Montreal Half, Day before Mother's day Du and update on training

Well its been awhile since my last post and since I mentioned i would be better at it from now on, time to get to work!

I ran in the Scotia Bank Montreal Half on April 28, 2012.  This event is used as the National Championship and always seems to attract some really fast runners!  My plan going in to the race was to hit the time I wanted to last year (1:18:30) but after seeing where my fitness was I changed plans and was gunning for a sub 1:18.  Race day was much better then last year! but the winds were still there.  The run went to plan, apart from leading a chase pack most of the way, which actually never caught up, and got a satisfying result.  I say satisfying only because with the last 25m I could see the race clock and it had just turned 1:18.  Ended up running a 1:18:07.  Good start to the year!

Next up was the Day before Mother's day DU (2.5, 30, 5) on May 13.  For me this was a last minute entry simply because I wasnt really thinking of racing that race.  But after speaking with Ryan Grant and my coach, we decided that it was a good idea to get some racing in before the season really started.  Showing up at the race I saw some guys that I usually have good competition with and this race was no exception.  First run, I let them do their thing, no need to go hard.  Then the bike part is where I attacked! Within about 4k I caught up to the first four and just smashed the pedals hoping that they would try and stick with me.  They tried but by the second turn I was able to create a gap which only grew by the end of the bike, 2min lead heading into the run.  I knew i needed to push the bike to have a chance to win against the fast runners in the field, especially Garett De Jong!  Dude your fast!!  Running in first crossing the finish all i could think was that this is the best mothers day present I could get mom, and it didn't cost anything!

Now for the training leading up to the big start to the season!  Knock on wood, training is going great and my fitness is exactly where my coach and I want it to be.  For the last month i've been swimming 5 times a week and getting some very high quality runs and bikes in.  This past week and weekend has really given me the confidence to know that I can perform at a high level and know that I will know be gunning for some overall amateur podiums.  Part of being good is to have the strong mental side of things and I know I have it.  I wont let anyone in my way, I will just run right through them.

Next up for me is the Lifesport training camp in Tremblant May 24-27 with my coach Phillipe Bertrand then the following weekend will be Quassy!

Stay tuned!

Blog will be back and running! Montreal Half

Its been awhile since my last entry and with all of the good prep going on for race season i think its time to start writing again!! For this season i have a couple new sponsors in addition to Euro-Sports. GU energy nutrition and CEP compression socks and apparel. I am so happy that they have the confidence in me to represent their brand and also believe in my dedication to my goal of becoming a pro triathlete!

First race for the season is the Montreal Half marathon on Apr 29. Last year I ran it in 1:20:15 in some horrible conditions, but this year i am gunning for anything under 1:18. So far training is supporting that time so i will just continue to grind away and put the effort in to make sure i hit the time.

Have a great Easter weekend everyone!

Lou

Review : Newton running shoes Distance S

I am so happy that I gave Newton shoes a second chance! Last summer I tried the shoes out and didn’t really enjoy the feeling of them. But this year, on my return back from my injury I decided to give them another shot and I am very happy I did. Running in Newton shoes is like nothing else. Hard to explain the feeling you get running with them but every step just seems so effortless. It almost feels like your hovering above the ground with minimal impact on your feet. Over the last couple of years I have changed my running technique to a more forefoot striker but when I put the Newtons on I discovered that I was way too far forward on my toes. Might be good for the sprints but not for the long runs. So after I couple miles I zeroed in on the sweet spot of the shoes on where to land and went from there. Since then everything has been perfect. The lugs under the shoes help build a natural running technique. During runs, my legs do not hurt and after runs it almost feels like I have ran at all! Nothing better then that!

Even though they have their training and racing shoe I would be comfortable using either of them during a race or training. However I do prefer the Distance S as they are a little lighter just seem to be a fraction faster. I know, its probably in my head! My trainers are the Motion.

I would really like to thank Michael Bennett at Euro-Sports for carrying the Newton shoes and being able to provide me with the shoes. Mike is very dedicated to providing athletes in Ottawa with the best possible equipment for training and racing. I am very happy to be part of the team Euro-Sports racing team! Please contact Mike if you would like to try some of the best shoes on the planet!

Final Prep for Last race of the season

Ironman Pocono Mountain 70.3 will be my last race of the season and which will be on October 2. Since Muskoka, I have put a lot of time into my running trying to get my speed back to where it was prior to the stress fracture. I can say that I am very confident that I am there. With 2 key run sessions each week, speedwork and tempo, I am confident in my abilities to run a solid half marathon during the race. I haven’t given up on my swimming although the water at the lake is getting pretty cold, but hey, its Canada! My cycling has remained at the same level as the Muskoka race. The coming week will be taper time.

The plan for the Poconos is to leave early Friday morning to arrive shortly after lunch when I will be able to go for a short run to get the legs moving after sitting in a car all day. Saturday will be like usual, bike part of the course, swim a little and get a short run in. Big pasta dinner and shut it down for the night. Sunday is Race day! This time we will be staying overnight on Sunday and returning home Monday. Planning for a solid weekend.

