A nice treat for our 4 legged friends...
2004 Races
May 30th, 2004 St. Jerome, QC 3/20/3km
Once again! For the honour & glory of being the last man (literally!) to cross the finish line!
Mission accomplished. Time: 1hr17min22sec (13:29 1st run, 48:07 bike, 15:47 2nd run). Deadlast in my category & nearly the whole darn thing too, 94th out of 96 & I STILL got 10 pts towards the final standings!!! I'm ahead of last year's big fat ZERO!!!! Overall impression: I had a really great time even though I was prodding along pretty much (lack of run training really evident) & CX tires on the bike (left road tires at home). I must admit that it was a rather windy affair too, something like 25-30kph winds & to make it worse, on the uphill portions. Celebrated this accomplishment on site with 2 bananas & Gatorade. Afterwards, a Pepsi, 2 hot-dogs & fries at La Belle Province :) Can't beat that!
June 20th, 2004 Mont Habitant, QC 2/30/8
It was an absolutely gorgeous day for the duathlon & for the triathlon as well. The day started very cool, enough so that it required a sweatshirt for the 1st run & bike portion, 2nd run was t-shirt only as the day warmed up.
Today, I learned that I should drink more water 1hr before to prevent cramping. Duh, guess what I didn’t do? Cost me 10th place & points in the series. Must really reconsider my position of NOT training for these things as the 2nd run of 8km was really beyond my capacity to manage & there was quite a bit of walking in there. I guess I should hope for the best in the next event, Valleyfield.
Mission accomplished. Time: 2hr11min03sec (10:52 1st run, 1:08:59 bike, 51:13 2nd run). Overall impression: Not deadlast this time! Last in my category though :) I could have beaten the 2hr time easy had I not developed cramps in both legs, one after another, at the 27km mark on the bike. Had to stop, stretch & walk a bit, to get the cramps out & then slow pedal to the transition area, before starting last 8km run. I managed to chase down a couple of people on the bike too but gave it all up when I cramped. Bummer! Suffered like all heck on the 8km run & had to walk quite a bit.
I had a superb time & met some nice people whom I hope to see in future events & must not forget the fellow with the garden hose in front of his lawn.
June 27th, 2004. St.Bruno. It was certainly a very fast 5km, for me personally. Trail running is easier on my poor knees too! There were a lot more people than I had ever thought, something like 900 runners for all events combined, 5/10/20km. Many runners of the other events were lined up at the start/finish area to cheer us 5km guys on. It was certainly much appreciated!
I met the announcer, JP & his daughter. They are at every Sportriple event. Funny thing though, he knows the company I work for SPH (17yr veteran) & is the manager of the salesman who serves us. Ha! What a small world. We’ll see them again at Valleyfield, perhaps Shawinigan if I am dumb enough, then Ste-Agathe & St.Sauver.
June 27th, 2004. The Great Running Tour Along Mount Saint-Bruno’s Trails 5,10,or 20km
Just to change things up a tad as well as give trail running a try :) I predict about 30min for the 5km event. Since I have never tried trail running, the 10km & 20km are out of my league. Wouldn't it be interesting if it rained? It would certainly work in my favour as some of the gazelles are only good in fair weather conditions & few operate in all weather (adverse) conditions.
Mission accomplished! 5km time: 0:27:17.9 or 5:28/km, which is very fast for me. The rest of the stats are as follow: 114th/210 total 5km participants, 87th/123 men, & 18th/22 men's age category . Overall impression: Had a really great time! Perhaps I should have entered the 10km event, but I shall leave that for next year! The organization was first rate! I even enjoyed an after-race banana!
Note to oneself, do NOT stand at the very back of the pack at the starting line. Waaayyyy too many people on the course, stood there for a minute or 2 after the gun went off waiting for the people in front to move, then spent another 15min or so dodging between people in order to pass. Found my rythm at the 3km mark.
July 18th, 2004. Valleyfield.
I ran into a fellow that I had paired up with in St.Jerome, it was nice to catch up & see how he was doing. There were 164 participants, not including teams, in the duathlon & triathlon combined. The venue was very nice & scenic as well. If you have ever seen the Vallyfield Regatta (speed boat event), it was held right there.
It was certainly a very good day for racing! The sun was shining & there was a nice breeze. From the start, the 1st 5km was a record for me, after that, it was pretty much downhill from there on end. Not having paced myself earlier, hopping on the bike & fighting the wind was certainly no fun. I only found my rhythm on the ride after my 3rd lap. Kind of funny that my strongest lap was my last one, lap 4. Bummer. The last 5km run was as expected, a really rough go & was very hard fought! I had very strong thoughts of pulling a DNF! I think I will seriously give my “No Training” policy some serious thought.
Mission accomplished. Time: 1hr48min29sec (27:14 1st run, 48:43 bike, 32:33 2nd run). Overall impression: Had a super time! Could not have nailed the prediction on the head more accurately! I really thought that I was the absolute last person in the race today, until I checked the results. I did not see anyone behind me during the last run at all. 52nd/56 participants & 11/13 age group.
The 1st 5km run is a personal best! Off the run & onto the bike & the wind was strong & you had to face it on every lap! I did not mind it so on the run as it kept me cool. I really did not imagine that the 20km ride would take so long & had thought I could do it in 40min, or so. I finally found my riding rythym on the 3rd lap & passed someone on the last lap. Off the bike & running/walking once again! I ran way better than I had thought possible on the 2nd 5km run & the time included quite a bit of walking in there.
Got the leg cramps on the way home! The gas pedal foot too! Arrggghhh! Had to tough it out as I was moving down the highway already! Must solve this cramp situation soon! Felt really sleepy too!
August 8th, 2004. Ste Agathe.
The race went as well as could be expected until I cramped, of course. Still have no idea what’s causing it or how to defeat it. I made it a huge point to keep hydrated prior & during the race.
