Special Thanks to Brainsport!

So a couple weeks ago, well maybe a month ago Brian Michasiw contacted me. For anyone who has followed my blog since the Las Vegas Marathon that name might ring a bell. Brian is the owner of Brainsport, a speciality running store in Saskatoon. Brian and I had slugged through most of the Las Vegas Marathon together and I credited him largely for my great success during the race. He really forced me to push and dig deep. Well as a result of having run much of the race together he had found out that I was a big Brooks running shoe fan and had tried to hook me up with the folks at Brooks. So when Brian contacted me a little over a month ago he offered me up a free pair of Brooks Shoes from his store. How can you say no to an offer like that? Shortly thereafter the following package showed up at my door:

After opening it up it contained a new pair of Brooks Pure Connects (these are wicked shoes) and a Brainsport Tri Jersey.

Wow! Thanks Brian! Looks like this might be the start of a partnership with Brainsport to keep my feet in some flashy shoes.

If you happen to be driving through Saskatoon do yourself a favour and looks this great shop up. I'll be posting on the Brainsport FB page to promote this great owner and his shop.

Canadian Forces Running Championships - Ottawa Race Weekend

Photograph by: Ashley Fraser, The Ottawa Citizen

This would be my first time competing at the Canadian Forces Running Championships in Ottawa as part of the Ottawa Race Weekend. I had run the Ottawa Marathon in 2004, but had never run the half here nor had I ever competed under the Canadian Forces banner. I was very thankful to have the opportunity to race in Ottawa as it meant I would get the chance to return to Ottawa and see my family.  I was also very moved that I would get to race and represent the Canadian Forces.

I arrived to Ottawa on Thursday afternoon and was greeted at the airport by my father. It was a nice warm afternoon with temperatures in the high twenties. I was clearly overdressed arriving from Edmonton in jeans and a light sweater (when I had left Edmonton it was 4 degrees Celsius).  Once back at my parents house I changed and headed out for a run, my first in almost two weeks. The last time I had run was on the 15^th of May – a short easy recovery run. As a bit of an aside…I had been scrambling the last two weeks completing renos around our house in St Albert so we could get it on the market and had placed training on hold. My legs that afternoon felt sluggish but that was to be expected. I was subsequently able to get short runs in on Friday, a quality run with intervals at race pace, and Saturday so felt fairly comfortable going into the race on Sunday morning.

The problem I faced was I didn’t have a clear sense of what I was capable of running. I had run a 1:17:30 through the first half of the Las Vegas Marathon in December so figured 1:17 was a somewhat realistic goal. I knew I was in great shape but had not gotten in a couple key training runs in the last few weeks so was lacking feedback. I was also very unsure of how I was recovering from IM St George and was a little concerned that the lack of running over the last couple weeks may have eliminated my top end speed. I decided that 1:17 would be my goal and I would attempt to run and hold a 3:40/km pace.

Friday afternoon we had a mandatory meeting at Ottawa U for all Canadian Forces members racing during the weekend. We were given the standard brief of what to expect and then issued our race shirts along with some other goodies. After the meeting we headed over to the Ottawa Convention Centre for our “pasta” dinner. We got a great meal and a speech from Mr. Running Room, John Stanton; a very impressive man who has been an unbelievable ambassador for this sport. He has quite a few positive words to say about the military and some words of wisdom heading into the race. It was a great time chatting with old friends while meeting some new ones.

Saturday was race packet pick-up at the Ottawa Convention Centre. The Military PSP staff had arranged with the race organizers to have all our packages. This made life extremely simple. We showed up at the military booth, signed our waiver form, and were provided our packages – a total time of like 5 minutes. I swung over to the shirt counter picked up my free race shirt and then spent some time touring the expo. I made sure to stop by the Brooks booth to see if there they had any good specials and also to see if they had either the Brooks Cascadia or Brooks PureGrit. (More on why I was looking for these in a later blog edition). Unfortunately they didn’t have either. I toured the remainder of the expo to see if the Compressport crew was in town. And to my surprise/delight there they were. John was running the expo when I stopped by and introduced myself…well kinda introduced myself. As soon as I said Joel and sponsored by Compressport, John quickly said something along the lines of, “Joel from Edmonton right?.” I thought it was pretty neat that John, someone I had never actually met before, knew who I was. (I was a little embarrassed as I didn’t really know who John was) John and I discussed my experience at St George, how business was going at the expo, and then I excused myself and finished my tour of the expo.

