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

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!