Nice Riding Weather!

Oh if only Mother Nature would smile for us Canadians!! The weather this past week has been fantastic, getting everyone outdoors and breathing in the fresh air. It's been a rather dry winter, and not really that cold, so I was able to get out and run a lot more than I ever have (actually, if I'd gone out once, I would've been out more than I ever have), and now that the roads are dry and the sun is shining with temps in the teens, it's time to bust out the road bike and go for a ride. It was a great day for that, with some wind but nothing serious. The route I normally take out of Barrie is into Innisfil and that normally has me going into the wind or getting a cross wind. It can be tiring, but it is also nice because I can get a good workout from that. I then rode west on cty rd 21 to 56 with a little head wind. Once I turned onto 56 there was no wind and it was smooth sailing. I made my return turn onto the 25th sideroad where there are a lot of rolling hills (really no clear flat stretch at all on the 25th) and like most bike rides that I do, I turned north on cty rd 27 and turn up Mapleton Ave to ride up the Mapleton Hill (1 km up, 11% grade...nice hill to bike up if you want to work on hills). All in all, it was a great day for my first ride of the year, and I hope that the weather stays somewhat nice so that I can get out more often...oh, and the city gets the sweepers out to clean things up a bit!

It's Been Awhile...

I haven't written on here in awhile...so long so that I forgot my password! Here's a quick update on how the winter training is going:

I'm doing a lot more running this winter than I have ever done in any season. This is good news as my running as been a weak point of my triathlons, and I have always hated running as a part of training, going too hard, too fast to try and get the run over with, which then makes me not want to run. I'm working on pacing at the start so that I can finish strong, rather than starting fast and fading at the end.

My swimming has also been a focus of my winter training, although I find it hard to get in the pool on my own when it is cold out. I know that the pool is inside and will be warm, but for some reason, I hate the cold blast that the showers give, and that ends up scaring me away from swimming. I have, however, shaven about 7 seconds off of my avg 100 m pace (was at 2:10, now at around 2:03). That makes me feel good and when the weather gets warmer, I'll be in a better mood to swim (I know, it's funny that I have no problem running outside in whatever temperature, but will not swim inside). I was told of a really good website that will help me do more swimming on my own. It is www.swimplan.com where you can create personalized swim workouts that are geared to your pace and needs.

My bike, surprisingly, has not been a focus this winter. I love cycling, and when I work out I typically only do exercises that I like, but this winter I'm having difficulty getting on my bike. It's just once I'm at home I'm just too tired or lazy to do anything. I did just get the GSC 10 speed/cadence sensor for my bike so that will help motivate me to get on my bike, and also show me how well I am working out, so that's going to help.

All in all, the winter is going well. I have given up drinking beer because it made me too sluggish and was adding some pounds to my winter weight (although I still drink wine, but only a glass every few days). March will be when I really pick up the pace. I'm going to start doing the speed workouts with Kevin O'Neil, and I'll be adding a Monday night spin class to my workout. My biggest fear was over exercising and burning out this winter, but I think I have paced myself well, ensuring that each workout is beneficial, and not just a workout. I've seen overall improvement, so it should be interesting to see how the times improve this summer (which, I expect, there to be a significant improvement).

Cheers for now!

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

The ultimate Garmin for triathletes! I went to the store looking for the Forerunner 305, figuring that was all I need, but gosh darn it, Running Room sold me the 310XT. Not that I'm complaining. So far, I love it. I went for a quick run today despite feeling really crappy (sore throat, runny nose, the whole head cold thing).

So I love the Garmin. I always wondered why people would need one, but the information that you get from it is invaluable. I know when the weather gets nice and I start getting more into running, it is going to really pay off (I hope so...it's freakin' expensive!!). Plus, I can also measure my cycling cadence and power output which is really what I want because I love to bike.

Here is the information that I can get from my new toy:
Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for
short run

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!