down time / R & R

It's weird not doing any serious training, or planning and taking part in races. I just want to keep going strong, but I know my history of over training, and I don't want to burn out in January. I still do a little bit of training to keep myself active (swim a couple of times a week, some indoor cycling, a light run and some weights), but nothing serious. It's nice to just relax and think about the past season, and make plans for the upcoming season. I'm excited about Muskoka 70.3 which I have signed up for, the 3 1/2 marathons I plan to do, trying Olympic distance races, and revisiting all the races I did last year to see how much I can improve from last year. My current (unofficial) schedule for next year is as such:

MAY 16 - MISSISSAUGA 1/2 MARATHON

JUNE 6 - MILTON GIVE-IT-A-TRY (as a warm up for the season)

JUNE 20 - GUELPH OLYMPIC DISTANCE

JULY 4 - HURONIA SPRINT

JULY 17 - GRAVENHURST OLYMPIC DISTANCE

JULY 25 - MUSKOKA LONG COURSE

AUG 8 - BARRIE SPRINT

AUG 22 - ORILLIA SPRINT

SEPT 4 - GUELPH II SPRINT

SEPT 12 - MUSKOKA 70.3

SEPT 26 - WATERFRONT 1/2 MARATHON

OCT 17 - TORONTO 1/2 MARATHON

yup, probably biting off more than I can chew. My goal is to go hard these next few years leading up to my first Ironman, and then after that, just settle in to a routine of races and a 70.3 and Ironman once or every other year.

Toronto 1/2 Marathon

Yesterday at a cold, but sunny Toronto venue, I ran the Toronto 1/2 marathon to end my 2009. The race went really well. I got there early enough to actually warm up and put myself around people that would be running the same pace that I would be, so that I did not have to dance around people that are significantly slower than me. I was aiming for 1:45 and put myself right next to the pace bunny.

When the race started, it was COLD! But, after about 3 km, I forgot about the cold as I got to ran in the sun. My pace was strong, my hydration was good, and the tunes were pumping. I was ready to finish this race strong...much different than my collapse at the end of the Waterfront 1/2 marathon.

Again, I held pace. 5:00 on the dot for the first 16 km. I didn't stop to walk, even though my legs were hurting at this point. I knew if I stopped that I would repeat the breakdown from the Waterfront. I lost :10 in the 17th km, another :30 in the 18th km, and then finished at about 6:00 splits for the last 3km. I wish I could have finished stronger, but I am very pleased that I was able to run the entire route continously, and that I did not have the mental collapse I did earlier. The music really helped, although at the end it was more 'where is the damn finish line!' rather than focussing on the music to set my tempo.

All in all, I finished with a time of 1:49:27, an 8 minute improvement from the Waterfront 1/2, and a happy ending to my first season of racing. Funny, I hadn't even ran the last event and I have already registered for my first event next year: the Mississauga 1/2 marathon! AND, I just got an e-mail from Subaru Muskoka 70.3 for early bird registration of that race! I'm feeling as though I could do it, but the swimming really scares me. I'll have to do some serious work this winter to get that swimming up to par if I'm going to be successful there.

Thanks for reading this season. There probably won't be many entries this winter, but I'll try to keep you up to date with my off season training, products I've bought/thinking of buying, and the races I'm registering in next year!

Toronto 1/2 Marathon

So I was having so much fun last summer doing triathlons and accomplishing feats I would have never dreamed possible, so I decided to sign up for the two Toronto 1/2 marathons (waterfront and Toronto). Tomorrow is the bitter sweet end to my first racing season, as I set out to run the Toronto 1/2 Marathon. I should do well, I feel I am more prepared mentally. Unfortunately the weather has been so horrible, and I'm a bit of a wimp, so I haven't been running all that much. I am hoping that my summer of racing and training will allow me to accomplish more personal bests. My Waterfront time was 1:57:15, and even though it is a difficult course, I am really hoping to crack the 1:50 marker, and get close to 1:45, as I feel I can average 5:00 splits. I did that for about 15km at Waterfront 1/2, so hopefully I can do it for the Toronto race.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon 2009

Well, I went into this race with it being my first ever running race, fighting a cold, a low, but seemingly attainable, goal time (1:45), and a confidence that I could do this race, and then easily upgrade to a full marathon.

