Sometimes we all need a little break.  Well this week at LiveMultiSport headquarters were putting our feet up, taking sometime off from our scheduled posting to do other things like training, visiting family, training, going to weddings, training and training.

Sometimes these breaks are necessarily.  We will be back soon enough however to give updates on how everything is going/went.

Thanks for following the journey.  There is some new material (exciting new!) coming shortly!

LMS

It was a long, tiring, tri’ing weekend. A drive to Moncton on Saturday – after the start of the Tour of course – stayed with TJ overnight. Then we drove to Freddie Beach, getting up at 5:00am, and arrived just short of 45 minutes to the start. NOT smart! No warmup time. No course view. We didn’t even know how many laps of the swim/bike/run we were supposed to do. Oh Coach was NOT going to be pleased!!

I’d dealt with my nerves pretty well up until photo taking time. Here I am trying not to puke!

Duncan Hadley 2009 - TJ, Jen, Tom

It was a grey miserable day once again. So much for the opportunity to train in heat! The swim went well. The jump from Sprint to Olympic (750m to 1500m) was pretty much uneventful as I regularly swim 3500m per session and had done a 4000m swim on Thursday. I stayed mid-pack and came out warmed up and raring to go. Time: 30:43

First time using a wetsuit so my transition time blew. (2:04) But I was in this to “race through” meaning I wasn’t racing per se but using it as a training opportunity so that extra time wasn’t such a big deal.

Out on the bike … 4×10km laps of long gradual climbs and some fairly steep downhills and a few hairpin turns made it quite a technical course. I was focused on a steady solid effort and practicing nutrition, both of which I was able to do. I’d hoped to do the bike around 1:30 but came in at 1:38. Not my fastest time but solid and a good indicator that I’m on track for Kentucky. If I can keep at a 25kph average I’ll be happy.

T2, again, slow as I took the time to put on socks given a 10k run. I don’t need blistered feet right now! Time: 1:37

The run was 4×2.5km laps on trail. Up and down terrain. Luckily I’ve been doing a fair bit of trail running and I felt solid throughout. Though I’m a little circumspect of the time. Did I miss a lap??? Time: 55:35/5:33pace (which is way high for me)

Duncan Hadley 2009 - TJ pacing Jen

TJ thought we were only supposed to do 2 laps and DQ’d. He waited for me and we did the final 2 laps together. Which was pretty nice. And he kept my pace up.

My overall time was 3:09:53. Rather a hollow victory for my first Olympic given the shadow it sits in, but I’m reasonably pleased. And if that run time is right? Ecstatic!

To defend myself, I say if I could swim as well as my other two disciplines, well I would have two first places.  But that doesn’t mean that I should be slower in my bike and run because of my swim.  Triathlon is a three discipline sport and normally the winner does each well (not always but most of the time).  In my mind, it’s just a matter of time I can do all three well.

So back to the race reports.  Amanda gave a pretty good description of Meech Lake triathlon which we both did Saturday.  The race was a swimmer/biker dream.  It was almost twice as long as a sprint swim at 1200ms and the bike had some really good kickers.  My race started well.  I emerged in the top 3 from my swim heat (1:38/100).  What Amanda didn’t mention was the lonnnng transition (300ms!) between the swim and the bike.  Not to mention it was over a damn hill! 

The bike course was made for someone who could recover quickly.  Up or down thats it.  Hammer, recover, hammer and recover.

This would leave a slightly longer sprint run course (6.4K) which would determine how bad you fried yourself.  In my race I managed to track down a couple guys who got me last weekend (Barrys Bay).  I had managed to catch all but 4 other guys (all of who started 2mins ahead of me).  My goal was 1:20:00 which didn’t happen.  I did manage to shave off about 8mins from last year though.

When I finished Meech I had rougly 18 hours before the start of my next tri.  My goal was to keep the day low key, eat, drink and relax.  With Amandas help I managed to accomplish most of that.  The body actually didn’t feel too bad except for my foot which had a throbbing pain in one of the tendons.  This would be due to the 300m transition where I sprinted without shoes; oh did I mention it was on pavement?  I got ice, a massage and hoped that this wouldn’t flare up in the morning.

Day 2 – Sydenham Triathlon

Sunday came early for the three of use, Amanda, Figs and I.  We were on the road at 5:30am for the two hour car ride.  Ok, for all you racers out there, if you want to save yourself a lot of grief: show up at least 90mins early to a race if you’ve never been there before! 

