Triathlon is about more than swimming, biking and running.

In my years of competing in triathlon I have accumulated a lot of knowledge about the sport. My main conclusions are that triathloning is about more than swimming, biking and running - and many people are unaware of that. So, this post is meant for you: the aspiring triathlete, the beginner triathlete, the triathlete who's goal it is to win their age group or the triathlete who is thinking about turning pro.

My advice for triathletes (beyond the swim, bike and run):

1) Have patience. This is difficult to hear for any endurance athlete, as the goal is typically to complete a given distance in the fastest time possible. However, there is that phrase, "slow down to speed up" and that is very relevant to triathlon. For example, there is no point in increasing your speed or volume, if you don't have proper technique. It very commonly leads to injury. (More on this topic to be published in a book later this year. Stay tuned!)

2) Pay attention to detail. Know the course you are going to be competing on (including the transition area), it helps you enjoy the race more. Ensure that your bike fits, ensure that you are both aerodynamic and comfortable so that you don't lose "free speed", ensure that your bike is properly tuned up (tires get worn out, bike chains get stretched, cables can break or stretch and bolts can get loose or rusty), ensure you plan and practice proper nutrition, ensure you have used all your equipment before the race.

3) Don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong. Race day is full of additional stressors and the added anxiety makes you more likely to make mistakes. However, if you have practiced enough, this is less likely to happen on race day. For example, ensure that you can run after a race pace bike session, make sure you can sight while swimming at race pace, practice your transitions, and even...practice that bottle exchange, over and over!

4) Train your weaknesses, first. You may be a fantastic cyclists, but a weak swimmer. You may have great speed, but no endurance. So don't emphasize the cycling in your training and keep all your workouts short and fast. Focus on what needs work, even though it might not be as much fun.

5) Rest and recovery days don't just mean no swimming, biking or running. Unfortunately, "off training" days don't mean you get to load up on chores, eat lots of junk food, indulge in a few too many beers or glasses of wine. Your recovery days are actually more important than your training days in some respects. Your body is repairing and rebuilding during this time, so that you can benefit from your hard sessions and be ready for the next block of training. So what you do and what you eat actually matters just as much (or more) as on a training day. Eat simple sugars before, during or right after a big training session, but on your off days: Stay off your feet, get a massage, try to eat healthy food loaded with vitamins and minerals, hydrate on water. (Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear!)

6) Proper nutrition is key. This is more important for the longer races. Plan out your nutrition before a training session or longer workout. Practice your race day nutrition in a race simulation workout. For help figuring this out, see eLoad's nutrition calculator here. Also important is to eat enough carbohydrates the day or few days (for racing) before. This will ensure you have enough fuel to get you through that training session or race, and that you will be able to perform to your full potential.

7) Don't overtrain. Have a few key workouts per week or per training block (less is more if you have a busy schedule - remember what I said about recovery?). The remaining workouts should be low key, or have different goals. An easier/aerobic run (compared to running your guts out at race pace) is not lost training time, it is time to work on technique, to test out new running gear. Frequency improves economy (the energy it takes to perform a given task) and is better for injury prevention, so opt for more frequent sessions (even if many of them are easier or shorter) over a few longer sessions.

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New bike for a new season!

While I was training in California, a few special deliveries arrived for me in Toronto. Among them was my new SRM and Rotor 3D+ cranks, QXL rings and ... my new Quintana Roo Tri bike! It was like Christmas in February :) And I was SO excited. However, I did not trust myself to get the bike set up perfectly. so I turned to my support network: The Bike Zone to do the mechanical work and Scott Judges, at Fitt1st, to do the fit.

Special delivery!

All set up

I dropped my bike off at The Bike Zone (located at 734 Dundas St East) for them to assemble it. I couldn't believe how many bikes and accessories they have there. If you are looking for anything cycling related - you are going to be able to find it there. They have everything from road, mountain, tri and commuter bikes...and tons of gear and other accessories. And super quick service! My bike was all assembled and ready for pick up by the following day.

The crew at the Bike Zone helped install the components

Bike with SRM & QXL Rings installed!

