Toronto Triathlon Festival: 1'st OA 1:54:30

Racing at Toronto Triathlon Festival this past weekend was a great way to cap off three solid weekends of racing.  I raced in Woodstock two weekends ago, in Welland last weekend, and then at TTF this past weekend.  I wasn't sure how I was going to recover coming off the half iron (Welland), but I was feeling good and ended up having a great race!

Race backdrop

Pre-Race

The half iron in Welland last week took a lot out of me, and I spent the entire week trying to recover and gain back my lost weight (I was down to 142 lb from my pre race 146 lb).  Luckily by race morning, I had my weight back on (thanks to some delicious Mexican food).

Race morning was a bit weird.  I woke up to find my nose bleeding pretty good (which luckily didn't continue), and then I found out I was starting in the fourth wave (usually I'm right at the front).  Luckily, after having raced so much recently, I was pretty relaxed heading in, and I just rolled with the days events.

Swim

The water was pretty cold on Sunday, and for a pretty lean guy like me, I never tend to do well in the cold.  Luckily I took some DIY precautions, and was able to stay warm.

I was in the fourth wave...but got some fast feet!

I started back in the fourth wave with the rest of the 20-24 age group and also the 35-39 AG, and had a pretty clean start.  I really wanted to find a good pair of feet to sit on, and I was able to find one swimmer (not sure who) who was swimming at a perfect pace for me.  We swam perfectly straight, and I didn't leave his draft once (I never touched his feet so he probably didn't know I was even there).  The thought crossed my mind where I wondered if I was just being lazy or just becoming a bit of a smarter athlete...

Ready to go ride

Bike

We had passed a lot of people in the swim, so by the time I was on the bike, there were not huge amounts of people to go by.  My race day got a bit weirder when my water bottle decided to fall out of its holder at the beginning of the bike...I didn't even get one sip.

It was fun to have people to chase down on the bike, as it kept my interest and focus up though the ride.  I was near a few other strong cyclists, and I rode back and forth (with the required gap) with Kirk Hopkins.  I just told myself just to ride steady, and that the race was going to come down to the run.  Cam Black was out in the front of the race with the escort (since he had started in the first wave), and I was about 2:30 down on him going into the run.

Run

I was feeling good coming off the bike, and after last weeks half iron, only having to run 10km seemed like nothing.  I was with about four other guys, and we started the run all together.  I got out into the front and got to work chasing down Cam in the front.  

Staying relaxed and getting into my stride

At the turnaround, I was only about 40 seconds back, so I knew I was making good progress.  I caught up to Cam with maybe 2.5km to go (aprox) and quickly moved into the lead position.  It was a cool experience to be leading the run (with the motorcycle and bike escorts) heading into the finish (in many past experiences, I have been the lead runner who has been caught/passed).  I kept running strong and crossed the line first for my first overall win of the season!!

Crossing the line first and winning the race!!

Post Race

It was a great feeling to win the race with a strong run.  I have been working incredibly hard to improve in that discipline, and today it payed off (and I even had the fastest run split)!  

It was also great to have my family at the finish and also have Catalina and her family there to cheer me on.  It was so nice to have their support!  Unfortunately my dad couldn't make it to the race, but I'd say a win was a pretty solid fathers day present.

Family shot (minus papa bear and Matt)!  Nice face Andy...

And to make my day even better, I won the prize pack from Toronto Triathlon Club (from the draw I entered the day before).  What a day!

I just kept winning today!

Receiving my trophy!

A big thanks goes to all those who helped put on the race, and also to Multisport Canada and eLoad nutrition for their the continued support.  Also a big shout out to all the Mettle athletes at the race!!

Also, if the words and pictures didn't quite do it for you, here is some exclusive video footage of my run into the finish and post race.  

  

Rose City (Welland) Half Iron Triathlon: 4:12:54 - 2'nd Overall

I tried to write this race report yesterday.  I woke up close to noon Monday morning and after eating a huge breakfast, I sat down at my computer, looked at my screen for maybe 20 minutes, and then realized I needed to go lie down.  I was just out of it...this race took a lot out of me.

This was my first real attempt at a half iron triathlon.  I did try the same race three years previously, but I was quite underprepared.  I blew up on the run, but I did finish.  This year, things were feeling good.  I've been training more for longer distance races, and I was ready for another half iron triathlon.

Pre race

I was feeling good leading into the race...good taper, good fitness...things were good.  Race morning was pretty typical, and after a bit of a swim warm up, things got underway.

