tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32925259084805201302024-03-05T02:02:42.116-05:00Miranda's Triathlon BlogMiranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-82278665948855104642019-07-10T11:38:00.000-04:002019-07-10T14:51:58.484-04:00Race Recap: Ironman Muskoka 70.3This past weekend I won Ironman 70.3 Muskoka. Since stepping down as a Professional Triathlete, due to actually having to work for a living :), I've really struggled with balancing life and triathlon. It's taken awhile to realize what the right balance is. My work hours shot up to 60-70 hours a week some weeks as I did what was necessary to support myself and my family. Trying to train to the level I had before was impossible, recovery was neglected, sleep was compromised, nutrition was de-prioritized. There just wasn't time. I still managed good results, but was constantly disappointed I wasn't as fast as I was before. This year I've really tried to figure it all out. With the help of a few great people, training partners and friends I think I am back on track and my fitness is better than it has been in the past 5 years. I still work a lot but less than I used to, I train a little bit more, I don't sleep enough - but am trying to, I've improved my nutrition and spent a lot of time on injury prevention. It's the small changes that add up. <BR><BR>
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I've now had a few days to reflect on the lead up and the race this past weekend. I thought I would write a race recap (it's been awhile since I posted), as I learned some valuable lessons from this race that I thought might be useful to share. Before I get into the details, I just want to start with a few thank yous. I am so thankful for the Ironman crew for working tirelessly to put on a great event, the volunteers who make these races possible and who were so incredibly enthusiastic on the day - especially the cyclist who rode with me through the tough 21.1km run course, my athletes from TTC and Tomenson Performance & Wellness who cheered on the day (and motivate and inspire me every single day), Kevin McCormick's family for cheering so loud and accepting sweaty high fives!, the One Capital crew for supporting me at this event, all the spectators, <a href="https://www.heal-nutrition.com/">Tara from HEAL</a> (because I've listened to her Nutrition talks so many times all her advice has really changed my life) and especially my friends and family for their endless support (friend/family support really is the backbone for most athlete's success, without this, an athlete can't reach his/her potential). To elaborate on this a little, I want to emphasize how important it has been that Adam has given me his full support. He has said "triathlon will always be your true love", which is true - it is what I feel is my purpose in life, the reason I love to get up (super early every day) and what makes me feel special. I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing, but I know that to downplay my passion for triathlon would be to change who I truly am. Adam, my family and friends accept, appreciate and respect this about me, which makes me feel so incredibly lucky and I wouldn't be the triathlete, coach, RMT, step-mum, person that I am without this. <BR><BR>
<b>
PRE-RACE:</b> The race weekend started early, well, actually a little later than planned on Friday. Adam and I had a leisurely drive up north, listened to a few inspirational podcasts, stopped at Weber's for burgers and arrived to check in at 3pm. Then headed to the <a href="http://www.onecapital.com/">One Capital</a> team cottage. This weekend I was lucky enough to be part of the One Capital team of elite athletes that also consisted of Alex B, Larry O, Don M, Colleen and Michael. All of us finished in the top 10 in our age groups, except Michael who had knee surgery 3 months ago and just did the swim-bike (also, pretty amazing he could do that!) The cottage was huge and on Fairy Lake. The rest of the day I spent relaxing, while Adam biked, and we had an early night. Saturday morning I woke up a little later than usual (5:30am!) and had my morning breakfast of homemade oatmeal+blueberry bread + coffee while I reviewed athlete programs and answered emails. Then Adam and I did a bike ride and I did a run. During the ride, my chain dropped, which is very rare for me, and I got a bit worried. However, it was fine the rest of the ride so that eased my nerves a bit. I felt really good. I hadn't done a lot of Ironman 70.3 effort rides and runs. In fact, my longest run in the previous 3.5 weeks was 16km. Most of my training was long/slow swims and bikes, with some short races mixed in for above Ironman 70.3 intensity. I know that my best racing is done when I'm training more (not everyone is like me and can get pretty fit with short/intense workouts, but I do best with over-distance training). The rest I had taken the past 10 days seemed to have me pretty fresh. The rest of the day went fairly smoothly. I checked my bike (got the best spot for my AG), led my TPW athletes & friends through a swim up the river, attended the race briefing, gave a pre-race chat to TTC. The only drama was when I realized that my bike was no longer in the spot I left it in, the gears had been changed and the rear tire was flat. Adam kept me calm, took the wheel to D'Ornellas and had them change the flat and check the tire. D'Ornellas ruled out the tire had exploded from the heat so this had me a bit paranoid that someone was trying to sabotage my race (another explanation is that the bike had fallen and someone picked it up and re-racked it). Either way, I decided to rack my bike in a different age group over night. Next, I went home, made dinner for the One Capital team and had an early night to bed. Unfortunately, it was a restless sleep with my mind wandering to the mysterious issue of my bike and being worried about another mechanical during the race. <BR><BR>
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<b>THE RACE:</b> I had an uneventful race prep. I re-racked my bike in my age group rack, in one of the worst spots to remain inconspicuous, even though Laura Beatty offered to give me her spot (thank you Laura!). I got in a good warmup and was ready to go for the swim. When the swim started I fell back a bit (wish I had some speed!), but then saw that the gap between myself and the third place swimmer wasn't big and it didn't grow. I worked hard to get up to that swimmer and he led me the whole way through the swim. I found it quite easy to navigate the river after having swum it so many times. I knew where the turns were and where the swim exit would be. I swam a 26:59 by my watch (27:05 official time) which was a super fast swim for me that rivals times I was posting in my professional triathlete days. I always tell my swimmers that the key to a fast swim is to sight properly, draft and have good fitness. All three contributed to this time. After a smooth T1, I was off on the bike. I felt good, I checked in on my heart rate, power and effort throughout, took my nutrition and watched the kms pass by. Focusing on what you can control and having patience was the strategy I used and what I find is most effective for long course events. I was all on my own, which was kind of lonely. Occasionally a super fast male would zoom by. No one I could have worked with on the bike. Athletes can gain a huge advantage by working with other athletes outside the 12m draft zone, but usually this doesn't happen when you are one of the first ones out of the water. I had two minor mechanicals (dropped chain), which forced me off my bike twice - which was annoying and I probably lost about 60-90s as I had to dismount my bike both times. I have since ordered new chain rings so that this issue doesn't happen in another race. The bike felt pretty easy the whole way, except maybe the last 20km on Burnel when I was afraid to go into my small ring so I had to grind a bit up some hills. Before long I was back in transition and ready for the run. (1:34:12 excluding the stops, and 1:35:50 race time). The run felt pretty easy for me and in control for the first 14km. Just like on the bike, I focused on what I could control: pace and nutrition. I was even chatting with the lead cyclist. It wasn't until the final 1/3 of the race after climbing the steep climb that I started to have to work. And, wow, it really hit me. Each step was a struggle, I let out a few tears, swore under my breath but I kept going. I saw the second female about 4km behind me and knew that I could win. I am involved in triathlon for myself, to push myself to be my best, to continue to improve, it's an outlet for which my personality thrives, but it's also nice to win! I tackled every uphill knowing that there was a downhill coming and that I was getting closer and closer to the finish. When I finally saw the finish line the tears started streaming down my face and I was smiling at the same time. Breaking the tape and holding that banner high (and not worrying about stopping my watch!) will be one of the moments I remember for the rest of my life. Run time: 1:35:57. <BR><BR>
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Thank you for reading, thank you for supporting, thank you for believing in me. <BR><BR>
And of course, I want to post the amazing results by all my amazing Tomenson Performance & Wellness athletes: <BR><BR>
Andrew K - Half-IM distance PB, 17min course PB<BR>
Renee K - 40min course PB<BR>
Corwin - 1hr30min PB<BR>
Brenda Santos - 1hr7min half IM PB<BR>
Shannon Brooks - 40min Course PB<BR>
Peter D - first half IM<BR>
Saul Sacks - first half IM<BR>
Kevin McCormick - 20min course PB, 9th AG<BR>
Kevin Gandy - first half IM<BR>
Mark Henderson - 20min half-IM PB<BR>
Alfred Lam - IM MTB prep race- 2nd HIM<BR>
David Lamy - Half-Ironman PB<BR>
Sara Tomenson - Relay, bike course PB<BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-3324404085391418512018-11-30T06:31:00.002-05:002018-11-30T06:34:35.181-05:00Training Partners: The Pros and ConsWhen I was training as a professional triathlete, I did most of my training on my own. This was largely because my ideal training times were mid-day, a morning workout at around 8am and an afternoon workout at around 3pm, and because the workouts very specific for me and my goals. It was necessary, but I would often struggle with this solo training during harder workouts and felt it limited my performance. Yes, I could hit my numbers and, for the most part, get the workout done to plan. However, I felt it came at a greater cost, because I was alone. The workouts were more mentally taxing, and therefore, more taxing overall. I often complained to my coach about this. We tried to find groups/individual for me to train with. I sometimes swam with the U of T Varsity team, biked with other strong cyclists, trained during WattsUp Class times and ran a few times with Marathon Dynamics (though that ended, because of my knee injury). I always found that my peak fitness could be achieved when I had consistent training partners. I still struggle with trying to find training partners, but recently I have found a swimming and running training partner. Not surprisingly I have noticed the benefits. I am currently swimming faster than I have and running faster than I have in the past 5 years. <BR><BR>So, what is behind the benefit of training with someone? And what can be the cons? <BR><BR>
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<b>A few of the benefits: <BR><BR>
1. The support of others towards achieving your performance goals.</b> When you train with others they are also interested in how you perform during that workout. They are holding you accountable and this can be motivating. Studies support the fact that just talking to others about your training can help you achieve your targets. <BR><BR>
<b>2. Training partners add a bit of fun.</b> A positive attitude during a training session can definitely help to push you a bit harder. <BR><BR>
<b>3. More variety in your workouts.</b> I have a swimming background and can come up with some incredibly creative and effective swim sets. However, my run workouts are often effective, but can get a bit boring. Training with others like Tara-Jay and Alex, with different run training backgrounds, has given me some new types of effective run workouts to try. <BR><BR>
<b>4. Form/Technique checker. </b>A training partner can give you feedback about your technique. Adam was great at telling me that my head was too high or I wasn't in a strong aero position when I was riding outside or that I wasn't leaning forward when I ran. In the pool, a training partner can give you similar type of feedback. <BR><BR>
<b>5. Safety.</b> This is true across all sports: swim, bike, run. Triathlon is a risky sport, with lots of opportunities for injury or accidents to occur. If something does go wrong in your workout, your training partner is there to help you. <BR><BR>
<b>6. It can be humbling.</b> Sometimes, when training on your own, you can believe you are strong/faster/fitter than you are. That's not as common these days with Garmin/Strava/TrainingPeaks, which leaves little about our fitness that is unknown. But when you go head to head with someone, there is no more guessing. You are on the same course, in the same conditions, etc. and it can be an ego-checking experience when you can't keep up. This then helps you figure out what your weaknesses are and can force you to address them. <BR><BR>
<b>7. The most important to me: Competition!</b> It is no surprise that having a bit of competition can drive you to perform better. During the past 30x200 swim that I did with another, I knew that he was right on my feet, so I made it my goal to stay ahead and push strong to the finish. Near the end of the set, I made it my goal to try to break away from him, and, as a result I pushed myself harder than I would have otherwise. There have been so many other instances where this has been true! <BR><BR>
<b>A few of the cons: <BR><BR></b>
<b>1. You end up training too hard or too easy.</b> If you are training with someone who is much stronger or not as strong as you, then you risk training outside of your appropriate training zones. This could be detrimental to your performance. <BR><BR>
<b>2. Trying to match up training times can be stressful.</b> If your training partner lives across the city or has a very different schedule than you, then this can cause more problems than it's worth. Don't go too far out of your way to train with someone else, especially if it means you have to compromise your workout. <BR><BR>
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3. You do your easy/recovery workouts too hard.</b> If you are a competitive person, a recovery session could turn into a time trial if you choose to do these workouts with someone. This could lead to injury, burn-out, etc. <BR><BR>
<b>4. If your training partner has a different goal or goal race than you.</b> If you are training for Ironman, you shouldn't be doing too many of your training sessions with someone training for an Olympic triathlon. You will be compromising some of your training time for non-specific workouts and this can also be detrimental to performance. <BR><BR>
<b>In conclusion: </b>I feel that an individual will benefit by doing intense/longer workouts with others of similar fitness and similar goals, but keep the easy/recovery/base workouts solo. <BR><BR>Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-59682633322833695832018-09-02T15:09:00.004-04:002018-09-02T15:12:59.635-04:00How a coach helped Andrew take 2 hours off his Ironman timeThree years ago, I completed my first Ironman, self-coached, and this year, I completed my second with the help of a professional coach (Miranda Tomenson). I finished this most recent race over 2 hours or 13% faster. I believe that the Tremblant course this year was easier than the Muskoka course years ago, but not that much easier. I credit my massive improvement to working with a coach. I felt much more confident going into the race this year, and, even if things had went south during the race, I still would have considered the season a success.<BR><BR>
I believe that the benefit of a coach comes from having an objective view of how training is progressing. It’s hard to maintain perspective when training yourself and working towards a goal, but, a coach has the ability to view things impartially and plan as necessary. These benefits can easily be viewed by comparing graphs that show my training across the two seasons.<BR><BR>
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When training for my first Ironman, I never felt like I was doing too much training, there were probably times that I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. This year, there were definitely times when I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. Yet, I trusted my coach, and trained 3 hours/week less than I had three years ago. Yet, I came out of this training stronger than I was during that first Ironman. I have no doubt that without a coach, I would have once again tried to do more. I completely understand the logic behind the less-is-more philosophy, and I completely agree with it. Understanding and believing a philosophy are totally different than applying that philosophy to oneself. <BR><BR>
It’s also worth noting in 2015 I had planned to do a lot more than I actually did (the light grey at the top of the bars). This season, after getting sick in January and March, my coach decided to dial things back and focus on keeping me healthy so that I could perform at the best of my ability. The result was that I can only remember missing one workout in the 4.5 months leading up to my race. When I reflect back on 2015, I remember being tired on many summer weekends and having weak excuses for missing long training days. Because I was healthy this year, I didn’t even think about trying to get out of tough workouts. In fact, I felt healthy enough that I wanted to get the workouts in, regardless of the conditions outdoors. This is in contrast to previous years where rain or bad heat would lead me to skip parts or all of big training days.<BR><BR>
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For all intents and purposes biking, running and strength training took the same percentage of my training time this year as they did in 2015. Swimming however took up less time and the remaining 5% of my time was replaced with stretching. The strength program I was doing this year was much more tailored to what I needed than the plan taken from a book that I was following in 2015. I think the personalized strength training, plus the focus on keeping everything loose through stretching is what has kept me injury free since November. That’s the longest injury free stretch that I’ve had in my 7 years in this sport (and it would have been even longer if I had spent more time paying attention to my equipment). Managing to keep me injury free also contributed to my ability to execute all my key sessions and contributed to my success. Having a knowledgeable coach (plus a good chiropractor) allowed me to know what I needed to do to be ready for my sessions. Once again, this is not something I would have been able to do on my own. <BR><BR>
The other interesting thing this chart shows is that I spent less of my training time swimming, yet, my Ironman swim time improved by 9 minutes, in lakes which I remember being equally calm. When training myself, I always felt that there was plenty of literature out there that could help the self-coached athlete improve as a cyclist and runner, but, nothing I read (and I read a lot) ever helped me with swimming. I think there’s still tonnes of room for improvement in my swim, but, I would not have gotten this far without the help of a coach.<BR><BR>
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This year my Ironman marathon was 90 minutes faster than it was three years ago. I would be reticent to not comment on how a coach helped my run training. The first thing to notice is that I ran 5km/week less this year. If you remove the ramp-up weeks at the start of this season (I didn’t have those in 2015), that drops to 3km/week. Again, the less-is-more philosophy at play.<BR><BR>
If you look at all above charts together, it turns out that in 2015 my average run training pace was 6:00 min/km and this year it was 6:15/km. What that means is that this year, I ran less, at a slower pace, and still managed to run the marathon faster. This is something that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do on my own.<BR><BR>
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I don’t look much at TSS and IF throughout the year, but, I believe that TSS and IF are good metrics for comparing two workouts. As with the previous charts, this just goes to show I trained less at a lower intensity, and the results have spoken for themselves. Back in 2015, my bike training was focused for a good portion of the year on increasing my FTP. That meant high TSS and high IF. I was scared this year that I wasn’t spending enough time working on those things, but, once again, I trusted my coach, and, things all worked out.<BR><BR>
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Before diving into these charts, I need to note that I don’t particularly like how TrainingPeaks presents CTL/ATL/TSB. I think that CTL shows how much training stress is being carried over long period of time, however, I don’t agree with equating CTL with fitness. One day off results in a drop in CTL of over 1%, and I refuse to believe that one day off training decreases fitness. Similarly, ATL shows how much training stress is being carried over a short term, but, equating it to fatigue seems wrong. If ATL = CTL, am I really that fatigued. When I think of fatigue, I think more of TSB. If I’ve done more recently that I have over the long term, I’m fatigued, but, if I’ve tapered, then I’m fresh.<BR><BR>
With that in mind, let’s consider these charts. In 2015, when I started training, I felt like I “only” had 9 months left, and I got right to it. The result was a CTL that climbed very quickly, but put me in a hole (the very low TSB). This time around, I had somebody who knew how to train for an Ironman guiding me and the CTL climbed much more gradually, without putting me into any real holes. Having somebody who knows what needs to be done when makes training so much easier than letting yourself get into panic mode and going hard right away.<BR><BR>
Another thing to notice is that I hit my peak CTL in May 2015, and then I spent the summer doing less and less, probably making myself less race ready. This year I hit my peak CTL three weeks before the race. In fact, CTL/ATL/TSB were the same the day before both races. To me, that means, compared to my potential, I was at the same place before races. However, when I was coaching myself, it means I spent February through July training with more stress than I really needed to. It’s not reflected in those numbers, but, the fatigue incurred during those 6 months could not have been helpful. Again, having a coach who can build you to your potential without pushing too far is a huge benefit.<BR><BR>
All of that being said, if you want a coach to help you improve, you need to have a coach that you trust implicitly. I mentioned a few times that I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, but, I trusted my coach implicitly. Part of that trust was built by working together since 2016 over shorter distances. I’ve learned to be confident enough expressing how I’m feeling and we communicate as necessary (and by that I mean, we talk daily if necessary, not that we wait until something goes wrong). The other part of trusting in the coach comes from figuring out if they will fit before you start working with the coach. I knew after the 3rd race in my 1st season that I would need a coach if I wanted to progress and that’s when I slowly started looking. First it took me time to figure out exactly what I wanted out of a coach, and then, it was a slow process of finding what was out there and getting as much information about the coach as possible. I think I looked into five or six coaches, e-mailed directly with two and only spoke to one. I would have spoken to more, but, from the conversation we had, I knew that this person was going to be able to provide what I thought I needed to succeed (and so far, I think I have been right). It’s also important to continually reflect upon what you need from a coach, as that will change with time, and not be scared to tell your coach when things change. Early in my relationship with my coach, I kept things to myself, but, as time as went on and we’ve learned how to communicate, I’ve been able to express what I feel like I need, and, I think that has only helped me improve as an athlete.<BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-75422586982805977102018-07-18T15:28:00.003-04:002018-07-18T15:44:56.043-04:00Race Report: MSC Gravenhurst Olympic TriathlonIt's been awhile since I posted! The intention of writing more has been there, but the time hasn't. I thought I would re-start my commitment to the blog by posting a race report from Multisport Canada Gravenhurst Olympic Triathlon this past Saturday, July 14th. <BR><BR>
As most of you know, I have taken a step back from training and racing this year. My training hours have dropped considerably, my racing schedule includes only 5 races this year. I've raced in the Guelph Sprint Relay, Welland Sprint, Gravenhurst Olympic and I have Bracebridge Olympic and Barrelman to come. While I expected this step back to effect my fitness, it hasn't been as detrimental as I thought. I am actually rested for my workouts and have been able to train at some higher intensities than I have in the past. The result has definitely been a positive one. Not only do I feel fit, but, overall I am less tired and have more energy than I have in the past. Although I didn't feel great on Saturday (possibly related to the 26 massages I gave and my average wake up time of 4:45am in the days prior!) I still had a PB on the course and was good validation that this new approach to training is working well for me. Following is a brief recap of the day in Gravenhurst. <BR><BR>
Race morning I was up at 4:30am naturally. Apparently that is my new set wake up time! I went about my usual morning routine, including a 10 minute round of glute and core activation and low rep reverse lunges with weights. Four of us were heading to the race: me, Adam and Adam's boys. We quickly packed up the car and woke up the boys about 5 minutes before we were to leave (basically transported them from their beds to the van with their pillows and blankets). We were on the rode at 5:10am and arrived in Gravenhurst just before 7am. The fact that this race is close enough to allow me to sleep in my own bed and not wake up ridiculously early (by my standards) is a plus. <BR><BR>
The boys and Adam dropped me off at transition. They headed to McDonalds for pancakes, while I set about checking in and setting up for the race. Just a side note to mention that the venue in Gravenhurst is great for families - it's close to quite a few restaurants, there is a basketball court and other such kid friendly amenities near by, like Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream. So, while the boys did their thing I could focus on myself. Warm up included a 15 minute easy ride with a few 30s pick ups and then a 15 minute run with some drills and strides. I usually warmup for 45-60 minutes for a Sprint, 30-40 minutes for an Olympic, 15-20 minutes before a half-ironman and about 10 minutes (swim only) before an Ironman. We all include a warm-up before the main set in our training sessions and it is just as important (if not more so) to include one prior to our races. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52T_ofWHinriGb-dMI2d7nNrY3BGeEfKkp4Y76afIL_tUcFY_OpRKKVrEpDTOsT5Jmgel__1xqAd6Yb7umSKzxBzKicL8gca5UiFUmSu_DhB5W89mFF3McpXU-RWzv9L7aSIScPFabx4/s1600/100235-7c3150-1003058879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52T_ofWHinriGb-dMI2d7nNrY3BGeEfKkp4Y76afIL_tUcFY_OpRKKVrEpDTOsT5Jmgel__1xqAd6Yb7umSKzxBzKicL8gca5UiFUmSu_DhB5W89mFF3McpXU-RWzv9L7aSIScPFabx4/s320/100235-7c3150-1003058879.jpg" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /><BR>How the Pros warm up</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimppg5FQeH-nQ371gqTcmQrYHAtlGNSdaD6YPYG6Hn14tBG7yuZzixM_YWOz4dl_MxSgtSI2-_DtdGyGlrKDoJx5XtvYU4ASUOLQuUVB2oOK81X4lksuVvgD38CleES5xjTcXCEk_f7DY/s1600/100235-731750-1003059111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimppg5FQeH-nQ371gqTcmQrYHAtlGNSdaD6YPYG6Hn14tBG7yuZzixM_YWOz4dl_MxSgtSI2-_DtdGyGlrKDoJx5XtvYU4ASUOLQuUVB2oOK81X4lksuVvgD38CleES5xjTcXCEk_f7DY/s320/100235-731750-1003059111.jpg" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /><BR><BR>Before the swim start. No risk of getting punched today. </a></div><BR><BR>
