How to be a great fan

Effective October 2013 I'll be providing all my latest posts and updates on ShutUpLegs.org! Feel free to view this post and all my latest posts there!

Well I've written plenty of posts on how to effectively race triathlons, but it didn't dawn on me until watching the last couple stages at the Tour de France, that I've never really talked about how to be an awesome fan at a race.  Now I know that sounds a bit odd, but there is definitely a way to be an awesome fan, and then there's a way to be a fan that doesn't really encourage anyone, which I guess would constitute a "bad" fan.

As an athlete I can honestly say that spectators and fans make a world of difference during the race.  Their cheers can instantly transfer a seemingly endless amount of energy to you, and their enthusiasm can be the difference between qualifying for a Kona slot or going home empty handed, or the difference finishing the race with a walk and a smile or taking the dreaded DNF.

So here are a few pointers that I've put together.  Feel free to share them with your friends, family, or anyone who might be headed out to IM Calgary 70.3, Ironman Canada, Mont Tremblant, Challenge Penticton, Kona, Vegas, or wherever else!

The Good

• Volunteer- What better way to be a good fan than to volunteer for the race!  Volunteers are what make triathlons and almost any other sort of race or sporting event possible.  I can't say enough about how grateful I am to the legions of volunteers that make Ironman happen.  Whether its package pickup, body marking, aid stations, transitions, medical, or finish line, the smiles and enthusiasm of volunteers go a long way towards supporting the athletes... Plus you usually get a t-shirt, which makes you as much a part of the race as the athletes.
• Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud- It may not seem like it sometimes, but in the race we hear everything.  At Ironman, we literally have nothing to do but keep moving forward, so listening to the fans becomes a big focal point.  And when you're cheering, the louder the better.  When I was racing Ironman Canada a couple years ago I was completely taken aback by the enthusiasm and support of everyone at Yellow Lake, after 4.5 hours on the bike coming into a tunnel of screaming spectators on the steep pitch of the climb was exactly what I needed.  
• You wanna be where everybody knows your name- When you're on the side of the road, pick a person, look at their number or name on the bib, or even just the colour of their shirt, and give them a callout and tell them how they're doing, or give them some words of encouragement.  It shows that you aren't just yelling and cheering for the world, it shows them that you're pulling for them at this very moment.  Its very Canadian of us to sit quietly on the side of the course and only cheer for the people we know and I've seen it at many of the local smaller races, but once you catch the smile and thanks of that stranger whose race you made a little better, you'll be hooked.
• I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign- I don't think there is an athlete out there who doesn't love a good sign written on a poster.  The cleverer the better.  For some good ideas check out these two sites; Best Race Signs, Buzzfeed.  I've got to give a special shoutout to all the Lululemons I've seen bring huge cheer squads out with some pretty catchy signs, they've got it down to an art.
• Think about what's important to the athlete- Are they on track to break the 3:30 marathon mark?  Are they chasing down the next person up the road?  I they struggling to get in just under the time cutoff?  Let them know that they can do it.  Some meaningful words of encouragement that fit the context of their goals can go a long way and you can make more of a difference than you could imagine.
• When the going get tough, the tough get going- Ironman is one of the few sports that celebrates its final finisher maybe even more than its first.  If you've ever been at the finish line of Ironman just before midnight, you'd know that something magical happens at that time and the crowds come alive to cheer that last person in.  The adversity and loneliness that many athletes overcome with in the weeks and months leading up to the race, and during the race is a testament to their character and strength.  I know sometimes its tempting to just roll out whenever your friend or family member finishes the race, but feel free to stick around and be that someone special who provides words of encouragement for those brave souls who forges ahead after the crowds have gone.

The Bad

• Know the rules- At Ironman there are very few rules that pertain to the behaviour of individuals not participating in the event.  The biggie though is that athletes cannot accept outside assistance from individuals not in the race or with the organizers.  Which means technically you can't give us water or nutrition, but more importantly it means you cannot pace us.  Its a rule that varies in its application and the frequency with which its enforced but it basically means if you see your buddy, you can't run or bike alongside him or her and doing so could lead to their disqualification.  That being said, if you run alongside someone climbing a hill for 10 feet no one is going to accuse them of cheating, but its something to keep in mind.
• Traffic-  This has only ever been an issue for me at Ironman Canada, but its something worth keeping in mind.  The bike course at an Ironman is 180km often on open roads with some lane closures.  If you'd like to go out and see your loved one racing, consider taking a route that is not the course route or don't go at all.  Local traffic needs to get through, and athletes need to get through, and if added to the congestion is a thousand cars full of spectators looking for their friends, things can get uncomfortable and even dangerous.
• Be respectful to the locals- Its out of the good grace of community associations and municipalities that races as big as half and full Ironmans have a place to call home.  Make a habit of being respectful or people's property and considerate of their community.  This means don't park in front of their driveways, don't litter on their laws, and don't do anything that you wouldn't want someone to do in your community.  From time to time an athlete may drop something by accident, by and large most of us try to keep the course free of any garbage, but if you see this happen, just grab the litter and toss it for us.
• Don't hit us- If there is one thing that scares the bejeezus out of me at a race its a car, bike, spectator, or pet crossing out path as we ride or even run by.  Please, look both ways before you proceed across a road or intersection.  A collision at even a low speed is dangerous for both parties.

The End

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  Volunteers make these races happen.  Ironman Calgary 70.3 is still looking for volunteers this weekend so if you have a couple extra hours this Sunday, please sign up here.  I'd love to see you out there!

Cross Training In the Winter Season

As the days get shorter and the temperatures start to drop, this time of year becomes a bit of an awkward empty spot for a lot of triathletes and summer athletes in general.  Many triathletes wind up their seasons in late August or early September, with maybe a one last run race or some cyclocross in the fall.  But as that ends around late October its still much too early to start race specific training for the next season.

There's a saying that the Tour de France is won in January, not July.  Meaning that its the more hard work that you put in months before the race that gets you to the win, not what you do on the day of.  But between the end of one season and the beginning of another, some are left wondering what to do in these off months here.

The obvious answer is rest and sleep in for a change, spend time with your family that misses you dearly, catch up with your friends who you've neglected for months, read a good book that wasn't written by Joe Friel, Andy Coggan, Chris Carmichael, or any cyclist that was involved in a doping scandal.  But for those of you who may be getting a little stir crazy, there are some great sports that'll beat the treadmill or stationary trainer hands down that are worth checking out.  Some of those sports will give you the mental break and variety you need, and may even give you a bit of an edge over the competition when you get back into the season.

Substitute for swimming?  Try climbing

Going Up

Wall climbing provides an incredible full body workout that builds strength, flexibility, agility, and mental toughness.  I spent a couple years going to the local climbing gym on almost a weekly basis and found that provided a great balance between being physically and mentally stimulating.  The day after a good afternoon of climbing I'd be tired and sore as though I'd spent hours of pushing weight at the gym, but I'd be mentally refreshed from the break from the everyday norms of work and training.

If it's your first time you'll probably need to take a beginner course in climbing which often will only run you about $40.   Most climbing gyms rent all the equipment you need and will get you set up to keep coming back.  It's also much easier to learn with a partner or a small group of friends so make it a team or friendly outing.

Feel the need for speed and a stationary bike trainer just doesn't cut it?  Get on the ice

I just took up hockey for the very first time this season in the NCHL's Discover Hockey Program.  I've got to say its one of the funnest sports I've ever played and its a welcome return to playing team sports.

