Ironman Canada Photos

OK, so I'm feeling a little lazy about posting (and just about everything else, except chugging Sleeman's Dark) right now. So my slacker alternative is to post a bunch of photos. Many thanks to Van Pratt of Penticton, who I believe takes better pictures than ASI (the official photographer of Ironman North America events). See more of Van's work at

http://bikebarn.ca/photogalleries.html

That's me heading south on Main Street right after the swim, about 8:20 AM. Note how my shoes are not done up, and my gloves are still on the aerobar extensions. This is a way to save time in the swim-to-bike transition: Do it once you're on the bike and cruising. There is a slight downhill section on South Main where I put the gloves on and fastened my shoes, while I had momentum.

The "after" photo, at about 179.5 km, (that's the bleachers at Starbucks in the background) coming back down Main Street. I have the gloves off already, and my feet out of the shoes, ready to hand off the bike to a smiling volunteer. With my Impact Multisport top and Bike Barn shorts, I was cheered like a local (both are based in Penticton). I was hammering it hard for an Ironman Canada bike split PB, which I got by about a minute. On a tough day, and a tough course, sweet!

Somewhere in the first two miles, feeling like sh1t but not showing it. My legs and stomach were rebelling seriously, and I was begging my body to please cooperate for just another 24 miles. I know what I said earlier about leaning forward and keeping the hands high, but I think I was rounding a corner here. There was plenty of time ahead to focus on proper form.

Emptying the tank on Lakeshore, only a couple of hundred meters to go. The finish line draws you in like a magnet here, and the buzz of the crowd gives you wings. It's an undescribable feeling, to finish an Ironman!

...and going to Kona again!

Ironman Canada had eighty of the coveted Ironman World Championship slots, and since the 45-49 age group was third-largest, there were seven assigned to it. Finishing seventh, I qualified outright. However, none of the six athletes ahead of me took their spots, so the last spot rolled all the way down to 19th place! Many just don't like going to Kona with only seven weeks between the two races, as it really isn't enough recovery time. When qualifying for Kona late in the race season, managing recovery while staying Ironman-fit is the tightrope to be walked. And I'll be walking it, for a third time.

Here's the condensed version of my race on Sunday:

Swim
First 2000m, felt great, right on goal pace. Last 1800m, legs were cramping up like crazy due to my wetsuit. It's hard to swim well while you are trying to shake cramps out of your legs. More on this in another post.

Bike
Felt bulletproof, despite strong head- and crosswinds the last 100km. Second-best Ironman bike split, and best on this course.

Run
Leg and stomach cramps for the first two miles, which had me work well down my list of reasons to continue. Patience paid off, then the next 22 miles ticked off easily at well under an 8-minute per mile pace. The last two miles were fastest, but felt the slowest, as leg fatigue took over. My fastest Ironman marathon yet, on a much tougher course than my previous best in Arizona.

Ironman After-Party
Set a new "hydration" personal best at Elements nightclub after the awards dinner on Monday night. So much for the healthy triathlon lifestyle! The reward was seeing a lunar eclipse at 3:00 AM.

Travel day tomorrow, stay tuned...

Top Ten Again!

My ninth Ironman (fourth Ironman Canada) is in the books, and I finished 7th of 298 in the 45-49 age group (76th of 2588 overall) on an overcast and very windy day. My age group was very competitive in the top ten, with only six minutes separating second through eighth place. This is my fourth top-ten in nine Ironmans; including 10th at Ironman Canada 2004, 1st at Ironman Wisconsin 2005, and 2nd at Ironman Arizona 2006.

This is my best result at Ironman Canada, in terms of age-group finish, overall finish, bike split and run split. My marathon was second-fastest in the age group. My run pace was sub-8 minute miles, which was my goal pace. The swim, well let's just say I made a bonehead mistake which I will explain in the forthcoming race report.

