  But nothing like a win to get things rolling in the right direction.  In a couple weeks I am off to Magog for the Age Group National Champs.  I'll be getting nice and tapered up for this one, so expect a good hard race.  Lets keep this win streak going!!

Thanks goes out to Multisport Canada, eLoad, and to my awesome coaches, friends and family!

Binbrook Triathlon 2014- 2nd Overall 1:20:21

It was a beautiful day this past Saturday, and what better way to spend it than by kicking off my 2014 triathlon season.  After a long lasting winter (that seemed to never end), it was great to finally get out and race (and get some sunburn)!  I have had a productive winter of training, and I was feeling fit, but I had no idea where I stood in regards to myself, or to anyone else.  The Binbrook field included some fast racers, including Lionel Sanders, so I knew I was going to have to put out a good effort. The title kinda gives it away (that doesn't mean you should stop reading), but here is some more info one how it went.

Pre-Race

With this race being the first one of the season, I was a little anxious in the week leading up (a little, but not too much).  I did reduce training a bit a few days before the race, but otherwise kept things pretty similar to regular training.  Obviously, I had to show up to the race cleanly shaven (for obvious aero benefits).  I also had to try on my new kit (which came the day before the race), so I did a bit of multi tasking...

Ya, that's a straight razor...

Swim

After a pretty routine race morning (which went nice and smooth), I jumped into the water for my first open water swim of the season.  The water was very comfortable, and my stroke felt good in warm up.  With the likes of Derek Quick in the race, I knew I would have to go out hard from the start to be in the front.  I swam hard from the horn, and was working hard to keep on Derek's (and another fast swimmer's) feet, but the effort I was putting out seemed above where I wanted to be.  I fell back a bit, and came out of the water in third position (with Mike Greenberg right behind me).  It was a long run to the transition (which I think was included into the swim time), and I was onto the bike soon after.

Don't we all look the same...?

Bike

Conditions on race day were absolutely amazing for throwing down a fast bike split.  The sun was shining, there was pretty much no wind, and the roads were nice and flat (with a few gentle hills).  After a bit of a hiccup getting into my cycling shoes, I was up to speed in no time.  I was in the lead before the 5km mark, and stayed there for the rest of the ride.  I don't have any numerical data to share from the ride (I race number free), but man I was cooking (at least thats what everyone said after).  I just rode where I felt comfortable, and held my effort, which just happened to give me the days fastest bike split ( I guess my winter bike commuting paid off).  

Just starting off the bike

A funny side story here.  My Dad was volunteering at the race (mount/dismount line), and as people were waiting for the first cyclists to return, he overhead a guy (Mike from Guelph) making bets that Lionel Sanders would be the first back from the bike (Mike was betting beer on this).  My Dad (who is a rare gambler and non-drinker) decided to bet Mike that Andrew Bolton would in fact be the first cyclist to return.  Well we all know how that turned out....I wonder what type of beer Mike will be bringing my Dad...?

First off the bike

Run

I had seen where everyone was at the bike turnaround, so I knew that Lionel was going to be on my heels in no time.  My running has been getting stronger after a lot of work in the off-season, but I knew my lead on Lionel would probably not be enough to stay in the front.  I seemed to be holding pretty good times per km, but by the halfway turnaround on the run, I saw Lionel quickly approaching.  I held him off until the 5km mark, at which point he took over, and kept the lead.  I didn't slow up, and ran strong to the line, for a second place overall finish.

Finish for 2nd OA

Post Race/Concluding Remarks

I am pretty happy with my first race of the season (for those who know me, the race went very medium...).  My times shaped up pretty nicely, and I was less than a minute back from Lionel (my time this year would have actually beaten Lionel's winning time from last year...).

After the race (as part of the Multisport Canada Ambassador Team), I was given the opportunity to present the "racer of the day award", which was nice for me and hopefully likewise for the recipient. Post race interview can be found here.   

Congratulations Lori!

As usual, a big thanks goes out to Multisport Canada for putting on a great race, and also to eLoad for their continued support.  Can't forget the coaches and family members either...Thanks!!!

So thats it from me for now.  Watch for me a little later in the season at the Huronia sprint race, and also as I contest for the Triathlon Ontario "Triple Crown" (which includes: Magog, Bracebridge, and Edmonton).  

Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to leave me your comments (positive comments preferred) or connect with social media (Twitter/Facebook).  