Moving now to the big day…Sunday. I had managed to get only about five hours of sleep as I tossed and turned for a good hour or two prior to falling asleep on Saturday night. I awoke at 0515hs as I wanted to get a good breakfast into me while ensuring sufficient time for my stomach to digest. I went with what I knew had worked in the past: two eggs over easy, two pieces of toast w/ jam, a cup of coffee, and a banana. I was still feeling a little tired so elected to take a quick power nap; a quick fifteen minute nap made all the difference. I got changed and was ready to go at 0645hrs. We departed my parents at shortly after seven and headed over to pick-up my oldest sister Kelly. I thought it was pretty neat that my parents and oldest sister were coming out to cheer me on; moral support is always appreciated. We arrived downtown at around 0730hrs without incident and easily located a parking spot about a five minute walk from the start. 

As there was still plenty of time before the start we just hung around out front of city hall and talked. I was a little nervous, but pretty excited at the same time. I think the nervousness was primarily caused by the uncertainty I faced going into the race. I had no clue of how my legs were going to respond and had done almost no running since IM St George (my own fault/choice). At approximately 0815hrs I decided it was time to start my warm-up. I did a couple minutes of light jogging up/down Laurier and then a few excels and I was ready to go. I moved to the start line with plenty of time to spare and was at this point extremely happy to have my dad at the race. It meant I could keep my warm clothes on until a few minute before the start and then hand them to my dad. It was ~14 degrees Celsius but there was a slight breeze from the south and it was overcast. As people started filling the blue coral, the first coral, my mind started to wonder. I didn’t recognize any familiar faces and I started wondering who in this coral was a threat…you honesty just can’t tell. I convinced myself not to worry about the competition and to just run my own race.

The horn went off at 0900hrs and we were off. I had managed to start right at the front on the left side. The temptation is always to go out really hard. I had told myself that this would be disastrous. Going out a little hard was ok, but I needed to check my pace early and often to ensure I did not overdo it. I checked my watch every couple hundred meters and tried to bring my pace into check, 3:40/km. I was running faster than that but there was another Canadian Forces member just off my shoulder so I figured I ‘d keep going at my 3:30-3:35/km pace and see what happened. There was no way I was looking over my shoulder to see who was behind me. I was told previously that looking over your shoulder is a sign that you’re struggling so I just kept the hammer down. The pace was faster than I had anticipated, but it felt comfortable and sustainable so I pressed on. At one point there was a couple kids along the road and it appeared they wanted high fives. So I did the honourable thing…swung to their side of the ride and gave each of the kids a high five as I ran past. The crowd in the area erupted cheering for the CF. I felt an extra surge of energy realizing the little joy I had brought to those kids. The early kilometers went by very quickly and before I knew it we were passing through Tunney’s Pasture. I went through the checkpoint at 10kms at ~36:00 and I knew it was only a matter of time before I was really going to be forced to focus to hold this pace.

The twelve kilometer marker passed very quickly thereafter and I just continued to put everything I had on the line. I had been running in a pack of runners 4-5 up to this point in the race. It was at this point that two of the runners (Jeremie and Andrew) really started to push (or perhaps I was just getting a little tired).  As they surged I decided I was going with them. I have absolutely no clue what was happening behind me or if some of the other guys came with us as I never saw anyone else after this point. We crossed to the Gatineau side and were greeted by a couple small hills…definitely not comfortable but hey I like hills. A quick jaunt on the Quebec side and then the climb up and over the Ottawa River on the Alexandra Bridge…that climb sucked. I dropped back from the group I was in by a few meters as I was really struggling to hold their pace. I knew I only had a few kilometers to go and I was pretty confident that I could bring home first in the CF. I knew I just needed to stay strong.

