Family Life- One Year Later

Meeting Ryder for the first time

Most of the people I talk to say the biggest change in your life happens after you've had a kid, that is probably the most accurate statement I've ever heard. However I never thought becoming a Dad would fundamentally change who I was, I would still love to train and race, accomplish big goals at work and have time for my family. When Ryder was first born he was very needy, just like any newborn, and there wasn't a lot I could do for him or with him. Amber's life changed immediately and she was now the primary caregiver but I continued to do my thing, all be it with a lot less sleep.

Ryder at 3 months

Me and the Little Man at the end of Calgary 70.3

As the months went by I started to become more fond of the little guy, he was becoming a little less dependent on his Mom and a little more interactive. I loved the fact that he wanted to try to stand up at a very early age and I would try to teach him to walk any chance I could get. Amber would make fun of me because I would show him how to step before he could even crawl. Still I was having a little more fun with him everyday. During this time I was also training for Coeur d'Alene and it was hard on Amber to have to do almost everything. I had a rough Ironman but a very good season of shorter races after that, from there I realized that having a family and Ironman training are not compatible. I enjoyed the rest of the 2013 season, training enough to enjoy racing and racing an excellent 1/2 IM and sprint tri in Peace River.

Now I really enjoy spending time with Ryder and look forward to seeing him everyday, I still see myself training and racing in 2014 but it feels different this year than every other year. I don't really look forward to 6 hour rides like I used to and I'm not planning on doing any. This year I see myself training for 2-3 hours early in the morning and then having the rest of the day with Amber and Ryder. Having a family definitely changes your outlook on what you see as important and although I would still like to race well, having fun seems a lot more important this year.

Happy Family

Fun in the Sun

Family Time at the Market

After my last post people must have been thinking I'm getting depressed with this long cold winter and that was probably true, what was needed was a nice warm holiday where you live in shorts and t-shirts. Last week the family and I took a much needed vacation to Los Ayala, Mexico about 65kms north of Peurto Vallarta and it was fantastic. Aside from me catching a terrible stomach bug on Tuesday and wiping out one full day of holidays it was a terrific time. The flight took us from GP to Fort MacMurray to Puerto Vallarta in a total of about 8hrs including a 2hr delay in Ft Mac. not easy with a 1yr old who thinks he's a tasmanian devil, spinning in circles all flight long. It was soooo nice to feel the warm Mexican air and sun on our pale white faces that we didn't really care about the travel drama.

I was incredibly stoked to be able to run every morning but the first day I made the mistake of waiting until about 10:30 to go and it nearly killed me. I got home and was wasted after only 40 mins of running. After that I made sure I was back before 9-9:30 before it got too hot. The place we stayed with Amber's parents was fantastic in a little fishing village with calm waters and I managed to get in a couple swims as well.

Mom and Ryder enjoying the Beach

Unfortunately Ryder didn't like the sand or the waves but he had a great time in the pool, his mother was hilarous smearing sunscreen all over him but very smart because we didn't have to deal with a cranky baby. He slept better than I've seen him sleep in a long time and his days were full of fun things to do with us and the Grandparents. A great time was had by all and I'd definitely do it again but probably take something before to prevent getting sick, it's not that I ate anything wrong it's just that there is different bacteria there and us Northerners are going to get sick at some point.


Running Strong!



Dinner Time

The Long Winter

I remember the year Amber and I were training for a 1/2 Ironman in March in Puerto Rico and the fun we would have together riding in our basement dressed in layers of clothes with no fan and riding for 2.5 to 3 hours on a Saturday or Sunday. We had so much fun training for that race and the winter just felt like it flew by. Things are a little different now but still lots of fun, just a different kind of fun. Even though I'm a Dad and I know I have more responsibilities at home I still like to try to train a few times a week. I feel like I'm a more well rounded person and I'm able to be more present with Amber and Ryder when I've taken some time for myself and put in a little training, even if it's just 20 minutes on the treadmill. It hasn't been easy, Ryder is not an easy kid and constantly needs someone there for him which puts a lot of the workload on Amber while I'm working or on the road. That being said I wouldn't change him, he is who he is and when he gets a little older it'll be nice to have a kid with lots of energy who wants to go for a run with his Dad.

I have done a few swim-bike-run sessions with the boys on Saturday morning and I look forward to it every week. They absolutely wipe me out but it's very good training and nice to get together with everyone and work hard once a week. We usually do a steady 1500m in the pool at 6:30-6:45, get on the trainer at 7:15 and try to get in 20 minutes bike, 3kms run on the track. The track is only 200m so there is a lot of turning but I prefer it to the treadmill because I'm able to play catch up with some other guys.