A while back ESPN conducted a survey of Olympic trainers and multi-sport athletes to figure out how sports ranked in terms of difficulty.  They determined that ice hockey was the second most difficult sport (first was boxing, I'll definitely give getting punched in the head the credit it deserves).  Hockey involves 45-second shifts of high-intensity effort, quick starts, stops, direction changes, and fighting for loose pucks. Players are accustomed to fighting through the painful burning in their legs as fatigue accumulates. The interval nature and physicality of the game makes it uniquely demanding. Not to mention, the whole game is played while standing on a steel blade about 1/8” thick.  So if you're looking to find a bit of true grit for the next time you get on the bike, look no further than this oft overlooked sport.

If chasing after pucks with sticks isn't your thing, try speedskating.  Many speedskaters use cycling as cross training in their off season, and one of Canada's all time greatest athletes, Clara Hughes, is able to be awesome at both sports almost interchangeably.  The muscles used, and the speeds you reach on the speedskating track will feel very familiar to even the most focused cyclists.

What about runners?  Get used to the snow

Last season just about every runner I knew took up Snowshoing or Cross Country Skiing.  I don't think you'll ever get me onto cross country skis since I grew up downhill skiing and don't see the logic in making my legs do the work to move me across the snow when I can let a chairlift and gravity do the work, but that doesn't mean I don't see why people do it.  Cross country skiiers consistently have some of the strongest aerobic engines of any athletes in the world demonstrated by the unreal VO2 max numbes they score.

According to Cool Running, cross country skiing is great activity that is a top choice for athletes looking to improve their aerobic endurance in the off season. Beyond that the gliding action of the activity stretches your hamstrings, calves and lower-back muscles.  In one activity, you're able to improve flexibility which will also help your aero position on the bike, maintain muscle fitness, and improve cardiorespiratory endurance for the run.

Behind on maintenance?  Yoga

Some love for Lululemon!

I don't need to go deep into the benefits of yoga for athletes but I thought I'd just give you all a little reminder.  The benefits of yoga for all types of athletes are well documented.  An hour or two a week at the yoga studio can translate into improvements in core strength which helps in injury prevention, better flexibility for cyclists and triathletes looking to shave seconds off their time trial, and can help runners deal with chronic tissue related issues such as IT Band Syndrome and tight muscles.  Plus, regular patrons of the local yoga studio are usually pretty easy on the eyes.

In Conclusion

There are lots of great ways to stay active between seasons.  Its important to take a break from the rigours of training for triathlon, running, or cycling as we somehow quickly seem to forget how mentally and physically taxing training for those sports at a high level can be.  Participating in other sports is also a great way to get into a team environment that involves some of our friends who may not be crazy enough to sign up for marathons and Ironmans.  Taking this time to rekindle a flame with an old sport, or light a flame with new one will also help get you excited for training in your career sport next year.

Lance Armstrong Returns to Triathlon

Lance on the bike at Panama 70.3

This past Sunday Lance Armstrong marked his return to triathlon with a remarkable second place finish at Panama 70.3 against a strong field of competitors including one of triathlon's strongest cyclists, Chris Lieto.  Going into the race predictions for his results were all across the board if you looked at the Slowtwitch forums, or at the response Tri It Multisport had to it's #LanceTris twitter contest.  Few people predicted he would finish as strong as he did, and if one thing is for certain, triathlon's top athletes have been put on notice that there is a new contender in the ring.

I honestly do believe that Lance Armstrong returning to triathlon is a good thing.  I know that there's been some debate on this around the web but the Livestrong marketing machine brings the sport a level of attention and appeal that few organizations can rival.  Even marginally more media coverage and general public interest is sure to appeal to equipment manufacturers and sponsors alike, which in turn means more funding for races, greater selection of equipment brands, and hopefully bigger purses for pros.  I don't think that Lance can do for triathlon what he did for cycling in the US, but at the very least he participation in the sport lends credence to its legitimacy as a mainstream sport.  Lets not forget, that triathlon has only been an Olympic sport since 2000, which is very recent when you consider that the bar is set pretty low for what's considered a sport in the summer Olympics.

With Lance comes the controversy associated with the doping allegations that have followed him around since his earliest Tour de France days.  I don't want to weigh in on whether he did or didn't dope.  The way I see it, if he doped, he was a doper who beat all the other dopers, if he didn't dope, he was clean and beat all the dopers.  Don't get me wrong, any sport at any level has to be clean, but I think that the USADA and WADA should concern itself with ensuring sport is clean today rather than digging up graves to see who wasn't clean in the past.  Its an embarrassment to see that there are still so many elite athletes using PEDs today while the USADA and WADA are busy carrying out what seems to be a personal vendetta against Lance Armstrong.  Rather than spending millions of dollars pursuing Lance, anti doping agencies should be spending resources on increased random testing for athletes and more mandatory testing at events.  Similarly, to quell any controversy that Lance brings to the sport, the WTC should redouble its efforts to test its athletes and do so in the most transparent and thorough manner possible.

Lance's performance at Panama 70.3 was truly exceptional, the guy is 40.  Some people are going to see that in and of itself reason for suspicion.  What a lot of people don't know is that when Lance Armstrong was 15 he was racing against Mark Allen and Dave Scott, arguably triathlon's two greatest living legends.  Simply put, he's a machine, he's been racing and winning at sport's highest levels since long before anyone could reasonably accuse him of doping.

If anything is certain, I think we can all look forward to one of the most exciting years for triathlon in quite some time.

Cool Running

The past few weeks we've once again been blessed with a comfortable, seasonal, autumn, but with Halloween just a few days away we're all reminded that the days are getting much shorter, and long winter nights are just around the corner.

That certainly doesn't mean that its time to head indoors however, it just means its time to make a few changes to the routine.  You'll find that with some pretty easy changes to your schedule and gear, you can train outside year-round, and even have a good time while you're at it.

Here are a few tips and considerations for training as the temperatures drop and the days get shorter.

• How much to wear-  Summer is easy, shorts and a tee shirt.  But fall/winter is a bit trickier.  Overdress and you'll find yourself overheating after 5 minutes, underdress and you'll freeze your tail off.  A good rule of thumb when you head out for a run is to dress as though its 10 degrees warmer than it is if you were idle.  So if its -5C out and you're going for a run, wear what you would were if it were +5C and you were walking to work.
• What to wear- Layers, layers, layers.  Forget about your old college hoodie and sweat pants.  You typically want to wear 2-3 layers of technical and insulating fabrics depending on the conditions.   Ideally with the exception of your base layer, the more zippers the better since this allows you a lot of flexibility in adapting to temperature changes on your run.  More layers will also keep you warmer than just a since thick ugly sweater since the air between each layer will act as its own insulation the same way a double paned window insulates better than single (house windows vs car windows).  Go to a running store or click on either of these links for a good explanation of how a good layering system works; GO Outdoors or MEC. 
• Run the good routes you know-   If you run in your neighbourhood or on the same pathways fairly frequently you probably know which ones are the best lit, have the most other runners, flood the least frequently (rain/melting), and cross the fewest roads.  Stick to these routes, there's the many obvious safety considerations involved here but I also say this because these are the routes you'll have the best workouts on.  These are the routes you'll feel most comfortable pushing yourself on since you'll see other runners braving the elements, and you won't have to worry about as many safety concerns (ice, poor lighting, drivers seeing you).
• Run shorter loops, closer to your base- Rather than running one big 10km loop, do things like try two 5km loops, once one way, once the other. At the end of the day running in cold weather presents a slightly higher risk should something go wrong.  If you're having an off day, cramp up, have IT band issues, or worse yet GI issues, you'll want to be close to home so you can cut through the park and get back in just a few minutes, or call your roommate to come to your rescue so you can go to Starbucks instead.  
• Know the conditions- Know what time the sun sets and rises, what the short term forecast is for the next few hours, how far your route takes you, etc.  The big thing here is that you don't want to be caught offguard by something you could have figured out by going to theweatherchannel.ca.  Like a freak snowstorm, or you know, the sun setting and it dropping 10 degrees.
• A couple things to bring- A phone is a must have, so is a toque, gloves, $10, and a pair of sunglasses for reflecting snow or those stinging little snow flakes that fall when its really cold.  Another piece of tech that I like to have are those little thermal boot/hand warmers you can get at any ski shop.  If you get colder than you'd thought, you can crack a couple of those and you'll be good to get home.  