When we arrived it seemed like there was just too many things to do before the start.  Surprising as I had JUST done a race the day before.  You’d think it would be easy! 

One of the issues was I lost my sunglasses, my trademark red Smiths that looked like bug eyes.  Somewhere in transition they were gone.  I searched but gave up quickly as race time was fast approaching.  Amanda graciously lent me her pink Oakleys (which I bought her for an Xmas present). 

So this event was being held for the first time which meant nobody knew what was going on.  Looking at the swim start there was a whack of buoys.  Not good.  I tried to listen to the race briefing but found it was lost amongst the curfuffle.  I turned to a fellow swimmer and asked what the course was and she said we do 3 laps of the inner 5 buoys.  Ok, well I hope she’s right.  And she was.

Around and around we went.  Lots of sighting practice!  My swim felt mediocre and it showed on the results.  I was tired.  It wasn’t until the third lap that I managed to get into a rythem.  Exiting the water I saw I had done it in just under 28mins, not good even by my standards.

Into T1 I got my ride and made a quick exit.  Yesterday Amanda mentioned that she doesn’t know how I do it sometimes.  “I think to myself, how is he going to catch all these people ahead of him!  There are just so many!”.  I’ll let you all in on a little secret: you don’t worry about whats going on around you, you worry about making you go as fast as YOU can. 

Exiting on the bike it was a climb much like Navy Tridents bike start.  This led to a nicely paved section of road where it was 2 loops of an out and back course.  I had caught all but 3 of the better swimmers before getting to the first turn around.  It took me a little longer to get the 2nd guy and the 1st, well I never caught.

The bike felt great.  I had a few shaky moments where I needed to fuel but thats it.  Considering the ride I did the day before it was nice to have such a high speed.  I’ve always wanted to get 1 hour for a 40K and I was just 7 seconds off from doing it!

Exiting the bike I knew I was either in first or second.  Amanda said the first guy was 4:30mins ahead, so unless this guy blew up I was stuck.  So I just ran.  Thankfully my foot had healed and it allowed me to run freely.

The run was flat on crush gravel.  It was narrow which meant there was a lot of people.  Tired bodies should not have to run that close together as I was side stepping and running off the path to get around individuals.  This would be the only reccommendation for next year, change the run to a wider road.

Then just like that, it was over.  Swim, bike, run, swim, bike and run; done.  Unlike yesterday I really felt it after this race.  Not so much leg pain but just tired lungs and a fizzled brain.  I was ready for a break. 

Looking at the results I had trailed the guy ahead of me by 4mins (again the swim).  I was first bike and run.  Not bad for a second day of triathloning

So this week is all about easing back into things.  Next week I’ve got some longer training days in the works.  I’m gearing up towards longer races for August.  It’s going to be great to go “long” (sorry ma!).

Thanks for reading or skimming.

Happy Trainin

Cliff

As Saturday morning rolled around I was so happy to be doing a tri stationed near us which meant that we didn’t have to get up until 6am! Woohoo! The race was in Gatineau Park, about a 20 minute drive away. We have been to the park many times to swim  bike and run so we were much more prepared than last year.

I woke up feeling good and even though it was a cool morning, the weather looked like it would hold up. We packed up the car and got to the park with plenty of time to spare. The hard thing about Meech lake is that the transition zones are about 1km apart, so you have to drop your T1 and T2 stuff off in different places…at least we knew what to expect this year though!

I’m never sure what I should do for a warmup before a race…I always swim for a few minutes before and do some quick strokes to get my HR up but this time I decided to run for a few minutes too and work out some nerves. Then I donned my wetsuit and made my way to the beach (I was glad to have the extra warmth of the wetsuit too since it was pretty chilly!). I was in the 7^th wave of 30 swimmers, based on my estimated swim time of 25 minutes. I bade farewell to Cliff as he was in the 3^rd heat and waited for my turn.

The Swim

The great thing about wave starts is that it is less crowded and I can get in my groove much quicker. I’ve never been a person who can draft off another swimmer so I would rather just have open water to swim in. I felt the best I ever have in the water even with the waves crashing over me and as I rounded the buoys I felt stronger and stronger. I exited the water and looked at my time: 21:XX minutes! (23:02 total or 1:56 for 100m) Woooohooo! Almost 8 minutes faster than last years swim! I clumsily tore off my wetsuit and ran up to T1 300m away.

