Wednesday April 13, 2011  at 6:30 pm, Foot Tools will be hosting a wetsuit night at their store in Burlington. Location and directions click here.

There will be special discounts on wetsuits, running shoes, easy laces etc.  Free Body Glide to anyone who purchases a wetsuit. Swim hoodies and booties for cold water swimming will also be available.  Light refreshments will also be served.

Steve Fleck from Nineteen Wetsuits will be on hand to discuss and assist with proper wetsuits fitting.  He will have a demo fleet of suits to try on.  Foot Tools has wetsuits for rent and for sale during the triathlon season.  More info can be found here.

As the year comes to an end, there are a couple things I think every athlete should do before the new year begins.

Celebrate

You need to celebrate your success and achievements.  When doing this you should not compare yourself to others but to yourself.  What were you doing 1 year ago?  Maybe you had only run 10km at that time and now you have run 3 Half-marathons?  Maybe competing in a triahlon was not even on your radar but now you have completed a Try-a-Tri, Sprint and Olympic distance events? Were you just learning to swim and now you have not only completed a 2000 meter swim in a lake with 3000 other people, you also completed your first half -distance triathlon?  Were you 60 pounds overweight and not doing a lot of activity but now you have learned to regulate your diet, began exercising and feeling damn good about yourself?  Did you sign up for an Ironman and put your heart and soul into the training and lifestyle to come away on race day with a top 10 age-group finish, in one of the toughest race conditions and venues on the planet?  Were you working out with no real goals in mind but now you are training with a purpose towards a goal?  If you answered yes, to any of these questions you are just like a few of the athletes I have coached over the past year.  You need to celebrate.  Go out with friends and training partners.  Treat yourself to a new piece of training and racing equipment or apparel.  Last but not least, thank your loved ones who supported you through this past year and helped you make lifestyle changes and reach your goals.

Reflect

This process can be tough but with the guidance of a coach and sometimes a hard look in the mirror this may be the best thing you do going into the new year.  Once you have a had a little down time, reflect back on your training and racing from the past year.  Where can you make improvements?  Were you consistent with your training or do you binge train just before a race?  Do you have one sport that you dislike so you substitute or skip those workouts?  Do you bike and run at the same pace and complete the same routes over and over again?  Do you need a bike fit?  Is your core weak and holding you back in the pool or on the bike or during the run?  Are you looking at different race goals for 2011 and need to adjust your training for those events? If you answered yes to any of these questions  then now is the time to rectify the situation.  Use this time of the year to improve yourself.  Make an appointment for a bike fit, set training routines, hire a coach, incorporate drills into your workouts, explore new routes, join friends or training groups, surround yourself with great people, remove temptations from your pantry or fridge, or break bad habits.  It will be tough, no one said it was easy.  Going outside you comfort zone takes patience and self discipline.  Focus on one or two things at time and have a few mini goals that help you achieve your main goal.  No matter what you decide, self improvement can motivate you into the new year where you will be challenged by your new goals and rewarded with self fulfillment and hopefully faster race times.

For some of my thoughts on goal setting read my Goal Setting 101 post from May 2010 by clicking here.

For some fun facts on Goal Attainment see my post by clicking here

Happy training and holiday’s.

Greg Stobbart Memorial Ride

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

Kelso Conservation Area,
5234 Kelso Road, Milton ON, L9T 2X7

Ride begins at 10am, rain or shine. Late registration opens at 8:30am.

Individual Fees (HST applies from July 1st, 2010):
$85.00 – Adults
$42.00 – Riders between the ages of 10 and 14
FREE – Children under 10

Family Fees (HST applies from July 1st, 2010):
$170 – Two adults per registration form, plus up to 4 children between the ages of 10 and 14. Adults must accompany the children on the ride.

Registration Now Open:All proceeds go to support the Share the Road Cycling Coalition. Late registration opens at 8:30am (cash only please).

Greg’s Ride includes:

• Your ride(s) – well marked, with ride marshals, police presence and a short stop at the scene of Greg’s accident; Ride distances of 30, 60 or 120 km.
• A custom designed Share The Road Cycling jersey (Adults) or organic cotton T-shirt (Children)
• Pre-ride refreshments and water along the route
• Post ride BBQ
• Other “goodies” in each rider’s bag.
• A chance to buy tickets to win a Aquila Road Bike!

For more info: http://www.sharetheroad.ca/greg-s-ride-p128029

The Bracebridge Half Iron Distance Triathlon was the Provincial Long Course Championships and an ITU World Long Course Qualifier.  A couple appealing prizes for many age-grouper’s, including myself.