A highlight of the Gravenhurst Triathlon is the fact that you get taken out on a steamship and start the race offshore. It's about a 5ft high jump into the water and then you swim to the start line, line up and then start in waves like a usual race. The elite age groupers were sent out in a pontoon boat so that we could get to the start line a bit sooner and get in a bit of a warmup. This also gave me a chance to scout out the course, which has been known to cause many people to swim off course (not those who have done my Toronto Tri Club Open Water Swim Clinics or Cherry Beach Swims, of course). Unlike Welland (where I started with about 50-70 other people) there were only 5 of us at the start line in my wave. The horn went and we were off. Jesse and Marek took off quite fast at the start and I couldn't keep up to catch Marek's feet. So I swam on my own for the swim. Even with my good sighting technique, my distance vision seems to be getting worse and I found it a bit difficult to see the buoys. I used a white boathouse and the splashes of Marek and Jesse in front of me to help me navigate in the right direction. Once I was around the first turn buoy and headed back to shore, I used the white roof on the Island to sight and made sure I stayed well to the right of it (people tend to swim directly towards it and off course). In the last 500m I started gaining on Marek. I picked up my kick in the last 200m to get the blood flowing to my legs again and we exited the water together. I finished the swim about 11s faster than last year. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL9BrEasHbHroY0IynBah9A8-sW9dQSjOnUQ50F2l49uux65wUBmt57E2JkqfJtFvyIIgKtcKC9oyHsyGL8E-mYjbh6p7-3PmpZBdvgF-Jd5M1SOW3Rq43F-OZyJ0GiuuEbwVeymRomc/s1600/fullsizeoutput_3aa3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL9BrEasHbHroY0IynBah9A8-sW9dQSjOnUQ50F2l49uux65wUBmt57E2JkqfJtFvyIIgKtcKC9oyHsyGL8E-mYjbh6p7-3PmpZBdvgF-Jd5M1SOW3Rq43F-OZyJ0GiuuEbwVeymRomc/s400/fullsizeoutput_3aa3.jpeg" width="225" height="400" data-original-width="750" data-original-height="1334" /><BR>Running to T1</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiAwoXcSzhB2QZgHkOj0SDZ-h9DA981M4bkHp6aMN0MkLiDI8Ijk0R7549VAY69aDYUE207spTkA8AWh-e1RXezEGQVlwmBhwYDHlBtR7SMvrIvATR36f8jtcdoFORDXbIABiFZIvPU8/s1600/fullsizeoutput_3a90.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiAwoXcSzhB2QZgHkOj0SDZ-h9DA981M4bkHp6aMN0MkLiDI8Ijk0R7549VAY69aDYUE207spTkA8AWh-e1RXezEGQVlwmBhwYDHlBtR7SMvrIvATR36f8jtcdoFORDXbIABiFZIvPU8/s400/fullsizeoutput_3a90.jpeg" width="225" height="400" data-original-width="750" data-original-height="1334" /><BR>Heading off on my super fast bike and blade wheels</a></div><BR><BR>
I had an easy T1, though I felt more tired than I expected, and was onto my bike comfortably. The first 4km of the ride I spent trying to get my watch to find my power meter. I got a new watch this week and I synced it to my power meter during my warm-up, but I guess it had unpaired while I was swimming. At one point I was pedalling with my arm extended and wrist by my crank arm to try to get the watch to pick up power! After realizing that I was only riding at a below average speed (34kph) already 4km into the race I gave up and decided to just ride by feel. The last 36km were a more respectable 36.9kph. This type of bike course suits me well: rolling hills, non-technical out and back. Also very well suited for beginners attempting their first Olympic Tri. I was pleased with my time, 15s slower than last year, but I think it would have been faster had I been more focused in the 4km instead of upright and trying to sync my watch to my power meter. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmbvObNvPw5Avq4UxFTmTNpwNk_yKBwqBCvxTgl1krK8f05bjH5XkoDl7hJTlF_ra9UQjDQED7a1bkWoIu24-k_jPE2E4FIZWgS9Ch1maeaEO3PZESWPDvtt9bsMRg8FmKVSfvxo737U/s1600/fullsizeoutput_3a96.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmbvObNvPw5Avq4UxFTmTNpwNk_yKBwqBCvxTgl1krK8f05bjH5XkoDl7hJTlF_ra9UQjDQED7a1bkWoIu24-k_jPE2E4FIZWgS9Ch1maeaEO3PZESWPDvtt9bsMRg8FmKVSfvxo737U/s400/fullsizeoutput_3a96.jpeg" width="225" height="400" data-original-width="750" data-original-height="1334" /><BR>On the run</a></div><BR><BR>
My goal for a 10km run off the bike in an Olympic Triathlon this year is to break 40 minutes. I've done it once (Orange County Triathlon in 2014). Unfortunately, that didn't happen in Gravenhurst. As soon as I started the run I felt flat. I'm not sure if that was the humidity or fatigue or what, but I didn't have the bounce that I've recently had in training and that I had in Welland. The sports drink I took during the ride seemed to be sloshing around in my stomach and my legs were heavy. The ups and downs and sharp turns on the course made it difficult to find a rhythm. When this happens I do my best to stay positive, I got energy from seeing the others and focused on what I could control - putting my best effort forward. Seeing my sister Sara with a huge smile in 5th female position was also a huge positive. She is amazing. Her other commitments limit her training time to less than 7 hours a week - but she works hard to get in her key sessions (even if it means doing them really early or really late at night). She is extremely talented and a fierce competitor, which usually means she lands on the podium in most of her races. With positive thoughts in my head I made it to the final kilometer, which is mostly downhill and finished strong. I was 1min7s faster than last year. All in all, the race was a PB on the course, so that's a great sign!<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ux2ykLpLHkgs0oDwjNJgRqCaoZn-Q9AgpTrsbjSQbhGR6Cg6ueNIQ8B4Qx19AB-E8Ag8BaEu4zycXklX_70GlMdwRXKWzK5Hq5PFPw8gsifFp_2I6nlsdUoksxgbSWEp8Gg3pTBZl8E/s1600/fullsizeoutput_3aba.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ux2ykLpLHkgs0oDwjNJgRqCaoZn-Q9AgpTrsbjSQbhGR6Cg6ueNIQ8B4Qx19AB-E8Ag8BaEu4zycXklX_70GlMdwRXKWzK5Hq5PFPw8gsifFp_2I6nlsdUoksxgbSWEp8Gg3pTBZl8E/s400/fullsizeoutput_3aba.jpeg" width="400" height="225" data-original-width="1334" data-original-height="750" /><BR>Race Stats</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*My race is also on <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/16020863">STRAVA</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lj4Zx0DgbZqqtb-wbg4KXi1Vl1PTsufteEzJA4A0FLvlvpRXEUE2H_08B0tnMy8Hv9QRXDvkfG7djF2I_Iu8Z7bFYc3eK3bEhZ9GUZrNNQC-mHv1QgSbAl10r9OnVgIPbss7UjlDI20/s1600/IMG_1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lj4Zx0DgbZqqtb-wbg4KXi1Vl1PTsufteEzJA4A0FLvlvpRXEUE2H_08B0tnMy8Hv9QRXDvkfG7djF2I_Iu8Z7bFYc3eK3bEhZ9GUZrNNQC-mHv1QgSbAl10r9OnVgIPbss7UjlDI20/s400/IMG_1413.JPG" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Post race!</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_M_MMvZ7IHItF0H0XOOFVE3hV0DeL3xvVldDJBfrty0wzyaTnAwqs_fXSSN6f6cDPpSt2oEIGFGa8uNwbHbNf5k1jseO2jQTc0WfOhStzc3-gV8hpDxVj5joq-HI43bOO6NYyIA-C5Y/s1600/IMG_5495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_M_MMvZ7IHItF0H0XOOFVE3hV0DeL3xvVldDJBfrty0wzyaTnAwqs_fXSSN6f6cDPpSt2oEIGFGa8uNwbHbNf5k1jseO2jQTc0WfOhStzc3-gV8hpDxVj5joq-HI43bOO6NYyIA-C5Y/s400/IMG_5495.jpg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /><BR>Me on the podium</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgrD_qu5Xtli3zdlU0cFzNReIotfQYpd1cqx6HoZd41sEkIsTRNyZI-AxuRM_e9oqb9m35srok4QpvTwZsjwiaUkNHW4JT4O9qgYU9Vw0nRYucmvyFf6lTUHJ_23vA-8i_2AVJ6oB4pg/s1600/IMG_1427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgrD_qu5Xtli3zdlU0cFzNReIotfQYpd1cqx6HoZd41sEkIsTRNyZI-AxuRM_e9oqb9m35srok4QpvTwZsjwiaUkNHW4JT4O9qgYU9Vw0nRYucmvyFf6lTUHJ_23vA-8i_2AVJ6oB4pg/s400/IMG_1427.JPG" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Sara on the podium</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBVuQlWPwDX9S6BzJFJ7iJQBbCZKz95e-yPZz0wh89j4V_xDmXlqTbObywAgL34GucXavhpiU5PkQWuqntgldrgKXvnizfsQvtPZQMSE_DDNf8UPWCoiKpEMLv-TLnKOmrRrmJnchKkg/s1600/IMG_1432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBVuQlWPwDX9S6BzJFJ7iJQBbCZKz95e-yPZz0wh89j4V_xDmXlqTbObywAgL34GucXavhpiU5PkQWuqntgldrgKXvnizfsQvtPZQMSE_DDNf8UPWCoiKpEMLv-TLnKOmrRrmJnchKkg/s400/IMG_1432.JPG" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Showing off our medals!</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gEWsyhkWbjBs1pyl1P0QGl_0f9YDL4nHfkO9QPX4hvu9FcezyIOluO1-hLI3fhOalwh4nuxXOKwkqV5QXiXlb2bO2O6LEmFfVQgRsKKX4XkKxns2XtOWnhZt9tTFDrQQ1-n5x-h4FCg/s1600/fullsizeoutput_3a86.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gEWsyhkWbjBs1pyl1P0QGl_0f9YDL4nHfkO9QPX4hvu9FcezyIOluO1-hLI3fhOalwh4nuxXOKwkqV5QXiXlb2bO2O6LEmFfVQgRsKKX4XkKxns2XtOWnhZt9tTFDrQQ1-n5x-h4FCg/s400/fullsizeoutput_3a86.jpeg" width="359" height="400" data-original-width="1435" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Team Tomenson and Support Crew</a></div><BR><BR>
A special thank you to those who have stood by me from the start of my career as a professional athlete, through personal ups and downs, my knee surgery, and now, even as I take a small step back from racing: <BR><BR>
- The Multisport crew, volunteers and Tri Ontario officials<BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. <BR>
- Adam for doing A LOT of driving, for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day (and the boys!)<BR>
- My health care team, especially Bill Wells (Chiro). A high stress life makes you more prone to injuries. I am so fortunate to have Bill and others keeping me healthy.<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at Tomenson Performance, WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-35588747852654561202018-03-27T11:33:00.003-04:002018-03-27T11:33:54.086-04:00Benefits of massage for triathletesAs many of you know, I am a registered massage therapist at <a href="http://www.swanseaRMT.ca">Swansea Massage Clinic at Jane/Bloor</a> and <a href="https://tomensontriathlon.as.me/schedule.php">WattsUp Cycling at Kipling/Gardiner</a>. I am also an endurance coach to many triathletes, runners, swimmers and cyclists and an elite triathlete. I received my BScHon from McGill University in Biochemistry, my MSc from U of T in Medical Biophysics and my massage diploma from Sutherland-Chan. I have been coaching for 15 years and a massage therapist for the past 2 years. This blog post is based on a talk I gave at the Running Room and will demonstrate how massage can help triathletes.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4lj3XPjsFM-ZtyAN7en6sECQHSzghZUZ98EvyTG5Z87CTI7viAN4PHWt8Vj6VX5b9Wbh6GVCiiM-0vH5EQPBwkyknWeUfS4QS37cXrk7Ao2T5WZwriuobgYZHXaRhqj3Zw42Hw3KIqc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-27+at+11.10.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4lj3XPjsFM-ZtyAN7en6sECQHSzghZUZ98EvyTG5Z87CTI7viAN4PHWt8Vj6VX5b9Wbh6GVCiiM-0vH5EQPBwkyknWeUfS4QS37cXrk7Ao2T5WZwriuobgYZHXaRhqj3Zw42Hw3KIqc/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-03-27+at+11.10.11+AM.png" width="320" height="119" data-original-width="998" data-original-height="372" /></a></div><BR><BR>
Massage, by definition, is the assessment and treatment of soft tissue and joints in order to maintain, rehab or augment physical function or relieve pain. This means that massage therapists can perform various forms of assessment such as assessment of posture, gait, muscle strength, nerve function, and even more. In addition, therapists can perform many techniques such as general Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, myofascial release, low grade joint mobilizations, muscle energy techniques and some massage therapists are even further specialized and can perform modalities such as acupuncture, myofascial stretching, cupping and Active Release Techniques (ART). Even if you don’t know what these techniques are, you can bet that any manipulation that can improve the function of soft tissue and joints can be of use to triathletes, given the strain of swimming, cycling and running on the body. Also, massage therapists usually spend an hour or more with each patient, which allows for a more holistic approach to therapy. This means that rather than focus on just one area of the body at a time, like some time constrained health practitioners have to (some Chiropractors only have 20 minutes with their patients - however, my <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.com">Chiropractor Bill Wells</a> spends as long as he needs to relieve pain!). Massage therapists have time to assess related areas as well and sometimes the whole body. <BR><BR>
So, when would you go see a massage therapist? Most triathletes who I see either come to me for maintenance of function, injury prevention and/or to benefit their performance (if they have an upcoming race). Other times, triathletes come to me with various injuries and pain.<BR><BR>
<b>Massage for maintenance:<BR><BR></b>
Massage for maintenance of function and better performance is very important. A massage therapist can assess an individual and identify muscles that are weak or joints that have decreased mobility. They can use various techniques to improve circulation, break up adhesions, increase range of motion and decrease muscle tension. Massage has even been shown to reduce overall anxiety, lower stress and improve sleep, all of which can all help prevent injury and improve the performance of triathletes. Not only that, but massage therapists are qualified to provide a strengthening and stretching program that can complement a triathletes’s training plan. <BR><BR>
How often should a triathlete go for massage? <BR><BR>
When I was competitive, I would go for a massage once every 1-2 weeks or about once for every 30 hours I spent training. For most recreational athletes/triathletes, this translates to about one massage every 2-4 weeks. This is what I recommend to the athletes I coach. However, other factors play into this. If you are older or have a history of injury then more frequent massage is beneficial. If you don’t stretch or do your own program of stretching and strengthening, then this means you would also benefit from more frequent massages. If you see a chiropractor or physiotherapist, then less frequent massage is necessary. It also depends on budget. If you have a health care plan, (and this is a good time to mention that most benefit plans cover massage therapy) it’s best to plan more frequent massages when the volume/intensity of your training is high and less frequent massages when you are training less. <BR><BR>
What is the ideal timing for a massage? <BR><BR>
The best timing for a massage is the day or two days after a hard workout, on an OFF day or after light exercise. The day following a massage should be either an off or easy run day. I would recommend getting a pre-race massage 2-4 days beforehand. This shouldn’t be a very deep tissue massage, but a bit lighter pressure with the focus on circulation. Do not get your first ever massage right before a race. <BR><BR>
What to tell your massage therapist? <BR><BR>
I see a lot of patients who tell me mid-way during the massage that they are training for a triathlon. Before the massage starts, you should most certainly let your therapist know what you are training for, your total training volume at the time, how often you are doing speed work, hills or intervals, if you trained that day or have a training session the next day. If you are OK with allowing a few minutes of the massage time for assessment, tell your therapist this if they don't ask you. This will allow the therapist to check your posture for any imbalances, check the strength of your hips, check your balance, check your flexibility, check common joints that typically get stuck: ankles, SI joint, tib-fib joint, upper back. That will allow for a treatment that is focused on ensuring proper function of the muscles you are using for your training. <BR><BR>
<b>
Massage for injury: <BR><BR></b>
There are many times when I see athletes who have various ailments. If this is the case, the massage therapist will spend about 10-15 minutes prior to the treatment assessing for the cause of the pain/injury. Even if it is knee pain, a proper assessment also includes checking the hips and the ankles and their associated muscles. Once the massage therapist has identified the areas of weak or tight muscles, or decreased or increased mobility at certain joints or a spot of swelling then that therapist will plan for the massage treatment. The massage treatment will last about 30-40 minutes with time at the end of the appointment for a re-assessment and for the therapist to prescribe a self-care program with stretching and strengthening exercises to help the injury heal. <BR><BR>
There are many triathlon related injuries that I see. Acute injuries, such as those from a trauma, such as a rolled ankle or a ligament tear, can be treated by a massage therapist. In the early stages of the injury, the massage therapist can massage related structures (but not any swollen area) and areas that might overcompensate for the injured area. For example, someone with a rolled ankle will typically have tightness in the outside of their lower leg and usually tight muscles on the opposite leg from an altered gait/walking style. Some of the joints may also be restricted. After that structure has started healing, the therapist can help prevent scar tissue from forming and re-injury. For chronic injuries, which are common in triathletes, massage can also be effective. For example, tendonitis is often caused by muscle weakness, decreased mobility at a joint and increasing the volume by too much too soon, without adequate rest. Fro example, poor or uncontrolled mobility at the hips, glute weakness and hamstring tightness/weakness can be a cause of upper hamstring tendonitis. A weak rotator cuff can lead to shoulder tendonitis. Massage therapists can help this injury by massaging the tight muscles, performing techniques at the site of the tendonitis to help heal the tissue and by prescribing exercises to help to strengthen appropriate muscles. Another example, are shin splits, which can be relieved by the massage therapist massaging the front of the shin and improving mobility of the ankle. IT band syndrome (ITBS) is another common triathlete/running injury. Massage therapists can improve the mobility of the fascia surrounding the IT band, perform cupping techniques, decrease tension in the muscles surrounding the area and prescribe glute strengthening exercises to the athlete to improve stability of their hips. These are just a few examples of injuries and how massage therapists can help with them. <BR><BR>
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Good self-care for the triathlete: <BR><BR></b>
Pre-run: <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfRX9z0dPqTR3PuUQ4dAtZftLA-U2luXRjW5L8zy3aXJvAqPogeJUf45H9f-OwkwMVL928H84CLIY6NARvD9S__BstOebkdZo9mDXa9YgnHNTAdT5n8mnEpZ5OKxSn5seJoR6SDWPjJg/s1600/IMG_0629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfRX9z0dPqTR3PuUQ4dAtZftLA-U2luXRjW5L8zy3aXJvAqPogeJUf45H9f-OwkwMVL928H84CLIY6NARvD9S__BstOebkdZo9mDXa9YgnHNTAdT5n8mnEpZ5OKxSn5seJoR6SDWPjJg/s320/IMG_0629.JPG" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="480" /><BR>Plank on elbows (start with 3x30s on and increase to 60s over time)</a></div>
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Post-run: <BR><BR>
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Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-41776686135099284612018-01-25T15:11:00.000-05:002018-01-25T16:46:25.995-05:00What Swimming Taught Me About Life
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I started competitive swimming in grade 5. It all started when I tried out for my school swim team. I went to Allenby public school and we were lucky enough to have a pool. Yes, it was shorter than 25 yards and only 3 lanes wide, but that didn't matter. I still can't believe that simple structure would start me on a path that would define the rest of my life. I liked swimming on the school team so much that my parents enrolled me in the Granite Gators Novice Swim Team the following year. I was the oldest swimmer in the group, and that's probably why I was one of the fastest, and being one of the fastest was probably why I loved it back then. I sure wasn't the fastest forever, but I continue to love the sport. So, whatever the reason I swim, it was and has been enough to have kept me swimming at various levels of competition for 21 additional years and counting. <BR><BR>
In this blog I will talk about some of the parallels between what I learned competitive swimming and how those lessons have helped me in the rest of life. Here they are, in no particular order: <BR><BR>
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1. <b>Sometimes the impossible is possible.</b> It was February of 1998, the finals of the 200m breast stroke and my last chance to qualify for the Provincial Championships that year. I missed the standard by 0.02s during that race. The next night I had the 100m breast stroke, in which my previous best had me 4s away from the standard (a lot in a 100m event). I was much better at the 200m breast stroke and didn't think I would even come close. To a 12 year old, it seemed *impossible* to qualify in the 100m event. Yet, something magical happened in the finals that night and I swam a 1:26, 2s faster than the standard and 6s faster than my previous best time. That was the first time I remember experiencing what felt like *a miracle*. Since then, I have dared to dream big. I came 47/50 in my age group in the 2008 ITU World Champs, but I still dreamed of competing as a Pro Triathlete one day. Not only did I get to compete as a Pro triathlete, I came 23rd female overall in the 2013 70.3 World Championships. When I was stuck in a research job I hated, I dreamed of owning a Triathlon Coaching Business, even though I had zero business experience, only a bit of experience coaching, no knowledge of anatomy and I am an introvert to the extreme. Yet, after a lot more education, a lot of risk and a lot of I help, I have achieved my dream. And there have been other circumstances where I started from nothing, but had dreams of achieving something, and I've succeeded when other's didn't think I could.<BR><BR>
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2. <b>Don't be motivated by extrinsic factors.</b> My Papa, who (along with my Mamma) I credit for a lot of my success in sport and in life, once did slip and motivated me with "If you break 3:00 in the 200m breast stroke, I'll get you a pager." Yes, I did break that 3 minute barrier and I did get my pager. However, usually when you are driven by external motivation, the reward is not all it's cracked up to be (a pager is really not that exciting!). After breaking that 3:00 barrier, I realized it wasn't the pager that made me happy it was the feeling of accomplishment that came from that achievement that did. And I have remembered that moving forward. It's not about the medal at the end of the race, it's about racing to the best of your ability. It's not about the money that you bring home from your career (although some money is necessary) it's about the positive effects you have by doing the work you do. It's not about the status of Professional Triathlete, it's about getting the experience of competing against the best girls in the world. It's not about improving your diet so you can look good in your outfit, it's about improving your diet to move freer and be happier in your own skin. So, look inward when you set goals, because that allows you to be truly rewarded. <BR><BR>
3. <b>When you get injured, keep moving.</b> When you hit an obstacle, find a way around it. The only swimming injury I ever had was once in grade 8 or 9 and it hurt to move my arm above my head. I'm not sure what the injury was, but it meant that it hurt to swim. What did I do? For that whole week (or maybe two), during swim practice time, I ran for 1 hour and kicked with fins in the pool for the subsequent hour. I didn't just stay home and miss practice, I did the next best thing that I and my coach could come up with. When I returned to the pool I had lost some swim fitness, but not nearly as much as if I had not done any training at all. This taught me two things: if you hit roadblocks in your life then find a way around them, take the next best path, and eventually you will end up back on track. It also taught me that when I do have an injury, to keep moving. Movement is the best thing. Obviously, if you are run injured then don't go to 5x10 minute intervals at maximal sustained power, but a low intensity swim or low intensity ride will keep your fitness from dropping drastically, promote blood flow which helps heal injuries, load the tissue a little bit (to prevent scar tissue from forming) and lower stress levels which can promote healing. <BR><BR>
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4. <b>The pace clock teaches you to think quickly under pressure.</b> There's nothing like swim sets like 30x100 on 1:25 pace time. You are swimming as fast as you can, have less than 5s of rest at the wall and are basically deprived of oxygen the whole time, yet you STILL have to count and perform simple addition. Oh, and swimming also teaches you short term memory. Because sometimes Coach says, "what was your time for each 100? And if you can't remember, you can do the set over again." <BR><BR>
5. <b>Pay attention to the details.</b> Races are won or lost in 0.01s. If you take a breath too often or not often enough, if you mis-time your flip turn, if you take one stroke too many in a length it can make or break your dreams. This is something that holds true in life, too. A spelling mistake on a resume and it's unlikely you will get an interview for that job, one miscalculation or wrong decimal place on your tax return and you can owe a lot of money, one mis-step and you can slip on ice and break a bone. Swimming taught me that when I do something, I should do it as close to perfect as possible. It taught me to take the extra time to pay attention to the details. (I probably don't pay enough attention to the spelling and grammar in my blogs though!) <BR><BR>
6. <b>Hard work doesn't always mean you will be the best, but you should still work hard. </b>When I was swimming as a teenager I had close to perfect attendance. I tried my hardest all the time and I didn't make excuses to get out of practice. I trained when I was sick, I trained when I was sad or mad, I trained when I wanted to be with my friends, I trained on my birthday. When I missed a practice for my grandmother's funeral, I made it up the next day on my own (with my sisters). I was one of the hardest working on the team. But it was apparent by the middle of high school that I would never be the best. I was just not given the swimming genetics to make me so. It was a hard lesson to learn as a kid. It was tough to know that just because you put the work in, it doesn't mean that you will achieve your dreams. However, working hard in the pool may not have made me the best swimmer, but it did teach me to work hard in life, because even if it doesn't mean I will be the best it will mean that I can be the best version of myself. <BR><BR>
Of course there are so many more things swimming taught me, such as the importance of having goals, discipline (huge!), organization, be early or on time (you don't want to miss your race), failure to prepare means preparing to fail, respect your teammates, avoid drama, shave your legs regularly, don't do anything on a full stomach, etc. If you grew up in a highly competitive sport or club then I know you can relate to the above. And if you are raising kids, then I hope that he/she/they can find something he/she/they are passionate about and learn valuable lessons from their own journey.