The next thing to do was pay Scott Judges a visit at his bike fitting studio. I knew I could count on him to get me as aero as possible on my new bike, without compromising my comfort. A new bike geometry on the Quintana Roo meant I couldn't just simply set up the bike identically to my old bike, so this was necessary. Being on the QR meant I was graduating from 650c to 700c wheels! Now, I am not against 650c wheels at all, but I was definitely at a disadvantage if I ever had a flat tire or an issue with my wheels - especially during a race. Not to mention the fact that they don't even make trainer tires for 650c wheels. So I am happy to say that I've graduated to 700c wheels :) However, with this change meant that it would be hard for me to get in the same aggressive position as I was in before. Hard, but not impossible! Scott was able to change up my stem, adjust the headset and get me into the same position as before.

Scott's making me aero and comfy

First ride on the QR!

I have ridden my QR now about a half a dozen times. On the computrainer to start - given the freezing cold temperatures and snowstorms I didn't have much of a choice! But, now, since being in Arizona I have been able to ride it on the roads as well. A few things that differentiate it from other bikes that I have been on are:

1) A more comfy ride. Scott at Fitt1st says that the fact that the front fork is a bit more curved - so the fork offset is greater - helps to give the bike better shock absorption and stability. I hate riding on poorly paved roads so this was very exciting news! And cycling in Tucson (anyone ever ridden on Tanque Verde?) has really put this statement to the test. The verdict - it's true - the ride is definitely smoother! This will definitely help me when I race on courses like that in St. George and Steelhead, which can have some very bumpy roads.

2) SHIFT Technology. This is what Quintano Roo bikes are known for. They have an 18mm shift in their downtube that direct air away from the drivetrain to minimize drag. Have you ever gone from riding the bullhorns to riding the aerobars and feel like you were instantly propelled forward?! Well, as soon as I get aero on my QR - that's exactly what I feel. And take a look at the bike from front on - you can barely see it!

3) Di2 Electronic Shifting! The Quintana Roo is able to support electronic shifting, which has been just amazing. Being able to shift easily from the bullhorns while climbing a steep grade, is probably the highlight. Not to mention the precision and speed at which the bike can shift. What a nice change!

4) It just looks FAST! Black and grey with an orange stripe! Nothing is more intimidating in the transition area than a bike that looks SUPER quick. Who says winning in triathlon doesn't have a mental component to it? :)

I am also happy to report that my first set of 2 minute Supra-Maximal Sustained Power intervals were a good 30W higher than last year. Co-incidence? Better bike fitness? Or better bike? Hmmm...

**Special thank you to Joe and Chris at Enduro Sport for helping me with some last minute adjustments on the bike before I left for the US. Their expertise is top notch. And to Peter Karmaszin for naming the bike Carlos!

California Training Camp: Week#2

Today is my last day in California. Although I am going to miss the sunny weather, the magnificent views, the outdoor pool, the warm temperatures, the beach and amazing outdoor riding, I am excited to see my friends and family (especially Maddy!) back in Toronto. I will be home only briefly, for some rest and recovery, before I embark on my next training adventure in Arizona!

The second week of training was as epic as the first. The biking was heavily emphasized on this camp over swimming and running. Having only really been cycling seriously since 2009 (a much shorter time than I have been swimming and running), so I was going for tons of bike volume over the past two weeks. I think that we accomplished that goal, as I totalled 1100km of cycling and 24000ft elevation gain! I did manage to fit in 8 hours of swimming, 6 hours of running and 2 hours of strength work on top of that, to ensure that I didn't become "just a cyclist!" :)

Some of the highlights of the second week of training:

1. Getting to join in with the Cycling Escapes group again on the Tuesday. Had great company on the bike with Peter - a lawyer/cyclist/runner from London!

2. Having a super nice swimmer lend me a pair of goggles when I forgot mine, which was followed by an amazing swim of all-out 50s free!

3. Realizing that I can climb STUNT in the same gear the entire way. STUNT is my favourite climb in the Santa Monica Mountains :)

4. Running 8 miles - my longest run since Ironman! And running 6 miles after a 60 mile ride :)

5. Being in the USA after the women's hockey team won the gold medal game and the men's team advanced to play Sweden in the final. (Had lots of fun telling the cashier at the grocery store I was Canadian after those victories!)

