Cross Country Season

It’s taken me a while to write this, stared at the screen for far too long, started over a half dozen times- this is not how I imagined my cross country racing coming to an end.

I raced only 3 races this season, which is less than normal, but in my opinion there is far too much racing in the university cross country season. I skipped the first race to do Barrelman instead (a very good decision).  My legs were quite sore after this race, but nothing alarming. 

October 4^th was Waterloo Open for cross country. Most schools don’t bother to come to our race as many are in the US for some big races down there. So it wasn’t the most competitive race, but I won, which is the first time I have ever won a cross country race. :)  We had some spectacular weather, sleet and rain, lots of mud, and a little chilly. I guess you could say a ‘true cross country race’.  My legs were sore afterwards, but I chalked it up to first time racing in spikes in a year. 

The following week we were off to Queen’s to race at Fort Henry. This was to be the course for OUAs so there was a good turnout of schools, although Guelph and Western were noticeably missing, as were others. (for those that don’t know, Guelph is rather dominant on the university cross country scene, to put it lightly). We had fantastic weather (no sarcasm) for this race and it is a course that really suits me as the ground is fairly hard-packed (basically a grass-covered rock), without any steep hills. I had a pretty good race coming in 6^th overall in a time of 21:52 (6km- 3:38/km). Since I was still under the weather from a cold I'd had all week I was really happy with the result and was ready to come back in two weeks even better.  But that didn’t happen. 

Things went downhill pretty quickly after the race as my leg was causing me a lot of pain. I went to the university athletics therapy where they informed me I had several knots in the muscles in my right leg. By the end of the week I was skeptical about the diagnosis and had a bone scan arranged for a few days before OUAs. I ran only twice between the Queen’s race and OUAs two weeks later, but wasn’t too worried about fitness as a 22 minute race is really not that long. Easy to tough it out, right? I was not contacted with the bone scan results before OUAs so I just assumed that there was no problem.

OUAs is the Ontario Championships for cross country- the end of the season for many as not all schools will pay for their teams to go to the Canadian Championships (which can be located anywhere in Canada- this year they are in Newfoundland, the past four years they have been in Quebec/Ontario). The race started out at a brisk pace, with me going through the first kilometer in about 3:18, which is faster than I would have liked but was not so fast that it would screw me over for the next 5km. I slowly worked my way up the field over the first 3km, but the pain was setting in fast and I was struggling to hold on. The last two kilometers were complete agony, to put it nicely, but being competitive I kept pushing. My quads and calves had seized up by the 5km mark and I would estimate that my last kilometer took about 4 minutes (i should have been running about 3:35/km for the first few kilometers); I went from 12^th to 18^th pretty quickly but there was literally nothing I could do. I was informed after by my friend’s parents that my face was as white as a ghost and they didn’t think I was going to make it to the finish line- I would say that accurately describes how I felt. (Finish time was 22 minutes on the dot, 3:40/km). I did not take one step past the finish line but opted to crawl under the finish chute rope and lie in the grass for the next 25 minutes. I don’t think I have ever hurt so much in a race before, so looking for the positives, I have learned that I can push through a lot of pain and still make it to the finish line. I think the positives may end there though.

The bone scan results came back a couple days later, and yes, you guessed it, I have another stress fracture. I have no idea how, given my very limited run volume, so if you have the magic answer, let me know.  So no more running for me this year, and no more cross country, ever. The bright side is that my team gets to go to the Canadian Championships because we did well enough as a team (although the school doesn’t think I deserve to go since I won’t be able to run, despite the fact that I was our top runner and team captain; ending rant now, but so much more to it than that), and my swimming has improved remarkably already from not running for a week.

So that is the update for the time being- I will be taking the break from running as an opportunity to really work on my swim to hopefully see some improvement there. I know I said I’d have a season review part 2 post but that is going to have to wait a little longer as I am waiting to hear about what the Rev3/Challenge merger is doing with their races, as well as if the recent partnership between Ironman and LifeTimeTri is changing anything with those races.

As always thanks for reading! I will try to think of some things to write about over the winter so I don’t appear to drop off the face of the earth.  

Season Review- Part 1

10 steps back, 12 steps forward

Now that the triathlon season is over it is time to look back and evaluate the good and the bad. Some White Chicks quotes are thrown in for smiles. The 2014 season did not pick up where I left off in 2013, in fact it was far from it. I feel I was somewhat spoiled in 2013 as I don’t recall having a bad race (some were better than others, but I was always happy with my results). 2014 started with a stress fracture that forced me to miss the first two months of racing, and trying to get back into it was a struggle.

The Bad

Gravenhurst

Perhaps I still haven’t gotten over this race, but it certainly taught me some lessons. This is how I felt: 

But really I set myself up to have a bad race as despite not running more than 7km easy prior to this race, I expected myself to run a sub-40minute 10km off the bike, all while knowing that this was a particularly challenging course. The swim and bike were okay, but I tried to set off at an unsustainable pace on the run and paid the price. This really taught me about the principle of training and racing to your current ability levels, not where you want them to be.

Nutrition

Without getting into too many details, I have had my fair share of eating problems in my teen years and some of those obsessions have stuck with me. This has led to improper fueling of workouts and races which means I am not reaching my potential. This has impacted my races (another factor at Gravenhurst). I know better, but putting it into practice is easier said than done.

Strength training

Or more importantly- the lack thereof. Full time work sucks (to put it bluntly), and having less time to train than usual, the first thing to be cut from training was strength work. I told myself that doing big-gear work on the bike and the handful of push-ups done before swim practice most mornings would be fine, despite knowing this really wasn’t the case. I don’t know how much this really impacted my racing short-term, but long-term it can lead to injuries due to muscle imbalances. It may have prevented the injuries I ran into in August that forced me to miss racing in Bracebridge.

The Good

Riding my TT bike more

In 2013 I did most of my riding on my road bike, usually only riding my TT bike once a week, twice if I was racing. I love my road bike and I think it is more comfortable for riding, but the position on the TT bike is different meaning that it needs to be practised if you’re going to be (somewhat) comfortable on race day. This year I rode my TT bike 4- 5 days a week, which made noticeable improvements in my ability to stay in aero as well as bike handing skills. This was very apparent during Barrelman in the strong winds.

Keeping up with swim training

By being in Waterloo for the summer it meant that I could train with the varsity swim team. This was extremely beneficial to me as I find it hard to motivate myself to go hard in the pool if no-one else is there. Didn’t make the pace time?

This was very apparent in 2013 when all my swim training was on my own- my swimming got worse as the season went on. Keeping up the intensity and working on other strokes has really helped my swimming and led to some respectable swim times throughout the season.