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-63162804948965981622018-01-18T19:03:00.000-05:002018-01-18T19:03:45.477-05:00Useful swimming tips: Part 2This is the second part of a blog about useful swimming tips. Please see my previous post<a href="http://mirandatomenson.blogspot.ca/2017/12/useful-swimming-tips-part-1.html"></a> for more basic swim technique tips. Once you perfect your streamline, body position and front quadrant swimming you are ready to progress to more advanced concepts like hand entry, catch, pull and recovery. <BR><BR>
<b>Technique Tip #5: Hand Entry</b><BR><BR>
Your hand should enter the water about a forearm's length in front of you and directly in front of your shoulders. It is a common mistake to enter the water with your hand too far in front or too close to your head. It is also very common for your hand to enter too narrow, so that it crosses over to the other side of your body. Keep your fingertips facing forward (don't enter the water thumb or pinky first) with a slight spread to your fingers (not tightly closed or widely spread). Lastly,
upon hand entry, don't point your fingers upwards to the surface of the water, point them slightly angled toward the bottom of the pool.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9ZQeJQSk6srsi_xq_aHaQ5JDmw6oXyDlPHh9Y76PQ_oiyA6_GRHmGnLRHCjS-BIvfytZ1rPJrY4lQA1X4f_lhAZ56St2s4upc3N-6t46iasqd6TZNGLOgmigXVDXmvh8WQIC3o-Di_Q/s1600/handentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9ZQeJQSk6srsi_xq_aHaQ5JDmw6oXyDlPHh9Y76PQ_oiyA6_GRHmGnLRHCjS-BIvfytZ1rPJrY4lQA1X4f_lhAZ56St2s4upc3N-6t46iasqd6TZNGLOgmigXVDXmvh8WQIC3o-Di_Q/s320/handentry.jpg" width="320" height="178" data-original-width="587" data-original-height="327" /><BR>Notice where his hand enters the water</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDo_xwM0FDEMaIosXjEsNvwFAxrrFQ6wxGXUoRQzJQ4Myxg3zckT6w_nS0entvA7AZaAHr_hrVC8FtcBLsh6ds3wHv4xLl5oOitTFLkMmknyyCoa3HnrvDjXsA2BdV_d9zaS0Kpp0xOM/s1600/Hand+Entry+Front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDo_xwM0FDEMaIosXjEsNvwFAxrrFQ6wxGXUoRQzJQ4Myxg3zckT6w_nS0entvA7AZaAHr_hrVC8FtcBLsh6ds3wHv4xLl5oOitTFLkMmknyyCoa3HnrvDjXsA2BdV_d9zaS0Kpp0xOM/s320/Hand+Entry+Front.png" width="320" height="289" data-original-width="499" data-original-height="451" /><BR>Notice that his hand enters in front of his shoulders</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNttdJ7XJ0E_82kVynpu8q2Zmyojt2Z-NcOmGC50iUs7TLKCAPcceS3821filjj1FiuTjV9pkmIo0aNQGGhjZOQ56AwjIELcnYugPzp68xWfcdQWwPaicV8yIjYgqxJQCR0r_EnqB-h7g/s1600/contrast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNttdJ7XJ0E_82kVynpu8q2Zmyojt2Z-NcOmGC50iUs7TLKCAPcceS3821filjj1FiuTjV9pkmIo0aNQGGhjZOQ56AwjIELcnYugPzp68xWfcdQWwPaicV8yIjYgqxJQCR0r_EnqB-h7g/s320/contrast1.jpg" width="256" height="320" data-original-width="600" data-original-height="750" /><BR>Make sure your hand doesn't reach toward the surface after hand entry, it should point slightly downward to set yourself up for a high elbow catch</a></div><BR><BR>
A few useful drills/videos to help you practice hand entry are: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBXnRHVeNKo">salute drill</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fcwKtiF9DI">preventing the crossover</a><BR><BR>
<b>Technique Tip #6: The Pull</b><BR><BR>
Your pull should direct the water straight back towards your feet and your finger tips point down toward the bottom of the pool (forget what you learned about an S-pull). A common mistake is to let your arm cross the center line of your body (especially when you breathe). Another common mistake is to pull the water too deep with a straight arm, so bend your arm at the elbow so that your hand passes about a forearm's depth beneath your body. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMcchYv6mDGmajUcFDD_74biHfAwwE0awjggnQv2hKY1Dw04MhXKCTtaJ-kEy5Nf3LqBy_MB0gJeUjnj7ikcFw8sDU1J9piA-Ou2OkEUmyK57M9t-yntS0PAWfaKvgwBoruT31D6x3is/s1600/pull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMcchYv6mDGmajUcFDD_74biHfAwwE0awjggnQv2hKY1Dw04MhXKCTtaJ-kEy5Nf3LqBy_MB0gJeUjnj7ikcFw8sDU1J9piA-Ou2OkEUmyK57M9t-yntS0PAWfaKvgwBoruT31D6x3is/s320/pull.jpg" width="320" height="225" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="563" /><BR>Pull the water straight back under your body, slight bend in the arm. </a></div><BR><BR>
<b>Technique Tip #7: The Recovery</b><BR><BR>
There are some swimmers that prefer a shoulder driven/straight arm recovery stroke and others that prefer a elbow driven/bend arm recovery stroke. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwSzhvrU5XU&t=00h01m05s">This video</a> shows some various recovery styles. How do you know what's best for you? Typically, swimmers with a higher stroke rate prefer a straight arm recovery and swimmers with a slower stroke rate do better with a bent arm recovery. Also, swimmers with less mobility in their shoulders would benefit from an elbow driven recovery (yet, I commonly see the opposite which leads to injury). Key points are that the elbow should be higher than the finger tips during recovery. <BR><BR>
If you have shoulder problems and want to switch to a elbow driven recovery, a few drills to try are: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l8EDj0JLCk">finger tip drag drill/zipper drill</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBXnRHVeNKo">salute drill</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUULNJEdKU8&t=3s">slow motion recovery</a> <BR><BR>
<b>Technique Tip #8: The High Elbow Catch</b><BR><BR>
This is the most difficult skill to grasp in freestyle and I recommend perfecting all the other aspects of your stroke before attempting to work on this. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7Gfjzs79Ret7vuU54M-gaKh2MTCqOuhu8LFMorWvTbABMMtso_CzTNI3MmSQdgcgR25pfOIGGEfI-od-ManU6lPefLyBChben7zVNfKihcRey37YkSRhQSBL4hTP3mUIfYgOAjG9hd0/s1600/High+Elbow+Catch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7Gfjzs79Ret7vuU54M-gaKh2MTCqOuhu8LFMorWvTbABMMtso_CzTNI3MmSQdgcgR25pfOIGGEfI-od-ManU6lPefLyBChben7zVNfKihcRey37YkSRhQSBL4hTP3mUIfYgOAjG9hd0/s320/High+Elbow+Catch.png" width="320" height="148" data-original-width="938" data-original-height="433" /><BR>Notice how his elbow stays high and it's his forearm that is pushing the water backwards</a></div>
To start to learn the high elbow catch, I suggest a specific progression: <BR><BR>
1. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDAypb3uuDU&t=97s">Practice the high elbow catch in the mirror</a><BR><BR>
2. Practice with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr570KZvyBQ">swim tubing</a><BR><BR>
3. Practice on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZGyARs7VXo">side of the pool deck</a><BR><BR>
4. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATHLg2yrmTI">In water high elbow catch drills</a> (best with fins, snorkel and less desirable is a pull buoy)<BR><BR>
5. Picture yourself swimming over a ladder that is parallel to the surface of the water and using your high elbow technique to pull yourself over top of it. <BR><BR>
The next part of my swim technique posts will be an open water skills specific post. Stay tuned!
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-11722820699225356312017-12-18T14:30:00.001-05:002018-01-28T07:24:40.643-05:00Useful swimming tips: Part 1I have been swim coaching since 2003. I started as a volunteer coach for the Granite Gators Swim Team, helping introduce kids aged 8 - 10 to competitive swimming. Since then, I have worked with the most beginner child and adult swimmers, to very fast adult swimmers/triathletes. I have learned that fast swimming is a combination of good technique and good fitness. Spending weeks and months perfecting technique and swimming slow will not make you fast. Just like spending weeks and months building mileage with poor technique will not make you fast. There is a balance between the two and the correct time to work on technique, and the correct time to work on fitness. Today's blog post addresses a few common technique errors that I see all the time, and links to a few YouTube videos about how to correct them. <BR><BR>
First off, I would recommend visiting the <a href="http://www.swimsmooth.com">MR SMOOTH</a> website. This website shows an animated view of perfect technique. Although this animation assumes perfect proportions, flexibility and that swim stroke doesn't change when you are swimming short events (50s), longer events (1500s) or in the open water or in a pool, it is a pretty good example of good technique.<BR><BR>
While you read below, keep in mind the simple notion that having good technique means you swim in a way that reduces drag and increases propulsion. If you remind yourself of this, the following tips will be easier to grasp. <BR><BR>
<b>
Technique tip #1: Breathing<BR><BR></b>
This is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp for a non-swimmer. Proper breathing in freestyle is achieved by inhaling when you turn your head to breath and exhaling your air when your face is in the water. Don't try to exhale then inhale when you turn your head to breath. To exhale with your face in the water, try to use both your nose and your mouth. The action is almost like you are sighing into the water, with a more forceful exhale just before you turn your head to breathe. You exhale about 80% of your air before rotating your head to inhale. Do not lift your head up when you breath. <BR><BR>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k7n60ZelRo">This video</a> shows a few drills to follow to teach yourself how to breath properly. <BR><BR>
<b>
Technique tip #2: Streamline<BR><BR></b>
Adults often make the mistake of having 'lazy streamline position.' That is that they push off the wall on the surface of the water, arms spread apart, eyes looking forward. They then continue this lazy, loose body position when they swim. Focus when swimming should be being as streamline/hydrodynamic as possible. Think of yourself as a torpedo or a pencil. When you push off the wall, arms should squeeze your head, look down towards the bottom of the pool, arms reaching far forward, legs behind you performing fast, tight kicks (I will talk more about proper kicking later). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhRo4I9wReA">YouTube Video Link 1 </a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9rx2lzF_5Q&t=66s">YouTube Video Link 2</a><BR><BR>
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<b>Technique tip #3: Body Position and Rotation<BR><BR></b>
Before you focus on the arms, it's important to focus on your body position in the water. Your head, hips and feet should all be in a horizontal line, at the surface of the water. Your eyes should look down and only slightly forward along the bottom of the pool. The top of your head should point in the direction you are swimming towards. Your hairline should be submerged, but your whole head should not be underwater. A good head position will help raise the hips and legs closer to the surface. Other tricks to getting your hips and feet up are to press your chest into the water, to feel your heels breaking the surface of the water and to have a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2ipwMgVXYU&t=33s">tight and fast kick</a> that is initiated from the hips, not with the knees. <BR><BR>
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Also, it is important that the body rotates about 30-45 degrees on your longitudinal axis when you swim, even when you aren't breathing. To do this, think about initiating the rotation with the hips. <BR><BR>
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A few drills that can be used to work on body position are: Floating on your back and on your front (just like you need to stand before you can walk, you need to be able to float before you can swim), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CHt4J6nJvo">Sculling, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuW_vGo8Uvk">Front Sculling</a>, </a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqN3D7YCbZg">6-kick</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pahq5utYovE">12-kick switch drill</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jTmSc01j2U">corkscrew drill</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2wG7CEIF64">backstroke kicking</a>.<BR><BR>
<b>Technique tip #4: Front Quadrant Swimming<BR><BR></b>
There are two main styles of swimming. One is more of a windmill style stroke, during which arms move directly opposite from one another. The other is a style that is called front quadrant swimming. While there is a time and a place for windmill style swimming (usually great for sprinting), it is a lot harder to develop endurance and a good catch and pull for this type of stroke. It doesn't usually work too well for triathletes, either, as it often leads to breathing late (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c28SMt8CraI">see this video</a>). I like to teach <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgUHRwC3194">front quadrant swimming</a> to my adult swimmers. This style means that one arm passes by the goggles as the other arm begins to take a stroke. It also requires a more steady or 6-beat kick. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueami6aSBKKQUg2yhg1GYIGz99QgHPpLogJ8aqphyphenhyphenFvwkcl1S1qCnRyBPaKUlOXg43WYx9uJO4pAb5oPSVBlKobQoLIFDkyr2ohuWtsI0c8axFWF54y_9bS-OkTIxJKjDWrnFmnJXx8w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-18+at+1.56.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueami6aSBKKQUg2yhg1GYIGz99QgHPpLogJ8aqphyphenhyphenFvwkcl1S1qCnRyBPaKUlOXg43WYx9uJO4pAb5oPSVBlKobQoLIFDkyr2ohuWtsI0c8axFWF54y_9bS-OkTIxJKjDWrnFmnJXx8w/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-12-18+at+1.56.10+PM.png" width="320" height="218" data-original-width="211" data-original-height="144" /><BR>WINDMILL</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHRft9hP9Q0Wq5gadwImrO3ADg-Hh6atoKQOf8ztZCN3UOAqOc37MQd4LIAQcTao5RQ205iwsVQyYDlubKb1hvtBcFKtC3RJ-C94cT64ajPkKPDluJnH3NCl49I3T6-__PDhNz_ntsY4/s1600/FreestyleFQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHRft9hP9Q0Wq5gadwImrO3ADg-Hh6atoKQOf8ztZCN3UOAqOc37MQd4LIAQcTao5RQ205iwsVQyYDlubKb1hvtBcFKtC3RJ-C94cT64ajPkKPDluJnH3NCl49I3T6-__PDhNz_ntsY4/s320/FreestyleFQ.jpg" width="320" height="203" data-original-width="450" data-original-height="286" /><BR>FRONT QUADRANT</a></div><BR><BR>
A few drills to try include are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmCUK3QUUDg">one arm freestyle (breath every 2 strokes, variation 1 in this video)</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7-xnvc3ap8">catch-up freestyle</a> (breath every 3 strokes). Important to note is that drills used to develop a good front quadrant style stroke often require you to swim flat in the water, so always balance out these drills with good body rotation drills. <BR><BR>
Look for Useful Swimming Tips: Part 2, still to come! <BR><BR>
Miranda coaches from the <a href="http://www.torontotriathlonclub.org/swim">Toronto Triathlon Club</a>, runs clinics, does swim analysis and swim lessons for triathletes of all abilities. Book a privates session <a href="http://www.mirandatomenson.com">online</a> or join the <a href="http://www.torontotriathlonclub.org/swim">Toronto Triathlon Club</a>.
