Run, Run and More Run

First off, I have to say congrats to my bro Kyle. He just raced Nationals and took 2nd overall in a strong field with Simon leading the way. It will be awesome to see what he does on the Gold Coast!
Training has been great. I haven't ran so much in my life and I am enjoying every minute of it. I never thought it would feel this easy to run. Once I get my ass out the door and legs moving, running just flows and it is the best feeling ever.

On Saturday after a 2 hour hammer fest..on the traine, (It was raining) I headed to Neyagawa and did descending loops. I started out fast and wanted to punish myself a bit. The loop is around 8ish km and nailed it in 38 min then my next lap before hitting the street was down to a 34min. I was flying! On the road I cooled it down to make 13miles.

The next day was tough. It was Raining and just not nice out so I went out for an hour...got dumped on ...then headed back and made it on the trainer for about 90 min then called it a day. I went swimming in the morning so didn't feel that bad. That night I had to do a 45min acceleration run so when Shannon had to go out I went with her. She was meeting a friend at Starbucks in Oakville. I decided to run home......I should have checked the distance because it ended up being 13km up hill! Whoops! 45min turned into 59 min but felt awesome!

Today was key though. The bike was a tough one by myself. I took my bike to work then road 110km from the Gym to King Rd, which is a crazy hill for training near Waterdown, then home. OFf the bike I killed it. Got in the door, put on a pair of running shorts then set the treadmill to 10mph and ran. I was flying and 3.1 miles in I was at sub 18min! Feeling great I finished my run off then headed out for dinner with my beautiful wife!

The Picture above is the closet I have ever been in a race to Craig..haha

The Long Run

This week has been non-stop! Shannon has headed north to Sudbury for a course on Tripping. She is living in a tent, canoeing and sleeping under the start! It's what she does and I am super proud of her. It is a 7 day event where she is learning essential skills to do this sort of adventure, or trip, with her school kids! However, this has left me in charge of the house!

For all who know me, without Shannon I can be pretty boring. Eat, Sleep, Train and work. Well That is about all I have been doing this week!

Monday was an easy day after going hard on the weekend. After heading the AM Masters swim I went for a 45min run on the treadmill. It was really humid outside and wanted to save my legs for the long run that was coming on Tuesday. I did a lot of Fartlek work and polished off 6 miles. After that went home and played with the puppy!

Tuesday was going to be fun! I had a 2:15 run, which I figured I could polish off 19 miles. I parked my car at Simon's house at 4:30am in the morning and we headed to work. This left me with no excuse to run home. The route I was taking was only 14 miles so I had to take on an extra 5! I started from the gym and headed West on Lakeshore to Ford Drive. I went North on Ford to Upper Middle. By this time it was around 30 + degrees out and thank god I sucked it up and wore a fuel belt. I usually do a lot of lap long runs because I hate wearing it....to be honest I think it looks dorky. I had two gels and 2 bottles of Cera Sport and 2 bottles of water. Once I hit the top of Upper Milddle Lisa wanted me to drop the hammer and keep it around 6:20 mile, which is around a 4 min km.. don't quote me on that haha I felt awesome and headed North up to Glen Oaks made a right and cruised it all the way to Bronte. I looped back onto Heritage Way from Upper Middle and called it a day. When I stopped it took a minute for me to regroup. All and all did 18 miles and change. Not a bad day at the office. I opted out of Swimming. Legs weren't doing so well!

Today I had a solid Swim in the am and now getting ready to cycle! Going out for a 3 hour ride then heading back to work!

......Like I said pretty boring haha

Solid Session

Mostly recovery up until Friday. I put a lot of miles on the bike and was riding around 3 hours each day. Feeling good. Friday was a big transition Workout! It started with a 2 hour bike on the trainer! Yes, Brian and I sat on the back deck and rode our computrainers for a solid 2 hours. The main set after some warm up was 2 sets of (5x5min hard intervals) My goal was to hold 305-310 and Brian was looking for 270-275 watts! After doing that set 10 times our legs were pretty smashed so what better time to go to the track!

Off the bike we did 3x1mile, I was coming in around 5:45 per mile. Then it was a 15min tempo run. I was feeling good and stuck 45sec per 200m which was right on 6min miles. It was hot and I was feeling the heat. After that I took a regroup and did 4x800m. All out! I was sticking around 2:50 per 800m. I was cooked!

Saturday I was able to get a quick run in with Kyle then we headed to the pool before Kim And Drew's wedding. Congratulations again guys on a beautiful day, wedding was great! Shannon and I danced it up!!!

Sunday I started early...tried to start earlier but slept in! Sorry Bob! We got out on the bike at 7:30 and did a ride to Belfountain. We did 3 x30min tempo and was sticking around 290 watts for the 30 min TT. I was really tired today after a busy couple days. Have to give a serious shout out to Jen who dropped a guy off her wheel into the 4 hour mark of our ride!!