Considering what I've been through the last four months, I'm very pleased with this result, and I felt very strong throughout the bike, and miles 2 through 24 of the marathon. I had to go to "plan B" on several issues, and it was very satisfying that it worked. Coach Kev says the most successful triathletes are also the best problem-solvers, so you need to have a plan B, and maybe even a plan C, just in case.

I feel this result really validates the work Kevin and I did together the last four months, and the treatment I received at Calgary Sports Therapy. Following the bike crash, I never for one minute doubted that I would do this race, and all of the above backed me 100%, and helped make it happen.

I'll follow shortly with a full race report. In the meantime, I have some blisters to pop, and I need to send an email to the doctor who told me to forget about doing Ironman Canada!

Below, the top ten finishers in my age group. Only six minutes separated 2nd from 8th place.

Just-in-Time Fitness

Tomorrow will mark seventeen-and-a-half weeks since my frightening bike crash on the way home from work on May 2nd. During the ambulance ride to Rockyview Hospital, I figured out that I had just enough time recover, then rebuild my fitness to a point where I could toe the start line at Ironman Canada on August 26th. What kind of race shape was a big question mark, but I was determined to be as fit as possible, given whatever limitations were imposed by my injuries.

The Crash

I was cycle-commuting home from work on the bike paths, in a suburban park used to access the off-leash dog park across the river. Off to my right, a fellow had stopped, I was assumed to leash his dog. I rang my bell, made eye contact, and kept riding. Then I heard him calling his dog, and the next thing I knew the dog was right at my front wheel.

I didn’t even get a chance to hit the brakes, and went over the bars hard, skidding down the asphalt on my helmet and left shoulder. Luckily my backpack stopped me from breaking my neck. My helmet was cracked, my shirt ripped open, and I had several abrasions on my left arm, hip and leg. My left clavicle was about an inch higher than it should have been, and I couldn’t get my breath. In a state of shock, I got up as if to prepare to finish the ride home, then I decided I had better just lay down for a while.

Fortunately a couple of other cyclists I know came along, and called the ambulance for me. The damage: A punctured left lung, grade-three AC joint separation, severely bruised ribs and a dozen abrasions. (The lung was punctured on impact, not by a broken rib). The lung sounds like the worst of the injuries, but a couple of nights hooked to a chest tube purged the chest cavity and allowed the lung to re-inflate and heal. The shoulder looked terrible, and I had very limited mobility for several days. But the worst limiter of all was the bruised ribs. For a few weeks there was no comfortable position to sleep, and coughing and sneezing were new adventures in pain.

The Recovery

After one week I started spinning easy again on my indoor trainer, and walking as briskly as possible on the treadmill. In addition, I started an aggressive regime of chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy at Calgary Sports Therapy. Mobility slowly returned to my injured shoulder, and at twenty days I was back in the pool, swimming a tentative 500m. I gradually increased the distance every swim, three days per week, and on June 8th, just over five weeks after the crash, I swam 3100m.

In the meantime, my cycling and running volume were increasing to the levels they would have been at, had the crash not happened. Still, I thought I needed a fitness boost, so I did the training camp in July, with races at the beginning and end of the camp. It worked; after a few days of easy recovery training that followed, my fitness was at a new level, just in time for the final build to Ironman Canada. Some 3500 km of cycling, 500 km of running and 100,000 metres of swimming since May 2nd, I feel as race-fit as I have since I started Ironman racing five years ago.

My thanks go out to my coach Kevin Cutjar, who crafted another awesome program on a tight schedule; and at Calgary Sports Therapy: Drs. Rich Robinson and Billy McKay, and angels Deb, Cheryl and Gwen, for their positive attitudes and thoughtful treatment.

On Thursday night at the carbo load dinner, announcer Steve King said those of us who have overcome injury to compete at the 25th anniversary of Ironman Canada, know how fortunate we are to have the opportunity.

No matter what happens tomorrow, I feel like I have already won!