6. Managing to take more photos. (See below).

7. Being stronger on the last climb of every day by about 4 to 6 minutes (or 5 to 10 Watts!) from the first week.

8. Vanilla/coconut cake. A nice treat after a tough day of training!

9. Facetime. Don't know how I would have gotten through the week without it. It does get lonely training on your own.

Here are some photos of the second training week:

California Training Camp: Week #1

It has been amazing to be revisiting the Santa Monica Mountains and getting in some crazy mileage on the bike! Yesterday marked the end of my first week here, which included 6 days of training and 1 off day. In those 6 days of training I logged 24.5 hours on the bike, and the rest of the 32 hours I was running and swimming. To be honest, I didn't know what kind of shape I was in heading into this camp. I have been struggling with an injury that has left me on and off running for the past 3 months, has effected my bike training and, even interfered with my swimming a bit. So…when I arrived here I knew that I would have a lot of hard work ahead of me.

When I arrived last Sunday I quickly unpacked and settled in, and then headed out for a short brick workout just to loosen up the legs. It was my first time outside on my bike since Ironman last November and it felt GREAT! Not only was the fresh air a nice change, but the scenery and the smooth roads in the Agoura Hills area make it so conducive to riding. I pushed my 30 minute easy ride to 45 minutes and got re-aquainted with my bike. Even the run felt pretty good - perhaps the cold weather in Canada was what was keeping me injured! :)

The first week I was here I joined in with Cycling Escapes, to take part in their Santa Monica Mountains Climbing Camp. I had done this camp last year and LOVED it. It was appropriately challenging for me, and probably for anyone, as there are all types of cyclists with different abilities from around North America that attend. The first day of camp I got in a swim before my ride, then I was on my bike less than a half an hour later to meet the Cycling Escapes group for our first day of climbing. We rolled out of the parking lot together, towards the west side of the Mountains for an amazing first day. Our first climb was up Mulhullond, the famous "Rockstore" climb, that takes about 30 minutes. I was feeling pretty good, in fact, but I knew it was just the first day of five, so I held back the best I could in a group riding environment. The second climb of three that day was Yerbe Buena - my least favourite climb of the camp. The roads are bumpy, which is no fun when you are working hard and climbing. Then, after 50 minutes of climbing, you finally reach the top, but then you are literally vibrating as you start to descend down the windy roads - a bit scary and uncomfortable! Still satisfying once it's over, though. The third climb of the day was Decker, a steeper, but shorter climb on VERY smooth roads. My legs were definitely feeling it at this point and I was struggling. I arrived back at the hotel after a big 105km day of riding and finished it off with a short run. I was a mix of feelings at the end: exhaustion, hurt, but also feeling proud of accomplishing something. And this mix was something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

The second day of the camp we would tackle the east side of the Santa Monica Mountains. This included a long climb up Piuma, with absolutely amazing views of the ocean and then a climb up Topango Canyon and Fernwood. During the second climb I almost felt like I was back in Italy - with little villas lining the road that I climbed up. It was spectacular! The third day of the camp was a bit of a rest day, but we still tackled the Westlake climb (the steepest of the camp) and Latigo Canyon Climb (the longest climb of the camp)! However, these climbs were separated by a ride along the beach, which was a nice treat. At the end of Day 3 I was pretty tired and had already reached my biggest week of training in the new year, even though I was only 4 days into the week!

The fourth day of the camp was a 100 mile (160km) ride and my Garmin stats say 11,700ft of elevation gain! To head into this ride already exhausted from the previous few days was tough, not only physically, but mentally, also. I just wanted to survive! I took the climbs one at a time and I made it without feeling too tired! Highlights of the day included meeting some other strong cyclists who are local to the area and hearing about some other places to ride, the SAG being there at the top of every climb with food, water and encouragement, the awesome weather, beautiful views, pushing myself in the last 20km while riding with another member of our group, the climb up Encinal Canyon (my favourite climb of the camp!), actually finishing the day in one piece and, of course, all the food that I got to eat afterwards!