Off the bike I got right into it and threw down 30min in Neyagawa at a 6min mile tempo then shut it down for the next 30!

Off to run and great seeing you out there Falcons! Larry you are a machine..you should have attacked haha

Bracebridge 70.3 Race Report and Anniversary

Sunday was a great day. It was my 1 year anniversary and I was racing another 70.3 Race. I have a very understanding wife haha and I promised to get her something pretty if I could race..!!!

In all honesty my wife is amazing and everyday I am glad I found her and married her. She is caring and very understanding to a sport that takes so much physically and mentally. Even when I am down and tired she is always there to pick me up and make me smile. So I know I am not good at the sappy stuff but I love you babe!

Ok back to business haha!!!

After a solid performance in Calgary, not the best run, but a solid performance non the less I decided to enter the Bracebridge 70.3. The course looked great, and although I knew I would be tired I couldn't miss the opportunity! Shannon and I drove up on the Saturday night and decided to camp. What better thing to do then sleep on an air mattress on a camp grounds....in the rain!

Surprisingly, I was feeling really good. I had some solid workouts throughout the week and was thinking it was going to be a good day and it was.

The Swim was tough with a solid current in the river. My goal was to come out not too far back to catch the leaders. I came out 7th and with a fast transition I was in 5th! Onto the bike I quickly caught the leader 10km in and never looked back. I really wanted to work the bike and in 45km I hit 1:07 on my power meter. My goal was to stick the same pace back, but like my season is going the sky opened up again and dumped a crazy rain storm on us, so I really was careful not to skid out or blow a tire! I came in 2:19, with an avg of 39 and change. Not bad for the rain. That gave me a 10min lead going into the run. I have to thank Louis Garneau for a great pair of carbon shoes. I can honestly say I have never had a shoe that has such a solid transfer of power from my foot to the peddle. I avg 285 watts for the race and my feet felt comfy the whole time! Amazing!

It rained like crazy 12km in on the run and my goal was to settle into a 4km pace. Mentally the run is tough, especially when you have no lead vehicle, no one around just you and the road. I was clicking off the kilometers and when I got to the out and back and didn't see anyone, I know I shouldn't have, but let up the pace just a bit and started doing 4:15's still not bad!

I took 1st overall and won by 14 minutes over the next athlete. It was a good day and I am very excited to have gotten the win. I have to thank John and HSBC Triathlon Series for a great race and excited to do it next year!

Thanks to all my sponsors IMFIT.ca, Cera Sport, Trigger Point, Guru, LG, Altitude Tech, ISM Saddle, Xterra, and of course my coach LB!

Calgary 70.3 Race Report

Wednesday I headed to Calgary. I found out real quickly that the weather is chilly in the morning. I am talking 10 degrees chilly. I settled in at the Murray's place. John, Dona and Madison Murray, welcomed me into their home. John has done 6 Ironman's and after his recovery from a cold will be getting ready for his 7th! His goal was to get to ten! Dona has also done many Ironman races and also both have ridden across Canada in Support of Children with Cancer! They are truly an inspirational family, which I am grateful to have met!

So after waking up to freezing temperatures I headed to the pool for a 3000m swim to get the feet wet. I was feeling good in the water thanks to Mike. Been really working on the swim and it was feeling good.

Thursday came quick and I was out training with Lisa at the Race Start. The water was 16 degrees, which was chilly but we found out that there was a bit of altitude 3500ft to be exact. After some head up front crawl we were able to get our faces in the water and start swimming. My Xterra Velocity wetsuit was feeling great. It has a bit more bouancy to help me float....trust me I need it. Next we hit the bike and I was feeling good. My Guru was cleaned up by Ian and I was ready to hammer the bike course!

Friday and saturday I did a little bit of training but was tapering for the race!

RACE DAY:

The swim was a tough course. It was said to be long and also we headed back into a current. Off the gun both female and male pro's headed out together. The first pack went off and I was in the second pack with Lisa and around 12 other elites. I was feeling really good and got out front of the group and lead them in. We came in on 30 min just 2min down on the lead group. Thank you Xterra and Sable for getting me out of that water..haha

Onto the bike I was excited. I hammered my ass off. I have been working really hard on the bike and felt a little sluggish after my 2 week vacation but new the legs would be fast. So, after averaging 40km on the bike for 90km I came out with the 17th fastest bike split in the pro field. I couldn't believe it! I got passed by a few of the elites and couldn't hang on. I have to give a serious shout out to the American Triathletes, they are animals on the bike! The course was tough and I avg 300 watts! What more could I do!! My fueling was solid I got in my Cera Sport, and mixed a Cera Sport Original with some EX 1, which has a bit more calories to keep me going. Like always the drink was awesome and I was feeling good into the run!

