I sometimes get annoyed when other people complain about their sports related injuries. I tell them to toughen up at keep at it!
But that may not always be the best approach. I've had a nagging abdominal/hip problem for the past month. It was mostly associated with running, but it even hurt to walk or sit up straight. I took 4 days off from training and feel much better now.
My first practice back today was 3 km swimming on my own. It felt great. I was working on a set where I start off by sprinting 50 meters and then settle into a pace for 50 meters. It's to work on my weakness, which has been to get away with the leaders or at least someone on the swim.
My next race is the Verdun Triathlon in two weeks! Hopefully I can get in some good training before then. I also have a 5km running race in St-Anne this weekend. It's part of the Circuit Endurance in Montreal.
Talk to you soon,
Patrick
This blog follows the great Canadian triathletes, such as Paula Findlay, Kirsten Sweetland, and Simon Whitfield. It will also include some personal anecdotes about how my own training and season is going.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Canadian Ryan Cochrane Wins a Second SIlver in Shanghai
Ryan Cochrane won a silver medal in the men's 1500 meter freestyle race in Shanghai today. He finished 10 seconds behind a world record breaking time by China's Sun Yang.
It's Cochrane's second medal at the World Swimming Championships. Earlier this week Ryan won silver in the 800 meter freestyle event.
He's swimming well but saving the best for the London olympics 2012 where he hopes to be swimming for a world record.
It's Cochrane's second medal at the World Swimming Championships. Earlier this week Ryan won silver in the 800 meter freestyle event.
He's swimming well but saving the best for the London olympics 2012 where he hopes to be swimming for a world record.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
An Interview with Chris McCormack before his first ITU Triathlon in almost 10 years
Chris McCormack raced in Kitzbuhel in the men's olympic triathlon. He pulled out of the race during the bike after having a poor swim.
Watch this video to hear what Chris had to say before the race:
http://www.triathlon.org/multimedia/video/a_pre-race_chat_with_chris_mccormack_in_kitzbuehel/
He has had a very interesting career! He also raced in Drummondville Quebec :)
Patrick
Watch this video to hear what Chris had to say before the race:
http://www.triathlon.org/multimedia/video/a_pre-race_chat_with_chris_mccormack_in_kitzbuehel/
He has had a very interesting career! He also raced in Drummondville Quebec :)
Patrick
Monday, June 20, 2011
Drummondville: Men's Elite Triathlon 2011
I had a good first race at the elite level. I was lucky to come out of the water with two guys after a pretty slow swim, but I had a good bike and run. I managed to pass a couple guys on the bike and then a couple more on the run to finish 32nd out of 40.
Chris McCormack embarks on a long road to the London Olympics
Chris McCormack did not finish his comeback race in Kitzbuhel. The two-time Hawaii Ironman winner, popularly known as Macca, wants to make the Australian olympic team for the 2012 games in London.
Macca's task is enormous. In 1997 he was the world triathlon champion at the Olympic distance, which consists of a 1500 meter swim, a 40 kilometer bike and a 10 kilometer run. However, he moved on to become very sucessful at the longer distance ironman race (4000 m swim, 180 km bike, and 42 km run).
The type of speeds done at the olympic distance are incredibly fast relative to the longer ironman distances. Macca admitted before the race that he was not going to be the fastest man in the field and would have to train hard to comeback to the shorter distances. Triathletes have gotten slightly faster since he won the championship in 1997.
The swim was difficult for McCormack. He was 30 secs back at the halfway mark of the swim and had lost his goggles. He had a few guys around him most of the swim, but came out of the water 1 min 19 s back of the leaders, all alone.
Chris McCormack caught up to 3 athletes on the bike and pulled them along trying to catch the pack. However, there was a pack of 50 men in front of him.
After struggling through most of the bike, Chris dropped out of the race. It's not clear why he stopped. He did not get in a bike crash, but it's not clear whether he was having mechanical difficulties on the bike or chose to pull himself off the course. He was nearly 5 minutes behind the leaders when he stopped. He was riding with a couple other cyclists but missing the main pack clearly hurt his chances to win the race.
Brown Lee who won the race is like a Formula one race car and Chris McCormack is the energizer bunny. Macca just keeps going and going. But, It's two completely different energy systems competing.
I am interested to see whether Chris McCormack will be racing in other Olympic distance races this summer. Knowing how tough Macca's character is, I can only imagine that he will be back.
Macca's task is enormous. In 1997 he was the world triathlon champion at the Olympic distance, which consists of a 1500 meter swim, a 40 kilometer bike and a 10 kilometer run. However, he moved on to become very sucessful at the longer distance ironman race (4000 m swim, 180 km bike, and 42 km run).
The type of speeds done at the olympic distance are incredibly fast relative to the longer ironman distances. Macca admitted before the race that he was not going to be the fastest man in the field and would have to train hard to comeback to the shorter distances. Triathletes have gotten slightly faster since he won the championship in 1997.
The swim was difficult for McCormack. He was 30 secs back at the halfway mark of the swim and had lost his goggles. He had a few guys around him most of the swim, but came out of the water 1 min 19 s back of the leaders, all alone.
Chris McCormack caught up to 3 athletes on the bike and pulled them along trying to catch the pack. However, there was a pack of 50 men in front of him.