Barrelman

This is probably the most obvious thing for the “good” list of the season. I was so happy with this race that I had trouble sleeping for the next 3 nights. I had a very different taper approach into this race, which meant keeping high volume until Wednesday morning, then dropping off dramatically until race day. This is in contrast to the gradual 10-day taper that I have used in the past. I felt very energized on race morning. I listened to the advice of others and actually fuelled this race, which was crucial to set me up for a good run. And when Lionel Sanders is the only person who runs faster than you on race day, you can’t complain.

I will have a follow up post to explain the plans and goals for next season, but in summary 

Barrelman!

Wow… I still can’t believe that just happened, race of the season for sure and hopefully only a glimpse of my future potential in this sport. Too bad the season has to end now L

Although I’m sure most people are aware, I should start off on a note about the weather. A week before the race the forecast was 23 and sunny for race day. 2 days out it was forecast for humid and raining. Saturday morning it was a gloomy outlook of thunderstorms all day. But the weather gods came to our aid, and after some brief rain while in transition, it cleared up and turned out to be a beautiful day. Literally couldn’t have asked for better weather for the race.

Arriving at transition an hour and a half before race start meant lots of time to chill and chat with some of the other competitors. This turned out to be extremely beneficial because I was under the impression that I was still starting with my age group wave, and not with the pros. Turns out this was not the case and I got to start in the pro wave, which was a huge relief and could have saved me a lot of stress if I had known this earlier. So it was with excitement that I headed down to the swim start, knowing that I was not about to get pummeled to death by a bunch of other swimmers. Yay!

At 8:59 the pros set off (10 of us I think), which meant a nice clean start. I tried to draft off Angela but this lasted only about 50m or so and as soon as I lost the draft there was no catching up. After that it was a solo swim. The back stretch felt pretty brutal going against the current and waves- probably the longest 960m of my life, but swimming with the current in the opposite direction made up for it and I ended up less than a minute down from Angela (so better than Kingston where I was 90 seconds down).

Off onto the bike the roads were still pretty wet but it was no longer raining. The wind was pretty strong but I was feeling good and didn’t pay too much attention to it. About 2-3km in Lionel passed me and for a fleeting moment I literally had the impression that I wasn’t moving. I looked down at my legs just to make sure I was still pedalling, which I was, so smiled, shook my head in admiration, and kept going. Just after the 10km mark I caught up to Angela and could see she was struggling with the wind. Fortunately for me (at least in this instance), I am a little more compact in stature, so could stay down in aero and keep a relatively straight line- a few times the wind gusts caught me and I had to stop pedalling briefly to make sure that I didn’t end up off the road, but all in all it wasn’t all that bad- I actually enjoyed the extra challenge. I was expecting Paolina to catch me at some point during the ride, but 60km, then 80km, then 85km came and went without her passing me, which was extremely motivating as I knew I had to be riding well to keep ahead of her. I think in the end she was about 45 seconds to a minute back from me in T2 (she rode 2 minutes faster over the 92km).

Off onto the run next- the first couple of kilometers I was feeling a little tired, mostly because of the headwind, but I knew that if it was in my face at the beginning it would be at my back for the finish, so no worries. The run course was beautiful and fairly challenging with some nice hills in there. Kudos to the volunteers as they were all totally on top of having nutrition/water ready for the athletes as they came by. I was intent on laying down the fastest run split I could, mostly just to prove to myself that I could run, so there was no letting up (I think I ran a pretty even pace too). I could feel blisters forming on the bottom of my feet during the second lap, but it was a small price to pay for victory. In to the last couple of kilometers I picked up the pace, glanced at my watch as it read 1hr18min and pushed to the finish, intent on not letting it get to 1hr21min. I was successful (9 seconds to spare), and although the run course was a tad short, it still would have been a PB for an open half marathon distance. Clearly I should always swim and bike before I run.

Post-race I was educated by Paolina on how to open champagne bottles- I still failed. http://instagram.com/p/tOL_O_sXLx/

My result far exceeded any expectation I had and I’m still pinching myself and wondering if this is real. It’s hard to believe that 2 and a half years ago I didn’t really know what triathlons were and didn’t own a road bike. Hard work and many hours of training evidently pays off.

I was asked for honest criticisms and compliments of the race so here it is: I can honestly say I have no criticisms of the race. Everything went off without a hitch (in my eyes)- clean clothes and wetsuits were brought to T2 for us to pick up at the end of the race, my run gear was waiting for me at the right spot when I arrived, the bike course was well marked, police officers were alert and controlling traffic well, volunteers were at their stations and making sure we knew where to go, and the roads were well paved. Same goes for the scenic run course- volunteers and police did a great job, and running past the Falls was amazing. I would highly recommend this race to anyone. Hats off to John Salt and the Multisport Canada Team for organizing a world-class event.

Huge thanks as always to those who have helped me through this season. C3 for providing continuing support, guidance, and training partners, Multisport Canada for having the elite/pro division that attracts the best athletes in Ontario and for supporting their Ambassador Team, I had an awesome boss over the summer, Ron McCarville, who allowed me to have flexible hours some days to train, Jeff Slater, Waterloo Varsity Swim coach, who continues to help me improve in the water, and of course to everyone who actually reads this blog and cheers me on at races- I really appreciate it!! 

Lakeside

Celebrating the fact that I am back in school and free from 8-hour desk jobs (for the time being), I had my highest volume week of training since April 2013 coming into this race. My body handled the extra training well and I wasn’t too worried heading into the race as it was really just a “check the box” race (to get my 4^th race in). I had no expectations; all I had to do was cross the finish line. Then I had one of my best races of the season (arguably the best race).  (edit: just checked and this is actually a lifetime PB for the Olympic distance triathlon)

Swim

This was a two lap swim course in a fairly calm lake. I communicated with a couple of the men standing near me on the start line about what line they were taking (going left or right around the green buoy ahead of us) and therefore had a great start and didn’t  get hit once. We were allowed to dolphin dive the first section of the swim, but barely reaching 5’4” this was useless and I started swimming right away (the tall guy beside me did about 5 dolphin dives). The first lap was very smooth, but coming into the second lap it was a bit of an obstacle course to avoid the two waves that had started after and were still on their first lap. Since I wasn’t worried about my overall time I kept my stroke very relaxed. Evidently I should do this more often as I had my fastest swim time of the season (although they are hard to compare as timing mats at the exit vary in their placement from race to race).

Bike

After a ridiculously slow transition (I told the volunteers that I was demonstrating how NOT to do a transition), it was off onto the bike course. I caught one person in the first 2 kilometers and from then on it was a solo ride. I could see one person occasionally up in the distance, but I wasn’t catching him, and I couldn’t see anyone behind me. After a lot of biking during the week I was feeling fairly tired so didn’t go too hard. I thoroughly enjoyed the tailwind as we headed east, but as we turned again to head south and then west again, my motivation was waning. With no-one around there was little incentive to go any harder so I just kept turning the pedals. Finally, someone caught me in the last two kilometers to bring me back to the fact that I was still in a race and I tried to keep with him (at a legal distance of course).

