Iron Motivation

What Will I Do Today

2012-01-23T06:56:00.000-05:00

Good mild Monday morning everybody I hope you have your rain coat handy!

Another weekend has flown past and now it's back to the working/workout part of your world.

Juggling this combination of making a living and training properly towards your long range athletic goals requires not only dedication but epic planning.

Nobody in this day and age has the luxury of scattered training that is hit and miss.

Nope, today having your training plan in hand when you rise each day is the key to making use of every valuable minute you carve out for yourself.

Time to fit it all in!

I participate in this topic of conversation regularly with my athletes from every walk of life, athletes who are new to triathlon and even with my athletes who are very familiar with traditional triathlon training demands because time matters.

It make no sense for me to write a super human training plan for my athlete that will guarantee them a first place every time if they are not super human, and it's the very same if they simply don't have the extra time everyday to train like a pro.

The training plan I write for each and every athlete I coach is based on "real time" and not meant to take over their lives but the opposite.

I help make their lives much more organized. : )

I include every possible time demand they knowingly have like family, work, travel, holidays, other commitments, etc, and then I build their personal, complicated or not, training plan accordingly.

Sound too good to be true that a plan can be whipped up for your crazy life style?

Well it's not, I have had some real "time crunch" challenges come through the door and bar none we have always been able to create a logical and doable training plan that will help prepare my eager triathlete for that special day, when another dream comes true.

OK, so now you have your daily plan saving you time, it doesn't end there!

Your time in the gym for example has to be set up so that "tea pot" time (one hand on the wall-the other on your hip-while you chat) is non existent. Your gym plan must be organized, have you in there working properly and get you back out with all the great benefits and do it every single time.

Lifting weights and doing other muscle building activities are required to keep your body strong and should never be done without proper instruction, seriously!

So today what I'm saying is that a "good plan works", be sure you have one!

Cheers!

The little video above I shot a few weeks ago at some point during our fun Saturday morning ride!

Are you planning to be there? : )

Keep A Training Log

2012-01-20T06:53:00.000-05:00

Good Friday morning everybody, hope you have your driveway shoveled out!
It certainly could have been worse than it was so we'll shrug it off and march on.
The weekend is here once again and as every one of them comes and goes our next racing season gets that much closer.
I've always said that those countdown clocks on the Ironman websites are a very effective motivational tool that keep it real as they apply more and more pressure as race day approaches.
Everyone will have that special "Holy Crap" day when they realize their "A" race is right there on the horizon and start checking their training logs to confirm all the work has been getting done. Yahoo!
I'm a big fan of training logs and have many years of my own stored away to pass down to my children, just kidding! : )
Actually I recommend that all athletes keep a detailed and accurate training log on the go especially once the focus shifts towards a specific event.
The key to a good log are three measures really, details, accuracy and regular additions.
I have tried my own black book method of recording what I thought was good information but soon realized it was difficult to later retrieve specific numbers for various segments of my past training so I opted for the official store bought versions and never looked back.
Accuracy is vital, times, distances, speed, weather, equipment, nutrition, hydration, expenses, and on and on will amount to a well of great information that will help you, but only if it's 100% accurate.
It makes no sense to record let's say, faster than humanly possible run times only because you think it will make for good reading down the road. Nope you need to be exact, sorry!
Lastly and often the root cause of "log book failure" is missing information!
Setup a system where you will have a few minutes each day or every other day to sit down and write in your log or you won't have that little perfect gem to fall back on when you have your own "Holy Crap" day!
In addition to a great training log you should keep a separate running tally of all your "special to you" achievements, as your training progresses. Kind of like a quick reference guide.
Everyone will have those moments in their training when it's a special feeling of importance for some reason but special specifically to them.
Myself as an example I can still remember the day many years ago when I ran for 17 minutes on a treadmill and it was the longest run of my life, I was so proud! Yahoo!
Little did I know where that would lead to! : )
Have a great day and enjoy your weekend!
Cheers!
The video above is the first one I've been able to upload onto my blog for a long time but thanks to some changes the blogger folks have made this short one of Coleman swimming loaded.
Cole is a young fast regular in our swim classes and he keeps the pressure on those around him who want the end wall first, yahoo!
In this video he is doing a good job of the zipper drill.

2012 Is Roaring To Life

2012-01-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

Bike class done it's time to stretch!

Good Tuesday morning everybody, I can't believe it's a foggy morning in January!
As you can imagine we are running at full speed already in 2012 and one day is just blending into another for me and I'm sure for you as well!
I'm not complaining at all, in fact the excitement of what's going on round me keeps me sharp and moving and that's good for an old boy like me. There is plenty of time to rest when life is over!
All of our swim classes have waiting lists and I'm doing the best I can to juggle the bodies in there but really the fun and safety for everyone are the primary keys and to have a great swim session there must be enough room. If you are waiting on a list I will let you know when or if a spot opens up.
It's fantastic to see so many eager swimmers getting down to business and willing to go the extra mile so 2012 will bring them their fastest swim times ever.
The dial is up already and so you know, it's making a steady climb until the ice goes out, yahoo!
Our bike classes at the Legends Centre in Oshawa are at record numbers and that on it's own generates a lot of excitement simply by the size of the classes.
You know what they say, misery loves company! ; )
I'm just kidding, because like the swimming (effort) dial the bike class dial is going up and up and sometimes I get all the right buttons pushed, which makes for go get'em riding!
Every class has a title and a written plan to maintain a useful purpose and a record of what we actually did.
Two weeks ago our class was called "The Oatmeal Ride" and I'm still hearing about it! : )
I have been writing these classes for more than 10 years now and have a pretty good idea of what I want from the class and understand when I should actually see it.
Sometimes it's right now, but often from what we are doing today I will expect to see the positive improvements weeks and months down the road as that hard work settles into the human body.
My classes are never reckless but they push, they are doable by everyone in the room, they will make you a better stronger rider, and when it's over you will be very glad you did it! Seriously! : )

Our 2012 Florida Training Camp is
getting ready to roll out, once again!

Patty and I have been dotting all the i's and crossing the t's one by one as we prepare for our second annual IM Florida Winter Triathlon Training Camp in Clermont.
This year we are changing houses to a much bigger home with all the bells and whistles but our basic training format will follow similar lines as last year, sort of!
I say it like this because we will take full advantage of what this beautiful area of Florida has to offer and looking at how the athlete line ups are set there will be some very good friendly competitions from within our own groups.
We have only a couple of spots open in our 3rd week of the camp but for the other two weeks our house is full to the max.
Thank you, to all of you who are taking the plunge and are able to fly off to the sunny south to partake in this great living opportunity!
I am so looking forward to heading south again for all the usual reasons Canadians do it, but for me to be able to spend some quality time with my athletes in small groups at a time in the year when we cannot do this kind of training at home, is a true gift!
I'm sure there are plenty more interesting things I should catch you up on seeing as I have been so long away from my little blog, but I will do my best to smarten up and get regular on here again!
Me bad! : (
Have yourself an awesome day and if you deserve a pat on the back, give yourself one!
Cheers!

2012 Will Be Worth Every Minute Of It

2012-01-03T11:53:00.002-05:00

Our Boys!
They don't miss a chance to ham
it up for the camera, nice!

Well it's done, whew!
Christmas and New Year's have past so now our lives come back to normal and we march on into 2012, yahoo!
In this Johnston household we had a great Holiday Season with family and friends and the "Ho Ho" was very good to all of us, without a doubt!
We watched our usual "A Christmas Story" movie on Christmas eve with our boys and yes we know they do it more for Mom and Dad than for themselves but it's tradition and after all these years it just seems to make the world a better place when family traditions are followed, even if it's only once per year.
New Year's eve saw all of us invade Rick and Christine's house once again for a wonderful dinner prepared by Rick who is very talented in the kitchen.
Thank you so much and it was a lot of fun too!
Not only does Rick create our dinner, he kindly delivers two of the same to my Mom and Dad who live just up the street but prefer to stay in on the big night.
We kindheartedly call him "Meals On Wheels" and always appreciate the good deed!
It seems like a blink later that I was standing back on the pool deck (last night) leading our first swim class for 2012, ouch!
Yes this week has all five classes back in action and it was nice to see so many of the usual faces and some new ones as well.
Everyone is welcome, and now that we have officially crossed over into 2012 a new sense of training urgency seems to be bubbling up just a bit in the triathlon training cauldron.
I'm sure those website count down clocks are there to help stir up deep emotions and offer a kick in the butt to get off the couch and back in action because every day counts even in January!
When I was writing all of my IM Team Members training plans for January I quickly realized that our Florida triathlon camp is now only five weeks away and I better get cracking on that too!
Most of the important ground floor work has already been done by virtue of required payment schedules etc, but there are a hundred more things that need to be done before we can pack up our traps and head out in early February for another great month of outdoor training, yahoo!
Someone said to me one day a while back "you have it good" and I will not deny that is true!
Life is what you make of it but I realized a long time ago that you need to be truly happy with what you have and not what you want, but never be afraid to step out of the shadows and just go for it from time to time! Yahoo!
Cheers and have an awesome day!

Christmas Brownies Are Ready

2011-12-21T07:24:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful summer evening
training at the track with the DRTC.

Good Thursday morning everybody and it looks like we will enjoy a snow less Christmas, I'm so sad! : (
OK I'm not heartless, I know everyone likes to have lots of snow at Christmas but I did say (tongue in cheek) I was sad about not having any didn't I! : )
The cold temperatures of yesterday had me get the snow blower up from the shed because I know our green days are numbered and the white stuff will fly soon.
Let me start off by saying that all of your wonderful Christmas donations to our chosen young lady as well as three additional younger children have been "Thankfully" delivered.
Once again you have come through and we have outdone ourselves by not only providing all we asked for for our young lady, but because of your generosity we were able to include three more deserving children so we gifted each of them a completely stuffed with Christmas presents, new back pack!
These three much younger children find themselves in a homeless shelter at Christmas and honestly the adult reasons don't matter to a little face.
All they know is a confusing sadness has settled upon them but because of your help we will push those sad feelings aside for a little while on Christmas morning! : )
Reports are that on receiving her special Christmas support from our IM Christmas Team our young lady was completely overwhelmed by receiving so many of the things she actually needed, and from people she doesn't even know!
She is extremely "Thankful" to everyone and by us supporting her when she feels like the bottom has fallen out from under her, we just might have helped change another life!
So sit back and feel good about pitching in! : )
I'm hitting the bricks this morning and getting my own shopping done, after all there's not point waiting to the last minute, yahoo!
If you happen to see me, just ask, the brownies are ready!
I'll give you one! : )
Cheers!

It's The Weekend

2011-12-16T07:24:00.001-05:00

Good Friday morning everybody (it's Friday yahoo) hopefully we have a nicer day than that wind and rain of yesterday! Even though it was fairly mild the wind was very gusty from the west which is not common for around here.
I was just thinking when I wrote it, that mentioning it's Friday usually offers a twinge of excitement combined with the anticipation of a couple of days off work but at this time of the year the thought of staying at work to avoid the crowds may seem like a better deal. : )
Nevertheless we'll all get out there and do what we must so that on Christmas morning our special people will be looked after once again.
I'm not really a humbug sort of fellow, in fact I think Christmas has a really important place in the makeup of our civilization and without it there would be no other time in the year when most of us get together on the same charitable page.
Look and you will see the Salvation Army is out in force, Tom Brown from CTV is spearheading the toy mountain drive again, all of our needy food banks are getting air time on the television, in fact this is the time of the year when just about every charity relies on the generosity and goodwill created by the Christmas spirit to carry them through for many months to come.
This year our IM Christmas Team has embraced a young lady in dire straights. We've shown her that she is not alone at Christmas and even though we will never knowingly meet her, our hearts go to her especially in this season of giving.
It never fails to impress me that when I send out our annual request for Christmas help how quickly the word spreads and the donations begin to flow. This year I had the first two responses in less then thirty minutes and they still continue, so I humbly say to those who were in a position to help "Thank You" once again this year!
If it wasn't for Christine stepping up and going the extra mile for our young lady we would not have this opportunity to help her and she may have fallen through the cracks so on behalf of all of us a very big "Thank You" to you Christine, it's much appreciated! : )
As for my own shopping this year I've decided that I will only purchase gifts that are needed by the recipients so that I'm not wasting time and money on something of lessor personal value to them.
Now let me think!
First on my list is the help of a goat purchase for a village in Africa someplace that my sister-in-law sees as a great way to enjoy her gift from me, which is sort of cool, yahoo!
There is no gift like giving! : )
Cheers!

Finally Some Action

2011-12-15T07:48:00.002-05:00

La Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal
Now this is a church, wow!

Good Thursday morning everybody although it's a damp one we are still not shoveling it, yahoo!
Last night we had our final Wednesday Mini Monster ride at Legends for 2011 and it was a real barn burner!
There wasn't a dry body in the house and I must say that I was impressed with the hard efforts that everyone was putting in.
Well done!
Saturday will see us wrap up the Monster schedule until the first week of January and at that time all the classes will come rushing back to help us prepare for the brand new 2012 triathlon season.
I was hoping to have an answer for you before this Saturday from the Legends management who have been very good to us over the years, about my request to them for longer class time for the already two hour Monster Ride.
What?
I'm finding that because of the 2012 long course racing schedule now starting so early I wanted more indoor riding time to help better prepare these triathletes for longer outdoor rides right off the bat when the springtime weather permits.
So one way to do that is lengthen the Saturday ride to three hours which I've proposed we begin at 6:00 am and finish at the usual 9:00 am but until I hear back from the them you can still count on the two hour ride to be in full swing come January 7, 2012.

La Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal
You would not believe it until you see it!

The Whitby Rec. pool is down for it's annual maintenance right now but there has been additional lane swimming added to the AOP in south Whitby which opens at 7:00 am instead of our usual 6:30 am.
I stopped in to check out all the long overdue improvements that were made to this pool and I have to say that it is looking pretty darn good with new change rooms, lots of outside light coming in through big new windows, and the whole pool has a much more open feeling that was badly needed.
I would recommend that you head down there to see for yourself and if you think so let them know what a nice job they did. : )
On another note.
The other day here on my blog I had a photo of the 2011 Ironman Canada Finishers medal that was in my mind, properly not very clear and just a bit blurry because that is what the quality of the medal deserved!
This has nothing to do with the quality of the work put in to attain such a high level goal but rather the shoddy workmanship and less than a proud commitment to providing a worthy reward for an amazing accomplishment.
Crap!
Having said that I know some of you will be shocked by it because "nooobody" has supported Ironman Canada more than me for years and years because I believe it's the best of the best and I'm saddened to have to say it but you have to call a spade a spade when the proof is staring you in the face.
I have made four trips to Ironman Canada which is always held in Penticton BC, I've coached many triathletes for that competition, I've helped and supported this particular Ironman iconic event right from the first time I said the word "Ironman" because it belongs to us!
No other Ironman existed here in Canada until now that we have our second with Mont Tremblant, Quebec just over the horizon and waiting to kick off for the first time.
Ironman Canada will be 30 years old in 2012 but in my estimation suffered and bloody nose in 2011.
Yes, I have to admit with a heavy heart that on two fronts I was very disappointed with last year's IMC event.
First was that they ran out of water on the bike course which is not even in my thoughts anywhere near excusable in a sport that we know runs on nutrition to simply stay alive and healthy, crap!
I know this was obviously a mistake and had someone done a better job it wouldn't have happened but the facts show there were Ironman Canada "Finisher Hopefuls" who had to withdraw from the race because their hydration became critical.
Secondly was that crappy finishers medal made out of plastic that was shameful to see never mind own!
As a coach/friend/supporter I was concerned about our athletes and the damage done by the organizing committee to the reputation of our Canadian icon race.
So I encouraged everyone who had a comment on that matter to express their thoughts to the organizers and let them know how disappointed you are with them and the apparent cash grab at IMC 2011.
I know that sometimes we say that's like peeing in the wind, there is no sense because nothing will be done, ....., whatever!
Well not this time, it worked and some of you know this!
Ironman Canada has been enlightened and are now going to re-issue a brand new "2011 Finishers Medal" to all of those who survived to rule the day! Wow!
I am very happy and releived to hear this because say what you want, those medals are for life and being proud to show them or for personal pride is a big part of the Ironman journey and the mystique of it.
Secondly, the organizers have bowed down and went through a process they created to judge the DNF (did not finish) triathletes to determine if the lack of water on the bike course had an impact on these DNFs and those athletes who fell within their guidelines are being offered free entry in 2012 or 2013 Ironman Canada!
In our group we had two DNFs, both have been offered spots and both have accepted the return offer which makes the best of a bad situation in my books. I know it isn't perfect but on the other hand if nothing was said by the masses there would not have been any offer at all.
Well done!
I guess that bloody IMC nose is beginning to dry up but once bitten twice shy!
Please you Ironman Canada organizers, do not fool around with our Ironman Canada, it belongs to a Nation!
Cheers!
Above are a couple of pictures from our recent sightseeing bus tour in Montreal and from our 200 points of interest tour, this Notre-Dame Basilica was one of the best. I'm not normally so interested by this type of structure but if you ever get a chance to see it, it's well worth the extra $5.00 to get in! : )

No Time Like The Christmas Present

2011-12-13T08:15:00.001-05:00

Good Tuesday morning from Montreal and what a beautiful morning it is!
Patty and I have been here for a few days to do a little shopping and sightseeing and it's been a lot of fun.
We are in the downtown core at a very fine hotel and are simply enjoying a nice pre-Christmas break.
Later today around dinnertime we will climb back onto the train that conveniently stops downstairs here in the hotel and we'll be back home in Whitby before 9:00 pm.
It doesn't get much easier than that!
I just wanted to "thank all of you" who have been so generous donating to our young lady in need at Christmas time, and mention that if you are still planning to contribute, Christine will be delivering the back packs in the next day or two.
So please don't wait before you contact us so we can include your gift to help change another life when it's so vitally important!
Many hands make for a lighter load!
Cheers and I will see you at bike class tomorrow night, yahoo!
Rest up! : )

Christmas Team 2011

2011-12-07T08:08:00.002-05:00

The First 2011 Ironmn Canada
Medal That Was Issued

Good Wednesday morning everybody and so far we have dodged the snow bullet, around here anyway! Yahoo!
Are you ready for Christmas yet? : )
Unless you are one of those extremely rare early shoppers just the thought of having to get out there with the masses is enough to think Florida would be a better option. It would not be popular with your family but just imagine what it would be like to escape just one time! : )
There are always the usual family get togethers that we shouldn't ever take for granted but when we are lucky enough to have the same dynamic year after year without change it easy but not real, to expect nothing will ever change at these gatherings.
The same old corny stories (maybe not your version of them) told by the same family members that gather laughter like they were told for the first time,OMG!
The closeness of sitting down together to share a delicious meal gives us a feeling of belonging and a chance to come up with some new story material that will join the repeat cycle for years to come! : )
So I guess if you really think about it Christmas is a time of going the extra mile but it has it's own personal and high value rewards, but that still doesn't mean we can't think of the warm sand when the going gets tough!
Our Iron Motivation Christmas Team has over the last several years adopted a family in need with the exception of last year when a family dynamic changed and the wheels came off the cart for a short time, but now we are back in the saddle and marching on, yahoo!
This year after much discussion we have decided to offer our help to a young (16) lady who has suddenly found herself without any family support, cut off in fact and thrown without warning into our social system as her last means of support.
It's very hard to imagine what it's like when one day you are a promising student living the Canadian dream and the next day the harsh realities of a cold hard sidewalk are staring you in the face.
She is clearly being severely punished, she has been abandon and left to figure it out on her own.
We can and with a little help from many we will embrace this young lady and make this bad situation much better at a time of the year when it seems to matter even more.
OK Christmas Team 2011 it's time, it's time to get to work and help change another life!
Cheers!

Are You Up To It

2011-11-28T17:09:00.000-05:00

Mont Tremblant Waterfalls

Good Monday afternoon everybody, it's still pretty mild out there for this time of the year! Yahoo!
Because of the annual WCRC pool shutdown for maintenance that is scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks, one by one our swim classes are wrapping up for another year.
We have completed the usual 12 weeks but by starting the schedule a little earlier all of the classes will be finished by December 5th at the latest.
That leaves us with a 4 week gap until we hit the water again in the first week of January 2012!
Yes the New Year is just around the corner and with it brings a lot of wishes and dreams hoping to be fulfilled by dedicated triathletes who are willing to put it all out there for a fantastic finish!
Can't wait! : )
Some who are doing my bike classes right now could feel that I'm already in 2012 somewhere because I admittedly have the dial turned up just a bit higher than in past seasons, but only because these strong riders are able to make it through with shining colours (mostly in the farcical area)! : )
Kidding!
We are having a really good time pushing the boundaries and getting the routine down for 2012 so that when we come back in January the foundation is already set for us to build on, yahoo!
Yes there will be new and higher limits set for bike class in 2012 and my plan is to keep on pushing as much as I can safely do, so that more and more of those dreams stand a chance!
We help make a lot of dreams come true but not all of them!
I want to give more of those dreams a chance to become real, I want all of them to come true in 2012 and this is a great way for me to show you how it's done.
Hard work is the key, doing your best always, never giving up, staying in the game, learning about yourself and pushing hard to new heights is how it's done and we are all going there!
We are going to become more adventurous, let's say!
So if you are up to it, make a plan to ride with us on Wednesday and Saturday and you will get a chance to push your buttons and work on that dream!
Can't wait! : )
Cheers!

