At the beginning of this season, I'd thought I wasn't doing a season at all. Now, 5.5 tri's later, I'm very happy I did. Was I in my best shape? No. Was it a fun season anyway? Heck yes. I'll start here with a quick recap of the last 2 weekends of the season.
Toronto Island sprint du
Toronto Island is an interesting course because of its location on a relatively small island, and therefore the necessity of loops of the bike and run courses. This makes it very spectator friendly, but does also make the course congested most of the way through. I've done it before so was prepared (and was also prepared for the 5am wake up time) but as per most of this season I wasn't nervous going into the race. To my delight, the high winds forced the swim portion to be cancelled.
Run 1 - It was SO hard to hold back at the beginning of the race, as running races usually are, especially with a group of 3 quick girls pulling ahead right off the start. But I stayed at a steady effort and was still fresh running into T1.
Bike - It took a while to get into the flow of the course, lots of turns at the beginning kept me out of the aero bars for the first bit. But the road was smooth and once I settled into a rhythm it went well.
Run 2 - It was weird having such a short run to finish off (it was 2.5k). Unfortunately I didn't have the energy to pick up the pace and I think it was about the same pace-wise as the first one. I crossed the line entirely disappointed in my run fitness and thus decided to wait on reporting on the race until after the (hopefully better) Wasaga race.
Wasaga Beach olympic tri
On the drive over to Wasaga Beach from Collingwood Saturday morning, my entire focus was on what the water conditions were. Last year's swim was choppy to the point of being nauseating. Luckily the waves were significantly more calm this year. Adding to the calmness was a much later race start than normal - 10:30. I actually slept in for this race rather than having to get up early! It was also nice seeing Lauren, who I hadn't raced against since this race last year, and Anne who'd switched into the Pro division last minute so would be starting with us. I really had no idea how we'd do relative to each other right at this point which made for an exciting race.
Swim - It was a small swim start in the pro/elite age group division. Billy recommended I not draft him this time, because his swim fitness has been suffering with a longstanding rib injury. So instead I started off on my own, and got into a decent pace that I wasn't entirely sure I could hold the whole time. As it turned out, I felt better and better as the swim went on so kept pushing the pace a bit. On the way back though, I couldn't see the swim exit so went WAY off course - enough so that I was told a kayaker was heading over to point me in the right direction by the time I finally realized where I was - I'd recommend for future races to have a brighter exit arch, because brown is REALLY hard to see from the water, with sun in your eyes! Anyway, I still somehow got out of the water in a decent position - possibly second in my wave.
Bike - The bike started off feeling nice and strong, and the course was pretty flat. I couldn't hold the pace I'd started with though, and 10k in started slowing down and quickly lost my female lead. Whether this was starting too fast or simply less bike fitness overall I'm not sure, but once I slowed down I maintained that pace for the rest and came into T2 with fuel left in the tank.
Run - The weather had become deceptively hot thanks to the later race start, and I felt this right away. As with the previous weekend, I ran at what I felt was about steady effort but I knew it wouldn't be the pace I was hoping for. So I just stuck it out and finished comfortably uncomfortable.
And another season over, just like that. As much as I was glad to have done it, I'm equally glad that it's now over. I've got a long-anticipated cross-country season ahead, ending in the Club National Champs in Kingston at the end of November. Having a week of straight run training under my belt I'm looking forward to what the season has to offer. I'm also looking forward to a week long hiking trip in England with my dad at the end of the month - about the best cross-training you can get! Everything after these plans is still up in the air, but I'll update periodically when I can.
Thanks to everyone for reading! Your support means a lot :)
Thank you in particular to MultiSport Canada/Recharge With Milk, MaimCycle Hamilton, teamLPC and my wonderful family, friends and training buddies.
Till next time! :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Monday, August 1, 2016
Race Report - K-Town Long Course
It was so nice being back in Kingston this weekend, and to
be again competing in the Multisport Canada K-Town Long Course tri. The
distances are a bit unusual for this race: 2k swim, 56k bike and 15k run –
fitting nicely between Olympic and Half-Iron distances. The swim is in the
harbour right downtown Kingston, the bike course goes over the causeway and up
Highway 2 to Gananoque, and the run course goes the opposite way from downtown
along the water and through Lake Ontario Park. Having lived and trained in
Kingston for 2 years it was wonderfully familiar and more than a bit nostalgic.
My goal for this race, having had very little longer
distance training under my belt until very recently, was to finish hopefully
not too far off my time in this same race last year. I accidentally biked 86k a
week ago (you can look at a map all you want but it’s always way more difficult
remembering how to go back the opposite way – I took a right where I should
have taken a left!) so I knew I could at least do the bike distance, but was
pretty worried about the swim and run, and especially about fuelling.