I met some fine people affiliated with The Running Room on Sherbrooke St W. One of the fellows, Sandro, plays ball hockey with Red Light, a Montreal team which plays in the nationals quite often. It was an honor! I hope to see some of them in St.Sauver.
Once again! For the honour & glory of being the last man (literally!) to cross the finish line! Mission accomplished. Time: 2hr24min11sec (28:05 1st run, 1:16:17 bike, 39:51 2nd run). 2nd to deadlast in my category & the whole darn thing too, 74th out of 76. Not including the 2 fellows who DNFed, I successfully defended my last place position & all the glory that comes with it!
Overall impression: I had a really great time & met some more wonderful people, including a few familiar faces as well. A really spectacular day all around & the sun came out just long enough to complete the race. I really have to work or solve the cramping situation as it left me unable to perform on the 2nd run, which turned into a major walk.
Nonetheless, celebrated with my new found acquaintances this accomplishment on site with 2 bananas, macaroni salad, & 2 Boreal beers (free too)!
In case you are curious, I am the 2nd smiley!
Sept 11th, 2004. Beautiful day on the course, except for the DNF. The knees have had it for the season. My buddy Rob came up with me for this one & after a nice rest in Sauver, we attended the local Ukrainian Festival in Montreal. I even got to taste some of the local cooking, a sausage sandwich, a real nice meal.
On this anniversary date of the tragic events of 9/11, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who serve in uniform, whether they be serving at home or overseas. Through their hard work & separation away from their loved ones, they protect our freedom & keep us safe.
God Bless & Thank You.
Come Home Safe.
Mission accomplished! DNF Time: 15min48sec for the 1st run only. I was having knee problems (IT band) the week prior to the race & I went in knowing full well that I was not 100%. For certain, I could have completed the event but the cost would have been too great to my personal health as the pain returned at the 2km marker. Though I completed the 1st run, there was a bit of walking including in the time above. All in all, I had a great day. My friend Rob was with me & he had 1 beer & I, 2 beers & 2 bananas to celebrate my abondoning the race. It definitely was the earliest time ever for me to enjoy beer, 9:30am.
I got to see the other side of the event as well. While enjoying my little treat at the start/transition/finish area, I got to watch the excitement of the transition from bike to run & of the 1st guy to complete the whole thing. The top fellows & ladies are scary fast!
I'm the 2nd smiley!
2005 Races
April 24th, 2005.
It was certainly a dreary day but the spirits were high! I had a sepctacular run until the 14km where I sprained something bad enough that by 15km, I could no longer limp & had to ask for medical assistance & a ride back to the start finish area. If I wasn't injured, I could have easily made the end of the race without too much trouble.
Still, all in all, I had a super time & look forward to the next one!
The race result: I'm way at the bottom with 6km time of 43:39min & the 10km split was 1:12:40.
June 12th, 2005. Mont Habitant Off Road Duathlon. 3/15/3km event. My first ever off-road du event & I was very excited over my prospects!
The course was a winding series of long switchbacks on the slope of a ski hill with some more climbing right before the apex of the course. This is followed by a sharp straight downhill to complete the loop. This 1.5km loop is used both for the run & cycling portions, 2x for the run & 10 for the bike.
It was very hot & humid day for the race & that did not bode too well for me. To make things more miserable, if you were standing still at the staging area, the bugs were out in full force.
Got my kit, pinned my number on my shorts (personal habit here), & took the bike out for a practice lap & then the troubles began. I thought that the course was going to be a more cross country than climbing, climbing, & even more climbing. Not my strong suit, that's for certain. I was following another fellow & we went the wrong way. Sigh... We went in reverse so we did the big climb first & descended the switchbacks. Bummer.
Next thing I noticed was all the high end mtb's that were there. I counted 1 team that showed up on a low end/beginner mtb. Signs of trouble ahead!
The race kicked off with the 1st run. Twice up & down we went. On both laps, as I got to the last climb at the apex, walking was the order of the day. On the decent down, it was more like slow stumbling compared to running. The pitch was rather steep. Now that my legs were throughly marshmellow, off to the bike.
The 1st lap up the switchbacks just about nearly killed me. I was geared at 34x25, great for cyclocross but lousy for this. I need mtb gearing like 22x34 or whatever a granny gear goes for. I made it to the top & was absolutely dead. The descent was a blast as I zoomed by some of the mtb'ers out there.
But that was it for me. I could not make another 9 laps of this. So, DNF'ed this one. All in all, I still had a great time & watched the show to the end.
Sept 3rd, 2005. The Canadian Sprint Duathlon in Ottawa, ON
Pre-race jitters left me unable to sleep at 3:00am. So, I got up & started to put the last minute gear together, basically a change of clothes plus what I will be wearing at race time. To honor "The Canadian" aspect of this race, I brought along a small flag that I tied to my fanny pack so it could flap in the wind as I run/bike/run.
Left the house at 4:30 & was in Ottawa area by 6:00am. I got to the race site & had to laugh. Mooney's Bay Park is the site of a few cyclocross events I did in the previous years
So out of the car & in search of a bathroom! After the first order of business was done, off to registration to pickup my kit & long sleeve cotton shirt. Back to the car, get my race number pinned to my shorts, check out the bike & off to the t-zone to drop the bike & junk bag. Now that all the important stuff was done, now to walkabout & look for the Maniacs! Dilemma: Haven't a clue as to what anyone looked like.
So walking about, I spy with my little eye, a lady with an orange sign. Move in a little closer to see what's written & it's a Maniac sign!!! The 2nd maniac that I ever met, LadeChat. We chatted a bit & I helped her put up the nice little signs in 2 spots. Both were beautiful signs & 1 was the logo After that, we parted ways as I had to get down to the start area & she had to get ready for her thing. Back to the t-zone for 1 last check & lo & behold, some lady had to be 2nd from the outside & could not put up with the fact that I was there already & she pushed my bike & stuff further down the rack to make room for herself. Sigh. All my stuff is there & off to the start line.