During the last race I suffered with some major stomach cramps which got me to think about my nutrition going into this race. I think the new drink that I was using simply had too many sugars in it which caused me some major GI issues. I have switched over to what I know works for me. I am back using GU Brew. Not sure why I switched in the first place. GU Brew gives you everything you need without the major sugar bomb. The same goes for the GU Energy Gels, way less sugar then all of the other ones. Race day nutrition will be GU Energy Gels and GU Brew with water. Morning will be a bagel with peanut butter and jam. Trusting this and will feel great. Positive thoughts!

IM Muskoka 70.3

Hard to think that my last full half-iron race was at the beginning of the season at Rev 3 Quassy. The stress fracture that I endured had me miss a couple key races and only be able to swim/bike the Ironman 70.3 Providence, Rhode Island race. But, now, being back at 100% injury free it was time to tackle Ironman 70.3 Muskoka in Huntsville, Ontario. I was very excited to toe the start line again considering all I have gone through this summer.

Friday

At 8 am, my dad and I packed up the car and headed towards Muskoka to check into the hotel and also get a run in on the run course. We arrived around 12:30 and immediately went to the hotel for an afternoon nap. Around 3, we headed to beautiful Deerhurst, where the event took place. After signing-in and checking out the expo, I changed into my run gear and set out for a 40min run along the run course. First thing noticed: WOW hilly!!! The run consisted of 3 intervals of speed, the rest just easy pacing. Was feeling great! After the race headed back to the hotel and went for dinner at East Sides. Why is the bread soo good there!!! Had a good meal and shut it down early.

Saturday

Day before the race. Woke up around 6:30 to get the day going. The day before race I usually bike for an hour and complete a swim. We left the hotel at 8:30, to drive some of the bike course. Halfway through I jumped on my bike and did 1hr of easy riding on the course. Drove the rest. After the bike, we made our way to Deerhurst for a practice swim. The workout was 1500m with some pickups and was also used to get familiar with the buoy placements. All went very well and confidence levels were at a high! For lunch, my dad and I met up with my girlfriend who came down with her parents to visit her grandparents and also watch the race. Very good sandwich and salad! After lunch went to check the bike in at transition and headed back to the hotel before eating once again at East Sides!! Got the pasta in and shut it down for the night to be fully charged for Sunday.

Race day

5:10AM Wake up – Get the coffee going and start eating my regular bowl of Wheaties Fuel and Almond milk. Got my Optygen HP, 7Systems and BASE Amino in!! Cant start a race without my key components!

6:30 Arrive at race site and get my bike and all of my transition ready. Head off for an easy 10min jog with stretches and pickups to get the body moving.

7:30 Head to the swim start and get a good swim warmup in.

At this point I am feeling strong and ready for what was ahead. I knew that I had done everything possible to arrive at this point in terms of training. Even though I hadn’t had much time on my feet working on my run, I knew that I had the engine and mental strength to race the race.

8AM Pros are off .

8:12AM Race start for me! The swim start was in the water. I had placed myself right at the front. From the start sound I got into my hard swim pace. After 200m I got into my cruising zone while keeping the intensity high. The swim went to plan. Sighting was not an issue and contact was at a minimum as I was able to create a small gap. My goal was to sub 33min and I ended up with a 32:58, pretty close! The hardest part of the swim was the run from the swim exit to transition. Almost 500m straight uphill! Transition went well and it was off on the bike.

My coach and I had discussed at what wattage I should be keeping my effort at. I was to hold it at 85% of my FTP and I did just that on the bike. Throughout the hilly course I was able to keep on pace for my objectives. Coming out of the water I was 9^th in my age group so I knew I had some catching to do. I was pushing the pace pretty hard. Some were trying to stay with me, but that just fueled me even more. Halfway through the bike I was leading my age group. Coming into T2 I was leading by 1:30. I ended up having the 2^nd fastest bike split of the day for amateurs.

Off on the run everything started to plan. Running a solid pace that I know I could hold for the entire run. But at the 9km mark, things turned ugly in my stomach. I started getting bad cramps which had me walking. From that point on it was a struggle to get to the end. Slowly I had 3 guys pass me. Not much I could have done. So the run didn’t go to plan but still ended up finishing 4^th in my age group and securing a spot for the 2012 World Championships.

Thinking and analyzing the race, I believe my nutrition plan might have failed me this time. The next steps for me are to get this resolved and from there take to it the last race of the season, IM 70.3 Poconos Mountains. I will be doing some specific run training, to get my speed back to where it was to be ready to throw down a solid performance.

I really want to thank my dad for being such a good support crew for me this past weekend. Wouldn’t have been able to have done it.