2012 Mont Tremblant Racing

2011-11-21T11:42:00.001-05:00

Mont Tremblant Quebec

Good Monday morning everybody!
Well another week passes and we haven’t got any snow to speak of and wasn’t that a wonderful weekend!
Keeping the weather nice and mild for as long as possible is good, very good! : )
So you have been patiently waiting for me to write about our Mont Tremblant Quebec overnighter to inspect the Ironman 70.3 and Ironman courses (thank you for waiting) and you would have had that information last Thursday if this stupid blogger outfit would have worked properly.
I sat here last Thursday morning typing away to get a nice blog together about Mont Tremblant and it finally became printable so the plan was as always, when ready just let it go.
The problem was with posting it, crap!
As soon as I hit the magic posting button I soon realized all of my work was sent to someplace other than my overdue blog spot as expected and was unrecoverable, crap!
I don’t know about you but when I sit down to write something of importance and invest my time and efforts to make it worthy of reading it hits me hard to simply have it vanish, crap!
This wasn’t the first time it happened so I should have known better but because the blog mechanics have been working so well lately I was lured back into the bad habit of writing on the blog itself instead of in a word document a then dropping it into the blog already completed.
So in the end it was my fault I guess but it sure gets to me when it happens, crap and double crap! : )
Anyhow from our trip I was able to put together a seven minute video of the Mont Tremblant course and have shown it at two of the bike classes for everyone to see what’s ahead for the 70.3 folks and for the Ironman racers X two loops, as the mysteries of Mont Tremblant Quebec show themselves.
It was a perfect time for us to see the lay of the land before the snow flies and to get a feel for not just the Ironman course but the available accommodations, restaurants, bike repair shops, and even the general public’s perception on how the Ironman racing will impact the area next summer.
There were no crowds of tourists to get in our way; the roads were almost empty so we could drive extra slow when looking for certain turns, everyone we met had lots of time to talk and even in English from time to time. We covered a lot of ground which suited our limited time schedule.
Hotels in the tourist village will be expensive I'm sure but are very convienient, every kind of restuant can be found right on sight, even a little gorcery store is blended in there.
We found a combo bike shop/sandwhich shop in the Mont Tremblant Residence Village. Now that was a little different!
The locals we talked to didn't seem to know much about the Ironman other than it was next year.
There was one "Ironman Information" sign at the Beach Club but the club was totally locked down.
This race sight has it all, even at this time of the year it's a beautiful place to be!
There is more and more information coming on line about the swim/bike/run courses in Mont Tremblant and I’m seeing that the take on it is often left to the writer’s frame of mind and experience which is understandable, but I caution on taking all that you read as gospel but rather take it with a grain of salt.
What I see personally as a pretty good sized climb to some may not be big at all and to others it might be a deal breaker so a lot is left to us the writer and our ability to express an honest view on what this course will present to our athletes racing and training in Mont Tremblant.
On the other hand there are the course elevation charts with actual numbers to go by if you are good enough to visualize X number of meters over X distance, and give yourself a feeling of what it’s going to be like. Hard to do though!
So let me say this, my opinion of the swim course is that it will be fairly flat (Ha Ha) and that the rest of the day will be spent riding/running up and down hills, with some flat ground in between! : )
There will times on the bike course where your heart will pound no question about that!
Now that isn’t all bad, a pounding heart can be achieved with the excitement of a fast downhill too!
I think the bike course is awesome and will push all of your buttons from start to finish!
The run course has an early wakeup call, being a bigger climb for a run course but once you get up to the top and onto the famous train bed it’s very comfortable running, to the turn around.
When there is an uphill there is usually a downhill somewhere to go with it! : )
If you are racing at the Mont Tremblant Quebec 70.3 Ironman or the Ironman I will see you there and I’m really looking forward to having my IM Team totally ready to hammer this course and make it theirs!
What course would I compare this one to?
Good question, I’d say bigger then Muskoka 70.3 (for Ironman not just the distance), smaller than Ironman Canada in places, but with more twists and turns on any bike course that I’ve seen.
The key, do your training and we’ll all celebrate at the finish line!
Yahoo!
There is nothing on the Mont Tremblant Quebec course that caused me to miss a minute’s sleep, so neither should you!
Cheers!

We See The Tremblant Course

2011-11-14T07:18:00.001-05:00

Good Monday morning everybody from Mont Tremblant Quebec, home of the brand new 2012 Ironman and 70.3 Ironman!
Yes we have made the 7 hour trek to see for ourselves just what this Ironman racing in Quebec has to offer and to take measure of how challenging the actual course will be for our IM Team.
Christine my trusted translator and I arrived yesterday afternoon and will be back in Whitby later tonight so we don't have much time to sight see.
Nope, we have been on the hunt nonstop to find out as much information as we can about what this Ironman in Tremblant adds to the triathlon pot.
Let me just say, it's been an eye opener and the effort to come here has been worth every minute.
Well daylight is arriving now and we have a bike ride to do before breakfast so I have to go but I will certainly write more on our Tremblant adventre when we get home.
Cheers

Remembrance Day

2011-11-11T08:48:00.001-05:00

A CANADIAN MOMENT

by William Bedford

The plaintive wail of the pipes and the beat of the muffled drum echo in the morning mist.
The Maple Leaf snaps in the breeze above the bowed heads of the mourners while John McCrae's immortal words are read.
As the bugler sounds the Last Post, the youngsters fidget, and look forward to playtime.
The oldsters shuffle, and look backward to wartime.
The past and the future of this blessed land mingle here at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month for a Canadian moment.

What Can You Afford

2011-11-11T08:11:00.001-05:00

Your next tri bike?

Good Friday morning everybody, that's a cool one out there today!
Another week flies past and with every one of them gone we get closer to next year's triathlon racing, so don't put your training too far on the back burner.
All of our swim and bike classes are the "happening places" to be and for staying in the game there is nothing like seeing your triathlon friends and meeting new ones to workout with at a time when we are not able to train outside.
Yahoo!
I've had many conversations lately about racing bikes and whether new triathletes and or seasoned road bike riders should purchase a triathlon specific bike or select a better quality road bike than the one they presently ride.
Well like most things in life it all about the money! : )
I have some triathletes who have three bikes, more that have two and most have one. Disposable income and time in the sport may have a great deal to do with the number of bikes you might own.
Some bikes as they age will find their way to being a full time trainer only bike, many good road bikes will be replaced by a fancy new triathlon specific bike as the blossoming triathlete sets their sights on higher racing goals but regardless of your ownerships, if the bike doesn't work it's just "nice junk"!
In most cases (99%) the higher the component package costs the more efficient and reliable they will work and because the components are whats keeping you moving (and stopping) you must pay attention to what you are spending your hard earned money on.
Some of the biggest manufactures are famous for cutting out certain more expensive components and replacing them with their own brands so that the over all bike can be sold below a certain price point. So it falls to the prospective purchaser to look closely at the spec sheets or better yet look at each component on the bike and check the names so you know what you are getting.
I have been around these bikes for a long time now and rarely will a proven frame worry me but when shopping my eyes fall to a bike's component package immediately on that too hard to believe sweet deal, just to see if it's really real or they are just teasing me!
So if you have the money and are going right into triathlon to make it your sport for the long term future I'd say go for the triathlon specific bike for sure.
If you have a middle of the road road bike that is giving you some guff and you have a bit of triathlon racing under your belt I think you know you are ready to move up.
You have two choices, one a better quality road bike or two a good triathlon bike that is designed for your sport. If you choose the better road style bike and later on you decide to switch to cycling only you will have a suitable machine.
Most cycle only groups view the different looking triathlon bikes as not suitable to road riding in close quarters because of the aero bar sifter controls but for me that's really an individual skill issue.
Personally I believe triathlon bikes are your best choice of purchase if you are going to be training and racing as a triathlete, it only makes sense but here is my general observation on the subject.
At a Try-A-Tri you will see every known bike ever made (some with streamers), at a sprint race some mountain bikes, lots of road bikes and lots of (these days) tri bikes. At an Olympic race very few if any mountain bikes, lots of road bikes and lots and lots of tri bikes. At a 70.3 the tri bikes are way ahead and the road bikes are still there but not nearly as many. At the big show (Ironman) it will be just about all triathlon bikes and many of them will be the very best of the best. Road bikes at the big show are still used and providing the bike is a good one and works properly there should be no reason why not to use one.
I say buy the most expensive bike you can afford!
Really, set your limit and go shopping with a number in mind and stick to it because you don't want to feel overwhelmed by that bigger than life purchase sitting in the living room, even if it is beautiful!
That awesome new bike has to work, you will be hard on it and you can't be afraid to race your baby because of it's price tag.
One last thing, if the bike is the wrong size it isn't a good deal even if you get it for free!
Seriously!
Have yourself a wonderful day even in the coolness because the weekend is supposed to be wonderful!
Cheers!

2011 DRTC Awards Banquet

2011-11-07T08:28:00.002-05:00

Angela to the left and Robbie our President
get the 2011 awards banquet rolling!

Good Monday morning everybody and I hope you enjoyed that beautiful weekend!
I have to say that I enjoyed myself very much as did everyone who attended our 3rd Annual DRTC Awards Banquet on Saturday night!
We began with our AGM at 5:00 pm with a good turnout of club members present and it was nice to see the interest everyone had in the operation and future operation of our triathlon club.
As we worked our way through the circulated and posted agenda, Robbie kept us on track so that everyone had a chance to report, say their bit and then move on so we could finish in time for the (party) banquet to begin.
As our nine member DRTC Board of Directors is set up to rotate through three different members each year sending them to election, an election was held that saw Angela and Patty returned and Gisele replaced by Jeff.
Gisele was very gracious and most accommodating as she welcomed Jeff to the Board with her usual big smile.
Thank you Gisele form all of us as DRTC members for the many hours you have contributed to the well being of our club. Your presence on the board will be missed but we know you will still be close at hand to help us out! : )
Welcome back to Angela and Patty and to Jeff we are looking forward to working with you and having your input into the running of our club.
The Awards Banquet began around 6:30 pm once all of our guests arrived, we socialized a bit and then with a guiding hand from Angela our Master MC, she got us to the buffet tables and like last year we enjoyed a wonderfully catered dinner.
Next up (before dessert) were the DRTC awards themselves and without a doubt this was the most fun time of our evening together!
I will have to get the official list of who won what because we have many awards, but I have to say that our membership did a very good job with their voting on Survey Monkey.
The membership had spoken and their choices were good which shows their votes were not given without thought.
Some of the choices were very difficult to make because all the nominated triathletes were so deserving. The nominations in one category resulted in a voter tie which saw both members receiving the award.
Angela kept us moving along with her usual charm and I really enjoyed how the presentations were made to each new recipient. We had (when possible) last year's award winner present to this year's award winner and it was a huge hit with everyone.
By doing this we involved so many more personalities into the mix and turned out to be a lot of fun.
Everyone who spoke on Saturday night was awesome and it was so nice to see their personalities and passions shine through at a time when many speakers are not comfortable enough to do that.
The mood of the room was comfortable and fun and that's exactly what we wanted! : )
At the Whitby Marina we had our 2011 DRCT slide show photos running, we had a couple of 2011 video shorts showing club members training and racing and the CD sound system was loaded with music to run for hours, yahoo!
Oh yes, we did get coffee and dessert right after the awards ceremony was completed!
Whew!
It is a lot of work to put this evening together and that pat on the back goes to the DRTC Board but seriously, the enjoyment we all shared made it worth the effort!
To all of our triathlon club board members, nominees and award winners and to those who were in attendance it was certainly my pleasure to spend Saturday night with each of you to support the cause.
Remember, a club is only as good as it's members and by looking around the room on Saturday I think we are looking at a very bright future! : )
Next club stop is the Whitby Santa Claus parade! Yahoo!
I think it's still OK to pat someone on the back, how about you?
Cheers!

Bike And Swim Class

2011-11-03T08:27:00.001-04:00

Let the swimming begin in
Rhode Island!

Good Thursday morning everybody, wasn't that a beautiful day yesterday!
My motor biker friend Mike emailed on Tuesday saying sorry for the short notice but we are riding up north on Wednesday, can you make it?
Well I would have loved to hit the road for the day with him and the gang but staying to my "work on the home plans" I had to pass, crap!
I'm finally getting to the long overdue job of new flooring in the front hall which includes the closet, the laundry alcove, and the small main floor bathroom all of which adds up to a lot of time and patience to get it right, yahoo! : (
Everything that was in my way is out now including the baseboard trim, all the floor squeaks are screwed quiet, and I'm set up in the garage like a contractor so let the fun begin!
If you are driving past my house the washer and dryer on the front porch are not for sale but just there to add some interesting flavor to the neighborhood. : )

Gisele runs it in at the
Rhode Island 70.3

Last night we were at the Mini Monster ride and I have to say that attendance is very good and we are already "working out" at a very good rate for the 1 1/2 hours we have.
I'm known for getting all I can out of every class I teach and over these many years I've learned to read the signs and judge when there is a little left in the tank or when it's time to back away to allow the whole class a chance to finish with their heads held high.
Good work everyone!
Yesterday's morning swim was not a walk in the park either!
My focus for the class was "proper body position" so for the majority of the class I had them stretched out long and lean, making that vessel as streamlined as we could get it and keep it.
We have all heard and been amazed at the number of required swimming hours our young racing competitors have to put in just to be part of the action and that alone offers that "assuming the position" or as close as you can for longer periods, is vital to swimming success.
Yes we think we are like a knife cutting through the water but for how long can you truly remain (in a bubble) perfect? : )
For example, sometimes we do the drill of swimming on your back, body at the surface, kicking only, both arms above your head (kept straight) and hands joined together.
A reverse streamlined position that allows you to breathe as much as you like and check out the ceiling as you work your way down the pool, simple.
Well like in every class there are those who will never be less than perfect and those who might be a little tired at the moment but it never fails that some arms will begin to bend at the elbow and those hands will get very close to the top of the head which is definitely not the fastest way through the water.
Why you ask, would a simple position like this be so hard to keep?
Well the arms are not in view and it's not overly comfortable to hold for any length of time unless you practice it!
Rarely if ever do I see this happen when the swimmer is on their front because they can see the benefit of straight arms. Just on their backs, so clearly attaching a higher value to the "longer vessel" while we practice on our backs will help make us stronger and serve us well.
Just something for you to think about!
Well I better get myself moving here, that floor is calling me! Yahoo!

Have a great day and why not turn lemons into lemonade! : )

What A Sport

2011-10-27T09:57:00.000-04:00

Two Of Our DRTC Lake Markers
Just Waiting For Some Action

Good Thursday morning everybody, they say that we are in for a drop in temperature tomorrow so your gloves might have to come out, ouch!
Don't you just love the new Wednesday schedules with the early morning swimming and evening riding at Legends? Yahoo!
Actually I think it's working!
Both are well attended and the energy is great so we'll keep them rolling along as is, for your training pleasure. : )
We have many new faces joining in (welcome) and I'm pretty sure the addition of both Mont Tremblant races has something to do with it, and now with the Toronto 5150 race getting so much attention it looks like 2012 will be even bigger than expected for our triathlon world!
Triathlon as a sport not only in Ontario but all across North America has been growing at an incredible rate for more then a decade and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Why you might ask?
Well I could go on and on forever about this sport because really it's limitless as to the all around human benefits we enjoy from participating and training in these three amazing elements.
Swimming is beautiful when done properly but can be a b---- when you are learning! Cycling isn't as simple as turning the pedals and you find that out quickly when you start racing! Running is very common today, everyone is or knows a runner but the excitement of triathlon lures many of them away from simply running and usually keeps them!
Then another 50 % element of triathlon and I say this all the time is that this is a "Thinking Man's/Women's" sport that gets as complicated or as simple as you make it but it's vital to your success as a triathlete.
Physically hard and mentally harder would be a good description but that adds to the whole "coolness" or "mystique" of being a triathlete and even more so if you are a really good one!
Being a good one, is a story all it's own that I'll save for another day.
If you are a triathlete now you know what I'm talking about and if your first race is coming up in 2012 you will know soon enough that all triathletes earn their way to the finish line and there are no short cuts to the podium, yahoo!
Can't wait for next season!
Cheers!
Have a great day but if it isn't use it to help build your character so that it's not wasted! : )

DRTC Awards Banquet

2011-10-25T11:13:00.000-04:00

Good Tuesday morning everybody!
Now that's a nice looking fall day with plenty of fresh air and a nice bright sky, at least for now!
Our 3rd Annual DRTC awards banquet is fast approaching so if you haven't picked up your tickets I must press upon you to do so soon, so that we can get our confirmed dinner orders finalized.
This years banquet is set to go, the voting is in and this fun evening will once again be the action place to be on Saturday November 5th!
Supporting your club is important to ensure it remains healthy and vibrant so come on out and share an evening with like minded people, you will not be disappointed! Yahoo!
Can't wait!
Cheers!

Marc Graduates With Distinction

2011-10-24T10:04:00.002-04:00

Son Marc with his proud Grampa!

Good Monday morning everybody, I hope you had a great weekend! It won't be long before the snow will fly with temperatures to match so get out there and enjoy every minute of this beautiful fall we have going!
This past weekend was simply a blur for us here in the Johnston house with so much going on it was hard to keep track of it all.
My sister in law had some very serious surgery during the week and has been very much in our thoughts as she continues to come around. The signs are pointing to a very good recovery so we are relieved just a little but she has a way to go yet. Keep fighting the fight!
Then on the other end of the scale our son Marc had his Waterloo Convocation on Saturday afternoon graduating from their Cooperative Computer Science Program with Distinction, and of course we were bursting with parental pride as he crossed the stage to receive his ceremonial sash.
Marc has been at Waterloo University for 4 years and 8 months and has been a stellar example of what a good student can do with a solid commitment to work, honest compassion and a great attitude.
Even with the huge schooling demands placed on him during those years he was still able to add extra activities with the school's Guard Club and acting in the responsible capacity as a DON in the student residences. Marc helped many of the younger students on their arrival get accustomed to university life and kept life in "res" a happier place for them to live.
It goes without saying that Patty and I have always been very proud of Marc his whole life and on Saturday we got to share a larger version of our "daily feelings" with hundreds of other graduating families!
Thank you Marc!
My Mom and Dad joined us and even though it was a long day for them there was no way they would miss such a momentous occasion for their Grandson who they lovingly helped to raise!
After a nice family dinner and drive home, we dropped them off well after their regular bedtime but the excitement of the long day was still evident in their happy voices as they went into their house.
It was so nice to be able to share this day with them!
Son Mike who is also a Waterloo student in the Cooperative Mechanical Engineering Program was thrilled to see his big brother graduate even though it leaves him without his brother close at hand but it won't be long before Mike makes his own crossing of the same stage, fingers crossed!
We have full confidence that will happen and look forward to another wonderful day in Waterloo especially for him!

Marc with his Nana and Grampa!

It was a day to remember for sure and for me personally as Marc's dad I could not be more proud of him and him having completed his anniversary studies, whether he goes further or not, is a dream come true for me too!
Well done son! : )

Satisfied Swimmers

2011-10-21T07:47:00.002-04:00

Here is John doing a great job
leading the usual Tuesday
night track for the DRTC.
Thanks John!

Good Friday morning everybody and finally it looks like the weather will clear up and the sun will shine on us again, yahoo!
My humble apologizes for not being on here for about two weeks (I think) but it has been an exceptionally busy time for me and you know what it's like if you kick your routine, it doesn't take long to fill it in with something else.
I really like to write on my blog and it wasn't by choice that I'm so long trying to come back but now that I'm here, I'll do my best to keep it up! : )
Values and priorities go hand in hand and I say this all the time, "if you attach a higher value to something (anything) it now becomes a priority and is more likely to get done"!
Sounds simple enough using higher self induced values to direct your lives, especially your training life and it works when they are made rock solid.
I know, of course there is "life" that gets in the way but if we view life's trials and tribulations as a required time out and then get back to training business ASAP we'll find a workable balance.
Here is an example I noticed at the pool the other day.
As I was helping a new swimmer find her way around "Lake Whitby" I noticed there were several of the regular swim customers out there doing their thing and knowing each for a long period of time I was in pretty good position to evaluate what I saw them doing.
Body position, balance, speed, breathing, technique all of it was in there during my private discussion with myself and it was very obvious where each of these swimmers had placed their values.
They obviously know swimming is great exercise (hence their regular attendance) and they had at some point attached a pretty good amount of "value" to it or they wouldn't keep it up week after week, month after month and so on, but my question was "when was it when they accepted that they were swimming well enough and didn't need to improve anymore"?
It must have happened at some point because over the years I have watched the same swimmers swimming the same way, with no improvement really.
Yes they are doing good for their body and mind feeding them regular activity but their swimming skills "value" needed a shot in the arm! : )
What I see is that each of them has accepted their swimming style is good enough for what they want to do so their attached skills "value" is satisfied and that's that! : )
Let me suggest that if you are working on becoming a good swimmer (not an Olympic racer) that you attach and maintain a very high rate of "value" to your swimming skills and don't call it a day too soon or you will be destined to swim where you left off for a long long time.
Can skills be added later on?
Absolutely, but from what I've seen the swimmer who has been swimming and surviving for a long time is not likely to put a high enough "value" on skill development to go back to zero and start again so it's not likely going to happen.
Now taking it a little further we have some great swimmers in our swim classes who could be even better with more work on their technical skills but because they are so powerful and succeed in class their skills "value" is pretty much satisfied.
That's why I add into every single swim class some skill development so that everyone is reminded that we should always work to improve our skills.
Don't confuse successful swimming with wonderful swimming skills because it's not a given!
Cheers everyone and have an awesome weekend! : )

Time To Ride

2011-10-04T10:09:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Muskoka!

Good Tuesday morning everybody and hopefully our weatherman will get it right when he says the rain will move off now and leave us with a great long weekend ahead, yahoo!
It was quite a shock over the last few days to feel the cold again and seeing my breath was definitely not a good sign, crap!
I suppose it's time to be thinking about riding indoors so lucky for us the Mini and Monster classes will kick into gear starting next week and carry us right through to spring time.
Of course it's always better to be riding outside but we create a pretty close "second best" place for riding in these training classes so that you are not wasting your valuable time or leaving your awesome bike hanging from the ceiling in the garage all winter.
I believe our proven successful Monster classes offer all levels of riders the opportunity to become better, stronger, and more fit athletes, ready for the spring challenges ahead, seriously!
Let's face it, it's more appealing and beneficial to train with lively energized groups in the dead of winter instead of being banished to a lonely basement at home, ouch!
Next Wednesday at Oshawa Legends from 7:30-9:00 pm and next Saturday same place from 7:00-9:00 am we'll be grinding it out to the latest tunes and watching a movie as the hours fly past, yahoo!
You are very welcome to come and join in whether you have your own bike and trainer or you would like to ride a spin bike that we can provide for you.
Don't worry at all about your riding skills because like I mentioned we have athletes of all abilities and everyone still makes it through the class.
Hope to see you there! : )

The morning view from our balcony
overlooking the golf course at
the Deerhurst Inn.