Swim
The swim felt LONG. Like two weeks ago in Gravenhurst, I was
able to get on Billy’s feet right away and stay there. This time though it was
really hard to keep up. I felt like a little kid on a long car ride whining,
“are we there yet?” (except in my head) the entire way. The conditions were
okay though, not too choppy, and sighting wasn’t a problem. I got a bit of a
second wind right at the end and got out of the water feeling good.
Bike
It was hard not to start out the bike a bit too fast, but I
think I did a decent job. This was probably mainly because we had a headwind on
the way out. I used to bike this road all the time and can say that this is a
rare occurrence – but one that is always really nice during a race. Once I hit
the turnaround, I felt like I was flying on the way back. Knowing how much
longer I have based on familiarity of the race course rather than just the
signs is a huge help and made it go by pretty fast too. I finished off still
feeling pretty good, but I was dreading the run while still about 10k left on
the bike – it was midday by this time and starting to warm up.
Run
The run I’d been dreading started off badly right off the
start – I grabbed a drink in T2 and drank so fast I started choking, and was
still coughing for the first 100m or so of the course and struggling to catch
my breath. Once I did though I settled into a comfortable, but painfully slow,
pace. Focusing on staying relaxed and looking around at the route I’d run
probably every other day back when I was running with the Queen’s team helped
the time go by. Nearer to the end there were a couple times I was tempted to
walk which I mostly avoided – although I did start coming to a full stop at the
aid stations to make sure I got enough fluid in which I think helped. I didn’t
end up having the two gels I was carrying – I was just bordering on nausea most
of the way - but I think that’s a goal for the next long course race.
I finished the race 12 minutes slower than my time last
year, good enough for 10th place overall female and was first (only)
in my category. Overall I was happy with it – and had a lot of fun. I’ve
forgotten how fun longer racing is – you can really settle into a rhythm and at
the end of the day it really feels like a big accomplishment regardless of your
time or placing. It was also especially great crossing that finish line after
not being able to finish my last race!
As always Multisport Canada provided a fantastic, fun
environment and the Recharge with Milk tent did not disappoint! It was also
great seeing my teammates and other competitors/friends, both old and new. You
don’t meet triathletes that aren’t friendly and encouraging, it just doesn’t
happen. Everyone is so great. One of my favourite aspects of these races is
that everyone has their names on their bibs, so I was getting complete
strangers (both spectators and other racers) cheering me on by name throughout
the course.
I’d like to thank the following:
- Lou and the guys at MainCycle in Hamilton – thanks for
fixing the flat and giving me prevention tips for further races! Worked out
great!
- John and the rest of the Multisport Canada/Recharge withMilk team – thanks as always for putting on a great race!
- Coach Mark and the rest of teamLPC – thanks for getting me
to the start line prepared to race!
- my teammates, family and friends
And thanks for reading! Next up, MSC Toronto Island sprint
tri in 3 weeks’ time.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Post-Race Report - Gravenhurst Olympic tri
DNF. Worst three letters ever, in a race scenario. At least I can say I've been lucky up until now and that this was the first race I've been forced to pull out of due to a bike mechanical, and hopefully it won't happen again anytime soon!
It was a really pretty bike course - winding roads through mostly wooded areas. If not for the distance markers I would have been convinced I'd gone off course - the only cyclist I saw was just someone out for a leisurely ride. The first 10k and a bit I took at a comfortably uncomfortable pace, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold but I wanted to see what I could do. Just about 11 or 12k in I hit a pretty hard bump in the road, knocking my water bottle off. Frustrated but not about to get DQ'd for littering (or bike 30k without sport drink), I turned around to go get it and tried to shake off the disruption. Not even a minute later my back wheel started making a weird noise. What now?!? Thinking maybe something had shifted and was bumping into the wheel, I got off, only to find the wheel totally flat. I ride with tubulars (which means that the tire is glued directly onto the wheel) and so this meant my race was over. I pulled my bike off the road and thought, okay, now what? I'm 12k out with nobody else in sight! Luckily the casual cyclist I'd passed earlier came by, and when I told him what happened he biked ahead to let someone know to come get me. I sadly helped pack my bike up in the race vehicle but was extremely thankful I didn't have to walk my bike 12k back!
---
But let me back-track a bit. It had been a decent race up until then...
Billy and I drove up north the night before the race - a friend of his has a cottage about 15 mins from the race site and he was kind enough to let us stay over. So we arrived in Gravenhurst race morning well-rested and not overly stressed out. As I'd said in my last post, this was a "well, why not do it?" race I'd signed up late for - more to see where my fitness is at in the longer races in anticipation of K-Town in 2 weeks' time. That I'm sure helped the pre-race nerves (or lack thereof).
Swim
Gravenhurst is a really unique and neat race start - instead of a beach start we were taken out in boats to the in-water start, 1.5k out, and had to swim in to shore. It was a fairly big first wave but I had my swim plan already set out - get on Billy's feet right off the start and see how long I could hang on. For once my swim plan was executed perfectly - I didn't even have to sight! And with the draft my effort was just about exactly where it needed to be to get me out of the water having worked hard but not overdone it. I thanked Billy running up to T1, and was happy to hear that the swim had gone well for him too.
