Great local race, even better friends

For the second year in a row, the Sioux Narrows Paradise Triathlon in Sioux Narrows, Ontario, organized a great race.  Dwayne and his crew of volunteers really outdid themselves!  Last year was the first year for this race, which usually brings lessons on how to improve it for the next race season.  It really showed that the organizers listened to suggestions, and I think everyone had a great time.

With it being one of the hottest days of racing, unfortunately some people weren't quite ready for the heat.  Dehydration and heat stroke were problems for some.  The volunteers and EMS crews were quick to respond, and thankfully there were no significant problems out there that they couldn't handle. I heard of a few things that happened at the race, and with the theme of lessons learned, I want to give people a few tips that are beyond the typical checklist of what you need for a race.  As I said in my last post, racing strong is one thing, racing smart is another.

Flat tires.  Anyone who has experienced these know how much a pain they are.  Even worse during a race.  You need to know how to change a tire on your own, and you need to have the necessary supplies with you.  Go to your local bike shop and get a quick lesson.  Many triathlon clubs organize these kinds of clinics.  Or you can even watch a youtube video and change your own tire as you watch.     But you MUST be able to change one on the side of the road during the race.  No one else can help you.

Water, electrolytes, and how much to hydrate.  There are many different formulae out there about how much to drink, what to drink, and when to drink it.  The biggest thing is that you should well hydrated before the race even starts.  You can look back through some old posts, but the end is that you should be peeing light yellow the evening before the race.  As for the race itself, it depends on your distance.  You can look up many different strategies, but the minimum should be 500ml of a sports drink per hour.  You need the electrolytes!  Of course, you may have your own tabs, gels, etc., but I'm just talking about the bare minimum to keep you going.  Hydrate in the days leading up to the race, no alcohol in the days just before a race, and aim for a minimum of 500ml per hour of some type of fluid with electrolytes.  You may still experience problems - everyone will at one point - but you want to do whatever you can to minimize them.

And most of all, have fun.  The group of people you train and race with are the people that will support you through the race.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  The triathlon community is a wonderful group of supportive individuals with similar goals.  Enjoy the race but enjoy the people more.

Ironman Canada - valuable lessons learned

I know it's been a while since I last posted anything on my blog.  Training for an Ironman tends to eat into any spare time that a person might have.  I raced Ironman Canada on July 27th, and the six weeks leading up to the race consisted of training, training, eating, training some more, eating some more, sleeping, and spending the rest of the time with my family.  Thank goodness that my family was so supportive and understanding.  I wouldn't have been able to do half of what I did if they weren't.

So let me talk about the race for a bit.  The location in Whistler, BC, was great.  Great scenery, great organizers, great town.  Everything started on time and I didn't notice any hiccups or issues.  As far as the overall race itself went, I would recommend this one to anyone who wanted a bit of a challenge.  But I would really like to talk about the personal lessons I learned at this race.

I had a great swim, and put out the best time I could have hoped for.  I got a nice kick to the head early on, saw a few stars, but managed to keep moving along.  The bike was another story.  I have Di2 shifters that are good for about 5000km until you need to recharge the battery.  I brought my charger along, however thought that this was not likely necessary and that I would be fine.  I was wrong.  With about 40km left, my battery died.  I had low gears only and while this was fine for the climb, going downhill meant my cadence was extremely high and I couldn't really get enough speed on the downhill to assist with the next uphill.  On one downhill, gravity took over and I ended up catching up to a female racer.  As I caught up to her, the officials gave me a red card for drafting and told me I had a 4 minute penalty.  I said OK, and keep cursing my bike.  My brain left me for a while, and I failed to report to the penalty tent.  I went on to do my run.  The run itself was slower than I had wanted, but with all the extra cadence at the end of the bike, my hip flexors started to bother me and slowed me down.  So I finished the run, heard the infamous words telling me that "you are an Ironman" and went to the athletes tent.   I was speaking with another athlete about our respective race, and when I told him about my bike and my red card, he said that if I didn't go to the penalty tent, I might be DQ'ed.  I quickly tried to find an official to talk about this, and unfortunately found out that yes, I was disqualified.  All that training, the travel, the time.... and I know that many people have been supportive and trying to get me to see that I finished the race and had a medal, that I heard those words..... but it still really bothered me that my times would not be official.  I can't describe the feeling, but let's just say I have only myself to blame for all of these misfortunes and that I personally need to get this black cloud out of my head.

