So this week is going to be focused on recovering from the 70.3 race on Sunday. Yesterday I did a 2k swim and a 60 min spin on the trainer. Today I just did a 1k open water swim at the quarry. Still feeling really tired. My legs are a little sore but they feel completely devoid of energy as supposed to super sore like after a running race. I am going to try an easy 40 min run tomorrow.
It's kind of funny because I really want to hit training hard right now and really start getting things going. I hate how slow my bike is and I'd really like to get some improvements for the bike. I know that to do this I'm really going to have to get out and ride a lot in the next couple months. It really bugs me how slow my bike and run portions of the triathlon are. I was happy with a sizeable PR this past weekend. But I really want to get my times down. Luckily now that the school year has ended I should be able to get out and ride a lot more and that hopefully will help my bike split moving forward.
Another thing I've really noticed is that I'm absolutely exhausted - like just want to sleep all day! I didn't do much today (except get caught up on Game of Thrones) and yet somehow I'm still just completely knackered. It's so bizarre.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Race Report
Well as Trent and I are driving back from Tremblant I thought I'd write a report on the way home. I think I have to start by saying flat out I absolutely LOVE this race! As usual I was pretty stressed out and nervous before the race. It's pretty common for me with these longer distances, so much is unknown and it's a long way to go.
This year I knew my training had been better than last year especially for the run so I was hoping for a PB on the day but realized that the conditions would determine how my day went.The swim as usual was great, I got into clear water right away and cruised to a 30:28 swim time. I really tried to focus on keeping my stroke long and efficient and just keep going. I didn't swim with a
watch so I had absolutely no clue how fast I was. To be honest I felt so comfortable I actually expected a slower swim. So I was pleasantly surprised to see my time after I finished the race was actually 4 seconds faster then last year.
watch so I had absolutely no clue how fast I was. To be honest I felt so comfortable I actually expected a slower swim. So I was pleasantly surprised to see my time after I finished the race was actually 4 seconds faster then last year.
The bike is by far my weakest component of a triathlon as I'm still relatively new to it compared to swimming and running. I had forgotten how hilly this course is. In Ang land it's fairly flat except for a nasty climb on 117 and lac superior. The reality is much more harsh. My legs felt rough for the first third or so of the race. Just heavy and tired. Luckily they got "warmed up" after that and the rest of the race was much better. I got into a little game of cat and mouse with 2 other ladies - when we were going downhill or on flats they would go by me, and the minute we started climbing I would go past them again. This went on pretty much the whole bike so it was a great motivator to not let them get too far ahead... I felt like the long climb on 117 wasn't as bad as last year and the section on lac superior at the end was brutal but the turnaround did seem to come faster than last year. Really its about 4 or 5 nasty climbs that really punish you but they are still doable in the right gear. It's funny because you are climbing and going away from the finish and it feels like there is no way the ride will be 90k but once your turn around and head back before you know it you are at the bike finish and it's pretty much bang on 90km.
In case you are wondering, I passed the ladies I was sort of riding with on the lac superior section and never saw them again so I felt pretty good about that. Although in the back of my mind I was really thinking holy crap how am I going to do this bike course twice in August! In the end my bike was about a minute faster than last year. Even still a 3:28 bike isn't terrible for me, I'd like it to be faster but it is what it is. Lots of room for improvement for sure.
My transitions overall weren't as fast as I would like. On the run up to T1 from the water I had to stop to use the washroom, and in T2 I almost forgot my Garmin but realized just as I was getting to the end of my row of bikes towards the run out so I went back to get it. Then off to the run. I really wanted my run to be better than last year and I've had significantly better training this year than last so knew it was a distinct possibility. I walked up some of the bigger hills but really focused on running between the aid stations and walking through them. I stuck to that plan and actually felt pretty good surprisingly. Towards the end of the run I started to struggle a bit but coming in to the village to finish with all the crowds gave me a boost and I was able to finish strong en route to a 2:20 run which was 12 minutes faster than last year and my fastest run in a half ironman distance race ever.
My overall time, even with 2 bathroom stops (T1 and on the run) and some minor issues in transition was 6:29 which is 11 minutes faster than last year and that difference was ALL in the run. I can't believe in a little less than 2 months I will be doing this course twice, on the same day - but it's so beautiful and well organized that I kind of can't wait to be back (after a whole lot of training of course) The town really gets behind the event and they go over and above to make sure everyone had a great day. Oh and did I mention poutine and beer at the finish line (along with lots of other tasty treats) I mean that alone is reason enough in my books to do this race. Combine that with an incredible atmosphere, stunning venue and incredible support and of course being there with awesome C3 teammates, and it's an experience that is hard to beat!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!