Update on progress

So it’s been awhile since I wrote my last entry. The last time I wrote everything was going great and I had achieved some great results in my races. But on June 23 I suffered a set back to stop me from running for 7 weeks. That morning I was out for a 19k run. All was going very well and I was feeling very strong. But at km 17 something just went wrong in my foot, one second I could run, the next I couldn’t even walk. That is when I suffered the stress fracture to the third metatarsal. I had been running with a large blister on the inside of my foot, which probably caused me to overcompensate to run on the outside, which is not normal for me, MY FAULT. That was the first injury I have ever gotten that has knocked me out from any of the three sports. Although I was going crazy not being able to run, I believe that the injury was a blessing. As mentioned, swimming is my weakest of all three. But with this limitation of not being able to run, I was able to work very hard on my swimming. I was doing 5 swims a week and all open water because I couldn’t push off the wall at the pool. I put a tremendous amount of effort and dedication into my swimming during those 6 weeks. I really have to thank my dad, who would come with me every morning and every night to the lake. The injury also helped me increase my bike power. I have reached a new level of output on the bike which I don’t think I would have been able to achieve if I was also concentrating on my run. My patience was put to the test during Ironman Providence 70.3 during this injury, as I was only able to do the swim and bike portion. My entry fee was already paid for and so was the hotel, so why not go and get some race experience in. The swim went well, considering it was a non-wetsuit swim, which I was not ready for. But once I got on the bike I put the hammer down and got myself into 32nd overall going into T2. But that was the end of the road for me at that race. It did give me a great deal of confidence and experience knowing I could compete at that level. It’s been about 3 weeks know since I have started to run again and things are coming along. The speed isn’t fully back but it’s getting there. The first week was used to get back into the swing of things, completing short runs on turf only. The second week was completing a little longer runs without breaks, and now I am up to doing long runs and including speed. My next race will be Ironman Muskoka 70.3 on September 11, where I hope to secure my spot for the 2012 World Championship 70.3. I am confident that with all of my hard work on the swim and bike and with the patience I had during my injury, I will be rolling into Muskoka fully charged and ready to throw down a solid performance. If everything goes to plan, I will compete the following week in Syracuse then in the Pocono Mountains on Oct 2. The major lesson that I learnt from the injury is not to run when something is not right, in my case the blister. After one day of being pissed, I was able to use this issue and focus on other parts of my sports which needed more attention. Injuries can be blessings if you deal with them the right way! When I returned from running, I picked up a pair of Newton shoes. I had done a lot of research on these shoes and have read all of the reviews. This was probably the best decision I have made. The shoes are excellent and now when running I don’t feel any issues in my feet/toes. Huge thanks to my sponsor Euro-sports for hooking my up with the best pairs of shoes ever. I will add a separate post about the shoes soon. See you in Muskoka! Lou

Race Report for Rev3 Quassy

So the weekend was here where my first big race was going to happen for the season, and my Triathlon career. It was time for the Rev3 Quassy in Middleburry Conneticut. Friday before the race, my dad and I packed the car with everything needed and started heading south until will hit the Quassy Amusement park where the race was situated. We made it there around 1 and got in a practice swim to try and remember what open water swimming felt like. Water was pretty choppy but the session went well. After the swim we headed over to the expo to pick up my race kit. Talk about good organization, Rev3 really knows how to put on a good show. I was also able to meet the owner of Recovery Pump, which i had exchanged many emails before my purchase of the pumps. Very nice guy. After the expo i slipped my running shoes and went for a small run on some of the run course. After that it was time to get some eats then shut it down for the night.

Saturday morning got to sleep in then had a small breakfast before heading out for a short 20min run around the hotel. Hit up subway for an Avocado sub then off to Quassy for another practice swim and a 40min bike to see some of the course. Hills, thats all i have to say. One very cool thing about these races is that you get to meet all the pros that you see in magazines. I got to meet Terenzo Bozone, very cool dude! Big bowl of pasta at the Olive Garden for dinner then back to the hotel for some sleep.

Race day was here. I wasnt nervous as i knew that i had put everything into my training and that i had done all of the prep needed to have a good race. So at the start of the race my only forcus was to give it my best and to get in the hurt zone. After a few wave starts it was my turn to step up to the start line. Gun off, and the charge to the water started. As mentioned swimming was my last discipline i took up and have just started this october. But everything went well for the swim. Was passing people from the waves ahead and was holding my own. 137th out of the water. Transition went well and off onto the bike were i was pushing the watts from the start. The whole plan was to stick around the 235watts for the race. I was very close to that number. The bike course was a challenging one never giving you a flat section to hammer it out. Always up and downs. Entering T2 i was in 18th position overall. The start of the run was good as it was mostly downhill but at about mile 3 the hills started. I wasnt ready to run those hills, lesson learnt for next time. But even with the pain cramming my legs i still kept on pushing. Never giving up i charged up the hills as best as i could. I still remember the last hill, as the top you could here the announcer. It was at that point where i got the little extra boost needed to bring it over the line. When all was said and done I had finished 13th overall amateur and 2nd in my division.

I am very happy with the results considering it was my first real triathlon that i trained for. It can only get better from here. Next big race will be Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island.

Ottawa Riverkeeper will be the next race. It is a local event and is a sprint Triathlon.

Cheers

Lou