With the blessing of my wife and coach, I am doing Ironman Lake Tahoe in about 6 weeks.

Is this the smartest thing to do?  No.  My body is beat up and tired.  But for my own mental well-being, I have to finish this race season with an Ironman race with a time.  I'm not shooting for a PR and I'm not expecting brilliance at this race.  But I am expecting that anything that is within my control will be as it should.  We will see what happens in Lake Tahoe, but I know that the lessons I learned in Whistler will make me a much smarter racer.

Keeping your bike healthy

If we expect our bikes to continue performing well for us, then their ongoing maintenance is our responsibility. Bikes are no different from cars; if they don't get regular servicing, eventually they'll break! If we take care of our bikes, they'll take care of us! 

You can always take your bike to your local bike shop (the guys at Woodcock Cycle, 433 St. Mary's Road in Winnipeg are awesome!) but if you have a bit of time on your hands, I suggest you learn some basic tuning and cleaning skills so you can do it yourself at home.

Drivetrain: Keep your chain, chainrings, freewheel, and derailleur's jockey wheels as clean as possible. These parts of your bike offer much of the mechanical resistance that slows you down. When your bike's drivetrain becomes dry and gritty, friction is substantially increased. But this is only half of the reason to keep it clean. The grit particles are abrasive -- like sandpaper, and the effect on metal parts is just what you'd expect from sandpaper, premature wear. I've found that when I ride in the rain often, or have let my chain get gritty for lack of regular cleaning, it doesn't last long. Chains are relatively cheap; chainrings and cassette cogs are not. Two new chainrings and a cog set can run you $100 or more and they wear-out fast when not cleaned regularly. Also, you should know that when your chain stretches (actually it just gets longer as the pivoting surfaces wear) it wears down the teeth on the chainrings and cassettes quickly because they no longer mesh properly. Your bike's chain should be replaced every two-to-four thousand miles (depending which expert you ask and how much foul weather the chain has been through). An old chain that does not mesh properly is also creates more resistance and is slower.

Cleaning technique: Some mechanics take the chain completely off the bike and soak it, or use one of those special chain cleaning tools which I find to be more trouble than they're worth. I just spray or drip chain lube on the chain, making sure that each link gets saturated. I lube each link only once, which is about two-and-one half rotations of the cranks. Then after a minute or two, I wipe-off the outside of the chain as dry as is possible. Only the lube that penetrates to the pivot area makes any difference as the lube on the outside only collects dirt. If you don't dry the outside of the chain, or apply too much lube, it tends to shoot all over the bike and make an incredible mess. When you feel motivated and have time, clean the old grease and dirt off the chainrings and cogs. The ultimate cleaning job for the chain rings is to take them off the crank arms completely, cleaning, then reinstalling. For the cogs drag the edge of a rag between the gap or take the cassette apart completely. Be very careful not to get fingers caught between moving chainring teeth and chain.

Check tightness of all bolts periodically: When nuts and bolts are not tightened properly at the factory or a bike shop, they can loosen-up over time. Two especially troublesome areas are the handlebar binder bolt and seat binder bolt. Aero bars put severe twisting forces on handlebars when you hit a bump and often pivot, drooping down. A seat post can also easily slip down when you hit a bump. The only way you can get a feel for the proper bolt tension is to have an experienced mechanic show you. Over tightening breaks bolts, too loose and parts shift. For insurance, I always put a scratch mark on my seatpost as a benchmark for proper height just in case it slips down, or if I have to take the bike apart. Other bolts that should be checked for proper tension at least once a season are: Crank bolts, chainring bolts, water bottle cage bolts, the bolt that holds the seat to the post, and screws that hold cleats to cycling shoes.

Checking tires: Check tires often for deep cuts or any other type of damage. Flats on training rides are a drag and can sometimes be avoided by a quick check a couple times per week. Anytime you find a spot where the tube is showing through a cut in your tire, the tire is finished. If there are any areas where the fiber casing is showing through the rubber the tire is also finished. The third threat is asymmetrical bulges or lumps caused by cuts to the fiber casing; again the tire is finished. I always check my tires the day before a race. I check all of the aforementioned threats and I look for tiny pieces of class embedded in the rubber. Sometimes when I take out a piece of glass it springs a leak. Better for this to happen the day before a race than on race day!

Check Wheels for Trueness: When wheels get out of true they can rub on your brake blocks, or worse yet, on your frame. Wobbly wheels always continue to get worse; sometimes to the point where the rim gets irreparably bent. "A twist of a spoke in time saves nine." Who said that anyway?