1st Run. It was a 1km out & back, no big deal & quite a scenic route in the park. I think I managed that in 12min or so. Timining is about right for me so I am a happy camper
Bike. Into the t-zone & out with the bike. No dilly dally like I normally would but I did speak with this older fellow & I was off running, & running, & running.... I think it was about 200meters before we could mount up! TheBMan came up next to me as I was running to say "Hi!". Gotta love that! Finally on the bike & off to the races once again. I caught quite a few of the faster runners who got out ahead of me & anyone with an mtb, of course By 20-21km mark, got the usual cramps in the calves. I could never figure this one out as I kept well hydrated & I should have stuck my hand out for gatorade but choose to take water that I had in my bottle. Had to drop my speed down to 20kph until I felt better to continue on my merry way.
2nd Run Off the bike & walked into the t-zone. Again! Some participant really had some nerve or lack of respect for others because they are better or whatever! Some one else helped themselves to my bike spot & graciously moved my bag out of their way. Gee! If someone left a bag there, perhaps they are still out on the road riding? Should have kicked the crap out of his/her back wheel this time but I chose the higher road. Having 2nd thoughts about that move now, should have stuck to Plan A. I had to rearrange the bikes a bit to get mine back on the rack & off once again. The legs were really not so hot & quite a bit of walking in the beginning & what I gained on the slower riders I gave up walking. Oh well, such is life. Some running/walking/running/sprinting to the finish line! Felt great!
Total time 2:01:18 (11:45 2km run / 1:13:53 30km bike / 35:42 5km run). Am I happy? Of course! Being pretty much unprepared for the thing, what more can a guy ask for except to have some fun, meet some people, & finish!!!! So, in the grand scheme of things in the sprint du, last in my age group & last male to finish! Not too far from being deadlast either The iron clad grip on last still holds & another dominating effort in my domain!
I went to watch the medals ceremony, collect my participation medal, & even won a door prize! Handle bar tape! Excellent as my bar tape has seen a crash too many & showing it's effects!
Afterwards, I walked about once again to see if I could find Jo-Jo, C-Moss, & Jacob. No such luck I walked around the whole t-zone area & the cycling turn around point & nothing This was the low point of the day as I could not meet the others nor could not pickout TheBMan nor Andy on the bike.
I made it back to Montreal by 2:00pm. All in all, it was 11hrs well spent. See you next year! Will I train for these things? Naw! Why ruin a good thing
Sept 11th, 2005. La Festival de la Sante / Montreal Marathon
One must not forget the tragic loss of life in the terrorist attack on The World Trade Center in New York, NY on Sept 11th, 2001. May all those who perished Rest in Peace.
The day started off at 6:00am. Loaded up the car with my trusty cyclocross bike & off to the races! Got to the Olympic Stadium, parked the car, last minute check down & into the subway to Rosemont Metro. There were many 1/2 & full marathon runners down there was well heading to their start point at Ile St.Helene Metro. Chatted with a fellow about runing & prerace nerves.
I got to the 10km jump point & took care of business first, porta-potty. Good move there as many waited to the last minute & the lineups were long. I had about 20min to kill so I hung around the start line to watch the wheel chair athletes take the start line. Ms.Peticlerc, hope I didn't kill this name, was in attendance, the 2 or was it 3 gold medal winner at the Para-Olympics.
Then the call for runners, which applied to everyone else but since I paid my fee & was just standing about, might as well join them. Being at the start line to begin with, I was only about 12ft from the starting line. Hmmm... strategy about letting people start first is out the window already. Off we went! Some people who were really out of shape went off with the leading runners in all the excitment & synergy of the moment & were quickly brought back to the real world.
I was determined to run my pace for as long as possible & then see what I could do towards the end. An interesting observation! Footfalls. I have never heard so many footfalls in my entire life. The sounds of running shoes pounding the pavement breaking the silence of a beautiful morning. I usually here my own footsteps because I start last but never experienced it from the front as the fast movers whizzed by. All of them.
So going along, going, along, going along, ... lo & behold, the stadium comes into view. Wow! Still alive & moving!
Left turn onto Blvd Pie IX to begin the last stretch before heading to the stadium itself. From this point, recon mission begins. Look for locations for posters, intercept points to catch the others, approx timing & position to get ahead & setup to take pics. Coming up to the right turn onto Rosemont Blvd, apply power to move up the slow & long incline & drop a few runners ahead of me. Woo! Hoo! I have been consistently dropping those who took off at the gun!
Onto Rosemont Blvd & the first of the 1/2 marathoners run by. Wow! I could have been standing still!! That was an eye opening experience! Right turn onto Viau & heading toward the Stadium now, rythm is good, breathing is good, knees are good! Pass the 8km mark!! Bruyere had dared me to beat 1hr & my watched showed 47min. Well being untrained & foolish, increase running tempo! Timing is close at 6min/km.
Round the bend & onto Sherbrooke, Stadium is looming ahead, body is good, breathing is good, maintain pace, & recon mission still needed to be completed. 9km mark & started to feel it in the knees now. Right turn onto the stretch to dive under Sherbrooke to enter the Stadium. Downhill... sigh... drop speed to avoid over doing it... sigh... & into the Stadium! The crowds are cheering, the music is rocking, the speakers were blaring something or another. Darn echoing. A surprise! Had to run a lap inside the field.... Runner ahead, matched speed to see how we are, increase speed to run & over take & adjust gap to keep runner ahead a good distance from me & runner behind, to stay behind. Sprint finish on my own!!!! Hope the official photographer got a good clean shot! If not, I look like I did in Ottawa!