Lately I have been working on our 2012 Iron Motivation calendar just to start connecting the dots and it's pretty clear already that we are going to have another big year of traveling with our athlte's to some awesome places.
February, early March we'll be in Florida at our winter camp, yahoo!
May I will head to Texas for the Ironman in the Woodlands.
Mont Tremblant alone has us going there three times at least (June, July, August) to cover the new races and for our new Qubec Ironman training camp.
We always try to make it to Guelph, Kingston, Cobourg, Lake Placid at least twice per year, Ironman Canada in B.C., and the Muskoka 70.3 to name a few, whew!
As I see it there are plenty of good reasons once again to be at all of these events in 2012, so they are going on the calender!
Speaking of events coming up, it's time to get your tickets for the DRTC Annual Awards Banquet slated and ready to go on Saturday November 5, 2011, yahoo!
This is our third year now and it just gets better every single time!
Hope to see you there!
Well I better get moving here, the sun is out and I feel like I haven't see it for days! : )
Have a good one and if you can help some else enjoy their day, why not make it happen!
Cheers!

Welcome To Fall Today

2011-09-23T07:48:00.000-04:00

These are the pro women bikes ready
and waiting to go in Muskoka.

Good Friday morning everybody and another week has flown by without much trouble at all, crap!
I'm getting ready to put the final touches on all the October training plans and I've been adding everyone's new 2012 calender which has completely taken my mind to next years racing already, yahoo!
Hard to believe but with the addition of the two new and hugely popular Mont Tremblant triathlons to my schedule it's going to be tough keeping it all straight in my head.
2012 is looking like a stellar year ahead and I'm enjoying everyone's excitement about it even though we have our "fall training" just beginning. Yes the indoor training is about to begin so let's make the best of it, yahoo!
Actually this time of the year it's great to think like a body builder and hit the gym hard, like never before! Pack on the muscle and bring all that new power with you to the new year and you will be a much stronger triathlete when we crank up the cardio training!

Elastics are how some pros hold their
pedals from turning as they run with
the bike to the mount line.

Howz your equipment?
I hate to mention it already but Christmas is not that far away and if your gear is not as good or current as it should be now is the time to make your list of hopeful "gift" solutions but I always say that you must be very specific about what it is you would cherish as a gift.
It's not fair to expect from a none racer a certain item, in that perfect colour, from a certain supplier when we haven't taken the time to help them make the purchase.
Triathletes are typically finicky people who have their own way of participating, doing their thing and often the image they want to project is demonstrated in the gear they choose to use.
You know what I'm talking about, so help your shopper and save yourself a trip back the store at the busiest time of the year, yahoo!
Have a great weekend and if you can get out on that bike to enjoy the fall colours make it a fun ride so you have nice thoughts to reflect back on when our snow is two feet deeps, yahoo! Ha Ha
Cheers!

Some Of Our Great Summer Memories!

2011-09-19T08:49:00.004-04:00

The "Ridge" at rest at the KOA camp in
Farmington NY.

Good Monday morning everybody from a great weekend and as the days fly past this week we'll see the official end of summer, ouch!
Today I'm posting a good selection of pictures I took as our triathlon season went along that show only a fraction of all the good memories we have from the 2011 racing!
Enjoy!

From Cobourg beach I met this officer
keeping an eye on things from his
Segway. He has ridden it for 3 yrs now.

This is a fine example of the underwear
run at Ironman Canada, yahoo!

Oh these underwear runners, look at

all of them!

This is the famous biker bar Patty and I visited in
Sturgis South Dakota, An awesome place!

Jeff keeps an eye on the turn as
he gets ready to head back into
Cobourg!

Brandi, Robbie and Lucie get ready to
take on the Kingston long course!

"The Jet" awaits it's turn to leave and
begin watching the riders at
Ironman Canada!

Kim gets high fives as she runs it in
to finish the Providence 70.3!
Yahoo!

Here is a shot of the participants in
my draft legal racing clinic.

Klaus heads out to begin the second
loop of the run in Rhode Island.
Well done!

Ron does a TV interview at track night
for our DRTC.
Well done Ron!

Cobourg is clear but the water was
freezing, ouch!

Durham Swimwear supports the
Cobourg triathlon!

Nice of Lucie to offer Christine a drink
of water during the K-Town race!

Robbie runs it in for another great
finish in Kingston, yahoo!

John runs another great track for our
DRTC!
Well done John!

The swim start at Musselman!
It got very warm later, ouch!

Patty heads into the Ridge to escape the
summer heat, whew!

Rhode Island 70.3 swim start, there
were 19 starts, wow!

Hugh has finished another swim
and celebrates!

Great picture!

Gisele runs like the champ she is
at the Rhode Island 70.3!

Patty stands by the park sign in Rhode
Island where the hundreds of competitors
would soon begin their 70.3 challenge.

This is the finish line of the Rhode
Island 70.3. Right on the step of the

State Capital building, nice!

Roberta is ready to go in Cobourg!
Excellent!

The K-Town swimmers are away!

Colin at the Musselman Half is ready to
get it done, yahoo!

The beach at the swim start of the
Musselman Half after the fact.

Angela is guarding the swim!
Like always, great job!

Time For The Gym

2011-09-15T10:42:00.000-04:00

From the upper deck of the ferry boat
this young man could have blown away
but it was hilarious to watch!

Good Thursday morning everybody and I can't believe I'm so long getting back on here but as you can imagine I had a lot of catching up to do, whew!
We've had at least one run through of each fall swim class and like many things in life, just when you think it should be routine to get everything rolling a twist enters the picture that makes you think on your feet.
The main difference for this fall was the addition of the third advanced swim class scheduled for Wed. at 5:30 am and using the same format as the evening classes but gives our swimmers a chance to workout and then begin their regular work day. Yahoo!
This new time has proven to be very popular and I'm very happy with how this interest has taken some of the congestion pressure off the other two swims.
We have in the past had some pretty good competitions going on just to get signed up for your preferred class times but thankfully the third class has eased that a little.
So much so that now my "Development" lane is taking on a new advanced roll of it's own!
Let me explain.
The "D" lane was used to give newer swimmers a chance to catch up, or practise stroke improvement or a place where a tired swimmer could go to swim the same drills but at a shortened distance.
This was also a way for me to keep the class rolling and not spend time waiting because I'm not good with waiting too much! Yahoo!
Now I have the option in each of the three classes to make even more of a distinction between the "D" lane and the regular lanes and for me it's like running two separate swim classes at the same time.
Think on your feet! : )
The mainstay and success of our swim classes over these many years has always been based on the fact that a really good swim workout is going to be offered and that it will push you to new highs. So it's important that there is no change to that flow but I do see some real benefits in addressing "Development" lane swimmers with their own set of challenges in a more concentrated effort separate from the other go hard and fast lanes.
This level of training will help some of our newer or rehab swimmers escape the "D" lane and fold into the general group much sooner which should be the goal.
It's early days yet so let's see how it goes! : )

Here is Patty at a very popular biker bar
called Knuckles Saloon in Sturgis SD.
She still says they makes the best
burgers of anywhere!

Is it time to change your gym weights program?
Well the 2011 triathlon season is pretty much over now in Ontario so looking to the gym is a very necessary part of your progress in this sport.
Get into the gym with a proper training plan and by the new year you can bring that stronger more powerful body back to the triathlon table and expect more from it, yahoo!
This past Monday evening at our monthly meeting of the DRTC board we kind of did a wrap up of our very successful 2011 triathlon outdoor season and activities.
We took a little time to review how this year's offerings to our club members were received and how we perceived generally the outcome of all of our hard work in making it happen again for another year.
Without a doubt we are happy with all our DRTC members and it was our pleasure to meet and get to know so many over this last year.
The DRTC is healthy and happy and the future looks very bright for the next triathlon year to come, yahoo!
Actually we have a club social planned for this Saturday afternoon at Jack Astor's in Whitby from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, if you are around drop in and see us!
Well I better get moving here, have a great day and keep it cool! : )
Cheers!

Writing From Home

2011-09-07T10:58:00.001-04:00

The Lake Express in Muskegon MI

Good Wednesday morning everybody!
Today we were up at the crack of dawn to beat it to swim class for 5:30 am, yahoo!
I have been interested in leading a 5:30 am swim class for a long time and today's class was a good example of why we should have this time slot. We had 20 swimmers willing to be there, yahoo!
The class was fun and I'm pretty sure everyone had a good swim with just enough challenge to push them but not overwhelm anybody because we want them to come back for another try! : )
I'm back to work here today and I sure need to catch up on my teams training plans but this month brings so many changes it's important for me to meet with each of them so we can cover all the bases.
A few are still racing this month but most will call it an end to the 2011 triathlon season so I have to get all their gym plans rolling asap!
It's so nice to have all of my daily living luxuries back again and not be restricted at every turn by having to think "how will it fit on the bike" or "oh yes I have the bike".
I was driving my truck yesterday for the first time in weeks and it felt like I was extremely protected from everything around me, which is not a common feeling on a motorcycle!
Riding a motorcycle can be dangerous but I found one of the most important rules when riding is to never turn the throttle up until you know exactly where you are heading.
Oh the temptation is there to crank on that throttle and launch yourself into another world of go fast riding, but I've been there and done that.
Nope for me it's subtle riding with as few mistakes as I can make and I always keep my head up!
Knock on wood, we had a wonderful time riding our motorcycle but I never took anything for granted especially our personal safety!

The Jet waits to join the boat!

Since coming home I've had a chance to catch up with Christine regarding her journey to Louisville Kentucky for the Ironman and by the sounds of it she had a very good time there.
Congratulations!
This Ironman has a few differences, the swim start being the most obvious change but that didn't prevent her from finishing another great Ironman and chalking it up to all the very good training she did to prepare herself.
An interesting fact from our long summer days was that Christine, Todd, Brandi, and Rob had taken to riding their long Saturday rides together and by doing this these competitors pushed each other to new limits.
Most times I frown on my athletes getting too comfortable together because one will be working too hard or one will be slacking which just wastes time but if they are drafting and working together to get the speeds up I'm OK with it, but it makes me cringe when they take too many chances.
I will meet with Brandi tomorrow and I'm sure she will fill in the Louisville details for me but I don't think she could have done any better then she did by finishing her first ever Ironman in style! : )
Congratulations!
Well I have to get going and you probably have stuff to do as well, so let's get going, yahoo!
Back soon!
Cheers!

Sudbury To Whitby

2011-09-05T18:24:00.001-04:00

Good Monday evening everybody!
Sorry I didn't get on here yesterday but it was for good reason.
Yesterday Patty and I decided around lunchtime that because we made such good time to Blind River our planned stopover that we should push on for Sudbury.
I wasn't sure we would make it but even an hour closer would make our next day's ride within reach of home if the weather co-operated.
Anyhow we made it all the way to Sudbury by late afternoon, arriving with some unsteady weather but all was well.
We stayed at the Radison Hotel to celebrate our last night on the open road and enjoyed thoughts of being home soon!
So this morning before the sun was over the horizon we were on the overcast and blustery road heading south for Whitby.
We made it!
So now I get to tell you that Patty my awesome riding partner and I are safely back at home here in Whitby after clocking 8575 km on "The Jet's" odometer over 19 days, wow!
We rode our motorcycle day after day, km after km and would do it all over again!
Yes that's right, we had a great time taking each day as it came, facing the weather at every turn, we smelled the smells and enjoyed such beautiful scenery that it would be easy to start over again!
Our great cross country and return motorcycle adventure is now complete and what a great time we had!
Thanks for reading about it as we went!
Now I have to wash that poor bike! : )

Ishpeming Michigan

2011-09-03T20:17:00.000-04:00

Good Saturday evening everybody from Ishpeming Michigan, yahoo!
We couldn't get a hotel room in Marquette so we had to reserve here but it's like the Brooklin Whitby distance and sense of community.
Actually we are pleased with our hotel and it's easy access to and number of places to eat and shop.
The ride from Grand Rapids today was uneventful but enjoyable at the same time!
Our speed was cut way back to stay within the law : ) and coming from wide open parries to these tree lined pathways was interesting.
I should mention that some of the trees are turning colour already which is nice but on the other hand it sends a clear signal as to what is coming, ouch!
We made pretty decent time because we were on the bike leaving by 7:25 am, arriving here just about 2:00 pm which was a good time to check in and I could finally set my watch back to Eastern Standard time!
Tonight is our last sleepover night in the USA because we are about 3.5 hrs away from the Sault St Marie boarder crossing and we'll make that well before lunch time tomorrow, then drive on to our next stopover.
If we were in Sault St Marie the drive back to be Whitby from there would take about 9.5 hrs and if you add the 3.5 hrs from here, it makes a straight run back impossible based on how we have been riding.
It will be nice to be back in Canada even though we have had a wonderful time here in the USA but like they say, there is no place like home! : )
We are supposed to get some thunder storms here tonight but they should be cleared off by morning.
One way or another we will be on the road again, yahoo!
Have a great Sunday!
Cheers!

Grand Rapids Minnesota

2011-09-02T20:52:00.000-04:00

Good Friday evening everybody from a very busy Grand Rapids in Minnesota USA!
Patty and I had a great ride today in the bright sunshine but it never got really warm so the trip here was awesome!
We are officially off the I90 and I94 super highways and so far the two lane roads we have been using in Minnesota have been great. Speed limits between 55-65 mph with only minor interruptions on occasion so we are still moving along nicely.
Grand Rapids is very busy today but like at home it's the labour day weekend and everyone is heading someplace to get away for some fun.
Luckily I thought to call ahead and we got a pretty good room here at the Saw Mill Inn and it was made even better when we received a motorcycle rider discount that included parking at the front door, yahoo!
I guess there is great interest in this area for riding motorcycles around some of the 10,000 lakes Minnesota boasts on their state license plates, so they offer bikers a discount.
Tomorrow will see us in Michigan at a town called Ishpeming and this I know because I had to make a reservation at the Best Western to get one of the last hotel rooms still available in this popular tourist area.
20 hotels and not a room available but we found one, whew!
Well at the crack of dawn Patty and I will ride out of town for another day of seeing the sights and smelling the smells from our awesome bike!
Cheers and see you soon!

Bismarck North Dakota

2011-09-01T20:35:00.000-04:00

Good Friday morning everybody from cool and blustery Bismarck North Dakota, yahoo!
Today's ride (Thursday) from Billings clocked in at 666 km over 6 hrs or so and it was a great ride but the unusually cool wet weather stayed with us the whole way.
The all day overcast sky was easy to drive under but the gusting winds kept me on my toes especially when we were passing the big trucks, yahoo!
We checked into our hotel in Bismarck around 3:00 pm and will relax for the rest of the day so we can do it all over again tomorrow. We are doing just fine and seeing the sights from a motorcycle is awesome!
Our riding adventure is going as we planned and when you have a plan you stay to it.
Have yourself a great day and share a smile!
Cheers!

Billings Montana

2011-08-31T23:21:00.000-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody from Billings, Montana as we make our way across the USA once again!
We were thinking of driving across Canada on our return trip but when you do the math on it it seems a better route can be found in the States, providing you don't have a sentimental attachment to seeing Canada up close.
I did that drive from Penticton to Whitby via Thunder Bay a few years ago and it's a hard one.
Today we had rain for the first time, actually we had two sessions of rain today but all went well and it didn't slow us down too much.
We managed to rack up 666 km over 6 hrs 15 min of driving time all on I90, yahoo!
I90 was our main Hwy on the way out to BC but for the trip home we are switching over to I94 and we'll stay on it right to Fargo and then we'll do some dips and drives over a couple of days and cross back into Canada at Sault St Marie.
We have to get home soon because we have racers going to Wasaga Beach and the Muskoka 70.3 to ply their triathlon skills like never before, yahoo!
September brings a whole bunch of changes to our triathlon training schedules mainly because the triathlon season finishes this month for the most part, and we must redirect our attention to the athlete's body.
Some triathletes will pick a fall marathon to focus on and it's a job that needs plenty of focus to do it right!
Marathon training when done on it's own is a handful and at certain times in the year we can allow the time required but when we train for Ironman the marathon distance is only 1/3 of the job but it still gets plenty of attention.
Ironman Canada this year was awesome and I enjoyed myself so much as the days passed and the excitement levels rose steadily!
I'm known to say to my athletes "every time you race you will learn something" and for me going to Ironman Canada so many times now has taught me many interesting ideas, tips, and tricks that I use at every competition we go to.
This year I had the chance to be actively involved during the race which was a first for me. Patty made the trip and was there to help me which was a first and I got to successfully coach my para triathlete in an Ironman competition which was a first for me and him too.
So even though the annual trek to BC is well worn, there are always new challenges and changes that keep this Ironman one of my favorite stops each year.
Well, I better hit the hay because we have another big day on the open road and the forecast isn't looking great. Our bike was so dirty with rain driven road grime when we arrived here, that I couldn't stand it. So I convinced a young manager to lone me the use of their outdoor garden hose to wash the bike.
I got "The Jet" washed and put to bed for the night so we can ride out of Billings, Montana with our heads held high, yahoo!
I know, I know but you keep your tools clean if you want them to work!
Have a great day and we'll see you soon!
Cheers!

East To Montana

2011-08-31T00:05:00.000-04:00

Good Wednesday morning (when you read this) everybody from St Regis Montana!
Patty and I packed up from our motel in Penticton early this morning (Tuesday)and hit the dusty trail!
Our ride through the mountainous regions and ginormous wheat fields of Washington and everything in between went off without a hitch yesterday.
So today should see us making further progress towards the east but there might be some rain so we'll see how it goes.
Once we get settled into our next location I'll be back!
Cheers!

Ironman Report

2011-08-29T21:15:00.000-04:00

Hi again, well our rest day is just about over and we are already starting to make plans for traveling home. Originally we thought we could take a little time to stop in Vancouver for a visit with my uncle and then take a ride to Whistler but my presents at home will be long over due as it is, so away we go.
Getting back to yesterday, the day began for me at 3:45 am because I committed to be at the athlete chute for 4:45 am until 5:15 am so I could meet our team before I had to leave to join the motorcycle support team assembly at the Sandman Hotel.
Like last year this chute was the hub of many good-byes for the streams of athletes arriving with their supporters and the final time they will be together until the finish line, fingers crossed!
So it can be a sensitive area at times!
Once 5:15 am came I was on my bike heading to join the bikes and once we assembled in order, we rode in the darkness as eighteen brightly lit and flashing motorcycles that looked like an invasion of some kind.
Our first destination was exactly where I was just was but this time the gates were cleared of athletes and all of the motorcycles entered and were lined up together just inside the chute.
Patty and Karen were on their own plan and as I was in the chute they were lining up on the swim start fence to catch a look at our team before their big day began!
As 7:00 am approached I could hear the national anthem being sung and there were two helicopters whirling around on this absolutely perfect morning.
The pro's and para triathletes began together at 6:45 and at 7:00 everyone else went so all 2850 of them were stirring it up at the sametime.
There is nothing quite like an Ironman mass start!
All of our team was off and the day began as perfect as it could be, yahoo!
Our bike gang moved at 7:00 am to our second location just up the street where we met our race officials and gave them our instructions on how we wanted them to behave on the bike so that we were both safely working together. Thankfully my rider was experienced and very comfortable sitting back there.
The race was on and how they send out the officials was after the first 50 athletes went by the first bike went, then after the next 50 it was our turn being bike # 2 to go out and work our way to the front and then pull off to let them catch up and do the samething again, until we complete the entire 180 km ride watching these 50 or so top riders.
As more and more bikes past by the motorcycles downtown their numbers were counted to as high as 300 before a the next motorcycle was sent out behind them.
It was a great experience riding inside the bike lane with all the bicycles going up the Yellow Lake climb at a pretty slow pace with hundreds of screaming supporters just feet away, wow!
Happily my official did not issue any penalties, she warned plenty of riders but that was it so I was very relieved over that.
As it turned out because I was in the lead group only, I didn't see any of our team until the run course later on.
As soon as I dropped off my official I beelined it back to where Patty and Karen had set up in front of the Cherry Mall so I could catch up with what they had seen so far.
In the meantime I was getting some information from Christine's husband Rick about what was happening in Kentucky, whew!
Sorry but I have to go again for now but I'll be back tomorrow after noon from somewhere out on the open road, yahoo!
Cheers!

2011 Ironman Kentucky and Canada Done

2011-08-29T13:13:00.001-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody, there is always a Monday!
On this Monday morning we celebrate with two 2011 Ironman Kentucky finishers in Christine and Brandi and four 2011 Ironman Canada finishers in Roberta, Todd, Sue and Rob, yahoo!
What a day it was trying to keep track of all that was happening at both races as well as participate as race support here in Penticton.
Of course you are wondering why I didn't get on here to blog throughout the day so let me explain.
Some weeks ago I enquired whether the organizers here were in need of an extra race official to help and although they had their numbers they asked me to attend a meeting with them at 3:30 Sat. which I did after talking about it with Patty.
Anyhow that lead to a second meeting where I joined in with 17 other motorcycles to provide transport for the race officials. At home because I often do both myself, this was going to be a new experience but having the opportunity to ride the bike and run courses during the Ironman was going to awesome. When would I have my bike out here again?
We were paired up with our officials on Sunday morning and I was assigned the coveted #2 position with the head official from the Kelowna Apple race the week before and she turned out to be very good to work with.
So this explains why I couldn't blog on the 180 km bike course and once I finished that job I had lunch and joined Patty and Karen out on Main St until I rode onto the run course to see how our four runners were doing.
Like every race we go to there are tons of stories that come of them and if it seems like I'm all over the place that's because there is so much to say. If I write it in order of occurance this will be a novel we have going here so please bare with me as I drop in the bits and hopefully it will make sense at some point.
You know that we had six competitors here in Penticton and I've mentioned four runners which means two of our athletes sadly were not able to make it to this part of the race.
John was taken from the bike course to the medical tent in Penticton for hydration treatment after giving it his all on the ride. Not too worry, he recovered fully and was later able to join us near the finish line. Ouch!
Lisa fell to a similar fate (not requiring the tent)and included mechanical problems from the start which made her ride experience terrible and insurmountable in time. Crap!
Both John and Lisa were obviously disappointed but to their credit both made it down to the finish line to cheer on and share the moment with our other four finishers.
Their will be another day to fight again for these triathletes, that's for sure!
Chin up you did your best!
Each of our four finishers have their own versions of the day and how it went but I must say when I saw them on the run course they looked like the job was getting done!
I have to end this for now but I'll be back!