The fifth day of camp was another big day. I started with a 3200 yd swim - mostly arms only, then the last ride with the group - 91km and 6700ft of climbing and then a 4.5 mile run. The niggles started to come today: sore kneecap on my right side (likely due to tight quads), super tight calves, a bit of tightness in my left medial quad…Not surprising after my biggest training week on the bike, ever! So it was decided that I should take a complete day off training on Saturday.

All in all the camp was a great success:

1) More mileage than in last year's camp, because we got rained out the last two days in 2013.

2) All the climbs of the camp were faster by 3 to 8 minutes compared to 2013 - despite the fact that I had more training and fitness going into the camp last year.

3) I was not limited at all by the injury I have been battling for the past 3 months.

4) I am no longer scared, worried or hesitant about my 2014 season. Despite a rocky start to the year, it still has the potential to be my best season yet!

Next week, Adam has said that I am to repeat this past week in the upcoming week, but unsupported with the presence of other riders in a group and the SAG support vehicle. The goal: improve my times on all the climbs! Yikes. I will keep you posted on my progress and whether or not I can do it!

Also, thank you so so so much to Richard and Erica from Cycling Escapes for making this past week an unbelievable experience. You can find more information about the camp here.

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Photos (sorry, not many, hopefully more next week):

Ironman Arizona Race Report

What a season! The 2013 racing year ended yesterday with Ironman Arizona. It's been quite the adventure...I encountered obstacles this year that I never thought I would ever have to hurdle...mostly just due to bad luck! But I look at it as all part of the learning process. All part of the journey. You can't look back, only forward.

The day began at 4am on Sunday, November 17th. I woke up and did a round of my activation exercises and some swim tubing, before changing and getting into my race gear. Then I had a pre-race breakfast of a bagel with PB and banana, coffee, water and some Pepto Bismal. I headed to the race site at around 5am, encountered some unexpected traffic, which was a tad stressful, but made it to transition about an hour before race start. I set up my bike: garmin, shoes in pedals, made sure that my brakes weren't rubbing, bike was in an easy gear, water bottles secured...Then I did a little walk through of transition, checked on my gear bags. Then got my wetsuit on and said a quick hi and goodbye to Papa.

All the athletes gathered at the front of the Swim Start arch. Pros in the front, followed by about 3000 age groupers! I was really not that nervous. I was just excited! There was no pressure for this race. I just was there for the experience, which was very calming. Before I knew it I was jumping off the pier into the water and swimming towards the start buoys. I felt good, strong and full of energy. I was ready.

The gun went off and about 26 of us female Pros were off! I started strong, determined to get with a good group of swimmers. I saw about 5 people take off up ahead. This would be the pack of the strongest swmmers: to 50 - 53 minute type. I knew that their pace would be too fast for me for 3800m so I didn't try to catch them. I ended up swimming beside another female for about 500m. I couldn't see a thing in front of me (I need to get new goggles) so I used her to sight. However, I could tell she was starting to slow and I didn't want to back off the pace that much. I had no choice but to keep going and hope that I was swimming in a straight line. I am sure that I wasn't, but I was all alone and really had no other option. I stayed calm and hoped for the best! Eventually I hit the turnaround buoy and was happy, because I would no longer be swimming straight into the sun. However, it was still difficult to see on the way back. I was sighting almost every stroke and my hip flexors were tightening up. Luckily I still felt strong and my energy wasn't fading at all. Finally, I reached the last turn buoy, but I couldn't see the swim exit. So, what did I do? Stopped, took off my goggles and looked around to see where I was going. I saw the swim exit and quickly put my goggles back on and sprinted towards it! I exited the swim in around 57 minutes. I was hoping for 56 minutes, but goal really was to be in the lead of the chase group and I think I kind of was the chase group! So I had accomplished my goal.

My first transition was a little rocky. I had my wetsuit halfway off, grabbed my gear bag and put my goggles and cap in my gear bag and my my helmet on while running. Ya! I thought I was so good. Then I realized that I had dropped my gear bag off and still had my wetsuit on! OOPS! So I was close to my bike, when I had to run back to the change tent. The AWESOME volunteers stripped off my wetsuit and put it in my bag for me. Then I ran back to my bike and all went smoothly from there.