Off the bike I was good for about 12km then the wheels came off. It was a super tough run course, which ate me alive! It was in a trail and I couldn't get a rhythm like Peterborough. When I felt like I was doing well, there was a hill!! I pushed on and ran a 1:30 half. Ok but need to get it together!

All and all it was a pretty solid day! The bike ended up being 94km, which put my finishing time around 4:20:00 Not to shabby but lots more training to go!

Thanks to all my sponsors for making this possible!

You've Got To Be Kidding Me!

Before I talk about my day of training, I have to mention a novel I read on my trip to Greece. If you are a runner then you know Once a Runner. It is a story about Quiton Cassidy, a miler, who's only go is to break a 4 min mile. This book is Probably one of the hardest books to get a hold of and if you google it on EBAY, it starts at around 300 bucks! Anyone who is interested they have republished the novel and that is how I attained a copy! Long Story short, it is a truly inspiring novel and that is what lead to my training for the day!

Today was a 4 hour bike and run off to get ready for Calgary. I worked from 5:30 am to 12pm and it left a nice window in the afternoon to train. As we know in Ontario, mother nature decided to throw down a storm and a half! It looked like night outside and the rain was coming down hard! I had to train though. I thought back to Quinton Cassidy, going out in any type of weather and getting the job done! JUST F$#$%KING TRAIN! I jumped in my card and headed to Neyagawa. Not going to lie, as I was driving I was having doubts with my wipers on full blast!

I decided to do tomorrows workout today and ride tomorrow. This workout was a 90min run with 10 min at 6mile pace and 5 min at 7 mile pace repeat 4 times. After the serious amount of hill training I did in Greece, Neyagawa was easy! I started to run and just got slammed. The puddles were so did they were going up to my shin but I pressed on. I again was having doubts heading into the last 400m of the 5mile loop so I turned around and ran the other way! I figured if I couldn't see the end I had to keep going! Best decision around! I was flying! I was soaked head to toe but just turned off my brain and ran! That is why I do this sport for days like today.

After 10 miles I took it to the street to finish up the run.... in the crazy rain! As I finished up the run, no word of a lie, the rain stopped! I am talking sun come out, birds churping, stopped! I couldn't believe it. I was cooling down and as people were started to go for walks I was getting some weird looks being drenched head to toe!

All and all I had a wicked run. I only had 1 bottle of Cera Sport on the run due to me worrying about my bottle being washed down the side of the cliff.hahaha

Off to work the legs out on my Trigger Point! When they are tight it is the only thing that gets them loose!

I'm Back and filled with Greek Salad!

My wife and another couple went to Greece for 9 days and we had a blast. It was good to get away with her and spend some time away from our busy lives....want am I saying..haha I train for a living! Her busy life as a teacher and dealing with me.

Our trip started in Mykonos, which was beautiful. Our hotel was right on the ocean. My goal for the week was to run and swim like a mad man! First day we got there I got for a 60 minute run and learned real quickly that Greece is a hilly place! The next day was some interval work and funny enough I found a track! Oh yes, Greek people run! I got there and did 10 x 1km. I was mentally ready for it but some how I got lucky when I guy, who didn't speak English, asked if he could run with me. We started the workout and I hit the first km in 3:10....he was right next to me. By the time we hit the 5th repeat I got down to 3:06...and he was right next to me still!! I was asking myself what the hell is this guy on!! After the workout and getting down to 3:04 as my fastest repeat I asked him where he ran?? All I picked up was National Running Team and 1:14 half marathon! Boy had Speed!

After that I hit the pool, which was salt water and didn't taste good when I got some up the nose! The next day we were off to Paros, where again it was more hills. We rented an ATV and headed to the Caves and all around the island. I had to do a 90 min tempo run and felt like highlander running up and down the hills! I found a path and it was like running in Hilton Falls on rocks! It was pretty crazy but was well worth it when I was in the middle of know where enjoying the sound of the ocean and just being happy I could see that view!

I had a few other runs but nothing beat the run in Santorini. To get to Santorini you have to take a Ferry to the island then travel up around 100m! There is a path, which is cobblestone, and gravel which ran along the cliff edge! I woke up bright and early and got out for a 2 hour run. I didn't want to stop, it was amazing! The view kept me going fast!

Oh and before I forgot here is the break down of our day

wake up at 9am eat.......
go to the beach from 10 until 2......
Nap until 6pm.....
Go for a walk or train then eat at 9pm....
Party until 2 to 4 in the morning.... same thing everyday!!

Crazy!! Calgary is coming quick, so back in the water and excited to get back on the bike!!!