The Big Show

2011-08-26T18:40:00.007-04:00

Good Friday evening to all of you back home and I hope the storm heading up the east coast doesn't cause you too much trouble. From the news we see here in Penticton it looks more like the east coast of the US right up to New York City will soon feel the wrath of Irene.
Here we patiently sit and wait for Sunday to roll in but once it does the "Big Show" is on!
That's a nickname I have for the Ironman because it doesn't get much bigger than an Ironman for the age grouper triathlete.
In my opinion this is about as close to being a professional level athlete as most people will ever get because of all the dedication and training it takes to perform well here.
The Ironman is doable providing you do the training and you have a little good luck on your side but it's the unknown, the chance it won't go well that makes it so intense at this level.
I often say, we train for as long as one year to be good one just one day and it's true, you must be good on your chosen day or else! Ouch!
So knowing this, as your big day approaches it's pretty understandable that you would want to turn and run for the hills, yahoo! : ) Or is it more likely that you are chomping at the bit to get on with it?
Here is the thing, pretty much every triathlete out there who is waiting for their Ironman day, their chance to perform at the "Big Show" has and will have both feelings of fight or flight and more then once.
Yes the last few days are hard, no workouts to hide in because you are tapering, and everyone wants to know your business (do you think you will finish) and everyone you hear has trained harder then you did so you are screwed (OMG).
I've heard it all (maybe) and seen plenty over the years but there is one thing a lot of worried triathletes fail to remember, the human spirit!
I have seen (what was called) the impossible happen, I have seen the dreams come true, I have seen the truly beaten survive and I expect I will see it happen again!
Never count out the human spirit!
Here at the Ironman you will see the highest skilled triathletes but you will see some unproven athletes as well. One competitor yesterday admitted he was doing his first Ironman but also his very first triathlon and he started to train on July 1 (I was hoping July 2010).
I'd say the odds are not really good for this athlete to have a wonderful experience but would I definitely count him out, nope!
Who knows what spirit he has trapped inside him or why he chose the Ironman in the first place but it's possible that he has what he needs within himself to pull it off!
So if you have done your work take pride and have confidence in it, don't be shaken by that loud person who tells everyone they ate rocks everyday to be tough enough for the Ironman, they are out there!
Know there are ups and downs especially in the last few days and get over it because, there will be a Monday! : )
On Sunday morning the work begins at 6:45 for Rob, 7:00 for all the age groupers and I know the human spirit will be alive a well all day long and once again it will shine!
Bring on the the "Big Show"!

Travel Day # 7 Done

2011-08-24T20:55:00.003-04:00

Good Wednesday evening everybody!
Well Patty and I have officially been out on the open road for one week now and it's with great joy I'm happy to report that we arrived at our motel in Penticton BC around 2:00 pm Pacific time today!
It was a long ride today that began at 7:00 am was filled with beautiful scenery once again!
Were we happy to finally land safely at our destination? of course we were but it was such a great adventure to ride this far we are looking forward to more of the same once our work here at the Ironman is complete.
After all that's why we are here in the first place is to support our triathletes as they put to use all of the good training they have done to earn their spot at the finish line!
I cant wait for Sunday morning to get here so we can get to work!
Sunday will be especially busy because we have for the first time competitors at two different Ironman races at the same time.
Christine and Brandi will compete in Kentucky and Susan, Lisa, Tod, Rob, John and of course Roberta will tackle the Canadian Ironman here in Penticton.
It will be interesting to see how all of this will unfold but I have full confidence that everything that can be done, we be done!
Be back tomorrow!
Cheers!

Travel Day # 6 Done

2011-08-23T19:28:00.000-04:00

Hello from sunny and warm St Regis Montana, yahoo!
Actually we were planning to stop just after Missoula but with all the construction going on the next best stop turned out to be here in St Regis which was about 50 miles further along I 90.
I should mention that after riding out of Missoula and back into the mountains we came across a forest fire burning out of control and it was amazing to see it so close!
The fire was spread across a mountain range and in places the shear force of the burning trees blew plumes of white smoke like I have never seen before.
Patty noticed there were two water bombers circling the blaze so hopefully they would have been able to get things sorted out.
That was some serious ... going on there!
Anyhow, our days riding total at 642 km's over about 6 hrs and once again the scenery was absolutely wonderful!
It was all Montana today and like Patty said, it changes all the time and it never gets tiring!
We tackled a few hills today that we would easily call mountains at home and "The Jet" never even flinched when I turned up the juice! Yahoo! : )
We began just before 7:30 am because I wanted to get in as much riding before the heat built up like yesterday.
We had 105 degrees of hot blowing wind near the end of our ride yesterday and I think it was catching up with us by the time we stopped.
Staying hydrated has been a real chore and we know that if we aren't we'll get sick from the heat since we are buried under our heavy riding jackets.
We have water on the bike and sometimes stop just to drink when the need arises.
It was 19 degrees when we started out and for dressed properly riding that's just about as perfect as it can be although I had to turn on the foot warmers (really) for Patty. : )
The cool riding lasted right up to lunchtime but by then we were starting to organize our last efforts for the day before the heat could become an issue.
At the moment we are two hours behind but tomorrow I'm pretty sure we'll be in Pacific time which will make it 3 hrs, yahoo!
We are checked into the Super 8 here in St Regis, had our lunch and it's kick back time, then wander the town for while before we start planning for tomorrow.
It's been a great ride so far and having 6 days done with no rain I never would have guessed in 100 years.
I can get soaked by accident just riding to the gym at home! : )
Well I better get going here but before I do I just want to say "Thank You" to all of you who have wished us safe travel as we run up the mileage heading for Ironman Canada.
It won't be long before Penticton will be seen on our horizon and we are getting excited about that, yahoo!
Back tomorrow!
Cheers!

Travel Day # 5 Done

2011-08-22T20:28:00.000-04:00

Another great day of riding our motorcycle has come to end for Patty and I, that makes five travel days in a row done, yahoo! : )
We started from Sturgis SD at about 8:00 am, the weather was perfect, we opted for the high speed route taking I90 instead of the slower but shorter back country way on Hwy 212.
There were pros and cons for both routes but a choice had to be made or we wouldn't get anywhere so it was I90 or bust.
Well that proved to be a good decision as far as we were concerned because 580 km later and having a good look at Wyoming and Montana we decided the ride was awesome!
Our goal was to land somewhere around Billings, Montana for the night and as we approached the big city we decided to pass through and get on the other side to miss any morning commuter traffic that might be a problem for us.
So here we are at the Best Western in Laurel, Montana resting up for another ride tomorrow, yahoo!
Let me tell you that my riding partner is doing a great job and she is holding up like a champion!
We have a great new helmet to helmet intercom system so we can chat anytime and without it I'm sure our adventure would be missing a lot.
Often we find ourselves saying "oh look at that" or "did you see that" or I will say "are you OK back there" if I haven't heard from her in a while and I will get a reply back like "I'm good"!
Simply for safety reasons it makes sense to have a system like this but as the miles roll past it's important to be able to talk at will and share the experience.
Patty is happy and enjoying the ride and that makes all the difference to me!
Today was laundry day, thank you!!!
We have so much gear packed on "The Jet" that we usually use the hotel carts to unload and load all of it. Hard to believe a bike could hold so much stuff but if you look at the bike everything is in place and nothing flaps in the wind to slow us down, yahoo!
We are doing just fine, the days are passing quickly and the mountains are getting closer by the mile!
I'll be back tomorrow!
Cheers!

Travel Day # 4 Done

2011-08-21T20:11:00.000-04:00

Good Sunday afternoon everybody and I'm happy to report that we had a fantastic ride from Sioux Falls all the way to Sturgis South Dakota for a total of 600 km even.
We were moving just before 8:00 am and once we hit the I 90 "The Jet" rolled at 75 miles per hour (the posted speed limit) for most of the day without a hitch. My hard job was to turn on the signal light when we passed someone and it's nice that it turns itself off so I didn't strain myself, just kidding! : )
I have learned plenty already when it comes to this kind of riding (two-up) for long periods, day after day and we are having a lot of fun experiencing this adventure.
Today the weather could not have been better and the scenery was awesome! : )
We saw hilly ranges, monster prairies, ginormous sky, the badlands, and huge green valleys just to name some of South Dakota's scenic offerings.
There is some great history here, Mt Rushmore is here, Dancing With Wolves was filmed here, and we even stopped at a place called Wall Drug.
Wall Drug is a tourist trap out in the middle of no place, and a huge one to boot!
How they get you to stop and shop is, they've post signs, all different kinds of signs, with little suggestions on them, starting 100 miles away in both directions. They have so many signs along the highway that you have to stop to find out what Wall Drug is or it will make you crazier!
We stopped for a nice walkabout and it was fun but most importantly we aren't asking each other "What is Wall Drug"any more! : )
So why are we in Sturgis?
Our big plan was to ride to Rapid City SD and then see how we felt.
Stopping there would be fine but if we were still good making it to Sturgis SD only 23 more miles would be fantastic!
Sure enough as we rolled into Rapid City we had tons of time and felt that making it to Sturgis was a snap so away we went.
Sturgis you see is the home of one of the biggest bike weeks in the USA and has in the past boasted as many as 500,000 bikers who invade this fairly small community.
To say it's famous after 71 years of biker hi-jinks by the craziest of the crazies would be an understatement!
Well just like the last time I passed by here heading for Ironman Canada my schedule is again one week too late to catch the action, crap!
Well maybe not, I hear it gets pretty wild here and I'm not a spring chicken anymore, cluck cluck!
So we are here to satisfy my curiosity about this legendary town of Sturgis SD and to be able to say I (we) have walked it's streets and enjoyed a knuckle sandwich, at Knuckles famous biker bar!
Let me tell you a funny thing that happened as we pulled into Knuckles Bar.
There is no question this is a Harley Davidson town to the hard core and seeing as we have a Honda I was not sure how we would be received at the bar. In fact as we pulled in I looked at all the parked bikes and it was 100% Harley.
So I meekly found a place just around the corner where my beauty could be left safe and sound, whew!
So just as Patty and I walk up to the front door three huge bikers in leather, tattoos proudly displayed, wearing their colours walk out and head for the first three Harley's near the door.
We just politely smile and wait for them to turn so we could slide into the bar quietly and quickly, until I read the wording on the back of one biker and realized we had something in common.
I said to Patty, hold on a minute.
What, you ask!
Well as it turns out these rough looking bikers are members of a Masonic biker group (unknown to me that there was one) and after I approached them with my hand extended explaining my own Masonic membership it was like we were really brothers in common!
We talked and shared a few laughs, I even mentioned the location of my Honda which brought on a big round of laughter from my band new biker buddies in Sturgis SD, who would have thought.
Jeff the leader of the three gave me his card and explained that if I should ever want to return during bike week he can make arrangements through their lodge to offer very affordable accommodations and I should give it some thought.
I thanked him and they wished us well in our travels then Patty and I walked into that biker bar with a little more confidence then we started out with! Ha Ha
The food was great and I have the T shirt, yahoo!
So now we are back at our hotel settling in for the night and resting for another good long day on the bike tomorrow. : )
Cheers!

Day # 3 Done

2011-08-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

Hello from Sioux Falls South Dakota, yahoo!
We are here!
539 km done today and the little rain we had isn't worth mentioning because we had great driving conditions the whole way.
Good roads, fast pace but not crazy of course and at times we had all the open road you could hope for.
No problems and no reason for concern so we march on!
We are done for the day and will hit the hay early tonight because tomorrow we have to match today's ride and chip in another 500 km to stay on target.
So far and taking away our two hours on the boat we have championed the bike 1495 km's with plenty more to go.
I'll be back tomorrow!
Cheers!

Travel Day # 3

2011-08-20T08:51:00.000-04:00

Good Saturday morning everybody from Tomah WI where the weather is overcast but still very comfortable.
Not sure if we'll get rain today but for now everything is dry and fingers crossed it will stay that way!
We should be on the road by 8:30 am and heading for a place called Sioux Falls South Dakota which according to Google will take just short of 6 hours providing the weather co-operates.
Just going backwards for a minute I should mention what a beautiful and unique place Muskegon Michigan was.
Patty and I didn't have a chance to travel the whole city but from what we saw it was great but when we were on the boat we realized it's true beauty from the water.
It was very much like our Muskoka's with it's huge waterfront homes, people fishing, large sailing clubs were abundant and sandy beaches were everywhere. All of this well before entering Lake Michigan.
There was one beach that had Cobourg beat x's 10 in size and it was surrounded by more as far as you could see down the coast.
Yes Muskegon Michigan may be a place we return to some day!
Well I better get the bike packed, have an awesome day and I'll back later!
Cheers!

End of Day # 2

2011-08-19T18:17:00.000-04:00

Good Friday afternoon everybody and "Hello" from Tomah, Wisconsin!
Patty and I made our 10:15 am boarding of the Lake Express Catamaran at the well secured docking facility and the whole thing was pretty cool.
In came the beautiful ferry from Milwaukee right on time, 45 cars/trucks/motorcycles rolled off including all the passengers and all of us shore people got the signal to roll on.
To be honest I was a little concerned about just how well our 1000 lbs of motorcycle was going to be fastened to the floor so that I could trust it would still be upright when I returned.
So as I took my turn (alone) driving up the ramp and down into the under belly of the boat, all the time following the confident hand directions of the ship people. It was a breeze.
I stopped where they directed me (inches behind a brand new Corvette) and was told the tie downs were on the wall, please put two on the front and two on the back, enjoy your journey! What!
This was good, I was in charge of making the bike secure, yahoo!
Surrounding "The Jet" and welded into the steel floor where all kinds of rings and in no time at all I was confident that our motorcycle could survive a capsize without coming loose, yahoo!
That done I made my way up to the main seating area where Patty was settled in, saving me a seat because she was a sold out ship!
The water during our two hour crossing could not have been better the whole way and we really enjoyed the experience.
Unloading was very quick and neat, it wasn't two minutes to the highway and we were beating out of Milwaukee like a shot.
Heading up Hwy 90/94 at lunchtime on a Friday had it's busy moments but once we started to see the outskirts of the city things settled down somewhat but it never got quite settled down all the way here to Tomah, WI.
How did we decide to come here?
Google mapped it based on hours of driving.
We had decided that 5-6 hours each day on the motorcycle would be enough so that's how I have things broken up all the way to Penticton BC. We may need to miss a day because of weather but if everything goes well we can make a 550 km average without much problem.
We knew yesterday's ride was going to be a dandy but today with the boat ride cutting out a huge chunk of driving for us the three hours up to Tomah was very nice.
Tomah is right on the start of Hwy 90 and 90 is our chosen road to the west!
We are holding up just fine, and like anything the more you do it the easier it gets!
We can unpack the bike in no time and load it back up in a blink but it's heavy, very heavy!
I will say that today I saw the longest construction zone of my life!
Along Hwy 90/94 from Milwaukee almost to Tomah (3 hours driving) there were construction pylons almost every step of the way, crap!
So it's time for supper now and Patty is giving me the look so I better go before it's too late! : )
Tomorrow we head seriously to the west and should get a pretty good look at South Dakota, yahoo!
Cheers!

Penticton Travel Day # 2

2011-08-19T07:36:00.000-04:00

Good Friday morning everybody from warm and sunny Muskegon MI!
Soon we will be heading just down the road here to hop on the boat and head out onto Lake Michigan for a new experience in high speed catamaran ferry travel.
The say this beast travels at 40 miles per hour when the weather permits and today just might be the day they open her up, yahoo!
Back soon!

Hello Muskegon

2011-08-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

Well here we are safely in Muskegon Michigan after a long day of riding in the bright sunshine!
We checked into our hotel just before 5:00 pm and went straight to dinner once I got "The Jet" put to bed.
Our bike worked like a charm even with all of the extra gear we packed into every nook and cranny, it just flew down the highway all day.
We crossed at Sarnia and the line up was at least a mile long but we made the most of it as we just baked in the hot sun with our riding gear on, whew!
Once we got through, the roads opened up again and away we went, yahoo!
I think it will an early night so we can be rested and ready for our boat ride across Lake Michigan in the morning.
Tomorrow we will see the sights that Wissconsan has to offer and of course get a report here on the bog.
Just a note to mention that we are not the only folks to head out west today because Ron and young Jack also headed to Kelowna for their big event called the Apple Triathlon. Ron will race as an age grouper and for Jack the junior ellites will be his competition.
Good luck to you both and have a great race!
Well I'm going to kick back and get our tomorrow plan set in place, so have a great evening and we'll see you Friday right here!
Cheers!

Penticton Day # 1

2011-08-18T06:26:00.000-04:00

Our mode of transport for
the next few weeks!

Good Thursday morning everybody!
Great swim last night, the water was flat, the setting sun was beautiful and all seemed well. Perfect!
Today is day # 1 of our Penticton or bust journey, yahoo!
In about 30 minutes we'll mount up and be heading for Muskegon Michigan where we plan to stay the night and await our ferry ride across Lake Michigan tomorrow morning.
The bike is waiting, Patty is up, and I'm looking forward to the open road, yahoo!
I'll be back later today!
Cheers!

Cobourg Done!

2011-08-15T07:54:00.001-04:00

No lake to be seen, ouch!

Good Monday morning everybody after another very busy triathlon weekend, this time in the great city of Cobourg Ontario.
Like every race we go to there are always streams of stories and experiences our athletes go through as they become seasoned veterans and Cobourg this weekend was no different.
The Cobourg triathlon is gaining a storied reputation of a place where you can riding and run but you can't swim, ouch!
Over the last few years we have had rough water, big rain, fog and cold temperatures that either changed start times or eliminated the swim for safety reasons which is of course not the fault of the organizers.You can't do much about the weather!
Early Saturday morning saw the lake completely fogged in and without a breeze to help blow it away the race was delayed for 15 minutes, then another 15 minutes, then another 15 minutes, then miraculously as the final 15 minutes was running out it cleared well enough to offer the olympic distance triathletes a shortened swim course, yahoo!
The course was not ideal (too close to shore) but like always it's safety first.
The swim done, it was time for the rest of the days athletic endeavours to play themselves out and it was "triathlon on" as usual! Great job everyone!
Sunday morning had the Give-It -A- Try athletes racing followed by the Sprint distance racers and although the lake was clear, the bitterly cold water brought in a whole new set of challenges.
Once again a shortened course was introduced but only for the first race and the course was kept close to shore so there was an avenue of escape should a swimmer decide to bailout.
Yes there were some who did decide to switch to the Du and some decided not to do the second loop of the Sprint swim which took away their official finish status but by far there more swim finishers then not.
One other issue that caused some concern was when the race director decided at the race that it was mandatory wetsuits for both days and all three triathlons. So if your wetsuit wasn't in hand you had to switch to the Duathlon.
Sunday's racing was just as much fun as Saturday and for me personally I enjoyed seeing so many of our new triathletes getting the chance to spread their triathlon wings, after all they work pretty darn hard to be a part of this action!
Seeing so many happy smiling faces is not hard to take! Great job everybody!

Leslie guards the line!
Great job!

Cobourg 2011 is now in the history books but I would be remiss if I didn't mention how our DRTC saved the day for all the racers this weekend when 14 of our club members and family jumped in and acted as volunteers when the organizers support team fell trough.
Our diligent club members and their families deserve a huge pat on the back for coming out to support the sport and make sure these athletes had a chance to race and race well!
Thanks so much to all of you! : )
Looking ahead to this week, wow! : (
That's all I can say about it, because outside of the usual tri club activities, training sessions, and pre-race meetings Patty and I are preparing to leave for Ironman Canada on Thursday morning!
Yes we are driving all the way to Penticton British Columbia, yahoo!
I would call it not only a very long drive but an adventure, yes an adventure to see the sights and smell the smells on a journey across North America!

All the way to Penticton BC!

Our mode of transportation is the "The Jet" my nickname for our
Honda Goldwing which is arguably the best touring motorcycle ever produced in the USA.
Patty and I will depart early Thursday and as we make our way to Michigan, across Wisconsin, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and north through Washington into British Columbia whew, I will be blogging right here to keep you abreast of how it's going so stop in from time to time and share this big adventure with us.
We have reservations in Penticton eight days later and fingers crossed we'll have an awesome time along the way! : )
Well I have to get moving here and I'm sure you do to, but let's take a few minutes today and really appreciate what we have! : )
Cheers!

Swim Class Sign Up

2011-08-11T07:53:00.001-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody and a beauty of a day it will be!
A quick note to let you know that sign up for the fall swim classes at the Whitby Rec Centre open up yesterday. So if you are planning to join in for the first time or are returning for the umpteenth time now is the time to get the class you want.
We have four classes per week now at two different levels.
Monday at 9:00-10:00 pm is an advanced swim workout. Wednesday at 5:30-6:30 am is new and will also be an advanced swim workout. Thursday at 8:00-8:45 pm is advanced workout swim and Friday at 9:00-10:00 pm is beginner/intermediate swimming to learn how to swim for triathlon.
All the advanced classes will have a development lane for those still working on their fitness or strokes before moving over into the regular lanes.
The edition of our Wednesday morning class will look after those athletes who want to get their swim in before work and get on with the day.
See you there!

Jeff waits for the team to join him for
another great swim in the lake!

KTown Tri # 28

2011-08-04T08:22:00.003-04:00

Marlene and Elaine get ready for their
Ironman day to unfold!

Good Thursday morning everybody and it looks to be another beautiful summer day, yahoo!
Say what you like about the rain but at this time yesterday I was (coffee in hand) sitting on my covered front porch enjoying the best soaking rain I've seen in a long time.
Like you, my poor grass is looking more like field straw and I think I actually saw a combine rolling down our street the other day! : (
On the down side of that long day of rain we had to call off our club lake swim last night because the beach was posted and the runoff into it would not help for sure, crap!

Sue offers some kind words about
our expert "watching" at the
Musselman Half in Geneva NY.

So I need to catch you up from last weekend in Kingston where we had great fun on a perfect day for a local triathlon, yahoo!
I really like the Kingston triathlon whether the long or short courses for many reasons but generally you can expect to have a race that offers everyone a decent day of fun without all the stress that some of the bigger races bring to the table.
Ktown is a huge success year after year, sold out always, enjoyed their 28th consecutive year last Sunday and their future still looks brilliant. So if you haven't put this notch in your belt yet, you know what to do! : )
From the DRTC we had Rob S, Robbie, Lucie, Brandi, Donna, and Jim M competing with Christine, Brandi's mom, Gord and I holding down the cheering sections.

Three of our Kingston racers Brandi, Robbie,
and Lucie gather in for a quick photo
just before heading for the lake! : )

I'm happy to say everyone made it to the finish in great shape and as in the past we even picked up a bit of hardware to boot!
Both Robbie and Brandi finished second in their respective age groups claiming plaques which is awesome, and Lucie and Jim both finished their very first ever long course triathlons which was hard on them but they pulled through! : )
Rob and Donna the experienced triathletes they both are made the race look like it belonged to them all the way, yahoo!
The lake was perfect with barely a wave in sight, the bike course without rain is fantastic, and the fairly flat run although not very exciting is well marked for the athletes to find their way back to the finish!
Can't wait for next year so we can go again and simply enjoy the day! : )

Nice!