The swim seems to still be pretty good for January, I'm hitting 1:25 100s without completely gassing out but I don't have a lot of endurance right now so I'll have to just build that up slowly over the next few months. The bike is okay, I can only get in 2 rides a week and that's probably all I need right now but it's a challenge for me because I'm used to riding at least 3 times a week. I'm sticking to 40k maximum distance and I think my body appreciates it, some of the other guys are riding 2- 2.5hrs and I just can't do it, nor do I see the point on the trainer. Hopefully in April or May I'll get in a few 3hr rides and be ready for some fast June races and Calgary in July. The running is holding steady, I'm running quick- still able to hold a decent pace but again my endurance is not where it should be and that's okay. I can only run a max of 8 miles and I'm normally running 5-6 miles, just fine for this time of year.

I'm taking the family to Mexico for a week as Amber's parents are there and we only have to pay for our flights so I'm looking forward to running and swimming with Amber everyday and having some live in babysitters for a week. It'll be nice to feel the warm sun on our faces for a short while in the middle of January and come back refreshed and ready to get through the remaining winter.

60,000 Miles



The little man and me getting in some push ups


That's how far I've determined an athlete can go before things start going wrong with his/her body. Now 60,000 miles seems like a really long way, and if you are an average person who runs a couple times a week then yeah it is. However for a triathele it could only be a few good years of hard training and racing before the body starts to revolt and lets you know that your days training like this are numbered. I look back at my athletic career and I've had some really good results for an average age grouper, I didn't start doing triathlons until I was about 28 years old and I didn't start Ironman training until I was 32. So I've had 10-12 years of tough training and racing and although I like to think I'm always getting faster and better at some point things start to catch up with you.

The Achilles injury in 2012 was the really tough one to overcome and although I bounced back fairly well, after that I could not train the same way I used to and I had to think of new ways to train that would allow me more time to recover but still keep my fitness really high. I guess you could say I've tried to go back to my roots, in University I did a lot of weights and a little running. I didn't know how to swim and rarely biked but I enjoyed being in the gym and hitting the weights hard for 2-3 hours some days. I haven't gone to that extreme but I'm realizing that naturally losing 2% muscle mass every year for 10 years will catch up with you and you are bound to get injured if you don't do some lifting on a regular basis. I still thoroughly enjoy swim-bike-run and it still dominates most of my activity time but with Ryder now that activity time is limited. I try to have him around when I workout but he gets bored really quickly so I have to be quick with my workouts and limit it to 20-40 minutes. It's a great feeling thinking about being active and healthy with him but I just hope this old body will stay strong and fit well into the future. I've definitely passed my 60,000 mile limit but I'm doing everything I can to keep pushing back that barrier and one day train and race with my son, he's just started standing on his own so the first step by himself is coming very soon.

2013 Success

It's always an incredible feeling when you've had a really good year of racing and you want to continue to improve but having a good year and continually trying to build on that will eventually run you right into a wall. This year I had a pretty rough Ironman but followed up with an incredible race in Calgary and Peace River and I'm looking at this year as a huge success. They say that nothing changes your life more than having a kid and that is 100% right. All of the sudden swimming, riding and running were luxuries that I simply didn't have a lot of time for. Fortunately I have an incredible wife who has done an amazing job with Ryder and knows that her husband needs some training outlet no matter how small. All my success this year can be credited to Amber, she is a great sounding board and coach and understands what it takes to be successful in racing. She's also had to handle the brunt of the work with a newborn and we have a happy, healthy boy because of her. This year was a bit of a question mark for me, coming back from an Achilles tear is not something a lot of people can accomplish. I thought all my PRs were in the past but I had a very strong race in Calgary, not a PR but a 'tough to beat' time of 4:18 there on the new course and I hope they keep the course the same next year. The swim was a lot better, the bike a challenging uphill grind there and downhill back, and the run was hilly and tough (as always). I'm certain I can improve on my run there, I was suffering with some calf issues leading up to the race and didn't run as much as I'm used to. I think if they keep the course the same I can beat my PR of 4:11 at GWN, not the same course but Calgary is definitely more difficult even though the bike is short. Peace River is where I set my PR this year, beating 36 year old me by 1:20 almost breaking an hour for the sprint (1:00.57) and still placing 2nd! I was certain I wouldn't win with Joe there but I was only shooting to beat my 2009 time. So now it's time to relax and recover, call it a successful season and think about next year. I'm certain that I won't be doing an Ironman for a while but I'd like to concentrate on shorter distances to see if I can get faster and race really well at the 70.3 distance. I have a rough idea of what I'd like to do next year and a couple 70.3 races are on the radar, it's easier to train for and recover from and Id have more time with family. After all how can I be apart from this face for too long.

Peace River Sprint

What an incredible race! I forgot how much fun a sprint race can be and I had an amazing time. I basically strong-armed all my friends into doing this race and I'm glad I did, there were 8 guys that beat the time of last year's winner. There was such a stacked field that all the race organizers were blown away by the times and the competition there. I knew going into it that I wasn't going to be able to bike as fast as Joe and I was right he easily put 2 minutes on me which is impossible to make up in a sprint. It was great to have him there he kept me focused on the bike and pushing the entire race. I set a new PR for a sprint which is all I wanted to do, I beat 36 year old me which I thought was impossible after turning 40.