The Bike

T1 went reasonably well.  I do want to start to work on flying mounts so that is my goal for the next couple weeks. The bike course was the thing I was least looking forward to but I had done it a few times already this spring so I at least felt prepared for the pain! About 1km into the ride there is a 3km climb that kills everybody…it was this hill that would make or break me. I needed to go hard enough to pass tons of people but not too hard that I would blow up later on. I passed probably 20 people on the hill and felt great doing it!

Tackling the rest of the course was mostly up and down with hardly any flats. As Cliff has told me, because I am a small person, there is no way for me to make up time on downhill; I just don’t have the weight on my side but I can make up a lot of time going uphill. That was my strategy and on every hill my goal was to catch 2 or 3 riders, and to get as aero as possible on the downhills. Coming in off of the 22km ride, I felt like I maybe could have gone a little harder on some of the hills but that at least I had lots in the tank for the run! Total time for the bike: 48:59 (avg 28.8 so this still needs some work!!!)

The Run

The run is slowly becoming my strongest suit. I have been working hard on it and the hard work is paying off. The run course was a rolling out and back. Because I started so far back it was hard for me to tell where I was ranked. So off the bike I just set out at a decent pace and said “its only 6.4km! I can do this!”  I felt great and passed quite a few people on the run. When I looked at my watch though after the 1^st km, it was slow (4:50ish) so I ramped up the speed a bit. I remember passing a girl with 24 on her leg meaning that she was in my age group and noticed she was in a wave way before me  so I felt good that I definitely wasn’t last in my age group! I got to see Cliff on his way back to the start line  (something that I didn’t get to last year as he was done by the time I started my run!) and we yelled encouragement to each other. There’s nothing like seeing a friendly face during a race! At the turnaround I picked up the pace a little more. I finished the run in 28:30, so a 4:28 pace, which I was happy with, although I was trying for around 4:20. I think the 1^st km was what held me back a bit, plus it was a hilly run.

Total time: 1:40:30 (about 20 minutes faster than my race last year!)

So to cap it off, as the awards were being read I surprisingly got 1^st in my age group and 15^th woman overall. As I told Cliff, last year my goal was to win my age group but I never achieved the goal. This year was all about improving all facets of my race, and I have won 2 AG in the last two weeks! I give a big hats off to the Coach and bf for this accomplishment.  :- D

So let the comments begin about Stage 1,2 and now 3!

On Saturday Cliff and Amanda both took age group honours (and 5th/7th overall in their respected genders) in the Meech Lake Triathlon.

Sunday a cluster f$%k of awards were given out to our athletes.  Almost all were competing in the Duncan Hadley Triathlon in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Evan Pemberton finishing 2nd overall in the sprint triathlon (a mere 22 seconds out of first).

Chris Gairns (with his Lance Armstrong comeback) in a solid 5th.  Not having swum for 6 months.

Shawn Miller had a 6th place finish with the best run time of the day.

Tom Rogers got 2nd in a very competitive age group.  Well done!

In the Olympic triathlon, Jen Worden and TJ Worden-Rogers did their longest race of the year.  Jen finished with a solid time and was happy with her swim.  TJ, well the boy needs to learn how to count past 2.

Almost 11 hours away Cliff was racing in Sydenham, located just outside of Kingston.  He did his first back to back tri (see above) and managed to snag second with a solid bike effort.

Great weekend by everyone!  Heres some random pics to give this post some colour!

Duncan Hadley 2009 - TJ, Jen, Tom

Duncan Hadley 2009 - TJ pacing Jen

For swimmers and triathletes in training or racing, keeping a tab on laps is tedious, but also it can be easy to lose track at times, especially as you tire. Plus there are frankly better things to think about while you’re working out in the pool. British company Swimovate has come up with a swimming computer, worn like a wristwatch, which takes the mental work out of keeping a lap count. But being a smart bit of tech, the Pool-Mate does a heap more besides.

It also calculates average strokes per lap, speed, distance, calories and efficiency – without you needing to stop to press a button, turn a dial, flick a switch, raise a sweat.

The Pool-Mate works using advance motion-sensor technology. In particular, a combination of motion sensors, software algorithms and digital signal processing detect the arms moving through the water and analyzes the data, giving read-outs for speed, distance and calories.

Read the rest here.