Swim

It was a pretty calm swim for the pro/elites since there were only five of us starting in the first wave.  Alex Vanderlinden and I were up at the front of the race, and we took turns pulling.  Neither of us were very inclined to push the pace, so it wasn't a surprise to have some fast AG athletes catch up to us (they started a minute behind).  We both tucked into their draft and sat in for the rest of the swim.

Taking a turn in the front

Out of the water

Heading up to T1

Bike

Alex pulled ahead a bit on the run up to transition, and he had a bit of a lead as we started out on the bike.  I had to keep reminding myself I didn't need to panic and ride hard to bridge the gap...there was 90km of riding to go, and I just wanted to ride steady.  About 45km into the bike, Alex was around 50 seconds up on me.  I decided it was probably a good idea to narrow that gap, and I caught up to him just after 65km.  We rode together for a bit, and then I started to tighten up at around 80km.  The last 5km of the bike was brutal...my glutes were burning and I just wanted to sit up and get off my bike.   Alex went ahead and put about 30-40 seconds on me going into T2. 

Putting in some power

Heading to T2

Run   

I came into T2 with burning legs, which felt very stiff as I started to "run".  Really...the first couple km's were brutal.  I just had to tell myself to hold a steady pace, and that I was going to finish this race.  There were more than a few moments when I questioned why I thought this was a good idea.  Alex put a lot of time on me on the run, and I came across the line about 10 minutes back for second place.  

Starting 21.1km and already hurting

Tanks empty

Post Race

After crossing the line, I realized I could hardly walk...now in addition to burning glutes, my quads decided to shut down as well.  I hobbled to the recharge with milk tent with the assistance of Catalina (who was wonderfully supportive and also an amazing cheerleader).  I managed to get seated in a bean bag chair, and got hooked up to the recovery pump for my legs.  I was pretty out of it at this point, but after some chocolate milk and a bit of food, I managed to get back up and walk around.

Sitting down never felt so good

Nice way to refuel after the race

Conclusion 

I finished this race with nothing left...this was my first real stab at a long distance triathlon, and I put out a solid time and came away with a second place.  I gained a lot more understanding for what it takes to race at the longer distances, and I think I will be able to learn and improve for future long course races.  

Second place on the day...still taller than Alex one step down

I need to say a big thank you to my chauffeurs for race day Juan (who had a great day of racing himself) and Alicia.  A big thanks also to my wonderful girlfriend Catalina who was cheering me the whole way and who insisted on carrying my rain soaked bags after the race.

Also a big thanks to all my supporters back home who couldn't make it to the race (Mummy, Daddy, Danosaur, Coaches: Derek, Christine and Brent) and many others as well.

Also a continued thanks to my sponsors Multisport Canada and eLoad.

I'm taking this whole week off training.  I'm going to spend my week off in my garage restoring an nice wooden bench and also an old tool box.  If I feel good to go on Sunday, I'm going to be racing at TTF in the Olympic distance race.    

Woodstock Sprint Triathlon-3'rd OA 58:50

It was a great day of racing out in Woodstock Ontario yesterday.  This was the first race of the season for myself and many others, and we couldn't have asked for a better day to race.  This is my first of three back to back to back races (Woodstock, Welland, TTF), so it was nice to see my other Multisport Canada Ambassador Team members Mikael Staer Nathan and Alexander VanderLinden out to race.  Jackson Laundry also made an appearance, so this shaped up to be a nice competitive day (and there was a pretty epic showdown at the end).

Swim
After a typical race warm up (some light biking and a swim), we lined up and got ready to go.  Off the gun, one swimmer pulled out in front, and set a pretty fast pace that no one decided to match.  He went off the front, but the rest of us (Mikael, Alex, Jack, and I) formed a pack and pretty much kept it steady for the whole 750m.  Out of the water, we were all together.

Bike
After a short but steep uphill to the main road, we began to battle it out on the bike.  Jack moved to the front pretty early on, and none of us matched his pace.  He pulled ahead, and the remaining three of us stayed pretty close the whole ride.  I seemed to be in the front (of our group of 3) for most of the 20km...Alex moved ahead of me just after the turnaround (maybe to try and prompt a response that would help us close in on Jack), but we didn't catch Jack, and we all came into T2 pretty close together.