BOY WAS I WRONG!

So far, this race had to be the toughest thing I have ever endured. Which is weird because if you had talked to me or seen me for the first 16.5 km, you wouldn't have noticed, nor would I have felt that. However, at roughly the 16.5 marker (the aid station) I bonked hard!

I stopped to take in some water and immediately felt as though I was going to pass out due to dizziness. I drank a couple of glasses of water, thought that that would help me continue for the rest of the race, and began running again. My legs were sluggish, my brain fizzed out, and I was felt stranded physically and mentally for the last 4.5km. In what I thought would be a strong finish and a good showing for my first ever 1/2 marathon became a nightmare!

It started in the car actually. I left later than I had initally intended thinking I could easily get into the city to park...HUGE mistake! This left me having to pee in the parking lot and speed walk to Nathan Phillip Square from King/Spadina. I got to the course with 10minutes to spare (no warm up) and was at the back of my corral, which put me 11 minutes behind the horn and stuck behind the slow runners/walkers for the race. It took me 14 minutes to get through the congestion of the crowd and then I found some open sidewalk to try and make up time. I didn't gain the 4 minutes back (I was hoping to average 5minute splits), but I didn't lose anytime either until I bonked. I held a good 5:20 average from the 2km marker until the 16km marker. I should be happy with that as that was the longest I have ever ran in one continuous run (did not opt for the 10:00 run/1:00 walk format), but the carnage that played out on my legs and in my brain for the last bit were more of a discouragement.

I won't go into great detail about what happened mentally, but let's just say that I was pretty sad/upset with myself for the last few kilometers. Physically, my legs were holding up, but becoming very heavy and beginning to tighten up really bad. I had no more motivation, the sounds of the race seemed to go away, the crowds were gone, even the runners seemed to thin out. I felt completely and utterly alone, which scared me. It wasn't until the 500m to go marker came into view that I thought I could actually finish this race. The on going joke before the race was that a half dead me would be crossing the line right behind the full marathon winner would finish with ease. Funny thing is...that is EXACTLY what happened! I look over, everyone is going nuts, and with 50m to go, zoom! the winner flies by me finishing in record time!

I finished with 1:57:15, which is good because that means I finished. After the slow start, I was gearing for a 1:50 finish time, but that didn't hold up (but it did look like it was going to for quite a while so I am still happy with that!). My I.T. bands are still exacting their revenge for being put through that hell. I thought I had done something to my L.C.L. the pain was so bad after the race. I tried to get groceries that afternoon and was biting my lower lip to keep from screaming in pain with every step. Today the sharp stabbing pain in my knee is gone, but the dull stiff pain in the side of my legs are still there. Hopefully they'll be better by Wednesday so that I can get out running again. I have to achieve my 1:45 - 1:50 goal for the Toronto Marathon in 3 weeks!

First Running Race

This weekend I embarking on my first running race, the Scotiabank Waterfront 1/2 Marathon. It should be good, but I haven't been able to run this week because of a bad cold that I haven't been able to get rid of for 2 weeks now. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm more worried about the pre--race stuff: parking, what to do with my bag, finding the pacer, getting a good warm up in, all that stuff. Once the race starts, I'll be fine. If this race goes well, I might move up to the full marathon for the Toronto Marathon (currently registered in the 1/2 marathon).

Wish me luck!

Wasaga Sprint Triathlon

How does the saying go? Save the best for last? Well, that's what I did! Putting down some of my best times of the year, I had my best finish of the year in my last race of the year. I place 39/311 and 7/30 in my age group. It was bittersweet though, as I felt that I could have ran a little harder, and not messed up in T2 (went down the wrong row), which could have given me the 2 minutes I needed to get on the podium. Oh well. For a rookie, I'm plenty happy.

The Swim: At an average of 2:10 per 100m, I was happy to be out of the water. My time was 127 overall, putting me behind the 8 ball eary (as usual). It was a very rough swim, as since it is Wasaga, it is extremely shallow and difficult to swim. I tried diving, running, swimming, but I could not get comfortable until the deeper water. Then, I had difficulty getting into a strong stroke/breating rhythm. Add the rough waters, and it was difficult going out to the first buoy. The swim across was smooth, and the swim to shore was great. To save my legs, as the water got really shallow about 200m from shore, I relaxed my legs and grabbed the ground and pulled myself. I felt this was most effective as I was not as tired as others exiting the water because I wasn't running in thigh deep water.