My Experience As A Die-Hard Bicycle Commuter

There are only two seasons in Canada: Winter and July.  With a ton of snow this winter and what seems like an endless cold spell (must be that polar vortex thing), winter seems like it will never end.  Now don't get the idea that I'm complaining (although it is quite understandable that most triathletes dislike winter)...this winter thing is really starting to grow on me.  Maybe it's my inner Canadian talking here, but winter is not all that bad (and if you disagree, I understand if you stop reading here).  Now I can see where triathletes are coming from.  The endless hours on the treadmill or even worse...the bike trainer, can really test ones motivation to train (trust me a couple hours on the trainer in the basement 3-4 times a week all winter gets to you).  So how do I combat this?  I ride outside!!

A typical winter commuting day

As most of you know, I study at York University, which is a convenient 15km or so from my house. Now call me a poor student or a crazy cyclist (don't call me anything else though), but I just can't bring myself to take the bus over my bike.  I have saved literally thousands of dollars by commuting by bike, and even saved time (commuting by bus is about half an hour slower than by bike).  Winter conditions: no problem, just bundle up and you're good right?  Well sort of....Here is my experience as a die hard bicycle commuter.

The Ride

My ride starts north of Toronto in the suburbs of Richmond Hill.  From my house (or rather my parents' house that I still live in), I initially travel along quiet side roads, and then make my way onto main roads with bike lanes (except Steeles, which has no bike lane).
I like to say the ride is about 15 km (in reality it might be a bit less), but I do bike around campus to justify the mileage claim.  My commute time ranges from 30 minutes (late for class, hammering, and getting all the lights) to as long as 55 minutes (riding home late at night with a headwind in the winter).
I ride to York 5 times a week, often in the early morning (for 6am swim practice).  My rides home are usually in the dark, although I am starting to get some light on the return trips.

The Bike

I really like my commuter bike.  It's not new or fancy, and is in fact quite heavy (probably 35 lb range). The bike used to be my grandfathers, and it has lasted me quite well. I have had to replace the usual parts because of wear, and had to add a few things like fenders (this has been a lifesaver for winter riding), and new lights (the vintage light that it used to have just wasn't cutting it).  I have kept my regular road tires on the bike, as they don't seem to make grippy 27' tires.  This hasn't proved to be a problem yet...

The Gear

The trick I have found to staying warm in cold temperatures is to layer correctly.  My go to items are my Nike Vapor Flash jacket (great visibility for morning/evening commutes), my Icebreaker Sierra hoodie (super warm), my Sugoi waterproof pants, my Icebreaker balaclava, and my Bontrager waterproof booties (that fit over my running shoes).  I also have a variety of Icebreaker base layers to adjust with depending on the conditions.  Most days I can wear sunglasses, but on a couple of those -40C days, I found ski goggles were the only thing I could wear.

The Workout

The majority of my riding this winter has come from commuting to school.  In a typical week, I am outside riding for approximately 7.5 hours, and am really only putting in 2 hard indoor sessions on the rollers (sometimes a third).  This formula seems to be working well for my riding, as I am riding pretty strong on my hard sessions and feeling good.   

The real workout with outdoor commuting seems to be more of a mental challenge.  My commutes are often early morning (like 5am) or in the evening (after a long day at school and other training), and there are days when I really don't want to be riding my bike.  Other days,  conditions will be poor, with temperatures like -40 C or a freezing 50 km/h headwind that can really have me questioning why I am out there freezing my face off.  When this starts to happen, I just tell myself that however hard this feels, it will just make summer races feel all the easier (which I can definitely see being true).       

The Conclusion

When I tell most people I ride my bike all winter, I usually get a blank stare, and a comment like "It's too cold out to be riding your bike" (a lady told me this the other day, and then promptly went out the door to smoke a cigarette in her hoodie).  In all truth, it probably is too cold on some days, or too snowy to be out riding.  But for the majority of the winter season, the roads are relatively clear, and all that is required is that you dress for the weather.  I don't take any risks when out riding, and I have found the roads the be relatively safe (with drivers respecting me on the road) .  I have taken the occasional drive or bus ride to school (you could probably count those on one hand though), and probably another couple days where I should have not been out riding my bike.  Overall though, it has been great to be outdoors for so much of the winter, although I too am eager for spring.