As usual, Mitch Fraser and his crew put on an awesome race. US RD’s should really look at the value per dollar that they deliver. Based on my 21 years of racing throught Canada, US and Europe, I have to say that the RD’s in Ontario generally deliver 2x value per $ over the US RD’s. I’ll let my US based friends who raced at Muskoka comment.
How often do you get to go in a race with 2000 Olympic Gold medalist Simon Whitfield, as well as 2XHawaii Ironman Champ LVL ? These guys are down to earth regular guys. No attitude, no nothing. How often do you get studs like these actually cheering you on as you head to the run turnaround. Both Simon and LVL gave me a big cheer as I headed out. Totally awesome. You don’t get Tom Brady showing up at your Sunday pickup football game.
Eric Fernando is a total stud. The guy was third amateur overall and put the boot to all of us 35-39 year old pretenders big time on the bike. Man, 4 more months and I can get out of this age group…Then I’ll just have to deal with a whole whack of studly 40-44 year olds.
I experimented with taking it easier up the first half of all hills and accelerating over the top vs my usual mode of using my hill climbing strength to my advantage and attacking from the bottom. Result, I took off 5 min off last year’s split (alhtough on an arguably easier day with minimal wind).
Doing your tenth swim of the year is not a great plan. My swim was 128th overall, even though I finished 18th amateur overall. I guess some things never change
Its all about the bike. In the sense that you want to develop mega bike fitness to ride fast comfortably and still use your run fitness. I was able to pile on some mega bike miles in May (after only 300K for the year as of April 20th Boston marathon), and it seemed to pay off on my bike-run split.
Guys are total idiots as soon as they get out of the water, sprinting to their bikes with their wetsuits on. I don’t know about you guys, but I take my suit off 5 steps out of the water, and then run with it in my hand to T2. It is easier to remove the suit, you can run faster, and it gives you a couple of seconds to get your land legs. Most importantly, it eliminates spiking the HR to 180 bpm out of the water.
The slowtwitch dudes are very cool. Nice seeing all you guys out there.
We are VERY lucky here in Ontario. We have so many great races to go to and at reasonable cost. We truely have some outstanding RD’s who do a marvelous job of delivering quality events. Series directors such as Mitch Fraser, John Salt, Terry McKinty and a number of other independants really know what they are doing. I know that each of these gentleman work very hard behind the scenes and should be thanked and congratulated at every opportunity.
Fleck, not to mention, we might arguably have the best timing company in the world in the form of www.sportstats.ca.
By the way, congrats to Paolina. She had a smoking race ! Where can I buy some legs like that. Are they on sale in the hardware section at Home Depot ?
Great race as usual. It was great to meet you face to face. The updated results on the web site have me 2nd overall now. They put Michael Hay in with the pros. I was looking at past results, in 2001 I just nipped you by 2 seconds.
Eric, if it is any consolation, at least my run split was on par with yours. That of course was all that was comparable. I guess with Mike Hay out, that pushes me over to 17th amateur :-).
Congrats on a great race and good luck at Ironman Wisconsin !
There is a certain “made in Canada” feel about triathlon these days - at least in North America, and perhaps spreading else where. Consider the following:
We have this great legacy of races and race directors that really trace their roots directly or in directly to Graham Fraser. Graham got it right - treat it as a serious, but fun business and people will come.
We have always had a few athletes who have been right near the top of the game, short or long, going all the way back to Carolina Heins and the Puntous Twins back in the 80’s
We have Les MacDonald, the founder of the ITU and the man who got triathon into the Olympic Games.
As you have mentioned, Mark Roy and his Sportstats business have transformed the way in wich races are timed.
We have some of the best Coaches in the World - Lance Watson, Barrie Shepley, Joel Filloil, Gordo Byrn, Roch Frey etc . .
We have the first Olympic Triathlon Gold Medal winner in Simon Whitfield
We have a few equipment/gear suppliers, Cervelo, Sugoi, Louis Garneau, Guru, Chariot Carriers, to name a few who are generally recognized as making some of the best gear in the world!
Forget Boulder, we have Victora, BC - home to per-capita more Olympic medal winners and Olympic and World Champion finalists than perhaps any other city/town in North America or the world.