Ok - so it's 10:10pm the night before Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant and I as per usual am FREAKING OUT. I don't know why - but all I can think is what in God's name was I thinking? 70.3 miles ahead of me tomorrow and the easy part (the swim) is over so fast it's insane. I know - once I get out there it will be fun - but it's crazy how freaked out I get the night before a big race. I mean seriously - I rode 135k 2 weeks ago which included some serious hills, and I rode 130k a few weeks before that as well. Yet I still feel like I haven't done enough. And then in the back of my mind - how am I going to get through a full Ironman in 7 weeks…7 WEEKS!!!!!
This morning we were up pretty early to get a short bike and run in before checking in and picking up our race kits. My legs felt pretty rough on the bike, the run felt ok but not stellar. But I didn't eat anything before heading out so I'm thinking that might have been part of the problem. I'm just hoping they feel better in the morning or it will be a loooooooong day. The check in process was smooth - had to wait in a long line to get in to get our race kits, but once inside the volunteers were lovely and the process went quickly.
As per usual - got swept up in the Ironman expo/gear tent - but behaved myself fairly well in there. It's amazing how much cool stuff they have and I always want it all!!! Although I guess that's the idea at the end of the day. A lot of stuff will be here in August when I'm back for the full Ironman race, so I didn't go too crazy getting anything and everything that has the IM logo on it. Not an easy thing to do that is for sure. I tried to stay off my feet as much as possible - did pretty well with that for the most part.
Now after a fantastic dinner I'm trying to calm myself down and relax, mothers little helper tea and some rescue remedy aren't helping. Maybe I need more… and my stomach is just in nervous knots. I am trying to remind myself that I've done a lot of training and things will be fine but it's really hard. Hopefully tomorrow morning once I hit the water (@ 8:04am) I will relax and settle into a groove and just keep plugging away until the race is done. I'm always shocked at how quickly the race goes by - one mile at a time, and before you know it - there it is, the illusive finish line. And MAN is that ever a rush when it FINALLY comes into view :) Will be nice to see friends and teammates on the race course and I have to keep reminding myself that I actually do enjoy it - but for some reason the night before the race that seems like an impossible task.
Signing off now - fingers crossed I get some sleep today :)
This morning we were up pretty early to get a short bike and run in before checking in and picking up our race kits. My legs felt pretty rough on the bike, the run felt ok but not stellar. But I didn't eat anything before heading out so I'm thinking that might have been part of the problem. I'm just hoping they feel better in the morning or it will be a loooooooong day. The check in process was smooth - had to wait in a long line to get in to get our race kits, but once inside the volunteers were lovely and the process went quickly.
As per usual - got swept up in the Ironman expo/gear tent - but behaved myself fairly well in there. It's amazing how much cool stuff they have and I always want it all!!! Although I guess that's the idea at the end of the day. A lot of stuff will be here in August when I'm back for the full Ironman race, so I didn't go too crazy getting anything and everything that has the IM logo on it. Not an easy thing to do that is for sure. I tried to stay off my feet as much as possible - did pretty well with that for the most part.
Now after a fantastic dinner I'm trying to calm myself down and relax, mothers little helper tea and some rescue remedy aren't helping. Maybe I need more… and my stomach is just in nervous knots. I am trying to remind myself that I've done a lot of training and things will be fine but it's really hard. Hopefully tomorrow morning once I hit the water (@ 8:04am) I will relax and settle into a groove and just keep plugging away until the race is done. I'm always shocked at how quickly the race goes by - one mile at a time, and before you know it - there it is, the illusive finish line. And MAN is that ever a rush when it FINALLY comes into view :) Will be nice to see friends and teammates on the race course and I have to keep reminding myself that I actually do enjoy it - but for some reason the night before the race that seems like an impossible task.
Signing off now - fingers crossed I get some sleep today :)
Friday, June 20, 2014
Here we go...