The last thing to have that'll do you good for cooler/cold running is a buddy or group to run with.  Its funner, safer, and it will give a little extra motivation to HTFU and get out there.

You'll find running as the temperature starts to drop really isn't so bad once you get out there and do it once.  A little smile will come across your face when you run by the gym windows where people running on their treadmills watch you go by, the runner with the grit to brave the elements.  And you'll discovery there is a knowing, unspoken camaraderie between you and the other runners out there when its -15C, dark, and you're running like the Energizer Bunny. So give your running brothers/sisters a wave or a nod when you're out there, we'll be sure to give one back!  :-)

Raf

The Mental Endurance Race

In this blog post I'm going to talk about some of the experience I've had in endurance events, and the strategies that have helped me through my races.  First and foremost, I am not an exercise physiologist, or a sport psychologist, so please keep in mind that this is an n=1 examination of endurance racing, at the end of the day you know your body best, so its important to race how you are most comfortable.

My first open half marathon was the Calgary Police Half Marathon which I did a few months prior to Calgary 70.3 last year in the interests of actually having run the distance before showing up to a Half Ironman.  My comfort zone is on the bike, not on feet, so as with any rookie runner my primary goal was to finish the race, my secondary goal was to finish the race in under two hours.  I was successful after completing both goals and went on to have a great year of racing.

See? Snow!

I did the Calgary Police Half Marathon again this year and was remarkably faster, and improved by a margin of about 18 minutes in one year despite very poor conditions this year (think snow... lots of it).  One obvious variable had changed, I was much more fit.  But the other thing that changed was my mental strategy.  The first time round I chose to listen to music, and was mentally focused on training my goal of making fast, easy.  In training I had prepared myself to run faster, more comfortably, for longer, and that's the mental strategy I brought into the race.  It seemed appropriate at the time since my goal essentially was survival, but I look back now and wish I hadn't been so blissfully unaware of how well our brains are designed to work with our bodies.

This year was a complete 180 from that strategy.  After ruining my headphones in the washing machine (not as bad as when I ruined my passport in the washing machine) I started running without music.  It was boring at first but after a while it allowed me to place a lot more focus on how my body felt, and when I wasn't thinking about that, I was actually making use of my other senses.  I became acutely aware of how hard my foot was striking the ground from the sound of the pavement, how hard I was breathing, how my joints were feeling, and where my muscles were at.  But in addition to that I also came to appreciate the birds, the wind, the other runners, the crispness of the air, and the warmth of the sun.  Its a little like doing yoga versus going to a club, you can enjoy both, they're just different.

So when I showed up at the race this year I was prepared to utilize all the information that my body was designed to provide me.  By choosing to focus on associating with internal stimuli such as perceived exertion and how my body felt, balanced with external stimuli such as other racers, the varying terrain conditions, and the people there cheering me on, I was able push harder and this actually made the race go by faster.  This is in stark contrast with my first go at the Police Half where I was listening to music to actually tune out what was going on both internally and externally.  This time I was able to go beyond that comfortable running zone and actually "race the half marathon", rather than just "run the half marathon".

A number of studies conducted on endurance athletes have supported this approach.  A study conducted at the 1989 US Olympic Marathon trial, Silva and Appelbaum (1989), found that elite marathon runners who paced and focused on other runners as a part of their race strategy faired better than runners who tended to adopt a dissociative mental strategy during the marathon.

Similarly, a study conducted at the 1996 London Marathon found that racers who relied on a dissociative internal mental race strategy (ie; doing anything to keep you mind off the hurt in your legs) were more likely to hit the wall/bonk, than other racers.  The study ultimately leads to a conclusion that would suggest it may be ideal balance internal associative check ins on your body, with an overall external focus on race day.

So what does this mean in short?  When you go out on race day, listen to your body, and enjoy the race that is going on around you.  Humans are incredible complex organisms that were designed to run, we have built in feedback systems that allow us to measure things like how much energy we have left, how much harder can we go, how much water do we need, and so on.  We just need to choose to listen to them.  Beyond that, build off the crowd cheering for you, encourage other athletes, and smile when people watch you go by and clap or call your name.  Take it all in.

Subaru Banff Triathlon Race Report

First and foremost, for the record I raced the Subaru Banff Triathlon this year as a relay in the Olympic distance.  But last year I raced the whole Oly in fairly challenging conditions.  I wasn't going to write anything up on Banff this year but I thought I would for anyone racing it next year or just looking for something to read on a Wednesday afternoon...

The Swim

Stunning

The swim at the Banff triathlon takes place in Two Jack Lake (by Lake Minewanka).  I would challenge you to find a more beautiful setting for a swim course in the world.  I truly mean that.  The only catch to this is that the water in September is very cold and the weather can be fairly variable.  Last year the air temperature hovered around 15C for the entire race, and the water temperature was about 10-12C so the swim was cut in half for all distances.  This year and the year before last year however, the temperature of the day was actually mid-high 20's, and the water temperature on Saturday was around 15C, so pretty close to Ghost Lake for anyone who did Calgary 70.3.  Chilly, but not bad.

At those temperatures I would definitely recommend wearing two swim caps, or even going with a neoprene cap.  Gloves and booties aren't really necessary but I wouldn't blame anyone for using them.  Ear plugs also help some since that sort of cold water can make you a bit nauseas.  Also a must for those temperatures is getting into the water a few minutes before hand and doing a warm up swim to get over the initial shock of the cold.  I can almost guarantee you, when you get in the water you'll want to get straight out and put down one of your best swim splits ever.

On another note, the exit to the swim is actually a bit rocky, so anyone who does wear booties gets a bit of a bonus of not worrying about stubbing their toes on a rock.

Transition 1
Pretty strait forward here, you get out of the water, run about 75m up a paved ramp to transition, run down the carpet (its a gravel lot) and grab your bike, and you're gone.

The Bike
The ride is 2.5 laps around the Minewanka loop for olympians (38km), 1.5 for sprinters (25km), and basically a downhill ride to Banff for super sprinters (12km).

Down and up and down and up and down

Le Maillot a Pois Rouges (Its the mountains!)

I don't need to say much that the profile doesn't say for me so I'll sort of leave it at that.  Total elevation gain is 136m, total elevation loss is 247m, so net you're going downhill 115m.  Its basically like doing two hill climb intervals followed by a 10 or 15 minute rest before a run.  I'd say strong cyclists/runners here can push  at 100% ftp up the hills and recover on the downhills and on the in lap to Banff.  This year I took the bike leg of the race and powered through it finishing it in about an hour with a TSS of 92.5.  For the non-power geeks that basically means I went almost as hard as I could for an hour.  And with the descent into Banff at the end I would have felt fairly good had I had to run afterwards.

If you're not quite as confident on the bike, I would say don't be intimidated by the bike course, its challenging, sure, but you're all in the same boat.  As you can tell from the terrain profile the climbs are actually a bit stepped, so you'll have breaks every few hundred meters during the climb, just sit up when your speed falls below 20km/hr, and get aero when you're above 20km/hr.  Any time you're above 50km/hr, just soft pedal and hide from the wind.

Transition 2
The last bit of the ride you'll be coming right down Banff Ave with crowds cheering you on.  The town and the volunteers have done a truly exceptional job with this set up.  Transition is towards the west end of town and its a fast, straightforward transition.

