Kind of a Big Deal

Well hey!
So there have been some pretty important events happening in my life lately...I recently returned home from the Triathlon World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. I got to meet some amazing people and see the triathletes that I have admired for so long from a distance up close. The race itself was very well organized, and I owe so much to the team that was sent with us to make our experience the most enjoyable possible. So before I begin, I want to thank a couple of amazing individuals that I got to meet and know better. First off, thanks to Kurt I, Patrick K, Carolyn M for helping me get prepared for the event, and offering their wisdom and advice whenever it was needed. Without Pierre P and Kim W I would have been starved and sore. Rob and Dr. Kealer kept everyone in one piece, and Gabor welcomed us to his home city with warmth and humor, and made sure our bikes weren't going to fall apart! Simon W, Kyle J, Paula F, and Kirsten S taught everyone of true class and dedication. And of course to my fellow juniors, Matt S, Cole S, Alexander H, Allison H, and Christine R, I hope to see you at many more events and I really appreciated the time that I had to get to know you better.

When I first arrived in Budapest, I didn't know what to expect as it was my first time crossing over to Europe. The grocery stores were limited, but we definitely made due. I had a brief episode of banana withdrawal, but once the store received its weekly (monthly?) shipment of yellow gold I was cured. Throughout the week, we started our mornings with swims at a local pool / bath (smelt of eggs). I opted to bike on the trainer most of the time, since the drivers were a tad...aggressive. The week leading up to the race was rainy and cold, which left me slightly depressed, but a race is a race. The inlet that we were swimming in was also slightly chilly...wetsuit to the rescue (or so I thought).

I got to go for a couple of runs on Margaret island (the guys christened it TRI-land), which had a long single rubber track all around it, about 5.3km as well as three pools and a petting zoo. I would say one of the coolest experiences was going for a run with Kirsten S and Paula F. These were two girls that I had looked up to and strived to embody since I started in triathlon, and here I was running with them!!

Race day was quite weird...I have never raced at 4pm before and so it felt like I had so much time...but it definitely went by quickly.

Here is a quick point form race report...
- positioned in 45th spot, which was slightly to the left side of the first buoy, 300m away
- wetsuit swim with 16C water temperature
- water was so dirty that you couldn't see your own hand infront of your face...and I didn't know where the bottom was!!

- lined up for the start, still waiting to for any news of the elite woman's race, called down to pontoon...hands were quivering a bit at this point

- take your mark.

- go.

- dove in, clean start, took about two strokes then felt an awfully weird sensation on my back

- wetsuit zipper had come completely undone; cold water started to pour in around my legs, stomach, arms, and neck

- panicked a bit

- briefly contemplated the consequences of taking off my wetsuit completely. Not really an option.

- reached the first buoy, was dunked completely underwater, kicked, pushed, and scratched right down the back

- girls kept pulling on the flaps of my wetsuit, and so the flap on the left side got pulled down to my left elbow

- proceeded to swim / thrash about with one arm (some side stroke was involved in an attempt to get my wetsuit back up on my shoulder)

- thank you thank you thank you the ramp finally came and it was time to GET OUT

- short steep ramp to transition, flew through that due to lack of struggling with wetsuit zipper

- got to bike. Wetsuit, caps, goggles, all IN box

- got my butt on the bike, was about 50s back from leaders in the third chase pack

- hammered and tried to get a group together on the 5km straight stretch into downtown where we would complete the rest of our laps and transition to the run

- took the corners aggressively, at one point two girls ran into each other right infront of me and went down...lost the pack for a little bit

- smaller group worked well on technical course; lead group was now a pack of about 40

- maintained time to front pack, made up some time in the last lap

- got into T2 about 20-30s back from the leaders

- shoes on feet

- exited transition in 46-48 position (I have heard many different counts, all in this range)

- ran

- passed a lot of people

- came to the realisation that I was getting closer to the front and that a podium spot was within reach

- kept running

- saw second place about 10s infront of me, willed my legs to push harder and faster, but there was not enough ground left

- stepped onto the blue carpet and the final stretch, paused to take the Canadian flag, and crossed the finish line of the biggest race I have ever done in my life

- saw the people that had guided and helped me throughout the week, and wasn't able to thank them enough

- shipped off to anti doping!