662/1002 finish, 0:59:05.8 total time, 5:55min/km, 454/569 men, 71/83 age category 35-39
The one big thing I did not notice, The Jumbotron. It is called the Jumbotron for a reason & of course, I missed it altogether. I could have seen myself finish!
On a separate note, after the event, I ran into Jessica. I actually would have missed her altogether had I not seen this particularly well dressed fellow WALKING next to her!
2006 Races
Apr 23rd, 2006. The big day has arrived! Race 1!
124/257 total field 0:27:12.3 chip time 25:27 min/km 81/115 Men 29/37 Men 30 - 39
Rain. Lots of it & it never stopped....
The morning started off with a restless sleep from the night before. Perhaps a sign of things to come. The splattering of rain off the bedroom window did not help much either. After toosing & turning, I dragged my ass out of bed at 6:00am, got cleaned up & dressed for the 1st race of the year! A 5km run! Had a quick glass of water, checked out the hockey scores from the night before (way to go Habs!) & out the door at 7:00am with all my junk.
It was a nice quick drive down to the race venue & being a somewhat early bird, the $10 parking attendant wasn't at work yet. Woo! hoo! An extra $10 for me I had plenty of time to relax & chew the fat with Doug & Agnes, both first timers at racing, at race HQ.
At 8:45 we moved out of the building & made our way in the rain to the starting line. Though they started a few minutes late, I think... the usual tactic of starting at the back of the pack was thrown out as it was a gun time start. Bit of a bummer. Well, at zero hr, off we went, Doug took off & I paced myself for the first 3km before deciding what to do finally. It was simple really, run faster. Amazing how a thought like that can enter one's mind in a middle of a race. So, quicken the pace & once more again at the 4km mark. At one point towards the final stretch/startightaway, I though I saw Doug ahead of me. So, dig deep for one last long run in a lousy attempt to catch him. I did manage to close half the distance but in the end, wrong guy I was chasing. I came in at 27:11 & Doug was at 25:change. Agnes came in at 37:change. She was hoping for under 40min & both have every respectable results for a 1st timer
The brother & sister duo have been training hard whereas I, on the other hand, ..... We stuck around for the 21Kmtl to watch & cheer. As the race continmued, the rain never let up once but did seem to comedown somehwhat harder at the 2:00hr mark. To make this worse, the temperature was dropping too! I did not see L'Enfant Terrible or Echolima but did run into Josianne, on her bike!
All in all, had a great time!
June 4 - Chambly, QC Duathlon
Things certainly unfolded as the universe has decided. The people who showed up looked pretty mean & lean, which translates to a very fast looking crowd. With the Tour d'Ile Montreal going on the same day, I would like to believe that some people got drawn off to that big event & thus the small field at today's event, 54 participants in all. With that in mind, the organizers decide on a mass start. Since I was there to do my own thing, just shut out the fast guys & girls (which meant everyone there...) from my mind & take a deep breath & away we went. This time, I had photography help from my friend Doug & his sister Agnes was there as well to take in the action & see what it is all about before taking the leap!
I had an entertaining 1st run with Doug providing some comic relief on every lap. Eventually, the thing that I have been waiting for .... I was Last. Dead Last. The lady runner in a yellow jersey behind me got around me at the 3rd lap & I was toast!
Into the transition zone & lo & behold, quite easy to find my bike as it was the only one there in the whole place!!! Got to the rack, stopped, had a nice long drink of water, relaxed a moment, & unracked the bike to head for the cycling start. Away we went! Did I mention that everyone looked fast? Darn tootin' fast on the bikes too! So, race my own race. Ride along.. ride along.. ride along... lo & behold! The runner in the yellow is on an mtb! Well! Can't have that now can we? So, full speed ahead. Get by Ms Yellow & kept the gas foot as far down as I could sustain the pace. Figure on getting some distance between myself & her before the next run. At every turn, I turned my head around to see if I can spot Ms. Yellow. Nope. Good sign! Throughout the 7 laps, Doug provided some excellent comic relief!
Back to the transition zone & they were calling out the winner of the race... sigh ... Got to my rack & the guy who racked his bike next to mine decided to take the whole space.. cheapskate... Moved his bike over, & dropped mine in place. All Stop! Take my time to get a drink, stretch a bit, collect one's thoughts (nothing really) & away we went. The world's slowest 5km was in the making! The first lap was dead slow. I think I could have walked faster. The legs were certainly not turning over. Lap 2, at the gatorade stand, took my sweet time drinking but maintained a walking pace. After that, with 3 laps to go, I maintained my pace right to the bitter end! The dj who is at every race came up & shook my hand at the end as we always share a laugh at these events.
Another masterful & successful defense of Last Place is in the books! Last in my age group & literally, the Last Man! Also, I can claim Next to Last as well!
Total time: 1:39:07
Run 1: 5km, 26:52min or 5:23min/km, a 5km PB for me!!!!!
Cycling: 20km, 41:32min or 28.9 kph
Run 2: 5km 30:44min or 6:09min/km
We stuck around to watch the ceremonies & I even got a door prize, a name draw actually, a Timex watch to add to my schwag! Unfortunately, I have to collect that in the next race I am going to attend.
Happy camper here! A bit sore but happy nevertheless! All in all, a very good 1st duathlon of the season.
June 25th, 2006. Duathlon Mont Habitant, QC. Total time 2:11:18
The Great Defense of Last Place at The Mont Habitant Duathlon began with a beautiful sunny morning, +21c & not a cloud in the sky, in La Belle Province. Unlike most people that I know, I decided to make some last minute adjustments to my gear. I readjusted my saddle height back to where it was last year prior to cyclocross & changed back to an older saddle too! I brought out a brand spanking new pair of NB754 which had exactly 4km on it.