The eighteen kilometer mark passed and I knew with three kilometers left I could hold it together and finish strong. The nineteen kilometer marker passed and shortly thereafter we made a right turn and crossed the canal. The twenty kilometer marker passed and it was at this point that I knew that I had the CF title. I picked up the pace and really started to push. I saw the 400m sign and then really started to surge, 300m even faster, 200m still faster, and then a final big kick to bring it home. I was greeted by a ½ marathon banner, I signalled upwards and in my mind said a silent prayer of thanks to my Father above for having given me the strength to finish. I was excited to have completed the race, ecstatic to have set a PB 1:16:22, and simply humbled to have won the CF Championships. It was an honour to be wearing the CF singlet and have received the amazing support of the crowd. My mind drifted back to Afghanistan and I was reminded of the ramp ceremonies I had participated in for fallen comrades. I was struck by the realization that these fallen comrades would never get to feel the support of this great nation. A nation they had died for while in a fight to secure freedom.

Photograph by: Jana Chytilova, Ottawa Citizen

  Wow! What an amazing experience. The support the crowd showed for the CF was truly inspiring. It’s amazing to know that we as member of the CF are supported so well by the men and women of Canada.

It was a great race for me. I was happy to have finished 6^th overall, 3^rd in my age group, but most importantly first in the Canadian Forces Championships. I had given my best and set another PB in the process. The best part of the day however was being able to celebrate the race with family. Thanks Mom, Dad, Kelly, and Julia for coming out and sharing the experience with me. 

Thanks to the crew at Compressport Canada for the continued support and Brian Grasky of Grasky Endurance Coaching for keeping me going.  A special thanks to the PSP staff and CF running crew in Ottawa for making the CF Running Championships such a fantastic event.

And I best not forget my lovely wife Claudia. This one was for you sweetie! Happy 6^th Anniversary! I am definitely owing in the love bank!!!

IM St George – A Race to Remember

Wow! I hardly know where to begin…! All week there had been early morning chop at Sand Hollow Reservoir so when I awoke at 3:50a.m. race morning, one of the first things I did was check the weather. I am not the strongest of swimmers so my preference would have been a nice smooth surface. The forecast was for a light 10km/hr wind from the North. I thought to myself, “well that will make the bike a little more challenging, but the reservoir should be fine”. And that is exactly what I saw when we arrived at the Reservoir at ~5:45a.m. 

Sand Hollow Reservoir - Early in the week.

I dropped my stuff off at my bike, checked my tires, doubled checked that everything was working fine and then got in line for the port-a-potties. After a wait of twenty five minutes I got my turn and then quickly donned my wetsuit for my favourite part of the race…the swim! It was a traffic jam getting into the water but slowly people worked their way to the starting line in the water. I worked my way up to about a third back and at 7:00a.m. we were off. I settled into a nice comfortable pace while working my way around a few people. At several points people had completely stopped and were treading water. If you can’t swim then please seed yourself accordingly. 

As I rounded the first buoy chaos struck. I made the left turn and popped my head out of the water to site the next buoy and to my surprise there was no buoys to be seen but waves 3-5ft crashing down upon the athletes. We were later told that the wind had kicked up, 40mph winds. It was quite evident that people didn’t really know where the next buoy was and very evident that many were in a state of shock at the change in conditions. I told myself I would just continue to swim despite the horrid conditions. For the remainder of the swim it was extremely difficult to get into any type of rhythm as you were constantly being thrashed by the waves. I am sure I swallowed a gallon or two of water but was just thankful to have completed the swim. It was a terrible swim, a 1:23 and change, but I am convinced that was due to the conditions.

It was a quick strip of the wetsuit, a dry-off in the chain tent, the application of some sunscreen and I was rolling out of T1, excited to be done the swim and onto the bike. I quickly settled into a rhythm and did my best to maintain the power Brian (my coach) and I had discussed previously. I knew it was going to be a tough go on the bike as the most difficult section of the course would be directly into the wind. The first climb up the hill on SR9 was quite uneventful but I was thankful to be climbing as it allowed me to put out a little more power and generate a little extra heat to warm up. My stomach was not feeling very well and I attributed that to having swallowed a large quantity of water and being sloshed around in the reservoir for over an hour. I stuck to my race plan and nutrition plan despite not feeling the urge to eat or drink. I was excited to finally pass Irvins park at ~9:45a.m.(I thought I would be through there by 0920hrs) as I got to hear the kids and Claudia cheering. The ride up to Gunlock and then onwards to Veyo was anything but fast. With the strong winds from the north coupled with the already tough bike sections it was anything but easy riding. I tried to stay aero and sat up for a couple of the tougher climbs as well as the hill on the north side of Gunlock and of course to ride up the wall. 