Ironman Canada Preview Part 3 - The Run

Transition 2

So you handed off your bike to a smiling volunteer. He is wearing protective gloves, because he knows about the nature calls on the bike. He will take it back to your numbered spot in the bike racks, where you or your loved one (if you are somehow incapacitated) can pick it up later. After several hours of spinning, your feet hit the unforgiving ground and you stagger stiff-legged into transition where another smiling volunteer hands you your bike-to-run transition bag.

Go to the change tent, or find a clear space on the grass, and remove your bike stuff. Another smiling volunteer will likely help you with your run gear, and may even tie your shoes if you are cramping up. Thank him, then stagger to the run start, and remember that there are thousands of screaming spectators outside transition, so you had better look like you feel good.

It's All About The Run

Now the moment of truth. If you mistakenly thought the Ironman triathlon is a bike race, and went too hard, begin your death march now. If you paced yourself properly, knowing that you have to run a fatigued marathon that will likely be the hardest thing you do all year, begin the real race.

Most marathons sensibly start early in the morning to avoid the peak heat of the day. But this is Ironman, and you aren’t sensible, you want a challenge. So here you are after your second-longest ride of the year (because you did an over-distance ride and a couple of 180 km rides in preparation, right?), and you are starting your longest run of the year, while the mercury is climbing. This is what to expect:

As you pass through the run start arch, smile for the cameras, this is one of many photo spots on the course. (You can purchase your pictures tomorrow.) You will run down Lakeshore to the SS Sicamous, then back to Main Street. As your legs switch from cycling to running mode, your breathing will come in gasps, making it feel like your heart rate is maxed out. A quick look at your heart rate monitor will tell you that you are only at 70% of max, but increasing, because you are running too fast due to the adrenaline of downtown Penticton. Ease off, take a time split at the next mile marker, and establish your goal pace.

Above, headed down Main for the first pass down Lakeshore, Ironman Canada 2004.

Along Lakeshore, dozens of people, including loved ones, will tell you how good you look. Good work, you’ve fooled them. Crowds will dwindle as you make your way south down Main, onto South Main then Eastside Road beside Skaha Lake. Savor the tempting smells of barbecue, and refuse the offered beer as you pass through the neighbourhood just south of Skaha’s beaches.

Your pace should be dialled in by now, and you settle into a routine of looking forward to the aid stations every mile. Sponges, water, Gatorade, flat cola, ice, gels, pretzels, fruit, cookies: Anything you need is right there. (And you know what you need because you practiced nutrition while training, right?) Don’t linger too long, slow down just enough to get the Gatorade down your gullet and not the front of your shirt.

Enjoy some solitude as you make your way south on Eastside. There isn’t much shade along here, so if the sun is beating down mercilessly, remember to soak yourself thoroughly at every aid station, and put ice in your hat. That cold trickle down the back of your neck never felt so refreshing.

Above, heading for Okanagan Falls on Eastside Road, Ironman Canada 2004. Yeah, it was hot out there.

As you get closer to Okanagan Falls, there are some hills that will test you. Lean into them, and focus on springing off the balls of your feet. On the downhills, lean forward and make yourself perpendicular to the grade: Most people lean back, and lose time because they are heel-striking, which slows you down and is harder on your legs. Don’t worry, you won’t fall flat in your face. Enjoy the free speed, you earned it on the way up.

Run down into OK Falls and the turnaround near Christie Beach. Pick up your run special needs bag, which contains your chosen treat or inspirational message/photo/trinket. Remember that hill you just came down? Now you get to run up it again. Same rules as before: lean into it. Congratulations, you are over halfway done the marathon. This is where you find out how much your pre-race goals meant to you.

A few more hills and you reach the last third of the run, which is by now mostly flat. Time to dial up the suffering: This is where you can really make up some time, as athletes who went too hard on the bike or at the start of the run, will be fading fast and hanging on for dear life. You only need to hurt for another hour or so. Think of a favourite song, and draw energy from all the spectators.