Run

T2 was a little slow as my hands and feet were cold which made it a little harder to get my running shoes on, but soon I was off with the guy who had caught me on the bike. I thought this was awesome because it looked like I was going to have someone to run with. Unfortunately he only lasted about 900m at my pace and once again I was on my own. I felt pretty good on the run up until about 4.5km when the contents of my digestive system decided they didn’t really want to stay there. The second lap I was contemplating finding a bush, but couldn’t face having a slow time on Sportstats, so continued to run while listening to things shifting around with every step. Not pleasant to say the least. Counting down the kilometers it was a relief to get to the finish line (and the porta-potties) and was shocked and happy to see my time of 2:06:28. My fastest time ever for an Olympic distance race. Although my run time is still a far cry from what it was last year, I am taking the slow but steady improvements with a smile.

2:06:28!!!

The reason for the high volume week is because I have decided that I will give Barrelman a shot next weekend. I am not ready for the season to end and my leg (knock on wood) is still in one piece so I am excited to support MSC with their race- I know it will be well-run as always and a great experience. I have never done a half-iron distance race so this will be a foray into new territory. I have no real expectations other than to try my best. I am sure that I will learn a lot of lessons on race day.

World Championships Edmonton

(**pictures to be added when my parents get around to sending theirs to me. could be a while...)

I should preface this by saying that my frustration and negativity with being injured 3 weeks out from worlds was evidently unwarranted, as although I don’t think it helped me any, it didn’t appear to do too much harm either. With some careful planning around training and some rehab I was able to put in a solid but short block of training before the race which left me ready to go on race day.

Race morning dawned a chilly 7 degrees or so, very reminiscent of London last year. Water temperature was slightly warmer though at 17.7, meaning we could do the full 1500m swim.

Bikes were racked the day before so there was little to do in transition before the race. Then it was down towards the swim start where we waited around for 20 minutes or so before our wave. Chatting with LaurenHeinken and Meg Lamers helped to calm the nerves and treat this as just any other race.

The swim start was on the sand, although there was an immediate drop-off in the water so there was only room for two steps into a dive to get going. The horn went and I dove into the water, did a couple dolphin kicks and began to swim. To my astonishment this left me clear of most of my competitors as they didn’t do the whole dolphin dive thing (I must thank the varsity swim team for teaching me these skills). This left for a fairly uneventful swim. I could see that there was a small group way ahead, but I was expecting this, as there is usually a small contingent of those who come from a swim background that leave the rest of us behind. I wasn’t worried about it because, (apart from Angela Quick) it has been my experience that most age group athletes that have a great swim don’t back it up with a strong bike/run. Two laps of the pond and we were into the long run up to transition. I have to assume that the timing mats were somewhere along the way and not by the water, as the swim times all seemed rather slow, but I don’t know for sure.

Transition went smoothly and it was out onto the bike course. It was a two lap course with one steep but short hill and a couple of long, but gradual hills each lap. One of my bike shoes had been giving me grief all week by not clipping in easily and race day was no exception. It took about 5km before it clipped in and then I started to pick off my competitors one by one. About 13km in I took the lead but kept up the strong pace, hoping to give myself as much of a buffer into the run as I could. Not much happened throughout the rest of the bike course- I got rather cold and could feel that affecting me, but knew everyone else was dealing with the same conditions so didn’t think too much about it.

heading to T2

First into T2 I knew the race was on. There were two girls only a short ways behind and I knew they were capable of running fast. Taking my sweet time in T2 they probably gained another 10 seconds on me, leaving me with about a 20 second gap. I set out at a fairly good pace but due to the layout of the run course (sort of like a “T”) I couldn’t see where everyone else was until about 4km in. Turns out I was putting in a small amount of time to 2^nd and 3^rd place, who were running beside each other. Making sure I looked like I was having a great time (I smiled at them) I increased the pace a bit as we crossed paths, not wanting them to think that they would catch me easily. I have no idea whether this worked or not, but by the turn around at 9km I had put in about 15 more seconds on 2^nd place (3^rd place had dropped back).  Then it was into the final stretch on to the blue carpet and the finish line. The cheers from the Canadian crowds were amazing and it felt awesome to repeat as World Champion on home soil. Although I doubted my ability to run going into the race, I had the second fastest run split, so can’t have done that badly…

Finish chute

Although this was initially to be the end of my season, not racing Bracebridge means that I still need a fourth MSC race to qualify for the elite series awards, so I will be at Lakeside in a week’s time. After a short “break” in Jasper, it is back to regular training. After being on co-op for the past 8 months I am sincerely looking forward to going back to school, because it allows for a lot more training time! :D

Bracebridge- DNS

A few people have asked why i wasn't at Bracebridge so here is the short answer- I injured myself training and so it hurts to swim and biking and running are impossible, ergo, no racing (or training for that matter). Frustrated, upset, angry, irritated, and disappointed don't really even begin to describe how i feel. I kinda feel like doing something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOjKfqeiQvo   But obviously won't since bikes are expensive. Hopefully next year things go better (its not like they could they be worse right?)

(yes i'll be in Edmonton, and the athlete/competitive person in me thinks i can have a great race, but the realistic/logical part of me realizes that i likely won't be able to have the race i want to have since i won't be able to train for at least another week)

Kingston Long Course

I was excited to do the Kingston long course triathlon this year as it slight increase in distance from Olympic but not quite a half ironman and I wanted to see how I would fare with the extra kilometers. It looked like it would be a relatively flat and fast course and although it turned out to be slightly hillier than I expected, it was still a great course and a fun race.

The swim to the first buoy was horrendous. My initial plan was to try and jump on Angela’s feet, however this plan was quickly thwarted when I got hit multiple times, people grabbed my arms, someone managed to grab both my legs (how is that even possible…?) and another guy swimming right in front of me was doing a zig-zag the whole way to the buoy with his feet right in my face, causing me to have to slow down. Fortunately I don’t have to start with you violent men again this year. :D Once around the first buoy it was like everyone disappeared and I was swimming on my own the rest of the way.  Aside from swimming a less than straight line, the swim went well.

Onto the bike I knew Angela was ahead and I was unlikely to catch her so I just focused on pacing the bike leg so that I would have something left for the run. It was a great course, although as I mentioned, hillier than I was expecting.