Well - I've been pretty lax about posting on here - but I'm sitting here waiting for a friend to pick me up. We are heading to Mont Tremblant today as the Half Ironman is Sunday. Still a little shocked at how fast this came up. But I think I'm ready. The ride to conquer cancer was a big confidence boost and then Wednesday I went out for what was supposed to be a 50k easy ride. Well - that ended up being a 65k hammerfest. But I rode pretty well and felt pretty good the whole time. The only mistake I made was not having enough nutrition. I should have thrown some infinit into a couple bottles - all I had was water, which funny enough I refilled when we stopped at the bakery in Erin - and left the bottle behind. So that sucked. But I still rode pretty well - just have to take it as lesson learned ALWAYS have nutrition as a back up for when things don't go as planned.
As usual - I'm all packed for Tremblant - but probably overdid it. I always take too much stuff. I probably shouldn't worry though - I mean it's only Quebec and while things are stupidly overpriced at Tremblant resort there are places not too far away where I could get pretty much anything I need. And with the expo and tri related stuff wouldn't be a problem to pick up either!
I'm excited about the race, looking forward to seeing how things go. I think my biggest goal is to run more then I did last year. I really struggled during the run last year so if I can get it done faster I'll be really happy. I really love this race, I mean the organization is unreal. And it's only the third year for it. The crazy thing is it's gone from a new race to one of the best run - most popular races in the Ironman brand circuit. Part of me is still shocked that in 7 weeks I'll be doing my first full Ironman at one of the best races out there! Pretty cool that not only is it Canadian - but only a 7 or 8 hour drive away.
Looking forward to getting up to Tremblant and getting settled in, checked in and ready to race! EEK!!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Busy, busy, busy
Well - it's been a little crazy lately. The ride to conquer cancer was great weekend, but no rest for the wicked. Ironman is still looming, and getting closer and closer in the distance - and that is scary. Whats even crazier is that the Mt Tremblant 70.3 is NEXT weekend! Holy cow!!!! This week was interesting training wise. I worked (teaching) every tay this week so it was a tough to get all my training in. Luckily I'm resting a bit for next weekend. But Sean really wanted me to get out for a 90 min run on Tuesday which I did. Can't say I'm running fast but 90 min was really comfortable. I ended up going for an easy 45km bike ride yesterday (Saturday) with Doug. It was nice to get out - hit some pretty decent sized hills on the way to the Spirit Tree and actually felt pretty good going up them. Today I met up with some training buddies and ran another 90 min. It was a pretty slow run but I have to remember that it's all time on my feet. The reality is that even slow running is faster then walking so I'm hoping next weekend to run more of the run then I walk.
I'm actually not worried about the bike for once, as I know my bike training has been pretty solid. Having already done 2 130+km bike rides fairly recently the 90k bike next weekend is really not at all intimidating. Especially since last weekend we hit Sydenham Rd somewhere around 110k into the ride. I'm pretty sure that hill is far worse then what I'll face in Tremblant so I'm feeling pretty good about it. I've been using my Infinit nutrition and so far so good. No tummy issues and given that I used it all last weekend, especially on the long day and felt strong the whole time. I think I've found a winner.
The school year is coming to a close so training will really be ramping up as I will have more time without 2 jobs to fit in. I just can't believe how fast the time is going! Yikes!
I'm actually not worried about the bike for once, as I know my bike training has been pretty solid. Having already done 2 130+km bike rides fairly recently the 90k bike next weekend is really not at all intimidating. Especially since last weekend we hit Sydenham Rd somewhere around 110k into the ride. I'm pretty sure that hill is far worse then what I'll face in Tremblant so I'm feeling pretty good about it. I've been using my Infinit nutrition and so far so good. No tummy issues and given that I used it all last weekend, especially on the long day and felt strong the whole time. I think I've found a winner.
The school year is coming to a close so training will really be ramping up as I will have more time without 2 jobs to fit in. I just can't believe how fast the time is going! Yikes!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Ride to conquer cancer weekend…
So this past weekend was a huge one for a few reasons. It was my third time doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer. And as in years past it was an amazing weekend.