Powering past Irvins Park after the aid station.

Heading back to St George on SR18 was screaming fast. I could tell the wind had started to die down but the ride was still fast. I was thankful to have an ice cold Red Bull in my special needs as this was just the boost I needed to continue the ride into town and start the second loop. The second loop was much easier than the first as the wind had died down a little, but I was struggling to keep my power numbers up. I was feeling great and had no problems on the climbs but the “false” flats had me riding a very low cadence with a power number below what I should have been riding. I figured there was no point trying to push when my right quad had seized up once already and I could feel the left getting tighter. I just continued to press knowing that I wasn’t being passed and was continuing to pass other riders. I was happy to finally be heading back into town for the run…my specialty. A bike of 5:49:49 was definitely not what I was hoping for but based on the conditions it was all I had.

And then came the run. I knew it was a fairly “flat” course, but each leg of the course was down-hill and then back up-hill. It was a three loop course in the shape of the M. I figured I would run the down-hills easy and try and push the up-hill sections. I wasn’t too concerned with my pace initially as I just wanted to settle in over the first five kilometers and then see how the legs were feeling. Well, the legs felt great. I was through the first loop of the three loop course in fifty-seven minutes. I thought that was a little on the fast side so slowed it down a little on the second lap running a fifty-nine minute. At this point my stomach was still not feeling great. I continued to push the calories down range but knew that sooner or later I was going to need a wash room or I would have my picture plastered all over slowtwitch. I made the call on 400 Street and made a quick stop into the port-a-potty just before the aid station. With business taken care of, I finished the 400 Street leg and headed for Diagonal Street. The legs were getting a lot stiffer at this point and my pace was starting to drop off a little bit. It was at this point I hear Mike Reilly announce the first Age Grouper through the finisher shoot. I thought to myself that’s not bad I’ll be within twenty minutes of the top age grouper. 

Running up 400 East Street - Saying hi to the kids!

I finished the last leg on Diagonal Street and then it was to the finish line. I honesty had nothing left in my legs. I was tired, exhausted, and my stomach felt terrible. I had given my best, survived through some tough conditions, but was most thankful for just not having quit. I crossed the line in 10:20:38 having run a 3:00:41 marathon, the fastest AG marathon of the day and the second fastest including the pros. I was hoping for a sub three but I guess that’s for next time. 

I had given my best, I had pressed on to the finish to win the prize as it says in Phillipians 3:14. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t my day for a Kona slot. I was 25^th overall and 5^th in my AG, but seeing as there were only three slots in my AG and no roll downs, I guess I am off to IM Couer d’Alene. By the way, congrats to the others in the M25-29 age group for great races and congrats on your Kona slots…well deserved on a tough course.

Special Thanks to:

The volunteers. Especially those at the aid stations. You guys and gals were all top notch and made sure we got what we wanted.

My parents who taught me never to give up. I knew the conditions were tough, but I just don’t like to quit.

My lovely wife who despite being more than seven months pregnant continuously supports my insanity and brings Ruth and James out for the moral support.

Brian Grasky of Grasky Endurance Coaching for his amazing support and encouragement.

Compressport Canada for the great compression gear which allows me to race and recover like none other.

Leadman Race Report

I had decided a little over a month ago that I was going to do the Leadman Epic 125 in Las Vegas on 31 March instead of Texas 70.3. I had changed my tune-up race for two reasons: cost and course similarity to St George. After having completed the race yesterday I think I made the right choice.

First off that was truly the most Epic race I have ever completed. It was a mental challenge throughout the day and for the first time in a race I was really wondering if I was going to be able to run to the finish.