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-1394121040334847022017-12-06T10:33:00.001-05:002017-12-06T10:33:08.152-05:00Thank you to my supporters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEsCcxKTPdc2Knmb3aM9Ekz9KxfpD3MJ7JAExmw0HH3mbpvdYMfjKY9smwqbJk2Kukyxnqwb2OblSKJ3NyaE3d9-DWtsEa0bfAozOsYON7e6yLsvM6zcmzLlqIijoHjYhQmz81HO9eeo/s1600/thank-you_grey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEsCcxKTPdc2Knmb3aM9Ekz9KxfpD3MJ7JAExmw0HH3mbpvdYMfjKY9smwqbJk2Kukyxnqwb2OblSKJ3NyaE3d9-DWtsEa0bfAozOsYON7e6yLsvM6zcmzLlqIijoHjYhQmz81HO9eeo/s400/thank-you_grey.jpg" width="400" height="304" data-original-width="350" data-original-height="266" /></a></div><BR><BR>
Earlier today, I wrote a formal email to each of my supporters to thank them for their support this season. I thought I would share with you, my readers, how incredibly important their support was to my 2017 triathlon season. Below I have included some of what I wrote to them: <BR><BR>
<a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">
Bill (The Urban Athlete):</a> Thank you for everything. I seem to battle through injury after injury, and this past year was no different. Yet, I was still able to achieve good results because you keep me going. <BR><BR>
<a href="http://www.fitt1stbikefitting.com">Scott Judges (Fitt1st Bike Fitting):</a> Thank you. I feel aero and fast on my TT bike. My power numbers aren’t too impressive, but my position is (thanks to you) and that allows me to race at the top of the sport. In fact, I had the second fastest female bike split in Barrelman this past year. <BR><BR>
<a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">John Salt (Multisport Canada): </a>Thank you for such a wonderful race series and for naming me to the Ambassador Team. It truly has been awesome to spread the word about your series and race as much as did. I got into this sport because of local races, I re-entered the sport after injury because of your local races and I continue to strive in the sport because of your local races. <BR><BR>
<a href="https://bladecarbonwheels.com/">Rob Milligan (Blade Carbon Wheels):</a> Thank you for introducing me to your fast wheels. They are both durable and aero (and good looking) and I absolutely loved racing on them this year. Without your generous deal on the wheels I wouldn't even have had race wheels and my season would not have been the same. <BR><BR>
<a href="http://www.onecapital.com/">Don (One Capital):</a> Thank you for giving me a place to stay when I train in the winter and for supporting me with new kits! I started the race season in top shape, partly because I was able to get a couple great weeks of training in Southern California. I wish I could train and race more with the One Capital team. Hopefully in the future. <BR><BR>
<a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">
Chris and staff (Enduro Sport):</a> Thank you for getting and building me a REALLY fast bike with all the components I asked for and for always being there when I needed mechanical help. <BR><BR>
<a href="https://www.velofix.com/locations/toronto-north/">
Nick (Velofix):</a> Thank you for all the tune ups! You can get the bike so clean and make it feel so smooth to pedal. No doubt I saved some time in my races because of your brilliant mechanical skills. <BR><BR>
<a href="http://highrockcapital.ca/index.html">
Mamma and Papa (High Rock Capital):</a> You have done nothing but believe in me. You taught me to go after my dreams and you supported me all the way, both financially and emotionally. There is not a chance I would have been able to achieve what I have without you. Thank you, a million times and more, for everything. <BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-49800114198888040522017-11-24T14:27:00.000-05:002017-11-25T05:24:06.861-05:00Be thankful, even when you are injuredWith the US Thanksgiving festivities yesterday, I was, yet again, reminded to be thankful for the things I have. Good family, good friends, good fitness and a job that doesn't feel like work being among them. It is easy to forget what you have, when dealing with the daily stress that comes with just living. Being late for an appointment can seem like the end of the world, missing a workout can make you frustrated, living in a freezing cold place like Toronto can make you wish you were born in southern California. It doesn't do any good to dwell on these details, and yet, I and most people do. <BR><BR>
It has been an incredibly frustrating fall season with my training, in particular. With so much to balance, I expected my training time to decrease significantly in November. I was OK with this. I was going to cut back on cycling and swimming in favour of a bit more running. Running takes the least amount of time up for training compared to the other sports (especially when you have a treadmill in your bedroom) so this was expected to work out well. Adam laid out a training plan that looked perfect. I set out a few run specific goals that I wanted to hit in the spring. This was all great on paper, but when I actually started to execute the plan, the hamstring injury that had been nagging at me since after Mont Tremblant came back in full force. I got through my first two weeks of base running, had a decent run test and was feeling pretty good until the third week of training. In that third week I did a set of intervals and, while I felt OK during the set, it was clear afterwards that there was an issue. It hurt to straighten my leg when walking or running, right at the sit bone. While all the self-tests I did for proximal hamstring tendonitis were negative, I still worried. I started seeing my Chiropractor, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">Bill Wells</a>, and he said I have an enthesopathy of the hamstring attachment. Basically, there is damage to the entheses which is where the hamstring tendons attach to the sit bone/ishial tuberosity.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZgn4gkCbCTJjNAc8rO1nuplKntLGkmkmk4_YigtTy8U7lpwnDC5l9cCsmPH0DZX-D-ri-0a1ztUJZMAIE8gxrToxZENjNZRldnHeLKf_g5j88qym4XviacmrCWMOLSLcdqAz9jwvNh8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-24+at+2.19.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZgn4gkCbCTJjNAc8rO1nuplKntLGkmkmk4_YigtTy8U7lpwnDC5l9cCsmPH0DZX-D-ri-0a1ztUJZMAIE8gxrToxZENjNZRldnHeLKf_g5j88qym4XviacmrCWMOLSLcdqAz9jwvNh8/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-24+at+2.19.37+PM.png" width="320" height="282" data-original-width="413" data-original-height="364" /><BR>Where it is</a></div><BR><BR>
Bill treated me with a lot of ART and that seemed to fix things. However, after a run the symptoms would come back. After an unending cycle of me running, hurting, Bill fixing me, me running, hurting, Bill fixing me, etc. I decided that enough was enough. My running goals would have to be put on hold until I was over this injury. It has been almost one week since my last run, I've been doing a lot of eccentric hamstring strengthening exercises, getting treatment from Bill, focused more on swimming and cycling because that's completely pain-free and I have an ultrasound booked for Monday to determine how bad this injury is. So, I am thankful that I am able to be proactive about this, that I am swimming really well (2 sets of 4x200 in 2:45 on Wednesday!) and can ride my bike a lot! <BR><BR>
So, be thankful for what you can do, don't dwell on what you can't do. Be thankful for what you have, don't dwell on what you don't have. And be thankful for family, friends, love and laughter. <BR><BR>
If you are interested, below is my core and glute strengthening routine, that I complete 3 times a week, with hamstring exercises added: <BR><BR>
1. 3x60s plank (with 5 straight leg raises during each 60s interval)<BR><BR>
2. 3x15 bird dogs/side<BR><BR>
3. 3x60s side plank (with 30s per side) with 5 hip abductions during the 30s<BR><BR>
4. 3x15 single leg glute bridge per side<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvGrTSoipMESIuzJRyEeMEjL_RD5QgpvRHbTuO67LPdYd9a1AXNSOb9iQ8sowtGTk0gGIFwB_pbjq9Sj1eGqjABEzqeoYr4OWdL0kkQMCvUOVnejqS4VC9HDv4Td94-D1-a9LbJoB-9k/s1600/Single_Leg_Glute_Bridge1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvGrTSoipMESIuzJRyEeMEjL_RD5QgpvRHbTuO67LPdYd9a1AXNSOb9iQ8sowtGTk0gGIFwB_pbjq9Sj1eGqjABEzqeoYr4OWdL0kkQMCvUOVnejqS4VC9HDv4Td94-D1-a9LbJoB-9k/s320/Single_Leg_Glute_Bridge1.png" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="540" data-original-height="360" /><BR>Single leg glute bridge</a></div><BR><BR>
5. 3x8 hamstring lifts with focus on the lowering/eccentric component<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-b5FwAFo_sKOIugmE0HJJLNbrvwbMPtDNkwy9d4hqXABWB7d-p1tvT_ihOtRVihtq0fTupGspbmChwtOlWIF0yPyhblHdUjohMULUITVz4W5o-gPZp2oQVF2iOQ-NnIeUlt8x7tSa9KY/s1600/hamstringchair.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-b5FwAFo_sKOIugmE0HJJLNbrvwbMPtDNkwy9d4hqXABWB7d-p1tvT_ihOtRVihtq0fTupGspbmChwtOlWIF0yPyhblHdUjohMULUITVz4W5o-gPZp2oQVF2iOQ-NnIeUlt8x7tSa9KY/s320/hamstringchair.jpeg" width="320" height="231" data-original-width="265" data-original-height="191" /><BR>Single leg hamstring lift</a></div><BR><BR>
6. 3x10 push-ups<BR><BR>
7. 3x8 single leg deadlifts per leg with 40lbs dumb bells <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgx9eZna-pFoG-nEFVP_w4j2P_gpRMPqIzHCqg2BapwyKvCFL8O0UZKMbmcSKkgwZhpUYM7b5TdPtAbjUSca081VSiuuXCLSORn3ENJqyfK2iC2VfdXXbu9XB62tpEhjqXhXUWbDPeDa4/s1600/deadlift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgx9eZna-pFoG-nEFVP_w4j2P_gpRMPqIzHCqg2BapwyKvCFL8O0UZKMbmcSKkgwZhpUYM7b5TdPtAbjUSca081VSiuuXCLSORn3ENJqyfK2iC2VfdXXbu9XB62tpEhjqXhXUWbDPeDa4/s320/deadlift.jpg" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="1080" data-original-height="720" /><BR>Single leg deadlifts</a></div><BR><BR>
8. 3x25 theraband side walks per side <BR><BR>
9. 3x10 nordic hamstring exercises <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxQaz1vcpw5r8-us_EffBvd1d-n_UAVr_aDOUVrTdodP97U76mnYI7jCYBTFYM4j4f3867AmsqeKOTuIOWKhF7fuXvRzKVONNfFFWOa_QGvqjZ-rcqWRqxnuFlSkZRrmZdxM4sRa4Ps4/s1600/nordic_hamstrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxQaz1vcpw5r8-us_EffBvd1d-n_UAVr_aDOUVrTdodP97U76mnYI7jCYBTFYM4j4f3867AmsqeKOTuIOWKhF7fuXvRzKVONNfFFWOa_QGvqjZ-rcqWRqxnuFlSkZRrmZdxM4sRa4Ps4/s320/nordic_hamstrings.jpg" width="320" height="214" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="427" /><BR>Nordic hamstring exercise</a></div><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-89228196629672840142017-11-08T09:16:00.000-05:002017-11-11T06:11:58.053-05:00Finding BalanceJust a short post about where things are at...<BR><BR>
It's been just over 3 weeks since I finished off my 2017 triathlon season at Ironman Louisville. The race went fairly well, with a solid swim, a strong bike, which followed with a bit of a collapse on the run. The same theme that has plagued all of my long distance racing this season. Not that my running has been terrible, it has just not been at the level that it has been at before and the level that I believe I am capable of. Nonetheless, I finished 13th female pro. My race season this past year (from June to October) consisted of 2 Olympic distance races, 2 Long Course races, 2 half-Ironmans and 2 Ironmans. And it was largely a success. Highlights included being the Multisport Triathlon Series Elite winner, Ontario Provincial Long Course Champ and Elite Long Course Triathlete of the year. This past summer was also one of the most stressful of my life, with lots of other obstacles unrelated to triathlon to overcome. But, I persisted through it all, knowing that triathlon is what I love and nothing (and no one) can stand in the way of me doing what I love. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHns6Oqqnm4A5TR-sO0104Jl-0a8-u3QS8jlSPAupXKbrwo5Pr53QQ35mjbvZ_VEsDbKF81j4dqbOXUD9DBlLrwrtMRGhVL85y0o4D8wP-gAMv5XiK2JxQc82vYBv8sI2c3JQmZV2Lfjo/s1600/balanca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHns6Oqqnm4A5TR-sO0104Jl-0a8-u3QS8jlSPAupXKbrwo5Pr53QQ35mjbvZ_VEsDbKF81j4dqbOXUD9DBlLrwrtMRGhVL85y0o4D8wP-gAMv5XiK2JxQc82vYBv8sI2c3JQmZV2Lfjo/s400/balanca.jpg" width="400" height="266" data-original-width="1024" data-original-height="682" /></a></div><BR><BR>
The next step in my triathlon journey is to try to find the best balance between training, recovery, work, family and everything else. This past summer I tried to do too much of everything. This may have worked out ok in the short term, but I know it won't in the long term. So, I've decided to take a step back from long course racing in 2018. This will allow me more time to work on my running and allow a bit more time for rest, since I won't be cramming in long rides in the morning before I am on my feet for 5hrs or more. While I'm not thrilled about the fact that I won't get to race an Ironman next year, I do believe that this will help me in the long term. Tim Hurson said "We tend to overestimate what we can do in the short term and underestimate what we can do in the long term." If this is true, then I hope that by focusing on the long term and not trying to achieve too much in the near future, I can achieve my goals. If this plan doesn't make me a better triathlete, it will definitely make for a better balanced life. <BR><BR>
I will try to post a bit more regularly about how I am going about finding this more balanced life. <BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-20948366323587318212017-09-20T15:17:00.001-04:002017-09-20T15:40:20.725-04:00Race Report: Barrelman TriathlonThe past weekend I competed in Multisport Canada/Rev3 Barrelman triathlon. After a busy summer of racing, I knew that I was a bit tired for this one. It was one of those days where lots went wrong, but I maintained a positive attitude throughout the race and held on to finish 4th women, 3rd Pro and defend my title of Ontario Long Course Provincial Champion! <BR><BR>
The first thing I want to say is that Barrelman is an amazing event that is held at a fantastic venue! The Flatwater Center in Welland is the perfect spot for an open water swim. Beginners will love the calm water and the buoy line underneath the water to sight from. Even experienced swimmers like a nice smooth swim. There is also TONS of room for spectators to cheer on the triathletes. You really do get a boost running from the swim to the bike with all the cheering fans. The bike course is flat and fast! Don't worry, there are enough turns so that it doesn't get boring - there is no stretch of road that seems to go on forever. The bike course is broken into two sections: the loop out and back from the Flatwater Center, then the final stretch from the Flatwater center to Niagara Falls. This makes the time go by pretty quick. When you arrive in T2 after the bike, the volunteers tell you exactly where your run gear is. The two transition zones make people nervous, but the race crew and volunteers have this very well organized. The run is a bit of a beast! It is one of the most challenging half-ironman runs, with almost 400ft of elevation gain, a few steep sections and false flats. The highlights are that it is two loops, which is great for spectators, and that you get to run right by the falls. Not only is it held at a great location, but the race crew, the volunteers, Steve Fleck (the announcer) put on such a great day. Barrelman truly is a fantastic experience.<BR><BR>
A little bit about my race: <BR><BR>
The Pre-Race: I have been having trouble with my Di2 shifting on my bike, with the battery dying after only about 400-500km (I've been told they should last about 10,000hrs). Sure enough, after making sure my Di2 battery was fully charged on Saturday, I woke up on Sunday to the battery completely dead. Luckily enough I do have a spare battery (that was fully charged) so I switched them out (quite the process, as the battery is stored in the frame of the bike). We were about 15 minutes late getting on the road. Next stop was for a coffee and muffin and, of course, our usual spot was closed for some reason. Not a great start to the morning! We did end up making it on time to Welland for registration (we had to check in race day, because Adam was racing Centurion the day prior). It was an uneventful time from then on. I racked my bike, set up transition and then did my swim warmup. <BR><BR>
The Swim: I started the swim right on the buoy line, which was great. So, when the gun went off, I put my head down and just followed the line. Unfortunately, this meant I missed catching a pack of fast swimmers that started far to my left. It's hard to know whether I could have swum with them or not, but because I hadn't made that front pack I was swimming solo for the whole swim. I did feel good though! I've been doing a lot of pull paddles work since Ironman and I could feel the strength in my back and arms during this swim. At one point I let my mind wander and lost the buoy line. I looked up and noticed I was way to the left of the course! Oops. I got back on track and eventually I found myself at the swim exit, about 2 minutes or so behind the female leader, and super strong swimmer, Sheila. I was happy with my swim :) <BR><BR>
Stats: 28:42 (1:26/100m) Garmin says: 2.08km, 28:42 (1:23/100m) <BR><BR>
The Bike: After a relatively fast transition, I headed out onto the bike course. Legs were feeling good, headspace was good, but my front aerobar shifters didn't want to work :( I was cursing electronic shifting at that point! I fiddled with the junction box a bit and they started working again, but they were sporadic the entire race. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn't. Luckily I could still shift from my bullhorns, but I would have to break aero to do so. Even with this issue I was able to catch and pass Sheila and finish the bike as the lead female. I may have biked too hard. My heart rate was higher than it should have been, but my legs felt good. I didn't know whether to go by feel or by my physiology...so, I went by feel. This may have been a mistake I would pay for on the run. <BR><BR>
Stats: 86km (2:18:25, 37.3kph), Garmin says 196W NP (193W avg power), 162bpm avg HR, 82rpm avg <BR><BR>
The Run: I started the run, and, within the first few strides, I knew it was going to be a struggle. This seems to be the theme this year in my longer distance races. Is it fatigue from spending about 30-40hrs on my feet each week? Is it that I'm biking too hard? Is it poor nutrition? Is it just lack of fitness? Am I still tired from Ironman 4 weeks ago? I have struggled this year on the run and I don't know what I am doing wrong in comparison to previous years. Anyway, I focused on running at a steady heart rate. I knew I could sustain a 165-169bpm heart rate for 1hr40mins so I just focused on staying in that zone, regardless of whether the pace was slow (which it was!). When Sheila passed me I was happy for her, she looked so strong! Next I was passed by Jennie Hansen, who I have so much respect for. She went through countless surgeries in the past few years and is back to competing and stronger than ever. Yes, I was upset that I wasn't running faster. But, yes, I was running as fast as I could. So, I stayed positive and, one step at a time, I made it through two loops of the gruelling course. I even re-passed Sheila in the last 3km of the run. I finished 4th female, 1st Ontario female. I had nothing left at the end. I even started hyperventilating after I crossed the finish line, reminiscent of a similar experience I had after my first ever 100m breast stroke race when I was 11. <BR><BR>
Stats: 1:39:45 (4:45/km), 173bpm<BR><BR>
Finishing time: 4:30:07<BR><BR>
What's next for me? I may do one more race this year. Then, next year, I plan to take a break from long course racing and race a few of the races on the Multisport circuit (I'd love to be able to do Barrelman again). Working 4 jobs and trying to train for longer triathlons really took a toll on me this past year. When I can work less, and train more, that's when I plan to tackle the long course events again. Competing in Kona is still my dream. Sometimes, the reality is that you have to put your dreams on hold. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTJoE7bVy0GcVXquCF3d8ixu0A_-UtGN8zr5UWLjbxnIGKnpxyrq2qGTwbM29eSC2PntHLltVbi8Qbe5DrcUCsLl66cs98deMPvgjnu6KuPf-k6hymHUxyvY8CYuvSnJBXwgOpDEabIo/s1600/IMG_9588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTJoE7bVy0GcVXquCF3d8ixu0A_-UtGN8zr5UWLjbxnIGKnpxyrq2qGTwbM29eSC2PntHLltVbi8Qbe5DrcUCsLl66cs98deMPvgjnu6KuPf-k6hymHUxyvY8CYuvSnJBXwgOpDEabIo/s400/IMG_9588.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="480" /><BR>Podium shot!</a></div><BR><BR>
Thank you: <BR><BR>
- The Multisport crew, volunteers and Tri Ontario officials<BR>
- High Rock Capital Management, my title sponsor. <a href="http://highrockcapital.ca/private-client-division.html">Check out the video about what they do</a><BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. <BR>
- Adam for coaching me again!<BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). A high stress life makes you more prone to injuries. I am so fortunate to have these guys!<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-57468733489794366732017-09-13T17:31:00.003-04:002017-09-13T17:31:35.216-04:00Race Report: Multisport Canada Lakeside TriathlonThis past weekend I raced in the Lakeside Olympic triathlon, the final event of the Multisport Canada triathlon series. I had done this race once before (in 2015). It was a memorable event that year, because it was my longest race after surgery. I had done a few sprints that year, but completing this event was what gave me hope that I would get back to long course racing again! So, Lakeside triathlon holds a special place in my heart. <BR><BR>
The venue for Lakeside Tri is spectacular. At the site there is lots of parking, the transition area is right at the edge of the lake where we swim, the registration and race expo is just beside transition. On top of that, there is even a park for kids to play at while their parents race! The course at Lakeside it great for a beginner and a seasoned athlete who likes a challenge. The swim is usually calm, the water is warm (but still wetsuit legal!) and it's two loops for the Olympic (so you are never far form shore). The bike is a rectangle so you make mostly only right turns, the terrain is rolling and the roads are mostly well paved. There is a short 5km section near the end that has some steeper pitches, but, for the beginners - you are nearly done by then and for the faster athletes - this is a good chance to make some gains on your competitors. The run is on a half dirt/cement/gravel road, with a bit of a hill at the 2.5km turnaround. The packed dirt is a nice change from the hard gravel roads we usually run on. All in all, you get an enjoyable and fairly fast day at Lakeside Triathlon. <BR><BR>
How was my race at Lakeside? It was great! I have to admit that I get cold very easily, so I was a bit chilled to start the swim (even with a good warmup). When the gun went off to signal the start of the race I just tried to move my arms and legs as fast as I could to get the blood circulating to those muscles. I felt a bit like a flailing fish! I used male Pro Dan Clarke as my carrot and just tried to keep up with him. We swam together for most of the race, but I really fell behind on the last 200-300m of the swim. I think that when the water gets shallow the tall people can just run through it, but I have to either swim or dolphin dive as I'm too short to run through that depth of water! I was also experiencing some really bad left calf and hamstring tightness after my 25km run on Friday, so I didn't want to chance running more than I needed to. So, after a slow swim exit, I cautiously ran to my bike, then I put on my windbreaker vest (yes, I did!) and was off on the ride. I didn't know how my legs would feel. I had done a 200km ride on Wednesday, so I knew I wouldn't be fresh. To my surprise, I actually did feel really good. I focused on holding right around my threshold power (210-215W) and pushing a bit harder than I normally do up the hills. I could see a few guys who passed me early on in the ride up ahead and I tried to keep them within my sight. Eventually, I caught up to and passed one near the end of the ride. For the first race this year, I held the same power in the first 5km as I did in the last 5km. Success! Then it was on to the run. I had no idea what to expect. I had not slept much the night prior because I was so worried about my left calf and hamstring! It was hard to descend stairs on Saturday, so I was thinking "how will I get through a race on Sunday?" Somehow, my body knew what to do. I took the first 1km a bit tentatively, but then I realized that I was going to be OK. I pushed hard for the next 6.5km and then realized that I had a good lead, was getting tired and wanted to save my legs a bit for Barrelman this weekend, so I backed off the pace a tiny bit. I crossed the finish line and was ecstatic to take my 4th win of 4 races in the series :) <BR><BR>
Stats: <BR><BR>
Swim - Garmin says: 1664m, 22:52 (1:23/100m) - and that I swam on course, SportsStats: 22:51 <BR><BR>