The Bike: Great! That's about it. I passed about 60 or so people. I finished with the 16th fastest time, and if I can improve my swimming over the winter, I will be able to compete for a podium in a lot of races next year. The road was smooth, gradual inclines and declines, and well shaded. The opening was flat, so you could flush your legs out after the swim. I was blocked on a descent which really upset me, as the rider in front of me had 2 opportunities to move left (which I clearly communicated to him well in advance). What bothered me most was that this allowed other racers to catch up and complain that I was blocking (which I politely yelled that I wasn't, and when the blocker moved over I showed that I wasn't by speeding up to 55km/h and finishing the ride above 40km/h avg).

The Run: Although the bike was great, it left my feet completely numb. All my right toes had no feeling in them, and the last 3 toes felt as though they were being roughly cut by a handsaw with each step. I began at a 5:00/km pace, but knew I could go faster. Around the 3km - 4km mark I sped up as the blood started flowing to my toes, passing 3 runners in front of me. In the last km, I passed a person in my age group while running up a hill, and finished the straight-away at a strong pace, ensuring a strong finish.

Overall: I liked this race. I had heard a lot of negative things about Wasaga from past years, but it was a really nice course (obviously the good result helps me like it!), and the weather was great (which helps).I'd like to return next year to try and get a podium, but I also want to do Muskoka 70.3 next year, and if they are on the same weekend again, I'll opt for Muskoka.

So that's it for triathlons, now time for Marathon season. I've never done a running race before, and I have my first 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks: the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Should be good. I can't see it being anymore physically straining than the triathlons in Bala, Orillia, or Guelph, so I should be able to complete the whole 1/2 marathon without a break. My goal time is 1:45 to 1:50. I'd like to avg 5:00/km, but that may seem unreasonable. I'll let you know!

Guelph Lakes 2

Finally! Some nice weather to race in. I had to wake up earlier than normal (4:50) to get to the race site, but the later start allowed me to sleep in a little bit so I didn't have to wake up at 4:00. The water was great, very smooth, and a nice temperature. Very dirty though, despite having HD goggles, the water was so thick you could not see the bottom at all.

The Swim: Probably my best in water swim time this season. I felt strong and confident, and swimming straight made a big difference. I was able to see everything around me as I spotted and in the last 100m, spotted a group ahead of me that I was determined to catch before exiting the water...and I did! However, my time was 17:49 because of the 500m+ run from the water to transition. I was disappointed because I really felt as though I put in a strong time in the water that was hindered because of the long run.

The Bike: what a fiasco! They decided to start the duathlon at roughly the same time as the first wave started for the triathlon, so by the time I was ready to mount for the bike (I was 2nd wave), my wave AND the duathletes were all trying to mount at the same time! It was ridiculous. For the entire 30km, I never had a breathe of fresh air around me. I was always jammed in the middle of a group, with idiots crossing the centre line to pass, passing on the inside, swerving throughout the pack to get through. It was really silly. I had a decent bike time (54min), but I probably could have broken 50:00 for 30km if I had had clean air. I did my best to pass as many groups as possible, but every time I would, a drafting group (lots of those out there...as seen by the penalty list posted at the end of the race) would envelope me and pin me in as I would attempt to pass a rider, thus slowing me down. Oh well.

The Run: started off strong...really strong. And, I felt good. I got myself into a group that were running fast, but also had a good rhythm. I was feeling strong and got to the turn around (3.5km) in about 16min, which would have given me a PB for 7km. However just before the turn around I developed a stich in my right side that didn't subside, and I had to slow my pace down and try and breathe it out. I finally got it out after running a slow through the 4km and 5km markers, then picked it up for the 6km marker and sprinted (downhill) through the finish line. Not the best time (34:49...4:59/km) but I was happy that I was able to push myself harder for the first half, and hopefully I will be able to maintain that type of pace in future races.

Overall: a really nice race, great course, great weather, well organized. I disliked the long uphill run from the water to transition, and obviously, the fact that there were so many people mounting at one time on the bike course.