I don't think I've ever devoted so much time and energy into training for and racing a sprint but all my buddies were so excited for this race that it became contagious. We did two swim- bike- runs all at the sprint distance on the Saturdays leading up to the event and training seemed to be going really well. Unfortunately we woke up on race morning to spitting rain and wet roads... ugh. Well you can't control the weather so I just packed up and headed to the race start. I have taken a spill on a rainy race before so I was very cognizant of staying under control through all the turns on the bike.

The swim was really great, I led our heat and had an opportunity to keep the pace high and managed to lap the other 3 guys once or twice in the 750m. I was quite surprised to find out later I had the 2nd fastest swim of 11:27 behind a really fast young guy from Ft. St. John who swam a 10:03. I couldn't believe I beat the times of some incredible swimmers from GP, Steve, Joe, and Richard have always swam faster than me so it shocked me in a good way.

When I started riding I could tell something didn't feel right immediately. I was holding a 162-163 HR and my power seemed to be okay but I just wasn't getting the speed I should have been for that type of effort. I'm not sure if it was the cooler weather or not warming up the legs beforehand but I didn't have the ride I was hoping for. I took a look at my Garmin data afterwards and I was pushing hard the entire ride, there really was no where I could have gained any additional time so I know I gave it everything I had. I saw Joe pass me about 3/4 of the way through the first lap and I tried to keep him in sight for as long as possible. I could see him in the distance for most of the second bike loop which helped maintain my focus. My average power was 247W which is very high for me any higher and I wouldn't have been able to run after. I had the 2nd fastest bike time of 31:39 at an average of about 38km/hr.

I started the run and my legs were absolute concrete, I was running but felt like I was just shuffling. I could see Joe in the distance making the first turn so I was pushing as hard as I could to catch him but we were running at pretty much the same pace. When I thought I was gaining on him it was only a few meters and it was too late, my legs didn't start coming around until 2.5k and I knew that he had me. That being said my goal was to beat my 2009 time of 1:02.17 which I did by 1:20 giving me the fastest run time of 17:52 and a total time of 1:00.57. Fantastic race for me and I'm glad I had a group of great guys keeping me pushing hard for the full hour. The nice thing about a sprint is it's over by 10am and we had time for coffee and lunch before heading back home.

Well that wraps up my 2013 season, great to have completed an Ironman, 1/2 Ironman, and a Sprint race all in one year. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Amber and Ryder next year so I might just keep it short distance. The training isn't as time intensive and I can still feel like I'm active and healthy which is one of the things I love about this sport.

Sprint Training

It's really strange having your season go from Ironman, to 1/2 Ironman, to Sprint training and I'm not sure my body knows what's going on. The tough part is that I was really beat up after IM CdA and I needed some down time but there is really not a lot of time to heal up before I needed to start again for Calgary 70.3. At Calgary I went really hard and again I needed some down time before I could do anything, fortunately a week off and a week easy seems to have done the trick. Now I just have a small Sprint Tri in Peace River and then the season is over and I can get some deep rest and recovery. It has been really nice not having the pressure of Ironman training over my head and being able to spend more time with Ryder and Amber. Last Saturday I told Amber I was doing a swim-bike-run with a couple guys on Saturday and I'd be finished everything by about 10am! That never happens prepping for most races, but we did a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run and had time for coffee and the rest of the day to hang out with family.

 So far last week I've done 3 days where I swam, biked and ran all on the same day and I feel really good. The body is not breaking down, I'm not dealing with a lot of injuries, I can have a lot of time with family and I feel like I've accomplished something that day. I'm really pleased with how my swim has developed this year, my biking is still fairly strong the only area I know I could improve has been my running but dealing with some of the calf issues I've had I think I'm still running strong. I expected to run a 1:20 or less in Calgary but I was only running one day a week leading up to it so I'm not surprised I ran a 1:24 and I'm very happy with that time.

Peace River is looking to be a very competitive race, so far I know of 6 other guys that are going and are capable of beating the time of last year's winner (1:07). The last time I did this race I had a 1:02.17 time and I'm looking to go faster this year. Robert and I have been focusing on true 'sprint' training and I'm hoping the 20 minute all out bike rides and 5k fast runs will pay off. On an ideal day I feel like I could go sub-12 on the swim (including transition), sub-30 on the bike (including transition) and sub-18 on the run breaking the one hour barrier. The only really question mark is going to be the bike, there are a lot of turns on the two loop course and I'm going to have to keep my speed up to average over 40km/hr. I can do it on a straight out and back but this will be more like a criterium than a time trial, we'll have to see.