The Run
There is a small chance that when you go out on the run your feet may feel like blocks of ice, I'm not joking, its a really weird sensation.  Its not a big deal though, just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The bike was challenging but the run course pretty much follows the banks of the beautiful Bow River and as such is actually fairly flat.  For the olympic race its two 5km loops, for sprint and super sprint its just one 5km loop.  Lots of race support, lots of supporters, and probably one of the easiest best run courses around.

The finishing chute once again is right down Banff Ave.  Give it your all into the finish and smile for the camera!

Final Thoughts
This is one of the most scenic race courses you'll find in the world.  Period.  The swim is cold, but racking your bike in T1 and getting ready to swim race morning is one of the most surreal experiences you'll ever have at a race.  The bike is technical, but cyclists will love it, and if you have the opportunity to pre-ride the course, you'll probably actually enjoy it when you race.  And of course the run, its a quick tour of Banff which is just awesome.  This would be a top choice for a vacation race for anyone in Western Canada or the upper-Northwest of the US.

My coach, Todd Malcolm finishing our relay run

LifeSport Coaching who puts on the race does a really great job of this race, the post race food is awesome, the prizes are great, the volunteers are exceptional, and they get some great sponsors out for this event.  So huge props to them.

Also, I'd like to say thanks to my training partner Keith Blundell who busted out some HTFU and did the swim, and our coach Todd Malcolm who crushed the run in 38minutes.  We came first in the relay!

Finally, huge congrats to Lennina Pavon Cardoso for finishing your first tri out there, and Lily Sia Lu and Carly Louise DeBoice for kicking ass as per usual at the Banff Tri!

A Shoutout to the volunteers of IMC and every other Tri

On race morning I know you get up as early as I do, if not even earlier, and I know that this is after days of working to make sure our banquet is just right, our transition area is set up for us to drop off our kit, and our race packages are in order. I realize that stuffing race packages is probably the most thankless job of all since you may never even see the athlete who carelessly dumps the contents onto the bed at the hotel as soon as they get back.  So I really appreciate that.

But back to race morning.  In the early dawn hours I showed up for body marking and Special Needs drop off and you were there by the hundreds with visible excitement for me and my fellow athletes, and you wished me luck probably a thousand times over.  As the clock would tick down closer and closer to the start you made sure I was on my way to where I needed to be, you made sure that my wetsuit was on right, and you marshalled lines at the porta-potties a hundred people deep.  You did everything you could to make sure all I needed to do was think about my race.

When the gun goes and thousands of us filled Lake Okanagan I noticed you below the surface of the water in full dive gear, I also noticed you keeping a watchful eye in the canoes and kayaks, and I was glad you were around to lead us back to shore.  For many, the most dangerous part of a triathlon is the swim so its good to know you've got our backs.

Hauling ass into transition you stripped off my wetsuit in just a few brief seconds, you grabbed my transition bag faster than I could have possibly found it, and then you lead me from point A to point B (which was a life saver in the rush I was in).  Most noticeably, when I ditched all my stuff in a pile on top of the transition bag in the tent, magically at the end of the day I found it all in there with not a thing missing. Your attentiveness did not go unnoticed.

At each aid station on the bike you made my life as easy as possible.  I'd toss my empty bottle, which you ended up picking up (I usually did aim for the garbage, really), and then I'd point at you holding my drink and you'd break into a near sprint to make sure that it ended up in my hand.  You have no idea how much not having to slow to a stop helps us, I always said thanks but we're always in such a hurry I'm not sure if you ever hear me.

When I got back to transition to start my run, man was I ever glad to see you.  This is where you stood out most in my mind.  I got into the T2 change tent, and you told me, "whatever you don't need, throw it on the ground and I'll pack it for you.  You focus on changing your shoes and I'll take care of everything else".  You shared my sense of urgency, but conveyed a zen-like sense of calm that got me remembering, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.  I was in and out of there in about 3 minutes including the time it took to get sunscreen onto my burnt shoulders.  Nicely done.

On the run you cheered me on, handed me sponges, gave me water, asked if I wanted grapes, bananas, pretzels, anything. You asked a couple times if I was feeling okay and I know on the outside it didn't look that way, but I was, and if you weren't there waiting for me every mile, it would have been a different story.  You stood there for hours as me and 2800 other athletes shuffled by.  You were practically a saint to me at that point.

When I crossed the line, I was overcome with emotion.  I was exhausted, dehydrated, and dizzy, and I've probably never felt better.  You can't totally mute the pain with the joy though, so when you literally caught me, that did it for me, you rocked me world.  I started my day eleven and a half hours earlier and I was never more than half an hour away from your aid and then when it was all done.  At the end of it all, there you were at the finish line with no other responsibility that to say congratulations, put that medal around my neck, and take me to get food, or to see my family, or in the case of some, to the medical tent.

My favourite part of the day though, was at that finish line when you said, "Raf, you did it, you're an Ironman now".

I appreciate what every volunteer at every triathlon does.  Without volunteers I would not be able to race in the sport that I love, and they truly are what makes this sport possible.  I won't be racing in IMC next year as I've got my sights set on other races, so I'll be joining the ranks of the thousands supporting the race and I really am looking forward to it.

I just wanted to write this blog post to say thanks to the town of Penticton for hosting the gem of North American triathlons once again, and thanks to all the volunteers that made that day possible.

Ironman Canada 2011 Race Report

So Sunday was the big day, and with everything fresh in my mind I thought I'd post my race report to let you know how it all went and share my experience with everyone. I'll be concise and a bit more technical in this post, and sometime in the next few days I'll talk more about the experience.

Pre-Race

Had dinner at about 5:00pm the night before and got to bed around 8:30 or 9:00pm. I woke up at 4:00am and had 2 Extra Calorie Ensures, half a bagel with peanut butter, an orange juice, and a coffee, all good for probably a bit under a thousand calories.

Made my way down to the special needs drop off and body marking at about 5:45am. You could really feel the excitement and nervousness in the air as everyone exchanges greetings in the early dawn light mixed with giant flood lamps. Then took care of all the other pre-race stuff like tire pressure, one last pit stop at the porta-potties, and wetsuit on. Then it was down to the beach....

Swim

Over 2800 people started on that beach, its a crowd. As per my coach's suggestions I started on the inside right of the buoys where it is less crowded. I'm not a strong swimmer so I seeded myself a few rows back.

They sing the national anthem and then in about a minute the horn blows. I managed to find myself a pretty open spot of water and didn't really bother to draft anyone, but I know I had a couple ladies drafting me. Didn't have too many issues with other swimmers, but around the corner buoys you definitely have to go into a head up swim (don't do breast unless you want to start frog kicking people behind you).

Early in the swim I had some issues with my left shoulder but they want away after about a thousand meters. After about 2500m I started getting tired and had to just focus on long powerful strokes. For the record, I'm not a great swimmer, my longest continuous swim prior to this was 2100m, and 18 months ago I could say I swam only in the loosest sense of the term, meaning I wouldn't drown if you threw me into a pool.

Coming back into shore there are some issues with sighting and where the sun is, but with tinted goggles it isnt' really an issue, my suggestion for anyone else would be to sight the condo towers and not the buoys.

Swim Time: 1:28:29 | Swim Place: 2187 | Position after swim: 2187

T1

Fast transition, used the wetsuit strippers, already wearing my ride/run kit, so it was helmet on, shoes on, and I was out of there.

T1 Time: 00:03:48 | Position after T1: 1966 (yes, I passed 221 people in transition, thats why you practice your transitions)

Bike

The bike was good, I'd ridden the course once already so I knew what to expect. I also know that there are very few people who are as slow as I am in the water, but as fast as I am on the bike, which is a blessing and a curse. So there was a lot of passing.

