Wasaga Beach Olympic Triathlon: 3'rd OA: 2:04:28

It was a tough race in Wasaga this weekend, and it was probably one of my toughest, if not the toughest race of the season.  The race wasn't mentally as difficult as my race in Welland or even as physically difficult, but it was very hard nonetheless.

The Bolton triathletes

Raffi and I before the race

I have raced Wasaga a lot in the past, and this was the first time in a while we actually got to swim (instead of the race being converted to Duathlon).  I was kinda hoping for a wavy swim (just for the experience), and I definitely got my wish.  The waves were huge, making sighting and swimming straight incredibly difficult.  My main goal was to avoid swallowing any water and to stay as relaxed as possible.  I was pretty far back from Alex after the swim.

Finally out of the water

Running up to T1

I came out of the water with Jackson, and I managed to stick with his pace.  He is a strong cyclist, and I was on my limit trying to stay with him.  We caught up to Alex after maybe 20km and put a decent size gap on him.  I was hoping to maybe get bike bonus points by coming into T2 first, but Jack had the same idea, and he was 13 seconds ahead of me into T2.

Here's where the race went sideways.  I tossed my bike on the rack, put on my running shoes, and took off after Jack.  Unfortunately, within my first few strides, I stepped on a wetsuit, which slid out underneath my foot.  Next thing I knew, I was lying on my back on the pavement.  It was kind of a surreal experience.  I knew I was hurting, but I also knew Jack was running away from me.  I got up quickly and ran after him, but after about 400m, I had to stop...my left hip was really hurting and I could hardly move without pain.

My best running form of the race

Alex caught me soon after, and yelled out a bit of encouragement.  I knew I had to try and finish, so I ran at whatever pace I could muster.  I settled into this limp run of sorts, and just gutted it out...I crossed the line third.

At least I finished

I'm glad I could finish and get a decent result for the club championship to support Mettle Multisport.   I'm still hurting today, and have some nice cuts and bruises (I'm not putting a picture of my bruised behind on the internet for you though).  Hopefully It heals up quick, and I'll be good to go for Barrelman.

My friend Raffi was also racing, and also had a crash...except he fell on the bike.  Coincidently, we both landed hard on our left sides.  Vicky was also there as our official photographer, but she ended up taking on a larger role as she took care of us injured triathletes.

As usual, thanks to my sponsors Multisport Canada, eLoad nutrition, and Nineteen wetsuits.  Big thanks to all my coaches, friends, and family as well for their support.  Also a big congratulations to all the Mettle athletes!
The season is almost done.  Time to get healed up and ready for Barrelman!

Toronto Island Sprint Triathlon: 59:30, 2nd OA

The triathlon season is quickly coming to a close, so it was nice to be out racing close to home this weekend for a race on Toronto Island.  I have been training and racing hard this year and have stayed injury free, but as is expected with a triathlon season, fatigue does start to catch up with you.  After my last race in Kingston (where I was DQ'd), I was feeling pretty tired and unmotivated to train, so I decided to scrap any plans for hard training, and took a couple weeks of light/no training.  This resulted in a lot of spare time, and gave me a chance to catch up on some of my other summer projects.

My last post showed the rusty razor...here's the after as well

So lets talk about the race.  I headed to the island with my girlfriend Catalina and my good friends Raffi and Vicky (Catalina and Raffi also raced the sprint).  It was fun taking the ferry over to the race, but it did leave us a bit tight for time.  I got to the start line on time, but only got in about a 1 minute swim warmup.

CN tower shot

Swim

The water wasn't too cold, and I had no problems swimming up at the front of the race.  Myself and fellow MSC ambassador team member Mikael Staer Nathan led the swim, and the pace was pretty chill.  We exited the swim with a couple other racers, and since the timing mat was up near transistion (which was a few hundred meters away), I ran hard to lead across the mat and pick up the points for the fastest swim.

Warming up in Nineteen Frequency

Looking...determined?

Bike

The bike course was very flat, and consisted of two laps back and forth across the island.  The ride did nothing to separate Mikael and I, and just put the two of us in a comfortable position up in front. 

Looking aero and fast

Run

I had a bit of an issue getting my race belt on in transition...the bib got stuck in my bike wheel and pulled off one of the cord locks holding it in place.  This small delay allowed Mikael to get out of T2 first, and with a fast acceleration, he pulled ahead.  I chased hard, and ran pretty well, but I couldn't catch him, and crossed the line in second.

Running in for 2'nd

Man-hugging it out

Overall

I was pretty happy with this race.  I find I enjoy the races a lot more when there is strong competition and there is a heated battle for the win.  I was feeling a lot better as well...my time off training helped a lot, and I'm now feeling good going into the home stretch of the season.

Catalina and Raffi also had strong races.  Catalina came first in her AG and Raffi put together a solid performance for his first race of the year.  My dad and brother also raced on the island this weekend, but in the tri-a-tri on Saturday.  My dad came first in his AG, and my brother came 2'nd OA!!!  Its great to see everyone racing well and having fun!!  Vicky was also excellent as photographer/cheerleader, and my mom was great as she woke up early to make me breakfast before the race.

As usual, a big thanks for Multisport Canada for putting on a great event.  Setting up a race on the island is logistically quite challenging, but it was run very smoothly.
A big thanks also goes to eLoad for their continued support in keeping me fuelled in racing and training.  Thanks also to Nineteen Wetsuits for their support and for keeping me swimming well in the open water!