Bike - Garmin says: 206W (210W NP), 87rpm, 167bpm, SportStats: 1:07:44, 35.4kph *this is my highest power for an Oly*<BR><BR>
Run - Garmin says: 42:21, 4:13/km, 174bpm, SportStats: 42:21 <BR><BR>
Overall - 2:14:53 <BR><BR>
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Thank you: <BR><BR>
- The Multisport crew, volunteers and Tri Ontario officials<BR>
- High Rock Capital Management, my title sponsor. <a href="http://highrockcapital.ca/private-client-division.html">Check out the video about what they do</a><BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. <BR>
- Adam for doing A LOT of driving, for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day.<BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). A high stress life makes you more prone to injuries. I am so fortunate to have these guys!<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-46594031101513058212017-08-23T16:57:00.000-04:002017-08-23T16:57:21.425-04:00Race Report: Ironman Mont TremblantThis past Sunday, I raced Ironman Mont Tremblant. First, I just have to say that this was an extremely well organized event. The entire experience, from the days leading up to the race to the day after the race was amazing. The location of the venue, the Ironman village, the course itself were among my favourite parts. If you haven't raced an event at Mont Tremblant, I highly recommend it. I will most certainly be back here. <BR><BR>
I have been waiting to write my race report, hoping that I will have a better understanding about how I feel about the race. It has been 3 days and I have yet to clarify my thoughts and emotions. On one hand, I feel incredibly grateful that I was able to race another Ironman. I am incredibly proud of a time of 10hrs22mins and 17th female overall. I can't believe that I was able to run 42km within an Ironman, when I had been told 2 years ago I would never run more than 10km ever again. I feel happy that I had an Ironman experience that wasn't marred by a cyberbully attack 2 days prior like in IM Arizona, in which websites, facebook pages and twitter accounts were created to defame me. The individuals responsible claiming they wanted to "out me from the triathlon community." Yes, there are a lot of positives that came from this race. On the other hand, I wanted more. I feel frustrated that I couldn't run faster. In 2012 and 2013 I was consistently running 1:27 - 1:30 for my half-marathon runs within a 70.3. I ran a 3:35 in my marathon during Ironman Arizona. Running was my strength and not my weakness. I haven't been able to get back to that same run fitness and it's been incredibly frustrating. I know it's in me, but I feel lost trying to find it. Details about the training and the race itself are below. <BR><BR>
The Training<BR><BR>
After really only being focused on Eagleman 70.3 for most of the winter and with a minor foot injury and a cold and rainy spring, my true Ironman training didn't begin until July. I had about 5 weeks to build up the endurance I needed for Ironman Mont Tremblant. This was not ideal, but I had great base fitness and I knew I could do it. My biggest weekend of training was on the Ironman course...3 days included 220km of riding, 45km of running and 5km of open water swimming. I also included some shorter races in the Multisport Canada Triathlon Series to keep in some high intensity training and ensure I maintained a bit of speed. 3 weeks before Ironman I did a 150km ride (finishing the last 40km at above Ironman goal power) and then completed a 24km run off the bike and averaged a 5:13/km during that run (done at 28C - hot!!). I simulated my race nutrition exactly. I thought this would set me up well for a 42km at around the same pace or (hopefully) a bit faster. My taper for Ironman was about 3 weeks, but also included Kingston Long Course tri 2 weeks before. Other than having to work a lot during this time, I felt fresh and well rested on race day.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYcCGBx2Qx7gh47PDXWBUVv9_d8nYtdJqxcawPq4tmiWrDbys_37U6Is6u4azQoTyUGuwHptODxRjefsnm0YvUEv-KAxzD3cOrot6DUqQqrkv427TN3IDbUUQTTgWxvARKYEm24q8v8c/s1600/IMG_9432.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYcCGBx2Qx7gh47PDXWBUVv9_d8nYtdJqxcawPq4tmiWrDbys_37U6Is6u4azQoTyUGuwHptODxRjefsnm0YvUEv-KAxzD3cOrot6DUqQqrkv427TN3IDbUUQTTgWxvARKYEm24q8v8c/s400/IMG_9432.PNG" width="400" height="225" data-original-width="1334" data-original-height="750" /><BR>On the computrainer, staying focused</a></div><BR><BR>
The Pre-Race<BR><BR>
We arrived on Thursday night after a fairly easy drive. Friday I did an easy bike and run, then check in, the Pro meeting, TTC group photo, cold bath in the pool and then dinner with my parents. <BR><BR>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7K6yMGidAlcXh1hZIg1uqdP74WHsGiElDaecfsm7JT4asW14wW8Qosw2_UHtTG68Mz99hMYILyNICj6XQWVtgCfyVzkuq7r9C8vWq54hRsWWOxzUSCqeOxGwsnxo5Ugb20fxqrwET98/s1600/IMG_9446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7K6yMGidAlcXh1hZIg1uqdP74WHsGiElDaecfsm7JT4asW14wW8Qosw2_UHtTG68Mz99hMYILyNICj6XQWVtgCfyVzkuq7r9C8vWq54hRsWWOxzUSCqeOxGwsnxo5Ugb20fxqrwET98/s400/IMG_9446.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /><BR>TTC Group Shot</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V_eYyCuHTC-mqW9pG8y92dnSr4Zhqmw8k-ElC6VMCkC1W4zeS8oTzzrEIdyo2S_bxhe9tvUM_PDO2dGS4FTFkCn9qSGbsIrYFle5kTgiFQ5mVlbp_8UWXYbSbbImigG3GfWvYagbAKc/s1600/IMG_9436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V_eYyCuHTC-mqW9pG8y92dnSr4Zhqmw8k-ElC6VMCkC1W4zeS8oTzzrEIdyo2S_bxhe9tvUM_PDO2dGS4FTFkCn9qSGbsIrYFle5kTgiFQ5mVlbp_8UWXYbSbbImigG3GfWvYagbAKc/s400/IMG_9436.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /><BR>Recovery in the cold pool</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpc2cEVNhM-XY3pRQ0GUoq-dDkPAEvXPXjUT_txrp2mTEGa6qjUzvGrXf2wn7vmmoxAr9n6IM11QVY8osub3WbQTD4q0aE_EYe3vuB3QwT_udsYW2MoLFeMjAGv7cD4PXVyRSCmCEeck/s1600/IMG_9457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpc2cEVNhM-XY3pRQ0GUoq-dDkPAEvXPXjUT_txrp2mTEGa6qjUzvGrXf2wn7vmmoxAr9n6IM11QVY8osub3WbQTD4q0aE_EYe3vuB3QwT_udsYW2MoLFeMjAGv7cD4PXVyRSCmCEeck/s400/IMG_9457.jpg" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Riding up the hill</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ywBCF69e1bSABJsxpGBBe8CuevvCNLlRE7NYLRe4Th6gvB5zKb6ORuOsC7jCWLFYXXn3kDrihodFgWWODvVTRGS-zwTqqJQb2yJS-PYJfk7pk1lmI0Gb2AFBv2CBz_2uVQHoazm0B3M/s1600/IMG_4475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ywBCF69e1bSABJsxpGBBe8CuevvCNLlRE7NYLRe4Th6gvB5zKb6ORuOsC7jCWLFYXXn3kDrihodFgWWODvVTRGS-zwTqqJQb2yJS-PYJfk7pk1lmI0Gb2AFBv2CBz_2uVQHoazm0B3M/s400/IMG_4475.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="960" /><BR>Dinner with my parents</a></div><BR><BR>
Saturday I did another short bike, run and swim. Then I had my interview with Bob Babbit! He's a super nice guy. See the interview here: <BR><BR> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBobBabbittPublic%2Fvideos%2F1584553454941463%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe><BR><BR>
Race Day<BR><BR>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqCpYem6ll7QPJUSxD1cM6ohxTktjFdeMK18pdRhdAhBey4yLNxf5MjyVL9YVpvSkbwoKN9hp2KJ75U2c1I_Ki3w9-Zo284Kk5nvb3x5sXT-8E896zReshiCoB48rgDb6n9chnJdiYmQ/s1600/IMG_4481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqCpYem6ll7QPJUSxD1cM6ohxTktjFdeMK18pdRhdAhBey4yLNxf5MjyVL9YVpvSkbwoKN9hp2KJ75U2c1I_Ki3w9-Zo284Kk5nvb3x5sXT-8E896zReshiCoB48rgDb6n9chnJdiYmQ/s400/IMG_4481.JPG" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Swim tubing to warm up</a></div><BR><BR>
The swim was uneventful. I may have started off a bit too slow as I missed the first swim group. I have been able to swim with Magali and others of similar speeds if I can get on their feet. However, I missed this opportunity and swam the 3.8km (or 4.2km according to Garmin) leading the second group or solo. This was not ideal, but 3-4 minutes lost in the swim was not something to worry about. <BR><BR>
SWIM STATS: 59:55 (1:34/100m, 5th Pro, 6th Female), GARMIN SAYS: 59:55 (1:27/100m)<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawK3bVwqk5FNrA4ncV5RrEaQT2WtGVBRahyXFdZJZ-890BJtNUV9W9i6dPqXLQflp6VE_RxSKZ7AyI4crtLP_au-96QOcQSW7C1G6-xjqxwjxB2Cq9Kn7_W_ZHzmwLjwmR6Q8qqWP4C4/s1600/IMG_9484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawK3bVwqk5FNrA4ncV5RrEaQT2WtGVBRahyXFdZJZ-890BJtNUV9W9i6dPqXLQflp6VE_RxSKZ7AyI4crtLP_au-96QOcQSW7C1G6-xjqxwjxB2Cq9Kn7_W_ZHzmwLjwmR6Q8qqWP4C4/s400/IMG_9484.JPG" width="267" height="400" data-original-width="667" data-original-height="1000" /><BR>I was thinking "did I run past the wetsuit strippers?"</a></div><BR><BR>
The bike was great. I was within my power and heart rate zones and I felt good. I did back off a little during the last 20km to save a bit more for the run. I was able to have full conversations during the ride and I took this as another good sign that I was pacing myself correctly. I was a bit surprised that so many people were passing me, but I remembered "patience" and focused inwards. In fact, I think this strategy worked because I only got passed 4 or 5 times during the second loop and passed a few people who had passed me early on. This course was a mix of flats and hilly. I am much stronger on the flats (I just can't hit high power that some can for steep climbs), but the mix of terrain was just perfect. As soon as I was sick of the flat section, the hills came. When I was sick of hills, the flats came. I heard that the course was windy, but I didn't notice. I probably owe that to my fast bike and Blade wheels breaking the wind for me :) <BR><BR>
There was definitely room for improvement with my nutrition. Although it had worked well in training, sometimes the race day nerves can change things and make your GI system much more sensitive. During the 5.5hr ride I took 600 calories from eLoad, 600 calories from Bulk Barn OMGs (will try to find an alternative solid food for next time with more carbs, less fat), 200mg caffeine from 5 hr energy at 90km point and about 3-4L of fluid (hard to quantify). This was 1200 calories (220cal/hr), 225g CHO (41g/hour - a bit low a it should be closer to 55g for me), 0g fiber (good), 33g FAT (6g/hr but this should be 3g/hr or less), 2522mg Sodium (460mg/hr - will definetely experiment going a bit higher than this, but it was cool and I don't sweat much - I've also gotten side stitches when I approach 750mg per hour), 579mg Potassium (unsure recommendations for this), 8g protein (may need more than this).
BIKE STATS: 5:24:51 (33.5kph, 10th Pro, 11th Female), GARMIN SAYS: 5:24:44 with 2:40 first loop, 2:44 second loop (148bpm, 175W NP (180W first loop, 171W second loop, 169W avg power, VI = 1.04 )<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xbZJ5ou4j0z7pAT0e2RI-L-QPVAsaN9DBiWvgXK3ixA176_S_lCU7KJ7dZDVMLiPh4kxPK4kzcosfd57hfmx-Go8fOxBoRgcfIyG0FM8ul2l16-ThZbohd5XfXBrBgXZqpOg234nsk8/s1600/IMG_9462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xbZJ5ou4j0z7pAT0e2RI-L-QPVAsaN9DBiWvgXK3ixA176_S_lCU7KJ7dZDVMLiPh4kxPK4kzcosfd57hfmx-Go8fOxBoRgcfIyG0FM8ul2l16-ThZbohd5XfXBrBgXZqpOg234nsk8/s400/IMG_9462.jpg" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Bike in transition</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ7mes8lMWEIeTPBr2S4ISzuQbzac7QFA65ZPcWWYkF2-yW7HUw-xX3id0CWPdeZHYlLg2bhjemy7OAPrdvT4KiNKsLpxANxysXLCQfr_3DunLopPSw6NCnKxIp8gB36Wu6NAc_Tx7AY/s1600/IMG_9483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ7mes8lMWEIeTPBr2S4ISzuQbzac7QFA65ZPcWWYkF2-yW7HUw-xX3id0CWPdeZHYlLg2bhjemy7OAPrdvT4KiNKsLpxANxysXLCQfr_3DunLopPSw6NCnKxIp8gB36Wu6NAc_Tx7AY/s400/IMG_9483.jpg" width="400" height="394" data-original-width="741" data-original-height="730" /><BR>Pretty aero position I think! Holding steady up Duplessis</a></div><BR><BR>
The first few km on the run I felt OK, but not great. It's hard to predict how your run is going to go at this point. Either you start to feel good and get in a rhythm or you deteriorate even more. Unfortunately for me, the latter occurred. My heart rate was really high (170s) and my legs continued to feel stiff. I switched to thinking "1km at a time, try not to walk" instead of what I should have been thinking, which was "pace, heart rate, pace, heart rate, smile". I tried taking a gel, but my stomach turned at the idea. I ate nothing and only drank during the first half of the run. Luckily I seemed to tolerate coke and red-bull ok. And at around 28km in I saw Cliff Shot Blocks at the aid station and those seemed appealing. I took two HUGE handfuls and ate them one after another. I wished I had taken more! They sat well with me. Now I know what I will be relying on during my next Ironman run. Of course, once I had eaten something I felt a bit better. However, in the last 5km I felt my calves seizing up. Rather than push myself to the finish and risk injuring myself, I slowed even more, even though I had more energy there. Of course, I moved down 2 places during that time :( <BR><BR>
RUN STATS: 3:51 (5:29/km), GARMIN SAYS: 3:51 (5:29/km, 179bpm avg HR - which may be wrong as I had gels stuffed down my sports bra)<BR><BR>
OVERALL STATS: 10:22:41 (17th female, 13th Pro)<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTvx0RzPh_-gAjRmVJVswGLA4_Gv4bJWyqJueiojmyDHyivUSOEDxRAl-QXVXCQYaL8PZ1pc_9MW_XzW5s6ZwJQufwqWL250PdCqKN4JYrCPHKL9U1m45PTFF9jguZGwx5siVAYIFnrA/s1600/20988887_1578632552195817_7575079065082310186_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTvx0RzPh_-gAjRmVJVswGLA4_Gv4bJWyqJueiojmyDHyivUSOEDxRAl-QXVXCQYaL8PZ1pc_9MW_XzW5s6ZwJQufwqWL250PdCqKN4JYrCPHKL9U1m45PTFF9jguZGwx5siVAYIFnrA/s400/20988887_1578632552195817_7575079065082310186_o.jpg" width="267" height="400" data-original-width="667" data-original-height="1000" /><BR>Just off the bike, heading to transition. I felt OK at this point.</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeICxubkzf3rFHW6_iyfhP6bRHzek-SWCPabf658Dob3HTIwL81nUtkgNUZ7PzsTX5xIPhQVz2sOeyLWJ9hRjcMWpNCXTvJvGgOiv7pHM3Ym_4gCEiSP7jZqLEaMqEFB6h4g2ldmGA4w/s1600/IMG_9468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeICxubkzf3rFHW6_iyfhP6bRHzek-SWCPabf658Dob3HTIwL81nUtkgNUZ7PzsTX5xIPhQVz2sOeyLWJ9hRjcMWpNCXTvJvGgOiv7pHM3Ym_4gCEiSP7jZqLEaMqEFB6h4g2ldmGA4w/s400/IMG_9468.jpg" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Post-race adventures</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjyD9Hsp6wojneojidEeX9D88DE-4F2V5zxcXaGYBEPZA_vHEos2pB0QngB0fQRopRCp2vFv75rGJ4nR1NcLLKNJcMv-Rv_c9I1_QcXzwL6y96kgr1iLVv-JL-WfIQfWY6YXbgDZgo2Q/s1600/IMG_9478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjyD9Hsp6wojneojidEeX9D88DE-4F2V5zxcXaGYBEPZA_vHEos2pB0QngB0fQRopRCp2vFv75rGJ4nR1NcLLKNJcMv-Rv_c9I1_QcXzwL6y96kgr1iLVv-JL-WfIQfWY6YXbgDZgo2Q/s400/IMG_9478.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /><BR>Enjoying the scenery</a></div><BR><BR>
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My next races will be Lakeside Olympic and Barrelman Triathlon! Both events are organized my Multisport Canada. I also want to take this opportunity to mention that the MSC triathlon series helped get me and a lot of people into the sport of triathlon. I became involved in the sport, because there happened to be a local race just a short drive from my cottage, so I thought I would give it a try. I think we forget that without our local race series getting people involved in triathlon, companies like Ironman can't grow and if they can't grow then they can't put on such elaborate events like Ironman Mont Tremblant. So, be sure to give back to your local race series and participate in a few events close to home. <BR><BR>
Thank you: <BR><BR>
- My homestay hosts, Andre and Renee. They were absolutely wonderful and I wouldn't have had the experience I did without their generosity. <BR>
- The race organizers, volunteers and other athletes<BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. <BR>
- Adam for doing the driving, for sherpaing, for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day.<BR>
- Toronto Triathlon Club and NRG for cheering so so loud for me on race day! I always gave a little bit more out there knowing you were watching and supporting!<BR>
- High Rock Capital Management, my title sponsor. <a href="http://highrockcapital.ca/private-client-division.html">Check out the video about what they do</a><BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). A high stress life makes you more prone to injuries. I am so fortunate to have these guys!<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-12320648181281613542017-08-07T12:51:00.000-04:002017-08-07T13:06:11.497-04:00Race Report: MSC Kingston Long CourseLet's start this race report with a flashback to Kingston in 2012: I'm training full time, living with my parents, I have just started coaching triathlon and I work a couple times a week at WattsUp. Life is not busy. Basically I eat, train, do a bit of work, sleep and repeat! A lifestyle that is ideal for a pro triathlete. While I worked hard for my win that year, I didn't appreciate it as much as my win in Kingston this year. In stark contrast to 2012, the week leading up to Kingston 2017 involved 25hrs of giving massages, 16hrs of coaching, time spent running errands, cooking meals, cleaning, making lunches, paying bills, etc. Life is quite different now than it was back then. Yet, I've somehow learned to adapt. With proper planning, positive thinking and a strong will I am able to compete at the same level. That's what makes me the most proud about my performance on the weekend. Two of my favourite quotes are "don't wait for the storm to pass, learn how to dance in the rain" and "an athlete must persist with hope in her heart and dreams in her head" ... which I interpret to mean that no matter what life throws at you, you've got to press on and make the most of the hand you've been dealt and don't find excuses. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzeNP_zfNUefz5ZLodBjYjq5lu2U9oV3eX7Jm3ur0jLMSCyg2wri7JuFCZHUobtTFoy5PTy8jOhsZi7YBoyghRvBEtFM_Bcg1lWCE8rmYBhcXXwRq0-u973sUmwWFpHaJIhpLi2Gtwak/s1600/LMGB3890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzeNP_zfNUefz5ZLodBjYjq5lu2U9oV3eX7Jm3ur0jLMSCyg2wri7JuFCZHUobtTFoy5PTy8jOhsZi7YBoyghRvBEtFM_Bcg1lWCE8rmYBhcXXwRq0-u973sUmwWFpHaJIhpLi2Gtwak/s400/LMGB3890.jpg" width="400" height="400" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>2017 on the left, 2012 on the right</a></div><BR><BR>
<b>Pre-Race<BR><BR></b>
I did my usual prep bike-run on the Saturday morning. Loops around High Park were a great setting to get in a mix of hills, flats, race pace work and to test that my bike was in good working order. Then a short run off the bike with some accelerations got the legs feeling loose. We left Toronto at 10am, I had my McDonalds coffee and muffin in hand, and we headed to the 401 to endure the long drive to Kingston. Not much excitement on this drive: stop, go, repeat, Bulk Barn pit stop, go, stop, etc. After 4.5hrs we were at the race site...right on the water, in the heart of downtown Kingston. A perfect spot for a race. Lots for the spectators to do, while the athletes are racing. Then it was time to check in to the hotel. I had a meal I had pre-made of pasta alfredo with chicken and Adam got his standard pizza. We were asleep before 9pm. <BR><BR>
<b>
The Swim<BR><BR></b>
The swim course was changed at the last minute due to the fact that the waves past the break wall were pretty high. So, it would involve doing two loops of a large triangle. However, this swim was challenging. The waves were high and the skies were grey, making it difficult to sight the triangular buoys that were about 300m apart. Luckily for me, I do really well in big waves for some reason. I am not phased at all by the chop. The first loop I sighted based on the splashes in front of me, likely coming from speedy Angela Quick, Alex and other fast swimmers. Knowing that I wouldn't have them to sight in the second loop I matched up markers in the distant horizon that I could use to sight during my second loop. That worked well and I swam relatively straight. And, lucky for me, I was passed by a relay swimmer at after cornering the last buoy was able to stay on her feet. I rode her waves for the last 500m of the race, and likely made up a bit of time that way. When I came out of the water only 75s back of Angela I knew I had a good swim (normally I'm 2min or more behind at this distance). <BR><BR>
STATS: 32:35 (Sportstats) and 32:24, 2160m, 38 strokes per minute (76 strokes both arms), 1:30/100m (Garmin)<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_lX9vbg-Y4sOB2H4SB9F62xoRcLivNQysTSAVIl0SS9bjtzbyQ__7KVhkr5a47u7YY6AgN1JFfJ8OlgXv-ui-Wj1pz2DXLdUWFNUGoS-bc7MBiwFtye52NV_z2j1nWvBzXvVJPpMkUg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-08-07+at+11.44.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_lX9vbg-Y4sOB2H4SB9F62xoRcLivNQysTSAVIl0SS9bjtzbyQ__7KVhkr5a47u7YY6AgN1JFfJ8OlgXv-ui-Wj1pz2DXLdUWFNUGoS-bc7MBiwFtye52NV_z2j1nWvBzXvVJPpMkUg/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-08-07+at+11.44.56+AM.png" width="359" height="400" data-original-width="282" data-original-height="314" /><BR>My swim path</a></div><BR><BR>
<b>The Bike<BR><BR></b>
I wasn't fresh for this race after a busy week and a hard block of Ironman training that concluded last Saturday with a hard 5hr ride and 2hr run off the bike (in the heat!). I really didn't know how I would feel on the bike on race day. I knew that late ride fatigue was definitely possible. The bike did start out well. I was right at goal power and heart rate to the turnaround. I enjoyed the scenery and the rolling hills and the strong tailwind. Then, just after the 30km mark, the switch happened. I went from "push push" mode to "just hang on" mode. Every pedal stroke felt like a struggle. Luckily I have an incredibly fast bike and super fast Blade carbon wheels so I used this free speed to my advantage, but I was still slowing. Although I was upset that the last 20km were a struggle, it wasn't completely unexpected. I was physically and mentally tired.<BR><BR>
STATS: 1:34:40, 35.6kph (Sportstats) and 1:34:44, 36.5kph, 56.1km, 199W avg power, 203W NP, 163bpm avg HR, 85rpm (Garmin)<BR><BR>
<b>The Run <BR><BR></b>
I started out the run feeling good. This surprised me given how I had felt on the bike just minutes earlier. I was holding about a 4:05/km pace and felt like I was running strong. When I reached 4km on the run I heard that I was 1:55 back of the leader. Shoot. I knew I would have my work cut out for me. By the turnaround point I had cut that to 30s, but I was starting to hurt. I pushed through 1km at a time, and at around 12km in, I took the lead. I used the energy of the sprint racers around me and forced myself to keep up the pace. When I crossed the line I was so happy to finish as the top female! It was a hard fought battle.<BR><BR>
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TtQodkmrjMpXydcSfW63mghnPInCV7Ge279r6U13QGOTw4yQTQRy_wOpzY0HxbfDmDXH5gzu63RjVcx7oKdG7UNCRopRtqG7IlnEjGpP0WGQleGy1JBl9SZX_uK1p1oXRejcWr-Ai0s/s1600/IMG_9335.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TtQodkmrjMpXydcSfW63mghnPInCV7Ge279r6U13QGOTw4yQTQRy_wOpzY0HxbfDmDXH5gzu63RjVcx7oKdG7UNCRopRtqG7IlnEjGpP0WGQleGy1JBl9SZX_uK1p1oXRejcWr-Ai0s/s400/IMG_9335.PNG" width="225" height="400" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="1136" /></a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS-SESyw5TYrMbLY9lF-xBWUA9wyoPsWrM8g056bVRyEwhrpcrKCylfvjkR_mXLs37u0adzj0QckLqhsMumyuXv7c5MrDZ5I6g-KmsnQewuNyuE-pYLjB9aqPtgbehwsX6XY5Scf7faM/s1600/IMG_9332.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS-SESyw5TYrMbLY9lF-xBWUA9wyoPsWrM8g056bVRyEwhrpcrKCylfvjkR_mXLs37u0adzj0QckLqhsMumyuXv7c5MrDZ5I6g-KmsnQewuNyuE-pYLjB9aqPtgbehwsX6XY5Scf7faM/s400/IMG_9332.PNG" width="225" height="400" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="1136" /></a></div><BR><BR>
STATS: 1:03:25, 4:13/km (Sportstats) and 1:03:07, 14.84km, 4:15/km (Garmin)<BR><BR>
<b>Total Time: 3:12:24</b><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyy06z5hOjmbalRbhkqf9pf-QUWnik8oo0OaAxa75I22OhBvuPSEGHimVjofkAFeCHJIcjrXIKOGm23dntr__awbfXPaR_sEIWn9USG9Y5TX-iUcn-KLtpeodwGP35cgSpDdoeCZ7UBZk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-08-07+at+12.33.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyy06z5hOjmbalRbhkqf9pf-QUWnik8oo0OaAxa75I22OhBvuPSEGHimVjofkAFeCHJIcjrXIKOGm23dntr__awbfXPaR_sEIWn9USG9Y5TX-iUcn-KLtpeodwGP35cgSpDdoeCZ7UBZk/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-08-07+at+12.33.18+PM.png" width="394" height="400" data-original-width="458" data-original-height="465" /><BR>Some fast ladies raced today! Left to Right: Heather, Leah - fastest bike & run, Me, Angela Q - fastest swim, Angela L</a><BR><BR></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp6ZxsL6ops1SGk4Vkd09qkTPJHhC-EpHijW_Tbwf7rWfxZoXMyvstQioGTANkPigtl2oggc1rNtRx4AWBrst3dmsIX2w9m11KwW9eTRBq8EPn69VOdsregpq7n4XOBPHygTSLzrZToY/s1600/IMG_9329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp6ZxsL6ops1SGk4Vkd09qkTPJHhC-EpHijW_Tbwf7rWfxZoXMyvstQioGTANkPigtl2oggc1rNtRx4AWBrst3dmsIX2w9m11KwW9eTRBq8EPn69VOdsregpq7n4XOBPHygTSLzrZToY/s400/IMG_9329.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" />
</a></div><BR><BR>
Next race up: Ironman Mont Tremblant then <a href="http://www.multisportcanada.com">Lakeside Olympic Triathlon</a><BR><BR>