My plan was to ride at 180-200 watts, but with the heat I was forced to ride on the lower end of this, around 180 watts, given that my heart rate was getting into the high 150's. I just had to listen to my body and respond to the conditions. I knew that if I rode any harder than I was, that I'd be shot for the marathon in the heat later on.

My advice to anyone would be to skip the first aid station at McLean Creek since stations are every 10 miles, or every 30 to 40 minutes, and you shouldn't need aid half an hour into the ride.

From McLean to Osoyoos is fast with an overall descending profile and usually a tailwind. If you're an average rider this is a good place to relax and prepare yourself for Richter and the rollers, but if you're more experienced or have ridden the course before, you can take a calculated risk and try and make time here since after Richter you're always either climbing or descending.

Richter's Pass is a baby if you know how to ride it. The key to Richter, the rollers, Yellow Lake, or any hill in an iron distance triathlon is to maintain the same level of exertion that you would have on the flats. I'm a strong rider and my ftp is roughly 280 watts, or 3.8watts/kg, and there were a lot of people passing me early in some of the climbs. This is completely fine but if you're breathing is audible and you're riding out of the saddle in a 180km time trial followed by a marathon in 35 degree heat, you're doing something wrong.

Once I reached the top of those hills, be it Richter or the rollers, or Yellow Lake, it was "click, click, click" as I geared up and accelerated downhill with the same effort as I climbed up (about 190watts for reference). Trust me, its a lot easier and more fun to pass people going down hill than uphill by keeping your exertion level on both sides.

I didn't have any issues with tacks and flats, or with aid stations running out of water like some people did. Once in a while I'd see groups of people with flats, but I honestly don't think it was tacks, just rough roads combined with some maybe too high tire pressures in the desert sun, but I could be wrong. As for aid stations running out of water, that really sucks, I only showered myself with water from a bottle once when a lady offered me a bottle that she'd used to do the same (a class act I should say).

At Yellow Lake I saw Shirl, Jen, and Jill in a Tour de France-esque tunnel of spectators which provided a great boost at a challenging point. That was great, and from then on it was one small climb and 30km of descending into Penticton.

Bike Time: 5:44:06 | Bike Place: 467 | Position after bike: 777 | Average/Norm Power: 167/180 | Average HR: 155 bpm

T2

Dismounted my bike, and while I was running it turned on me and I fell on it because of my slippery cleats. Big bruise on my leg, but my ego took the worst of it. Cleats off, running shoes and visor on, sunscreen on, and I was out of there.

T2 Time: 00:03:24 | Position after T2: 739

The Marathon

This hurt. Something about getting off your bike after a 180km bikeride and going to run a marathon at 2:30pm in 34C (94F) heat is mentally challenging. My original plan was to run 5:20km's and only walk the aid stations if necessary but it quickly became clear that this marathon was about surviving the heat.

Your legs never feel great when you start the run in a triathlon and this case was no different. After about 5km I was starting to recognize that keeping my body temp down would be critical. So the plan changed to walking the aid stations and doing everything I could to keep cool, sponges, water, ice, etc.

At the 8km aid station I was kind of a jerk and walked right by Shirl, her family, and some of my friends. I knew they were there and I could hear them, but that was probably the first aid station I walked and I was simply in a world of hurt and needed every last ounce of energy to keep moving forward. After that point though I thought about how those people were there for me and I owed it to them, and myself to HTFU and get on with it.

Jordan and the Tri It crew were about on bikes providing words of encouragement telling me I looked strong. But when I started seeing some of the pros walking I started thinking about how easy it would be to slow down and how much time I had to finish. Then I saw none other than Janelle Morrison, a true inspiration for me, and she reminded me of the wise words she shared with me a couple weeks before, "you owe it to yourself to fight". My pace picked up, and I wasn't about to back down.

I stuck with walking the aid stations, as did many others, it was simple attrition out there, and anyone who managed to run the whole course deserves an extra medal or honourable mention or something. Into town I just kept telling myself, get to the next aid station and you can walk just a little bit, and then I kept telling myself, "40 minutes and you're an Ironman, 30 minutes and you're an Ironman, 10 minutes and you're an...".

Run Time: 4:10:41 | Run Place: 410| Position after run: 470 | Average HR: 162 bpm

The Finish

My wonderful fiancée Shirley, and two incredible friends Jen and Jill were my catchers and I was so happy that they were there on the other side of the line rather than somewhere back on the course. They brought me pizza, pepsi, water, and smiles.

Coming down that finishing chute was like... well finishing an Ironman. You literally have thousands of people cheering for you as you run down the carpet, and after 42km of you body telling you to stop, all of the sudden, you're done. Its a mix of all the bad things you'd expect from a 226km day, completely muted by the relief, exhilaration, and happiness of landing among the stars for just a few brief seconds.

One quote sums it all up best...

“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious”

-Vince Lombardi

Tips for Ironman Calgary 70.3

I raced Calgary 70.3 last year but never wrote up a race report on it, so I thought I'd write up some tips for anyone racing it this weekend. And for anyone not racing, they're definitely still looking for volunteers.

Pre-Race

• Make sure you check out the IM expo at the Westin, lots of cool stuff, lots of volunteers, and a cool place to visit overall. Plus I'll be volunteering at the info desk on Friday from 10am-2pm
• You'll be racking your bike at transition the day before, probably early in the morning, make sure you're tires are below pressure since its going to warm up through the day and you don't need two flats at 5:00am the next morning when you're getting ready to start
• Run through you transitions several times when you pack your transition bags since it is a point to point

Swim/T1

• The water is cold so to be prepared for that, take a pre-race swim right after the wave before you starts
• Its a 6-7am start depending on the wave you're in meaning the air temperature will be a little cool, probably around 10C ish. But don't be tempted to overdress, it should warm up.
• Sight Sight Sight, the buoys are a little far apart here and you swim under a bridge so make sure you've got a good race line when you're in the water
• T1 has quite a bit of gravel since its not a paved lot, so be prepared for that. I wouldn't go as far as bringing sandals or anything since they lay carpet down, but you might want to think about it if your feet are fragile.
• Take advantage of the wetsuit strippers, get your wetsuit down to your waist once you're out of the water and the strippers will be waiting for you at the top of the ramp. Once you get to them, just lie down and let them do the rest.

Bike

• Like I mentioned, its going to be pretty cool that early in the morning, but for most people its arm warmer cool at worst. Last year was cold and cloudy with a high of only about 18C and most people were good with the standard tri tank and shorts
• Depending on your fluid intake and sweat rate, you might be able to get away with just two bottles for the entire course, more likely 3. But it won't be hot when you're riding in the AM, so don't worry about a 3 hour 26C degree ride in the blazing hot sun.
• Pace yourself, follow your race plan, and pay close attention to RPE and HR (power if you have it). There are a lot of rollers early on in the ride that can shut you down by the halfway if you aren't paying attention to your effort.
• Once you turn back south towards Cochrane (maybe halfway through the ride) there are going to be some long descents, take that time to drink and rest and descend carefully. Last year there was a crash here and a guy needed to be taken off in an ambulance. This is also where I lost my Oakleys at 70kph... so if you see them... uh nevermind.
• Coming out of Cochrane is the one real climb on the course (probably a Cat 4 or 5 climb in TdF terms), so just relax, sit up and spin up it.
• After the long climb is a long false flat. Again, pay attention to your HR or power not your speed.
• Remember the bike course is a couple km's longer than the standard 90km, so don't sweat it if you're a few minutes off your usual pace. The prevailing winds are generally out of the west though, and the net elevation change is descending, so that might be enough to make up the time difference.
• T2 is in a grassy field, and your transition bag should be at your rack.