Bike
It was a really pretty bike course - winding roads through mostly wooded areas. If not for the distance markers I would have been convinced I'd gone off course - the only cyclist I saw was just someone out for a leisurely ride. The first 10k and a bit I took at a comfortably uncomfortable pace, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold but I wanted to see what I could do. Just about 11 or 12k in I hit a pretty hard bump in the road, knocking my water bottle off. Frustrated but not about to get DQ'd for littering (or bike 30k without sport drink), I turned around to go get it and tried to shake off the disruption. Not even a minute later my back wheel started making a weird noise. What now?!? Thinking maybe something had shifted and was bumping into the wheel, I got off, only to find the wheel totally flat. I ride with tubulars (which means that the tire is glued directly onto the wheel) and so this meant my race was over. I pulled my bike off the road and thought, okay, now what? I'm 12k out with nobody else in sight! Luckily the casual cyclist I'd passed earlier came by, and when I told him what happened he biked ahead to let someone know to come get me. I sadly helped pack my bike up in the race vehicle but was extremely thankful I didn't have to walk my bike 12k back!
Back at the race site everyone was incredibly supportive. I found out quickly that at least 4 athletes (including 2 LPC teammates) had crashed on the bike course, so I realized I'd been lucky my problem was just a flat (and they're all okay - Jack Laundry even came back from his bike incident to win the race). These things happen I guess. Overall I'm disappointed of course, but it was better for something like this to happen here in a race I'd just jumped into last minute, rather than one of the bigger ones of the season. Plus I then got to do the cottage thing the rest of the weekend - so it wasn't a wasted trip in the slightest!
Hopefully I've used up my bad bike luck for the year, knock on wood! Next up is MSC K-Town during the August long weekend. I'll use yesterday's race as motivation to put in some good training between now and then, and get my poor bike fixed up and ready for action!
Thank you so much to my family, friends and supporters, including:
- teamLPC and Coach Mark
- the Multisport Canada and Recharge with Milk team
- my fellow MSC Ambassadors
And thank you very much for reading! :)
Saturday, July 9, 2016
MSC Belwood 2016 - Post-Race Report
Well, I'm certainly happy to be back in the swing of things! Since my last post, I'm excited to report that I'm back with teamLPC, Coach Mark and the Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk Ambassador Team. :D As a few of my teammates and friends have said, I probably just needed to get out on a race course to "get the triathlon bug back". Anyone who is or has struggled with motivation to train in the past, especially over the long off-season, I would love to hear your story as well :)
Today was the perfect day for my 2016 Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk race debut - unlike the scorching temperatures of the rest of the week, it was overcast, relatively cool, and even rained a bit. If you're living in Southern Ontario you'll understand why this was so welcome today.
Considering my lack of training recently, I'm surprised at how calm I was arriving at the race. Running through the familiar pre-race routine helped I'm sure, as did the small venue and how close it was to home (driving over, it felt like I was just doing the normal work commute to Elora, two small towns over). LPC teammate Nadine also seemed just as relaxed as I was feeling, so we organized everything and casually headed down to the water and before I knew it, we were about to start.
Swim - 750m
I started in the pro/elite age group wave which was incredibly small and incredibly talented. That was great for everyone else but meant there wouldn't be much chance of me getting a draft! I was able to hang on to Nadine's feet for about 200m but lost her and then just started focusing on swimming as steadily as possible. I'd done one thing right in the off-season swimming wise, and that was focus on drills. I was able to hold a good form and I'm finally starting to get a hang of some of the finer aspects of swim technique (forearm catch, split screen breathing...) - at least it feels like I have! Anyway, my endurance was ultimately what held me back but all things considered it was a decent swim and I got out of the water not incredibly exhausted and not in a terrible position.
Bike - 30 km
Coach Mark had said earlier this week that the bike would be where I'd feel the lack of training the most, and was he ever right! (Note: he's always right...). The first 15k felt great, I was holding a great speed and it felt effortless. But of course, whenever that happens, you then quickly realize it was either downhill or with the wind. This time, turns out it was both. The next 5-10k I felt like I was barely moving, and I also started to get a hip flexor cramp (not enough practice in aero!). It was around that time a few women from the next wave started passing me, too (although they were friendly and encouraging - I'm looking at you, Laura and Amanda!) I just tried to keep my effort in check and not push too hard (although I may have gone too easy, I was enjoying the scenery a little too much around then), but once the course flattened out again I was able to pick up my speed and still finished at a decent overall pace.