Changing Wheels: Always shift your derailieur to the highest gear before removing your rear wheel. This is absolutely the easiest way to do it because it places the chain on the outside cog. The chain also needs to be on the big chainring so the rear derailleur is not wound-up which leaves lots of slack in the chain. With practice you should never have to touch the chain when you remove the rear wheel. Depending on your bike, you will probably need to pull the rear derailleur back as you lift the back of the bike to let the rear wheel drop out. To put the wheel back in, pull the derailleur back and put the skewer end between the upper and lower lengths of chain. Drop the bike down on the wheel with the chain aligned over the outer cog. Let the weight of the bike down on the wheel and pull it back as far as it goes. Clamp the quick release with a lot of force.

Changing Tires: The tricky part is putting clincher tires back on without pinching the tube. It's best to put the tire back on without tire irons if you have the hand strength to do it. If not, then use tire irons but make sure not to pinch the tube between the rim edge and tool, as it will cut the tube. After you've got the tire back on with the tube inside, squeeze the tire and look to see if the tube is completely out of sight. If you can see the tube under the edge of the tire's bead, when inflated the pressure will push the tire upward and off the rim, blowing a hole in the tube.

Rotating Tires: Rear tires wear out in one-third the time of a front tire. If you move the back to front when the rubber starts to wear flat you'll get more wear out of both front and rear.

Keep your bike's frame clean: Steel rusts, aluminum corrodes, titanium and composite bikes just look cruddy. For a steel or aluminum frame, the paint is actually porous and easily penetrated by elements that will rust the tubes from underneath the paint. Grease and solvents can degrade the glued joints of some old-style composite bikes with aluminum lugs. Check inside your frame for water. It's more common than you think for water to seep in down between seat posts and seat tubes if you ride in the rain or carry your bike on top of the car in the rain. Water in a steel frame shortens its life significantly. Remember that a clean dry bike is a happy bike.

Fighting the Gorilla

Winning is not about headlines and hardware [medals]. It’s only about attitude. A winner is a person who goes out today and every day and attempts to be the best at what they do and the best person he/she can be… Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up. So as you go on keep fighting that Gorilla it will be worth the fight.

Stop Doing These 7 Things If You Want To Get Healthy

This is for anyone who wants to start changing there life and health and feel better if your not there yet.



Stop Doing These 7 Things If You Want To Get Healthy 

Sometimes getting healthier isn’t about the choices you're making, it’s about the choices you should stop making. To live your best, healthiest life, try to add some of these tips to your health and fitness routine. 

1. Stop with the excuses.
Everyone has the same amount of time, and to give you some tough love: people who are busier than you are finding time to workout. Do away with the energy-defeating excuses and create time in your day to exercise. You'll feel so much better after you do.

2. Stop skipping workouts.

Working out on the occasional Thursday isn’t going to keep you healthy. Come up with an exercise plan that works for you and stick to it. Maybe you do cardio three times a week and strength training twice a week. Or maybe you'll power walk a couple days a week and swim laps on weekends. Get exercise on your calendar most days of the week, and give yourself one day to skip instead of skipping six.

3. Stop self defeating thoughts.

If you say, I don’t like exercise, guess what? You won’t like exercise. Approach it from a different angle instead. Ask yourself: What exercise would I enjoy? What form of activity will motivate me to do it each day because I like it? Maybe it’s playing soccer with your kids or going for a walk with your neighbor. You have endless options—play a sport, join a gym, take a ballroom dance class, swim, hike, ice skate or rollerblade. No matter what your age or physical ability, there is something out there for you. You just need to find it.

4. Stop ignoring strength training.

You don’t need an at-home gym or free weights to build muscle, there are many resistance training exercises you can do with your own body weight and you can always incorporate good, old fashioned push-ups. Try some squats and lunges. Don’t forget the plank position too—it’s a great strength builder for your whole body.

5. Stop mindless eating.

Pay attention to what you eat and why. Instead of losing yourself in the fridge for comfort, ask yourself what’s going on with you instead. Slow down. Decide to eat healthy first and once your appetite is satiated, you probably won’t be craving to overindulge.

6. Stop avoiding the scale.

Advice about weighing yourself has always been all over the map. Some experts think weighing yourself daily can be defeating if you see a slight increase because of water weight gain, but weighing yourself daily is a great way to gauge how you are doing. Just be realistic about it and don't give the scale permission to determine how you should feel about yourself. Don’t freak out if you're up a pound or two one morning. Just use the scale to track your weight and keep your health top of mind.