Early Monday morning saw me down at the beach in Cobourg for a swim session with Liz and lucky for us we got to see what was left from the previous days sand castle competition. I had never seen this before and even after these sand sculptures had been left out on their own over night they were still amazing to see.

Not sure about this one!

Cannon ball!

Have a great day everyone and we'll see you at the the lake on Saturday morning!
Cheers!

Back In Action

2011-07-28T05:53:00.001-04:00

Here we have Shawn finishing
up the hot day at Musselman.
Great job!

Good Thursday morning everybody from my desk back here in Whitby!
We are home safe and sound!
It seems like a long while since I last sat here and it's nice to be back! : )
All in all what a great three weeks Patty and I spent traveling around Rhode Island and New York state. Moving from one big race to another to support and cheer on so many of our dedicated triathletes, wow!
The total drive distance pulling the condo, from our driveway and back to it was 3692 km's of trouble free driving that I would go out and start again tomorrow, yahoo!
Now that I'm here I have a ton of work to finish and this morning I'm already doing a swim session at the pool, so I have to get moving.
I'll be back! : )
Be thankful for what you have! : )

Catching You Up

2011-07-25T11:21:00.001-04:00

Getting Ready To Let The Horses
Out Of The Barn

Back again, one problem that we have here at this KOA camp is WiFi that goes off for no reason every 30 minutes or so and it makes me crazy when I'm working on something and suddenly realize I'm off line again, crap! : (
When we asked about it saddly there wasn't much concern coming from the other side of the counter but when I thought about it more I remembered I had the same issue last year, so I should have expected it right?
Anyhow back to the race!
From our new vantage points on the bike course we just saw Elaine quickly pass after the first loop but she was too far away to connect with her by then. Then we saw Binky fly past with the same result, too far away! Then Marlene restored our faith that we could actually see our riders in time when she came clearly into view and we got to cheer her on, yahoo!
Ok now that I have rough times for each of them I can work out the math for when we need to really focus on the steady streams of riders so that we don't miss our last chance to cheer our bikers.
Elaine came along and we got her with a big cheer and she heard us, then Binky flew by again in a blink and we missed her totally and then it was Marlene we looked for but the time clock had suddenly become her foe and won out, ouch!
Cut off time is 5:30 pm period and that's that so if you aren't off the bike your day is saddly over no matter how you feel or what has happened.
Marlene suffered a mechanical failure on the bike that had her pedal crank come completely off while it remained attached to her foot at the sametime, making it very difficult to stop.
She gathered the parts, repaired it as best she could and was able to get moving but needed further repair in short order which took up all of her precious minutes that would allow her to finish the bike in time.
It wasn't to be, once the repairs were done the time was no longer there to get back to the transition area before it closed, crap!
I've talked to her and although very disappointed she is taking it in stride and says the whole experience was really fantastic! Well done Marlene!
Elaine and Binky we knew would be on the run now and Elaine had about 45 minutes lead off the bike so we thought she would show up at our perfect spot about 6:30 pm and just about be finishing loop # 1 of the marathon.
Well right on queue along came Elaine at 6:33 pm and she was working that run!
We had a chance to say a few words but was she ever on her game, yahoo!
Patty and I had decided earlier that once Elaine went by we would walk towards downtown to have something to eat and likely would see Blinky coming out and wouldn't you guess, that's what happened.
Hey Binky you go girl and we got a great picture of her, yahoo!
She was running and doing a good job of it so it was anyone's guess who would finish first between them but they would finish for sure!
Off we went for a quick snack, a little blogging and then headed to the oval track to witness our two trithletes join the Ironman Club! : )
The offical time was 14:59:16 when Elaine ran across the line looking strong and the time was offically 15:00:30 when Binky hit it with arms spread wide living the momnent, fantstic!
You are an Ironman!
Well that's pretty much what I can recall for now so I will end it here but I'm sure there are plenty more stories of the day to come.
Patty and I just said goodbye to Marlene and Elaine as they just stopped in to chat on their way back home, kids in tow.
We will pack up later today and go out for our traditional dinner at LaBelle in Saranac Lake and first thing tomorrow we head for home so I can be in Kingston this weekend, yahoo!
See you soon and thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!
Cheers!

2011 Lake Placid The Day After

2011-07-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

Tj Tollakson wins 8:25 hrs

Good Monday morning everybody and I hope you had a great weekend too!
I'm feeling a bit of the usual after math from our Ironman spectating yesterday that has me a bit tired, really!
Yes it was a long day for everyone but it's never ever dull by any means!
We had some disappointments and then traveled all the way to the other end of the scale where we had great successes and if that's not hard enough there was everything else in between, we were frazzled!
So to say it was a fun day would be right on the money if you were me, yahoo!
Let me quickly report on the additional competitors from our area that I mentioned yesterday.
John C and Todd M had awesome fast races and when we said passing "Hello's" both seemed to be right on it and feeling good/tired, well done boys! Patty and I saw David M finish just after 14 hrs and he looked well as he ran it in, excellent! Joe V we saw come out of the lake in good position and he finished all the rest like the tiger he is, yahoo! Nice to see all these friendly faces out there!
Where I left off last night was reporting that Elaine and Binky had arrived to the finish line healthy and happy and that was that until this morning.
Today I will add a few more details to give you a better picture of the day and how it unfolded.
Let me say for the first time I know of, this race became "wet suit optional" because the water was 77 degrees which is very close to disallowing wet suits temperatures, and it falls to the race director to make the call of wet suits yes or no or a combo with exceptions.
In this case they chose the combo to allow wet suits but those competitors would not be eligible to win prizes or be part of the roll down for possible Hawaii spots.
The other option was swim with no wet suit and have all of your entitlements as usual and it was surprising that by far wet suits worn out number those who went without.
One racer later mentioned that he went without and felt it was like trying to kill himself, jokingly of course!
One deciding factor for a large number of participants could have been that there was close to 1000 first time Ironman racers in the crowd of 2450 starters (400+ Canadians) who may not have been comfortable going without the rubber.
So as I mentioned yesterday everything was running smoothly at this "lucky" year number 13 for this Ironman and as usual the seconds lead to minutes and minutes lead to hours and blink the day is almost over,sort of.
We saw Elaine and Marlene at the swim start but missed Binky until she exited the water and was having her wet suit peeled off.
As everyone left on their bikes we set up on the far side of the lake which was much busier this year but still not too bad.
Back soon!

2011 Lake Placid Ironman Complete

2011-07-25T00:02:00.001-04:00

It's a done deal now, the race is over and the time has come to call it a day, yahoo!
All of our competitors are present and accounted for including Elaine and Binky who can now proclaim themselves proudly as being an Ironman!
Congratulations to you both, you earned those stripes admirably!
It's late now and we need to pack it in so I will return tomorrow and fill in some of the blanks.
Thanks for reading and we talk soon!
Cheers!

Almost

2011-07-24T20:38:00.001-04:00

The time is near 8:45 pm now and we have survived another fun and exciting day but now the sun is setting and the finish line is beckoning.
As it looks right now Luann exited the race on the advice of the medics, nothing serious but calf musocle issues ended her day and although Marlene was able to continue on the bike she ran out of time to make the cut off. Both had done their best to make the finish and it's upsetting when it doesn't go according to plan but sport is like that. Sometimes it's like rolling the dice!
At this moment we have two racers left on the course and we had a chance to talk to both as they began their second loop of the run.
Yes we expect both Elaine and Binky to finish in the next two hours based on how great they were feeling when we talked. They were a little tired as expected but there was no doubt the finish line was going to belong to them, yahoo!
I will come back once everyone is in and confirm the good news, fingers crossed!
Cheers!

We Are Racing

2011-07-24T09:49:00.001-04:00

Well everything to do with the 2011 Lake Placid Ironman start and swim, has gone off without a hitch and as I speak all of our swimmers are out and now gone onto the bike course, yahoo!
Because of our early arrival Patty and I got front row seats on the fence of the swim start and finish which is a first for us and much appreciated.
Having a clear view of all the action was a nice treat and I was able to get some good photos (I think) for me, I'm known for not doing the best job of getting those magical moments but I try.
I went through the participant list yesterday to see who outside of Elaine, Binky, and Marlene from our
area was here and I found a few.
There is of course Luann, John C, his friend Todd M, David M from swim class, Joe V from bike/swim class and so far from them, we have seen Joe and Luann who both had very good swims!
We have had time since all of our excitement has left town for a few hours, to have breakfast at the local church and now we will head up the road to find our usual spot away from the crowds.
We had a chance to chat with Marlene and Elaine before their start and I must say they both seemed calm and ready to get the job done.
Then out there lost in masses of swimmers (2450) it was interesting to see the two good friends exit and finish the swim about one minute apart.
Good job!
We are going to shift now and I will be back when there is more news!
Cheers!

Let The Day Begin

2011-07-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Good morning everybody from downtown Lake Placid at 4:30 a.m. Patty and I are sitting in the perfect parking spot to watch another Ironman unfold. It's hard to believe the amount of activity already as the fences are going up shopkeepers are opening and athletes are arriving.
The weather forecast is about as perfect as it can be. Clear skies, zero wind so far and a high temp of 22 and overcast later in the day. It rained for a while last night which seemed to bring in cooler temperatures.
There is already a sense of excitement in the air and the silent buzz of anticipation of what the day will bring. The athletes naturally group together for some sense of comfort as they head for the transition area. Once inside they find their bikes, pump their tires, fill their bottles, pack their food and they may even say the odd prayer as they try to relax because being able to relax or being a great pretender is very important today.
Patty and I will head down to the swim start area now to get a good spot to watch and meet our athletes.
I'm not sure if I will be back on here until after the start at 7:00 am so for now you will have to hold onto the idea that everything is set to go for another day of Ironman competition!
Back soon!

Some Musselman Pictures

2011-07-21T10:12:00.001-04:00

Patty and Wendy (Morgan's wife) reorganize the transition
area to suit themselves!

The fans or spectators as we are called, were very well behaved at this half Iron distance race and it was nice to see. Not that there are a lot of bad spectators at most triathlons but it's very common for spectators to be so focused on their own athlete and combined with the chance to see them being pared down to a few seconds at a time, it makes for some interesting situations.
When you are surrounded by high energy supporters who will do anything to get in that ear shattering cheer as their special person comes by or even better, getting that perfect life long picture for the wall, you need to remain calm.
Sometimes it's a bit much and I know these folks will return to earth once the day is done so I come prepared to be extra patient, yahoo! But, I do wish those cow bells serious harm! : )

Happy to be done!

I have included this picture I took at the completion of the sprint triathlon on Saturday because it shows the very last swimmer coming out of the water at over 1:10 mins which is a long time for a 750 meter swim. This women as she came along was surrounded by 15 kayaks and as you can see there are a handful of volunteers waiting to help her.
So water safety was as good as it gets but as she stood up she mentioned to a volunteer that it was her breathing not her fitness that caused her to be so slow. She was asthmatic, having a bad day and could not catch her breath.
Lesson learned, if someone is going slow it's not always because they didn't train!

Mark and Tegan out in the heat
of the day!

As the day continued on the temperatures climbed and it became blistering hot out on the run course. Just surviving was the order of the day!

Colin burning up the road!

Great job out there Colin!

Karen brings it home!

Way to go Karen, awesome work!

Well I better get moving here I need to start preparing our weekend Ironman plan, yahoo!
Cheers!
Stay cool today, not just outside! : )

Musselman Photos

2011-07-21T08:53:00.001-04:00

This photo shows he start of the
Musselman Half on Sunday morning.
Wave number one of I think five.

The swim in Geneva offered it own set of challenges. Weeds were a plenty and it was just a bit choppy once the athletes turned left and headed down the lake. Did I mention the swim to the first mark was really a run because the water was pretty shallow. Then there are the zebra mussels (hence the name Musselman) that had many swimmers wearing water shoes. At the marina it was another left turn that had everyone swim through the docking area which is a first for me.
Patty and I sailed on Lake Ontario for many years and we have never seen any swimmers around big boat docks, for lots of reasons.

The cheering section in the fresh early
morning.

Here we have Luann with Emily and Jacob who were in Geneva cheering on husband/dad Peter who raced.
Now this week, they are here with us in Lake Placid as Luann takes on the Ironman!

Morgan is cheered on by several of our
DRTC supporters, yahoo!
That's Patty, Luann, Jacob and Emily!

Here is Morgan hot out of the water and just getting ready to pedal off for a quick ninety km's so he can get to that 21 km run, yahoo!
Morgan had a great race although he might say it was a hard one!

Lisa is happy to get on the bike!

Here is Lisa all smiles to get going on her bike!
The bike course in Geneva is not a very technical ride and there are very few hair raising corners to worry about.Generally it's considered a nice ride that you can make some tracks on.

Karen so happy to go riding!

I'm not sure if all these happy riders to be are happy to ride, or just happy to be out of the water!
Either way it's great to see their excitement to go!

Back soon!

Another Anniversary In Lake Placid

2011-07-21T07:53:00.001-04:00

This is the nice quiet beach in Geneva
before the arrival of the masses.

Happy Anniversary Patty!
This is number thirty two you special person you! : )
Good Thursday morning from Lake Placid NY, we are nicely settled into our camp site here at the KOA in Wilmington and so far the weather has been perfect, yahoo!
I've heard that back home it's scorching hot and that heat is heading in our direction so we have our fingers crossed for less heat on Sunday!
If you are going outside to play today you had better be very careful, hydrate and don't over do it.

The transition area in Geneva was very
large but needed to be so that all of the
2000 weekend warriors and their gear
could be accommodated.

The transition area was large but not too big that there were any empty racks, in fact it was very nicely laid out for exactly the number of racers who needed room with an easy in and easy out access.
Well done!

This was one of the starts for the kids
triathlon racing that took place on
Saturday afternoon.

The kids racing was a lot of fun once it was going but if I had only one concern about the organizing at Geneva it was with this event.
In the beginning there wasn't enough direction given to the kids and parents as well, which grew into a mess of panicky bodies racing when the race had not officially began, ouch!
When the brakes were finally pulled on hard and everyone stopped the organizing began. The second time it went off very well.
In the end the kids had a great time and that's what it was all about.

Back soon!

Time To Move

2011-07-19T06:39:00.002-04:00

Good Tuesday morning everybody, wow it's warm out there!
Patty and I are leaving from Farmington just outside of Geneva today and will make our way to Lake Placid to get set up for the "Big Show" this coming weekend.
Of course I'm referring to the Ironman in Lake Placid the place where I did my very first major triathlon competition some eleven years ago, crap that sounds like a long time back! : (
Anyhow we should be set up in the Wilmington KOA camp sometime this afternoon, fingers crossed!
We've had a very good stay here in Farmington at this busy KOA but as busy as it is it's always been quiet and the people so respectful of others, we would come here again.
Our 2011 Musselman Triathlon experience has certainly been worth the effort and we are happy to have shared it with so many very nice people!
Well I better get moving here and start shifting camp so we can begin our next big adventure down the highway!
Cheers!
Be good to yourself today, for once! : )

2011 Musselman Racing Completed

2011-07-18T08:05:00.005-04:00

This is our home away from home as it
sat in the KOA camp in Herkimer NY.

Good Monday morning everybody hope your weekend was a beauty!
Well it's the day after now and a good time to reflect back on our weekends racing activities and measure roughly how they panned out.
There is not a single race that passes bye that we don't learn from it and this passed weekend was no exception. There was plenty of learning going on!
Let me say that this has been a joy for Patty and I to be part of the Mussleman Triathlon crowd for the first time and I'm sure we will make the trip back another time to do it all again, yahoo!
Our hosts (the race organizers/volunteers) made us feel always welcome and made every attempt to keep us comfortable as the weekend unfolded with the ever increasing heat, as it built up.
The weather could not have been nicer on Saturday for the sprint race and the children's racing and even early Sunday morning it was the same but as the day ran on, the temperature climbed and climbed and was still going up at 3:00 pm the official and enforced cut off time.
As I wrote yesterday the race swim schedule was right on time and all the starts got away like they should, so that should create a nice steady flow out onto the bike course from of the bike transition area.
There is a reasoning behind the gaps between the swim starts and it has far reaching affects on how the entire race flows once the masses begin rolling!
I will say the exit from the transition to the bike mount was the best I've ever seen, it seemed like a steady nonstop, uncongested, stream of bodies hoping on and riding away which in real terms rarely happens. At most races we consider the mount/dismount lines a danger zone where you can be injured in a blink ,and most times not by something you did.
Anyhow it was the same coming back, there was good instruction and plenty of volunteers to help guide the athletes in.
The exit onto the run course was easy and as fast as you wanted it to be but by the time most were starting their 21 km runs the heat of the day was beginning to catch up with them.
The promised overcast sky's were only on the horizon and didn't quite make it to us, so it was sunny and bright the whole day through, wow!
The wind off the lake was sporadic and when it was there it was a blessing but when it vanished instantly the heat of the road lit up just like a hot vapour of energy burring at the runners feet, ouch!
The front runners had the best of the best weather, and it went downhill fast the longer you were out on this normally hospitable run course.
We saw plenty of runners who ran on the grass to get off the hot roadway, some ran the sunny spots and walked the shady spots, many even crossed the road when the offer of more shade over there was present.
The athletes who were out there a longtime were basically looking to preserve themselves as much as possible so the could at least run a bit when they saw an opportunity, without suffering too much.
I guess I have painted a picture for you that says the run was the hardest part of the day and that would be pretty safe to say although I'm sure there will be plenty of other heat related issues spread throughout the day.
We saw many of our racers during the day, some here and some there and for the most part they were smiling from ear to ear and enjoying the sport as it's meant to be!
The race results (except the kids I think) of our 21 (including the kids) competing triathletes will be posted later today on the Mussleman Triathlon website.
Congratulations to all of you who finished a wonderful weekend of learning in Geneva NY!
Cheers!
Have a great day everyone and if you don't it might be by your own choice!
Don't let that happen! : )

The Race Is On

2011-07-17T10:55:00.000-04:00

Well its about 10:30am now and we have a steady stream of riders beginning the run portion of this half iron distance triathlon.
So far everything here today is right on schedule and everyone in our group seems to be doing just great!
The weather is good although its getting warmer by the minute.
For us the lowly spectators we have it really good with tons of shade and a beautiful breeze coming off the lake, so we are not complaining at all.
The race times here should be pretty good as the runners will also enjoy the lake breezes and the forecasted overcast skies are beginning to form which will be a great benefit.
The swim this morning went off right on time and all the waves had ample space between them. The water is shallow here so most walked to the first mark and began to swim from there.
I liked the open lake part of the swim but I'm not a big fan of the channel portion of it. The water in there looks a little suspect.
Patty and I have a nice shady spot to sit and relax in as these hundreds of runners begin their 21km of running bliss, yahoo!
I would say that these triathletes racing today are really being well looked after by the race organizers. They have 5 aid stations on the bike and 1 every mile on the run, all of which are offering plenty of hydration choices and food of all sorts.
This is a top notch race weekend and we are enjoying it very much!
I will be back!

Musselman Raceday # 2 Begins

2011-07-17T04:37:00.000-04:00

Good Sunday morning everybody, I only have a minute or two to write because we are getting ready to head out the door for Geneva.I didn't get back on here yesterday (sorry) after the pancake breakfast we missed but I have to say that we had a great fun day down at the lake watching some of our favorite triathletes do their stuff like the champions they are! : )
So this morning we are going back to the same park for the Half Iron distance race and if it's half as much fun as yesterday it will be another day well spent with so many friends and talented triathletes.
I did a head count and if we include the kids that raced yesterday there are 21 triathletes here that we know and are from our immediate area.
Canada is well represented here!
So I have my playbook and I will try and blog today from down at the park as the day unfolds!
Cheers!

2011 Musselman Racing Begins

2011-07-16T07:11:00.000-04:00

Good Saturday morning from warm and sunny Geneva NY the home of the (sold out months ago) Musselman Half Triathlon!
Today we have a few races going on starting with the sprint distance racing at 9:00 am then the kids take over at 12:30 pm to show the world the new up and coming champions in the sport, yahoo!
But for now we have to leave and join everyone at the pancake breakfast, be back soon!

Hugh Is In

2011-07-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

Hugh runs it in and captures his Rhode Island 70.3 finish in a photo!

Ursula Runs It In

2011-07-14T08:07:00.000-04:00

Here we have Ursula running in for her Rhode Island 70.3!

Gisele Runs It In

2011-07-14T07:48:00.000-04:00

Here is Gisele running the last few meters to the Rhode Island 70.3 finish!

Klaus Near The Finish

2011-07-14T07:45:00.000-04:00

Here is Klaus as he runs in for his Rhode Island 70.3 finish!

Kim's Finish

2011-07-14T07:41:00.000-04:00

Here is some great footed of Kim just before her Rhode Island 70.3 finish last weekend!

We Found Diamonds

2011-07-14T07:26:00.001-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody from Herkimer NY, today we will pack our traps and head over to Geneva NY the sight for this weekends Musselman Lake Half Iron distance triathlon.Finally after several years of threatening to be there and see what it's all about we will get to feel it for ourselves, why this race is so popular with our athletes from home.
I have coached a lot of competitors for this race but hadn't been able to make the trip because of my schedule but this year I planed early and held my ground so our intention has become a reality, yahoo!
Let me mention that our time here at the Herkimer Diamond Mines has been a lot of fun.
Although I didn't find a single diamond my right arm is now twice the size of my left from smashing tons of rocks with a 2lb sledge hammer, ouch!
Seriously I have never damaged so much stone with a dinky little hammer and then wondered why I worked so hard, until Patty mentioned that mining is like gambling.
You keep searching and working for that big payday and it's always in the next rock!
She was absolutely right, it seemed every rock I picked up I could feel the magic inside, the diamond of all diamonds was in there, oh yes the next blow of my hammer was bringing us riches and fame, bring me another one Patty and hurry about it! : )
Crap, by the time I was worn out I had to dig my way though the piles of shattered rock surrounding me. My knee was sore, the grip of my right hand had dwindled to nothing, my glasses were so steamed up and sweaty I couldn't see a thing, I had several (small) bleeding cuts from rock shrapnel, I was covered in dirt and I won't even mention my left thumb and how it decided to stay when it definitely needed to move, ouch!
Patty said I can't believe you, look at you!
I don't think she was as into it as much as me but you can't say I didn't try because I did my best to become a famous New York State miner all in one day but it just wasn't enough!
I did mention later around diner time that there was still time to go back and the smarty that she is she said OK let's go, knowing there was no way I was doing that again so soon! : )
So I bowed my head in shame that day and walked away diamond less knowing the mine had won.
Then the fighter that I am, I asked Patty what she wanted to do next and she said sluicing.
You know when you screen dirt in running water looking for diamonds (I know it's usually for gold but not here) and look over there, they just happened to have one set up and bags of dirt to purchase.
Who would have believed it!
Off we went and it was game on, guess what, 3 (they call them) diamonds came tumbling out of all that dirt, stone and water, yahoo!
We were finally legitimate miners and no band aids required! : )
So when you see Patty next time she just might be wearing her newly acquired diamond necklace (it's a bit rough) from the Herkimer Diamond Mine! : )
It was a fun day, really it was! Whew!
Yesterday I tried to post a few more great little videos I have from Rhode Island but they would go for some reason and I'll try again today.
I will be back on here once we get settled in the KOA camp in Farmington NY just outside of Geneva.
Cheers and have a great day! : )
Yahoo!