Okay, well I think that is enough writing for now. I will post some pictures soon. Glad to be home. :)

Dunrobin KOS

This past weekend, I volunteered as a bike marshall at the Dunrobin Kiddos of Steel Triathlon. The race was organised by my local club, Bytown Triathlon. The event went very well, and it was a beautiful day for racing. Unfortunately, Michelle Charrier captured a picture of me getting my butt kicked by a six year old. Oh well, there is always next year...

Ketchup

Well, I have had a couple of awesome weekends of racing, and a couple of weeks of not updating the blog. I will try to recap as best I can!

Starting with the Ontario Provincial Triathlon Championships, held here in Ottawa. It was the first ever draft-legal provincial championships to be held in Ottawa, and we owe many thanks to Terry McKinty and Somersault promotions. It was a great race with some of the best weather we have had to date, and it was fun to see everyone from Ontario getting together.

I had a solid swim, sticking in behind Domi Jay and Dorelle Hinton the entire time. We came out on the bike together and eventually caught Angela Quick, making a pack of four. The transitions were clean, and I came out on top after the run, placing first overall and first junior with team mate Domi right behind!

Next up was a tune-up race in the town of Brockville, about 1.5hrs from Ottawa. With the National Championships coming up, it was a race for practicing transitions and getting a feel for putting all three events together. The race went very well and I settled into a comfortable pace, again a well organized race by Somersault. I enjoyed a nice day in the town with my parents, going to lunch and visiting the mansion of George Taylor Fulford, the owner of the company who earned the rights to the "Little Pink Pill for Pale People". It was a sensation in the early 1900's and it is obvious by the size and ravishing decor of the "house" that the family was very successful...

Finally, my most recent race was in Kelowna BC. I travelled to the amazing city on the 18th of August to race that Saturday in the National Triathlon Championships. I have never been to such a breathtaking venue, and the scenery was absolutely amazing! The water in lake Okanagan was...refreshing, but the mountains in the back drop were gorgeous! I stayed alone in a room at the Kelowna Inn; luckily the race site was close and Matt Vierula and his parents arrived soon after me!

I enjoyed some delicious dinners and gelato while I was there...but it wasn't ALL about the food and the scenery!

On race morning I woke up to sunny skies, but slightly chilly temperatures. I arrived at the race site and proceeded to warmup after checking in. Everything went smoothly and I was knew I was ready for a defining race.

I was ranked first and got first choice of positions on the start line. I made the mistake of looking at the very first buoy to determine my spot. The first buoy was just a sighting buoy, and so you did not have to swim around it. This realization came to me as I watched the other girls line up to the right of me, where they would be in clear water and I would have to fight for a spot!

Despite my poor decision, I had a decent swim and came out close enough to the front that I was able to work with a couple other girls on the bike and merge two small packs together. The course was very technical with four laps, and so Hilary Willie, a super strong swimmer who is a monster on the bike, was able to stay ahead of us for the entire ride.

I got out of T2 in about fourth position, and I worked hard for the first two laps of the run to put in a lead. I savoured the last two laps, and crossed the finish line as the new National Champion! When I crossed the line, there was no banner for me...I guess I was just too fast! ;) The race organisers had me run through a SECOND time, this time with a banner and after everyone had finished...I still haven't found any pictures of run through #2, but I will keep you posted!

I got to relax for the rest of the day, and pack up all my stuff, as I was leaving on Sunday for home. Unfortunately I didn't get to take in all of the Elite racing action, but I did get to see the majority of the woman's race. I wish I could have stayed longer in Kelowna to celebrate with all of the other triathletes, but it was time to head home to recover for a couple days and get in some final prep before my departure for Worlds in Budapest.

And that is where I am now! Just a week left at home before my departure. I have been resting and going over some final technical preparations. I can't wait to compete in what I am sure will be an amazing experience and my final triathlon of the season!!