The season is almost over, but I'll be racing at Barrelman to finish out the season.  Its a great late season half, and should be a nice way to end the summer.  Worth checking out!

MSC Kingston Long Course Triathlon-DQ

I'm going to start this blog post talking about razors.  I like razors...especially sharp ones.  My particular favourite is my straight razor...not only is it super sharp, but it leaves my face baby smooth (and aero for race day).
This weekend I was in Kingston for the long course triathlon.  During my time in the city, I stopped by the flea market and actually found an old straight razor.  This particular razor was dull and covered in rust, but I saw the potential for it to be awesome... it was high quality metal with bone scales...definitely a winner.

My newest razor for the collection

Now you may wonder why I wanted to talk about a rusty old razor to start this post.  One of the reasons is because the race in Kingston didn't really go so well.  I kinda had this thing where I missed a turn, and then got DQ right before the finish line.  Lets just say a sign for a turn on the bike was very small and unclear (with no other indicators given that this was a turn), and both myself and race leader Jordan Monnink missed the turn.  Off course=DQ for the 2 race leaders.
I did pretty much finish the race (save the 100m at the end), and for the time I was racing, I was feeling great.

Now lets bring this together...razors and triathlon.  Razor cuts are not a good thing (especially on such a handsome face).  But shaving with a straight blade has its risks, and cuts are going to happen.  Similar situation with triathlon.  Getting a DQ is not a good thing.  However nothing is ever certain in racing, and almost anything can happen on race day.
This weekend, it was a missed turn.  Was I fully to blame?  Definitely debatable.  Does it change the fact that I cut the course?  Nope.

 I'm not going to say I wasn't upset with my DQ...I was definitely not happy.  Kinda like when I cut my face in shaving...upset and not happy.  But shaving cuts aren't going to stop me from straight razoring...in fact they just make me strive to get better (and buy more razors).  Similarly DQ's aren't going to stop me from racing, and I can only aim to improve.  As is the situation in both, you initially say some not nice words, but then re-assess why something went wrong.  Although nothing is a guarantee, hopefully the next time, you go in a bit wiser and walk away unscathed.

I finished the race, but they didn't count my time

2 race leaders and 2 DQ's

A big thanks to Multisport Canada for their support and for adopting this race into their schedule.  Although I wasn't happy with course signage, I know next year they are going to make sure that turn is clear.
Continued thanks to my family for their support (and cheers this weekend).  Also thanks to my sponsors eLoad nutrition for keeping me hydrated on a hot day, and to Nineteen Wetsuits for keeping me comfortable in choppy water.





          

Gravenhurst Olympic Distance Triathlon: 1'st OA, 1:59:39

I was out racing in Gravenhurst this past weekend, where I raced the Olympic triathlon on Saturday, and my girlfriend Catalina was racing the sprint triathlon on Sunday.  I had been doing a lot of training heading into the race and I was feeling quite tired the week leading up.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel for the race, but with Catalina and her whole family cheering me on, I put together a solid race.

Pre Race

Gravenhurst is a unique race in that the swim starts in the middle of the lake.  In order to get to the race start, you get to ride on one of the two steamships, the Segwun, or Wenonah II.  Both are classic coal burning steamers, and it makes the race all that much more exciting.

Swim

The swim was quite simple, but did present a different set of challenges.  The course had a small sideways section that you had to swim before making a left turn and heading back to shore.  After the left turn, it was a straight line all the way back to shore.  Simple enough, but everyone who has swum in open water knows it can be pretty difficult to swim straight.  I made sure to sight frequently and managed to be the first one out of the water.  It was a long run up to transition, but I had a huge crowd cheering me on, so it didn't seem so bad.

Swimming fast in Nineteen Frequency

Bike

Due to construction on the old Gravenhurst course, Multisport Canada arranged a new course in the opposite direction.  The course was and out and back with rolling hills, which made for a pretty speedy ride.  There was a bit more traffic than on other courses, but there was a decent shoulder for most parts, which helped keep things safe (I did have a nice police escort the whole way).  I rode into T2 with a pretty comfortable lead.

My only bike picture...too fast for the cameras;)

Run

I already knew I had a big enough lead to take the win, so there wasn't a real need to bury myself on the course.  The course was very hilly and was rumoured to be 400-500m long, so it didn't really allow for blistering fast times.  I ran hard, but steady, and made sure to take in the scenery and enjoy the race.  I came into the finish with everyone cheering me on, and I crossed the line just under the 2 hour mark to pick up my second win in a row.

Post Race Interview

Post race

I stayed over Saturday night with Catalina and her family so I could cheer on my lady in her race Sunday morning.  She had a fantastic race, and was the first women to cross the finish line. Two other women in later waves had faster times, so she finished third overall (1'st AG).  Talk about a power couple!

A big thanks goes out to Multisport Canada for putting on a great race, and to eLoad nutrition for keeping me hydrated on a hot humid day.
I'm also happy to announce I'm joining up with Nineteen Wetsuits as a sponsor.  Its great to have another local company on board supporting me, and I have been very happy in their suits for years!
Also a big thanks to the entire Maass family (and relatives) for their support over the weekend, and to my family who was cheering me on from back home.

  

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