Run - 7.5 km
Finally, a run that actually felt pretty good! I'm putting that more on the weather than my fitness, although I think it was a bit of both. Knowing how I tend to start off way too fast normally, I really tried to stay relaxed for the first km or two and think about staying upright and keeping my strides short and fast. After the lengthy time in aero position I actually felt strangely tall for those first couple k's (and it's a feeling I rarely feel!). As the race went on I was able to pick up the pace gradually, and the second half I caught a few women (who were just as cheery and encouraging as the first time around which is awesome :) ) and really pushed the last 500m to cross the line in 4th place overall female! I've still got it! :P
Overall such a great race atmosphere and a really fun venue - I'll for sure be coming back to this race in years to come. Multisport Canada always outdoes themselves with organizing both the race itself and the race venue, and the Recharge with Milk tent is always a huge hit (I came away with lots of swag and a photo to prove it.) Post-race interview with Cody Beals was really neat, too - inspiring for all of us, from first-timers to the top finishers in the race. And although John Salt was out of the country, he made sure to have a stand-in end-of-race hand-shaker ready to make sure every finisher still got a congratulatory handshake :P
I'd like to thank those who have supported me, through thick and thin, through sickness and health and athletic melt-downs alike. You guys all rock! :)
- Everyone at teamLPC, especially Coach Mark and my better half Billy :P
- The Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk crew and my fellow Ambassadors
- Lou and the team at MainCycle in Hamilton
- Last but not least, my family and close friends for support in and out of triathlon
- And of course you, faithful reader - I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I wish you all the best :)
What's next? Looks like I'll be tackling the MSC Gravenhurst Olympic distance race next Saturday because, why not? It's looking like another great venue and I hope to see some of you there!
(NOTE: I'm going to publish this sans race photos in the hopes I can later edit it and put photos in but no promises...)
---
Today was the perfect day for my 2016 Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk race debut - unlike the scorching temperatures of the rest of the week, it was overcast, relatively cool, and even rained a bit. If you're living in Southern Ontario you'll understand why this was so welcome today.
Considering my lack of training recently, I'm surprised at how calm I was arriving at the race. Running through the familiar pre-race routine helped I'm sure, as did the small venue and how close it was to home (driving over, it felt like I was just doing the normal work commute to Elora, two small towns over). LPC teammate Nadine also seemed just as relaxed as I was feeling, so we organized everything and casually headed down to the water and before I knew it, we were about to start.
Swim - 750m
I started in the pro/elite age group wave which was incredibly small and incredibly talented. That was great for everyone else but meant there wouldn't be much chance of me getting a draft! I was able to hang on to Nadine's feet for about 200m but lost her and then just started focusing on swimming as steadily as possible. I'd done one thing right in the off-season swimming wise, and that was focus on drills. I was able to hold a good form and I'm finally starting to get a hang of some of the finer aspects of swim technique (forearm catch, split screen breathing...) - at least it feels like I have! Anyway, my endurance was ultimately what held me back but all things considered it was a decent swim and I got out of the water not incredibly exhausted and not in a terrible position.
Bike - 30 km
Coach Mark had said earlier this week that the bike would be where I'd feel the lack of training the most, and was he ever right! (Note: he's always right...). The first 15k felt great, I was holding a great speed and it felt effortless. But of course, whenever that happens, you then quickly realize it was either downhill or with the wind. This time, turns out it was both. The next 5-10k I felt like I was barely moving, and I also started to get a hip flexor cramp (not enough practice in aero!). It was around that time a few women from the next wave started passing me, too (although they were friendly and encouraging - I'm looking at you, Laura and Amanda!) I just tried to keep my effort in check and not push too hard (although I may have gone too easy, I was enjoying the scenery a little too much around then), but once the course flattened out again I was able to pick up my speed and still finished at a decent overall pace.
Run - 7.5 km
Finally, a run that actually felt pretty good! I'm putting that more on the weather than my fitness, although I think it was a bit of both. Knowing how I tend to start off way too fast normally, I really tried to stay relaxed for the first km or two and think about staying upright and keeping my strides short and fast. After the lengthy time in aero position I actually felt strangely tall for those first couple k's (and it's a feeling I rarely feel!). As the race went on I was able to pick up the pace gradually, and the second half I caught a few women (who were just as cheery and encouraging as the first time around which is awesome :) ) and really pushed the last 500m to cross the line in 4th place overall female! I've still got it! :P
Overall such a great race atmosphere and a really fun venue - I'll for sure be coming back to this race in years to come. Multisport Canada always outdoes themselves with organizing both the race itself and the race venue, and the Recharge with Milk tent is always a huge hit (I came away with lots of swag and a photo to prove it.) Post-race interview with Cody Beals was really neat, too - inspiring for all of us, from first-timers to the top finishers in the race. And although John Salt was out of the country, he made sure to have a stand-in end-of-race hand-shaker ready to make sure every finisher still got a congratulatory handshake :P
I'd like to thank those who have supported me, through thick and thin, through sickness and health and athletic melt-downs alike. You guys all rock! :)
- Everyone at teamLPC, especially Coach Mark and my better half Billy :P
- The Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk crew and my fellow Ambassadors
- Lou and the team at MainCycle in Hamilton
- Last but not least, my family and close friends for support in and out of triathlon
- And of course you, faithful reader - I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I wish you all the best :)
What's next? Looks like I'll be tackling the MSC Gravenhurst Olympic distance race next Saturday because, why not? It's looking like another great venue and I hope to see some of you there!