Main Street is crowded now, it’s a slight downhill so you can really lean into it. Turn left at Westminster, then right on Winnipeg, and head towards the deafening excitement of the finish line, just 100m to your right. But wait, turn left, you still have a 1-mile out-and-back down Lakeshore. This is done to maximize the spectator-friendliness of the finish, and to torture exhausted triathletes. However, it’s all adrenaline from here: Get ready to enjoy one of the most memorable few minutes of your life.

Next: The Finish

Subaru Ironman Canada Preview – Part 2

Above, two of the happy wetsuit strippers, part of Ironman Canada's awesome Iron crew of volunteers.

Transition 1

So you have finished your 2.4 mile warmup splash, and had your wetsuit stripped. Now proceed through the transition racks where a smiling volunteer will hand you your numbered T1 bag, containing your helmet, shoes and whatever else you are bringing along for the ride. Go to the change tent or find an open area of grass, put your soggy swim stuff into the bag, get your helmet and shoes on and go to the bike racks. Just leave the bag, another smiling volunteer will pick it up.

Your bike will be waiting at its numbered spot, with your tires pumped to the right pressure, a nice, low gear selected, and your fuel bottles in the bottle holders. Because you remembered to do that before the race, right? Now walk or run your bike to the mount line, then carefully and gracefully mount up because there are thousands of screaming spectators lining the bike start area. You are soaking wet, your adrenaline is pumping hard and your heart rate is about 5 beats from max, a recipe for a clumsy pratfall. Pedal away in the nice, low gear you remembered to put the bike in, and prepare to say goodbye to Penticton for several hours.

The Bike – 112 miles (180km)

The Ironman Canada bike course is scenic but demanding, one of the toughest in the 22-race Ironman calendar. Counting previous races and training camps, I’ve ridden it about a dozen times in the last five years, and it can be broken down into three parts:

The Warmup (0-65km), The Race (65-155km), and The Reward (155-180km).

The Warmup

Penticton to Osoyoos (0-65km)

After a brief out-and-back section along Lakeshore Drive, where your loved ones will get a brief glimpse of you before you disappear and leave them to enjoy a leisurely day sipping Margueritas on the beach, you ride south on Main Street, Lakeside Road then Eastside Road. The course is flat to this point, then you turn left up Mclean Creek Road and face a sharp 1 km climb. This is a hint of things to come later. After you crest, you will ride the winding roads down into Okanagan Falls, then turn left onto Highway 97. You will pass through orchards and vineyards, the town of Oliver and finally Osoyoos. It’s relatively flat, fast, and a net downhill with possibly a slight tailwind.

Your strategy to this point should be to ride at a comfortable and manageable pace, and stay out of drafting trouble (drafting is OK in the swim, but punishable with a four-minute penalty during the bike). Think Pacing, and Patience. Don’t get into personal battles; obey your heart rate (or power output, if you are using a power meter) and race your own race. The temptation is to go hard while you feel good, but everybody feels good in the first 60km of the bike. The challenge is to feel good in the last 60. Pick up nutrition at the aid stations located roughly every ten miles, and fuel diligently, you will need it for The Race.

The Race (65-155km)

Osoyoos to Richter Pass

When you get to Osoyoos, you turn hard right onto highway 3 at the foot of the fabled 11km climb up Richter Pass. Fortunately you can’t see all the way to the top, because there are a couple of flat or slightly downhill breaks, and a sharp turn left before the last pitch. Shift to your 39x25 (no self-respecting triathlete runs a granny gear) and settle in for the long grind up. There is no King of the Mountains prize at the top, but there will be an aid station and several hundred fans who chose spectating over margueritas, to cheer you on. Enjoy the Tour de France atmosphere.

Above, cresting Richter Pass at the Ironspirit training camp in July.

Once you crest Richter Pass, there is a long, giddy downhill on the backside, leading to the Rollers. Squeeze your top tube with your knees, get aero, and enjoy the 80 km/h descent. Try not to think about the fact that the only thing separating your skin from the asphalt is a thin layer of Lycra, and two pieces of rubber the thickness of a dime, and you will be OK. And stay off the brakes; you worked hard to climb Richter, so enjoy the free speed.