Nothing special this morning except I brought along with me a banana! Yes folks! I did not run on empty this time! I loaded up the car & at 7:00am, off we went. It was a rather uneventful drive there & I did not get lost this time! A good omen! I arrived with time to spare so off to the registration area to pick up the race kit. Along the way, I ran into a fellow, Denis, from my gym, who I had known was a runner but not a triathlete. I ran into people I haven't seen since last season & whom I "compete" against. It was really nice.
Back to the car, pin my number to my shorts, yank the bike down & checked tire pressure this time! Good thing too as I had only 80psi. I was really on the ball this morning! A top up of air & to the transition zone. My friends, brother & sister, Doug & Agnes was up to watch, take pics, & do some running & cheering me on with good humour!
The Race
1st Run, 2km
Pow went the gun & nearly everyone rocketed off into the horizon. Nothing new here. The new NB754's seem to work really well. Very airy feeling & nice bounce too given that they are still new. I sauntered along until I got back to the transition zone. Being that there was a tri going on at the same time, my bike was not so lonely. Took a good solid drink from my water bottle, & headed out of the t-zone.
30km Bike
Onto the bike & struggled up 2 short & rather steep hills & then into my pace. The scenery is spectacular there. Lost of rolling hills & mostly uphill on the way out. There were 3 rather large ones on the course & lucky for everyone, they were all back to back with a small gap of rest in between.
Many of the fast looking once zoomed by me but no big deal. During the climbing, I could not help but notice the guys & girls heading back the opposite way. Oh well... Finally the rurn around point! It could not have come any sooner! Once I was heading back, all the uphills became downhills. Max speed was 62kph, really exciting & a nice rest as well. I was not powering down hill at all.
It was a rather nice ride back. This will be the first time that I did not cramp out on the ride! It was utterly amazing! Perhaps it was the banana.... ? I will say one thing, as the temperature creeped up, any hill became a struggle on the bike.
Run 2, 8km
Dead. No other way to describe it but dead. I did the walk run thing the whole way. I think I ran as many as I walked. The right ankle was on the edge & I was dead anyways, so walking was pretty good. Doug & Agnes ran along side to offer some moral support. That was so nice! The heat at this time was really starting to get to me as well. So, I struggled along & eventually made my way to the finish line in 2hrs10min, I think ....
The Result!
All in all, though the organizers & Sportstats had some trouble, I think I successfully defended last in the duathlon. Though I am not 100% sure. On the upnote, I was definitely Last in my age group For all my struggles, my last place earned me a podium spot too How about them apples? There were only 3 guys in my age group. All 3 of us! I did not know that until I checked my times & category! 3rd out of 3 I got a bronze medal! My first in a racing event! I scored a nice water bottle as a door prize & picked up my Timex watch from the previous race door prize!
A medal....me... it was way too funny!
Made my day!
July 1st, 2006. Happy Canada Day!
I did some race support for my friends who ran the HBC Run For Canada
July 16th, 2006. Duathlon Valeyfield, QC. Total time 1:52:01
The morning started off with great feeling of dread due to the heat & humidity. Since I could not sleep, thought I would get the laundry done & out on the clothes line before I leave the house. #1 accomplishment of the day!
The fog rolled in! Woo!Hoo!!! Perhaps I might get lucky & the sun will stay away all morning. Got all the stuff in the car, drove along happily until I got off the island of Montreal. The sun was out Oh well. So much for an easier day.... I got to the race site in good time, got the bike into the t-zone with my junk bag & then off to registration to pick up my tee shirt & number. I ran into some people whom I have competed with over the years... kinda like a high school reunion. Loads of fun! In fact one fellow, Tom Katsabanis 1:38:30 (let's see if you are reading this!), came up & introduced himself to me. Seems like he ws interested in du scene in QC & while prowling the internet, stumbled upon my website, & found the http://www.sportriple.com Subaru Series!
Zero hour. Had a really great chat with Tom & then the moment has come. The usual suspects are lined up & gone in a flash along with Tom, leaving the few of us at the back of the pack to sort ourselves out. The 1st run was a real struggle as I was huffing & puffing after 2 km. After struggling along mightily & quite slowly, eventually, I reached the transition zone. I was not really exhausted but the www.runningmania.com> shirt was most certainly covered in sweat.
On to the bike & off to the races with the majority of the field probably completed 2 laps on the bike by the time I got on. No big deal really. The breeze had kicked in too. Much more better than running Waaaayyyy more comfortable in the saddle I made certain that a ran my own race & so that I was sure that I saved some for the eventual 2nd run which came all too fast. I stayed in the drops when the wind was against me & rode on the hoods when the wind was on my back. My way of resting & conserving energy. By the 5th loop, I pretty much had the course for myself.
Back into the t-zone, off the bike, waddled to my rack position & seriously debated with myself wheather I should stop or continue. Since the running was 5 loops of 1km, I had this internal discussion 5 times. It was very appealing just to walk off at the finish line but still, after much much more struggling & running slowly, I eventually made my way to the finish line & my day came to its end.
The after race beer.
I got a beer! Found some shade & stayed very still for about 20 min recooperating... more like sweating profusely. After that, with beer in hand, went to the shower that was set up & attempted to wash the sunscreen I put on. Yup! Another first! I used sunscreen! Eventually, I found the same people I laughed & joked with in the beginning except we were laughing & joking about the race. Real fun!
Results
34th/38 participants duathlon (73 particiapants in the tri)
1:52:01 Total
2/2 Hommes 35-39
Run 1: 31:46min or 6:22min/km
Bike 20: 49:01min or 24.5min/km
Run 2: 31:15min or 6:15/km
For all my efforts, I scored a silver medal!
August 6th, 2006. Ste Agathe Duathlon. Total time 2:20:46
I ran into some old faces that I always meet there & a new one, Amanda, from the cyclocross team. Great to chat it up a bit & calm the nerves. But soon enough, we all had to part ways to settle nto our start points & times. The du field felt rather large but there were only 56 participants.