I woke up shortly before 6 after having tossed and turned for most of the night. The accommodations were great at the Green Valley Ranch Resort, the host hotel for the race. I got up ate a banana and mixed my electrolyte drink mix, Gu Brew – Blueberry Pomegranate. I packed up the few remaining items and headed out the door. I stopped at a local Starbucks to get a coffee, a bagel, and some oatmeal. I drove the last twenty minutes or so to the race venue at Boulder Beach. It was evident that the swim was going to be a challenge as the wind had clearly picked up over night and there was definitely some chop in the water.  I finished putting my bike together before transition opened ensuring I had lots of time to just relax and enjoy racing again. I took a picture of my new Shiv as it would be her first race and only second time on the road!

After checking into transition I still had over an hour and a half before race start. I walked around for a bit enjoying the fresh air and going through the race in my head. I then found a nice quiet spot along the beach and spent some time doing my devotions (reading Romans)…a nice easy way to calm my nerves and remind myself of reality. Shortly after nine I decided it was time to finish the final prep and get a short swim in. I put my wetsuit on, dropped off my post race gear bag, and then headed into the water. The water was brisk, but once in for a couple minutes it was refreshing. I swam for about ten minutes and then headed back to the boat ramp to await the start. 

The race started a few minutes late with my wave leaving at 1011hrs vice the posted 1006hrs. It was a water start with less than fifty metres to the first buoy and then a turn left. That first fifty metres was chaotic, with hands and feet flailing, and a kick to my face that just about knocked my goggles off. After the first buoy things settled down as the next turn buoy was not for another 800 or so metres. It was an easy relaxed swim as the wind was coming from behind and providing that little extra propulsion. At the corner it was difficult to locate the next buoy…it was easier to see the stand-up paddle so I swam in his general direction until I located the next turn buoy. At this point we were swimming almost directly into the wind with small swells of 1-2ft. They were not big swells but there appeared to be no rhythm to the motion.  It was extremely difficulty sighting this long leg of over 1km with only one buoy in the middle one at the end. I had to stop a couple times to pick-up a reference point on the mountain range so I could site the general direction. After what seemed like an eternity I reached the corner buoy turned right once, swam another 100m and turned right for the last time. A couple hundred more metres of swimming and I was at the final left turn that would lead to shore. With 2.5kms completed it was time to move on to the funner aspects of the race.  I scrambled up the boat ramp, glanced at my watch only to realize that it was completely fogged. Swim time 53:47…that was the toughest swim I have ever done.

It was a fairly routine transition with strippers assisting with the wetsuit removal and then me fumbling to get my socks and shoes on with not so agile fingers. Once on the bike it was a couple hundred metres of climbing from transition and then I was off. I was so happy to be on the bike as in my opinion the race had finally started. It was a very tough ride with continuous climbs and descents not including the 30-40km/hr winds. I just hung tough and continued to monitor my power output trying to ensure I was below 250W on the climbs and attempting to maintain 220W on the flats. The turn-around just couldn’t come quick enough…at ~1:40 I finally reached the turn-around. At this point in the bike I had yet to be passed, but had completed numerous passes myself. Shortly thereafter I was passed for the first and only time during the race. I just kept pushing through the bike enjoying the scenery, yah right like I actually had time to do that. I was more focused on not getting blown off the road. The final 15kms back up Lakeshore drive were by far the worst with ridiculous crosswinds that kept almost pushing me into opposing traffic.  And finally I reached transition…109.5kms(though I had 113kms on my GPS) in 3:28:38.