The bike started out and I was a little chilly. Nonetheless, I was enjoying it. I smiled as I tried to keep my power in check - high zone 2 or 3.2W/kg. This was much more fun than pushing 3.8W/kg, which is typical for me for a half-ironman. It was a 3-looped course, which made it a little more fun, I think. The first half is a gradual uphill, then a gradual downhill back. We had a bit of a headwind on the way out and a tailwind on the return. I got passed by about 5 girls in the first 40km of the bike. I was calm though. I had been told that patience was key to a successful ironman, so I focused on my power and didn't worry about the girls ahead. I finished my first loop of the bike in 1hr41mins, so my goal was around 5 hours on the bike. I really started to feel my best once the temperatures warmed, during the middle of the second loop of the bike. I felt so strong, so powerful. However, I did hit a pothole and off flew my water bottle with my concentrated eload/FLY/salt tablet drink. I debated stopping to grab it, but it had rolled too far away from me and I couldn't have stopped to grab it. I would have to rely on the aid stations for fluid, and the extra calories from eLoad gels, but I had NO extra salt tablets :( I pushed the thought of possible cramping to the back of my mind and focused on the things I could control...my power, cadence and heart rate were all on target. I finished the first 90km of the bike in 2hr36min (not bad, considering my half-IM bike splits last year were all in the 2:40s!). Then at around 100km I REALLY had to pee...I thought about peeing on the bike. Apparently that's what most people do...so I tried, but I couldn't! So I held it in for the next 80km...eek. I still felt strong, even though I had to pee...so I used that to distract myself. I actually felt good until about the last 20km of the bike, then my power started drifting into the mid-zone 2 area. I had been warned that I would start to fade in the last 30km so I was prepared for it. I focused on keeping on task, pushing hard enough to stay strong, but not too far beyond my comfort level. Before I knew it I was heading into T2, with a time of 5hrs1min and 2hr25min last 90km!

My second transition went better than the first. The volunteers handed me my run gear bag, then one volunteer put sunscreen on my, the other put my running shoes on and the other put my race belt on for me! I felt like a queen. In not too long I was out on the run course...within the first few 100 meters I saw exactly what I needed...a portopotty so that I could pee! After what was probably the longest pee of my life I was finally ready for the marathon.

The run started out good. I was holding around 4:30 - 4:40/km pace and feeling good. I was taking in water and my gels at regular intervals and I was enjoying myself...this continued until about 10 miles into the run. My quads started cramping, my stomach was not wanting any more nutrition and my pace was slowing...my lack of taking in salt during the bike ride was catching up to me. I got myself through the next 10 miles by taking chips and licking the salt off pretzels that were provided at the aid stations. Seeing Papa cheering at mile 13 and mile 15 helped too! With 6 miles to go, my run turned into a shuffle. And I got the hiccups! REALLY painful ones at that :( So I hiccupped and shuffled towards the finish line, determined to break 3:40 for the marathon...I just had to. My thoughts turned to all of my supporters at this point...I heard Pete K's advice that I had to "have a positive attitude and let it take me to the finish line", I thought of Faye sending me a fruit basket to help me through the tough times in training the past month, my hosts in St. George who believed in me (Kirk and Charity), my cheerleaders during the race (Papa, Bob's family, Deb and Jon), I thought of all the other people who went out of their way to help me get to where I was, my amazing sponsors (WattsUp, eload, Urban Athlete, Enduro Sport, Scott Judges at Fitt1st, Raymond James Financial, Turner-Tomenson Wealth Management) and all the love I have received and feel for everyone involved in my journey. I finished the run in 3hr35 which got me an overall time of 9hr38min and 1st Canadian female, 14th female overall!

And that's the end of my 2013 season! I look forward to an exciting 2014...but, first, it's time for some deep fried food and a nice cold glass (or several) of Pinot Grigio!

Photos coming soon!

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St. George Training: Update #6

Last Thursday marked the end of the all my hard training for this triathlon season. It has been, by far, the most difficult season of triathlon. Being my second year of professional racing, I had more expectations of myself. I had expectations that this season would go better than the first, that I could work harder and smarter, because I had learned so much from the 2012 season. This was definitely naive thinking, as 2013 brought on a whole new set of obstacles to overcome.