7. Stop skimping on sleep.

You need eight hours of sleep a night for your health. You also need it for your waistline. When you don’t get enough sleep, it drives down leptin levels, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. And a lack of sleep causes ghrelin levels to rise, which stimulates your appetite and you get hungrier. With eight hours of sleep, you'll be well rested and more likely to make great decisions—to do or not to do—for your health.

What are you going to STOP doing for your health?

Riding at Lake of the Woods

Awesome Group Ride!

First, thanks to all who were able to come out for a long group ride in the hills at Lake of the Woods.  Second, to those who were not able to make it, don't worry!  There will be more!  It was such a great experience that we MUST do it again!

Training for the bike in triathlon can be.... boring.  In the winter, we spend all this time on our trainers, and then come springtime, we head out to our faithful Birds Hill Park to get some outdoor time in.  The only issue is that one lap is roughly 11km, so if you're looking at doing a 100km plus ride, that's a lot of laps.  Almost like a hamster wheel.  So when the opportunity comes up to get out on some different terrain, we're going to jump at it.

A group of us were either camping or staying at a cabin for the long weekend in the area.  We met up at 'Base Camp' in Clearwater Bay and then started our ride out towards Kenora.  There were hills, there were laughs, there were tears, there was beer, but most of all, there was great company.  With most of the riders training either for the 70.3 or full Ironman races this summer, it was a great ride with some challenges for the ol' legs.  Definitely something that needs to be repeated.

If anyone is looking for a challenging ride, or tips on where you might consider going, or just want to hear how the ride went, get in touch with any of the people in the picture :)  I'm sure they'll have some good stories to tell.

Fargo Marathon - my first 26.2

The Fargo Marathon 2014

My first 26.2!

I have to admit that I was nervous about this one.  Just like anything that you do for the first time, it's a bit of the unknown combined with some healthy excitement.  I don't think I slept much the night before, but I don't think that's anything unusual.  I had laid out all my gear so it would be a matter of getting up, hopping on the shuttle bus, and making my way to the start line.  The nice part of waiting for the shuttle was running into some folks from Winnipeg and chatting about nothing in particular.  It helped to keep my mind off of what we were about to do.

Standing at the starting line was crowded with little space to do any sort of stretching.  My nerves were starting to get the better of me.  After the national anthem and the starting of the race, my nerves were in full force and it took me about 5km to feel like I was into my groove.  I know that there was a lot of music along the way, but I needed to have my own music and run with something familiar.  I had my headset on, but again, this is what I needed to get myself settled.  I did about an 8 min/mile for the first 5km, and then picked it up to a 7:45 minute/mile until the half way mark.  At the 13.1 mile mark, I felt strong and was around a 1:42 split time.  This felt good.

The second half was going fairly well, until about the 20 mile mark.  There were no real hills or challenges to speak of, however I had heard time and time again about what happens to people at the 20 mile mark.  I'm not sure if it was mental or not, but I thought that this was going to be where my wheels fell off.  I had wanted to attempt to run a 3:40 marathon, and at this point, I was running with the 3:30 group.  Seeing as this was faster than I had hoped, I ended up dropping my pace and essentially telling myself that I had time in the bank and that there was no need to keep up the pace.  I have always known how much the mental endurance plays in these races, and at this point my internal dialogue was getting interesting.  Keep up the pace, slow down, your almost there, no you're not, my legs are tired... and so on.  In the end, I listened to my body as well, slowed down a bit, and finished with a 3:40:45.  I have to say I am very happy with this time.

 A huge thank you to my wife for meeting me at the finish line.  She ran the half and met me at the end.  A big shout out to the other local runners who made the trek down for this marathon - there are simply too many to mention!  All of the positive emails, texts, videos and thoughts proved to be exactly what I needed to make it through this race.

What's in a name?

What's in a name?

Actually, quite a bit.

I had the opportunity to do some group training last weekend with a great gang of triathletes.  Some of us were from Winnipeg, others were from Minneapolis, and we all shared a passion for the sport.  We had meals together, swam together, biked together, and unfortunately due to the weather, not all of us were brave enough to go out running together (way to go Elaine!), but overall, we had a great time.  We took over the pool at the hotel and even got kicked out of the hotel bar - but not for reasons that you would think.  It seems that triathletes dress a bit different than regular folks.