The Rollers

The Rollers are a series of about ten hills of decreasing size from the bottom of Richter Pass, to a flat section before Keremeos. Here and for the rest of the race, you want to spin easy on the climbs, crest strongly, then carry your momentum over the top. Ride strong on the flats and downhills, rather than on the climbs. This is less taxing on the legs, and keeps your power output and heart rate more uniform. Shift gears as needed to maintain a cadence of 90 RPM or more.

Stand every ten minutes or so to stretch things out and give your butt a break, and remember to keep fuelling. I set my heart rate monitor to alarm every ten minutes. Then I drink a third of a bottle of Gatorade, shift up, and pedal out of the saddle for thirty seconds or so. Then I shift back down and settle into the aero position again. Regular fuelling keeps my energy levels constant, and leaving the saddle briefly keeps me more comfortable.

Cawston Out-and-Back

After the long, flat section leading to Keremeos, you turn right off of Highway 3 to make up 20km on the Cawston out-and back. It’s a secondary road that parallels part of the rollers, so it’s far from flat. It’s also the mentally-toughest part of the course, since you are backtracking away from your intended destination. The only thing to look forward to here is picking up your bike special needs bag. This is the bag you put your favorite energy bars, Red Bull or inspirational message in. You may get a look at the guys you are trying to beat along here, (because you looked up their race numbers this week) and hopefully they are behind you. Ride as you would the rollers, and before you know it you will be back in Keremeos. Lots of screaming spectators here, so smile and wave.

Keremeos to Yellow Lakes

Next is a gradual climb through a series of big, sweeping turns to the foot of the last hill of the day, Yellow Lakes. This is not a very imposing climb on fresh legs, but after 150 km it will tax you. The mid-day sun will be beating down on your back. Hook up the 39x25 again, and spin your way to the top. Draw energy from the spectators lining the roadside. Enjoy another Tour de France moment as you crest.

Above, same day, grinding up the final climb to Yellow Lake. When the glasses come off, you know it's hot.

The Reward (155-180km)

Yellow Lakes to Penticton

Aside from one final rise just past Twin Lakes, and a couple of false flats, the ride back down into town is another delirious high-speed descent. This is a good opportunity to answer nature's call. I'll cover this technique in a future post. (Hint: It doesn't involve stopping.) Then get aero, and hammer the big ring for all it’s worth. This is where you can really make up time on your competitors if you have paced yourself properly. The downhill finish sets you up perfectly for the marathon to follow, as you will really be able to spin the fatigue out of the legs beforehand.

As you hammer up Main Street, soak up the cheers of the crowds, and feel the adrenaline. When you roll up to the dismount line at transition, this should be the only time you hit the brakes all day, unless you had to avoid a close call. After 112 miles in the saddle, you will be happy to hand off your bike to another smiling volunteer, and then your feet hit the hard pavement...

Next: The Marathon – The REAL Race

Subaru Ironman Canada - 25th Anniversary

This Sunday, August 26th will be the 25th anniversary of the Subaru Ironman Canada triathlon. Penticton has always been home to the third-oldest Ironman qualfier(after Japan and New Zealand), and has become a favorite destination race for triathletes from all over the world. Typically blessed with warm weather in late August, featuring a classic and demanding course, and helped by the thousands-strong Iron Army of race volunteers, athletes know they will get the full experience an Ironman race can offer.

For a brief history of Ironman Canada, see the following link:

http://www.ironman.ca/history.php

This will be my fourth appearance at Ironman Canada, and I've been fortunate to improve with every race. Hopefully, the trend will continue this year.

This year, due to the 25th aniversary celebration, nearly 2800 athletes will enter Okanagan Lake at 7:00 AM on race morning. This is several hundred more than any other year, or any other Ironman race, for that matter; so the swim promises to be even more of a human washing machine than usual, for the first several hundred meters anyway.