[source]

Thanks to Memphry

This Sunday was our Eastern Canadian Championships in Magog, Quebec. I was lucky to stay in a nice condo on the water...I tried on many occasions to spot the lake's infamous monster, Memphry, but I am sad to report that there were no sightings to document. Apparently Memphry has been spotted over 225 times in the last 200 years. I guess he / she (?) got scared away by all the crazy people flailing in the water.

Anyways, the race went really well. I was out of the swim where I needed to be and made up time in transition to be with the lead pack on the bike. I was feeling quite weak after my sickness, and I didn't quite have the legs on the hilly course. I stuck in and played it safe, taking some pulls and watching for any breaks. I had a great T2 and was off running, so happy to be where I wanted to. Unfortunately I went the wrong way on the run, but I was fortunate to realise my mistake and turn around in the right direction. I had to sprint back up to first, and I was so relieved to have the speed and energy left to do so!

The town was so beautiful and I enjoyed staying there. I hope that I can go back soon...there are so many paths and restaurants to explore. I won't bore you with the story of my two hour adventure in the grocery store...some people love shopping for clothes...I love shopping for food!! They had the most amazing grocery store; oh how I wish we had Metros like that in Ottawa. Or maybe not. I wouldn't get much done because I would be grocery shoppin all the time.

There was a lot of racing this weekend and so I have many congratulations to give out.
1) Domi Jamnicky showed her fitness at the Junior race, coming in third. She has put so much work in and truly deserves this result. I am so fortunate to be able to train and race with her!
2) Sam Klus placed first in the U15 Elite category with some fast racing. Elise Charrier and Alex Maxwell represented Bytown well with some great results.
3) The veteran, Matt Vierula competed in the Elite Olympic race in Magog, placing fourth and getting a chance to TT the whole bike! I don't know how I would ever have done those hills on aero bars...
4) Ryan Cain, newly engaged to a gorgeous blonde lady, stole third position in the Long course race...apparently he was too cool for the medal ceremony and insisted that they mail his cash to him...but he did have the fastest bike after all. I am excited to help him work on his speed in the water. Then he can bring home the BIG bucks, and share some with me. :)
5) Leslie Sanderson and Dave Markin raced IronMan Lake Placid this weekend with some solid results. I am lucky to swim with them on a regular basis and their level of commitment is inspirational. Can't wait to hear about how the race went!
6) Garrett De Jong blazed through the Long course race in Muskoka. He tackled the hills and the challenging terrain to finish strongly....just slightly behind some of North America's better know Pro Athletes.
7) Paula Findlay. Need I say more? Zooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm.

Next up is Ontario Provincials here in Ottawa; the first ever draft legal race to be held here! It will be an exciting race, and we have to thank Terry McKinty for letting us use his course!

No Fun

It could have been the ducks in Pike Lake.
Or the residence at University of Saskatchewan.
Or the red-eye flight home from Saskatoon.
It could have been in the warm water at Mooney's Bay.
Or something that I ate.
We may never know. But it sucks.

On Wednesday night I woke up many times to burps and cramping. I was feeling pretty sick, but nothing seemed to come of it. Thursday morning, tired and still nauseous, I dragged my butt out of bed and off to the pool. You could say that I threw up just as I was walking from my car to the pool. I will tell you that I felt 100 times better afterwards. But the good feeling didn't last a very long time...

Once I got home I had no appetite and the burping was back. Pair that with gastrointestinal problems and you have a winning combination. So here I am, five days later, still sick. Feeling quite tired and weak.

I have done my best to stick with the BRATTY diet - bananas, rice, applesauce, tea, toast, and yogurt. No food is really appealing, but the bland stuff I can usually keep down.

So that has been my week. Hope that I make it to Magog...and that everyone else is doing okay!!

Hot hot heat

I love the heat.
I love the sun.
I love blue skies.
When it is cold, I think of my love for summer.
I wish for warm.

This week I got it. Since Saturday Ottawa has seen highs of 35C. That gives us a overall high of about 43C with the humidity. It has been a little difficult to get in the usual training as the heat can be so draining.