At the end of the weekend, Glinda (my bike) and Squirrel (me) felt like we had accomplished a lot.  Sure we could have trained alone at home, but there is something about being with a group that pushes you physically as well as supports you mentally.  I know a lot of us name our bikes, and we do it because... well.... I'm not sure why we do it other than we spend so much time on the thing that it just seems to make sense to give it a name.  It also represents what or how our bikes feel, or how we feel when we're on them.  You have to give the bikes' name considerable thought.  Nicknames however emerge from the group.  You don't get to name yourself.  It's how your peer group sees you and thinks of you, which can be quite meaningful and powerful.  These are the people that you will spend much of your training with, every good and/or agonizing mile.  Once the physical part of you is exhausted, it's the mental part that takes over and gets your training finished or gets you across the finish line.  Yes, there is a lot that goes on in your own head, but the support of others can takes you miles further than you thought you could ever go.

If you haven't already, have a look at your bike and give it a name that means a lot to you.  Even if you don't like your bike and haven't named it, consider naming it.  Who knows? It might change how you feel about it.  Take a look at your peers and think of what kind of nickname represents them.  Note: more than one person has to agree on the name, including the person who is getting named.  I know I have said it before, but your peers are a tremendous support and can make all the difference in your training and in your races.

How Strong is your base ?

Strong and steady training will help you go the distance when it comes to IRONMAN racing.

by Charisa Wernick

Most triathletes have now left the off-season behind and are well on their way to building a base for the new season—if they haven't already begun racing. Building a solid base for endurance is necessary no matter the distance raced whether it be a 5150 or an IRONMAN. Have you ever noticed athletes that fade horribly toward the end of their race? It is possible that the athlete went out too hard, but it is more probable that they had not built up a solid base leading into the season.

Here are a few keys to building a solid base for your triathlon season.

1. Consistency

The ability to string together multiple weeks and months of consistent training yields better results at the races. Training the body to adapt to months of training means that, come race day, the body is used to the stresses from training. This type of "old hat" stress translates into solid race results.

2. Low intensity training

Base training often consists of a phrase athletes and coaches like to call putting in the time. This means long distances in the pool, long (sometimes easier) rides and running miles for the legs. Dirk Aschmoneit, past IRONMAN New Zealand champion and Director of Field Marketing at Powerbar, says that base training, especially for IRONMAN, is predominantly about optimizing your performance around 2 mmol of lactic acid. "What is interesting to observe is that most beginner to intermediate athletes spend most of their time training around 4 mmol, a lactic acid level that is better suited for shorter distances," he says.

If you were to take a stress test (or lactate threshold test), 4 mmol is the point where lactate increases so much that the level of effort cannot be sustained. Many triathletes believe that in order to get faster , they must train at this higher intensity. This is true, but to a much more limited extent, especially when training for IRONMAN. In order to race an IRONMAN fast, training at the 2 mmol level should be the primary focus.

For example, a triathlete may begin the season running a half marathon in a specific time with their heart rate at 165 beats per minute (bpm). After several months of base training, the same distance can be run in the same amount of time, but with a heart rate 10 beats lower. Becoming more efficient and using less effort is a direct result of base training, and is an important aspect of racing IRONMAN well.

3. Building back into training slowly

Base building provides a platform for ramping up training at a slow and safe rate, which helps decrease the likelihood of injury and burnout. Especially if you are training for a longer event, it takes time to ramp up to peak shape; during the base building portion of training you are slowly teaching the body to go longer and harder.

4. Remember to rest

Just because base training doesn't always include large amounts of intensity, keep in mind that rest is still an important aspect of training. It is during the rest and recovery portion of training that the body repairs muscle and builds itself up stronger so that the next time you head out you will be able to go longer or harder.

5. Fuel smart

For longer, lower-intensity workouts, the body is able to pull energy from fat stores more than from glycogen, where higher intensity workouts get their fuel. Thus, base training can be a great time to lose a few pounds. Rather than fueling a long base ride with gels, start the morning off with some oatmeal which provides sustained energy and will allow you to keep the gels at a minimum during the ride.

No matter what distance you plan to race this season, make sure you're starting off with a solid base before you build into the intensity phase of your training. This approach will safeguard you against injury, keep you healthy, and help your race times come down in the process. 

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2014/04/ironman-101-how-strong-is-your-base.aspx#ixzz2zXsVDMHg

Inspire and Admire

These are both words that describe what motivates me in the triathlon sport.  I know that I have been very fortunate to have a flexible work schedule and good health that allow me to train, and I am very aware of others that may have to work harder to get the same amount of training in.