Rhode Island Video

2011-07-13T08:20:00.000-04:00

Good Wednesday morning everybody from the beautiful KOA camp in Herkimer NY. This is diamond country here and we plan on having a good look around to see if we can make our fortune right here, yahoo!
Actually there is a mine across the road that belongs to the folks here and for a princely sum of $10 they give you a 2lb hammer and set you free to become a miner for the day, cant wait! : )
The video here is of the first transition area in Rhode Island during the early morning as the athletes are arriving for the long day ahead.
There were 16 swim starts and about 5 minutes in between so it was a long wait if you were last to go.

This short video has Hugh running along as he finishes the first loop of the run course.
Looking good out there Hugh!

I will send more video on the next blog because I'm not sure how they will load from the old KOA camp wifi system.
Cheers!

The Day After RI 70.3

2011-07-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody and I hope your weekend was as fun as ours down here in Providence RI, yahoo!
Where I left off yesterday afternoon I mentioned Hugh was on his second loop of the run course and that was the break in the action I needed to catch you up on the days activities but once he triumphantly completed his run. Hugh became our groups final Rhode Island 70.3 finisher for the day, yahoo!
That meant it was time to chat a bit, start packing up and heading for home/hotel/RV whatever your accomodation was.
It was a fun day of excitement and that's really a big part of why we do this sport is the excitement of feeling alive inside, being brave enough to face our own fears and with so many supporters helping us to simply try and finish, the pressure is really on to do your best!
You need to be a brave person to be a triathlete and I saw five of them who are special to me, shine yesterday!
Yes, they were mixed in with hundreds and hundreds of other brave soles but these five shone far brighter in my eyes and it was a pleasure to see them do such a good job reprsenting all of us as skilled triathletes. Congratulations to each of you, well done! : )
After some post racing conversation about the experience in general I had the feeling that the race itself was a good one.
They seemed to be well organized, the usual safey standards were in place, the swim was warm and well marked, the bike course showed the many faces of the city of Providence, and the downtown run course was surprisingly beutiful.
The transition areas were big, the equipment bag drop off and return was well done, the shuttles got you there, medical personel were plentiful, bike repair avaiable, a not bad expo for those hats and stuff, the announcing was good, and there seemed to be a good vibe in the air, so there were a lot of very good points to this Ironman 70.3
The only two negiatives that were consistent were both bike related, sections of the road were very rough (made Medd Rd look smooth) and some drivers were a little impatient at times. Both of which can create some real cocerns for the athletes but all in all it was a wonderful day!
Thank you to the Ironman Rhode Island 70.3 folks for putting on such an event for us to test our metal!
Now it's the day after and the regular world begins to turn again, yahoo!
What's next?
Well Patty and I have today off to do stuff around the RV and we might even get a chance to meet one more neigbour (our second) sometime today.
Last night after dinner we sat outside for the first time since we arrived here at the camp and this very nice man walking past stopped to laughingly say "there really are people here".
He is our neighbour actually and said he would notice that we were not around much but he and his family kept an eye on the place for us in our absense.We had a very chat and it was nice to meet him.
Oddly enough it was him that left this morning to go to work, so we'll keep an eye out today.
Well it's time for breakfast according to the boss so I will leave for now and be back again soon!
Cheers! : )

Rhode Island Results So Far

2011-07-10T14:19:00.001-04:00

From my playbook!
Good Sunday afternoon everybody from the finish area of the Rhode Island 70.3!
Well its been another great day of triathlon racing for competitors from home.
l will report further and in more depth later but a sum up of things here so far goes like this.
A first for us this morning as no wet suits were allowed, ouch!
The water was 85 degrees so it was well above the wet suit limits of 76 degree max for use in racing and this caused some concerns with some swimmers so the organizers created a wet suit wave with no awards. This was wave # 16 of a very long swim start this morning.
Patty and I were up at 3:00 am and rolling by 3:25 am so already it has been a long day!
Results so far.
Kim in first at 7:00:28, Gisele shortly after (minutes), Ursula next, Klaus finished next, and Hugh still has a while to go on his second loop.
Its been beautiful weather wise all day. Sunny with a good breeze most of the time.
Thats it for now!
Cheers!
Paul

Day Before The RI 70.3

2011-07-09T08:24:00.002-04:00

Good Saturday morning everybody, it's the day before race day and there should be no worries here about having enough swimming depth because "holy moly" did it rain a lot yesterday, whew!
It rained well into the night as well, after sheets and sheets of rain for hours during the daytime!
Nice that it happened Friday and not Sunday because at times it would have been very unsafe to be competing in that and we all know it's safety first.
Had the competition been yesterday it could have been in jeopardy.
Anyway, they are saying all of that nastiness is clearing out today and we are going back to the bright sunshine and high temperatures once again!
How high? Into the mid 80's is predicted, ouch!
Yesterday Patty and I took a drive over to the swim/bike start in Lincoln Woods Park and were a little amused to see the name of the road we were on just before turning in there because it was called of all things "Breakneck Rd."
The sign at the top said 4 miles down hill at 8% grade, it was a very tight and twisty two lane road and the only thing I could think of arriving at the bottom, was that whoever named this road got it right!
Thankfully it doesn't appear our riders will be on it up or down, yahoo!
The park is just beautiful, filled with huge trees, high branches, steep hills, tons of individual rocks as big as a house that look like they could roll away at anytime. It's very rugged looking but completely civilized with nicely paved roads threading their way throughout it's hundreds of acres.
Arriving at what the folks here call a pond, was a fine sandy beach on what we would call a small lake back home. This lake will easily handle the hundreds of triathletes who will be making a big splash in there tomorrow morning at 6:00 am, yes a 6:00 am start time!
That means the first shuttle from downtown Providence will get moving towards the park at 4:15 am, ouch!
Our take on the swim is that it looks great and is in a beautiful setting which is pretty cool because the TV news here is full of "Great White Shark" sightings out along the coast, whew!
From the swim exit it's about 150 meters or so across an open field on grass to the first massive bike transition that will be filling as we speak, with all the competitors' bikes throughout today.
Bike/helmet/shoes can be left in transition as long as nothing other than your wheels touch the ground.
The transition area is very large with no real landmarks to work with so finding your own bike will take some creativity when the action begins.
Not saying this is a good idea or not but last year in Muskoka one rider had turned on his rear riding flasher and you could see that bike a mile away. Of course if everyone did that the advantage would be gone.
Our riders here will be on some main roads and some local bike pathways as well, so it will interesting to see how it goes getting all the way back into downtown Providence to land squarely into transition area # 2.
Yes this event has two separate transition areas which brings the finish line into the downtown for the "wow factor" I'm sure, but it's also very convenient to major hotels for athlete lodging.
When I say downtown for this transition from bike to run, it could not be more downtown than at Providence Mall and right in front of the Sate Capitol Building.
The run is two loops with a very cool finish right on the steps of the State Capitol Building, yahoo!
We will head back into Providence later today to meet up with a few of our group and put the final touches on race day plans.
Then it has to be an early bedtime for everyone to make a 3:00 am wake up call, ouch! : (
I'll be back! : )
Have a great day everyone and enjoy the weekend!
Cheers!

Foxboro Massachusetts 2

2011-07-08T07:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I'm back inside now and of course the short rain burst has stopped but actually I'm glad to see the rain our first since arriving, because it has been very hot here (33 degrees) and it was concerning me for our triathletes racing on Sunday. Hopefully this change will bring in some cooler temperatures just in time! : )
As for the Ironman 70.3 here in the camp I think we are just far enough away from the race site that no triathletes have been spotted, as of yet anyway but we'll keep an eye out for them.
Later today I hope to get my first look at the swim site and first bike transition area and I'll let you know my thoughts on it when I get back.
Never been here before, so it's all brandy new to me! : )
Have great day back home and try to add a single smile to one other person's face and your day will be a success!
Cheers!

Foxboro Massachusetts

2011-07-08T06:50:00.002-04:00

Good Friday morning everybody from beautiful Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort in Foxboro Massachusetts USA, yahoo!
We arrived here about 8:30 pm on Wednesday night actually one day earlier then we had planned but only because Patty was agreeable to marching on for the whole day of driving instead of my sort of planned, half day.
I know I have that well earned reputation for getting out there on the open road and pushing it as far as I can mileage wise before I give in, but before we left home I said to myself and Patty "this trip was going to be different" and I would take the extra travel days in stride so we can ease things up a little.
Well I guess I failed on that thoughtful plan, as the hours and mileage added up and we got within striking distance of our famous camping resort park it became head down and march to the travelling drummer, yahoo!
Safe and sound we landed here in Foxboro Massachusetts which is if you are wondering right next door to Providence Rhode Island where the Ironman 70.3 race is being held on Sunday morning.
According to my trusty Google maps we are about 25 minutes away from the swim and first bike transition areas but I will be confirming that today with a drive in to check things out.
Let me tell you a bit about this resort we are in because as I mentioned it's quite famous from what I hear in the camping world, being established by the Daniel's family in the 1700's.
It's rated as one of the best in the whole USA and so far we have been totally impressed by the service and all the amenities they have to offer the hundreds (maybe thousands) of campers that temporarily call this place home.
Imagine a combined sea of tents, trailers, monster RV's, as far back into the woods as you can see, up on hills, down in valleys, some in open fields, every where you look they will be campers doing what campers do but being pampered as they do it.
Swimming pools at least three big ones we've seen so far, a recreational centre for kids and nicely split for adults too, boccie ball is popular here, disc golf is pretty cool, a really cool trailer style place to eat, craft shows, catch and release fishing with no licence required, endless walking and riding trails through the woods, washrooms and showers that are clean and home quality are spread throughout the resort which makes for some pretty civilized living.
As for the camp sites themselves we have a huge, level, fine gravel with side grass, a fire pit and nice picnic table, we have 50 amp service which is what our big trailer needs to run everything at once, full sewer and water and even cable television hookup that gives us about 75 channels to peruse as we wish, yahoo!
Our neighbors are just far enough away that we have our privacy but not too far that we can't say hello and have a chat with ease.
As far as I've seen in my short camping life this is the place to be! : )
Oh, I have to step outside for a minute and adjust the awning because it has just started to rain.
I'll be back soon!
Cheers!

Wednesday Travel

2011-07-06T06:37:00.001-04:00

Good Wednesday morning everybody and it looks like another beautiful day out there!
Just thought I'd jump on here to let you know that with any luck Patty and I will be heading out of town this morning for Providence Rhode Island to join a few of our triathletes at the Ironman 70.3 this weekend.
It's our first time traveling to this area and I'll try to keep you posted as to how it goes!
Have a great day!
Cheers!

Time To Get Moving

2011-07-05T17:04:00.000-04:00

Good Tuesday afternoon everybody and I apologize for not getting on here since last weeks Lake Placid adventure but it's been nonstop since we got back.
Tonight we are packing the trailer for our big Rhode Island, Geneva NY and Lake Placid trip and won't be back for many a day! : )
But, I'll be back here soon!
Cheers!

Back Safe And Sound

2011-06-27T09:12:00.001-04:00

2011 LAKE PLACID TRI TRAINING

Good Monday morning everybody, hope you had a great weekend! : )

Well our third annual triathlon training camp in Lake Placid is now history and I'm happy to report that once again the magical moments that are so plentiful in this rugged and mountainous landscape did not disappoint once again, yahoo!

I have always said that Lake Placid offers so much more than just a great place to train. It offers everyone who dare to join in, the opportunity to take their athletic and life skills to a much higher level regardless of where you are starting from.

Lake Placid has a way of drawing out from our inner being, our fears and worries, then places them squarely into our hands to deal with.

Oh, you can feel plenty lonely while you struggle up those mountains, you can be screaming inside (sometimes aloud too) as you pray that your bike's brakes will do their job. Even when there are others around the feelings of being "all alone" flood in as we fight our own internal battles, ouch!

Lake Placid is a magical place for personal growth, and you heard it here first! : )

I'm not sure if it's because Lake Placid has the power to bring us back and very close to nature that we open up some mental channels that city life shuts down for us, but I suspect it does.

Year after year I have seen one example after another of pure bravery, fierce determination, athletes pushed to the brink, guts that a war veteran would recognize and all of these powerful examples coming once again from within our own triathlon team. Wow, great job everyone!

Of course the satisfaction one enjoys as these "dastardly deeds" are conquered is second to none and at times that same satisfaction has to be drawn from simply making the "attempt" to conquer, with that particular battle saved for another day.
It takes plenty of guts to step up and ask "can I try?" and once you do that it falls solely to you to make it or break it, but as long as you try, in my book you are top shelf! : )

We had a few days of fun and laughter, a few worries and plenty of rain, good roads some not, spent some money, shared some good meals, got to know one another and we represented (in my opinion) to our host country all triathletes in a good light!

It was a lot of work but my pleasure to spend time with such nice people!

Cheers!
There is a swim class tonight and we'll be on the track tomorrow!
See you soon!

Off To LP

2011-06-24T06:26:00.000-04:00

Good Friday morning everybody, it's the weekend and we are rolling out of town to begin three days of fun in Lake Placid NY, yahoo!
Once again we assemble the team, pack our stuff and head out for some great swim/bike/run training just south of the boarder.
Lake Placid is the kind of place that I never get tried of, in fact I just learn more about it every time I visit.
We will be there for dinner tonight, have a quick meeting with everyone and then it's off to bed early, for we start at the crack of dawn Saturday from the downtown of this beautiful village.
I'll try to keep you informed as best I can about what's going on as the days pass but my experience is that for me, I'm kept moving and then some most of the time.
Have a great weekend everybody and always train safely! : )

Guelph Done!

2011-06-20T10:08:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody after a darn busy weekend I might add (my gosh) but what a perfect weekend it was for training and racing, yahoo!
Christine and I were in Guelph bright and early Saturday to help all of our new triathlon hopefuls go for their wings, and of course support all of our veteran racers as well. It was a great day of sunshine and excitement!
I'm happy to report that great success was enjoyed by all! : )
Finishes across the board and very little if any drama, makes for a whole bunch of fun and smiling faces.
Once again this year we met with our groups at the transition area and after all the registrations, timing chips, body markings, transition area set ups, walk abouts done, it was time to get into the water and get swimming.
Then as soon as our warm up was in the bag the race clock was ticking just minutes to go, so there was not a lot of time to spend worrying about how the race would pan out, rather it was time to pay close attention to the starting area.
Funny how it works like that! : )
Oh, we had a lot of fun and shared plenty of laughter as the day continued with hardly a negative distraction to be found.
One athlete after another, after another, racing in the T-A-T and Sprint events for the first time, ran cheerily over the finish line and at that second they officially became a new triathlete, nice!
Well done! : )
Christine and I put a lot of work into our spring time only triathlon training class and have enjoyed so much success with it we must be considered to be doing something right. I'll call it eight years now since we began hosting this annual 12 week course and without fail we will make lasting friendships with several of our new participants who decide to take up the sport more seriously and stay with us for further training.
Triathlon is a way of life, is still growing like wildfire, is totally up to the individual where they want to take it, the competition options are plentiful like no other sport and generally triathlon is one of the best sports for your body in the long run.
You just might like it if you haven't tried it yet, but you'll never know until you get out there! : )

Sunday saw me return (on my motorcycle) to Guelph in the morning to support a few of our racers who would do the Olympic distance, which is considered to be a higher level of racing which makes competition usually brisk and skillful.

Although I will have to say there were some swimmers on Sunday who were possibly "directionally challenged" because a huge chunk of the main pack on the first loop after the mass swim start, missed the first turn mark and swum straight for the second one instead.

One swimmer went right early, then two, three, four, five, six and so on until there was no telling who was who anymore and the pack was moving wrongly on it's own.

In my humble opinion, having a couple of kayaks in the centre of the course has always made sense to me for safety reasons alone, but in this case they could have blocked the early swimmers from going so far off course and taking the rest with them. Hind sight is 20/20! : )

During the race yesterday I acted as an OAT Race Official marshaling the bike course on my motorcycle with another rider who I have worked with before and other then a couple of warnings, my time out on the course was very pleasant and with only one but a longer race to look after I was back in Whitby just after 2:00 pm and finally out of the sun, whew!

Our Olympic racers were fantastic and deserve a pat on the back for a job well done! : )

There has been a lot of chatter around about the new Ironman in Quebec and it looks like a very nice venue. We are definitely on the books to head there in August 1212, maybe sooner too. Yahoo!

The end of this week will see us heading down to Lake Placid to host our third annual IM triathlon training camp Friday/Saturday/Sunday, and fingers crossed we'll not have any rain this year.
Not that it was much of a problem last year, we still did all of our planned workouts but it would be nice to be perhaps, soaked by choice! : (
Well, reminds me that I have to get moving here and get my work done so I can be ready to leave, ouch!
Have yourself a really good day, and maybe appreciate what you already have instead of coveting what you don't have!
Today's photo shows three of our 70.3 finishers from last year who are now working on becoming Ironman finishers next month, yahoo!
You go girls!

Jackets Are In

2011-06-15T08:02:00.001-04:00

Good Wednesday morning everybody and what a beautiful day we have ahead! : )
Sunshine and warming to above seasonal temps, sounds like a good day to play instead of work! : ) See you at the lake? Yahoo!
Well this is wrap up week for four of our evening classes which means a lot of "riding the slide", a tradition I started way back.
During the last class at the end of each 12 week swim session we spend a little time riding the ginormous water slide at the WCRC pool and it never fails to put big smiles on everyone's face when they hear the sounds of the rushing water starting up.
There's something to be said for our mom's and dad's acting like their kids, having a laugh as they fly down this twisty half tube and plunge into the water, yahoo!
Last night we had a special DRTC track night that was split into two parts. First we practised the set up and ran through the proper functions of the transition area in preparation of this weekend's racing. Thanks Susan!
Then it was off to Eastside Mario's for our club's first social gathering for this season out on the restaurant's very nice patio on a perfect evening.
Unfortunately for Christine and I we had to pass on the social and leave right from the track to head over to the Whitby Rec. and prepare for our annual mini triathlon, with our tri class participants.
What fun it was, I always look forward to this event because it shows how far they have come and how much they have learned to keep themselves safe and happy for this coming weekend.

Once again we roared through the class and the excitement in the air was simply vibrant!
Can't wait for Saturday when so many of these hard working, soon to be "officially triathletes" will hit the beach, step in and show us what they have! : )
To say the tri season is in full swing now would be correct and my own experience tells me that once this big triathlon ball gets rolling it will be September before we know it, so it's so important to live well each and every day we can!
Looking at my daily calendar from now until we get past the last racing in mid September I'm filled with excitement at all of the new plans we have, our traveling to so many beautiful places, and the possibilities are there to have even more fun this year than last, wow!
So much to do and so much to share! : )
By all accounts we poised to have an awesome swim up at the lake tonight so if you are around come and join us!
Have yourself the best day you can and remember, if it's a problem that you can't change, forget it! : )
Today's photos show Christine modeling our brand new hot off the press Iron Motivation technical jacket that I must admit is truly a beautiful jacket.
Christine took the production lead on this jacket and with the help of her good friends at Louie Garneau in Quebec they came up with an outstanding and very high quality jacket that will serve us well for years to come, yahoo!
As you know the sport of triathlon is jammed full of very technical clothing and there is a good reason for that, it works!
Thank you Christine for making this happen, much appreciated!

New Ironman In Quebec

2011-06-13T09:46:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody, I hope your weekend was a brilliant one!
Saturday morning saw us up at the lake once again for our scheduled DRTC swim/bike and we had our fingers crossed that we wouldn't have a repeat from Wednesday evenings shortened course, ouch!
Thankfully we had great conditions and our 45 min swim flew by in the calm waters at 70 degrees. The water felt fine for this time frame, not sure any longer would be a great idea.
Then it was off to the bike ride where the weather stayed fine until noonish depending on where you were at the time but then it rained with some real fury at times soaking everyone in it's path. : (
Funny though, as I rode my motorcycle along our official DRTC cycling route there were times of lasting torrential downpours but then dry rods around the next corner, weird!
Anyway you just can't bury yourself indoors when the chance of rain looms overhead, no way! : )
You may have heard by now that we finally have a brand new Ironman competition in Canada, yahoo!
Mont-Tremblant Quebec is the host site and sign up begins June 15, 2011 for the running of this new Ironman on Sunday August 19, 2012!
Already I have been fielding questions from interested triathletes willing to take the plunge in Quebec, yahoo!
Have a great day everyone and enjoy that wonderful sunshine out there!
But not too much! : )
Cheers!