Onto the run I was excited to see that my legs were feeling decently good. I had my bike fit looked at last Monday which resulted in moving the saddle back a couple of centimeters, and that seems to have solved some of the problems I was having earlier in the season J I didn't know how much of a lead Angela had on me so I was looking for her. The course had lots of turns though so I couldn't see too far ahead at any one time. At about 5km I saw her and probably unconsciously picked up the pace until I caught her at about the 6km mark. I found out later she was having cramping issues which is unfortunate for her as she had an excellent swim-bike combo to start the race. After that I just kept plugging away and felt surprisingly good for the majority of the run. I could feel the leg fatigue setting in just after the 10km mark and knew I was slowing down, but tried not to slow down too much. I crossed the finish line with a run split of 1:01:48 which is probably the best run I’ve had this year, although I wanted to break an hour. Next time. J The run course was really nice as a lot of it was down on a path by the water, so it was quite enjoyable.

survived the 15km run! and having bib #1 was really cool too :P

Post-race I enjoyed some food, caught up with some athletes, took some pictures, and found out I get my name on a trophy which is pretty cool. :P

found these cute little baby ducks in the water post race!

I’d like to once again thank Multisport Canada for their support and for hosting a great race, C3, and my swim coach Jeff Slater. 

Water Running- an under-utilized form of cross-training

Water running is perhaps one of the most under-utilized forms of cross training. As a zero-impact activity, it can be a great way for injured athletes to stay in shape, or a great supplement to a training program for healthy athletes.

i wish this is what i was talking about

Water running is the closest form of cross training that you can get to running, mimicking the same arm and leg movements as you would do running on land.  Also, due to the fact that there is zero-impact (you do this in the deep-end) it is possible to do many interval workouts on successive days, whereas on land this would significantly increase your risk of injury and lead to increased fatigue.

One of the most important things to focus on when pool running is proper form. It is easy to over-stride with a low cadence which won’t raise your heart rate, or to lean forward such that you don’t need to work as hard. It is important to keep the back straight and drive the knee up and then the foot down- it may feel more like cycling than running but that’s okay. Many articles will tell you to use a floatation belt, which is probably a good idea if you are new to water running or don’t find yourself to be particularly buoyant- personally I basically have a built in floatation belt (if you know what I mean ;) ) so don’t bother, but it is really about what works for you.

One of the key things with water-running is that it is supposed to be hard. Due to the fact that there is no impact, air resistance, hills, etc. it is very easy to get in the water and barely raise your heart rate, which provides little to no training benefit. One of the best things to do is to bring a workout with you. This doesn't have to be much different than what you would do on land either. You can vary efforts between tempo, hard, and sprints, just as you would on land, although in the water there is not as great a need for long rest periods- your heart rate will be lower while water running than it would be running on land, although very likely close to heart rate levels for cycling. Having a workout helps to keep you focused on what you are doing (as it is easy to lose focus and find yourself not working very hard) and makes the time pass more quickly.

Here are some workouts that I typically do. Since I can only go on my lunch hour, the workouts are 50 minutes or less, although it is possible to do longer workouts if you have the time.

#1

5min WU

6x(2.5min hard/30sec easy)

2-3min easy, repeat intervals

5min WD

#2

5min WU

Ladder intervals (1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1) with 1min easy between each

5min WD

#3

5min WU

6x4min tempo, 1min easy

5x1min very hard, 1min easy

5min WD

As a triathlete (as opposed to a pure runner) I found that the best way to institute water running when I was injured was to just replace some of the run sessions I would have done with the water running. Pure runners often find that they will do more water running sessions than they would land running sessions, but then again, they aren't trying to swim and bike too. Obviously this is also a function of when you can get to the pool. Working at the University of Waterloo right now allows me to go on my lunch hour during the public swim, however those without such easy access to the pool may find it easier to do some pool running immediately following their swim workout.

I can’t sell this form of cross training on how much fun or how interesting it is because, quite frankly, it is BORING. If you can get others to accompany you it might be better, but I wouldn't know since whenever I ask someone they look at me like I’m crazy, laugh, and go for a run outside. If the pool you’re at plays music it is much more bearable, if not maybe you can bring your own music? Regardless, if you can’t run, this is the best cross training you can do and will likely maintain your run fitness for at least 6 weeks of no running outside. Some athletes even find they are faster after taking time off for an injury and water running (although I’m sure there are several factors at play in these cases). And for those looking to increase their running volume, this can be a great way to log more “miles” without the increased risk of injury.

Magog- Canadian National Championships

I decided I would race in Magog despite my less than desirable performance in Gravenhurst, if only to gain some more experience in preparation for Edmonton. I kept my training as usual up until Wednesday, and started my very short quasi-taper on Thursday. Thursday was the drive to Magog, leaving at 6am from Waterloo, meeting up with C3 members Patricia and Luis Lopez in Toronto, and continuing to Magog, arriving somewhere around 3pm. I spent a lot of time sleeping J

I stayed at a quaint little B&B just 600m or so from the race site. The host was lovely and provided delicious breakfasts in the morning. A couple of LPC members, Helen and Josette, were also staying there and we got to know each other well over the few days- they are lovely people! :D

Friday I went to check out the course, riding a good portion of the bike leg (the scenery was spectacular), did my usual run on Friday (I decided not to taper my run at all), and swam a loop of the course. The water was lovely although the lake was shallow so I had to practice some dolphin diving as the first (and last) 40-50m were too shallow to swim.

On Saturday I did a little bit of training but spent the majority of the day watching the elite races and the age group sprint race in the afternoon. I was feeling pretty lethargic the entire time since Thursday so was unsure how this “taper” was going to work for me and was feeling pretty nervous going to bed on Saturday night.

After a night of little sleeping I was awake well before my alarm was to go off on Sunday morning, but I was excited to race! I went to get my coffee from McD’s and ate breakfast back at the B&B before heading to the race site. I made sure to eat far more than I did before the Gravenhurst race so that I didn’t run out of energy and have a repeat of that performance.

When walking to the race site I heard the announcer saying it was a no-wetsuit swim!! I did a little happy dance and knew this was going to be a good day. My copious amounts of swim training pay off a little more if we aren’t wearing wetsuits, plus I feel better swimming without them. Fingers are doubly-crossed that Edmonton is also no-wetsuits (although this is probably very wishful thinking). I did my swim warm-up about an hour before the race (my bike was racked the night before so couldn’t do that, and I felt I needed to save my legs as much as possible for the running in the race). Thankfully being on the varsity swim team at Waterloo got me used to doing a warm-up well before the event so this didn’t seem that strange to me.

I was in the fourth wave to go off, with each wave being 10 minutes apart (3 waves of men started before us, and the women 35+ were after). At the start of the horn we all rushed into the water and started to swim. I was prepared to swim on the inside of the buoys going out to avoid people, but that wasn’t necessary as most people were way to the outside. So I swam straight up the buoys, quickly catching those who had a faster start than I. Soon there was only one person ahead of me, whom I caught and swam beside for a bit and then decided to draft off her feet and basically did no work on the way back to shore. :D This is the first time I have ever drafted off someone in a race and it was fun! We had to weave our way through the men but eventually we reached shore and were off to transition.