Swim strategy

The swim course is a single loop, with 1612m to the first turn. This is where swimmers will establish their pace, so you need to seed yourself properly according to your expected pace: Too close to the front, and you will be pummelled by faster swimmers going by you; too far back, and you will be giving away time right from the start. Keep in mind when you get clocked upside the head, it's nothing personal, just the Ironman swim. Once settled into a good pace, look for swimmers ahead of you going slightly faster, and try to catch up to their feet. Once you're on, surge by them and repeat throughout the swim if possible. Unless you are at the front, in which case you are not me.

The direction of this first leg is away from the rising sun, and you can sight on a bluff just past Sage Mesa. There will also be houseboats at both turn buoys, but there are other boats on the lake as well, so you need to be sure you are sighting the right ones. Traffic at the turn buoys will be very heavy, so it is best to give up a bit of time and go a bit wide. On the last leg, the rising sun may make sighting tricky, but there is a new highrise condo directly in line with the swim finish that you can't miss.

The water will be just deep enough several meters from shore that if you stand up to soon, you will be fighting through thigh-deep water. You are better off to swim in as close as possible. Then stand up, remove your goggles, undo your wetsuit to the waist, and run over the timing mat to the strip area. (Yes, at Ironman you get help removing your wetsuit. It's one of the most popular volunteer activities!) When you see a couple of screaming middle-aged women waving frantically at you, point at them so they know you belong to them, pull your wetsuit down below your waist, and drop feet-first in front of them. They will do the rest. Hopefully you remembered to wear your bike shorts. Thank the nice ladies as they help you up and hand you your wetsuit, then head for T1 (Transition 1). It's time to ride 112 miles!

Next, T1 and the Ironman Canada bike course.

Over the Hump

Above, the past two weeks of my Ironman Canada build cycle. The next twelve days will consist of decreasing volume and intensity; leading up to race day on August 26th.

The last big weekend of training is in the logbook, and my taper cycle is now underway. Friday was the usual 4000m swim, consisting of a 500m warmup, 400m drills and stroke counting (to ensure my strokes per length are consistently under 18, which means technique is dialled in), then a main set of 3x400m, 3x300m, 3x200m and 3x100m at Ironman goal pace, with one minute rest between each set of three. So it actually works out that the rests were 1:40, then 1:30, then 1:20 then 1:10. Cooldown was 100m of backstroke. I had some trouble holding the clock during a couple of the middle sets, but rebounded and finished on pace. I was a little worried about the main set; I would need a better swim sometime in the next week to feel like I was on target.

Saturday was the last long ride, 180kms; with the first 100km at Z2 aerobic pace (60-70% of max heart rate) and the last 80km at Z3 (70-80% of MHR), or roughly Ironman race pace. I wanted hills and rolling terrain for the first 100km, so I rode west on Highway 22X to Elbow Falls, then returned via Millarville where I stopped and refilled my bottles. From there it was a flatter 80km route out past Indus then home for the tempo effort. I find it easier to maintain a more consistent tempo pace on the flats, where I can get aero and hammer away.

The ride was followed by a ten-minute transition run, which fortunately gets easier every week. My ride time was 5:24, which was not as fast a pace as last week’s 200km epic, but this ride had more hills, and a south crosswind that couldn’t decide whether to help me or not. However, it was my fifth-fastest pace for a ride of 180km or longer, so the cycling fitness is right where it needs to be. Late Saturday afternoon, I did a thorough stretching session in preparation for the last long run the next day.

I hadn’t really pushed the run pace the last few weeks like I felt I could, so Sunday’s 2:20 run was my last opportunity to see what the running legs had in them. For Ironman training, the long run is always done the day after the long ride. This forces you to run with fatigued legs, much like on race day. However, I could tell in the first couple of miles that Saturday’s ride hadn’t toasted them (a very good sign)! Feeling fresh, I ran the first third at sub-8 minute/mile pace, the next third at 7:40ish/mile, and the last third at sub-7:30/mile, to finish with a personal-best long run pace of 7:39/mile on 18.3 miles. Another piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place.