Splish Splash For A Minute

2011-06-09T07:47:00.000-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody, I hope everything is fine around your home after some pretty wild weather yesterday!
What an evening we had at Lake Simcoe as our first DRTC swim of the season was cut down to a mere 100 meters before it was time to call it off and beat it for shore, ouch!
Safety first, always!
Even as we (22 swimmers) entered the water all of our spotters were on high alert as an approaching storm was hovering around and poised to take away our evening of swimming in the open water, which it quickly did! I always say that regardless of how long or short the event or workout is something will be learned from every time you participate and nothing accomplished if you don't.
So for everyone who joined us last night, you had a great introduction into how well we are organized as a triathlon club offering lake swimming in the safest degree!
When our storm did arrive with winds first we were already heading onto shore, everyone was out of the water before the rain began and from there it went downhill fast for about the next hour which ended our night for sure. At least we tried!
On the drive home it was almost spooky because we saw plenty of wind damaged to buildings and trees for mile after mile which brought home to us, the power of the storm we had just dodged.
The plan is to be back up in the lake on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn for a great swim and then an awesome bike right after, yahoo! : )
On this past Tuesday evening we hosted our first DRTC track night and once again John did a great job organizing and present an evening of fun and learning for our members.
Tire (tube) changing was first up with everyone having the chance to remove and replace their front wheel tube which is a skill that cannot be practised too much because when your tire goes flat, you stop riding! : (
I think there was only one tube that bit the dust so that wasn't bad at all.
After the bikes were put back on the racks John had everyone join in with his planned track workout and with the heat of the day being up there, it wasn't long before water bottles became their most valuable tool!
On another note I have to mention that there was a little bit of unnecessary tension at the facility which had nothing to do with our members but was created by another coach of sorts who had a track workout going on during our approved time slot, ouch!
Right from the beginning I have always made sure that our triathlon club played by the rules and that we acquire all the permits we needed to ensure that once we tell our members that plans have been made to offer an activity, we would be certain to legally host it.
That being said I know what it's like to dot the i's and cross the t's and run here and there to get all the ducks in order so we are legal, so it just gets up my nose when another coach of sorts boldly tells us that he is legal when he is not, and not only that he refuses to allow us our rightful place to workout without keeping an eye on what he's going to be doing next.
In my humble opinion this is not a good coach and sets a very poor example to his young charge-lings that once he was found out he should have backed away rather then lie that he had a permit, which we suspected he did not have.
Of course his permit was at home and he didn't want to go a get it, in his own words but we readily offered our's to support our position with little effect.
Sounds like kids in the playground but the adult version! : )
Anyhow we had to let it go for the evening but early Wednesday morning the wires were humming and it wasn't long before our suspicions were confirmed and it appears this coach has never had a permit for any track workouts ever and the school board is sending a representative to our next track night to ensure we have the freedom our legal permit allows, yahoo!
Rest up! : )

Have a great day everyone and make sure you are legal! : )

Rain Rain Go Away .....

2011-06-06T08:36:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody, I hope you enjoyed a splendid weekend like I did!
You know a lot has to do with how you look at things and take stock whether you see the glass half full or half empty but I have to say for us who were out on the back country roads on Saturday morning it was hard to see anything but an "over flowing" glass of water, yahoo!
Wow, did it rain out there and just to add in a little more "real life" into the mix, the lighting and thunder was a plenty for several hours as well.
As you try and make your way to some form of shelter there is something quite unsettling about riding in the pouring rain with the crackling sound of thunder overhead. : (
In most cases of heavy weather around this area it's mostly fleeting and doesn't last for long but Saturday depending on your location north or south of Uxbridge or stuck in town, the weather was a challenge.
I have to say though, our riders were smart enough to take shelter when needed and move on when the coast was clear, or almost clear should I say! : )
There was no real clearing until late in the afternoon, right after everyone had washed clean their bikes and oiled them up again in preparation of the next great adventure out on the open road, yahoo!
I just mention the bike wash here because I know there will be the odd bike out there that was put away dirty and wet because the owner was soaked and frozen and possibly thinking more about themselves once in the door, but let's not forget our precious bike and get it cleaned put today! : )
I rode my motorcycle down to the Rec Centre in Whitby from Buckhorn Lake north of Peterborough on Saturday morning and I wasn't going to be surprised to see rain because the forecast had indicate we might get some passing showers but as I was brushing my teeth just after my 4:00 am get up time I could here the rain gently falling on the roof of the trailer, ouch!
So glass "half full" me, shrugs it off and I hop on the bike figuring I would probably ride out of it seeing it as pretty light rain at the time although, I donned my rain suit without much of an internal argument.
As the north country roads passed under me mile after mile the rain got heavier and heavier but just as I hit the 115/401 connection it stopped and I was home free to make Whitby for the 6:00 am bike start but it was very close, whew!
So here I'm thinking after the first group was gone and the second group scheduled to start at 8:00 am I have already been through the worst part of the weather and the rest of the day should be a breeze but "nope" that wasn't to be.
I did have a great and dry ride back up to Buckhorn leaving Whitby around 4:00 pm, right after my bike got it's shiny sparkle back! : )
Let me just mention that yesterday (Sunday) Patty and I where invited to ride on a special motorcycle tour as guests of our old friends Mike and Linda, who belong to a club called the Blue Knights.
The Blue Knights are all police and law enforcement motorcycle enthusiasts whether active or retired who come together under the nationwide banner of the Blue Knights.
Our ride took us as far east as Picton Ontario through all the back country and what a pleasure it was for Patty and I to try this group riding for the first time.
It was a Harley/Honda split as far as the bikes went but I have to say that when our long string of nasty looking bikers rolled through small town after small those noisy Harley's raised a lot of eyebrows.
It was a fun day of riding very close (I thought) with others who where used to it and thrilling to do, I'm just glad it went as well as it did, whew!
Anyway I have to get moving here, we are breaking camp and coming home today!
Have a great one, enjoy the sunshine and your shiny clean bike! : )

Heading Outside

2011-06-03T08:47:00.001-04:00

Good Friday morning everybody from up here in Galvin Bay RV Park where the sun is just beaming this morning!
Just wanted to let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth and all is well in my little world of nonstop movement, yahoo!
I have just finished up 99% of my work preparing all the June training plans and getting them out to their rightful owners, and especially for the Ironman Lake Placid folks this is a very big training month for them.
We have the weekend bike rides cooking again and by mid month we'll have everyone back in the lake which marks the end of the swimming classes until September.
With the exception of Monday night at 9:00 pm for advanced swimming during July and August, that's it for the summer, yahoo! : )
I can wait to get back on the lake and enjoy the freedom and fresh air because that's just where I like to be!
Just a note for the fall swimming classes, I'm told by a little birdie that we just might have one additional swim class to offer, which is at 5:30 AM, mid week but I will keep you posted on it.
I can't believe all the classes are so near to completion, even our triathlon training course is getting down to the final few weeks and their first ever race day is fast approaching, yahoo!
I have to say that this class has hit it's triathlon stride now and I'm very pleased with their good work which will make race day that much better for all of us. Christine has done a great job with them like always and it's been a pleasure to work with her once again as we bring in another group of soon to be very excited triathletes.
Patty and I have made another pilgrimage of sorts with our trailer and brought it up here to Galvin Bay to have another go at learning how this "monster" works and to see if we can find our trailer legs before we head out on our big adventure next month.
Well I'm happy to say that this little trip has gone much better than our first one during the May long weekend where it felt like it was one minor issue after another. This time the trailer seemed to fall together all on it's own and we were able to finally sit back and enjoy all the comforts that we're supposed to.
Yes, this is true nature out of your bay window, just below the 32' HD/DVD/CD flat screen, yahoo!
I have been nipping back into Whitby from time to time and then it's back up here as soon as I'm done with what needed my attention, to enjoy the quiet and brilliant starry skies they have here.
Honestly I had forgotten what beauty the night skies have to display in the absence of the big city glow we have back in town. Up here you almost feel like you need to duck the stars, they are so darn brilliant and close, wow!
Tomorrow morning I will be back in town for the start of the bike ride and I'm looking forward to another great day out on the roads with everyone as they hone their riding skills.
Have an awesome Friday workday and try not to get in a panic to see the end of it!
Enjoy! : )

1000 Meters

2011-05-25T09:10:00.002-04:00

Good Wednesday morning everybody, just a bit cool for now but the day gets better as we go.
Patty and I decided last week to take our trailer away for it's maiden voyage and do a little camping.
The plan included our arrival at a trailer park just north of Fenlon Falls about noon last Thursday which we did but unfortunately the camp wasn't up to snuff and we beat it out of there.
Now back on the open road we called in to Emily Provincial Park and were welcomed with open arms.
The only catch was that because they had suffered through so much rain like we have, the entire camp ground was rather wet so we had to be careful where we pulled our 12,000 lb trailer, ouch!
Being the expert 5th wheel trailer puller that I am (not) I was pretty sure that if we followed directions we could forget any worries like sinking in the mud, but on the other hand what did I know! : )
Well off we went into the deep dark woods with our precious trailer just skimming under the overhead limbs and taking it easy on the small narrow roads seemed to be the trick until we arrived at our pull through camp site.
The words "pull through" for all trailer people will put a smile on a worried face in a second because with those words comes a feeling of great comfort.
Pull through means you enter your site on one end and when you leave you go straight out the other, simple. So I was very happy to have this kind of site or so I thought!
As we pulled up it was obvious that a sharp left turn up into our "not level" site was the best option, and then by driving across into another empty site I could back down into the rest of ours but technically it was a pull through. : ) : (
Anyway our plan put into motion quickly ground to a halt when the truck in four wheel drive and trailer following behind immediately sank well into the muddy mess that awaited just under the fresh green grass that lured us onto it, crap!
Nobody wants to see that happen and fortunately for us our audience was a small one, yahoo!
Having some experience with four wheel drive trucks I knew that I was only making matters worse by spinning all four wheels so before it got too bad I stopped, crap!
It was only minutes later that a couple of the parks caretakers were on scene with "Mr Tractor" who gave us that little bit of help we needed to get my front wheels onto the pavement and with that done I had no problem pulling the rest of our length back onto the good road.
It seems they had been doing a lot of pulling all over the park so we were not that big of a problem for them, in fact they were most pleased that I didn't rip up the whole site like some campers had done.
Now moving down the tiny road with my "park person" riding shotgun we did a down, hard left, loop back and then ran back into our same campsite from the opposite direction. Giving her the gas, we landed right on the gravel bed I had originally hoped to back down onto, before we got held up the first time.
It was time to shake hands and say "thank you" to our saviors to which he replied "call us anytime"!
So now Patty and I just need to level up the trailer unhook her from the truck and we are camping, yahoo!
I won't go for much longer about this but let me just get the truck unhooked and I will save the rest for later.
To level the trailer I use 1"x 8" x 18" boards and stack them when more height is needed but it's very important to have the trailer level in order for all the interior equipment to work safely and so that you don't start walking with a lean after awhile.
Anyhow as I was pulling the trailer up onto two blocks (2") of wood on just one side I then heard another now familiar sound of spinning wheels, what! : (
It seems the gravel was as wet and as soft as the grass and we were sinking faster then ever!
Not to be put off I was able to get the trailer semi level, unhooked it from the truck, up and out of her new wheel holes, without any further assistance or added damage to the camp site, yahoo! I'm the man! : )
Now we were camping! : )
Getting out will have to wait for another day! : (
Last night we had our weekly two hour triathlon training class and realizing the calendar dates it won't be long before we are racing in Guelph one more time.
This class has great attendance and just about every person is brand new to triathlon or may have done one or two small events, so building their confidence has been very important from day one.
Last night we talked about racing rules which was supposed to take about 30 minutes but went on for much longer because there were plenty of questions to be answered.
After this part we headed off to the pool where I cracked the whip so to speak and Christine did some one to one coaching off to the side.
As a confidence builder I felt last night was the right time to push my new swimmers so they would realize some of their own swim abilities and get themselves to a higher level.
With new or fairly new swimmers this is a bit tricky because you do not want to have them fail so close to race day where they might become discouraged about the whole thing.
I have watched them getting better each week and their skill levels have improved dramatically so I was pretty confident last night was the time to go for it.
Our swimming race distances for this group are 375 meters and 750 meters in the lake with the majority doing the 375 meters and for these new swimmers right from the beginning those numbers seemed to be far outside of their abilities.
Well I'm happy to report that last night's completed swim distance for everyone in the class was 1000 meters and what a great confidence booster it was for this new class of soon to be triathletes! Yahoo!
Well done everybody!
Well I have to get moving here, so party on and enjoy your day! : )
Today's short video is from our advanced swim class.
Enjoy!

Out We Go

2011-05-19T06:08:00.004-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody and with so much rain these days I will forgo any comments about it today and move on, yahoo!
On Saturday morning we are officially riding back outside on the open road and I have to say there is plenty of excitement about it!
Some of our riders have already been outside for weeks but I know even they are looking forward to having more company to bump along with.
Now that you know you are riding out in a couple of days you need to make sure that your bike is primed and ready to help ensure a great experience.
Trainer tire off, chain cleaned and lubed, tool kit checked and spare tubes inspected, emergency inflation questions answered and solved, safety equipment including helmet checked, bounce your bike to check for rattles, food/water, etc.
Ready, can't wait to get the first ride moving! : )
We have the great fortune this year on our usual riding route to enjoy many wonderful road improvements that are going to make our rides so much more safe and comfortable.
The addition of actual bike lanes is very impressive and honestly I didn't think I would ever see so many out here east of the GTA but we'll take them, and all the rest we can get because it makes a lot of sense to separate the riders from the cars while we share the road.
I know it's just a painted line in some cases but drivers understand lines or should. Our problem is many drivers don't know what it's like to have a car approach blindly from behind and fly by within inches of your body for no reason.
It gets up my nose when a car comes close to me and there isn't another car around for miles, it's rude and dangerous to boot! Think drivers think or better yet come join us for a ride and experience the helpless feeling of nearly being clobbered in a flash with no chance of retaliation!
Enough about that, I'm moving on!
Let's all get outside on Saturday morning, ride those bikes and enjoy this great country we live in! : )
Peace out!
Today's short video depicts a certain indoor riders warm up efforts, with the real flood soon to follow, whew!
Good work as always! : )

Colin's St Croix 70.3

2011-05-16T08:20:00.003-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody and I hope you had a great weekend. Even though the weather could have been a little better, we still don't shovel rain do we!. : )
This upcoming work week is going to be a soggy one according to the forecast but on the brighter side we can expect a nice shift just in time for our May long weekend, yahoo!
Patty and I did consider making this past weekend our first outing with our 5th wheel trailer but thankfully we held off and set our sights on this coming weekend.
For many years I have had a fascination with the St Croix triathlon now part of the Ironman 70.3 series with it's tropical location and a sense that this race was not for the faint at heart. To me it felt like it should find a place on my bucket list but I usually considered it way out of my expectations to one day have a go at it.
Anyhow, now as coach I have finally had the opportunity to learn more about my "fascination race" with one of my 70.3 experienced triathletes, Colin, who competed there two weeks ago.
Winter training for us in the frozen north for an early spring event in US Virgin Islands where the weather is on the opposite end of the scale is more difficult but doable. Colin put his head down and did all of his daily training with the burning premise of the "St Croix Beast" in the back of his mind.
The Beast is one single hill on the bike course that is legendary for it's steepness that makes having your way with it very, very difficult but I'm happy to report that Colin tamed "The Beast" and the rest of the course to boot although he did mention that this race was a long way from just a walk in the park.
Nope, Colin gave me the details of his great adventure from start to finish and I have to admit that I was extremely happy with how he did physically and I think in this case how he managed all of the outside stresses impressed me even more.
I often say we are a 50% physical and 50% mental business and you must be strong in both to succeed!
Let me mention a few of the more mental issues that he had to overcome in a very short period of time right from his Canadian departure to race start time.
He had a cancelled connecting flight, his bike was lost in transit, his bike was thought to be found but didn't arrive again, several trips to St Croix airport over two days, bike finally there. Bike assembled, now test riding it and a former serious repair fails, his virtually new bike must be repaired ASAP with factory permission, St Croix mechanics don't have the tools required, crap! The shop mechanic in Toronto talks to St Croix mechanic and they figure out a way to get his bike rolling just in time, yahoo! : (
The registration and running of this long storied triathlon event is not the well oiled machine that we are used to seeing at other Ironman sanctioned events with their big line ups and rules galore.
Nope, St Croix has no wrist bands, bike/gear drop off into the unguarded transition was on race morning, there was hardly a race related t-shirt or coffee mug to be found, and generally for the first timer there, were plenty of questions to be asked.
To his credit Colin rolled with the punches and always made the best logical (no emotional) steps forward to keep all the wheels on his wagon and get that fantastic race finish!
Awesome job, Colin!
Looking back Colin learned a great deal about racing in St Croix and the facts are that it is very common for competitor bikes to not arrive with the plane but in their own way they will eventually turn up.
He thought he noticed that many of the competitors themselves seemed to be at a very high level of triathlon dominance and once the race began it was obvious that many of them had the gloves off and were hard on it.
Now, being one of the few Ironman 70.3 races that still offers 30 full Ironman Hawaii spots I'm sure has a lot to do with why those go get'em racers are there, yahoo!
Asked would he go go back for another go at "The Beast", Colin says absolutely! : )
Let me say that within days of his return from this great event, Colin's bike manufacturer Scott had scooped up the frame, replaced it and rebuilt the bike like brand new!
That's it above, ready to roll!

Port Dover 2011

2011-05-13T18:57:00.000-04:00

Well we made it to and back from Port Dover's 30th Friday The 13th motorcycle gathering, my first time and it was a blast! : )
We left (my buddy Roy and I ) from Whitby at 5:00 am so that we would be sure to get a great parking spot just inside the downtown section which will make our planned early escape much easier to pull off.
This being my first trip to Port Dover I had no idea which end of town would be best to watch the action but Roy had been there before and had a good plan all set to go.
We arrived about 7:30 ish from a great ride down (160 km), our fingers still crossed as we had not seen a drop of rain, yahoo! : )
At this bright and early time of the morning downtown Port Dover was already up and running with a sea of bikers all searching for the perfect spot to park their cherished machines.
The TV stations and radio stations were all playing up the excitement which was great but it wasn't needed by me because there was already way more action happening than I'm used to seeing!
The above photo shows plenty of bikes on this street parked against the curbs but like all of the main streets downtown, they will eventually add another row of bikes right up the middle of the street just to make room.

The second photo shows the now, steady stream of riders coming into town from far and wide, I would expect the rider numbers to be well into the thousands
We left for home about 10:30 am (party animals) after soaking up as much of the biker life as we dare and because we made the effort (with a $30 donation) to show up we were officially qualified to wear the 2011 Port Dover hat and T shirt, yahoo!
Our escape plan went flawlessly and in no time we were over the bridge and back onto the main roads now facing the seemingly endless lines of bikers yet to arrive.
Hundreds upon hundreds of riders flew past us, so many in fact it wasn't possible to offer any of them the usual biker to biker courtesy wave.
What a great time we had and getting back to Whitby at 12:15 pm was about what we thought we could do on a good day!
There is only one Friday The 13th in 2011 so I'll have to wait until next year to give it another go! : )
Cheers!

Sign Up

2011-05-12T06:08:00.000-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody and it sounds like the weather today will be simply brilliant, yahoo!
I'm blogging this morning because tomorrow I'm heading out to finally participate in my first Friday The 13th Port Dover motorcycle ride and get that little job off my bucket list.
From what I'm told it's the kind of motorcycle gathering that you should attend at least one time just to say that you have been part of the show. Personally I have never been in the company of more then 6-8 motorcycles at one time so the thought of thousands of riders converging on one little town all on the same day is very exciting or crazy, I'm not sure which! : )
I will take my Playbook to get some shots/video of the action and if possible I will try blogging but I won't know until I get there if it's even possible. Big crowds I'm told and it's said to be standing room only just to witness the roads crawling with mega bikes rolling into little Port Dover!
Stay tuned for this!
Sign up for your 2011 races, now!
If you have not signed up for your racing this summer you had better get your thumb out and get that bit of business done because some of the more popular events are nearing the full mark and you don't want to be left standing on race day.
In years gone by we needn't worry about getting into our races of choice but because of triathlon's huge popularity and firm participant limits, many races are sold out well ahead of time.
Get'er done!
Have a great day and why not offer to help just one person in need that you are not obligated to!
Cheers! : )
Today's video shows Christine doing a great job talking with our Triathlon Youth Camp participants.
We had a lot of fun presenting these camps and look forward to offering more of them in the fall.

Your Own Boss

2011-05-11T07:19:00.000-04:00

Good Wednesday morning everybody and welcome another very nice day of warm sunshine! : )
Tonight we'll offer our final indoor Mini Monster ride and that excites me because this officially signals that we are now going outside, no choice! : )
Last night was week number six for us in the triathlon training class and I'm really liking what I see with this years group of soon to be triathletes because they are finally gelling, which is what Christine and I have always seen year after year.
Gelling to me has nothing to do with my hair (ha ha) but really means our groups "individuals" are getting past the intimidation factor and starting to let themselves come out of their protective shells to embrace athletically what their own minds and bodies will allow, and stop measuring themselves against their neighbor's abilities! : )
Good for you, triathlon class!
For all triathletes, swim your swim, ride your bike, run your run and all is good!
Sounds simple but it only happens when you listen and apply the instruction without being pulled subconsciously or not, into a dual with the person beside you. Dualling is reserved for race day or during class when the instruction is to race, so don't get yourself beaten into a corner when you are supposed to be learning a specific drill that has greater importance.
When you are a confident athlete/person/participant you have the presents of mind to be your own boss who will not be driven by the temptation to ruin 25 meters of skill building just to say you took the person beside you and if you think you are doing your little racing thing while nobody notices, wrong I'm watching and it's pretty obvious to me, sorry!
It is a waste of time and shows you attach little value to the drill, do your racing it when it counts and you will be much faster with higher skills! : )
Yahoo!!!
Crack a smile, smell the smells, and breathe, you are alive! : )
Todays stumbling runner photo is a guess who?
Does this leg look familiar?
One clew, the photo is about 3-4 days old.

On The Road Again

2011-05-09T06:11:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody!
Well, well it sounds like we have a great week ahead for wonderful weather, yahoo! : )
Many of you took advantage of this past weekend to get out there and ride the roads for the first time this year and if it seemed more of a workout then you thought it would, you did it right.
Let's face it, the expectations of riding like a champion are pretty high after a whole winter of riding your butt off in class after class but for most the first ride out will be an eye opener.
Some will say, I thought I would have done better on that ride but really you have to think about all of the other elements that come into play when you take your bike off the trainer.
On the trainer you are safe and sound, no real balance required, no wind in your ears, no cars to think about, no bumps or gravel, on the trainer all your hills are by choice but once outside the road delivers that for you.
So don't be hard on yourself if your first ride out was a hard little pill because all of your new riding fitness will show up about ride number three and you will rock the house!
Cheers!

We Plan Ahead

2011-05-04T08:54:00.004-04:00

IRONMAN CANADA

Good Wednesday morning everybody and expect to see some wonderful sunshine today, yahoo!