Run

• The run course is absolutely beautiful, so for the first couple minutes use the scenery and the crowds to calm yourself down for the half mary ahead of you.
• You're going to run a few km east, then you loop back past the finish line before you run down into the Weaselhead Valley, the crowds should give you a nice boost.
• Its a steep run into the valley, and once you're down in there its flat and you'll have some good coverage from the trees to keep the heat from being a huge issue.
• Once you get to the other side of the valley you'll have to climb a steep hill, so be prepared for that, there should be an aid station at the top if I recall correctly.
• Once out of the valley you have a few km's before the turnaround. On the way out you'll think you were setting a great pace, on the way back you'll realize it was another false flat.
• Once you're back in the valley after the turnaround you've got about 7km's to go including the climb back out of the valley which is going to hurt but won't last too long.
• After the climb you'll pass by the finish once more before you actually get to the finish. Pay close attention to your pace, and get ready to dig deep. You're almost home.
• Smile for the camera as you cross the finish line! And don't step on the finish tape like I did! The timing mat is *before* the finish arch, so you can stop and make yourself look pretty before you get to the line.

Thats all and good luck this weekend! If you're from out of town and have any questions feel free to email me or ask away! And like I said, I'll be volunteering at the info desk Friday from 10am-2pm if you'd like to stop by and say hey!

Pre-Race Triathlon Tips

I know there are a few first timers that follow my blog so I thought I'd do a quick blog post before the long weekend with some pre-race day tips that you might not have come across yet, or not had the misfortune of having to learn the hard way what to do or what not to do.

Weeks and Days Before

- Remember to taper before your race. This doesn't mean stop doing workouts, but start to reduce the intensity and duration of your workouts leading up to your race.

- Attend the pre-race clinics and seminars, bigger races such as Calgary 70.3 or the Chinook races will put on seminars for things like changing tires, or race day nutrition. These are a great source of information for any level of triathlete.

- Familiarize yourself with the race route, not just the map, but the elevation profile for the bike, you'll want to know how big the hills are if you're racing anywhere in Western Canada. Courses like Calgary 70.3 are fairly straight forward with only one major hill and some rollers. But other courses like Chinook or Banff have hill after hill and its important you're familiar with them so you may budget your energy accordingly.

- Avoid fiber for a couple of days before the race, this means things like whole bran muffins, whole wheat pasta, etc. Sport drinks such as Heed or Carbopro are a good source of carbs a couple days before the race that won't leave you running to the latrine during your race.

- Start adapting your sleep to get up a little earlier. For most triathletes and most races this isn't an issue, but with races like Calgary 70.3 where you have to take a bus out to the start, you may need to be up as early as 3:30am. So it pays off to be a little bit lame and be in bed, lights out by 9pm for a couple days before the race.

Day Before

- Spend a bit of time with friends and family and thank them for all the support they've given you in the months of training before the race. Tomorrow is all about you, and they'll be there cheering you on so its good to let them know you appreciate their patience with your endurance based habits. Plus, taking your mind off the race for an hour or two is a good way to calm the nerves.

- Walk around with a water bottle all day and be sure to stay hydrated through the day.

- Set up everything for your transition at home the day before and visualize every step of the race to make sure you don't forget anything when you pack up.

- If you are racking your bike the day/morning before the race (a la Calgary 70.3), remember to deflate your tires 20 or 30psi. If you pump your tires up to 110 psi and rack your bike at 9am the day before the race when the temp is 10C out, and then by noon that day the temp rises to 30C, you'll show up at the race the next morning with two blown tires from the air expanding in the tire.

Morning of

- Give yourself plenty of time to have a breakfast and then get to the race start. On a side note, for breakfast I generally have a bagel with Nutella, a banana, an Ensure (the one with extra calories), and some water. You don't need to go crazy, you just need enough calories to replenish what you've burned of your glycogen stores since dinner.

- Okay now you can fill your tires up to the specified pressure for your weight. But don't just pinch the tire and figure its good enough! 90psi feels about the same as 110psi and running too low a tire pressure is a sure fire way to getting a flat during the race.

- Have someone help you put on your wetsuit. There is a right way and a wrong way and usually race partners from the local Tri shop will be around to help you put it on the right way.

- Do a warm up swim. Lakes like Ghost Lake or Two Jack Lake can be very cold, so much so that when you put your face in the water, your body goes into a response mode that causes your heart rate to spike. Its important that you get that out of the way and get acclimatized to the cold water before you start your swim.

The Last Couple Moments Before the Horn Goes or the Cannon Blows

- Control your level of arousal. If you're a strong athlete racing a sprint, its okay to amp yourself up a little. Think confident thoughts and visualize moving smoothly and strongly through the water, and riding like a bat out of hell on the bike and run. On the other hand, if your goal is to finish today, or you're racing an Iron distance race, its important to calm your mind down. You should have a plan and that plan is not dictated by a goal position (Ie; top 10 AG) or even a goal time (sub-whatever). You can't control the wind, the rain, the heat, or your competitors. You can only control you, so your goal should be to stick to the plan you've worked out and stay in your zones. Today your goal is to race your own race.

- Wish your fellow racers luck, and smile to your family or friends seeing you off. Chances are you're loved ones may more more nervous than you are about your race because they have no control over the outcome, and they want you to rock it. A smile will go a long way towards telling them, "Don't worry, I've got this one".

This is it

My coach put it best when he said that your A race is your victory lap. You've already done all the work to get there, now its just a couple of hours and you'll have finished what you set out to do. You're already a triathlete, now you've just got to cross the line.

For me the last few moments before the race are like the end of a yoga class. I'm humbled by the number of people setting out to accomplish the same goal as I am, and I'm grateful to the powers that be that have allowed me to come this far.

In the timeless words of William Ernest Henley,

"I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul..."

Chinook Half Ironman Race Report

So last Saturday was the Chinook Half Ironman here in Calgary. The Chinook Half is a local race put on by Mike Bock, an awesome event organizer who puts together a wicked, athlete focused event.

The course definitely more challenging than Calgary 70.3. The swim is a two loop 2km swim in a local man-made lake, followed by a 96km out and back to Kananaskis Provincial Park which is pretty much the entrance to the Rocky Mountains, and the run is a two loop course through Fish Creek Provincial Park which is relatively flat with the exception of the large descent/ascent out of the Fish Creek Valley.

Pre-Race

Pre-race was fairly routine for me. We had a pasta party put on by the event organizer the night before at the pre-race meeting. Oddly enough though, around 8:00pm I started getting some pretty acute pain on the inside of my right ankle which really started to worry me. I massaged and stretched it out through the next couple hours though.

Race morning, got up at about 5:30am. Had an Ensure, a bagel with Nutella, and a banana. Got all my stuff ready and headed down to the race start.

Setting up transition was straightforward and easy, there were huge sponsor posters and no assigned spots so I planted my spot right in front of a huge Subaru sign. Went around and said hey to everyone I knew, the team from Tri-It, and a few people I'd met from previous races. This really helps to calm the nerves and remind you that you're out there to have fun.

The Swim

Water temperatures were 16C, so pretty warm considering the time of year. I did a quick pre-race swim with some fist drills to remind my body to catch strong. Went back ashore just before the start.

The horn went off and out we went. In the first couple hundred meters I definitely let the rush get the best of me and I had to really focus myself and calm down. My stroke and sighting were suffering a bit because I was just too into the hustle. At the first buoy though I was able to settle in and get a good pace going. The rest of the swim was pretty straightforward with the exception of someone who decided they would grab my leg from behind and try to move me aside which almost pulled my timing chip off my ankle and really irritated me. When this happened I started kicking like a madman to let them know that if they want to be a jerk they'd have a grand time doing so.

I'm not sure how my first and second lap compare, but it does seem that my second lap went a bit faster.