(NOTE: I'm going to publish this sans race photos in the hopes I can later edit it and put photos in but no promises...)
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Guelph Lake Weekend and some updates
Or, "The One in Which I Quit Triathlon and then Jumped into a Race 2 Weeks Later"
It wasn't a good off season. Not by a long shot. My motivation to train was a roller coaster of ups and downs (my last post was clearly an "up" day). I'm not sure if this was because of the time constraints of trying to fit training in alongside a new full-time physical job, the timing of group training rarely working with said schedule, or perhaps that when I was sick in the fall and couldn't train I discovered this really neat thing called spare time, and kind of liked it. Honestly probably a combination of all of these. Anyway, the end result was that triathlon training had essentially "lost its magic".
Finally, after a lot of thought and just over a week before my season-opening race, I finally made the decision to quit. I had barely done any swimming or biking for about a month or two at that point, and I really just wanted to run. It seemed so easy. And maybe if this hadn't happened a week before the season started things would be different.
Although I'd pulled out of Woodstock I still went to cheer on Billy and the rest of the LPCer's and MSC Ambassador members I'd become so friendly with. I did really like being able to watch everyone and encourage them throughout the course, but I left the day feeling like something was missing. And then I took an off day from running a couple days later to give my legs a break, and jumped on the bike instead - and really liked it. Maybe I'd made the wrong decision after all.
So, that brings me to this weekend at Guelph Lake:
--
SAT: Oly relay (run segment)
Since I've been running 5-6 times a week (although mostly easy) I happily jumped into the run segment of a relay. It helped that the relay consisted of Dave Hopton, Jack Laundry and myself. Between the two of these crazy fast guys, I'd secured myself a huge lead before even starting my portion.
It was HOT. It must have been 30 degrees before taking humidity into account. I paced it relatively slowly but it still felt incredibly difficult. Not too many people passed me though, and I brought the team in at 4th fastest time overall (including individuals) and first relay team. I crossed the line tired but happy to be back into things, and immediately considered signing up for the sprint tri the following day. And then, immediately after that thought, I had to get out of the heat. The process of trying to cool off in a daze went from drinking water, to dunking water over my head, to finding shade, to the tent with fans blowing mist, and ultimately back into the lake before I could cool down and think clearly again. (With my poor sister trying to help me through the process.) And after that I was still set on doing the sprint the next day.
SUN: Sprint tri
I really didn't have time to be nervous before the race. Myself and a group of LPCer's had camped the night before on site so I slept in as long as I could before gathering my stuff and walking over to registration. And there was a HUGE line to register (nice to have all the added participation though!). By the time I got through that and put my bike into transition it was time to start warming up. So I hadn't really had time to really think about the impending race and my swim/bike fitness.
Swim - It went about how I expected it would. I ran into the water with Wave 1, found some feet and hung on for dear life. I found feet, lost feet, back and forth throughout the course but never really got too tired and it didn't feel that long. I had no idea what my place was getting back onto beloved dry land but placing wasn't a priority for this race.
Bike - Despite how hard uphills are on very minimal training, the rest of the course felt great and I managed to average over 30 kph! It is a very familiar course and it felt wonderful getting back out on my beloved TT bike and the new race disc. I was happy with how few people passed me on the course, and again wasn't really looking at how many were ahead. It was nice to see teammates Nina and Nadine not too far back though, having started 3 mins after me, and looking strong.
Run - As with Saturday, I was happy with my speed/pacing but it was a painful race in the heat. It was shorter but it was the day after doing 10k and this time after a swim and bike - so overall I think it went really well all factors considered. I lost in a sprint finish, but it was to Nadine who'd had one of her best runs yet so I couldn't be disappointed with that.
I ended up with a time that wasn't too far off what I'd been doing in previous seasons, and 12th woman overall, which was more than I would have hoped for going in. It felt so good being back in the swing of things.
--
So, I normally finish off with what's next. This time I'm not entirely sure. The only things that are certain are that I plan to do more tri's this summer, but going forward maintain a strong run focus in my training with my eventual goal to break 18:00 in 5k. Goals for tri's will come, but I'm not going to force them. It's got to stay fun, because if it's not, then what's the point?
Thanks for reading this slightly different-than-normal post. I hope to keep up with more as I go through this season and into some potential big plans for 2017. And thanks to everyone close to me who's had to deal with this emotional wreck of an athlete for the last few months, believe me I've been as confused about what I want as you!