Our 2011 triathlon season plans are pretty much in place now and with the new edition of traveling to the Rhode Island 70.3 and Mussleman Lake Half Iron distance to our usual schedule, it's going to be a wonderful summer ahead! : )

The Rhode Island 70.3 is part of the Ironman series and offers an ocean swim which will be a first for our small group competitors and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the course because I have never been to Providence.

From what I read and hear about this part of the USA is that it's very unique and supports a very healthy lifestyle, I can't wait to see what's going there!

As for the Mussleman Half distance in Geneva, NY, this event is not part of the Ironman series but has been very popular with our group for at least the last three years. I did make plans to attend this race the previous two years but in the end my schedule would not allow it, but this year we are already set to go.

In early June we will start our regular season with all the weekly DRTC track workouts, rides and swims, attend the June 18th Guelph weekend racing, then head to Lake Placid for our camp June 24-26, weekend one of July 3rd I'm hosting a draft legal training camp, then we are off to the above two events and will add our attendance at the Ironman in Lake Placid, July 24 before coming home.

I will probably (still working it out) be working as a race official at the Cobourg race in mid August and Muskoka on September 11th because I like to do at least two races per season just to help out.

We are heading out to the Ironman in Kelowna British Columbia upon our new, super, Goldwing motorcycle towards the end of August. This (possibly) once in a lifetime trip will bring all the logistical challenges, like living out of motels (not my fav) and packing only what you can take on a motorcycle for weeks at a time. It's going to require a complete rethink on what's really needed or just wanted.

Our return from the west will surely be in time for us to attend the great Muskoka 70.3 event on Sept 11th and as soon as we are done there it will be time to put our travel feet up for a rest, but that's only because Patty and I haven't talked about our return to Florida dates, yahoo!

Anyway, (you heard it here first) I'm planning to be blogging regularly all summer long and I hope you will jump in here now and then to see how everyone is doing and read about what adventures our busy days are producing.

Have an awesome day and if you know you need to "chill out" and you don't, that falls to you! : (

Get on with it! : )

Today's photo I took last year when I was out at Ironman Canada and shows some of the nice improvements that the City of Penticton have made to their downtown shoreline, the starting area of the Ironman.

Nice!

Vote Today

2011-05-02T07:44:00.003-04:00

Be sure to vote today if you haven't already cast your ballot!
Good Monday morning everybody. I'm writing on this dewy day from my new BB Playbook just to see how it goes. Oddly enough because it's sitting on top of my laptop's keyboard I keep reaching for my mouse, which the Playbook doesn't have. : (
Well the countdown is on. Two more weeks and the indoor bike classes are history until the fall and I have to say that I'm ready to finally get back out there, a big yahoo! : )
Although we have had another great run using the Legends Centre in Oshawa it will be nice to be back on the roads and into our natural riding environment.
In this month's training plans I have offered an early exit from Saturday bike class to some of my triathletes to allow them a chance to ride outside as long as the weather permits the completion of their written workouts. It's great to go out there but if your rate of effort or level of intensity suffers it's not worth missing the workout for the fresh air.
Last night for an hour and half I filled in for a good friend at her "working with weights" gym class. It has been a long time since I covered for her last but she has helped me many times so it was pay back time.
I will say that the first time years ago when I met her group of youngsters I was surprised at their poor level of fitness that forced me to make big changes in my expectations but it taught me a valuable lesson.
Right then I was taught the true meaning of "inclusion" and that we must not exclude those who are not high achievers but welcome those who are simply satisfied with moving their bodies somewhat.
It was like that back then and it is still the same today but it's not fair to judge too closely their physical progress because for these young people the fact that they come to class every week is a huge accomplishment on it's own.
They are not special needs but they are for the most part, the kids who are not physically motivated or have parents who don't value the attributes of it which is quite a mix but I say it's hats off to Lisa and Leo who offer a non-competitive environment where this very nice group of young people can come to the gym and do a workout without being judged.
I had a lot of fun and it was nice for me to be reminded once again about what "inclusion" really means and why it's so darn important to keep an open mind!
We have our May 2011 DRTC board meeting tonight where we will put the final plans in place and tidy up more of the club's business before our first workouts begin in early June. Like always it takes a strongly committed group of volunteers to take the reins and drive this buggy and I couldn't be happier with everyone on the board and their solid work, yahoo!
Roberta is staying right on top of things and doing just fine steering us through the usual twists and turns that come with the territory! : )
Many good hands, make for light work!
We had our first triathlete of this year race yesterday in St Criox and I'm happy to say a big "Congratulations" to Colin for an awesome finish and for mastering the "beast" a most demanding hill that takes no prisoners on a good day!
Well done and see you soon!
So have a fun day today everyone and even though it may not be convenient, please take the time to vote!
It will make you feel even more Canadian! : )

Desk Top Junk

2011-04-29T10:42:00.001-04:00

Good Friday morning everybody and I'm betting far more of you have been watching the Royal Wedding than will admit to it, yahoo!
Myself I didn't think it would interest me, but since I turned on the tube this morning that's all I've seen.
Well another week flies by and I sit here wondering why it has taken me this long to get back on here because I do enjoy writing about this and that.
I often blame it on the fact that when I have early morning appointments the blog simply won't get done because that seems to be the only time of the day that I'm most likely to write fairly well and that's important to me.
I'm the first admit that when I'm rushed or trying too hard to put something together on here the quality will suffer. So I'm more likely to wait until I have enough time to do a better job of it, not to say that I'm a great writer by any means.
This week past has been all a blur, one class after another and writing all of the monthly training plans that were due in between, it has really kept my head down. Although I seemed to find time to pick up and learn my way around my new Blackberry Playbook, wow!
Some will call it my new gadget or a toy for Paul, but it was my intention to make this latest "advent" my work horse to help streamline some of my day to day workings and so far I'm feeling the love! : )
That doesn't mean I haven't had to call the BB folks a couple of times for help or that because I didn't understand the rules that it let me down when I was expecting brilliance it has, but even so I'm hooked and happy that's all that matters to me.

You know when I look around my desk it's getting to look a bit like a real character lives here.
My laptop is center stage of course but at my left hand is my Blackberry phone and to my right is my Blackberry Playbook. There are external speakers, back up hard drive, four mini flashlights (why?), eye glass cleaner, plenty of sticky notes up the the sides, my HD video camera, has a place of prominence too, and then there are the watches and heart rate monitors, my satellite radio blares away most of the time, and then there is my prized "Mini Leg Lamp" for the Christmas Story movie, a piece of my seat post cut from my Tri bike, my tiny soccer ball, it goes on and on.
I know, I need to wrap this up! : )
Well it's Friday and the weekend ahead looks to be fantastic so get out there and have a ball!
Yahoo! : )
Today's short videos show a little snip of my pool being removed (finally) and some of our swim class in motion.
See ya!

Setting It Up

2011-04-25T08:08:00.001-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody, I hope you have had a great and restful Easter weekend!
The weather for the upcoming week is looking pretty soggy so they say but it's going to be warmer if that's a good trade off, yahoo! : )
You don't shovel rain in most cases!
This past week I spent a couple of days working on what seemed to me to be page after page of boring detailed planning for Iron Motivation and the DRTC but I know its worth every minute. Nonetheless it's still boring to write!
I was putting down all the required details and checking them twice into this year's Emergency Action Plans (EAP) for my 2011 Lake Placid Triathlon Training Camp and for our DRTC swim/bike/run workouts.
EAP's are and should be on site at all training sessions, for all workouts, along with medical profile forms for each athlete (including coaches) because when things go south they go in a hurry and you better be prepared to act fast.
An EAP is activated when certain conditions arise most of which are at times when the normal thought process will be stressed out and making a mistake here can result in serious consequences for an injured athlete or athletes.
Nobody likes to think or even talk about the possibilities of an accident happening but crossing your fingers and hoping that everything will be good forever is not the way to look after the business of doing your best to protect yourself.
Will an EAP save your life?
Perhaps it will, no guarantees though, but if you don't have one to go to you can rest assured you'll wish you did, when an athlete/coach goes down!
Never be afraid to ask if there is an EAP at your workouts and training sessions because it should be right there beside the First Aid Kit, and be current.
So although it's very dry to write up and keep fresh I think about it like being pulled over by the police and asked for your license, ownership and insurance on the spur of the moment. It's not a problem unless you don't have it! : (
As for my June 2011 Lake Placid Triathlon Training Camp all the rest of the plans are falling into place so if you are interested, go to my web site for the details and then let me know you want to participate.
Remember this is a challenging weekend of triathlon training and a certain level of athletic proficiency is required to enjoy our planned activities.
Congratulations to our athletes who just ran the Boston Marathon, yahoo!
Good job! : )
We have our first triathlete of 2011 heading out later this week to race at the 70.3 Ironman in St Croix on Sunday, so I guess Colin is setting the stage for the rest of us to get moving!
Have a great race! : )
Today's photo of our happy group was taken at Lake Placid last year and I can't wait to do it again! : )
Smile, what's it cost to look happy! : )

Nope : )

2011-04-21T08:20:00.001-04:00

Good Thursday morning everybody!
I'm going to hold back mentioning very much about the weather today, because it has occurred to me that we are probably rushing it when we keep chirping about how cold it is. I can remember the odd year having snow on the May 24th party weekend so I'm biting my tongue on it today. Who knows what the weather days ahead will bring but that's what keeps us Canadians talking to each other. : )
On the classes front I can't believe we are already finishing up week three of some of the new schedule, and what fun it is! I admittedly have had the hammer down in some classes and in others I have pushed more technical stuff but all and all I'm seeing some very good work by a lot of determined athletes.
When I ask for and get whatever I want (sometimes it takes more than one try) it sure makes what I do very satisfying for me. I think I ask very politely and I do have the knack of asking for things that are doable but just, so my athletes are set up to succeed as long as they give it the good old try.
Honestly I cannot count the hundreds or I'm sure into the thousands now of classes I have lead over the past ten years anyway and I never stop learning from my participants. Just the other night I had another first from a new to me swimmer in our learn to swim class.
We were doing a simple drill that required everyone to sit on the bottom of the four foot deep pool and I do this especially with these groups to check for comfort in the water and test how they manage their breath control. It's very safe to do but for some it might take a few attempts before they can get their butts to the bottom for just a moment. As the class leader it falls to me to decide what we'll do and how we do it, along with the rest of it but you are done if you don't have co-operation!
For this reason I've learned to quickly recognize when it's time to back away and approach certain situations in another way, maybe with "kid gloves" so to speak.
This particular swimmer decided that they had tried enough (twice) with the group and refused another try when I asked everyone to go again. Now in coaching or as class leader when you are used to getting everything you want from all those around you, at that moment, this is definitely a cross roads so what you do to manage this situation is very important.
Of course it's normal to start with your own perspective on the subject and the value I place on the difficulty of the task. If I determine that it's on the lower end of the scale then I will expect it to be doable by the athlete, because I have the training, experience and expertise to ask that this be done, so a refusal is hard!
Now it isn't even important who the person was or in what class this occurred. The whole point of it was that the value that I placed on this task was not high enough to encompass they entire class. So when this swimmer decided not to (for whatever reason) follow suit I for just a second saw it as a challenge to my instruction, ouch!
Don't get me wrong and take from this that it's my way or the highway because it's not always like that, honestly! : ) No I take a great deal of pride in my ability to listen and read the signs that my athletes are sending so I get it right and yes I'm pretty good at lip reading, but I know what I see (I guess now) 99% of the time.
So once again "eyes opened" I learn, that I need to step it back now and then from what I already deem as a very generous perspective on what to expect from my athletes who try, really try and how I will feel about those who don't quite feel up to it! : )
So you know, I never view resting when you must as a bad thing it's actually very smart to recognize and do!
Adults have always been a favorite of mine to coach because they come of their own free will and accord and genuinely put their hearts into their training.
My new swimmer and I are fine, and I have my fingers crossed that next time it will go better! : )
For all of you who work so hard with me day after day you know I have the greatest respect for what you do and what you accomplish, so expect that bar to be going up, yahoo!
Cheers! : )
Today's video if this works is the first time I've tried to upload a video from You Tube onto my blog but when I saw this I thought you might want to see it.
Hope it works!
This swimming baby is incredibly talented and shows amazing comfort and control in the water but the one part when he (I think) climbs out of the back door and heads for the pool, is hard for me to watch even knowing he can swim.
See what you think!

Pool Be Gone

2011-04-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

Good Tuesday morning everybody, will it ever warm up without a batch of rain attached to it?
Of course it will and when it does we'll just enjoy it that much more, yahoo!
I've been trying unsuccessfully to attach a short video I have of the mass destruction that was going on in our backyard as our dated swimming pool was removed but I will keep trying so you can one day see how big of a job it really is.
Patty and I had talked about it for a couple of years and finally last year we said that's it time to go!
After what seems like a lifetime of fun and excitement our old pool was in need of a major makeover, but on the practical side it was not being used enough to support the rebuilding argument.
Our kids were just little tiny guys when the pool went in and honestly over the years I think we had great return on the money it cost to have it, but it must be viewed as a "living being" that demands your attention on a regular basis.
If you don't comply, you will have far more grief then you need and it's just not the way a responsible pool owner would do his job.
Pool owners are very particular about the conditions of their pool because it reflects a lot about their own ability in keeping that water crystal clear 24/7 and I was no different.
If I couldn't read the name on the drain in the 8' deep end, I was jumping into pool cleaning and chemical haven mode until I could! : )
Yes there are the responsibilities of owning a pool that never leave you, whether in the summer or even some of the winter because it only takes one gate left open for a moment, and you have a potential disaster on your hands.
I think the strangest object I found in our pool was the school morning a small bicycle found it's way over the hedged back fence landing half in and out of the water. It could have been nasty but no harm done.
It didn't take the school principal very long to find the happy owner of the bike and in a round about way that lead them to the other student who actually did the throwing, ouch!
So our pool is completely gone now and on Friday they are coming to put on the sod, and that will return our backyard to just what it was like before that faithful day when Ewing Pools showed up with their big machinery all those years ago.
Sad to see it go?
Nope, kind of a relief really! : )
I'm thinking, "Man Cave" in the backyard, yahoo! : )
Have a great day, and share a smile with someone! : )
Today's photo I took from inside the "Mover" before we left to come home from Florida.
With only six bicycles to bring back and my motorcycle, there was plenty of room.
I will be taking the "Mover" for bikes, gear and kayaks to Lake Placid for our training weekend coming up in June and I can't wait to get going!

Karen and Lisa's Catch

2011-04-15T08:55:00.001-04:00

Good sunny Friday morning everybody, another week has passed us by!
Was yours a good one?
I'll bet you where very busy, racing against time on and off, in constant motion and you probably didn't take the time to think about why you push it so hard, day in and day out!
Right?
Don't be surprised if I'm on the money here because most of us are operating on these life draining schedules even if we don't need too, because it's deeply ingrained in over achievers to flip every second we can to the good side of living!
I'm the guy who has his truck's clock set 7 minutes ahead so I'm on time for my classes or meetings only because I can't stop my other work until it's almost too late, I'm always hot footing it out the door.
7 minutes, where did that come from!
Well 5 minutes was just a sliver too tight so I changed it to 7 for some extra wiggle room, yahoo!
I can travel a long way in 7 minutes!
Now and then I ask myself, why do I do that, when I have the choice to not run the risk of messing up?
It seems to be automatic with me, I try to get in as much work as I can and the second another window opens even a mini window, I must fill the gap!
Sound familiar?
If you are totally disagreeing with me, and your rolling down the road of life in your "sleepy bubble", I bow to you for having much better control than most of us!
How is the "sleepy bubble" of life brought into play, whether real or imaginary?
Well it's pretty obvious that making some permanent changes to our thought and values process is a step in the right direction, that's of course if you want into the "bubble".
Maybe one day per week in the "sleepy bubble" to begin with and then take it from there might work but heck, where is the risk of failure in that!
How could I get my resting heart rate over the top if I don't just scoot in the side door as my swimmers are stepping into the water or I jump onto the gym floor just as my next athlete begins to wonder where I am, whew!
Yes the excitement of it becomes a game and the odds are that sooner or later I'm going to be late, crap!
I know I should smarten up, but will I?
Sorry got to go .....!
Have a great week...... : )
That's Lisa and Karen up there posing with the day's catch just down the road from our place in Florida! ; )

Me Travel

2011-04-11T09:04:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning everybody!

Another weekend has past us by and here we go full speed into another week with a chance to do it better, yahoo!

Our 2011 triathlon outdoor season is slowily unfolding before our eyes and if you don't have your plans in place by now you will soon be scrambling to get them done.

One of the greatest niceties I feel about our sport, is the option to travel far and wide to so many wonderful places on this earth.

Yes, we have some of the best racing in the country right here in Ontario and every year that goes by I find myself at all my favorites but I'm not afraid to look over the fence to search out some greener grass and neither should you!

So you are saying to yourself "why is he bringing this up now"!

Well long range planning is even more of an issue should you be thinking of traveling outside of the country to race and signing up for the bigger races a year ahead of time is not only common but the norm.

Wow, racing outside of the country!

Me!

Just for a moment indulge yourself and allow your thoughts to fall to a new concept of what it would be like to pack all your triathlon stuff and head for the airport like a top pro! : )

Well OK, maybe you don't need to add in the top pro part but you may need to get just outside of your proverbial box a little, to embrace the idea of flying with your bike.

If you plan, you can truly make this happen!

Ask, search out, dig up, hunt down that special race some place in the world that you would love to try and get moving to make it happen!

I am surrounded by plenty of triathletes who do just that and it's pretty darn exciting to see them travel the globe plying their well earned skills and enjoying life just that much more because they made a plan.

Life is not a practice, and if you want more it falls to you, seriously!

Yahoo bring it on! : )

That being said, in preparation for the new season just ahead I have our class "effort dial" turning up at two of the swim and two bike classes and so you know if you are a participant, it's going to keep moving! : )

Don't be fearful, it's going to be OK just be sure to bring your "A Game"! : )

Have you made an appointment to get your bike ready for the road yet?

Today's posted photo I took at the WCRC and it extols the virtues and the rules regarding the use of stinky stuff on your body!

I believe these rules are fantastic and should always be enforced!

Why?

I'm fortunate to have a pretty good respiratory system that allows me freedom to do what I like but there are so many others who do not have that luxury.

They don't always have to be older, out of shape or smokers to have a problem.

In every class I teach there will be at least one athlete who has a puffer/inhaler close by that they may or may not use during the class but they need to have it with them to be on the safe side.

Some of these athletes are on top of our abilities scale but their sensitivity to things like perfume and other body products makes them very susceptible to a complete breathing collapse should they be triggered by one of these unnecessary environmental additives!

Even these days there is barely a time when I walk through and gym when I'm not taken aback by some inconsiderate soul who is stinking out the house!

Be sure it's not you, please!

There is a time and place for everything!

Have an awesome day, and remember to think big! : )

Great Road Improvements

2011-04-06T08:27:00.001-04:00

Good Wednesday morning everybody, isn't it nice to see the sun up so early in the mornings now!
I've sat here the last two mornings to write but was shanghaied both times but today I will have a chance to catch you up.
All of the spring classes are marching along now, last night we fired up the 2011 Triathlon Training course with a full house and once again it was great to see so many new faces in the crowd.
I believe this is year number seven for Christine and I to present the course so we have a pretty good idea about how we like to see it go.
We will make sure that fun and laughter is high on the agenda as we slowly mix in all the important training requirements needed to prepare our soon to be triathletes for racing.
This past Sunday because the weather wasn't so bad, saw Patty and I riding our motorcycle to the north along the full length of our triathlon biking route to Lake Simcoe.
If you have been riding on this route you know there are a couple of places where road conditions could be better but all in all the ride is usually very good.
Well I'm happy to report that some very nice roadway improvements have been made and they are going to make our long rides so much better, yahoo!
First, the nasty broken pavement at the foot of Lyndebrook and Coronation Rd. going north, has been removed and replaced with new pavement to the top of the hill which makes this area so much safer to ride on.
Then up at Brawley Rd. and Ashburn Rd. going north all the way up to almost the stop sign at Myrtle Rd. has new pavement wide enough to easily accommodate bike lanes on both sides of the road, this is heaven!
Heading north of Ashburn the roads are pretty much the same as last year until you get up to Medd Rd. which has been by far the roughest section of our regular rides since day one.
Medd road runs east and west to Durham Rd # 23 and was a sea of poorly done, pothole patchwork, that could shake the bars out of the strongest grip at any moment.
Well let me say, we turned onto Medd Rd. heading westward and for the first half a mile or so the road was no different so I was a little disappointed but then just over the first hill we were rewarded with the beautiful sight of a brand new flawless riding surface all the way to Durham Rd # 23 and it has pleasure written all over it, yahoo!
I still can't believe how nice that road actually is, but it did occur to me that I never had a chance to enjoy riding on it until now because in the past I was too busy trying not to ride into the strings of open potholes to get my head up for long.
Thank you to all the good folks from the top to the bottom, who took it upon themselves to make these much appreciated road improvements that will help make our rides more enjoyable and even more importantly keep us safer in places where we needed a hand!
From the corner of Medd Rd. right to our swimming hole at Homes Point the roads were good like last year but until they all get swept off watch out for lots of sand in the corners.
You may recognize the photo above as our swim beach with the added bits of ice but clearly the ice is melting and it won't be long before we are back in there, actually June 8th is the plan!
So Patty and I are standing on the shoreline taking some pictures and we are shocked to see that out on the lake about 500 meters there are snowmobiles and lots of people walking around without a care.
Well from where we stood there was lots of open water and big holes in the shoreline ice where something or someone had broken through so it seemed a bit reckless to this city boy to be out there.
What do I know, I know if you are using a board to walk on (see second photo) from the shore to the ice because that section is not safe to walk on, it's probably not a good idea to go!
One fisherman we met said without a doubt that it was absolutely worth the risk because the perch were running out there and they are "this big", yahoo!
He did offer that he thought those guys who were still out there had better start thinking of coming back in because the ice is pulling away from the shore now and they could wet trying to get off it.
Go figure!
Anyway it was nice to get back out and ride our bike course again and I'm totally stoked about the road improvements and I know you will be too!
The DRTC board met this past Monday evening and once again it's full steam ahead for another year with the only real changes to our workouts being the track night now moves to Tuesday evenings at All Saints high school in Whitby beginning at 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm.
Let me take this opportunity to welcome Kim Gracie to our DRTC Board of Directors, you have already shown that you are going to be a great addition to our team and we are looking forward to having you with us!
Have a great day everyone and keep your stick on the ice! : )