You all inspire me.  

I know that many people in my triathlon community have obstacles, sometimes daily obstacles, that you have to deal with just to get a bit of training time in.  From the triathletes who have overcome cancer, physical disabilities, and chronic injuries, to those who have significant life stressors at home, I can only imagine what you need to say to yourself as you pack (yet another) bag for your training that day.    Those who coach, are race directors, race volunteers, or volunteer your time on boards and committees, your patience and dedication are not only appreciated, but necessary.  It's not something that I'm strong at, but I know that without you, there are no races for triathletes to participate in.  The words "thank-you" are not enough. The dedication you have to the sport is inspirational.

There are also many people that I admire.  When I see a new swimmer in the pool, or a new runner getting their first mile in, inside my head I hear "good on ya."  First, because my coach is Australian :) but mostly because I know how much it takes for that first step.  When I see fellow athletes set new goals and achieve them, I admire their determination and perseverance.  It doesn't matter if the goal is to complete their first sprint, or qualify for worlds, they are your goals and you did it!  I also admire the people at the bike shops.  With your knowledge about equipment, you are the go-to people when questions come up.

As the weather warms up and race season starts, I will meet many more triathletes, both old and new.  The triathlon community is one that genuinely supports one another, and each one of us has something to contribute.  I would encourage everyone to think of the people around them, their own triathlon community, and draw from their strengths.  Yes, you cross the line as an individual, but getting there is much more fun and meaningful when you have a triathlon community that you admire and inspires you to even try.

What is Race Ready?

Race Ready is a modified indoor triathlon that gets people ready during the off season.  For those of us who live in colder climates, this usually means at the end of winter just before we are able to start training outside again.  In Winnipeg, we have Wanda to thank for these.  As a dedicated swim coach and triathlete, she organizes these events to get them ready for the upcoming race season.  This is what you can expect from a Race Ready.

You need to be organized.  Your tri-bag has to be packed just as you would for a real race.  We start early (0500h yesterday) and swim the distances for the event you have registered for.  I was registered for the full Iron so swam 4000m.  There is everything from a tri-a-tri to full Iron, and it is really meant for all levels of experience.  Your time is recorded, as is your T1 time.  The bike is done on a trainer and is based on time.  We all do the same (4 hours for the full).  The run is done on an indoor track, or outside if it's nice enough.  It was just a 5 mile run, but you still get the experience of T2, and running after a long bike.  Again, the whole point is to get you ready for the race.  

There are volunteers who will bring around nutrition, but for me, I really try to be as self-sufficient as possible.  I won't have people bringing me gels and portables on the race course.  It's great for newbies to triathlon, as something like this gets you familiar with what you will need on race day.  Overall, I encourage people to attend Race Ready events, or organize one of your own.  

I thought I would try some recipes from this book and bring them with me on my next Race Ready event.  I made enough for others to try as well.  With the exception of one person (I didn't know anyone could not like berries!) they received favourable reviews.  I made two different types of rice squares - one with chocolate chips and blueberries, and the other with raspberries and mint.  I still don't have the portion size and wrapping down yet, but I'm sure that will come.  Each portion was approximately 175 calories, and had the carbs needed to keep going.  A tasty alternative to all those gels!

Swimming with dolphins

Or rather the dolphins were swimming with us.  And I'm not talking about a tourist attraction either.

I was out for a swim with the local group of swimmers here in Kona.  We were about a mile out and I when I looked up to check my distance, I saw dolphins jumping through the water.  We all stopped and watched them as they went out a bit further.  We swam out to them and watched as they swam beside us and under us.  They were jumping over the waves and making lots of noise.  When I put my head under the water, you could actually hear them talking to each other.  There were about 50 or so out there, including many younger ones who stayed close to their moms.  What a great way to spend my last swim out here in Hawaii.

Just another benefit of being a triathlete.

First, a huge thank you to the Hawaii Cycling Club for putting on the Century Ride.  It was a fundraiser for Hospice Kona and had three distances to choose from.  I did a 62 mile ride with some great people and some challenging hill work.  If you're ever in Kona, check out their website.  They have some great cycling routes mapped out for you.  http://www.hawaiicyclingclub.com

The following day, I had a long run scheduled, and I wanted to head out the Natural Energy Lab.  Watching the Ironman race on television doesn't do it justice.  The hills seem never ending at times, but the view at the turn around point is stunning.  As my friends Robyn and Eric said a few days before on their run, they have a new respect for the triathletes that run the Ironman course.  I couldn't agree more.