I knew I was not in good shape coming off the bike. It was a quick transition, a brutal climb to the top of the hill, and then a left turn straight into the 40km/hr wind. It was the first time in a race that I actually wondered if I would be walking to the finish. I saw one of the Female Pros, Charisa Wernick, just ahead of me though at the time I did not recognize who it was. I decided that I was going to just keep running and hopefully catch her. After arriving at the first aid station I put a Gu Gel downrange, grabbed a cup of coke, HEED, and water as I realized I was dehydrated and almost bonking. I walked through the aid station to ensure I got some calories into me. As soon as I was through the aid station I started to run again, all I could think about was that I was going to run to the finish. I kept reminding myself of Philippians 3:14…I press on towards the goal… I took it an aid station at a time stopping to get more calories down range and ensuring I didn’t bonk. Charisa and I kept switching the lead…I was extremely thankful to have someone to keep me running. At one point my right quad seized up. I stopped, rubbed it a little, started walking and then back running again. The miles slowly ticked by and each one gave me more motivation to finish strong. The last mile was by far the hardest a steep climb into Boulder City and finally the arrival at City Hall! The epic 125 was completed in 5:32:15, but I was happy to just be done.  I finished 14 overall, 6^th Amateur, and 2^nd in my Age Group.

It was truly an Epic Race. I would like to thank:

my Coach, Brian Grasky of Grasky Endurance, for his encouragement, workouts, and of course support

Compressport Canada for the awesome Calf Sleeves and Socks.

Charissa Wernick for pushing me through the run! You rocked it girl!

My truly amazing wife and kids for the daily support, encouragement, and the time required to train.

Leadman Las Vegas Tri

So after much debating and discussion with domestic niner I've finall selected my tune-up race in advance of IM St George. The original plan was to do Texas 70.3, but after reviewing flight costs, accomodations, and a car rental it just didn't make sense. I was contemplating not racing at all but hey I haven't raced since IM 70.3 WC in Clearwater back in 2010. I had Leadman Tri in Las Vegas on the radar for March 31st but flights to Vegas hadn't been looking much cheaper than Houston. We checked Westjet last night and low and behold there was some seat sales. A quick discussion with the wife followed and she quickl gave me the nod of approval. Sweet...! I booked my flight, registered for the race - check out the ST forums for $75 code, and booked my accomodations. So now it's go time.

Heading out of town today for a couple weeks of work, more like evaluation, up in Cold Lake. Should be fun!

How not to run a marathon! Rock n’Roll Las Vegas Marathon Race Report!

It was a beautiful day in Las Vegas for the inaugural Las Vegas Marathon at night. The race started at 1600hrs which would mean it would be dark part way through the opening half and night for running portion on the strip. I had decided prior to going on tour that as a treat once I got home we’d go as a family to Las Vegas and I would run the marathon.  This would be only the second open marathon that I have run. I have run three marathons in total but one of those was at the end of Ironman Canada in 2010. I was pretty confident going in that a 2:45(3:55/km pace) was easily within my grasp but I wasn’t convinced that I had done enough long runs to really be comfortable racing the later part of the marathon. My coach seemed pretty convinced that I should be able to run faster than a 2:45. 

We left the Desert Rose Resort where we were staying for the week at around 1500hrs and walked to Mandalay Bay where the race would begin. I had already completed my warm-up before departing the Resort as I wasn’t sure how much room there would be at the start. I hung around with the wife and kids and then at around 1540hrs I entered Coral 1 where I was to start. There was lots of space in the Coral and people were a little hesitant to move to the start. Once they started the announcements people quickly moved to the front of the coral. I positioned myself in the second or third row and a little to the left. I wanted to go a tad slow and pick-up my pace to race goal almost immediately. When the gun sounded we were off. I manoeuvred around a few people took the opening left turn onto West Hacienda avenue and then almost immediately we had to climb the overpass to the Highway. I settled into my pace trying to sit on a 3:50/km but my pace was fluctuating with the terrain and wind. The first couple miles flew by and I was immensely enjoying the experience. The legs were feeling great and I knew this was going to be a fast race.

I kept checking my watch to monitor the pace. I was running in the 3:40s/km and I knew this was too fast. I tried to settle into my appropriate goal pace but I was just enjoying the experience too much to settle down. I finally gave up trying to hold myself back and decided I was just going to run and let the race unfold. It was about this time that Brian Mishasiw, the owner of Brainsport in Saskatoon, caught up with me. I didn’t know Brian at the time but I decided I was going to run with him.  As the race continued we talked a little and that is how I got to know Brian a little. With Brian and I running side by side the pace picked up significantly and at one point I glanced at my watch and realized we were running 3:39/km or something similar. We finished the zigzag of the first half, crossed the timing mat, and made the turn onto Las Vegas Boulevard for the second half. When we crossed the mat for the first half the time was 1:17:27 I knew at this point that the last ten kilometres of the race were going to be mentally tough as I had clearly overexerted myself in the first half.