“Athletes are now used to speed and distance computers for other sports, such as running and cycling, but what about swimming?” says Lisa Irlam, Swimovate’s CEO. “We wanted an affordable, smart and fully automatic solution.”

Meech is another funny course length: 1.2K swim, 22K bike and a 6K run.  A swimmers dream race.  The bike course is tough with some steep sections and the run has a couple of rollers.  With a better swim than last week, I’m hoping to go under 1:20:00 for the race.   It’s going to be tough but at least it’s on day 1!

With less than 24hours between the two races, Sunday morning will have us waking up early for the 2 hour drive to Sydenham, located just North of Kingston.  This will be a battle of attrition as I’ll do my second Olympic triathlon of the year (3rd in my life!).  In May I rode most of the big leg when I finished 2nd at the 5Peaks run.  It’s mostly flat but wind will be the key issue.

In a perfect world the races would be reversed with the longer race being first.  As a typical hockey player would say: “I’m taking it a day at a time.  Shift by shift.”  Thats all I can really do.

Why am I going to do it?  Well, I guess I’m a little sadistic.  This year is all about learning how to race tris so the more the merrier.  Plus, you can’t get two tris in one weekend in Atlantic Canada (Ha Ha).

In a quick search though I found this gem of a race that is in Wisconsin.  The “Burrito Union” Triathlon which is a 10hour or 5hour continuous event of 600M Swim, 14 Mile Road Bike, 3.1 Mile Trail Run.

Each triathlon has to be done in sucession with a 10 hour limit.  The winner of 2008 did 8 tris (yee-haw!).  A great way to end (literally) your season!

I know what your all thinking, no this is not an Ironman so why should I care?  Well, if you add those numbers up, it’s pretty damn close to being one.  But I guess sometimes that just isn’t enough.

Working through a set of controlled-pace intervals on the treadmill can be very fun, motivating and encouraging. You receive specific feedback from the treadmill that allows you to gauge your fitness and progression, and it can be encouraging to see just how fast you can run. Knowing that you are specifically training towards running a faster 10K off the bike lends meaning and purpose to your sessions. The treadmill can provide you with the optimal cadence and threshold training to give you confidence that you can run faster this year.

Do these workouts only once per week and take a recovery day after each one.

Workout #1

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the treadmill (TM) at 1-percent grade, HR zone 1.

Strides: 6 x 15 seconds (45 seconds recovery) strides. Set speed at 10 to 20 seconds per mile faster than 10K speed for strides. Aim for high cadence (90) and relaxed but fast running.

Main Set: 15 x 2 minutes (with two minutes rest) at 5 seconds per mile faster than your goal 10K pace with a 1-percent grade. Record your heart rate at the end of each interval and the end of each recovery period.

Cool-down: 15 minutes of very light jogging on TM or outside.

Workout #2

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the treadmill at 1-percent grade, HR zone 1.

Strides: 4 x 30 seconds strides (30 seconds rest between). Set TM at your target 10K speed for strides. Count foot strikes for your left or right foot for 30 seconds. Calculate cadence. Aim for 90 and relaxed but fast running.

Main Set: 20 x 1:30 (rest for 90s) at 10 seconds per mile faster than your goal 10K pace at a 1-percent grade. Record your heart rate at the end of each interval and the end of each recovery period.

Cool-down: 15 minutes of very light jogging on TM or outside.

Workout #3

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the treadmill at 1-percent grade, HR zone 1.

Strides: 6 x 15 seconds strides (45 seconds recovery). Set TM at 10 to 20 seconds per mile faster than 10K speed for strides. Aim for high cadence (90) and relaxed but fast running.

Main Set: 30 x 1 minute (rest 1 minute) at 10 seconds per mile faster you’re your goal 10K pace at a 1-percent grade. Record your heart rate at the end of each interval and the end of each recovery period.

Cool-down: 15 minutes of very light jogging on TM or outside.

Workout #4 Warm-up: 15 minutes on the treadmill at 1-percent grade, HR zone 1.

Strides: 6 x 15 seconds (45 seconds recovery) strides. Set TM at 10 to 20 seconds per mile faster than 10K speed for strides. Aim for high cadence (90) and relaxed but fast running.

Main Set: 20 x 1:30 (for 45 seconds) at 10 seconds per mile faster than goal 10K pace at a 1-percent grade. Record your heart rate at the end of each interval and the end of each recovery period.

Cool–down: 15 minutes of very light jogging on TM or outside.