I was nervous about the bike leg as it contained copious amounts of hills (mountains actually) but everything seemed to be working perfectly. I kept my effort steady, adjusting the gearing as necessary and felt like I was moving at a good pace, but keeping my heart rate fairly low (I don’t have data, just going by feel). Passing all the men was just so much fun, and motivating. Coming towards the turn-around we go up a very big hill and then down, and down, and down, and down, and then down a little bit more, before turning around to go back up. All I was thinking about on the way down was “oh no, I am going to have to ride back up this!!” (this section was not part of my ride on Friday).  So then we go up, and up, and up (I think you get the point now ;) ) but it wasn’t too bad. I saw I had a decent lead on the other females in the race so didn’t increase the effort on the way back. It was very exciting for me to start passing people from the second wave too (so yes, I was looking at the age on their legs).

I was extremely nervous about the run, given last weekend’s disaster. My goal for the entire race was basically to just not fall apart on the run. It took me about 2.5km to find my stride and start to feel somewhat comfortable. The run course was two loops, with only one large, but gradual, hill about mid-way through each lap. Lucky for us, some of the residents of Magog were out not only cheering us on, but they had hoses!! :D So a nice little cool down every so often- there were even a couple kids with Supersoakers who seemed to be having a blast. I gratefully accepted any water they wanted to spray on me. Towards the finish line/ where we turn to go to our second loop, not only Helen and Josette but the entire LPC crew as well as C3 members were gathered at the same spot so I got some loud cheers which was totally awesome. Finishing my first lap I could see Hans Porten, a fast moving 55-59 C3 member, heading out on his second lap. It then became my personal goal to chase him down, although it took until about the 8km mark for me to catch him. After that it was smooth going to the finish line, finishing in a respectable 2:14:15. I’m telling myself that T2 was included in the run time (it may have been in the bike time) so I was satisfied with the run. Still plenty of room to go until I get back to last year’s fitness, but I’m going in the right direction.

In hindsight I feel I could have been faster on all three legs, as I wasn’t super tired at the end of the race, however I was very worried about the run so consciously held back on the swim and bike legs and didn’t try to push it too early on the run. However, it is all in the learning experience and I am (knock on wood) remaining injury free so far.

All in all I felt like the entire weekend was well run- events went off on time, there were tons of athletes and spectators, the town really seemed to embrace the triathlon, and the setting was spectacular. Another thing I really appreciated was that there was plenty of space on the bike racks.

I had a great weekend, made some new friends, and got to see a new part of the country.

What I have learned though is that apparently I come across as very serious and intimidating? 

I swear I'm not, but pre-race I am fairly focused and not very smiley. But post-race I am usually happy and very willing to chat!

A huge thanks goes out to C3 and especially Luis and Patricia Lopez for doing the driving to and from Magog, as well as the support I received from all members at the race, and for my new friends Helen and Josette from LPC for creating another cheering section for me. And a very special thanks to Ziggy's Cycle for helping me out with a new helmet so that my head didn't heat up like an oven.

Gravenhurst- Olympic Distance

Gravenhurst was triathlon #2 for me this year and I was excited to do it. I had never raced here before due to trouble fitting it into my schedule, but had heard great things about it. And it certainly did not disappoint. I would say that this is the best course I have ever done a triathlon on, ever. If you haven’t raced here it is a must-do race.

A little course preview before my race recap: The swim starts in the middle of the lake, with athletes being taken out by steamboat. It speaks volumes about John Salt (the race director), his crew, and the athletes, that we all managed to get organized onto the two boats and out to the course on time. Truly spectacular event management. Athletes jump off the boat and swim over to the start, with the start of the race indicated by a blast from the horn of the steamship. Swimming in an L-shape, athletes make their way to shore.

The bike course is absolutely spectacular. I don’t usually take time to notice what the course is like in a race, but this was hard to pass up. Although described as hilly, the course really rolls through the hills and you can take the momentum of one downhill into the next uphill. I would say that 98% of the course is extremely well-paved, just a couple of spots that could use a bucket-full of tar.

The run course is hard, with lots of hills and little wind. Definitely a challenge but nice to mix it up from the usual flat run courses. I can’t say much more about it because I was so tired that I was basically looking at the ground the whole time.

My race:

I was excited that we were starting from the middle of the lake because by not being able to push off the ground at the beginning there is basically an immediate separation swimmers. We were also more spread out to begin with, so I only had one person hit me really hard near the beginning but apart from that had a nice clear swim. (huge sigh of relief). Many people had commented that the sun could be a problem but I had no trouble sighting the orange buoys on the way back to shore and exited the water in third position. It was super awesome to run up the dock to the large crowd that had gathered there and was cheering loudly, kind of made me feel like a pro. :P

I passed one person in transition and the other almost immediately onto the bike. So here I was leading the entire race for the first time in my life. It was so cool!!! This lasted about 24km, when Steve Vandermolen blew by me with apparent ease (his total bike time was 6 minutes faster than mine so he was moving considerably faster).  I remained in second position for the rest of the bike leg and received cheers from many people heading out in the other direction, which was awesome :D Overall I was pretty happy with the bike split, same pace as last week except double the distance and I felt much less fatigued. I was very conscious of my gearing over the hills and managed to keep the cadence high.

As soon as I started to run I knew this was going to be tough. I was hoping that my legs would loosen up in the first couple hundred meters the way they usually do, but I had no such luck. Things went from bad to worse to horrible quite quickly and I struggled through in a sort of daze. I am not proud to admit it but for the first time in my life I walked during the run (and more than once or twice), even coming to a complete stop a couple of times. I have literally never felt so terrible. I usually take the stance that you can’t let your competitors see you struggling as it gives them far more motivation to catch you. However, this was abandoned and all I could focus on was getting to the finish line. At about 8.5km I could hear someone closing in on me (race winner Jim Sunners) so I really started to push, but didn’t have enough in the tank to make it and basically stumbled through the last couple hundred meters to the finish line. Thankfully there were some volunteers there to douse us in cold water. I could make up a plethora of excuses for the shoddy performance but the fact is that I am nowhere near race weight and seriously lack the run fitness to do a 10km. Unfortunately I can’t push the running or I will re-injure myself so I must remind myself that Edmonton is the goal and it is still several weeks away (but closer than I’d like).

I would like to once again thank John Salt and his crew with Multisport Canada for their support and a truly spectacular event, C3, and my swim coaches Jeff Slater and Miguel Vadillo.

Huronia Sprint

YAY to being back at triathlons!!! This was the start of what is to be a very short season for me (less than 2 months) but I am excited nevertheless to be back racing! I only started running a couple of weeks ago and it hasn’t been easy- there is still a fair bit of pain throughout the shin, but in all likelihood is just the tendons so I will continue to run through it (fingers crossed that this isn't a bad decision).