I will definitely do this course next June (Guelph Lakes 1) as my very first Olympic distance race the day, and possibly use the Guelph Lakes 2 sprint in September to warm me up for the Muskoka 70.3, which I will be doing to attempt my very first half Ironman.

Sable Optic RS 922 review

so after a year of swimming with old/cheap goggles, starting races crossing my fingers that I have a tight enough seal, I decided to unload on a pair of sable optic goggles. One word: WOW!!

I wore them for the first time last week and at one point I was literally laughing while I swam. It is amazing how clear everything is. It is like HD under water. Incredible.

I haven't worn them in a race yet...will be doing that this weekend in Guelph. But if they are anything like they are in the pool, this could be a whole new ball game. I'm sure the other participants will be happy I got them too, as I can now see them and won't be karate chopping them in the back of the head while I swim up on them. Hmmm, maybe I should get them to pitch in some money to help with the cost!

I'll add to this review after saturday's race to let you know how they are in open water and a race environment.

Open Water Swim Review: AWESOME! I now swim straight, can see anything and everything. The only problem is that now that I can see everything, I want to spot every stroke!

Orillia Sprint Triathlon

Completed the Orillia Sprint Triathlon this morning and was quite pleased with the outcome considering the trouble my hip flexor has been giving me, and the conditions of the road. At times, I felt like I was in the tour de France riding on the cobblestone streets! The one major problem I did have was in the swim (surprise right?!) I had a good warm up. Strong seal on my goggles, the water temperature was WARM...not just okay, but warm. It was warmer in the water than it was out of the water. Anyways, race starts, I take my time so that I can pace myself and not run out of energy. What I realize once I dive in and begin stroking is that that 'great seal' I had on my goggles has disappeared and they weren't just leaking a little, they filled up in 6 strokes. So, I had to stop, readjust, and continue. Lost a lot of time there. Once I got going, the going was tough. Very choppy and difficult to breathe. If I suffered from seasickness, there'd be some pasta floating in Lake Couchiching right now. I exited the water, checked my watch...18 minutes. Not impressed. Something about the Subaru Triathlon Series and their difficult swims. Other courses, I'm averaging 16:20. Subaru, much much worse.

The bike was...interesting. Starts with 5 - 6 km of gradual uphill and winding streets. Once I got out into the country, it wasn't too bad. I watched one guy crash hard right in front of me and his body slid on the road like it was ice. If that's what happens, I hope I NEVER crash. It looked like it hurt a lot. I passed a lot of people on the bike, got passed by one person in my age group, but I think I caught up to him. Weird thing was, I never really saw anyone from my age group on the bike. Passed a lot of people in the wave before me, but no one from 30 - 34. Maybe like 6 people I passed.

The run was fun. I know, for me, that's about as likely as me saying I enjoyed the swim. But, the Wednesday night speed workouts have really helped my confidence in my running, and I'm doing a great job pacing myself. I think the big difference is I've worn my watch the last 2 races and I've began the timer at the start of each run so that I can check on my pace and see if I'm going to slow or too fast. I ran a respectable 34 minutes. Respectable for me that is. At Bala, I ran 41 min for 7.5km. Now I ran 34min for 7km. Granted, two totally different courses, but not 8 minutes difference I think.

Anyways, it was a...fun race. Very tiring, but good to push myself to those limits and achieve some goals that I've set for myself.

Injuries and Racing

Well, this weekend I have the Orillia Triathlon and even though I'm normally excited about racing, I think the long season plus my recent leg issues have left me a little burnt out. This is my first season racing and I think I may have piled a little too much on my plate! This will be my 5th race this year, but the last two Wednesday night speed practices I tweaked something in my hip flexor which has left me unable to fully train/not wanting to train. I guess that's just a part of being an athlete.

Anyways, I'll have a more comprehensive post after Orillia. If my leg holds up, I should do really well. If it doesn't, it could be a long and painful day! At least the weather is supposed to be nice!

Forgot about the mental aspect!

So I had the Barrie tri today and was placed in a new age category: 25-34. I finished 7 / 21...a new personal best. I also had the 3rd fastest bike time for that age category, which I wa extremely pleased with! My bike was smooth and fast as I passed many people, and never really got passed by anyone. So, that was great! My swim was a smorgasbord of distraction! I was all over the place like a drunk at the end of the night trying to convince people that he's sober! Basically, I zig zagged EVERYWHERE and more or less did the swim twice when looking at how far I swam.