Run 1 & 2 are identical, 2.5km out & back. Start at the beach in front of Lac des Sables & run about 100meters to the pavement... ugh! What a way to start, running in sand.... finally onto the road & a short distance later, a nice long hill. What goes up, must come down on the other side. The route takes us into downtown Ste Agathe itself which is really cute. Of course, we get to see all of this going the opposite direction on the way back in. Cycling in the Laurentians is nothing but uphill & downhill with a few flat-ish parts in between.
I thought I had a great 1st run & a so-so bike section... I think I went beyond my scope on run 1 & by the time we got to the 1st hill on the bike... only a short distance out of the transition zone, I was certainly not recovered... felt leg cramps come on during the bike but never fully cramped out.
Run 2 was ... run 2. Lots of walking uphill & running like a duck downhill... & more walking... I developed an interesting pain/ache/pulled tired muscles. On both legs, right above the knee, the muscles were on the verge of being pulled & I could feel the tension/stress build up if I pushed thus all the walking. Felt the same thing too on the left calf muscle.
In the end, no 3-peat on the podium BUT I did finish as Last Man & Last in my age group! Yessss!
Mission accomplished: I finished!
Aug 15th, 2006.
Sept 2, 2006. The Canadian Sprint Duathlon in Ottawa, ON
The perfect day for a great race! Cloudy & cool! Could not ask for anything else! I arrived with my friends Doug & Agnes. Soon enough, the RM nation started appearing, SuperBob (Bob), HCiD (Andy), Kelodie, & JFrunner (JF, Kelodie's boyfriend). I also ran into the Montreal crew, Iron Tri Dennis, Sprint Du Tom, & Sprint Tri Doc (Forgot her name... again. She is a for real medical doctor), & Doc's Mom (her constant travel companion).
The race day started off at 7:15am cheering on Andy at the start of the Iron Du. After that, we waited & joked about our own races which came all too soon. 8:00am, game time! The horn sounded & we were off.
2km run: usual tactics, start at the back so I don't block any fast runner, which was most everyone. Bob & I ended up trading spots, Doug was long gone, & Agnes ran her own race. We caught up with Doug upon return at the t-zone.
30km bike, Doug was long gone after we stumbled out of the Tzone & I never really saw him unless we passed in opposite directions. The same with Bob, who trailed me & Agnes who trailed all of us. I raced within my capacity & had a grea time untl the final turn around heading back to the t-zone. I felt tired ... already.. not a good sign as I usually survive the bike pretty good & stink on the last run.
5km run: Upon arriving at the dismount of the bike, my infamous left knee was shot. I could not run at all. Uh-oh... oh well, walk to the t-zone to deposit my bike! Out of the t-zone & walking at full speed with a few odd run/jog thrown in between. Here's where the fun began, Bob passed me & kjoked about The Battle of Last Place. I was already a lame duck at that point so I had a good laugh. Walking along, walking along, & there's Bob... cramped legs & stretching. So, between his cramps & my hobbling, we actually made a race of it to see who would get in last. Eventually, Bob resolved his cramps & got by me right towards the end.
As for me... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! Woo!Hoo!!
Last in my age group & Last Man (1 fellow DNF'ed)!
Total Time: 1:58:08
Men's 40/41
Run 1 (2km) 10:21 or 5:11min/km
Tzone 1 3:16min
Bike 44/63 for 1:02:48 or 28.7kph
Tzone 2 5:39min
Run 2 (5km) 36:05 or 7:13 I have no idea how I managed that...
What a great morning!
Off to lunch (At Phil's Diner, great place!!!) with Doug & Agnes before they headed back to Montreal. After that, I wanted to make my way to do some Iron volunteering at IronGirl's (Kiza) water station. Guess what? Hopelessly lost! Eventually I found my way close to the directions supplied by IG except for the road closure. Idea! Call IG on her cell phone! Dilemma: IG isn't aswering!
Sigh... off we go to circumvent the area to arrive at the designated parking spot. Unloaded Thunder & went for a ride. Next problem, no water station in sight! Another problem, which way is south? So, a local appeared & pointed me in the right direction & lo & behold! The water station!
I had a great time during my 2 hr shift! I met some of IG's friends, TheBMan (Brian), A-Slow-5 (Nancy, Brian's better half) & Bebette too! Someone wrote down on the pavement "Hot Girls" & "Hot Guys" so many jokes were exchanged amongs the volunteers & the racers too. Loved the comeradie & it really felt great to give back & help others!
All in all, a great day at The Canadian!
Will be back in 2007!
Oct. 18th, 2006. A nice surprise receieved in the mail!
2007 Races
April 22, 2007. 21Kmtl is completed & in the books at 2:30:09.7! A PB & all time record distance!
Yup... ran with my camera on my back....
For more pictures & comments on the day!
From Marasports website:
May 27, 2007. May 27, 2007 Chambly, QC Duathlon
Another great day in the long line of Last Place finishes! To those who endure the back of the pack, take heart! You are definitely not alone as long as I am around Ran into some old aquintances & had some friends with me to share the jokes, laughs & after race meal with. I scored a freebie running hat from my favorite running store: Pegasus!
The Sportriple series took a big change this year from being an independent entity to the present situation of falling underneath the provinical organization, Triathlon Quebec. Of course, all this means is that there are more top flight athletes showing up on race day. Just to make my day! Funny thing though, there were some beginners tossed into the mix today but they were rather fast runners. I only managed to beat them on the bike but gave it all back in run 2
Today's fun consisted of matching pace with a big guy wearing a blue shirt! Nice & easy to spot The fellow was doing his 2nd event & was relentless. We traded the coveted Last Man spot throughout run 1 & enjoyed our shared jokes! He got by me finally & got out of T1. He was moving quite quickly on the bike too. Eventually, I caught up with him on the climbs & but he consistently got it back on the decents. This continued for all 20km until I cramped out on both legs & had to soft pedal into T2. The big fellow was out of T2 quite quickly & I was in hot but slow pursuit! I was actually surprised that I did NOT feel the famous lead feet after coming off the bike. Hmmmm ... benefits from 21KMtl still in the legs? Some slow running until I got my pace sort of going & caught up with Blue. I did the run to the km marking & walk/drink gatorade thing. We traded positions until the final 5th km loop & I stayed out ahead!