Mother Nature, sometimes you are a little too generous with the sun. But I am not complaining. I will take this over -20C and snow ANYDAY.

Next up, Saskatoon!

UFC at Coteau-du-Lac and Canada Day

Trying to smile after drinking 2 Litres of water for CCES...

I am in serious need of a nap!

So this is much overdue, but I raced at Coteau-du-Lac in Quebec last Saturday. It was a national Junior series race as well as a Continental Cup race, and the set up and accommodations were excellent. I really noticed a difference between the transition zone set up from this year and last year, and it was a lot smoother and thought out.

I arrived the day before and looked over the course before heading over to the pre-race meeting a couple of kilometres away. In the meeting we learnt of a new rule now being enforced in all TriCan and WC races. For the first time ever, we were going to be using a penalty box for any infractions over the course of the race. The penalty box was to be placed on the run course, and the athlete may decide on when to serve their penalty (first or second lap). For those who are curious, a fifteen second penalty is given if an athlete false starts, drops any equipment on the way to transition, touches their bike before fastening their helmet, mounts before the mount line, dismounts after the dismount line, unbuckles their helmet before racking their bike, and fails to put their helmet in the equipment box (we didn't have equipment boxes for this race).

Anyways, I headed back to the hotel for dinner with the team and Andrew McCartney. Then settled in for the night. The race wasn't until the afternoon the nest day, and I enjoyed the chance to sleep in (which means 7am) and relax before the race.

We arrived on the race site with pouring rain and cooler temperatures, and soon learnt that the race was not wetsuit legal. I warmed up and did the normal preparations. Unfortunately, our swim warmup was a little short, but I got in a couple starts and was ready to go.

I got a decent spot on the pontoon, but I wasn't prepared for the blast of the start horn and the thoughts in my head revolved around, "boy, I bet that water feels chilly without my nice warm wetsuit". I didn't have a great start, and I found myself being pushed back as the pack closed in. This is when I received a swift kick to the face. A girl's heel connected right with my right eye, and of course my goggles. I couldn't really see out of that eye and my vision went blurry and white. Sighting was slightly difficult, as was the run up the stairs to transition. I now have a pretty sweet looking black eye...I will get some pictures up when I can!!

Out of the water, I was farther back then I wanted but I knew I had to minimize any damage on the bike. After two laps of working with Domi Jamnicky and Mag Rochette, I was slowly starting to see out of my right eye. It became obvious that there were some effective team tactics going on, and with this being an important qualifying race for Worlds in September, it wasn't hard to understand why a strong team would take this approach.

Once I got off of the bike I did what I could on the run, but I had lost too much time to run to the spot I wanted. Overall, I learnt where I can make some corrections and prepare for the next race!

In other news - Happy Belated Canada Day! I trained a bit in the morning and then went up to a friend's beautiful cottage to relax and celebrate.

Canada Day Road Race

Ottawa Race Weekend

BBQ Set up

Yesterday I woke up to grey skies, but by early afternoon the sun had come out and it was starting to warm up. It was a perfect day for the Great Glebe Garage Sale and the first couple races of the Ottawa Race Weekend.

Matt used his charm to attract the woman customers...

Corey worked out for endless hours in the gym just for this occasion.

Matty P manning the barbecue

Every May, a local community here in Ottawa called "the Glebe" organizes a huge garage sale. And I mean huge. The streets are swamped with people and pretty much everyone in the area is trying to sell or give away their stuff. It is a fun occasion if you are wanting to hunt around for items, but if you are trying to get anywhere downtown you can expect a very long wait. People cross the street left and right and against the lights and at random times. I had to put all of my driving skills to work as I...

1) attempted to drive to Landsdowne park, (fail: they charged for parking and all I wanted to do was pick up my race kit!)

