Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Onto the next one....

Update time. This past month has been a bit crazy. I wanted to get some early racing in so what better place to head then the Gulf of Mexico. My first race of 2012 kicked off at the Texas 70.3 In Galveston. WTC has some amazing athletes and this race had a stacked field so I was a bit nervous. This off season I really focused on quality workouts in all 3 sports. I was able to get away for a couple weeks for training camps, but most of my training was on the streets running, on the trainer at my gym or at the pool. Leading up to the race I was putting up solid numbers in training so I knew I had it in me to put up a good race. I was staying in Houston, which kept me away from the race set and allowed me to relax and think about what I had to do. The race had close to 50 of the best males in the sport including Lance Armstrong. The gun went off and we were off. I tried to stick in the front group but fell off (still work to be done in the water), but was able to come out of the water with Ironman Champion Josef Major and a few other great athletes, this made for a great bike, where I listened to my body and focused on watts and nutrition, which gained back 5 spots. Off the bike I was feeling ok, and it was hot! I got into a good rhythm and the first 7km loop I was right on 3:55 per k pace. I wanted to be smart and not blow up. I lost a bit on the 2nd lap and came strong on the 3rd lap taking a couple spots back. I finished 24th overall with a time of 4:19. A few weeks later I was back in Houston. This time on my way to New Orleans 70.3...which I found out was a 5 hour car ride lol. I was given a room at the Oshner Hospital and am very thankful of their hospitality. New Orleans is a different place and, I will for sure go back with Shannon to get a better look at things. I was there to race so wasn't that into going to canal street...although I did have a beignat (french donut). There was a lot of talk that the swim would be canceled due to gale winds, and when we got to the pro meeting it was confirmed that we would be doing a 2 mile run 52 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run....giddy up;) The run went out hard and I stuck my pacing first mile 5:18 and second mile 5:25. I felt good into the bike, where other pro's took it out a bit hard and I was able to work my way up through the field and was 4 minutes off the lead pack onto the run. This run felt good. I was feeling strong and stuck to the pace...again I lost a bit in the middle of the run but came out with a 1:24 off the bike...need to get it down!!! Again I took 21st overall out of 35.. So tomorrow I am off to St.Croix. I am super excited to race there. Usually it is the first race of the season and the heat kicks my ass. This year I am excited and confident that I have some heat races under my belt and the legs are working. I want to thank Nineteen Wetsuits, Saucony, Eload, Wheels of Oakville, Rudy Project, ISM Saddles, Sable Water Optics, Torhan Hydration system for there on going support.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Let the 2012 Season Begin!




I know it has been a while since I have last posted a blog but I have been training and getting ready to race!

I have had a great build up for this season with a training camps in Arizona and Clermont. I have gotten the mileage in on the bike to get my legs into working order for my upcoming race in Texas. I have also been working a lot on swimming and running.

I recently jumped into the Chilly Half Marathon that was sponsored by Eload, which I am teamed up with for the 2012 season and the chilly stood up too its name. It was a cold and windy day but I was feeling good and knew my Saucony/Eload teammate Krista would help push the pace. We started out pretty easy and I was able to settle into a comfortable pace next to Krista. I was having a bit of foot pain but was feeling really good so kept on the pace. At 6km Krista pushed on and I was by myself. I felt good and held 3:43/k ...pretty much the whole way lol. At 13km we turned back into the wind and I didn't know at the time but around 15km I had a group of 6 guys sitting on me. (I found that out as I went into the finishing shoot and they blew past me lol, I had nothing left) All good though, I was excited to pull them and hold my pace strong. Have to give a major thanks to Kelly from vrpro.ca, amazing race series!!

So the first race of the season is April 1st in Galveston Texas. I'm not going to lie, starting next to Lance Armstrong will be pretty cool but am focused and ready to put the work the training fitness I have gained over the past winter! Lots of racing this year and watch out for the new Hiperformanceonlince.com racing team. New uniforms, fast athletes, hungry to race!

THANKS TOO!!

XTERRA WETSUITS: Love everything about their wetsuit. From the flexibility to the buoyancy, makes me fast!
SABLE WATER OPTICS: Honestly the best goggles around. Leak Proof, Fog Proof and very durable!!

WHEELS OF OAKVILLE: The best bike shop around. Les and his staff is honest and knowledgable in everything about bikes. Say you know me and get a great discount!
QUARQ: Been with Quarq a few years now and they stand by their product and the power is best!
RUDY PROJECT: Awesome glasses, helmets and kits making me fast and looking good

SAUCONY: Know your strong! Their are the best shoes around!! Love the clothing line they have and the new colours for 2012
ELOAD: The nutrition is like no other. Sits well in your stomach, sodium content is amazing for racing and the gels taste great!!

Thanks to everyone again for standing behind me for the 2012 season!! More updates to come!!