I have lost count of the overall Ironman race winners and top placers, but Canada may lead that category as well over the last 5+ years courtesy of: Tom Evans, Dave Harju, Peter Reid, Gordo Byrn, Lori Bowden, Heather Fuhr, Melissa Spooner and Lisa Bentley.
Final point is that we have done all this in a hockey MAD country that for the most part is buried in snow for half of the year, where triathlon is almost right off the radar screen for most people!
“Oh Canada, our . . . .”
Canada Day is coming up, so I just thought I would get in a good warmup!
Fleck
P.S. Hand’s off the gilfriends legs! Seriously, she has really upped the game this year and I am really proud of her.
Very nice race Eric. How the hell do you race every weekend (physically that is)?? Did you do so from when you started doing tris, or did you work into being able to do it?
Loved seeing my old buddy Mike Hay hanging with the big guns - old-school all the way for Mike right down to the Trek OCLV road bike with the clip on aerobars! He’s been out of it for a few years and is gearing up for a run at some top masters( 40-44) results when he turns 40 next year.
I have pretty much done as many races as I could from the beginning. I enjoy racing so much, it’s so different from just training. I really like being able to see and hang out with all my ‘tri’ buddies every weekend.
Personally, I don’t think people race enough these days, particulary foilks getting ready for an IM. Years ago we thought nothing of racing every weekend for 2 months or more straight. It’s the BEST training the you will do.
Fleck, the real coaches will call me dumb, but in the spirit of Mr. Fernando and Mr. Fleck, I might show up and race at the Peterborough half Ironman 2 weeks before IMLP. In 1992, I raced the Orillia Half Ironman (got passed by a certain Lisa Laffredi…aka Lisa Bentley on the final 1K) and two weeks later did IMC in 10:26. If anything else it forced me to rest for 3 days before Peterborough and then a bunch of days afterwards before IMC. I had a pretty good race that day.
I think that it could work for you. You have shown yourself to be very durable and optimistic over the years and I think those are the two most important things with this issue. You will recover well and you believe it will work for you.
We will see you in Peterborough then. Just don’t try and run Paolina off the road again!!
I wanted to try that as well but like virtually everyone says, that is way too close to the IM. And I don’t have the nearly the base/strength or speed Dev does. I wish I had known about Tupper Lake sooner. My oversight.
I was there. I like to fly below the rader screen.
I had a fun weekend supporting my girlfriend and her sister( who did her first ever triathlon on Saturday). Had a great time hanging out with some good friends - new and old and my son on Father’s day. My son thought it was cool to be tossing around a nerf football with Simon W. before the race!
I’ll see you at Peterborough Dev. I’m still waffling on doing it since I’m way overweight for racing and not very fit but I’ll probably do the Henry Rono (now that guy was amazing when he’d start the season with a 15:30 5k and be down to 13:10 by the end) thing and just race myself into some sort of fitness this season.
There is a certain “made in Canada” feel about triathlon these days - at least in North America, and perhaps spreading else where. Consider the following:
I raced in Ontario in his series (Presidents Choice back then) and just expected all races to be that good. Damn.
I raced a few US races and none of them were as good as Graham Fraser races.
Luckily I moved to New Zealand. Some very good races are put on by Frank Clark, who learned how to do it right, by racing in Grahams series back in the early and mid 90’s
We also have some great race directors her in NZ. Jane Patterson has been the Event Director for IMNZ for a few years and they are great races, but not nearly as good “value” as Graham Frasers old races. Jane is excellent and very friendly and incredibly hard working. Also awesome RD here is “Hooksie” Shane Hooks. He does a few 1/2 IM races and also the Womens Special K tri Series. He got 8500! women to show up and race a race here in Auckland last year. 8500 women! well done Hooksie. He used to be IMNZ bike director I heard. Now he’s on his own and doing a great job. He even gives prizes to women who go the Full Monty in transition! Legend!
Sounds like you had an awesome race. I’ve just spent the last two minutes converting the kilometers to miles, roughly, and I’m even more impressed. That race attracts the creme de la creme, definitely, so look at your finishing position there and be proud, buddy.
I did that Tupper Lake race back in '96. The roads on the bike course were kinda rough, and it had a lot of rolling hills, but it was honest. My buddy and I stayed in this fleabag motel with the room right above a country and western bar. YEE-HAW!! I think the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympics were on the very old and very beat-up tv, so that was enough to provide our entertainment for the weekend, I’d say.