2) find some parking close to the pavilion where the expo was, (another fail: there were cars everywhere and in a humongous Honda Ridgeline I couldn't exactly "squeeze" into any of the convenient small little spots. Parallel parking is also a challenge)

3) make my way over to Kunstadt to help out with our fundraising barbecue (success!: after it took me about half an hour to drive one kilometer)

I gave up on trying to get my race kit for the 10km scheduled for that evening, and figured I would just walk from the store to the pavilion through the crowds of people. Luckily my amazing friend, Jamie Stephenson, went with his pup and picked it up for me!!

Jade and her winning smile


Anyways, the Bytown Triathlon club set up a bbq next to the Kunstadt in the Glebe in order to help raise money for training, travel, races, etc. I am not sure of the numbers yet, but I think we sold a fair number of burgs, dogs, and refreshments.

Cheese!


Also, last night (I say night because the race didn't start until 6:30pm!) I participated in the 10km race here in Ottawa. It was windy and warm, and the course was more challenging then I expected it to be, but overall it was a great experience. Jamie was nice enough to run with me, and it made the 10km go by so much faster!
The start went out just fine (fast, as usual, but what do you expect after we have all been stadning around in a coral for 15minutes!!) and I eased into a comfortable pace. My goal was to reamin consistent, and if anything make the last half a bit faster then the first. At the half way point we have to cross over a bridge and run up the other side of the canal to the finish. It was uphill and as soon as we turned around and started heading back the wind was right in our faces. The wind and the hill took a fair bit out of me, and my last haf was actually slower! I talked to Jamie after the race and we both agreed that around kilometer 7 it felt like the end would never come!

The Elite women left about 5minutes before the rest of the field, and then the rest of the 10 000 people were given the go-ahead. I was happy to catch a couple of them near the end, but I was upset today when I learned that I could have won $350 USD had I had the intelligence to register as an Elite! Instead I got a finishers medal and I wasn't even mentioned in the paper!!

Next time...

I will try to find some pictures of the race to put up soon! Other than that have a great rest-of-weekend and thank you to everyone who came out to support the runners and cheer us on!! It makes all the difference.

And good luck to everyone racing the half and the marathon today. Especially my friends Francine Eastwood, Dr. Francovich, Ms. Chan, Ryan Cain, and Dave M. and any others that I may have forgotten!

Link to the results for the 10km
for the 5km

Congrats to Matt Polson (first competitive 10km race ever!) Matt Vierula (rocked the 10km with style) Olivier Mouyau (possible the world's coolest pace bunny) Jade Gregory (coming back from a hard winter - owned the 5km) Jasmine Labonte (sub 25 woo-hoo!!) and Francis Hupe (our french connection)
And some of the younger Bytown members; Sam Klus (great race at OFSAA East regionals only a couple days earlier!) Elyse Charrier, Alec Jarvis, Pat Smith, and many others!

Ixtapa Photos

The dive from Zihuatanejo Airport to Ixtapa resort destination.

On the shuttle to the hotel- Alexander, Jason, and Greg. (And Tristan's foot)

The most awesome suit ever - Jason Wilson, Barbados.

Watching the Elite / U23 race from close to the aid station.

On the podium...I think I will need a vest of my own :)

Yes, these lovely ladies are wearing pants and full long sleeves as I feel the sweat run down my back in a t-shirt and shorts.

Our wonderful hotel.

Ixtapa, Mexico - PATCO 2010

Well, after a brief (cough) hiatus from blogging I have decided to start up again. Since it is finally race season, I will actually have something to talk about!!

Okay so, Race numero uno - PATCO Pan American Championships. Worlds qualifier. Arguably one of the biggest races of the season. This is one race that determines a lot for the rest of the year...if the swim is not cancelled.

I left on the 18th of May at 3:00am to catch a flight in the Montreal Airport at 7:30am. After checking in, I was on my way to the sunny and warm Mexico City, where I had a 3 hour layover, and then finally on to Ixtapa. We were very lucky on our flight to Mexico City; the plan was almost empty and I got an entire row to myself. Not too shabby!

Mexico City Airport

Coach and his Starbucks

We arrived in Ixtapa and the weather was amazing! Warm and clear skies, perfect for me. For the next couple days we settled in and get used to the heat. It was fun to hang out with Team Canada and get to know some interesting people who live on a tiny island in the Caribbean.