Cheers :)
It wasn't a good off season. Not by a long shot. My motivation to train was a roller coaster of ups and downs (my last post was clearly an "up" day). I'm not sure if this was because of the time constraints of trying to fit training in alongside a new full-time physical job, the timing of group training rarely working with said schedule, or perhaps that when I was sick in the fall and couldn't train I discovered this really neat thing called spare time, and kind of liked it. Honestly probably a combination of all of these. Anyway, the end result was that triathlon training had essentially "lost its magic".
Finally, after a lot of thought and just over a week before my season-opening race, I finally made the decision to quit. I had barely done any swimming or biking for about a month or two at that point, and I really just wanted to run. It seemed so easy. And maybe if this hadn't happened a week before the season started things would be different.
Although I'd pulled out of Woodstock I still went to cheer on Billy and the rest of the LPCer's and MSC Ambassador members I'd become so friendly with. I did really like being able to watch everyone and encourage them throughout the course, but I left the day feeling like something was missing. And then I took an off day from running a couple days later to give my legs a break, and jumped on the bike instead - and really liked it. Maybe I'd made the wrong decision after all.
So, that brings me to this weekend at Guelph Lake:
--
SAT: Oly relay (run segment)
Since I've been running 5-6 times a week (although mostly easy) I happily jumped into the run segment of a relay. It helped that the relay consisted of Dave Hopton, Jack Laundry and myself. Between the two of these crazy fast guys, I'd secured myself a huge lead before even starting my portion.
It was HOT. It must have been 30 degrees before taking humidity into account. I paced it relatively slowly but it still felt incredibly difficult. Not too many people passed me though, and I brought the team in at 4th fastest time overall (including individuals) and first relay team. I crossed the line tired but happy to be back into things, and immediately considered signing up for the sprint tri the following day. And then, immediately after that thought, I had to get out of the heat. The process of trying to cool off in a daze went from drinking water, to dunking water over my head, to finding shade, to the tent with fans blowing mist, and ultimately back into the lake before I could cool down and think clearly again. (With my poor sister trying to help me through the process.) And after that I was still set on doing the sprint the next day.
SUN: Sprint tri
I really didn't have time to be nervous before the race. Myself and a group of LPCer's had camped the night before on site so I slept in as long as I could before gathering my stuff and walking over to registration. And there was a HUGE line to register (nice to have all the added participation though!). By the time I got through that and put my bike into transition it was time to start warming up. So I hadn't really had time to really think about the impending race and my swim/bike fitness.
Swim - It went about how I expected it would. I ran into the water with Wave 1, found some feet and hung on for dear life. I found feet, lost feet, back and forth throughout the course but never really got too tired and it didn't feel that long. I had no idea what my place was getting back onto beloved dry land but placing wasn't a priority for this race.
Bike - Despite how hard uphills are on very minimal training, the rest of the course felt great and I managed to average over 30 kph! It is a very familiar course and it felt wonderful getting back out on my beloved TT bike and the new race disc. I was happy with how few people passed me on the course, and again wasn't really looking at how many were ahead. It was nice to see teammates Nina and Nadine not too far back though, having started 3 mins after me, and looking strong.
Run - As with Saturday, I was happy with my speed/pacing but it was a painful race in the heat. It was shorter but it was the day after doing 10k and this time after a swim and bike - so overall I think it went really well all factors considered. I lost in a sprint finish, but it was to Nadine who'd had one of her best runs yet so I couldn't be disappointed with that.
I ended up with a time that wasn't too far off what I'd been doing in previous seasons, and 12th woman overall, which was more than I would have hoped for going in. It felt so good being back in the swing of things.
--
So, I normally finish off with what's next. This time I'm not entirely sure. The only things that are certain are that I plan to do more tri's this summer, but going forward maintain a strong run focus in my training with my eventual goal to break 18:00 in 5k. Goals for tri's will come, but I'm not going to force them. It's got to stay fun, because if it's not, then what's the point?
Thanks for reading this slightly different-than-normal post. I hope to keep up with more as I go through this season and into some potential big plans for 2017. And thanks to everyone close to me who's had to deal with this emotional wreck of an athlete for the last few months, believe me I've been as confused about what I want as you!
Cheers :)
Monday, March 21, 2016
Looking ahead to the 2016 season!
Well hi there! It's been a while. It's hard to believe almost half a year has gone by since the end of last season. I'm now a fully licensed physiotherapist and loving every minute of it - my days are filled with either doing physical activity or helping others get into/back into it (and sometimes both at once, depending on the treatment technique!)
The fall came with a bit of a roadblock for training - I was pretty sick for a while and cut back a lot right when I was looking forward to building back up from the post-Barrelman rest phase. 3 months of tests and specialists later, it was determined that nothing was physically wrong and it must just be stress. Which seemed like a cop-out to me - until all my symptoms magically resolved less than a week after getting my board exam results back in January... The body is weird, that's all I can say.
Mentally it's been a bit tough knowing how much training I lost out on over those few months, especially on the swim. But, strangely, I'm swimming better than ever now. (Which still isn't that great but I'm happy :P ) I didn't lose as much bike and run mileage, so I'm happy with how I'm doing there. Coming into the spring I'm putting in less hours of training overall, with a focus on intensity, and this seems to work well to keep me healthy and happy.