Day 1 started in Toronto at Ontario Place and Ended in Hamilton at Mohawk College (camp). The ride starts off innocently enough but with the Ironman forever on my mind I had planned to do the longer ride (125k) to help boost my ride milage. Louis (our team captain) and Jason and I made the turn fairly early on and were on our way to 125k. It took us through some side roads, through mississauga and milton where we started to get into the fun of rolling hills. We stopped at all the rest stops but not for long as we were on a pretty decent pace and wanted to keep things rolling. Unfortunately because I stupidly left my bike computer at home I really don't have details on timing and milage (oops). We kept pushing along, encountering some pretty nasty hills including one which looked like a wall that went straight up. Luckily it wasn't overly long but ouch that one hurt. Once we got to the hamilton area at around 100k Louis, Jason and I decided to go for the extra 10km "Hill Challenge" which was a new addition to the party this year. It started with a quick uphill (not too bad) then just seemed to go down, down… uh oh… down some more. Until we made a right hand turn at the bottom of Sydenham Rd. And up, up, up we went - WOW! It was about 3k long (I'm guessing) and pretty nasty steep. I was literally in my easiest gear and still slogging along. Apparently Clara Hughes used to do 15 hill repeats on that road in a much heavier gear - clearly the girl is superhuman. I was really happy after a long day of riding to make it to the top of that climb without having to walk. It's a pretty big deal for me thats for sure. We were rewarded for all that hard work, by getting to go down a nice fun and fast downhill section afterwards, and then - on to Hamilton Mountain. We did the Hamilton Mountain climb last year and while it is long, it's really not very steep so as long as you are careful with your gearing it's pretty manageable. Lots of climbing late in the day has me feeling pretty good about Ironman :)
I also tried out my Infinit nutrition for the first time, and honestly I felt great. Still ate a gluten free sandwich at lunch, but other then that it was all liquid and I had plenty of energy the whole day. So happy with that!!!! I felt awesome, and I was literally cheering people on as I passed them the whole day. Such a fun experience and great training as well.
Camp as usual is a lot of fun, it's great to cheer on teammates as they finish, and then enjoy the food and drinks at the camp site. Lots of great bonding and just fun in general. Then… on to day 2 of the ride. They changed the route this year and it was 113k instead of 100k. The good news is it's far less hilly then day one so really not as bad. There are still some hills, but a lot of them come after a nice downhill which allows you to get some good speed going on which will carry you up most of the hill before actually having to pedal again. We ride as a team on day 2 - but I ended up getting separated from them. Just after the lunch stop, we were all getting ready to head out, so I got on my bike and started pedalling with everyone just behind me (I assumed) doing the same thing. So I started riding, and realized that my teammates weren't with me. Eventually I stopped at the side of the road and waited, eventually calling my teammates. Turned out one of them had a bit of an accident and thats why they were so far behind me. Thankfully Patrick ended up riding up to meet me and we ended up riding the rest of the route (up until the last rest stop) together. We rode at a decent clip and ended up stopping at a random restaurant for a beer! We ended up literally having about an hour to kill before our teammates caught us. It was random and kind of awesome. When we headed out of the bar - we literally just watched our team ride past. It was kind of funny - but we caught up quickly and before long were at the last stop waiting to ride the last 19k with our entire team. We rode slow and together and stopped about 1km from the finish to get into a nice formation and ride across together. It was just an amazing weekend. I got a lot of great riding in and as a whole we raised over $20 million for the Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer foundation. Just a great cause, a great event and an incredible team!!!!
Day 1 started in Toronto at Ontario Place and Ended in Hamilton at Mohawk College (camp). The ride starts off innocently enough but with the Ironman forever on my mind I had planned to do the longer ride (125k) to help boost my ride milage. Louis (our team captain) and Jason and I made the turn fairly early on and were on our way to 125k. It took us through some side roads, through mississauga and milton where we started to get into the fun of rolling hills. We stopped at all the rest stops but not for long as we were on a pretty decent pace and wanted to keep things rolling. Unfortunately because I stupidly left my bike computer at home I really don't have details on timing and milage (oops). We kept pushing along, encountering some pretty nasty hills including one which looked like a wall that went straight up. Luckily it wasn't overly long but ouch that one hurt. Once we got to the hamilton area at around 100k Louis, Jason and I decided to go for the extra 10km "Hill Challenge" which was a new addition to the party this year. It started with a quick uphill (not too bad) then just seemed to go down, down… uh oh… down some more. Until we made a right hand turn at the bottom of Sydenham Rd. And up, up, up we went - WOW! It was about 3k long (I'm guessing) and pretty nasty steep. I was literally in my easiest gear and still slogging along. Apparently Clara Hughes used to do 15 hill repeats on that road in a much heavier gear - clearly the girl is superhuman. I was really happy after a long day of riding to make it to the top of that climb without having to walk. It's a pretty big deal for me thats for sure. We were rewarded for all that hard work, by getting to go down a nice fun and fast downhill section afterwards, and then - on to Hamilton Mountain. We did the Hamilton Mountain climb last year and while it is long, it's really not very steep so as long as you are careful with your gearing it's pretty manageable. Lots of climbing late in the day has me feeling pretty good about Ironman :)
I also tried out my Infinit nutrition for the first time, and honestly I felt great. Still ate a gluten free sandwich at lunch, but other then that it was all liquid and I had plenty of energy the whole day. So happy with that!!!! I felt awesome, and I was literally cheering people on as I passed them the whole day. Such a fun experience and great training as well.