Run
I've had people tell me over and over again..."it's all about the run" or "bike for show, run for the dough".  Pretty much, you have to have a good run to be competitive when it counts.  This wasn't my thing.  In previous years, I've had a pretty big gap off the bike, but then got chased down on the run.  It's easy enough to say "just match their pace when they catch you", but that never happened, and I usually lost it in the run.
This race was a bit different.  You see, I kinda got tired of being run down, so I got faster at running  over the winter (and stayed injury free).  So when Alex and Mikael caught me at 2km in, I just tucked into their group and stayed with them.  This turned the race into a 3 WAY SHOWDOWN (for 2'nd)!!!  We all ran together for the next 2km.  It was almost a surreal experience...it was super fun to be hanging with both these guys, battling it out head to head.  With 1km to go, I was feeling pretty good, so I tossed in a bit of a surge.  I ran hard for maybe 10 seconds, which proved to separate our 3 man pack.  Mikael got gapped, but Alex stuck with me.  After re-grouping with Alex, I did another surge, but he was able to respond again.  Then he attacked, and put me on the ropes.  I stayed with him for a bit, but eventually a gap opened, and that was it.

Overall
This was probably the most fun I've ever had at a race.  It was really exciting racing, and also a super supportive atmosphere.  Mettle Multisport (who I have started coaching with) was out in big numbers at the race, and it was great to cheer on all the Mettle athletes, and also have them cheering for me.  It was also great to be out racing with my girlfriend Catalina (who had a great race after returning from injury), and to have the support of her whole family.
Thanks also goes to Multisport Canada for their continued support (and for hosting a great event), and to eLoad nutrition for keeping me fueled in training and racing.

Close race!

Exiting the water

Nice form!

SHOWDOWN!!!

All smiles post race

Overall winners

How Mountain Biking Can Help You be a Better Cyclist and Triathlete

A few years ago, I was big into mountain biking… jumps, trails…all that fun stuff.  But then I got into triathlon and I haven’t ridden much MTB since.  My brother Matt on the other hand (who I just got back from visiting in British Columbia), lives and breathes everything mountain biking.  So it was only natural that he wanted to take me on a bunch of local trails (like Whistler, one of the biggest downhill bike parks in the world) when I came to visit.  I wasn’t too keen about the idea of “rippin laps” with triathlon season right around the corner, but I decided to give it a go anyway.  Luckily, I didn’t crash, and I managed to make it through some pretty cool trails.  No, I wasn’t boosting off the jumps or tossing tricks like Matt, but as the day went on, I got more and more comfortable on my bike.  Now, although downhilling is inherently dangerous, it pretty much forces you to ride well (or you will crash).  Here are some of the things I took away from riding in the mountains that can be transferred to the road.

First run of the day!

Braking

In downhill mountain biking, proper braking is probably THE most important skill to know how to do well.  With steep descents and tight corners, too much speed can cause you to go out of control in a second.  Improper braking can also cause the wheels to lock up, and it is very easy to skid out of control (especially on slick surfaces like large rocks or wooden beams).  Whenever you are on the brakes, most of the stopping power should come from the front brake.  Too much back brake leads to wheel locking and skidding.  It is also important to brake before the turn, not during the turn.  This allows you to take a better, more predictable line through corners.  Both of these principles apply on the road.  Brake early and use more of the front brake to avoid skidding at higher speeds, and don’t brake while taking corners.

This can happen if you lose control

Finding a Line

Finding a line is another very important skill in mountain biking.  With downhill, you are going very fast over a very unpredictable surface.  You may be riding along and suddenly find a giant rock in the middle of the trail, or encounter a section of really loose gravel (or a combination of both).  On the road, this is comparable to someone flatting right in front of you, or having a large pothole in the middle of the road.  It suddenly becomes very important to be able to find the safest route as quickly as possible. Quickly deciding on how to navigate the obstacles can make the difference between staying up or crashing hard.  This is primarily accomplished by keeping your eyes on the trail (or road), and always having an escape route in mind.  If your mind starts to wander while descending a mountain, or riding in a big pack of riders on the road, you won't see obstacles soon enough, and you won't have the time to make a split decision....increasing your risk of a crash.

Keep focused on the trail/road!

I had one instance where I had to make a quick decision and take an alternate route to avoid crashing.  During a group ride, we were climbing in a pack up a hill, when a guy at the front flatted.  We all had to slow down, but the guy behind me didn’t.  His front wheel hit my bike, and I was pushed over to the side of the road.  Instead of panicking and trying to stay on the road, I found an alternate route through the grass on the side of the road.  I road through some dirt for a bit, and then came back onto the road unscathed (kind of like Lance does here).  +1 for MTB skills.       