With the days getting longer and the warm weather starting to peek its head out, it's about time to start thinking about the upcoming season.
I'm happy to be partnering again this year with Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk as a Pro Ambassador. It was a great opportunity last year and honestly a big part of why I started this blog up in the first place - so it's been successful in a few ways!
I am also thrilled to be continuing with my sponsorship from MainCycle in Hamilton. I can always count on them to take good care of my race bike - and now I've added a new member to the collection, lovingly put together and snazzed up by the best:
The fall came with a bit of a roadblock for training - I was pretty sick for a while and cut back a lot right when I was looking forward to building back up from the post-Barrelman rest phase. 3 months of tests and specialists later, it was determined that nothing was physically wrong and it must just be stress. Which seemed like a cop-out to me - until all my symptoms magically resolved less than a week after getting my board exam results back in January... The body is weird, that's all I can say.
Mentally it's been a bit tough knowing how much training I lost out on over those few months, especially on the swim. But, strangely, I'm swimming better than ever now. (Which still isn't that great but I'm happy :P ) I didn't lose as much bike and run mileage, so I'm happy with how I'm doing there. Coming into the spring I'm putting in less hours of training overall, with a focus on intensity, and this seems to work well to keep me healthy and happy.
With the days getting longer and the warm weather starting to peek its head out, it's about time to start thinking about the upcoming season.
I'm happy to be partnering again this year with Multisport Canada/Recharge with Milk as a Pro Ambassador. It was a great opportunity last year and honestly a big part of why I started this blog up in the first place - so it's been successful in a few ways!
I am also thrilled to be continuing with my sponsorship from MainCycle in Hamilton. I can always count on them to take good care of my race bike - and now I've added a new member to the collection, lovingly put together and snazzed up by the best:
Finally, I'm so happy to be a part of the teamLPC Hurdle Project team. What a great group of fun, friendly and hard-working individuals I'm so proud to call teammates.
So far on the race roster, my tentative schedule is:
Stay tuned for more updates! Glad to be back :)
Cheers,
Emma
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Post-race report - Multisport Canada Barrelman Half-Ironman
All season leading up to this race, I was wondering what I'd gotten myself into. I only did my first Olympic distance race a few months ago, and here I was signed up for a half-Ironman. On the plus side of this there were absolutely no expectations, my goal was simply to finish, so race morning I was significantly less nervous than I usually am. The weather turned out to be perfect. Sunny, temperature in the mid-teens and only a bit of wind. And of course the Niagara region is gorgeous, especially this time of year.
My only disappointment with race day was that it was the same day as the 35th Annual Terry Fox Run. Terry is my athletic hero and I haven't missed a Run since I started them back in elementary school. So, I did the next best thing and ran with ribbons from previous Runs - one on my race top and one in my hair. I was thrilled to see at least two other athletes wearing Terry Fox Run shirts out on the run course, too!
Swim
The swim was the only discipline that I'd raced this distance before, but it still felt really long. Luckily it was in a man-made canal so it was warm (almost too warm actually!) and smooth. I started in the Pro wave (why I signed up as Pro I have no idea...) so most of my wave was out of sight right off the start. Luckily the next wave started only a minute back though and once they caught me I was able to get on some feet and draft pretty much the entire way. For a bit there I couldn't swim straight, not sure why, but the way the course was set up there were small buoys every few metres so once I realized this it helped me stay in a straight line. I was actually pretty happy with my pace throughout, and I never felt overly tired - but as always I was still very relieved to get to shore and get on with the better parts of the race!
Bike
The bike portion felt great! My goal was to hold an average pace of 30kph but since I wasn't even doing my long rides at 25kph leading up to it I thought that was a long shot. As it turned out, I averaged almost 32kph. The majority of the race was a slight downhill, but also into a bit of a headwind, so I'm not sure which contributed more but effort-wise I was really happy to have been able to hold the pace I did. I also fuelled better than I had in training (although I still probably need to double my caloric intake if I want to be competitive in these things in the future!) I felt tired by the end of course, but not nearly as much as I'd expected.
Run
I'm going to start with a disclaimer (not an excuse, a disclaimer :P ) - I've never run 21k before. Not even for an easy run. Coach Mark and I discussed beforehand that I would only do the full run if I felt pretty good, and not to push it and re-aggravate my shins. I actually started out feeling pretty good, and holding a decent pace but something I thought I might be able to hold for a while. But then I did hit a wall, as I expected to. Unfortunately that wall was at 15k, about as far out as I could have been on the course. So instead of dropping out I started walking, so I would at least finish. 500m later I got to an aid station, and realized how hungry I was (fuelling was good on the bike, but all I'd had on the run was energy drink - NOT smart). The volunteers asked what I wanted to eat: a banana, pretzels, grapes, orange slices, a gel ... and I said "one of everything!" Best food I'd ever had in my life. And amazingly, once I'd finished, I felt better and was able to run again. At a decent pace, too! After that, there were two more aid stations where I proceeded to stop and stuff my face, and then continue mostly running through the park, past the falls, and FINALLY to the finish line.