Another successful defense of 35-39 male age group
Just a historical perspective on the day:
2006 Total Time: 1:39:07 Run1 26:52/5:23 Bike 41:32/28.9 Run2 30:44/6:09
2007 Total Time: 1:37:09 Run1 26:58/5:24 Bike 41:45/28.7 Run2 28:27/5:42
Whoa! A whole 1min58sec improvement! All gained out of Run2.
June 17, 2007. La Grande Virée des Sentiers du Mont Saint-Bruno A truly great day, a bit rainy in the beginning, humid, a bit rainy at the end, & humid once again!
1:01 for 10km on this course is utterly amazing! It is held at Parc Mont St.Bruno whicch can be described as ... well... hilly! Up the hill, up some more, & still up! Then down a bit, followed by more uphill... felt like it was going to go on forever! I will say that no one beat me running up the hills & I even caught quite a few too but, going down was a whole different ball game.
Aug 19, 2007. Ste Agathe Duathlon
Back in action after a month of nothing! The day started out chilly, +13c or so but the sun was out. It was definitely sweatshirt weather. So, loaded up the car with all the bike junk, got to the race site, unloaded all the bike junk, minor adjustments to the saddle & we were good to setup in the transition zone. The usual suspects were all present including something called Team Frank. So, lined up with all the fast people & after the gun goes, pretty much on my own from here on end.
Run 1 was rather uneventful except I caught a few back of the packer's running up the hill. Of course I gave it all back running down the other side... bit of a bummer there.
Got back to T1 & definitely needed a bathroom break before hopping on the bike. Out on the open road & climbiing some more.... I caught a few people once again. My goodness... a trend is starting to develop here! It was a hard day in the saddle with all the hills, cramped up pretty much on the left calf & had to walk some as well. Still, I made it back to T1 with time on some folks.
Run 2, gave back all the time & then some. Those hills that I powered up on Run 1.... I walked on Run 2. My right knee was aching as welll so more walking... think I walked quite a bit of Run 2 ... enough to call it Walk 1
Total Time: 2:22:39
8/8 Mens 35 - 39
Run 1 (5km): 27:57 or 5:36/km
Bike (30km): 1:18:15 or 23.0 kph
Run 2 (5km): 36:29 or 7:18/km
Aug 26, 2007. Valleyfield Duathlon
To make a long story short, Last Place was well defended & at one point, it as hotly contested
As usual, I forgot to stop the watch when I crossed the line which I figure to be about 1hr55min. Historically, 1:52 in 2006 & 1:48 in 2004... just goes to show, the older you get, the slower you become Other insignificant stats: avg heart rate: 174bpm & maxed out at 193bpm.
The action began right after the last tri guys & girls were off. Soon, it was our turn. At the sound of the horn, we were off. Unfortunately for me, I started off way too quickly & paid the price towards the end of the first 5km run. Usually, I am pretty bored with doing loop/laps but this time, I was ok! As per usual, nearly everyone got away from me on the run.
Back to the t-zone, popped the helmet & gloves on, & we were off.... slowly.... Once I got settled in & down in the aerobars, it was pretty good going. Must admit, parts of the road needed some work & took a bit of a pounding. All in all, I tried to stay on the aerobars as much as possible & I can say that about 65% of the time, I was down in them... exceptions were the corners & when I cramped out. It was really bad as I had to stop the bike & stretch before being able to continue so once my posted time comes out, there is 2 minutes of standing around.... watching hard work of passing (!) riders go right down the porta-potty as there were no toilets available. If I did not get this untimely cramp, I could have put time on these guys for Run 2....oh well, off we went once again, & finished as strong as possible on the bike.
Run 2 was nothing short of uninspiring... just kidding! I actually think I did well as I walked less in Run 2 than in Run 1 but I was also going significantly slower The race organizers strategically placed a shower right before crossing the finish line. Of course, I took advantage of it to the laughs of people around expecting me to cross the line first.. little do they know me Eventually, after my nice shower, I crossed the line & heard my name called out as a finisher & for a door prize to boot! Woo Hoo! Schwag!
Gave back the chip, stretched a bit, hobbled to the announcers desk to collect my booty & guess what? I scored a pair of Asics!!!!! I won't be able to collect until the last event but they marked down my size & everything!!! Happy camper!!!! Unfortuately, like a dummy, I forgot to ask which model I won
Had a great day
Total Time: 1:48:25
Mens 35-39 8/8
Run 1: 31:32 or 6:19/km
Bike: 44:17 or 27.1 kph
Run 2: 32:37 or 6:32/km
Sept 1, 2007. The Canadian Sprint Duathlon
66/90 total men & women
11/13 Men 30-39
2km run 9:21 or 4:41min/km
30km bike: 1:04:39 or 27.8kph
5km run 29:30 or 5:54min/km
Total Time: 1:48:15
The hard facts... did not retain my Last Man status in my AG.... bit of a bummer....
The day started early after having packed the car & when my friends arrived at my place at 4:30am. They hopped into my car & away we went to Ottawa. Got there in good time & free parking right next to Terry Fox center... a good omen! Walking about, I run into the RunningMania gang, HCiD first (what a surprise...) & after that, & in no particular order due to short memory, Scrummy, BicycleBoy & Trish (got to see his new toy!), The BMan & Stella, SuperBob, TriJenn, & "Doc" Terry from Montreal.