After struggling through most of the bike, Chris dropped out of the race. It's not clear why he stopped. He did not get in a bike crash, but it's not clear whether he was having mechanical difficulties on the bike or chose to pull himself off the course. He was nearly 5 minutes behind the leaders when he stopped. He was riding with a couple other cyclists but missing the main pack clearly hurt his chances to win the race.
Brown Lee who won the race is like a Formula one race car and Chris McCormack is the energizer bunny. Macca just keeps going and going. But, It's two completely different energy systems competing.
I am interested to see whether Chris McCormack will be racing in other Olympic distance races this summer. Knowing how tough Macca's character is, I can only imagine that he will be back.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
3 days to Drummondville!
The big race of my season is just a few days away. I'm filling up with excitement and anticipation. It's going to be my first draft legal race with the Quebec elite in Drummondville for a sprint triathlon.
I'm feeling pretty confident about the swim. Practicing with my wetsuit I was flying over the water effortlessly. I want to stay with the main pack as long as possible.
I am a little nervous for that first transition. I've never really properly practiced getting out of my wetsuit, so Saturday is really going to be a first. I also need a quick smooth transition onto the bike. Jump on, get my feet in the shoes, get some speed and go! Catching a good draft on the bike will be key! I think I am going to go practice my transitions tomorrow morning and then take a short workout on the circuit.
My goal for the day is to be close (within a couple minutes) of the leaders off the bike. If things don't go according to plan I have a month to make adjustments before the next race in Quebec City!
To sign up or for more information about the Drummondville race check out: http://www.triathlon.qc.ca/
Best of luck to all competing athletes, especially McGill Triathletes!
Patrick
I'm feeling pretty confident about the swim. Practicing with my wetsuit I was flying over the water effortlessly. I want to stay with the main pack as long as possible.
I am a little nervous for that first transition. I've never really properly practiced getting out of my wetsuit, so Saturday is really going to be a first. I also need a quick smooth transition onto the bike. Jump on, get my feet in the shoes, get some speed and go! Catching a good draft on the bike will be key! I think I am going to go practice my transitions tomorrow morning and then take a short workout on the circuit.
My goal for the day is to be close (within a couple minutes) of the leaders off the bike. If things don't go according to plan I have a month to make adjustments before the next race in Quebec City!
To sign up or for more information about the Drummondville race check out: http://www.triathlon.qc.ca/
Best of luck to all competing athletes, especially McGill Triathletes!
Patrick
Monday, June 13, 2011
XTERRA wetsuit pain!
Okay, so in yesterday's post I reccomended the Xterra wetsuit and praised its awesomeness... However, today I will complain because my neck really hurts!
I had a lot of friction with the wetsuit at the back of my neck and today my neck is all red and it hurts.
It's still a fast suit :P I'm going to try to adjust how I put it on next time. I'll let you know how that goes!
Patrick
I had a lot of friction with the wetsuit at the back of my neck and today my neck is all red and it hurts.
It's still a fast suit :P I'm going to try to adjust how I put it on next time. I'll let you know how that goes!
Patrick
Sunday, June 12, 2011
XTERRA Wetsuits
I used my Vendetta fullsuit from XTERRA for the first time today and I was flying! Or more like floating. The buoancy on that suit is impressive. It totally improved my position in the water and I was much faster than usual.
Judging by my times I was gaining 5-10 seconds per hundred. Probably closer to 10 seconds per hundred. To get your own Vendetta check out their site http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/
The arms took the most getting used to. While overall I was much faster it was kind of exhausting on the shoulders/upper body. It's also super delicate. I managed to make a tiny nail tear on my first use. So be careful!
I'm trying to race elite this season, so I think it's worth the expense.
Patrick
Judging by my times I was gaining 5-10 seconds per hundred. Probably closer to 10 seconds per hundred. To get your own Vendetta check out their site http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/
The arms took the most getting used to. While overall I was much faster it was kind of exhausting on the shoulders/upper body. It's also super delicate. I managed to make a tiny nail tear on my first use. So be careful!
I'm trying to race elite this season, so I think it's worth the expense.
Patrick
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Paula Findlay Sprints to Victory in Madrid
Paula Findlay kicked ass in Madrid, Spain to win the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series. Findlay was near the front of the pack from the swim. And she sprinted passed Great Britain's Helen Jenkins for the win.
Paula Findlay represents Canada well as Simon Whitfield is coming to the end of his career. Simon finished 30th in the mens race. With the impressive first and second place finishes of the Brown Lee brothers and a strong Havier Gomez finishing third, it makes me wonder if Simon ever has a chance again at olympic gold. Findlay on the other hand, has a great chance!
For more details, check out:
http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/paula_findlay_unstoppable_in_impressive_madrid_debut/
Paula Findlay represents Canada well as Simon Whitfield is coming to the end of his career. Simon finished 30th in the mens race. With the impressive first and second place finishes of the Brown Lee brothers and a strong Havier Gomez finishing third, it makes me wonder if Simon ever has a chance again at olympic gold. Findlay on the other hand, has a great chance!
For more details, check out:
http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/paula_findlay_unstoppable_in_impressive_madrid_debut/
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