Overall, I was actually very happy with my debut half-Iron. I was pleased with how I did for the majority of it, and I know what I need to do to improve on the last 6k of the run for next time. And there will definitely be a next time - I really liked this distance!
Thus concludes my 2015 season! It's been fun, rewarding, and a great learning experience. I've met lots of great athletes and supporters, tried my hand at longer race distances, and I'm coming away from these last few months a little older and wiser about this wonderful, crazy sport of triathlon. Huge thank you to my family, friends, teammates and supporters; Coach Mark and Billy (whose Barrelman experience strangely almost mirrored mine - check out his blog here). Thank you so much to Multisport Canada for accepting me onto their 2015 Ambassador Team - it's been a pleasure racing the series this year! Thank you to TeamLPC for all of your dedication and support for myself and the rest of the Hurdle Project athletes. Thank you MainCycle Hamilton for keeping my beloved bike running smoothly :P And thanks to you, for reading!
As for what's next for me, I'm incredibly excited (and more than a little nervous!) to be starting a new job tomorrow as a Physiotherapy Resident for Eramosa Physiotherapy Associates. 3 days a week I'll be back at the very familiar Health and Performance Centre on Guelph campus, and the other 2 I'll be in downtown Guelph. And after a week or two of down time, it'll be back to the grind getting ready for the 2016 triathlon season!
My only disappointment with race day was that it was the same day as the 35th Annual Terry Fox Run. Terry is my athletic hero and I haven't missed a Run since I started them back in elementary school. So, I did the next best thing and ran with ribbons from previous Runs - one on my race top and one in my hair. I was thrilled to see at least two other athletes wearing Terry Fox Run shirts out on the run course, too!
My dad's signature line of encouragement when I'm racing: "Do it for Terry!"
Swim
The swim was the only discipline that I'd raced this distance before, but it still felt really long. Luckily it was in a man-made canal so it was warm (almost too warm actually!) and smooth. I started in the Pro wave (why I signed up as Pro I have no idea...) so most of my wave was out of sight right off the start. Luckily the next wave started only a minute back though and once they caught me I was able to get on some feet and draft pretty much the entire way. For a bit there I couldn't swim straight, not sure why, but the way the course was set up there were small buoys every few metres so once I realized this it helped me stay in a straight line. I was actually pretty happy with my pace throughout, and I never felt overly tired - but as always I was still very relieved to get to shore and get on with the better parts of the race!
In the background is the Welland Flatwater Centre where we did the swim.
Bike
The bike portion felt great! My goal was to hold an average pace of 30kph but since I wasn't even doing my long rides at 25kph leading up to it I thought that was a long shot. As it turned out, I averaged almost 32kph. The majority of the race was a slight downhill, but also into a bit of a headwind, so I'm not sure which contributed more but effort-wise I was really happy to have been able to hold the pace I did. I also fuelled better than I had in training (although I still probably need to double my caloric intake if I want to be competitive in these things in the future!) I felt tired by the end of course, but not nearly as much as I'd expected.
We did two loops on the run, going by the Falls twice. So pretty :)
Run
I'm going to start with a disclaimer (not an excuse, a disclaimer :P ) - I've never run 21k before. Not even for an easy run. Coach Mark and I discussed beforehand that I would only do the full run if I felt pretty good, and not to push it and re-aggravate my shins. I actually started out feeling pretty good, and holding a decent pace but something I thought I might be able to hold for a while. But then I did hit a wall, as I expected to. Unfortunately that wall was at 15k, about as far out as I could have been on the course. So instead of dropping out I started walking, so I would at least finish. 500m later I got to an aid station, and realized how hungry I was (fuelling was good on the bike, but all I'd had on the run was energy drink - NOT smart). The volunteers asked what I wanted to eat: a banana, pretzels, grapes, orange slices, a gel ... and I said "one of everything!" Best food I'd ever had in my life. And amazingly, once I'd finished, I felt better and was able to run again. At a decent pace, too! After that, there were two more aid stations where I proceeded to stop and stuff my face, and then continue mostly running through the park, past the falls, and FINALLY to the finish line.
IT'S OVER!!!
I did still get 3rd in the Pro Female division (there were only 3 of us).
As for what's next for me, I'm incredibly excited (and more than a little nervous!) to be starting a new job tomorrow as a Physiotherapy Resident for Eramosa Physiotherapy Associates. 3 days a week I'll be back at the very familiar Health and Performance Centre on Guelph campus, and the other 2 I'll be in downtown Guelph. And after a week or two of down time, it'll be back to the grind getting ready for the 2016 triathlon season!
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