Camp as usual is a lot of fun, it's great to cheer on teammates as they finish, and then enjoy the food and drinks at the camp site. Lots of great bonding and just fun in general. Then… on to day 2 of the ride. They changed the route this year and it was 113k instead of 100k. The good news is it's far less hilly then day one so really not as bad. There are still some hills, but a lot of them come after a nice downhill which allows you to get some good speed going on which will carry you up most of the hill before actually having to pedal again. We ride as a team on day 2 - but I ended up getting separated from them. Just after the lunch stop, we were all getting ready to head out, so I got on my bike and started pedalling with everyone just behind me (I assumed) doing the same thing. So I started riding, and realized that my teammates weren't with me. Eventually I stopped at the side of the road and waited, eventually calling my teammates. Turned out one of them had a bit of an accident and thats why they were so far behind me. Thankfully Patrick ended up riding up to meet me and we ended up riding the rest of the route (up until the last rest stop) together. We rode at a decent clip and ended up stopping at a random restaurant for a beer! We ended up literally having about an hour to kill before our teammates caught us. It was random and kind of awesome. When we headed out of the bar - we literally just watched our team ride past. It was kind of funny - but we caught up quickly and before long were at the last stop waiting to ride the last 19k with our entire team. We rode slow and together and stopped about 1km from the finish to get into a nice formation and ride across together. It was just an amazing weekend. I got a lot of great riding in and as a whole we raised over $20 million for the Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer foundation. Just a great cause, a great event and an incredible team!!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Oops...
Ok well a bit of a lapse in posts. What can I say it happens. Last week wasn't a great week for training, I got a few runs in, a swim… but didn't get on my bike at all. It happens I guess - weather, and a super busy schedule will do that. I managed to get in a nice 90 min trail run with Kim on Sunday - so that was a positive. Oh and my new nutrition stuff came. I'm going with a company called Infinit they do custom blends for people depending on needs and body type etc. I took it with me on my 90 min run on Sunday, and actually quite enjoyed it. Granted it wasn't a super long workout, but still felt like I had energy the whole time and never felt like I really needed to eat or take on calories as I was taking a drink every 15-20min or so. Of court that will be strategy on the bike as well, so I'm actually really looking forward to testing it out on my next ride! I'm also going to use it for the ride to conquer cancer which is coming up this weekend. The good news is that means 200+ km of riding which is awesome for training :) The 130k ride i did a few weeks ago has boosted my confidence heading into the RTCC as well as Mt Tremblant 70.3 which is only a few weeks away! EEEK - it's crazy how fast time is going. I'm excited about riding again with my friends and supporting a fantastic cause this weekend though so that is the big focus for this week.
As for today I got up and went to the pool as it was raining when I woke up so I opted out of hitting the quarry for my first open water swim of the year. I did the workout my coach had put into my plan which was 2,500m. Felt ok, little slow. It's really tough, at least for me, to swim by myself. Without my swim buddies to motivate me I find it hard to get amped up for the workout. Just a short run planned for later today. Not sure yet when I'll go out and get it done, but kinda glad it's nothing big and daunting today. Because I didn't get called in for a supply teaching job today, I figured I would have to take advantage and go to the pool to swim, and now I think a nap before hitting the road for a run.
Always nice when you can have a nap :)
As for today I got up and went to the pool as it was raining when I woke up so I opted out of hitting the quarry for my first open water swim of the year. I did the workout my coach had put into my plan which was 2,500m. Felt ok, little slow. It's really tough, at least for me, to swim by myself. Without my swim buddies to motivate me I find it hard to get amped up for the workout. Just a short run planned for later today. Not sure yet when I'll go out and get it done, but kinda glad it's nothing big and daunting today. Because I didn't get called in for a supply teaching job today, I figured I would have to take advantage and go to the pool to swim, and now I think a nap before hitting the road for a run.
Always nice when you can have a nap :)
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