I am going to preface this race report by saying that my helmet was taken from transition after the race by someone, and I am pleading for its safe return. It is a Specialized road helmet, and is red/black, and a silver/white colour. Same helmet that I am wearing in the background pic of my blog. It bothers me greatly that someone would take what isn’t theirs and I am sincerely hoping that this was just a mistake. (I am a destitute student and can’t actually afford a new helmet right now, so I am pretty screwed if it isn’t returned). Please contact Multisport if you have information as to its whereabouts.

Back to the race. I kind of liked the later start as it meant that I could sleep in (til 6:30) and still get to the race in plenty of time. I headed up from my parents’ house in Newmarket and arrived ~9:15. After the usual race warm-up (bit of biking and swimming) I was good to go. I was in the middle of the start line this time so had to deal with lots of people around me at the start of the swim, something I don’t think I will ever be entirely comfortable with. It really is a matter of mental strength to keep calm when someone dunks my head or grabs onto my legs. Evidently though, I did survive, and after about 200m was swimming clear of the pack. I continued to catch people until there were only two visible people ahead of me (there was one superstar swimmer ahead of them, I found out later). So all in all it felt like a good swim- the times are slow but they always are at this course as the water is rougher than usual.

Transition was pretty standard- I tried not putting socks on before the bike this time, and on before the run (I have tried running without socks but it results in a bloody mess in less than 3 minutes). I don’t think it really makes any difference in the end when I put them on.

The bike course in Huronia is definitely one of the tougher ones. There are a few hills to contend with and there was a decent wind as well on Sunday. My legs felt pretty sore on the ride and I held back just a touch because I wasn’t sure how the running was going to go. I had an okay time for the bike split, but nothing spectacular. My favourite part was definitely the downhill on the way back :D And a bonus was that only one person passed me on the bike! (I guess when the distance is half what I am used to the men have less time to catch up)

T2- nothing eventful, put shoes and socks on.

So onto the run. Running does not feel great right now as I am just getting back into it, so I had little expectations going in. The plan was to “just keep going.” I set out at a pace that I thought I would be able to sustain for the 5km. On the way out I slowly reeled in the third place male and caught him at the turn-around. He picked up the pace when I got to him and basically I ran one step behind him on the way back. This was really good for me as I was getting very tired so I just focused on staying with him. I did try to pass him a couple times but he responded with a short increase in pace each time. I passed him on the uphill in the last kilometer but this was short-lived. Coming down the hill a spectator was waving at me with the “what are you doing?” type of wave. As I got closer she was yelling “Stop! Stop! You’re going the wrong way!” I got confused and did stop as she started to tell me I had to go back. This is when the guy I had just passed flew by me, at which point I ignored this spectator (who clearly did not know what was going on) and gave chase. He was too far ahead for me to catch and I don’t think this brief interruption by the spectator changed the result, but I have certainly learned my lesson- Don’t listen to spectators. (Unless they are cheering you on of course). Overall the run was okay. Certainly much slower than I was running last year but maybe I shouldn’t be expecting too much at this point. Hopefully the running legs come back sooner rather than later.

I want to thank Multisport Canada for supporting the athletes of the Ambassador Team as it makes it much easier for us young folks to get into the sport of triathlon, as well as their continued professional organization and execution of events. This is a great location for a race and provides a challenging course every year. Thanks also to C3 and their sponsors, Kinetico, Benson Steel, Royal Containers, Cervelo, and Nineteen wetsuits- I couldn’t do this without your support.

See you in Gravenhurst!

Tour de Waterloo- Cycling race- 76km

So this past weekend I competed in a cycling race in Waterloo, mainly just to see what it was like. I spent the majority of my time over the winter focusing on the bike, so was curious to see how I would stack up against pure cyclists.

I was pretty nervous before the race, with my arms shaking as I waited to start. We lined up in the corral much the way a marathon or half-marathon would work, with signs for “racers”, “serious enthusiasts”, and “recreational riders.” I had signed up as a racer, so situated myself towards the front. We started with a ~2km rolling start which was pretty chill before the race officially began. To be honest, I didn’t even know when the race began, and this was pretty much how it was the entire race. With a large peloton and not any overly large hills to break it up, we remained as a large group for basically the entire race. About 50km in the pack split into two, but I made sure to remain with the front group. A few times I found myself at the front, leading the peloton, but was by no means capable of breaking away, and there didn’t seem to be any incentive from any riders to do so. This was very unusual for me- I was expecting a hard 2 hour race, instead it was a bit of a snooze-fest until we rounded the corner to the finish line with about 200m to go. I sprinted to the line and did surprisingly well, placing 2^nd. The top 3 females were within a second of each other. All in all, this was a totally different experience from anything I have done before. In triathlons, swimming, and running, every athlete has to work hard the whole time, and those who work the hardest typically win, while this race seemed to be about doing as little work as possible. Indeed, the girl who won, and her teammate who came 4^th, never once moved to the front of the peloton to take a turn. A similar situation occurred on the men’s side, with the men who did the most work not coming in first. I understand that not doing any work is probably considered good tactics but to me it is mind-boggling. Why would I want to chill out on my bike for two hours and have everything come down to the last few seconds? But I digress…

Last night I was thinking about how this was just totally different, the mentality of the cyclists, the culture of cycling, the race itself etc, and it strikes me as not surprising that doping is so common in the sport. As I said above, it seemed to be about who could do the least work yet still remain near the front. Drugs would certainly work well with this mentality; eg. “Take this pill, get faster without having to do anything.” I’m not looking to start arguments; this is simply what I observed. I can certainly say I prefer to race where everyone has to do their own work so that the best, fittest, and hardest working athlete comes out on top. Triathlons FTW.

Binbrook- Swim-Bike-Stop

Binbrook marked the start of race season for me, although I’m still recovering from the stress fracture so can’t run. It definitely felt good to get back to it, experiencing the race atmosphere and among fellow triathletes! J

My alarm went off at 4:50am after a restless night listening to my neighbours play their terrible music late into the night (one thin wall between us does little to block the sound). I immediately rolled over and hit the snooze button, but 5 minutes later was re-awoken and forced to get up and make some coffee. Forty-five minutes later I was packing the car and ready to hit the road, sleepy but still looking forward to the race (this contrasts to the usual pre-race anxiety that has me wide awake, usually before the alarm goes off- apparently when I know I’m not running I don’t get nervous?)

I arrived at the race site at about 7:15, checked in, got my stuff set up in transition, and was off to warm up on the bike. I headed to the water about 8:00am to warm up in the water a bit, but was feeling fairly sluggish. I knew this would likely happen as there was no taper into this race and I have been feeling kind of tired for the past couple of days- however Sunday was spent volunteering at the Caledon KOS race so I should be rested and ready to get back at it on Monday.