All good things must eventually come to an end.  In a few days, I will be back in Winnipeg and swimming in the pool.  I hear that the snow is slowly melting and that a few people are starting to bike outside again.  That's definitely something positive to look forward to.

Training tips if you ever find yourself in Kona, Hawaii.

There is a great group of people/local triathletes that swim in the ocean every Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays.  They swim the Ironman swim course, and have various distances for each day.  They start at 8am, and even if you don't know anybody, I would encourage you to show up at the Ironman swim start and meet some great local triathletes.  If you're shy, it's still good to come out even if it's just to feel more comfortable swimming with a pack.  This same group allowed me to go out with them on a bike ride yesterday, and I know I was on some hills that I would have had a hard time finding myself.  Mahalo!

Every triathlete needs a support crew.  My family is mine.  Even on holidays, they understand the need for my training.  I have the Fargo Full Marathon in May, the Liberty (long course) in June, and Ironman Canada in July.  With these races coming up in summer, I can't really take too much time off right now.  Luckily, Kona is the perfect place to train.  The ocean has buoys with distance markers, the roads have designated bike lanes, and you can't go more than 100 meters without seeing people running or walking.  It's almost as if this city was made for triathlon training :)

  

My bike is on a holiday.
On a holiday in Kona, Hawaii - home of Ironman World's.
Lucky bike.
Of course you can always rent bikes while on holidays, but I generally choose to bring my own.  I have friends who are also here but they can't get on their bikes for a full 4 days after they have arrived, so I'm pretty excited to have my bike with me.
A tip about transporting a bike.  I have a bike box (www.bikeboxalan.co.uk) that my wife got me as a gift one year. If anyone is looking for a good gift for a triathlete, check this out!  Some airlines will charge you extra for sporting equipment, but West Jet Airlines just charged me as an extra bag.  In other words, it cost me a whole extra $20 to bring my bike (one way).  They didn't charge me extra for the weight, but I don't think it would have been too much anyway.
I headed to Bike Works to get them to fill up my tires and give it a quick tune up before I rode my bike.  It felt like I was a kid in a candy store!  They are great people there and know their stuff.  A great find.
I just took my bike for a quick 60 minute ride from one end of Ali'i drive and back, mostly because it was the middle of the afternoon and I was pretty hot.  Tomorrow is another day.

Let today be the day.  Not tomorrow, today!  It might take some extra work and be a challenge to start, but there is no better day than today to start training/eating better/living healthier and happier, or whatever your goal includes.  

Things to do when you're under the weather

.... nothing really.

We have all been there.  The coughing and sniffling, the achy body, and the training program sitting on your counter.  It can be hard trying to determine whether you should train or not.  I have now missed 4 days of training and I'm ready for this to be over. But when your body tells you to rest, you rest, and then get back at it when you feel better.  So for now, I'm resting.

On the plus side, I have been able to catch up on watching some videos and reading more about nutrition timing and foods to eat.  I even bought a new recipe book.  This new one is from the same people who wrote The Feed Zone, only this one is strictly for "on the go" recipes.  I'll update this blog once I have tried a few of them.

Dinner ideas - Doug Hahn, Winnipeg

Dinner can be a tricky meal to plan.  If you had enough good fuel to eat after your training, you don't really need a big dinner.  While many of us tend to have our largest meal at dinner time, this shouldn't necessarily be the case.  You need to figure out what you have done during the day, the calories and fuel needed to complete those activities, and then go through what you have eaten during the day and compare it to the calories used.  Are you over?  Under?  How about carbs/fats/proteins?  But most importantly, how hungry do you feel?  A little hunger is fine, but if you are feeling famished, you need to have a better look at what you've eaten through out the day.

That's my long way of saying that dinner should be light, but enough to satiate you.  Tonight was orzo-stuffed peppers!  Each serving/pepper is 386 calories, 18g fat, 44g carbs, and 15g protein.  They were tasty and perfect for dinner.

Nutrition tips - by Doug Hahn, Winnipeg

Pre-workout during training: How long is your session?

If you are going easy or warming up during the first hour of your training, you can afford to eat a little closer to your training.  Keep in mind however that eating 1 to 1 1/2 hours before training can lead to a really rough first hour.  Your insulin levels spike, causing a short-term dip in your blood glucose level making you feel a bit "bonky."  Try foods with a little more fat and protein prior to long workouts.

Muesli is a great morning, pre-workout meal!