Body Position

Mountain biking also requires some fast re-positioning of your body to deal with the terrain.  Whether it is riding uphill, downhill, or around corners (or off jumps or wallrides), you don’t approach them all the same.  Riding downhill requires keeping your weight back, staying low and compact, and keeping your arms bent to absorb impact.  You are always standing when descending trails, but this is not usually applicable to the road.  Riding uphill however is quite similar.  Uphill riding requires you to shift your weight pretty far forward, but you also need to keep weight on the back wheel to keep traction, since it’s easy to skid the rear wheel if there are loose rocks and mud (or if the road is wet).  Keeping a nice smooth cadence and pedal stroke up the hill will help the wheels keep their traction with the ground, both on the trail and the road.   

If you are going to crash, do it with style

Cornering is probably the most difficult to get the hang of.  The trick is to shift your body weight into the turn, and keep the handlebars quite straight.  Turning the bars too much will cause you to oversteer and skid out in the turn.  Same applies to the road.  Turn with your body and look where you want to go.  It also helps to push down with the foot that is on the outside of the turn for extra stability.

Pin corners like a pro!

Final Note

Thanks for reading!  If you find yourself in a position to do some mountain biking, I highly recommend it.  It can be a lot of fun if you approach it safely and stay within your comfort zone.  And, as I found, there are some really good cross training benefits to be had!

Brotherly Love

MSC Lakeside Sprint Triathlon-3'rd OA

My race in lakeside was my final triathlon of the season, and was a nice way to wrap up the season.  My main competitors Lionel Sanders (The colonel as I have heard him called...or as the Danosaur calls him, Sandburgers...) and Cody Beals (no nicknames I know of yet) were also racing the Sprint, and this made for a pretty competitive race.  

Pre-Race

Race morning on Saturday was probably the worst weather I have had this season (it was super cold and pouring rain).  After a cold race in Edmonton (where I had cramping issues and DNF), I decided it would be wise to wear a bit more than just a thin tri-suit (us skinny folk get cold fast).  I re-searched a few options, and decided to cut out a piece of an emergency blanket to tuck under my suit (to protect from wind, and give some insulation).  Although a bit crinkly, I would highly recommend this in cold weather, and I would definitely do it again.   

This is what convinced me to try the blanket cutout...

Swim

I had been out of the water for the two weeks leading into the race (post season recovery of sorts), so I got a good warm up in, and hoped for the best.  I didn't swim great, but it wasn't awful.  I was fourth out of the water right behind Angela Quick, and maybe 30 seconds behind the leaders.  

Bike

Okay, I have a bit of a confession to make...it's a bit embarrassing but I'm sure you, my faithful blog readers will understand.  I may have forgot I was wearing swim goggles, and may have left them on for the bike ride...I didn't notice until I was already in aero, and there was no way to take them off without stopping, so I just kept going.  Ya...it was kinda weird.

Ya...this happened

The bike was cold, and I was glad I had my insulating layer on (and maybe even glad I had the goggles on....ok not really).  I though I was riding decently until Lionel caught up and passed be like I was standing still.  Turns out I road okay, but Lionel was just on another level and flew through that bike course.  I came into T2 third with Michael Murray (another fast swim/biker) and then went off to run.

Run

With the weather being what it was (freezing cold), I had a fun time getting my shoes on with frozen hands.  Eventually I got going, and was greeted by a mud covered, pothole laden road.  Lionel and Cody were kinda far ahead, so I just held on for third.  I didn't get any abdomen cramping (potentially because of foil layer), but both my calves tightened right up.  Luckily, it wasn't too severe, and I didn't have to stop.

Post Race

It is always great racing with other high level competitors, especially when it is an Ontario race.  The Multisport Canada Triathlon Series has really supported us up and coming athletes the past few years, and it has brought in a good competitive field for local races.  Its awesome mixing it up with other high level athletes who are stronger than myself, and it's always cool catching up with them after the race.
A big thanks also goes out to eLoad who has supported me for the last couple seasons, and helped me out with my nutrition (training and racing).  Great people, great product :)

With another triathlon season in the books, I am turning my attention back to training and school (maybe I should say school and training).  I am going to be racing XC with YorkU, and also swimming with the YorkU team.
School wise, I am starting on my Masters in Fitness Science.  It promises to be an exiting program, and should provide some really cool opportunities (like testing the Leafs this week).

And of course, where would I be without all my awesome blog readers.  Huge thanks for following along and checking out my progress this year.  I'll be back racing next season for sure, so be sure to keep an eye out for my race reports.  I will also have some other cool posts popping up this offseason, so be sure to check in from time to time.
That about wraps it up.  Happy off-season!

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