I got Bob & Terry setup next to me at the furthest point on the bike racks in the transition zone. Though in hindsight, I picked the king spot as the entry after the first run/swim was right there & the exit to the 2nd run was at the same spot! Many laughs were shared amongst the various friends & Maniacs. Gotta love it! But finally, the call to action arrived!
Run 1 (2km)
The tactic of the day was to gain time on anyone in Run 1 (if at all possible), if I was to make it close at the end of the day. I was feeling rather good in the inital few steps that I could step on it a bit. So away we went, pressing as hard as possible. When I got into transition, I had time to take a sip from the water bottle, get the riding gear adjusted, chat with Bob when he arrived (!), & off we went.
Cycling (30km)
Same tactic, had to put some time into the runners who were weaker cyclists! While leaving transition, I got a greetings yell from Renato (owner of Pegasus doing the 1/2 iron). So cool! Upon mounting, I managed to get into the aerobar quite quickly & made a solid effort to stay in it as long as possible. I will say one thing about my winter saddle, it works great for cyclocross but doesn't work for me in races when I am staying in aero-form. Need a new saddle!
Today was rather particular as I was doing quite a bit of passing on the slower riders whereas at home, I am the slower rider. Perhaps I should race in Ottawa more often next season.
On lap 2, I had Bicycle.Boy screamed out at me as he motored on by! I also saw BMan & Stella on a run along the grass heading down the route & exchanged a quick greeting!
Finally the biking was over & off the bike we went. I walked a bit until I felt the legs again & jogged the rest of the distance into the stadium. Got back to the bike rack & Terry nor SuperBob made it back yet.
Run 2 (5km)
Off we went & stumbling along merry the way! I met Sister Miller at the 1km mark & we exchanged some jokes as I shuffled along the path. After the water station, who do I see standing on the side cheering? Hula Girl! Of course, I stopped & collected a hug! LadyJ was ever watching that spot & got the pic... curious on what I look like with JoJo... Kept on going & finally, the turn around point!
Time to try harder but I was really starting to wear down... more jokes with JoJo & LadyJ. High 5 with Terry & Trish long the way back too! Eventually, back across the bridge, through the gravel, & making the best of my uphill running ability to make my way to the stadium. Once inside, there's Bicycle.Boy yelling to sprint & away we went! Spent it all getting to the line & yelled out a salut to Joe(!) taking picks right there!
All good things must come to an end.
We hung around at various points & Maniacs & finally decided to hang around the grandstand to catch the tri-a-tri coming off the swim & into transition. After some cheering & all, we saved the loudest for Kelodie(!) whom I think we caught off guard as we were load & boisterous!
We had to leave Ottawa soon as the Millers had to return back to Montreal for work. But before that, a trip to the Byward Market for some much needed food.
Sept 8, 2007. St. Sauveur Duathlon
The day started off with a quick post on RM (6002 posts now!). Packed up & headed down the highway to St.Sauver. Found good parking right in front of the venue, got my race packet & my new shoes!
Problem! Wrong shoes & wrong size.... hmmmm... could be an omen! No bother, stuff like this will get settled up once I speak with the race director afterwards. Got the bike to the transition zone & settled in. Since I got there early & I swallowed the 2 bananas I brought along (anti-cramping measure). For good measure, I took a gel about 30min before the race as well.
Race time!
Blasted off with the group for my first 3km. I even managed to pick off 1 guy as well. Woo!Hoo! indeed! But I suspect that I paid a heavy price for the quick(er) run. No big deal, it is the last du of the season
Onto the bike, off we went & problems kicked in quickly. Somehow I don't think the bananas & the gel got along to well. So here I am struggling along with a slightly upset stomach & starting to feel the effects of a quick run too. We hit the first hill & guess what, 34T up front & shifting issues with the RD when it came to the climbing cogs in back. Ugh! The RD kept on hunting & dropping the chain to the speedier gears which did not help me in the climbs, more climbs, & even more #@$%&*** climbs! Did I mention it was windy? Did I mention we fought the wind on the way out? Up the hills.....
Strangely enough, when in 50T up front, the whole cassette seemed to worked kind of well .... kinda.... Hooray for me. The bike route is out & back & most of the way out was climbing.... super. Most of the way back was downhill.. Super! Struggled all the way back to transition & I was dead. I also happen to notice that the majority of the field was sitting down, swaping stories, & enjoying their after race meal/drinks. Wonderful.....
Off we went for run 2 with lots & lots of walking. Yes it is only a 3km run but this runner was not moving too swiftly. Got to the water station at the turn around point of the run & had 3 cups of water & 3 more cups of gatorade. Now I felt better! Waddled (certainly would not call it running!) my way back to the finish line to claim my coveted title of Last Man I did know that there was a girl still on the course as she was being paced by a teammate as I was heading back in so I cannot claim last person. Oh well, 1 out of 2 isn't so bad
The hard cold facts
Total Time: 2:01:42
Mens 35-39: 22/22
3km Run 1: 14:43 or 4:55/km
33km Bike: 1:27:45 or 22.6/kph
3km Run 2: 19:15 or 6:25/km
The duathlon season is over. Perhaps I might still partake in the odd run here & there. See you in 2008!
2008 Races
& once again, into the fire, 21KMtl on April 20th, 2008!
April 20,2008. What beautiful day for a run, the sun was shining & it was about 13c at the start. Unfortunately for me, I think I am more of an adverse weather type of guy. I went out & tried a new pair of shoes on race day 
What a bomb! Wrong shoe type for me & it caused all sorts of pains & aches that by the 6th km, I called it a day. The next time I try new gear, I will be sure that it is gear that will work for me.
Ran into this old codger! Tasso Vavarikos from the old Rosemount High School days! What a hoot! Haven't seen him since 1987!
Lots more posted over at www.RunningMania.com!
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