A few minutes to race start I found a position near the outside of the start line, hoping that it would prove to be calmer waters. Apparently most people thought this would be a great place to start too, so a couple minutes to go I decided to go over to the other side near Lionel Sanders, my C3 team mate and someone I knew was about my speed. The horn went off and as usual, people started out way too fast. I was in the mix of things but was able to stay calm despite the flailing arms and legs around me. I don’t really have a top speed, just one race pace, so I didn’t go with the front group, but by 200m in I was catching and passing those who didn’t start at a reasonable race pace (I don’t really understand the mentality behind starting way faster than you know you can swim for 750m, but to each their own I guess).  By the first buoy there were few people around and fairly calm waters, so I just concentrated on swimming in a straight line (towards the buoy) and maintaining proper form as I know when I am tired my swim form completely falls apart.

I exited the water and commenced the run up to transition. This was by far the hardest part of my day- having not run for several months my body was kind of shocked at this particular movement (technically I shouldn’t be running yet, but soon, so I figured my leg would hold up to 100m of running). I guess a taste of what is in store for getting back into shape K

Transition went well enough, faster than last year but still slow- it seems so easy to get my wetsuit off in training, but as soon as I am in a race it doesn’t seem to want to come off so easily. :( 

On to the bike course I was feeling good. A nice flat course such as this one is conducive to fast times, so my plan was to just go hard for the 30km and see what kind of time I could achieve. I passed a couple of guys, one of whom passed me later, as well as a few other men that flew past me like I wasn’t moving.

Back at transition I looked at my watch and figured I had taken about an hour, which is what I was aiming for. Overall, the swim was about a minute faster than last year (largely due to me swimming in a straight line this time), transition was moderately faster, and the bike was slightly faster as well. I can certainly say that I am looking forward to when I can run again.

I’d like to thank a lot of people for contributing to my training and putting on races, I couldn’t do it without you. Thanks to Jeff Slater, the Waterloo Varsity Swim coach who has (for some reason) not given up on trying to teach me how to swim, Nineteen Wetsuits for making my swimming so much easier, C3, their sponsors, and all my training teammates, and Multisport Canada, for putting on amazing races and giving everyone the opportunity to race at beautiful locations.

Next up is a bike race in Waterloo later in June, because, well, why not? (I am mentally preparing myself to have my ass kicked)

C3 fundraising day

So as my race uniform indicates, I am part of C3 (Canadian Cross Training Club) under the guidance of Barrie Shepley. This has allowed me to excel in the sport of triathlon and I am truly grateful. Running a club is not a cheap endeavour though and so we hold a fundraising day every year to try and bring in some funds for the athletes. This year the day will be on June 11th and structured as a bike (50km) in the morning, lunch, round of golf at Caledon Golf and Country Club, followed by an AMAZING (i cannot stress this enough- literally outstanding food) dinner.
See the poster below for costs- as you can see, you do not need to participate in the whole day (you could just come for the AMAZING dinner if you want).
If you choose to participate in the bike ride also I should let you know that you will get to ride alongside some of the pros such as Lionel Saunders (i'm sure he'll slow down for us), Taylor Reid and John Rasmussen (ITU athletes). (and myself, if that counts for anything)
There is the chance to win some prizes if you're good at golf (or at least on a good team since it's best ball).

I urge you to consider coming out to join us for a fun day and to help support our athletes. :)

Thanks in advance!!

the frustration continues

well this pic pretty much sums it up. In March I woke up one day and my leg didn't feel quite right, but having been very careful with my running I convinced myself that there was no way it could be a stress fracture- probably just the tendinitis acting up again right? A few days later the pain was unbearable so I decided to take some time off- I even went to the sports doc and got a bone scan- unfortunately it took about a month to get the results, but I decided after two weeks I would start running again. BAD IDEA. (will I ever learn?) When I eventually got the results they concluded that I "probably" had a stress fracture- couldn't be certain because of the two previous stress fractures in the same spot... :(  not knowing what to do I decided to call Waterloo Sports Med, where I had had a bone scan done last October under the suspicion of a stress fracture- there was no stress fracture that time, in fact, there was absolutely no increased bone activity on the bone scan. damn. That means that what is on the current bone scan really is a stress fracture. After some angry ranting and a few tears I accepted that running was not happening any time soon and will do what I can in the meantime- my season isn't looking too fantastic at the moment but will take each race as it comes. Some hard swim/bikes will probably do me some good anyways

Training without the gadgets

So I am going against the grain here with this post since these days it takes no effort at all to find someone touting the benefits of using some sort of gadget to make your training better. Power meters seem to be all the rage these days- I couldn't count the number of times I have heard someone say “I/you NEED a power meter!” Now, if anyone looks at my race wheels this year, they will see that I have a power meter- but it doesn't work. It simply came with the race wheels I got second-hand, the battery lasted about 5 rides, and when it died I a) didn't care very much and b) discovered that not many people (none that I found- although I didn't look very hard) carry the tool that would be required to take the cap off and put in a new battery. So I am leaving the power tap there just to make myself look super cool.

I also don’t train with a HR monitor (once in a blue moon I’ll wear it just to see what it is- but I never look at it until after I finish the workout). I will wear a GPS in the summer when I ride my bike on a new route, but again, that is just out of curiosity to see how far I have ridden, not really used for training purposes.

The first reason I feel that all these gadgets are unnecessary is $$$$$$$$$$$. In case that isn't clear- they are EXPENSIVE!! I have not bought a GPS, I won it at a race (I actually have 2- anyone want one? [POLAR RCX5- needs a new battery but otherwise works fine]) The un-used power tap on my wheel also really did just come with the race wheels- I got a good price for the wheels alone and the power tap was an added bonus. The HR monitor (that came with the GPS) would be a more justifiable purchase if someone really wanted to get one (as they are less expensive) but there are certainly flaws to training based on it.

I do all my training based on perceived effort. This is a “flawless” tool- it never runs out of battery and is always accurate. If I feel I am giving 100% then that is what 100% is for that day. I know that the actual output may vary from day to day, but so what? If I am tired one day I don’t need a power meter giving me raw data in my face to tell me that I feel like shit. I know I would just get super pissed off and would not enjoy the workout if I couldn't hit the numbers that I wanted to. By the same token, if I feel great, I know I feel great and I don’t need a power meter or HR monitor or any other gadget to tell me so. Although this post is mainly referring to cycling, the same principle applies to swimming and running. I train by effort- I know when I feel crappy and tired and when I feel great, I don’t need any gadget to tell me that. (I wear a simple watch- it’s all I need)

Another benefit of training based on perceived effort is that this helps me to stay happy and positive when I am training. I don’t like to be given unquestionable evidence that I am not performing at a 10/10 on a given day. I just get annoyed and don’t enjoy the workout. By training based on perceived effort I can acknowledge that yes, maybe I wasn't feeling particular fantastic or going particularly fast for a particular workout, but if I gave it the effort that was required then I can be satisfied with the training session and eager to come back the next day.