I was still feeling great at this point and we continued to hammer along at a 3:4x/km pace but I knew it was only time before the legs started to tighten up. The next ten kilometres continued to fly by as we ran up the strip. There were lots of people cheering and it was just an awesome experience. By the 19mile marker my legs were starting to tighten up. I knew that I had a 2:45 in the bag I just needed to keep moving and not stop running. The legs were sore and the pace started to drop to about 4:00/km. I knew I only had another 40ish minutes of running left and knew I could finish. I was sore but there was no way that I was quitting. The mile markers slowly passed by and with each marker my legs were tighter and the pace dropped a little. I mentally calculated the time remaining after each mile marker and knew that I could do it. With about 2 miles remaining my legs were really hurting and sore but I just kept reminding myself that I was not a quitter and that I was running to the end.

Brian and I hit the final aid station with a little over a mile to go. I could tell Brian was hurting more than I was as he didn’t jump back onto my feet after the aid station. I tried to elongate my stride and up my tempo for the last mile. I just kept pushing knowing that the finish line was just ahead. I saw my wife and kids just before the turn into the finish shoot and gave my wife a high five. I was hoping that the kids were paying attention as I wanted to give them both a high five as it always makes their day. They were both unfortunately a little tired at this point and relaxing in the stroller.  I made the turn to the finishing shoot. I couldn’t quite make out the clock but put in the last surge I had left and crossed the line.  I didn’t find out until I got back to my room but my time was 2:40:13. I finished 8^th Overall and 2^nd in my Age Group.

I waited at the line for Brian and then congratulated him on the great race. I was very appreciative to have run the race with Brian. He pushed me most of the way and made my experience that much greater.

So the moral of the story is don’t run a 1:17:27 first half if you know you can probably only run a 2:40 marathon. I suffered in the last 8kms of the race and was reminded of how much racing a marathon actually hurts.  I am a firm believer in negative splitting but clearly on this day I didn’t follow my own philosophy I just wanted to run. A positive split of 5 minutes is pretty terrible but hey I am not complaining as I just ran a PB, a 2:40 Mary, and ran a ½ Marathon PB(1:17:27) at the same time! So the question remains…what’s next!

Gear Selection: Garmin FR60, Brooks ST5s, Wigwam Flash Pro Socks, Brooks Shorts, Brooks Singlet, Headsweats Visor, Oakley Jawbones (Yellow Lenses), Light Running Gloves (Compliments of the BMO OkanaganMarathon).

Special thanks to:

my Coach Brian Grasky for the great workouts over the last few months, the positive encouragement, and the race strategy (though I probably failed to execute as he envisioned)

GEC for the sponsorship opportunity (we need some GEC singlets)

my lovely wife and kids for the daily support, encouragement, and providing me the time to train

last but not least for all my friends and family who are always a source of encouragement and motivation.

2012 Race Schedule

Well it's getting to be that time of year where the race schedule for next year starts to become clear and well defined. The Ironman races were selected last summer in order to permit early registration and guarantee my entrance. The races selected were Ironman St George and Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Brian, my coach, and I have gone back and forth in the last few weeks refining the race schedule for next year. It looks to be a combination of long course triathlon races and a couple road races. So here goes the proposed race schedule for next year:

1. Ironman 70.3 Texas
2. St Albert 10 Miler - St Albert, AB
3. Ironman St George
4. Canadian Forces Running Nationals (1/2 Marathon) - Ottawa, ON
5. Ironman Coeur d'Alene
6. CF Triathlon Nationals - Gatineau, QC
7. Ironman 70.3 Calgary
8. Canadian Army Half-Marathon - Ottawa, ON
9. Ironman 70.3 WC - Las Vegas, NV
10. Ironman WC - Kona, HI

It looks to be a very busy and challenging year. Continue to follow my blog throughout the year to follow me on my exciting journey.