Before I knew it, race day had come. My team mate, Domi, had just arrived in Ixtapa the night before the race, but she was as happy and as optimistic as ever. Her attitude gave me a huge mental boost, and I told her that the sun had finally arrived for real.

Race morning I was woken up quite early, but I proceeded to eat my breakfast and complete any last minute preparations that were necessary. Then, it was time to head down to the lobby and spin over to the race course.

After getting my numbers and transition set up, I headed down to the water to start my swim warmup. I, personally, had not seen the waves that morning, but Domi had been out practicing the night before. All she could talk about was the size of the waves that evening, and speculation about what if they cancelled the swim. I assured her that it would not be cancelled, but I was so wrong!! Kyla describes the ever growing size and aggression of the waves well in her post.

Before I was even down to the beach, they had announced that the boats were not allowed to be launched into the water and that the Junior event, that was starting in less than 30 minutes, was to be turned into a duathlon. We would complete a 2km run, followed by the standard 20km bike and 5km run.

Craig Taylor, the lead coach, remained calm and focus. He called all of the Canadian athletes together and made the new change cleat to everyone. Canada still needed those Worlds spots, but the race would most likely not be used to determine the athletes selected to fill the spots. Some of the athletes, most notably Matt Sharpe, stepped forwards and thought immediately of a team approach. CT assured them that he didn't want anyone throwing their race away. It was really important to see others thinking of the "team" first. They deserve a lot the respect and recognition.

For me, I had a million thoughts going through my head, but I knew that with less than 20minutes to go it was time to change my warmup, reset my t-zone, and talk strategy quickly with my coach.

The race was underway before I knew it, with the men leading out about 5minutes ahead. The first run was really smooth and controlled. I had talked with Greg and he told me not to kill the pace and just settle in. There was no point in breaking away, because then I would just waste my legs and have no one to bike with.

I came into T1 with a large pack of girls, and we proceeded onto the bike. Christine Ridenour and I attacked a couple of times, and one attack of Christine's put a big gap in the group. We formed the lead pack, with four Canadians, two Mexicans, and one lone American. Christine worked amazingly well on the bike, and the grouped worked pretty well together, although there were always a couple girls just sitting in on the back.

We came into T2 where I was second out behind Christine. It was fun to experience that wobbly ache in the legs that comes from a good ride for the first time again this year. I built into the run, and I was in first by the turnaround on the two lap course. I continued to build my pace and put a bit of a lead on the others. At one point I remember telling myself that I had won, and that I just had to keep taking one more step - the finish would come soon!

Overall it was a great race, a great environment, and a great experience. I was ready for a triathlon, but I guess two out of three will have to do for now!

The rest of the day was spent watching the Elite / U23 race and eating a ton at the hotel buffet. Congratulations goes out to all of the U23 women and men, who had to race 2 hours in the heat of the day. Their bravery and effort was unmatched! Also, to the junior men, who like to play bumper cars with their bikes and forget their shoes.

One last shout out has to go to Alexander Hinton, who had a blistering first run and absolutely destroyed the competition and claimed the number one spot going into T1. As we all know, that was REALLY the only title that matters.

After a day in the sun the whole group headed out to celebrate and let loose.

DONE and DONE

Well it is the time of year that leaves a tingle in my head and an overall feeling of awesome goodness...I am all done exams!! I can't believe that I only have to go through this once more in highschool; then I guess it is on to much bigger and better things.
I am excited to catch up on some sleep and rest, de-stress myself you might say. I am really going to enjoy some time off and I am couting the days until training camp!!
And boy do I ever miss the sun. Here in Ottawa cold, windy, and yucky seem to be the prevalent conditions. It is hard to get in decent runs when the wind is blowing so hard it feels like you are standing still. Which happened to me just yesterday... I swear if I had stopped running I would have begun to travel backwards.
Anyway nothing much to update for now (I live such and exciting life... :) just basking in the joy of not having my nose pressed into some sore of textbook!