The next benefit is that this translates to race day. I am attuned to how my body is feeling and can gauge my effort during the race to pace myself appropriately. I don’t attend every race in a rested state, some races I simply train through- by being aware of how I am feeling I am able to pace appropriately for the day.

A conversation I recently had with a swim coach also highlights some other reasons I don’t see the necessity of using gadgets while racing. When I race, I am racing the other people- that’s what a race is supposed to be about. I don’t need to go to a race thinking “I'm going to cycle at exactly this power so that I can run the best.” Where is the fun in that? There is no risk or thrill in going to a race knowing that you won’t blow up because you’re cycling at a pre-determined effort. One race that sticks out in my mind is Multisport’s Binbrook triathlon last year. Racing Leanna Lee (http://leannastriathlonjourney.blogspot.ca/) on the bike I gave it everything- I was cycling at a much higher effort than I have ever done in a race- and I suffered dearly on the run. But it was a great learning experience (and I still won the race :P). After that race I knew that if I wanted to run well, I couldn't go that hard on the bike. It also actually felt like a race. Had I been racing with a power meter I would have held back on the bike, done my own thing, and played catch-up on the run- in other words, not really raced. Racing is fun, so I want to actually do that.

Another reason to not use these gadgets is that I don’t want it to be “about the bike.” Unfortunately I feel that this is the direction that triathlon is heading at the moment. Someone with more money to spend and therefore a better bike with more bells and whistles could place better in a race, without being a better athlete. Had I not had a TT bike last year and instead been using my road bike I wouldn't have won the races I did. For example, at Worlds, even with a TT bike it was still one of the least expensive/ upgraded (ie. Fancy race wheels) bikes in the field. With a road bike I could not have competed. In other words, I could have been a better athlete than others, but not won because someone else had more cash to spend. And on that note, I don’t want to win a race but have a nagging feeling that I wouldn't have if someone right behind me had been racing with “poorer” equipment than myself. I want the best athlete to win, not the richest or the one with the better equipment. (but hey, that’s the way it is going to be in many situations, so what can I do).

But back to my original point- there are many benefits to training with perceived effort, and it is possible to be good without forking out the cash for power meters, GPS’s, and heart rate monitors. If you are an athlete just getting into the sport (or been competing for years) there is no need to be intimidated by others who have these gadgets. Train using your own personal and mental motivation and not the numbers in front of you (other than a watch to tell you the time). It does wonders for your athletic capacity, and can help in other areas of life. Developing your own motivation to push yourself in a workout when it hurts isn’t always easy, but the pay-off is huge. Try it.

Becoming a Swimmer (or at least someone who can swim)

So I have been thinking about my progression through swimming, as it was 2 years ago that I did my first flip turn. I reported in my training log that I “almost died cuz I had to hold my breath so long.” Can’t say a whole lot has changed in that regard :P but it does make me think about my progression towards joining the varsity swim team- which I absolutely love.

Originally I started swimming because I had a stress fracture and swimming was just about the only thing I could do that wasn’t painful. This was beginning of December 2011. Every day I went to the pool and swam continuously for 60-75 minutes. There was no plan, no workout, just lap, after lap, after lap. I decided that flip turns would probably be quicker than open turns, so gradually began my progression towards doing them. The first time I did them, I think I managed about 7 flip turns in 75 minutes of swimming. It wasn’t fun, but it was something to work on, so I kept at it. I continued with my endless lap swimming until about April of 2012, by which time it was getting pretty boring. I thought maybe I’ mix it up a bit. So I found a workout that I did twice a week (the other days continued to be my lap swimming). The workout was anything but exciting. It was warm-up (which I did as freestyle) then 5X500- 1 and 3 were free, 2 and 4 were pull, and the last one was 2x250, with the 2^nd and 4^th 50’s as fast. So not really much different to just swimming laps. That summer I was back in school (after being on a co-op term) and was swimming from 8-9am at the university pool. My initial intention was to continue what I was doing, however there was a large group who were there every morning, taking up both the fast lanes and doing a workout, making me swimming laps rather difficult. They asked if I wanted to join them. I did not- why on earth would I want to do a workout??? But a couple more days of getting in each other’s way and I decided, why not, I’ll give it a try and decide from there. Turns out it wasn’t too bad and I stayed with them throughout the summer, and remarkably, improved my swimming :P I guess it was by this point that I was starting to enjoy swimming, not to mention that I this is when I started doing triathlons and absolutely loved them, which gave my swim training a purpose. So I had progressed from “I am only doing this because I can’t run” to “I actually kinda like swimming.” Some of the people I was swimming with in the morning asked if I would ever consider joining varsity, to which I scoffed “of course not, I’m a runner, and there is no way I’d be fast enough.” Little did I know….

I was back on co-op in the fall, but kept up doing workouts in the morning and was very dedicated to actually becoming a better swimmer. I had talked to a couple of people at the triathlon club at Waterloo and they suggested that I ask the swim coach if I could train with the team a couple times a week when I was back in school. By this point in time I was fully committed to becoming a triathlete and was looking for any way to get the best training possible.  I contacted the coach and it was arranged that come January, I could train with the team twice a week until their season was over, at which point I could come more often.  As Facebook kindly reminded me at the end of 2013, my first varsity swim workout on January 10^th was apparently a highlight of the year for me- probably fairly accurate. I loved it. It is so much nicer begin able to swim with other people and gives me much more motivation to actually try really hard. Over the semester I got better and better- I went from 1:12 for 100 yards in January to 1:07 by April. Pretty remarkable. I was asked many times throughout the semester whether I would join the swim team in September. Initially I just laughed and said “there is no way I will be fast enough to join.” Everyone assured me I would be, but I had serious doubts. However, as my swimming improved the idea of actually being on the team became more enticing, and more realistic. By this time I was completely enjoying the swimming and loved the people on the team.

The summer certainly did not help my swimming. I was on my own and initially the motivation was high to train hard, but then I started working and could only swim for an hour at a time, in a shitty pool, and the motivation waned. Needless to say, I got slower, and truth be told, my swimming in London was abysmal.

However, I still wanted to join the swim team in September, so when I got back from London I started training with them. This was agony. I was frustratingly slow and unfit (in terms of swimming). The swim coach (Jeff Slater) is fantastic though and I kept working hard, and eventually things started to come together.  Now I can hit 1:05 for 100 yards, which is still slower than anyone else on the team, but long-distance is more my thing- 100 yards and I’m still warming up :P

So there you have it- two years ago I couldn’t do a flip turn, and now I’m swimming with the varsity swim team. So I believe anyone can learn to swim- and the same principles apply for any other sport. Stay dedicated, do the work, set your goals high, and you can achieve whatever you want.