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!