It started with a horrible flu in January that prevented me from attending a training camp in California and I took two weeks to recover from. This set back my training enough that I had to post-pone the start of my race season. I eagerly followed the results of the early season races and saw my competitors all doing well. I was anxious to get back into it. Then, my first race of the season, I lost 2 minutes, because someone had racked their bike on top of mine in transition! Things finally seemed to be going well for me when I had my best race ever in Florida. The momentum didn't last long, though, and a bike crash and DNF followed in Italy, then a broken elbow and a DNF due to a flat tire in August. I ended up missing out on 5 of my planned 9 races. The end result: a lot of training and not a lot of racing! It's tough to put in the work and not get the results you are working towards.

I moved to Utah 6 weeks ago. I needed a little change of scenery. A fresh start. And something new to train for...not another 70.3 distance event, but an Ironman. Up until 6 weeks ago I had not run more than 32km in 4 years, or biked over 165km or done any training sessions longer than 5 hours, since a 7hr ride in January. My hard training started in earnest on the 4th of October and ended on the 7th of November. So I had basically 5 weeks to build up the endurance I would need to complete an Ironman. So what did it take to get me ready for the start line in 5 weeks? A total of 21 hours of swimming, 50 hours of cycling and 23 hours of running. I don't know how this compares to what other Pros are doing. Could be less, but, because this was my first time tackling longer distances I had to be careful not to over do the training. It's always that delicate balance between training too much and not enough. Without a huge base from which to build my training, I had to be careful. My longest session was 7.5hrs and involved a 195km bike ride (power increasing from low to high zone 2 throughout the ride) followed by a 10km run at Ironman run pace, my longest run was a brick run of 37.5km with the last 12.5km at a 3:10 marathon pace and my most favourite workout was a 60km ride with Charity that involved low cadence/high power intervals around the desert, at the base of the red mountains.

So, now, all the hard training is done. Was it enough to tackle the Ironman? We will see. Regardless, Ironman will be an experience...a chance to tackle that distance, without the pressure of wanting to place well and to just to race to the best of my ability. I know that I am going to aim to swim at the front of the chase pack, to bike within a pre-determined zone regardless of what the rest of the field is doing, and to run by feel. If I can do this, stick to my nutrition plan and finish the race with nothing more to give, then I will consider the experience a success.

My next post will be a re-cap of the race (no doubt I will learn a lot!) and then I will be taking a little bit of time off training and triathlon...to mentally recharge, welcome my niece into the world, get caught up on life outside triathlon, and get ready for 2014. I learned a lot about training and racing last year, but I learned a lot more about myself this year. No doubt the learning will continue as I continue in the sport. Thank you for reading.

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Some more pictures from Utah:

It still gets cold here!

Had to stop to take a photo of the sunrise over the mountains

Special delivery from Faye! Motivational fruit - it worked!

Like mother like daughter

Pre-ride with Charity

A Utah deer!

The view while on a therapeutic walk through Zion National Park

Me walking through Zion

More Zion

Even more Zion

St. George Training: Update #5 & Zion National Park

The past Monday to Friday was another big training block...I had my biggest 5 days of swimming in awhile (close to 20km), I re-visted lactate threshold intervals on the bike and on the run, I rode a total of 280km, ran a total of 50km, and had my second last 2hr+ brick run of the season! The highlights of my training were being able to do swim sets with pull/paddles on faster pace times than I could without them (that's never happened before, I've always needed my legs!), nailing all my power numbers in every bike session, being able to cycle for 10 minutes with one leg, finally being able to consume 250 calories/hour while exercising and negative splitting my 26km run. The lows of this past week of training were getting a flat tire (on the trainer!), taking 10 minute to change the flat tire (yikes!), having VERY tired arms after my epic pull/paddles swim set and feeling super sluggish in the pool for the 2 days afterwards, my knee pain that just won't go away :( I only have two more 6.5hr training days to go, then taper, then Ironman Arizona on November 17th and then the off season!!!

Today I decided would be a good day to visit Zion National Park. Unfortunately, I didn't dress warmly enough and I have zero tolerance for cold so I didn't see as much of it as I would have liked. I plan to make another visit before I leave, so hopefully I do get the chance.

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Pictures from Zion:

More info about Zion National Park