Thank you: <BR><BR>
- The Multisport crew, volunteers and officials<BR>
- High Rock Capital Management, my title sponsor. <a href="http://highrockcapital.ca/private-client-division.html">Check out the video about what they do</a><BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. <BR>
- Adam for doing A LOT of driving, for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day.<BR>
- Paula Van Nostrand for my new aero water bottle! <BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). A high stress life makes you more prone to injuries. I am so fortunate to have these guys!<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-57603719522869519172017-07-18T09:17:00.000-04:002017-07-19T18:46:22.689-04:00Race Report: Multisport Canada Gravenhurst OlympicOn Saturday, July 15th I raced the Gravenhurst Olympic for the first time! As an event known to sell out well in advance of race day, I knew that it would be an awesome event. I was not disappointed. The location, the course, the event organizers,volunteers and so many spectators made it such a great race. It really enjoyed racing alongside new du/triathletes, elite du/triathletes, both young and old (there was an 85year old participant this year!). I got to see people I hadn't seen in awhile and I got to meet new people. <BR><BR>
Although I am training for the full Ironman in Mont Tremblant on August 20th, there is HUGE benefit to racing some shorter races in preparation. The shorter and harder workouts allows you to train your anaerobic energy system and help make your aerobic system more efficient and the longer easier workouts build your endurance. Both are required to put together a good Ironman. So, that, and the fact I love to race, was why I included Gravenhurst in my race schedule. <BR><BR>
THE PRE-RACE<BR><BR>
The weekend prior to Gravenhurst I had put together a solid training weekend: a 170km ride + 11km run off the bike (Saturday) and then swimming the relay in Muskoka 70.3 and then running 29km (Sunday). I had a bit of a rest week this past week, but did a 140km ride + 12km run (with 2x2k at 4:15/km) on the Wednesday. So, my legs were a little tired. I was hopeful that a day off and a massage on Thursday night and a light day Friday might get my legs ready to be fresh on Saturday. Unfortunately, I worked at the massage clinic until 8pm the day prior to the race (5 hrs on my feet) and then didn't get to where we were staying in Severn Bridge until 10:30pm that night. So, I would be racing Gravenhurst on less than 7hrs sleep. Not something I like to do! Nonetheless, I was excited and was hopeful that the lack of sleep would only start to hit me later in the day on Saturday well after the race was over. <BR><BR>
THE SWIM<BR><BR>
Luckily, or unluckily, for the pros and elite age group athletes we got our own boat ride to the start line. It was nice to be on a private boat, but I was a tiny bit disappointed we wouldn't get to jump off the steam ship. It sounded like those who did had a lot of fun! The start of the race was fairly uneventful as there were only about 8 people in my wave. Jessey The Elf took off way ahead of us, but Daniel Clark and I managed to swim together. I tried to pass him a few times but I need glasses for distance and even with my mirrored goggles I could not see where I was going. So, I hoped he knew where he was going, and I just followed him to the finish! I felt like I was pushing myself, but didn't have much extra energy to go one gear harder, which I sometimes have on race day. <BR><BR>
STATS: 22:56 (Sportstats) and 20:56, 1500m, 37 strokes per minute, 1:23/100m (Garmin)<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qDdjiOZhF0_HOvSpuM2a3K0f3GVDEfSrppC7ZAIcVBlKIzhbPWQ6fQNIQXGLj-XCxqaU9hlQLfMSpz3blbcw3kFVo9szuw3sXMhFoU0SoYza2cc8_k65Zscgdym1Yy0yG57KqUJpqug/s1600/Gravenhurst2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qDdjiOZhF0_HOvSpuM2a3K0f3GVDEfSrppC7ZAIcVBlKIzhbPWQ6fQNIQXGLj-XCxqaU9hlQLfMSpz3blbcw3kFVo9szuw3sXMhFoU0SoYza2cc8_k65Zscgdym1Yy0yG57KqUJpqug/s320/Gravenhurst2017.JPG" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="853" /></a></div><BR><BR>
BIKE<BR><BR>
After what seemed like a long run from the swim to my bike, I had a relatively uneventful T1 and before I knew it I was off on my bike. I used to dread the bike portion of the race, but I actually enjoy it now with my Cervelo P5 and Blade Carbon Wheels! About 500m ahead of me was another athlete, and I made it my goal to keep him in sight. I knew roughly what my average power should be for this race (205-215W) and where my heart rate should be (165-170bpm) and while both were a bit higher than that in the start, I felt OK so I continued to aim for my "carrot" up the road. I wasn't making up the gap on the rider in front, but I wasn't falling behind, which is usually what I let happen. My legs were starting to hurt at around 15K in and it wasn't as easy to ride at 215W as it had been at the start. I also got passed by two riders which hurt, mentally. So I focused inward, as is what I do when things happen that I can't control. I watched my cadence steady at around 85-87rpm, aimed for a power goal between 205 - 215W, took my fluid and my nutrition. At the 20K turnaround I was at 211W NP and around 169bpm. I continued to focus inward for the next 10km and wouldn't you know it, I caught that rider up ahead! We caught and passed each other several times, before I took the lead for good. I died a little in the last 5km and finished the ride at 206W NP. <BR><BR>
Oh, and let me just say this, that when you are training for Ironman, 40km goes by so fast!!! I have done 3x 140-170km rides and 2x 120km rides in the past three weeks. So, although 40km at just below threshold power/heart rate is VERY hard it definitely went by quickly. Also, I really liked the course - rolling hills are my specialty.<BR><BR>
STATS: 1:05:54, 36.42kph (Sportstats) and 1:04:57, 37kph, 40.0km, 203W avg power, 206W NP, 167bpm avg HR, 87rpm (Garmin)<BR><BR>
RUN<BR><BR>
I think I was starting to feel the busy week and lack of sleep as the run started. I really wanted to average 4:10 to 4:15/km, but it was evident early on that I wasn't going to reach my goal. I was finding it hard to push myself to go fast. I took some calories and some water at the first aid station and that seemed to help. The course is pretty tough with lots of steep climbs and descents and it makes it hard to pace it. So, instead of worrying about pace, I stayed focused on heart rate and keeping it in 172-177bpm range (threshold heart rate range). My legs were pretty heavy by the end but I tried to stay strong to the finish! It was great to break the tape to take the overall female win and be welcomed by John Salt (the race and series director). <BR><BR>
STATS: 43:50, 4:23/km (Sportstats) and 43:49, 10.17km, 4:19/km, 174bpm (Garmin). <BR><BR>
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So that was the day in Gravenhurst! Unfortunately, I did re-aggravate my sesamoid bone in my left big toe, likely during the long run barefoot during T1. I'm hoping the inflammation clears up in the next few days, as I have my last big training weekend planned. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRgDqO7Qp4YKxqyBom9-tUYpN0la0imS9RSQQdNCebW371L3moFYxkOuhq-pzew6t2_DN-JLLRHlJqPxbGdSDk0FCIPL90vFzBWXjEsgMUzKs45QxSCw_QQU4ZuPc9Oz3gajw7ekTwVU/s1600/IMG_9254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRgDqO7Qp4YKxqyBom9-tUYpN0la0imS9RSQQdNCebW371L3moFYxkOuhq-pzew6t2_DN-JLLRHlJqPxbGdSDk0FCIPL90vFzBWXjEsgMUzKs45QxSCw_QQU4ZuPc9Oz3gajw7ekTwVU/s320/IMG_9254.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /><BR>Some great athletes to share the podium with!</a></div><BR><BR>
Next race up: <a href="http://www.multisportcanada.com">Kingston Long Course Triathlon</a> (I hope to see you there!)<BR><BR>
Thank you: <BR><BR>
- Bill and Lynne for letting us stay at their home in Severn Bridge<BR>
- The Multisport crew, volunteers and officials<BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. <BR>
- Adam for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day.<BR>
- My step-kids: Saige, Rhys and Mack for being there on race day, cheering me on and for the high fives!<BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). I wouldn't have been able to race this one without you.<BR>
- Kim Lumsdon at KLSC<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-79132314516144539822017-06-28T17:28:00.001-04:002017-06-28T17:34:39.863-04:00Race Report: Welland Long CourseWhen planning my races this summer I was fairly stuck on where I wanted to race on June 25th. I debated whether I should go to Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant or whether should I race in Welland. Ultimately, the pros of racing in Welland won out: the proximity to Toronto, the timing (doing a half-ironman just 9 weeks before a full Ironman wasn't enough time to recover and ramp up the training and then taper - for a full time working step-mum anyway!), the venue, the community, the course is better suited for me (windy and flat!), practice on the <a href="http://www.niagarafallstriathlon.com">Barrelman course</a>, getting to race alongside my sister (Sara), and mostly because I LOVE racing with Multisport Canada. And what a great event the Multisport crew and volunteers put on in Welland! It truly is a spectacular race. The course, the location and the organization are tough to beat. <BR><BR>
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<b>THE PRE RACE<BR><BR></b>
The week before the race was far from an easy week. I had raced a half-ironman two weeks prior to Welland which I had put in a good two week taper for. That meant that I would race Welland at the end of a Build Week. I usually taper for all my races, but with Ironman on August 20th being one of my key races this year, it meant that I would not be able to do so for Welland. So, the week leading up to this race was as follows:<BR><BR>
Saturday: 95km ride + 4km run<BR>
Sunday: 6000m swim<BR>
Monday: 7km descending run<BR>
Tuesday: 3000m swim, including 2000m race pace swim & 22km run<BR>
Wednesday: 1500m swim, 90minute ride with 6x(1min at VO2max-4min at Threshold)<BR>
Thursday: 2000m swim<BR>
Friday: 1500m swim, 30min bike & 3km descending run<BR>
Saturday: 1hr bike with 3x(2min at race power) and 3km run off the bike, and then I got married in the afternoon!<BR><BR>
Still a bit of low volume week, but add about 50 hrs of work (including giving about 20 x 1hr massages) and it's a lot!<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIULY-5y5TkSiIy1DgV97JJpVc5XXJVAUfX4w2M1jHWpkCHsKxLCKIpwaFyszcUCIGZxUYCDa6JJfTxD9fg6gq_MHMKboL1GvX9rC8vkmMTDQbHSpzhPxb_Kzgcsb0xJLzIHfoI_kdeiI/s1600/IMG_9007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIULY-5y5TkSiIy1DgV97JJpVc5XXJVAUfX4w2M1jHWpkCHsKxLCKIpwaFyszcUCIGZxUYCDa6JJfTxD9fg6gq_MHMKboL1GvX9rC8vkmMTDQbHSpzhPxb_Kzgcsb0xJLzIHfoI_kdeiI/s400/IMG_9007.jpg" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="960" data-original-height="1280" /><BR>Yup, we got married on June 24th, 2017</a></div><BR><BR>
<b>THE RACE</b><BR><BR>
<b>The Swim</b><BR><BR>
I positioned myself close to Nigel Gray (<a href="http://www.nrgpt.com">NRG head coach</a>, great guy and super speedy). I knew that I could swim at around his pace and draft him if I needed. So, when the gun went off I tried to stay on Nigel's feet. I don't have a lot of speed at the start so I found myself working really hard to stay with him, but eventually I settled into a rhythm. I tried to pass him a couple times, but when I was out of his draft I couldn't pass so I stayed on his feet. This worked well until about 1400m into the race, when speedy Hector caught us from the 2nd wave. Nigel was able to hang on to Hector's feet, but I was left behind :( So, I swam solo the rest of the way, worrying about how much time speedster Angela Quick would gain on me by the end of the swim.<BR><BR>
Stats: 2000m, 29:11, 1:28/100m, 38 strokes per minute<BR><BR>
<b>The Bike</b><BR><BR>
I had a quick transition and was off and on my bike in 2nd place, with my main focus being to try to make up time. I knew within a few pedal strokes that I didn't feel as fresh as I did at Eagleman, but I put that out of my mind. I just tried to push hard, and that's just what I did the whole way. Yes, my heart rate was higher than I wanted, and the power was a bit lower, and other athletes seemed to be just flying by me on the bike, but I tried to stay positive and focused on my nutrition, my cadence and staying low and aero. When things happen that are beyond your control it's best to focus inward and on what you can control (like nutrition, cadence, bike position). I got a bit frustrated as the winds picked up, but I continued to remained focused and *eventually* I was back at T2. <BR><BR>
Stats: 1:33:31, 36kph, Garmin Says: 200W NP (198W avg power), avg HR of 165bpm, cadence of 83rpm<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zEQVj8Qxg6Q4YSVpu9_lymvAPwgX5rVN8PqDb9-lHGD1L6BCszSAENZIBfJBKnXQYnJq27ESqIZfJFmTKVcG2RKyd52vJi7aWC9f74fb1FYQmyGqi3wHVvodJae8UJ4nxb0dIjCn1cQ/s1600/IMG_9069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zEQVj8Qxg6Q4YSVpu9_lymvAPwgX5rVN8PqDb9-lHGD1L6BCszSAENZIBfJBKnXQYnJq27ESqIZfJFmTKVcG2RKyd52vJi7aWC9f74fb1FYQmyGqi3wHVvodJae8UJ4nxb0dIjCn1cQ/s400/IMG_9069.JPG" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1136" data-original-height="852" /><BR>My new bike and my <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com">Blade Wheels</a>!</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBcKsPJPLQOFQYCA_NOCdzI_lNzugZSHsLFpRomNtI_2E59W0N5PCWIbA-GGZcM0vvIXIZBJOCF4rW-InyZXRXZt9HF0KjPA2leUUP6kcx6N5GJUXPY9EzhDCjFlfU0FzBOjqosqhdlU/s1600/IMG_9074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBcKsPJPLQOFQYCA_NOCdzI_lNzugZSHsLFpRomNtI_2E59W0N5PCWIbA-GGZcM0vvIXIZBJOCF4rW-InyZXRXZt9HF0KjPA2leUUP6kcx6N5GJUXPY9EzhDCjFlfU0FzBOjqosqhdlU/s400/IMG_9074.JPG" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="852" data-original-height="1136" /><BR>Focused!</a></div><BR><BR>
<b>The Run</b><BR><BR>
I started the run with spectators saying I was about 2 minutes behind the leader, so I put aside all thoughts of properly pacing myself for a 15km run and just decided to run as hard as I could for as long as I could. If I got in the lead I would slow things down a bit. I remained focused on what I could control: taking in fluid/nutrition and pouring cold water on my head at the aid stations. But I didn't pay attention to my heart rate, which said I was running to hard! My first 7km were at around a 4:10/km pace until I made it into the lead. Then I slowed down a bit to try to get my heart rate under control, but that was proving difficult. In the last few kms I had to slow my pace significantly and I was experiencing signs I had run to hard at the start. Then I got an extremely bad cramp in the last km that forced me to slow to about a 5:00/km pace and I was so glad the finish line came when it did! <BR><BR>
Stats: 1:04:29, 4:17/km and Garmin says: avg HR 173<BR><BR>
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Overall, I'm extremely happy to take the overall female win! An added bonus is that I got to win a race on my honeymoon. Who else can say that?!? I'm also happy that I can compete at this level, while working full time and dealing with a lot more stress in my life than ever before! <BR><BR>
Next up: <a href="http://www.multisportcanada.com">Gravenhurst Olympic Triathlon</a><BR><BR>
Thank you: <BR><BR>
- The Multisport crew, volunteers and officials<BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up. Seeing Sara out there on the run helped me push through my own discomfort (Sara had the 4th fastest run time in her age group!) <BR>
- Adam for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day.<BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). I wouldn't have been able to race this one without you.<BR>
- Kim Lumsdon at KLSC<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially Sara and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-86713210697389763092017-06-14T09:20:00.002-04:002017-06-14T09:43:49.881-04:00Race Report: Eagleman 70.3It feels really good to be able to write about Eagleman 70.3. This race was as close as I've ever gotten to "the perfect race"...you know, that race where everything comes together and you have an amazing day. Well, Eagleman wasn't perfect, but it was pretty close! This was a definite shocker as I questioned my fitness and preparedness over and over again leading up to it. Why? Well, I've been working 50-60 hours a week in the past couple months and trying to train 15-18hrs a week, I was managing a possible stress fracture in my big toe (turns out is was sesamoiditis - still very painful!) and dealing with some other stressful issues. So, I am incredibly grateful that everything came together on the day. <BR><BR>
To what do I owe my success? Pacing. This race what not about racing others, it was about racing to my potential. After 7 years of competing in half-ironmans, and 5 years coaching other long course triathletes, I have learned that an athlete will not have a magical day on race day where he or she can race beyond his or her ability. The athlete will only race to the level that his or her physiology allows. I believe the best predictor of whether an athlete is racing too easy or too hard is heart rate. Not speed, not power, not pace, not RPE (though this is closely linked to heart rate). What proof there is that heart rate is so important for long course triathlon is a topic for another blog post. For now, I will just say that this is the first race that I have focused solely on heart rate and I believe that this was the most well executed triathlon I have ever done. Not sure why it took so long, as I've always told athletes to pay close attention to their heart rate in long course racing, even though I have never done so!<BR><BR>
If you stop reading this blog now you will get my basic takeaway from the race :) If you want to know more, read on:<BR><BR>
<b>THE PLAN:</b><BR><BR>
Friday: Drive to Cambridge, Maryland (~10hours), load up good food for fuel, drink 3-4L of water (pre-hydrating before a super hot race is important!), post-drive easy 30 minute bike and 10 minute run and then healthy supper<BR><BR>
Saturday: Adam to bike the 90K bike course, Miranda to do a 50 minute bike and 15 minute run with some pickups, drink 3-4L of water, super intimidating pro meeting, swim in the river and then chill, salty dinner - no tomatoes.<BR><BR>
Sunday: Race, drive back to Toronto so I could work on Monday! <BR><BR>
<b>WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: </b><BR><BR>
Friday: Drove to Cambridge, Maryland ( actually 12 hours), loaded up on Bulk Barn chocolate/snacks for fuel, I did drink 3-4L of water (made for lots of pee stops!), post-drive easy 20 minute run and pizza for supper<BR><BR><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8zxCjpBuEnLes0-fzcnp6x7cYCF_JZKhe34TOHqPvjvTwhJ-bpj-cTtIrAdHtawHVSag8BUPOT3JeLzmHLG2HrhCBrbSPJGRNkph1sDex-ZvWHfJKNDG1q1PlOewUqY99RDtl5eOY-c/s1600/Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8zxCjpBuEnLes0-fzcnp6x7cYCF_JZKhe34TOHqPvjvTwhJ-bpj-cTtIrAdHtawHVSag8BUPOT3JeLzmHLG2HrhCBrbSPJGRNkph1sDex-ZvWHfJKNDG1q1PlOewUqY99RDtl5eOY-c/s320/Drive.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="960" /></a></div><BR><BR>
Saturday: This went according to plan, except for me finding a HUGE hole in my speedsuit! Luckily I found one a new one at the race expo - thank you TYR! Pro meeting was even more intimidating than usual - nerves super high. I had bowtie pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken, and a small salad for dinner. Drank 3-4L of water.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTh7hPJDU25S3NBLMAnr6WpIzVR2s6AkCdx34wUUH6vNnNgcd2-P12OCsuE6scKpomokVmQt-nZH7ikCzcJqhuqJ1N-lyUoUBsDJNX_XqpDHS_29RIfgA-tmQqIIiYIciB3H9UkRQN1A/s1600/Hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTh7hPJDU25S3NBLMAnr6WpIzVR2s6AkCdx34wUUH6vNnNgcd2-P12OCsuE6scKpomokVmQt-nZH7ikCzcJqhuqJ1N-lyUoUBsDJNX_XqpDHS_29RIfgA-tmQqIIiYIciB3H9UkRQN1A/s320/Hole.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="320" /></a><BR>The hole!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIpegh5dl5cakP7l9Xe-jgCX2IHp2yb4hxIxjW4r6mMX_9XWTW4qs_ZOf2ioYlaQyEa-vBwhw8LHfPmH4q8DcMYm5c6VH-jHQpY2z1hg4BEzY6e4fvz_uepoEjQRkRsCKsAUWO0q_LwQ/s1600/PreSwimMir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIpegh5dl5cakP7l9Xe-jgCX2IHp2yb4hxIxjW4r6mMX_9XWTW4qs_ZOf2ioYlaQyEa-vBwhw8LHfPmH4q8DcMYm5c6VH-jHQpY2z1hg4BEzY6e4fvz_uepoEjQRkRsCKsAUWO0q_LwQ/s320/PreSwimMir.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="320" /></a><BR>The new suit</div><BR><BR>
Sunday: The Race, Drove to Painted Post (almost made it home) - luckily I didn't work till 1:30pm on Monday<BR><BR>
<b>RACE DETAILS:</b><BR><BR>
Pre-race:<BR><BR>
- Woke up at 4:45, had oatmeal bread, PB, banana, coffee and water. I was well fuelled enough that I didn't need a big breakfast. Thank you Bulk Barn! <BR>
- Biked over to the race site for 5:30am, set up transition, did some pre-swim activation (arm and leg swings - good to open up shoulders and the hip flexors), tested out my speedsuit for the first time (eek!) and then lined up for the start! <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c5smIYFHDtmjTy8u9Ngramql-2gsrJ3Xa-J7BmE0dMvbY0VtzPYAHHWacDDjJkQwXcJs0ZQfyelTXfFhlyQs7AKKoL8FW1sCIbXfG7aXX0eyX4gTS3TZ6bMhe83TU7UawMKxPzbL9C0/s1600/AdamandMir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c5smIYFHDtmjTy8u9Ngramql-2gsrJ3Xa-J7BmE0dMvbY0VtzPYAHHWacDDjJkQwXcJs0ZQfyelTXfFhlyQs7AKKoL8FW1sCIbXfG7aXX0eyX4gTS3TZ6bMhe83TU7UawMKxPzbL9C0/s320/AdamandMir.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="960" /></a></div><BR><BR>
Swim:<BR><BR>
The goal: Don't kick too hard<BR><BR>
Firstly, this was a non-wetsuit swim for the Pros. The age-group athletes were allowed to wear wetsuits. I started out fast to the first buoy to catch some fast feet. My "fast" is not that fast though so I did miss the pack I wanted. I swam with another girl for a bit and then did a surge to catch up to the few swimmers that were about 10-15m ahead. We all swum together the rest of the swim and I tried really hard to kick less as part of my pacing strategy (you do have to kick a little as it's important for your rotation in freestyle). Anyway, I tend to kick too hard and this causes my hip flexors to tighten up and, I believe, causes me to fatigue more easily later in the race. So, I wanted to be sure that my speed was coming from my arms and not my legs. I think I did this pretty well. I made a mistake at the end of the swim, though. The other girls picked up the pace and I was daydreaming or something, because they were able to put a 10 meter gap on me in the last 150m of the swim.<BR><BR>
Time: 29:14, Garmin says: 2100m swim, 1:23/100m pace (right on CSS!), 36 strokes per minute. <BR><BR>
<BR><BR><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYUhdh-J0HKf_Bs2LLlHJDGgCgSRVwYdGjnGwMEiFoV78EWWyl_jpLKAb-oNGoQZV_59QJpoIo3WLvmVl43fMqTqasv-Q5h2oBsZVhIYPSzL6-AxhHhh9VulxhycfdEu7478pAKQJtc8/s1600/Swim+Exit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYUhdh-J0HKf_Bs2LLlHJDGgCgSRVwYdGjnGwMEiFoV78EWWyl_jpLKAb-oNGoQZV_59QJpoIo3WLvmVl43fMqTqasv-Q5h2oBsZVhIYPSzL6-AxhHhh9VulxhycfdEu7478pAKQJtc8/s320/Swim+Exit.png" width="269" height="320" data-original-width="449" data-original-height="535" /></a></div><BR><BR>
T1:<BR><BR>
The other girls were running much faster than me out of the water and towards their bikes. Although they exited the water only a few seconds ahead, they were already running with their bikes by the time I reached mine. Something to learn from and do better next time. Other than having a slow transition, everything went smoothly: speedsuit, goggles, cap off, helmet on, grabbed bike and then an easy mount and ride. <BR><BR>
Bike: <BR><BR>
The goal: 155bpm avg HR, which I believed would lead to a 200W NP<BR><BR>
Once on the bike, I could see a group of girls about 500m down the road who I made it my goal to catch. I thought, "OK, push the power for the first 10-15K and see if you can catch them. If you can, ride with them (legally) and if not, settle into your target heart rate of 150-160bpm". Unfortunately for me, there are a lot of turns at the start of the bike course there. I'm not a very technical rider so they were able to pull further and further ahead. Also, if they were working together, they would have had an advantage versus me working solo. Nonetheless, I was able to catch up to one girl at around 20K by pushing about 215W and holding a HR of 160-163bpm. Probably owe a bit of this speed to my new P5 and my new <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com">Blade Wheels</a>!!! Once I caught her I stayed at a legal distance behind her and made her my carrot. When I did so I was between 195-205W and a 155bpm heart rate, which was right within range. So, I stayed well back of her so be sure I wasn't drafting (I got a drafting penalty in 2014 so am super careful not to do that again!). At around 70K a few other females caught up to us and passed us, but we were able to hang on with them for a bit. In the last 5K though, my hip flexors started cramping and it was an uncomfortably ride from that point. I just wanted the bike to be finished!<BR><BR>