Monday was a rest day, but on Tuesday morning I had a 2000m swim at anaerobic threshold. I usually dread these workouts because it means over thirty-five minutes straight of extreme discomfort, sort of like getting a tattoo or watching Canadian Idol. After warming up I started out at a casual pace, but found with each look at the pace clock that I was making good time. Good to go, I thought, and dug in a little deeper. The laps flew by and I closed out with two of the fastest 100ms at the end, for a non-wetsuit PB (personal best) on 2000m. That was the swim I was looking for, and the final piece of the puzzle!

The remainder of the next two weeks consists of sharply decreasing volume, with some intensity work thrown in to stay sharp. There is one more 4000m swim on Friday, followed by a 90km ride Saturday, and a short 1:15 run on Sunday. Aside from the other remaining weekday workouts, all I have to do is stay injury-free, and not put on any weight. This can be a challenge, because the metabolism stays in high gear even as the training volume decreases. More free time plus hunger, could add up to unwanted race-day baggage!

Coming up: Ironman Canada course preview, strategy, and the important elements to successful triathlon racing. (Hint: there are more than three!)

The Over-Distance Ride

Above, the numbers from yesterday's over-distance ride. The bike computer reads, 200.1 km, ridden in 5:52:52, at an average cadence (pedal revolutions) of 94 RPM. That's an average speed of 34 km/h. The Ironman bike course is "only" 180km, or 112 miles.

One of the training methods used to prepare for Ironman is the over-distance ride. The theory is, if you can ride 200km or more, then you are physically and mentally prepared for the 180km of the Ironman bike leg. It's also a great opportunity to practice your fuelling strategy. The best time to do this long a ride is no less than three weeks from race day, otherwise it takes too long to recover from.

This was the biggest-volume weekend of my build cycle for Ironman Canada, with the race being August 26th, or three weeks today. Friday was a 4000m swim featuring 30x100m repeats, Saturday was the 200km ride followed by a 10-minute transition run, and Sunday started with a 30-minute easy spin on the bike, as a warmup to a 2:50 run (20.4 miles), followed by a cooling and therapeutic 20-minute recovery swim in McKenzie Lake.

Next week consists of the usual swim, bike and run interval sessions Tuesday thru Thursday, followed by another 4000m swim Friday, long ride Saturday ("only" 180km) followed by a 30-minute transition run, and a similar Sunday to today, but with a shorter 2:20 run. Then the taper cycle begins, with a steady reduction in volume and intensity through the last two weeks, allowing the body to recover and absorb the training.

This weekend's big training block was achieved thanks to the great work of the folks at Calgary Sports Therapy. I tweaked my right glute on Wednesday morning moving my weight bench (Lift with the knees, not the back!) and by Wednesday eve I could barely put weight on my right leg. Thursday morning, my chiropractor "threw the book" at it: Hip adjustment, Active Release, and the evil Graston tool. Friday morning, a repeat of the same, plus deep-tissue massage that brought tears to my eyes. After the initial irritation of the treatment wore off, and hourly applications of ice, by Friday evening I was nearly pain-free. During Saturday's ride, I barely gave it a thought; however to reduce strain on the glutes, I avoided riding in the aero position, and kept my cadence higher than normal .

Despite the injury, I only missed a couple of run workouts. I could still bike and swim, in fact swimming helped loosen it up. It's important when injured not to just "throw in the towel" on your training: do whatever your body will let you do, and let pain be the guide. If it hurts, don't do it. Especially multisport athletes, we are lucky to have at least two other training options!

Road Kill

I thought birds were supposed to be smart? I saw at least 15 dead birds during my ride. Many of these were magpies and crows, caught picking over other road kill, I guess. On Tuesday night, while riding back into town on Highway 22X, I nearly hit a Paris Hilton-wannabe, complete with Ipod, coming straight at me on her cruiser bike down the wrong shoulder (facing traffic). Definitely not a smart bird!