In the end, I finished 61st overall, 7th in my age category, and had a good time despite the torrential downpour that was the bike ride and the lightening display that was the run. I'm happy, but also frustrated because if this was last year, I would have finished 36th...25 spots ahead of where I finished. Seems to be a common trend. Every race I've had times that would have been 25 places higher from last year. Oh well, a year late meh! Not bad for a noob!

As for the mental aspect, I was NOT prepared to race today. I was pretty chill this morning leading up to the race. I never really put any thought to it and never really thought about the mountain that I was facing. Basically, I took it too easy and I need to realize that despite the length or difficulty of the bike or ride, a swim is a swim...water is water, and if you're not prepared, you're effed!!!

Kempenfelt Bay

I've been swimming at Centennial Beach the last couple of days as the weather seems to be getting nicer and the temperature is a lot better (big difference when you can stick your head in the water and actually exhale!). Should make for a good swim during Sunday's race.

Duct Tape does fix everything!!

So I've found a solution to my blister problems that will allow me to keep running...duct tape. I simply apply a layer of polysporine, put a piece of duct tape over the blister, and voila! I can run without any pain. I thought of this when I ran out of band-aids and found them ineffective. i tried to think of the best solution to continue training with minimal pain and remembered putting duct tape over cuts back when I used to work at the Globe Restaurant. It was the best solution back then, and it is the best solution now!

Bala Falls Triathlon

A fun race where the impending storm held off long enough for the competitors to stay dry. I had a lot of trouble on the run... I just didn't have my legs. The swim was nice, and I actually felt like I could have pushed myself a little harder so that's good. I plan on spending the offseason making my swimming my strongest element. The bike was good, but difficult. I had never raced 30km before, and I started off really fast and strong, but then let up for the last 10km because I wanted to save some energy for the run. Well, that didn't really work out too well as I nearly gave up on the run. I didn't, but it was very close! Basically, I need to do more hill training if I'm going to be successful next year. 25th Sideroad (by Tangle Creek Golf Course) is the perfect road to brick on. It's all hills, very similar to Bala. Can't wait for the flat course of Barrie now!!!

What I learned from this race: I need to run a lot more! Maybe that's why I plan on doing 2 half marathons this fall!

3rd Race of the season: Bala

This is my first year of doing triathlons, so I'm only doing an assortment of sprint tris...basically because at this time last year I was drowning after swimming only 200m. Well, I've come a LONG way in my swimming to the point where I swim about 40 minutes a day and my distances range between 1000m and 2000m. I'm quite happy and confident in my swimming now as I improved a whopping 6 MINUTES between the Huntsville triathlon (22min) and the Huronia triathlon (16min). Most of that is due to confidence (Huntsville was my first ever triathlon), water temperature (I could actually breathe in Penetang Bay), and lots of training.

This weekend I have the Bala triathlon, and I'm pretty excited for it. My swimming has been really good lately (in the pool) and if the temperature isn't ridiculous, I hope to do well. The bike distance is the furthest I've raced to date (30km), but I'm confident that that will be my strongest section. I plan to just go at it as hard as I can as I always seem to do that with a lot of energy left over. The run is going to be difficult, but I've been training with the Kempenfelt Tri Club for the last 3 weeks on running and I'm feeling better/more confident. It is a 7.5km run, again the furthest I've raced, but I know I can do well if I set myself a good/confident pace. Where I really need to improve is in my transitions. I'm HORRIBLE! I end up just taking my time, cracking jokes with people around me who probably don't want to hear them, or I get lost and don't know where any of my stuff is! This weekend I plan on taking the transition serious, not seeing it as a rest stop, but using the first 500m of the bike and run to get my energy back. Should be interesting!

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my (Matt Doucette's) blog. Here I will be keeping you up to date as I work my way towards an Ironman Triathlon. The goal is to have this done by 2012. I'm more of a talker than a writer (and even then, many say I can't talk properly...pathetic for an English teacher!), but I hope to provide a humorous look at my seasons from training to races, goals that I've achieved, or set too high. I don't want to just throw out training stats; I want to be able to let you know what it's like for me as I work to accomplishing my goal: Ironman 2012!

Cheers!