The day started very early with a 4:40AM departure from Milton.  I arrived, checked in, set-up transition, went for a warm-up run then began putting on my wetsuit.  It was at this point the race director was informing us about the bike course.  He mentioned lots of car traffic, lots of pot holes, and the rain that was expected but he also mentioned that he personally had marked the road with bright orange spray paint to where hazards were on the road.   After that it was into the river for warm-up at about the same time the rain began to fall.  It was a very friendly mass start and after the first buoy I was swimming in clear water.  I exited 3rd and was off to transition, later to find out that the 2nd place person was only in the Swim-Bike race.

The bike portion was an out and back.  As we headed out it was raining pretty hard however the further we got out-of-town the less it was coming down although the roads were very wet which made me a little hesitant.  My plan was to take it easy for the first 10 minutes to let my HR settle and then to be conservative with my power numbers until the turnaround.  I was determined to ride back into T2 fast with good strong power numbers (a training focus since Welland).  Within the first section of the race I let a few competitors go by me, deciding to stick with my plan thinking I’ll either catch them or they are just faster than me.  The discipline needed for a long day of racing.  I was sitting in 5th spot at the first aid station about 30 km into the ride when I slowed to take a bottle when another competitor went by me.  Very soon after the road turned nasty,  lots of pot holes and turtle shells, with orange spray paint everywhere.  Meanwhile the road was wet and was going up, down, turning left then right.  I was patient, I got out of my aerobars, watched my numbers and settled in to get through it.  And then it happened……

As I came around a downhill corner I saw a bike in the middle of the road and an athlete badly injured.  This was one of those situations that life throws at you and you have to make an instant decision.  There was no doubt in my mind what I had to do so I carefully slowed my bike down negotiating the wet bumpy roads.  I jumped off my bike and began having flashbacks to my own crash, a year ago while training, and the horrible crash in Welland, a little over a month ago.  Thankfully the person was conscious and I could talk to them.  Covered mainly in road rash the only part that looked real bad was a laceration on their chin.  I grabbed the bike from the middle of the road just before a car came by.  The driver said he saw the police officer at the end of the road so he went back to notify them of our situation and then thankfully returned to tell us he did it.   As time went by, I began getting worried, as the person was getting cold.  We were very relieved when the race support car finally arrived.  I knew it had been a while but was very disappointed to see after the race (from my bike computer) that it had taken over 20 minutes for help to arrive.

I made the decision to continue with my race.  Back in the saddle I began pedaling to get myself warm.  I decided that I could still meet my objectives during the bike portion as my PowerTap data would tell me what I needed to know not the official race results.  After another 10 minute warm-up I settled in and began to ride through the field of racers.  I passed many people and felt stronger and stronger as the race went on although the hard rain returned.  I transitioned quickly and headed out for the run.  My pace was consistent, nutrition was bang on, all the while a torrential downpour soaked everyone involved in the race.  I finished with a smile on my face knowing that I put in a great effort and having the satisfaction that I was able to assist a fellow competitor who was in need.

I asked the race director the status of the racer but he didn’t know anything except that they were taken to the hospital.  Later on, I saw the athlete, who had returned to the race site to collect their gear.  With a lot of bumps, bruises, scrapes and 12 stitches in their chin, it looked like they were going to have a rough couple days but would probably be able to train and race again this year.

Once I arrived home and downloaded my PT data, I was able to deduct my actual bike time from my official time (a 21 minute difference).   A gap that would have had me on the podium in third place and would have got me a spot for Worlds.

Much better than a 3rd place medal were  two emails I received the next day, one from an athlete I coach, the other from my mom.  Here they are:

“Just wanted to let you know that what you did today showed me what a wonderful caring human being you are! You stopped your race to help a fellow athlete who truly needed assistance! We all know you’re a wonderful coach and talented athlete but your action today just put you on top of the podium for me today! You did a very good deed today and should be very proud of yourself – I know I am!  “Actions speak louder than words!”  Thanks for everything that you do!’

“Congratulations on your performance yesterday JJ. Apart from that we are so proud of you stopping to help the other cyclist in distress. Competition is one thing but being a good humanitarian is another. When we put others before ourselves we reap back tenfold. Well done son!”

These emails mean more to me than any race splits, placing or medals.  I know there will be other competitions and hopefully other opportunities to race and get a spot on the podium and/or qualify for a World Championships because I know if it was me that hit the deck I’d want someone to stop and stay with me too.

Safe and happy training.