Time: 42:42, distance 2.1km (can thank shoddy sighting for the extra 100m), HR 160bpm, 65th place. I wear my Garmin 310xt in the water, for the record.

Transition 1: 3:33

The Bike

The bike is my strong suit so coming out of the water so far back didn't rattle me at all. The first few km I settled into my pace and stayed in low zone 2, so heart rate around 150-155, and power around 75% of my FTP.

I quickly started gaining position and was feeling good in the first few minutes but not long after I realized I wasn't feeling 100% internally. I can't really describe it but my legs felt cool and heavy, and for a little bit I was starting to get a stitch. I started to think about my ankle from the night before and was really playing headgames with myself. This lasted for the first maybe 15km of the ride. The saving grace was that at this time I was also making up huge positions.

Around 30km things started to feel better and the field had really thinned out. By this time individual riders were at least 500m apart. We were starting to get into the hills and I was having no issues keeping pace. I kept calling "left!" to make sure the guys I was passing knew I was coming since I really don't like getting over the line on some sections on that roadway.

Approaching the turnaround I counted about 20 riders coming the other way, but couldn't tell who was racing and who was just out riding but figured I was in the top 20 anyways. Reached the turnaround and some confusion with the guy controlling traffic really upset me so I just dropped the hammer and hauled ass on the way back.

I stuck to my strategy during the bike. For the first 1/3 ride in Zone 2 with HR sub 160 with power about 75% of FTP. Then the second 2/3 ride in high Zone 2-low zone 3 with HR in 160's, power at 80-85% FTP. Its a course with a couple big climbs, and a lot of rollers so the strategy on those was to not exceed 110% FTP on the short hills, and 100% FTP on the long climbs which wouldn't last more than 5 minutes anyways. Over 55km/hr I'd just tuck in and get small. Its a tricky course to get a read on power though since most of the time you're either climbing, or spinning out.

Nutrition also went according to plan, 1 hammer gel every half hour, and finish two bottles of Perpetuum, no need to stop at aid stations.

Time: 2:56:12 for 96km. 3119 ft of climbing. Ave HR 160bpm, Max HR 172bpm. Ave Cadence 92rpm. 7th fastest bike time of the day.

Transition 2: 1:07.

The Run

For the run my plan was run an even split, and try and stay under 5:00min/km. Getting off the bike of course my legs felt heavy and I really wished I'd done more bricks recently but as per usual the battle was mental. My run cadence is spot on what my bike cadence is so I usually motor along just fine. For the first lap I motored along between 4:35/km and 4:50/km. After a few km I felt great.

Todd (my coach) was chillin around the 7km mark and when I saw him I told him he was a sight for sore eyes. I'm not sure what it was but it was definitely a good boost to see a familiar face since there weren't many spectators down in the valley.

Second lap I started hurting. During the last bit of the bike I chugged down what I had left of my drink which was maybe 1/3 of the bottle. Up until now I was aware that it wasn't really processing in my stomach but it didn't start to bother me til then so I settled back the pace a bit and let it go down. Once my stomach started feeling better and I picked up the pace, I started to get a stitch under my ribs, now I was in the hurt locker.

I tried to run through the stitch, and I pictured Macca and Raelert in the last few km of Kona and I remember seeing Macca at one point push under his ribs and double forward, but he just kept running which is what I wanted to do... Then I pictured Chris Lieto who sort of shut down in the run which was a little less inspiring. I had to stop and walk at 16km for about 200m which I've never done before in a half marathon or half IM. Reflecting now I wish I hadn't walked but it was definitely hurting, and I knew I had a good few minutes on the next person behind me.

When I picked up the pace again I still had the stitches but I could run through them now that they'd eased off a little.

Going up the beast of a hill out of the valley I ended up walking once more. It was just one of those hills that if you tried to run it you'd take such small steps someone might legitimately walk past you. And I was completed gassed at this point but it was just a km to go once I reached the top.

Ran the rest in, crossed the line, and made a big smile.

Time: 1:42:45 for 21.1km. Ave HR 175 bpm. 17th fastest run split of the day.

Post-Race:

Had Shirley and a whole bunch of other friends there to welcome me as I came into the finish. I was definitely hurting after the race but most of that subsided in about half an hour.

Finish time: 5:21:49. 2nd in Age Group, 12th Overall! (For the record, 1st in my age group was Grant Burwash, a pro/elite triathlete who won overall).

Big Shoutouts

Special thanks to Coach Todd from No Limits Triathlon who helped bring my Half IM time down on a much more challenging course, by more than 20 minutes in less than a year.

Also Congrats to Keith Blundell, my friend and training partner, for finishing his first HIM ever and who finished strong considering he'd never ridden that far ever before.

Shayne Arseneault, who finished his first triathlon that day and to the second, had the exact same time as my first triathlon.

My friends at Tri-It for being an awesome support team for me and all Calgary triathletes.

And last but not least my wonderful girlfriend Shirley who supports, challenges, and inspires me to give nothing but my best.

Social Media and Personal Branding in Sports

It seems a few of my blog posts have received quite a bit of traffic, specifically those pertaining to amateur level sponsorship and personal branding. A lot of that traffic was spurred by a discussion on the Slowtwitch forums on that specific topic.

I just want to take this opportunity to underscore how great a role social media can play for amateur athletes looking for sponsorship dollars. I won't recap why branding is so important, or how to use social media here, for that I'd recommend you go back to my original posts. But I do want to point you to a really great case study for another athlete who has done awesome to build his brand even though he isn't winning gold medals (yet).

Kevin Jagger is a Canadian speedskater who recently gave up his job in Investment Banking to pursue some impressive goals in speedskating. He's done an excellent job of using social media to his advantage and built himself a great brand with many followers which in turn has benefited him by helping to attract sponsors. A couple months back on his blog he was gracious enough to write a fairly thorough account of how he's done all this and I'd highly recommend any and every amateur athlete looking for sponsorship to read through it.

I mentioned this in the slowtwitch forum that originally generated all this interest, but one of the biggest mistakes a lot of individuals looking for sponsorship make, is that they just go ask sponsors for sponsorship without really bringing anything to the table.

The key to being an attractive individual worth sponsoring is engaging the entire community of individuals who your potential sponsor needs to reach. In one way this means engaging your neighbourhood, your city, your university, to make yourself attractive to local businesses who are the most likely to first sponsor you as an amateur. The next step is to engage the online community of athletes within and beyond your geographic area. Sure this can mean tweeting at the champions, but more importantly it means talking to the masses of age group athletes that companies sell product to.

The best way to build those connections with other athletes both in the real world and online community is to place yourself in the conversation and develop a genuine interest in the training, and achievements of others. Ask others about their training, their goals, their next race. And likewise, feel free share your own experiences, good and bad. You'll be surprised at how many great connections you can make when you realize that the key to building a great brand isn't about talking about yourself, but building strong connections with others.

Recommended Reading:

http://www.longtracklongshot.com

Kevin Jagger's Post on Social Media

Branding, Sponsorship, and Sports- Part I: The Importance of a Brand

Branding, Sponsorship, and Sports- Part II: Know Your Audience

Branding, Sponsorship and Sports Part III: How to Use Social Media

A Few Good Books

As some of you may know, I recently purchased an iPad 2, its not really a life changing device, but in some ways over the past couple of months it has really helped me to start using my time more efficiently. To be specific, I read A LOT more now. Previously my reading material was limited to select newspapers and magazines like Triathlete. But thanks to the smart integration of Kindle to the iPad and iPhone that allows you to pick up where you left off with either device, I am never without a few books in my pocket.

So having read a few great sport related books in the past few months I thought I'd share my must reads.