Let's talk nutrition

Nutrition is a key part of training.  I recently found a book called The Feed Zone with recipes that were specifically created for long distance cyclists.  The recipes looked easy, but how things are in the book compared to what happens when I try to make them don't always match up.  This is not the case with the recipes that I have tried.  Over the next few weeks, I would like to share some recipes, my thoughts, and how they can improve my training and recovery.

The first one here is a breakfast recipes.  I didn't read it properly so ended cooking everything at once instead of stages.  Turns out that while it might not look the same, it tasted great!

Greatness!

“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” 
― William Shakespeare, 





http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2JnYcuRW_qo

Polar Bear Run - Gimil, Manitoba

Last Sunday was the Annual Polar Bear Run across Lake Winnipeg.  It's usually an 18 mile run across the frozen lake.  They had to change the course this year due to weather conditions and impassible routes.  You know it's bad when even the fat tire bikes can't make it.  The course was changed to an out-and-back route from Gimil to Winnipeg Beach.  It was now a 20 mile run and the fat tire bikes could only ride for about a mile.  The snow was soft enough that you felt like you were running on mashed potatoes... not great terrain.

About 35-40 runners started out, and while the course was tough, the sun was out and it was a balmy      -10 degrees C.  It was great for the run out, but coming back, the sun disappeared and we were running into the wind.  The course got worse with all the runners churning up the snow.  As if my pace wasn't slow enough, it slowed even more.  My normal pace is usually around a 7:40 to 8 minute mile, but this course had me running a 13 minute mile.  It took everything out of my legs.  My wife was on snowmobile support and kept asking me if I wanted a ride for the last few miles.  I don't know how many times I had to tell her to go away.  What I didn't know was that almost everyone behind me had either left the course and ran up on the highway or got a ride back on a snowmobile already.  With about a mile and a half left, she finally told me that there was only one other runner behind me and that it looked like only 6 of us were going to make it in on the original course.  This was enough of a boost to get me to the finish.

Everyone needs a running partner.
Meet Roxy, my future running partner.
Roxy was rescued from the Humane Society and doesn't really have any experience running with her humans.  As soon as it gets nice enough outside (meaning when I'm training her I don't slip and break something) she going to get some miles in with me.  Of course she will have to work up to it, but given her energy level, I'm looking forward to it.

After a week of recovery, I have to say that it has been a challenge.  I'm not used to having the time off from exercise and training, and to say that it has been hard is an understatement.  Now that the week is over, I can sit and think about how this recovery week has helped me, and I found this statement that reflects what the slower pace has done for my training.  Recovery is just as important as the training, and this can be forgotten.  So now at the end of my week, I find myself relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine with my wife on her birthday.  It doesn't get more significant than that. 

If you are trying something for the first time, or even if you've been at it for a while, finding motivation to get moving and reaching your goals can be a challenge.  No matter where you are in the process, remember that there was always a beginning when things seemed almost impossible.

This week is a recovery week for me, so my training has been decreased quite a bit.  This week is mostly yoga, massage therapy, and some light swimming.  All of this is to make sure I'm ready for the Polar Bear run on Sunday.  Even though my purpose is written out in the form of a training program, it's still a great feeling to wake up and know what I need to do (make sure my kids get to school on time!).   What's your purpose?

An inspirational speech.  Be yourself and love who you are, irrespective of what others tell you.http://www.upworthy.com/oscar-winner-lupita-nyongos-speech-on-beauty-that-left-an-entire-audience-speechless?g=2

Great to see fellow triathletes doing interesting things in the community.  Great job Fern!  Soon you will be leading yoga practice for everyone!

A day off of training today.  Nothing on the schedule except a relaxing evening at hot yoga.

Another frigid cold day in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Thank goodness for trainers and the ability to get a bike session in while indoors.  Our coach really put us through the gears today, but it will all be worth it come race season.  

Great day to be Canadian.  First we win Gold in Men's Hockey, and then an awesome run at the Hypothermic Half Marathon!

Ready for the Hypothermic Half on Sunday?

I picked up my race kit today for the Hypothermic Half Marathon being held in Winnipeg (Fort Whyte) on Sunday.  The weather report doesn't look particularly friendly, but I'm looking forward to running with all the other die hard Winnipeg runners!

Winter is training season.  While time on the trainer and laps in the pool are fine, the cold in Winnipeg doesn't really lend itself to training in the great outdoors.  I'm patiently waiting for the temperatures to warm up.