Time: 2:25:44, Garmin says: 90km, 37.2kph, 200W NP, 196W avg power, 86rpm, 155bpm avg HR<BR><BR>
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T2: <BR><BR>
Very uneventful except for the fact that I became very aware of how tight my hip flexors were. <BR><BR>
Run: <BR><BR>
The goal: Pace this properly, run the first 12km under 165bpm avg HR<BR><BR>
I started out on the run very uncomfortably. The hip flexors were cramped and my heart rate was high (170s) and it was SO HOT! I didn't know how I would finish. But I saw Adam at the 1K point and he said that I looked good and that the other girls ahead were breathing much harder than me. I thought, "OK, relax, focus, HR < 165bpm, take water and dump ice and water on you at aid stations, that's the only way you will get through this". So I tried not to look at my pace. At the 12km mark I felt comfortable at a 165bpm avg HR and decided I would push it a bit, but no higher than 170bpm. It was a bit more uncomfortable, but only 9km at this effort seemed doable. With 4km left I decided that I felt pretty good, so now was the time to push. And I did, all the way to the finish!<BR><BR>
Time: 1:35:40, Garmin says: 21.1km, 4:31/km, 168bpm average HR. <i>(first 12k: 165 bpm, 4:28/km| from 12-17km: 4:34/km, 170bpm | from 17-21.1km: 4:30/km, 173bpm)</i><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyCvOEec_Y95YS9wu06zLDKucR43mh5Lf0GJzUaM-f_R_oPMP5R5xp5eunKwSGd46gxutm2D-vBAt7PxnnlFSq_pPw-1JZsDSWgYt9cCPEewOT0qmUlxRLzeXNS_7Eblja_UJZ7R4m-o/s1600/Run+Smiling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyCvOEec_Y95YS9wu06zLDKucR43mh5Lf0GJzUaM-f_R_oPMP5R5xp5eunKwSGd46gxutm2D-vBAt7PxnnlFSq_pPw-1JZsDSWgYt9cCPEewOT0qmUlxRLzeXNS_7Eblja_UJZ7R4m-o/s320/Run+Smiling.png" width="184" height="365" data-original-width="193" data-original-height="384" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0VVOzblYJxusdfTgKvEuCT4FTPCff3T2e6RlO5GDG6Li4EGmBj9VBLx0XsDrlYYIFj76611aJU_ZVCyxhE-uw-7tfymJXUeqssqlXRk-luDuV_stDDATizMGUwxcD7VdxrCLzhqu-90/s1600/Run.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0VVOzblYJxusdfTgKvEuCT4FTPCff3T2e6RlO5GDG6Li4EGmBj9VBLx0XsDrlYYIFj76611aJU_ZVCyxhE-uw-7tfymJXUeqssqlXRk-luDuV_stDDATizMGUwxcD7VdxrCLzhqu-90/s320/Run.png" width="184" height="320" data-original-width="347" data-original-height="603" /></a></div><BR><BR>
If you recall, in 2015 I had knee surgery and the surgical residents who operated on me told me I would never run more than 10km ever again. So, the fact that I could even compete in this event, let alone place in the top 10, amazes me! And there's no way I would be able to do that without the amazing help of my friends, family, sponsors and supporters.<BR><BR>
Thank you: <BR><BR>
- Our homestay hosts, Brenda and Paul and Bella (their dog), who were incredibly welcoming and had the most comfortable bed!<BR>
- My parents for their continued love and support throughout this crazy adventure of mine. <BR>
- My sisters for being my inspiration to work hard and never give up <BR>
- Adam for keeping me calm when I get anxious and for making me want to be the best version of myself. It helps so much to have him there on race day.<BR>
- TYR for getting me a speedsuit very last minute! <BR>
- My health care team of Dr. Mark Schofield, David Lamy (RMT), Bill Wells (Chiro) and Michael Hong (Acupuncture). I wouldn't have been able to race this one without you.<BR>
- Kim Lumsdon at KLSC<BR>
- All my readers for their support and for following me in my triathlon endeavours<BR>
- Ironman and all the volunteers! <BR>
- Fellow athletes at the race and training partners, especially <a href="http://getfastergofurther.com/">Kevin McCormick</a> for really pushing me on those race simulation rides and everyone at WattsUp and TTC!<BR>
- <a href="http://www.endurosport.com/">Endurosport</a> for building me the perfect bike and all your mechanical help<BR>
- <a href="https://www.velofix.com/locations/toronto-north/">Nick DiCristofaro at Velofix</a> for helping with my last minute requests!<BR>
- My sponsors: <a href="http://www.highrockcapital.ca">Title Sponsor:High Rock Capital Management</a>, <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.mutisportcanada.com">MultiSport Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.bladecarbonwheels.com/">Blade Wheels</a>, <a href="http://www.theurbanathlete.ca">The Urban Athlete</a>, <a href="http://www.fitt1st.com">Fitt1st Bike Fitting</a><BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-82354790842675849332017-05-31T17:38:00.001-04:002019-07-17T10:15:39.897-04:00Transitions!Transitions are important for ALL triathletes. Whether you are a beginner or an elite, just there to compete or to win, a good transition will help your race run smoothly. <BR><BR>
Good Transition Setup:<BR><BR>
Check out this photo for a good transition area setup (the key: organization!) and below for more details on transitions.<BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycs427DxCiP-IlhV0CnporlKlsFUMHhg5qZf-tay6tmv-2kauke5-J6wYLwpY4SiJXeqMAtYzSRmFgQ-_uWyGKBVA7z_pWycQzknTGkDZjW5lmLYgiA1awirZCuw6mtuZHqXV1zRSSsI/s1600/c418c6f1-d451-4433-a25c-b8ed68855d8f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycs427DxCiP-IlhV0CnporlKlsFUMHhg5qZf-tay6tmv-2kauke5-J6wYLwpY4SiJXeqMAtYzSRmFgQ-_uWyGKBVA7z_pWycQzknTGkDZjW5lmLYgiA1awirZCuw6mtuZHqXV1zRSSsI/s400/c418c6f1-d451-4433-a25c-b8ed68855d8f.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1152" data-original-height="768" /></a></div><BR><BR>
Note: You can rack your bike by the rear of the saddle or the front. This bike is racked by the rear, but if you rack it at the front, ensure that you can slide your bike under the rack without it getting stuck! And keep your gear bag along the fence of the transition area (or in the appropriate area) and not crowding someone else's bike.<BR><BR>
Prior to the race start, walk through the transition area from the swim exit to your bike and then from your bike to the bike exit and the bike in to your bike and from your bike to the run exit. Note whether there is a grade at the bike mount line so you know whether your bike should be racked in the big or small ring (usually you always put the bike in the small ring in the front, middle cassette on the back). Take note of surrounding landmarks near your spot in transition (or mark it with a bright towel). When you come in from the bike, running shoes are a bit harder to spot than your bike (as in the first transition), so keep that in mind. You might want to put baby powder or vaseline in your socks or running shoes to prevent blistering.<BR><BR>
Put Vaseline/Body Glide on your ankles and arms to make it easier to get your wetsuit on and off. If you plan to use sunscreen, apply it before the race start (so you don't need to do so in your first transition). Wipe any grease off your hands before touching your goggles. <BR><BR>
Transition One: Swim to Bike<BR><BR>
1. At the end of the swim, when you are about 200m away from the swim finish, start to pick up your kick to increase the blood flow to your legs. This will warm them up for the run or walk to your bike and the following early part of the ride. This is also a time to start visualizing your first transition. <BR><BR>
2. Once the water gets shallow enough that you can actually touch it while you are swimming, start doing dolphin dives (jumping up off the bottom of the lake and diving forward), and once the water is about knee deep you can start running towards the exit. <BR><BR>
3. Exit the water and lift your goggles up (but leave them on your head!). Unzip your wetsuit (or use a wetsuit stripper if it's going to be a long run to your bike). Take off the upper half of your wetsuit while you make your way to your bike. Once your wetsuit is half off, you can take off your cap and goggles and run/walk with them in your hand towards your bike. <BR><BR>
4. When you get to the bike, put down your cap and goggles, take off your wetsuit (stepping out of it if you need to), then put on sunglasses and helmet, then bike shoes (if they aren't clipped into your pedals). Then take your bike by the stem or saddle and walk or run with it towards the mount line. Once PAST the mount line, you can get on your bike. Take your time clipping in, don’t rush! You should be in an easy enough gear so that you aren't grinding right from the start. If it's a muddy/slippery transition area, you may want to carry your shoes to the mount line and put them on there (keep in mind you will have to hold your bike while putting on your shoes). <BR><BR>
Transition Two: Bike to Run<BR><BR>
1. Unclip (or slip your feet out of your shoes) and slow down a couple hundred meters before the dismount line. Be sure to dismount BEFORE the line. <BR><BR>
2. After dismounting, run/walk your bike towards your spot in transition (where your run shoes are). You can rack your bike by the handlebars or the saddle, whatever is easier. Then take off your helmet and bike shoes. Slip on your socks and running shoes (use speed laces for quicker T2, speed laces are elastic laces that expand and retract so you can easily slip your foot into your shoes during your second transition - and don't have to waste any time tying them up!). Apply sunscreen if necessary. Grab your race belt, hat and water bottle/gel flask and head for the run exit. Clip on your race belt while heading to the transition exit and then head out on the run! <BR><BR>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJf4JSKAenU&t=106s">Here is a video</a> that can help you visualize the transition.
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-18725033054584855002017-05-30T19:32:00.004-04:002017-05-31T17:33:30.435-04:00Weekend Recap: Training on the Muskoka CourseThis past weekend <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp Cycling</a> held a training camp for athletes in Huntsville. Adam, Kevin and I were the coaches that helped the athletes navigate one of the most difficult courses on the Ironman circuit. These athletes may not realize it yet, but they are significantly more prepared for this race (and any race) then they were before. Even if they might be a bit more scared then they were before! <BR><BR>
The training camp was Friday to Sunday. We planned to swim the race course on Friday and Sunday, but water temps of 11C prevented that! 10 brave people still got in the water though (not me!). On Saturday, we got to ride part of the bike course by taking part in the Spin the Lakes, a fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association, followed by a run off the bike. We practiced some open water swim skills in a warm pool later on Saturday afternoon. Sunday, some of us swam (not me!) then we rode the first 15km of the Muskoka bike course and back, then ran the run course. It was a full on weekend that is likely harder than the actual event itself! <BR><BR>
The new Muskoka 70.3 course is very similar to the old Muskoka chase course. The swim course is identical. It is in a river which bends and twists. But having a good swim at Muskoka is not impossible. Taking steps that are within your control to prepare you will ensure that you do have a good swim. This includes familiarizing yourself with the course (swim the river the day before the race), sight often - don't keep you head down and swim blindly, defog your goggles prior to the race (use Aquasphere anti-fog or baby shampoo) and just follow the shoreline on your left. If you follow all these steps, the course is as easy as any other swim. <BR><BR>
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The bike course combines some of the old Muskoka Chase bike course with the old Ironman 70.3 route. It starts out along a relatively flat/rolling Brunel Rd, then you make a quick left turn onto Britannia - watch out for this turn as it comes up quick. Then you will face the hardest part of the course on Britannia - it's VERY important not to surge too much on these hills as those short and hard efforts will really tax your legs towards the end of the ride. Accelerate into the hills and keep a high cadence throughout the climb. You should be in your easiest gear at the steepest part of the climbs. Don't try to grind up in a hard gear or your heart rate and power will soar way too high. Try to keep the heart rate and power steady. If you know what your threshold heart rate/power is, then try to limit the time you spend above that number. As you near the end of Brittania you will descend a hill and then you make a very sharp left turn onto South Portage Road, which you will take north for awhile. There are quite a few climbs on this stretch, though there are some flat sections too. There is a steady climb before you turn right onto Dwight Beach Road. Dwight Beach Road is mostly downhill - yay!. Then you are out on the highways. If it's windy you will feel it here, but the climbs are far less steep. Try to ride this in aero position as much as possible. If you are on a grade, but can still feel the wind against your face and your cadence is above 70 then stay low in the aero position. Only get up out of aero if the cadence drops too low. The final stretch of the ride is along Brunel and this is not nearly as difficult as the beginning of the ride. Keep the cadence high and select an easier gear as you approach the finish of the course so as to not leave your legs feeling heavy for the run. If you paced the swim and bike properly and had patience early on in the ride then you will be just fine. Another note for the bike course is, if you can, use a compact crankset (I have a semi-compact and that seemed fine) with an 11/28 or bigger cassette - talk you your bike mechanic if you have questions about gearing. You want to have access to some easy gears on this course. <BR><BR>
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The good news is that the new run course is much flatter than the old run course. The best part - it's two loops! A lot better for spectators to cheer you on. There are still a few hills (one coming right out of transition), but otherwise the course is more rolling ups and downs than anything steep. If you pace the bike properly (if you think you rode slightly too easy that's a good sign!) and stayed on top of your nutrition, the run will not be overly difficult. However, there isn't too much tree cover on the course. If it's hot then keep your core temperature down by splashing water on your head, face, body and legs. Take in fluid at every aid station. Watch your heart rate, if it's slowly drifting up then you may be dehydrated so take in some extra fluid. <BR><BR>
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The Muskoka Chase (in 2004) was the second triathlon I ever did. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I had no one to give me advice or tell me what to expect. So, this training camp (and hopefully this blog) will give anyone who hasn't experienced the course a good idea of how to handle the event. Good luck and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about the course. <BR><BR>Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-52635446973293215502017-05-01T15:18:00.001-04:002017-05-01T15:30:39.591-04:00Don't fear the swim!Many triathletes find the swim portion of the triathlon to be the most daunting. The number of times I hear that the swim is an impediment to athletes trying a triathlon is too many to count. And the number of triathletes that lack confidence about their swim is just as many. So, I decided to write this post about a logical progression to get from being scared of the swim, to being able to conquer the swim! This post is relevant for the non-swimmer who wants to get into triathlon, or for the swimmer who has failed to progress in the sport since they started. <BR><BR>
The steps to better swimming: <BR><BR>
1. Get over your fear of triathlon swims<BR>
2. Learn to swim and/or improve your technique<BR>
3. Get faster<BR><BR>
Read on for a more detailed explanation of the above and click on the links for videos. <BR><BR>
<b>1. Get over your fear of the triathlon swim <BR><BR></b>
If you've never done a triathlon before, here are a few things you need to know about the triathlon swim that might make it seem a bit less scary: <BR><BR>
- You can wear a wetsuit (unless the water/air temp is too hot that it would be dangerous to your health - very rare occurrence) and a wetsuit gives you a natural buoyancy. So, if your excuse is that you sink when you swim, well, that’s not going to happen because of the wetsuit. Not only that, but a wetsuit keeps you warm. so, the water temperature isn’t an excuse either!<BR>
- You don’t have to do front crawl the whole time. Yes, you can do backstroke, you can do breaststroke, you can run along the bottom of the lake if it’s shallow. You can even grab on to a lifeboat as long as the lifeboat is not moving forward and you don’t use it to propel yourself forward.<BR>
- You don’t have to start with a huge group if you don't want to. Usually a triathlon is broken into “waves” so you are in groups of people in your age group. You can choose to either start 30s or so after your age group is signalled to start their race or you can even sign up to start in the very last wave of the event. <BR><BR>
<b>2. Learn to swim and/or improve your technique<BR><BR></b>
So, now that you've registered for your triathlon (maybe one of the many <a href="http://www.multisportcanada.com">Multisport Canada Events</a> :) - what do you do? <BR><BR>
Join a Learn to Swim program offered by the City of Toronto<BR>
OR<BR>
Get private swim lessons<BR>
OR<BR>
Do it yourself!<BR><BR>
Start with buoyancy drills! Basically, just practice floating! Float on your back, on your side, on your stomach. Always try to keep your feet, hips and head at the surface of the water. Practice treading water in the deep end. Practice vertical kicking. <BR>
<i>
Do this for the whole 30 minutes every 2-3 days for 1-3 weeks.</i><BR><BR>
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Next, work on breathing drills. Blow bubbles with your head in the water, kick with a board and blow bubbles with your face in the water. Next, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDBVZQlLdoY">practice some freestyle strokes with a board</a>. <BR>
<i>
Add this (20mins) to your buoyancy drills (10mins) every 2-3 days for 1-3 weeks. </i><BR><BR>
Next, master your kick: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wSdRXPsi-8">Kick on your back with your board over your knees</a>, make little splashes with your toes when you kick, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41f8srbokjg">kick with a pull buoy/band between your thighs</a> to prevent yourself from kicking with your knees, do some lower back stretches and hip openers to loosen those hips. <BR>
<i>Add this (20mins) to your breathing (5mins) and buoyancy drills (5mins) every 2-3 days for 1-3 weeks. </i><BR><BR>
Master your body position and streamline: Progress your kicking drills to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqN3D7YCbZg">6-kick switch drill</a> progressing to 3 strokes of swimming between each 6 kicks (3-6-3-6 drill). Think about being as long as possible when you are moving through the water. Keep the top of your head pointed in the direction you area heading. Limit any side to side movementDrive the rotation with the hips. <BR>
<i>Add this (20mins) to your other kicking drills (5mins) and buoyancy drills (5mins) every 2-3 days for 1-3 weeks. </i><BR><BR>
Work on your feel for the water: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ7ZwvGGW5k">Sculling</a> on your front, sculling on your back head and feet first! <BR>
<i>Add this (20mins) to your other kicking drills (5mins) and body position drills (5mins) every 2-3 days for 1-3 weeks. </i><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEIVcuKN1jzKhPs1LhAI9woB1oV0zUB34y3VhAFQsRQ8HKeUR8n-p1_vce3mGJOmEUBa7jEPvG2p8bhn5mZ1LZkKSu8kOldIc0yu7culSRzGL_80t2F1ARu6FWuLvCoVY4OFdyhKShlI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-01+at+3.09.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEIVcuKN1jzKhPs1LhAI9woB1oV0zUB34y3VhAFQsRQ8HKeUR8n-p1_vce3mGJOmEUBa7jEPvG2p8bhn5mZ1LZkKSu8kOldIc0yu7culSRzGL_80t2F1ARu6FWuLvCoVY4OFdyhKShlI/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-05-01+at+3.09.20+PM.png" width="320" height="207" /></a></div><BR><BR>
Add the arms! (finally): Do some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9AlqfbG6uw">catch-up freestyle with a board</a> for assistance with hand entry and front quadrant style swimming (more ideal for distance swimmers). Practice swimming 1 length of front crawl/freestyle at a time, each with a different focus: 1 length focused on heels and head position, 1 length thinking about being as long as possible, 1 length thinking about keeping the opposite arm out in front when you breath and 1 length thinking about arms entering shoulder width apart, 1 length thinking about keeping your hand below your elbow at all times - don’t slap the water with your elbow when you enter, 1 length thinking about pushing the water toward your feet.<BR>
<i>Add this(20mins) to your other kicking drills (5mins) and other drills (5mins) every 2-3 days for 1-3 weeks. </i><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RtmLDTbMQz0VhyphenhyphenBmw7gX-2SFBkemuHLp6RIuoR_ODdf1urODQ9khGiIdrcswUKF3J7T0yEOchhxeoc-LxAidbMejDuQOT0EqWrZo5gtWln1BXMwQ6EvlfJl4W6mmBpksO3y33wPLM1s/s1600/Body+Position.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RtmLDTbMQz0VhyphenhyphenBmw7gX-2SFBkemuHLp6RIuoR_ODdf1urODQ9khGiIdrcswUKF3J7T0yEOchhxeoc-LxAidbMejDuQOT0EqWrZo5gtWln1BXMwQ6EvlfJl4W6mmBpksO3y33wPLM1s/s320/Body+Position.png" width="320" height="94" /><BR>Be as long as possible in the water</a><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmsdMUplH4WUMB1ubwTL0mqY1Cmh1Wndws9S3ZOhLlo9ZTNbXWusZSmey1wz6EjIBKU2kToACStA9ArHx9q2nzbpSk422Wfwyq5pMq2HI1_0LlnPX5usqFhRnLzJ9enXh8U_ZIaInXjs/s1600/High+Elbow+Catch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmsdMUplH4WUMB1ubwTL0mqY1Cmh1Wndws9S3ZOhLlo9ZTNbXWusZSmey1wz6EjIBKU2kToACStA9ArHx9q2nzbpSk422Wfwyq5pMq2HI1_0LlnPX5usqFhRnLzJ9enXh8U_ZIaInXjs/s320/High+Elbow+Catch.png" width="320" height="148" /></a></div>
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVH3ui5uF92rBW6ht_lpMCVKf2MCO3fpHrc97hZVUQuNyPpfoT6NAtvW443QvS-AxeQlNtlhUGqL7CHcPHgaeYQiW5Pz3mIF-XNX5g20pdv46xYAXBj30bnYTr9Qf8mKnU-OvXlyMZzPY/s1600/Body+Rotation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVH3ui5uF92rBW6ht_lpMCVKf2MCO3fpHrc97hZVUQuNyPpfoT6NAtvW443QvS-AxeQlNtlhUGqL7CHcPHgaeYQiW5Pz3mIF-XNX5g20pdv46xYAXBj30bnYTr9Qf8mKnU-OvXlyMZzPY/s320/Body+Rotation.png" width="320" height="310" /><BR>Keep your elbow high throughout the stroke, rotate</a></div><BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz10usgw9uQlDY0i9m3g9Db_H1pfXIpdjpTxLu7VziGEpo1foEIlSBbaAuJXAKgfcp33Mb2-wZQduHVIhCuE9-9lV-_yt4XD5HaD9lcCe6TskynuSefAJgFW7i4P2DY_wTOcW4ulkICo/s1600/Hand+Entry+Front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz10usgw9uQlDY0i9m3g9Db_H1pfXIpdjpTxLu7VziGEpo1foEIlSBbaAuJXAKgfcp33Mb2-wZQduHVIhCuE9-9lV-_yt4XD5HaD9lcCe6TskynuSefAJgFW7i4P2DY_wTOcW4ulkICo/s320/Hand+Entry+Front.png" width="320" height="289" /><BR>Push the water under your body to your feet</a></div><BR><BR>
<b>3. So, you've got near perfect technique, but now you want to get fast, so what do you do?<BR><BR></b>
Join a Swim Team (Such as Masters or Triathlon swim teams with good and attentive coaches. This will help you get faster, no question)<BR>
OR<BR>
Train smart on your own<BR><BR>
To elaborate on the "train smart on your own" I will remind you that:<BR><BR>
- You need to continue to work on technique with the swim. As soon as you feel your technique fall apart, your practice is over or you need to take some extra rest before your next length/set. <BR>
- You need to vary your training. Speed work, critical swim speed work, endurance work, pull and paddles work, technique, and race simulation are crucial. You can't swim at the same speed all the time. You need to swim faster at times and slower at times. How much emphasis on faster or slower swimming depends on the race you are training for. <BR>
- Work on your weak spots. If your kick isn't very good then focus on improving your hip and ankle mobility. If you aren't strong, then do some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AndyPottsRacing/videos/1456220807735820">swim chord work</a>. If your elbow drops during your pull, then focus on that. <BR>
- You need to swim in the open water. Pool swimming is quite different from open water swimming, so if you want to be successful in the triathlon swim, you've got to practice it. <BR><BR>
I've given you the tools for a good progression for a triathlete swimmer, now it's your choice to use them! <BR><BR>
I coach Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at Regent Park Pool year round for the Toronto Triathlon Club. I also coach open water swims in July and August for the Toronto Triathlon Club. Find out more information about the club and their swims <a href="http://www.torontotriathlonclub.org">here</a>.