It's Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong

This book isn't so much about the Lance we know today, but about the Lance that battled through cancer. Cyclist or triathlete or not I would urge anyone and everyone to pick up and read this book. Cancer is an ugly and destructive thing that doesn't discriminate but it's something that we can fight. In the fight against cancer and adversity, no hope is too faint to hang on to, and that's one theme that really shines through in this book.

Its Not About the Bike is probably one of the most powerful books I have ever read and at times this is actually a difficult read because of the raw emotion it elicits. This is a story of inspiration and heartbreak, and regardless of your position on Lance I would challenge anyone to read this book and not be moved by the inspiring story of a cancer survivor who went on to conquer Le Tour.

Bike Snob- BikeSnobNYC

If you're a cyclist, triathlete, hipster, lone wolf, mountain biker, cyclocrosser, or just a person who owns a bike, this is a must read. In his clever and chuckle out loud examination of "bike culture" and it's sub cultures, BikeSnobNYC has put together a great book full of "it's funny because it's true" facts and moments.

In addition to the stories and goofy cycling references, the book actually does have a lot of useful facts for cyclists just being introduced, or reintroduced to the bike. I'd go so far as to say that if you're going into the local bike shop to buy your first new bike in a few years, you buy this book on the way there.

The book is a little like a ride on a rolling course, some ups, some downs, but at the end you were happy that you did it and have some favourite parts that you'll want to do again. My absolute favourite part of the book was when it went through type by type of cyclist, really hitting the nail on the head with each group (Triathletes and Roadies being my two favourites of course).

Born to Run - Christopher McDougall

This was a good book, but definitely one that I read with a big grain of salt. In it Chris talks a lot about, our ancestral evolutionary roots in running, tribes and individuals who still practice basically prehistoric running today, barefoot running, and a little bit about how running shoes are the root of all evil.

The premise behind the overall theme of the book is relatively sound, that human beings are born to run, and 100,000 years ago when we were chilling on the African safari, if we could not run to save our lives then we would be lion dinner. Likewise, if we couldn't run, we probably wouldn't be able to go after our own dinners. But somewhere between the covers of this book, this seems to somehow translate into how we don't actually need running shoes to run on cement surfaces, which last time I checked were not present on the African safari.

There are a lot of great concepts in the book and I do firmly believe that more people running would lead to the world being a better place, but until archeologists uncover a ten millennia old concrete river pathway in Kenya, I'd suggest hanging onto your New Balance runners.

Triathlon Coaches: Part II- Choosing the Right Coach

In the first blog post in this two part series I talked about the importance of having a triathlon coach. In this second and final post I'll discuss some important considerations for when you decide that having a coach is right for you.

Different coaches will have different appeals, meaning that a coach may easily be suited to one type of athlete versus another. Personality and coaching characteristics aside I strongly recommend that any coach you consider have either a strong history of participation in the sport, or a strong academic background in human performance with a degree in a field such as Kineseology. There is money to be made these days in coaching and hosting training camps and there are individuals out there who are looking to capitalize on that fact who may have less than stellar credentials, don't be fooled, read this blog and then do your homework.

[Note: For personal preference at this point in my athletic career I would like to have a coach that has done well in the sport I'm looking to be coached in. However there are some truly exceptional coaches with no remarkable history as athletes in the sports they coach such as; Joe Friel, Bill Bowerman, Ian Pope, Lou Holtz, etc.)

Here are a few important things to consider when deciding which coach is right for you:

Desired Level of Commitment

There is no use whatsoever in hiring Chris Carmichael to push up those watts, or Jillian Michaels to shed those pounds if all you're looking to do is have some one write up some suggested workouts for you. On the flip side, if you're already a sub 12 or sub 10 Ironman and have reached a performance plateau, a coach may be exactly what you need to reach the next level. Your coach's commitment to you should be reflective of your commitment to goals and training. On the spectrum of levels of involvement/commitment you have;

• Free online training plans with literally no involvement from anyone but you
• Subscription based interactive online training plans such as those from Endurance Nation or TrainingPeaks ($10-$100 per month)
• A coach you interact with online that emails or uploads workouts to you via TrainingPeaks or some other software package, and then reviews them and makes necessary adjustments on a periodic basis. This would include Carmichael Training Systems, and LifeSport Coaching ($150/month and up)
• Local one on one coaches that monitor your training via email/TrainingPeaks, as well as work with you face to face and lead group sessions and host clinics ($120/month and up)

All of these options have their own pros and cons. The first two options benefit from being low cost/free, however you only have yourself to be accountable to, which can be a huge factor for some. On the flip side, the second two options have a living, breathing human being looking at your progress and giving you workouts- for a price.

So which is better? If you have the money and commitment, I personally recommend paying for a live coach for all the reasons I discussed in my first blog post. As for whether you should get an online coach or a local coach, I lean towards supporting the local coaches the way I believe its important to support the local bike shop (even if Bonktown can get you those bike shoes for cheaper). But there are some exceptional coaches online and I realize some people may not have access to local coaching due to things like geography or busy schedules, in that case online isn't a bad option.

Area of Expertise

When selecting a coach, ask them straight up what kind of athletes they generally coach. Some coaches focus on getting people from the couch to their first sprint distance triathlon, others will have a lot of competitive sprint, XTerra and Olympic distance athletes, and others will have a nice crew of Ironman triathletes in their group.

Its important you go to a coach who is familiar with coaching people to the distance for which you are training for two main reasons. The obvious first reason is that the physiological demands or a 1.5 hour sprint tri are vastly different than a 10+ hour Ironman. Getting someone from the couch to the start line of their first race can be a task fraught with obstacles that some coaches will be better suited to than others. Similarly, Ironman can introduce stress on the body orders or magnitude greater than what most people are used to, and if you're preparing for the big 140.6 then its best you have someone who knows their stuff.

The second reason to choose a coach who trains others to the same distance as you is simply because you'll likely be able to meet others who are on the same road as you (pun) and this is a great way to meet new training partners.

Know the Coach

Last but not least, its important to find out everything you can about a prospective coach. This is more than just visiting the coach's website, ask members of your local triathlon community, visit your local triathlon shop, check your provincial or state triathlon organization for a directory of coaches, and so on. Most good coaches will want to sit down with you before you commit to anything to make sure their coaching style and your personal goals and needs are a good fit. This is a great opportunity for you to ask questions and learn more about the coach's style and history. some good questions to ask include;

• How long have you been coaching and what are your qualifications?
• How many athletes do you currently coach, and is there a maximum to how many you'll take on per season?
• How many hours a week do you typically prescribe for athletes?
• Where do you fall between high volume/low intensity or low volume/high intensity?
• What classes, clinics, and training camps do you host?
• How often will you review and make revisions to my plan? Weekly? Monthly?
• How do you evaluate my progress? Qualitative feedback? Heart rate data? Power files?
• How do I provide you with my data? Training Peaks? Email?
• How many one on one sessions do we have? How much do I pay for more?
• What races to you typically attend? (if a coach has a number of athletes whose A Race is Ironman _______ then often they may attend as well).
• Can you provide insight on nutritional needs?

There is no real right or wrong answer to any of the above questions, each person should have a sense to what they would like, and how much they're willing to pay for it. Its important you find a coach that suits your needs and can help you reach your goals.

Conclusion

At the end of the day its its important you find a coach who is knowledgeable and adept at applying that knowledge to the needs of different individuals. Its critical that you find the coach who is right for you and that you are comfortable working with. Your coach should be an individual who can push you to excel to your personal bests when it is right for you, but also a person who can help you get through the challenges and frustration of being an athlete which can take the form of a bad race, poor training day, or even injury.

A good coach will know you as an athlete almost as well as you know yourself, so when you find him/her, trust them, be honest with them, train hard, and train smart.