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-19810303048976048732017-02-10T18:04:00.001-05:002017-02-10T20:05:46.173-05:00Is there still time to be my best? As I've mentioned before, the days where I could spend my time training, eating, sleeping, recovery are well behind me. In 2011, I quit my full time job as a research associate at Sick Kids Hospital to pursue triathlon coaching and compete as a professional triathlete. I was lucky to be living with my parents at the time, and they were very happy to support my triathlon endeavours. I got to live a *relatively* low stress existence, with the bulk of my stress being the physical kind that comes with hard training. Winters were spent in the southwest US, springs and summers were spent racing in the northeastern US. And I was fast! I qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2013 as a Pro, finished Ironman in 9:38 and was among the top female triathletes in Canada. <BR><BR>
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Fast forward to now. It's 2017, I'm very happy, but life is more stressful. I'm post-knee surgery, working over 40 hours a week, a business owner, a part-time step mum of 3, dealing with the stress of ongoing legal issues and trying to keep up the same level of fitness. I'd like to think it can be done, I'd like to think that my best triathlon days are ahead of me, I'd like to think that a spot in Kona is mine for the taking. Is it? Are these realistic expectations? This, I don't know. But I won't give up that dream without a fight. I will train as hard, as smart and as effectively as I can. The next couple of years will determine whether I have it in me. The following elaborates a bit on my current training and my training for the rest of the season.<BR><BR>
So far, 2017 seems promising. My swimming stays about the same from year to year. My CSS is between 1:21 to 1:23/100m and has been for the past 3 years. When I trained with the U of T swim team, my CSS was closer to 1:16 - but I'm quite content with where things are at right now. On the bike, I've seen some of the highest top end power ever, so I hope that means my long sustained power can also go up. On a recent 5hr ride I held ~150W NP (only 17W lower than Ironman in 2013) so that's a good sign. I continue to struggle with my running. Pre-surgery I could run a 4:30/km over 12 to 30km quite easily. Now, the pace for the same effort is closer to a 4:55/km. I keep telling myself that running is all about consistency...so, I will continue to just keep putting in the miles and hope for the best.<BR><BR>
This trip to California has been a nice escape from the physical stress of daily life and has allowed me to up my training accordingly. The goal here is volume. A little bit of quality, too, as it's impossible to climb the Santa Monica mountains only in Zone 2 :) So far, things are going well. In the past 3 days I have completed 45 minutes of strength based work, 3 hours of swimming (8100m), 11.5 hours of biking (265km) and 2hrs (24km) of running. Tomorrow I will have a shorter day with a swim and then a short bike before travelling to San Francisco for the rest of the day and Sunday to visit a friend. The short break will allow me to adapt to the training I've done here so far and finish my solo camp off strong on Monday to Wednesday. <BR><BR>
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When I get back to Toronto, I will take a short rest to recover and absorb the training. The problem is that I will have to do this while catching up on all the work I've missed while being away! When I feel fresh again I will start another short and hard training block that will end at March break. Then it's Florida time with Adam and the kids and without my bike! So, I will use this time to build my run volume. <i>(Special thanks in advance to my parents for helping out with the kids while Adam and I exercise :) )</i> Then, I will push hard on the bike in April with intensity, while I put in my biggest volume month on the run. May will see an increase in bike volume and a decrease in run volume, but an increase in run intensity. Then race season starts in June! <BR><BR>
So, that is how this full time working pro-triathlete (who still believes her best performances can be ahead of her) is planning her upcoming training. Stay tuned - as nothing ever goes to plan. Or maybe it will this time? <BR><BR>
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Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-66800527378250255352017-01-28T15:35:00.002-05:002017-01-28T15:35:51.818-05:00Managing Sleep and TrainingI often hear of athletes saying that they only get 4-6 hours of sleep in order to fit their workouts in. It never fails to surprise me: don't they know this is counterproductive? Then I remind myself that before I knew how important sleep was, I would do the same thing. So, I thought I would present a little background information on why sleep is so important, with the hopes that it will encourage you to find the right balance between sleep and training. <BR><BR>
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Sleep is an essential part of our daily routine, required to return our body to homeostasis and for us to maintain a healthy living. It is a time during which our body heals, both physically and mentally. It is when our bodies grow stronger from previous training as the muscles rebuild and our brain re-sets to handle the next workout. <BR><BR>
There are two stages of sleep: Non-REM Sleep and REM Sleep. Non-REM sleep makes up most of our sleep time and is when our bodies are in a parasympathetic or "rest and digest" state, brain activity is low. REM sleep is a time when brain activity is high, yet our bodies remain paralyzed. This prevents us from acting out our dreams. The combination of both states allows us to store nutrients, promotes injury healing, restores cognitive function and gets us ready for the next day. Sleep is incredibly important for normal functioning and even more important for athletes, considering the mental and physical training we endure. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-Z9E6dI9bzMLwWExLt4wK0rXYN05uMmTmGdORaS87SjAj4DKhjcFpipkos_g4ShUK7qEvZS2RDD_124MApMcvAFPtV_PCS0bWt8GpIPqePMyzEPd4uJraGwivu7WjBj_ZwwSIeW3RKA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-27+at+2.44.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-Z9E6dI9bzMLwWExLt4wK0rXYN05uMmTmGdORaS87SjAj4DKhjcFpipkos_g4ShUK7qEvZS2RDD_124MApMcvAFPtV_PCS0bWt8GpIPqePMyzEPd4uJraGwivu7WjBj_ZwwSIeW3RKA/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-01-27+at+2.44.01+PM.png" width="400" height="197" /><BR>Sleep is cyclical. You move through non-REM sleep and then REM sleep over and over. When you first fall asleep, non-REM sleep is quite lengthly and REM sleep is quite short. As you repeat the cycle, non-REM sleep gets shorter and REM sleep gets longer. So, shortened sleeps often compromises REM sleep.</a></div><BR><BR>
<b>
How much sleep do we need? The following is recommended:</b><BR><BR>
Newborn: up to 18hours<BR>
1-12months: 14-18hours<BR>
1-3 years: 12-15hours<BR>
5-12 years: 9-11 hours<BR>
13-18 years: 9-10 hours<BR>
Adults: 7-8 hours or more <BR>
Pregnant women: 8 hours or more<BR><BR>
<i>Keep in mind, these are the requirements for the general population and athletes likely need a bit more.</i> <BR><BR>
<b>How does lack of sleep effect athletes? Here are a few effects: </b><BR><BR>
- Prevents muscles from healing and growing stronger, which can lead to lack of progress and injury<BR>
- Effects cognitive function, which may prevent you from mentally getting through either a high intensity or high volume workout<BR>
- Increased appetite - will lead us to consume excess calories and "junk foods" ... ever wonder why you are gaining weight while training for something that causes you to sacrifice sleep? <BR>
- Impatience and irritability - don't become an annoying training partner! <BR>
- Decreased performance<BR>
- More prone to illness. Athletes lower their immune system when they train, combine this with lack of sleep and it makes an athlete much more susceptible to sickness. <BR>
- Decreased reaction time. This is especially dangerous when riding out on the road. <BR><BR>
<b>
What is my rule on sleep and training?</b> <BR><BR>
Let me preface this by saying that I have never needed a lot of sleep. This has been tried and tested as I've still been able to make gains in fitness with 7-8 hours of sleep per night (maybe with more I could get even stronger?). I have a very strong parasympathetic drive - my resting heart rate is 40-42bpm, which, I'm speculating allows me to "rest and digest" a lot easier than others. I actually have a hard time sleeping longer than 8 hours. So, my "rule" on sleep is that I need an average of 7.5 hours in 3 consecutive days in order to handle a big training load (TSS > 100) on a given day. So, if I have gotten 6-7-6 hours of sleep before a big training day I will need to modify. <BR><BR>
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<b>How to improve your sleep? These are a few things that work for me:</b> <BR><BR>
- Write down all your worries on a piece of paper about 1hr before you go to bed, to help clear your mind and prevent worry at night<BR>
- No alcohol before bed (alcohol can initially help you fall asleep, but it can easily disrupt REM sleep later in the night as it becomes metabolized).<BR>
- Meditate to fall asleep<BR>
- Look at pictures of people sleeping before bed<BR>
- Don't nap longer than 30 minutes! While napping can make you feel better, it certainly disrupts your sleep cycle during the night, and prevents normal healing and sleep functions from occurring.<BR>
- Establish a sleeping routine. I go to bed and wake up at the same time almost every day. <BR>
- Medications can effect the sleep cycle, so try not to take sleep medication before bed<BR>
- Workout 3 hours or more before bed<BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-40836440144469746762017-01-22T17:53:00.002-05:002017-01-25T13:00:37.007-05:00Bike Training in the Off-season: Strength and VO2maxI've never been a strong cyclist (relative to other female professional triathletes). I have swum competitively since the age of 11, I have run since I was 7 years old (as a soccer player, then on school cross-country teams and then as a triathlete), but I didn't own a bike before the age of 19. I never even liked to ride a bike! It wasn't until 2008 that I actually started training on the bike. Then, in 2009, I started riding indoors in the winter and in the summer to compliment my outdoor riding. I saw a HUGE jump in my cycling fitness that year and, since then, I have been able to make small gains every year (thanks to <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp cycling</a> and <a href="https://www.racermateinc.com/">computrainer</a>). However, I've never been quite satisfied with my progress. My highest FTP has never been higher than 205W (3.8W/kg). My best normalized power for the bike portion of a half-ironman is 192W (187W average power) or 3.45W/kg. While these numbers are strong, they lag behind other Pro females, who have an FTP of 4.0W/kg and are at or above 3.8W/kg for the half distance. <BR><BR>
This year, Adam and I decided to do something a bit different with my bike training. We decided to place a huge emphasis on training me to be able to recruit my glutes while riding. Adam did a lot of research this summer on glute recruitment and how to specifically train these muscles - which is now heavily emphasized in the WattsUp program. My "butt training" started with me riding in running shoes or with my bare feet on top of my bike shoes (to isolate the glutes during the "push down on the pedal stroke"), a lot of glute activation work (bird-dogs, side-band walks, glute bridge, etc.). This training progressed to lots of hills and slow strength work in December and some short VO2max sets. Without doing much VO2max work at all, I had a personal best 5min TT in December of 259W in aero position - that's about 4.9W/kg. Then, I went on to do a 20K TT at The <a href="http://x3training.com/the-lab/">X3 Lab</a>, where I held 218W avg power for ~36minutes (~4W/kg). My previous best 20min TT from last year wasn't much higher than that. Currently, I'm doing a lot of work with short intervals at 240W to 300W. That makes 205W feel super easy! <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiz4WKv_gU5DMpPQJEzZDaJHJng2gPOBxXdxU0JF7jz0vJBEOsM5F4XWJrTVTrCVTIZosdaXh2Bcv1Lo6Qm03F6_UiPlyJHKAaNF56XbqpzpgHr27rSqNZKqgp9T9McHIff-jFyfdzxR4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-22+at+1.18.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiz4WKv_gU5DMpPQJEzZDaJHJng2gPOBxXdxU0JF7jz0vJBEOsM5F4XWJrTVTrCVTIZosdaXh2Bcv1Lo6Qm03F6_UiPlyJHKAaNF56XbqpzpgHr27rSqNZKqgp9T9McHIff-jFyfdzxR4/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-01-22+at+1.18.14+PM.png" width="400" height="147" /><BR>An example of a set I did: <BR>5x(1:30 on - 10s off), 5x(1:30 on - 20s off, 5x (1:30 on - 30s off) when on = ~240W</a></div><BR><BR>
In addition to on the bike work, I have included strength training. I have a glute activation routine that I complete 3-4 times/week before hard bike workouts. I also have a strength routine which I complete twice per week. Currently, my strength routine involves forward and reverse lunges with light weight, single leg deadlifts with light weight, single leg angled leg press with heavy weight and straight leg deadlifts with heavy weight. <BR><BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7-F_wb9FO4OPmWioPK_OwPv65jIdSjMUGxSVITi2yNGJ5sa1nu0GGpxODf7JwcXUfqDDK3Ep8z32UlqhI6k7-6C2KJPtx-yUWwXN0vE7CbrmTl-6zA1ug4dBTNyeYXiSg6GOfV0LYNI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-22+at+5.35.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7-F_wb9FO4OPmWioPK_OwPv65jIdSjMUGxSVITi2yNGJ5sa1nu0GGpxODf7JwcXUfqDDK3Ep8z32UlqhI6k7-6C2KJPtx-yUWwXN0vE7CbrmTl-6zA1ug4dBTNyeYXiSg6GOfV0LYNI/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-01-22+at+5.35.05+PM.png" width="260" height="400" /><BR>It's all in the glutes!</a></div><BR><BR>
As I move toward race season (my first race is June 11th) I will progress my 240W+ intervals to 2, 5, 10(?!) minutes. I will combine these workouts with FTP, tempo and endurance rides and continue strength training. The hope is to FINALLY hold 200W NP for a half-distance race! <BR><BR>
<b>Test Sets 2016 to 2017:</b><BR><BR>
5min TT - Dec 23rd: 259W avg P (5min)<BR>
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20K TT - Dec 30th: 218W avg P (36min)<BR>
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5 minute TT - Feb 3rd<BR>
20 minute TT - March 24th<BR>
20 minute TT - May 4th<BR>
Half-ironman - June 11th, Sept 18th (Barrelman!)<BR>
Long course (56km) - June 25th (Welland) and Aug 6 (K-town)
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292525908480520130.post-16727686735137552782016-11-14T15:03:00.003-05:002016-11-14T20:56:51.792-05:00Week #1 in ReviewThe first week back to training has officially come and gone. I'm quite happy to be back into structured training! <BR><BR>
Unfortunately, I lost my heart rate monitor. After Miami, I recall putting it away somewhere for "safe-keeping." Of course, that special spot was long forgotten over 2 weeks. Other than that, training started off well. <BR><BR>
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<b>The Swim = 12.2km</b><BR><BR>
I did two 3.1km swims focused on strength using paddles (one day speed, one day endurance)<BR>
I did one recovery swim (IM and dolphin kick on back) **dolphin kick on your back is an excellent core workout to do if you don't want to skip your swim in favour of strength!<BR>
I did one quality 4km swim with Kim Lumsdon Swim Club<BR><BR>
<b>The Bike = 4hr15min </b><BR><BR>
I have been focusing on improving my technique on the bike. I definitely have trained myself to rely too much on my hamstrings and quads while cycling, so I am following the October <a href="http://www.wattsupcycling.ca">WattsUp program</a> to improve glute recruitment on the bike. I've been biking with running shoes, focusing on squeezing the glutes with each downstroke, and, most important, ensuring my back is flat and not rounded. Flat back = glute recruitment = more Watts!<BR><BR>
I have also been following current November WattsUp workouts for on the bike strengthening and neuromuscular development. Strength using slow cadence/high power and neuromuscular development (maximizing number of muscle fibers firing together) with max power/max cadence STOMPS!<BR><BR>
<i>I have almost all the athletes I coach follow similar types of workouts as described above in the early parts of the off season. When out on the road in the summer, or working hard all the time, it's easy to pick up bad habits. It's easy to ride with a rounded back. It's easy to start using compensatory muscles when the primary drivers are fatigued. Doing technique work early in the season ensures that subsequent FTP training is done utilizing the proper muscles. FTP work all the time will not get you stronger.</i><BR><BR>
<b>The Run = 40km</b><BR><BR>
This is where I am trying to make the most gains in the off-season. The run is my main focus for November and December. My workouts during this time are primary designed to slowly progress my weekly run volume up to 60km/week. So that I can be running 60-70km/week in the spring. This past week I started at 40km with two hill repeat runs, 1 long run (12km - haha!) and a short brick run. <BR><BR>
<b>Strength = 80mins</b><BR><BR>
Six days a week I include a 10 minute activation/injury prevention routine prior to a bike, run or swim workout. When you run, your feet are either on the ground or off the ground. Your glutes and balancing muscles are being used when your feet are on the ground and your core is being used when they are off the ground. Weakness in these muscles leads to compensation by other muscles and subsequent injury. So, my injury prevention routine is strength training for the core and glutes, as well as including a few balance exercises. <BR><BR>
Two days a week I do straight leg deadlifts, lunges and squats. When WattsUp gets its new leg press I will use that, also, because it can be used to strengthen one leg at a time. These exercises strengthen the cycling and running driver muscles: glutes, quads and hamstrings. Repetitive activity often leads to improved strength/endurance in the muscles themselves, but does not strengthen tendons. Overuse injury often occurs in the tendon or musculotendonous junction, usually because the tendons aren't strong enough. Resistance training strengthens both the muscle AND the tendon. <BR><BR>
I will look to post an update on my training as often as I can. Stay tuned!<BR><BR>
Miranda Tomensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254721172386094441noreply@blogger.com0