The first of many 70.3

This was the start of a new chapter in my racing and Triathlon career. Last weekend I competed in my first half Ironman or 70.3. It was a lot of fun but gave me a lot more respect for the longer distance tri guys and galls.

I went into the race with enough 70.3 training to understand what I was up against and felt rested from the E Games race that I did the week before and the crash. But I got a nasty cold the week going into the race. I was able to get rid of it about a day before the race and went in feeling good.

The swim was not much different from my olympic swims. I was able to get into the chase group and hang on until the last 400m. I came out of the water about 10th. Now the bike was a lot different also being 93km. I had a good start to the bike settling into a grove pushing from 280-300watts. But at 20km I hit a pot hole and lost my bottle I quickly turned around to get it. Could not afford the penalty. Through the ride I caught 3 people putting me in 7th place. I felt very good until about 75km when the real pain started. I was able to hold onto my speed and finish up the bike with out complete falling apart. But my power did drop giving me an average of 261watts and 40.8kph. When I jumped off my bike my legs felt like jelly and I did not know how I was going to finish the run. 3km in I started to feel like I could run again and I started get back into the grove. I felt good and was able to put in a big bush from 13km to 18km. But after that the meltdown happened and I am surprised I made it to the finish line. I have never felt that kind of leg pain after or during a race. I did not catch any one on the run and held my 7th place.

  The finish

After the race I started to walk around in my dalliers state. I eventually found Stomp the Monster (a group fundraising money for cancer research)  who were so kind and adopted me as on of there athlete nursing me back to strength and warming me up. So I could make the 800m to transition. It has taken 3 day for me to start to feel normal and be able to walk up stares.

I am very excited and happy about this finish. It was not a top 5 but a good start. I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go.
 

Huge thanks to the Brian Manners and his family how welcomed me into there home and put me up for the race. Without people like them the road to victory is a lot longer and harder.

Thanks to Caledon Hills Cycling and Cervelo for all the bike equipment, Saucony for the run shoes, Nineteen Wetsuit for the FastSkin/Wetsuit, Kinetico, Royal Containers and C3 for the flight support.

e Games

This is a very unique and interesting race that takes place at Blue Mountain. The race consists of three separate races that will be added up with the fastest total time wining. The three races are a 3.5km hill climb, a F1 triathlon (400m swim, 6km Bike, 2km Run, 6km Bike, 2km Run), then a 3km run chase where you add up the hill climb and F1 with a staggered start and the first person to cross the finish line wins.

Day 1:
The hill climb started with a short 800m flat lead in, then into a very steep start to the hill that lessened out for the middle then kicked up for the end. John Rasmussen took out the race with a fast start taking us to the base of the hill very quickly. He then attacked the first part of the hill but was quickly brought back to the pack. Then a few other people took the lead but did not make any breaks. I was able to sit in second or third for the first half of the race. Then Jackson Laundry and a few other people made a big attack. I waited thinking that they had gone to early and were going to come back to me. About half way up the climb I made my move standing up and making sure no one else came with me. I was able to move my way into second and gaining on first. I continued to stand and gear up, gained on first place. I caught first place about 200m from the finish line but was not able to match his counter attack with 150m to go. Finished 2nd behind Jackson Laundry.
Jackson Laundry: 8:29
Taylor Reid: +4sec
Sean Bechtel: +26sec
Francis Lefbvre: +28sec
Alexander Hinton: +37sec

Day 2:
The day was a cold one, rainy and bellow 7c. For this reason the race organizers changed the F1 triathlon into a Duathlon (1.5km run, 6km bike, 1.5km run, 6km bike, 1.5km run). Alexander Hinton led out the first run with John Rasmussen right on his tail. I was about 5 sec back of them getting onto the first bike, just did not warm up enough for the short run. I was able to quickly catch then on the bike. Soon Sean Bechtel and Jackson Laundry caught us making a pack of 5. On the second run John, Alex and myself were able to put a gap into Sean and Jackson. We went into the second bike together working well for the first half but on the second last lap of the bike I made a move to try and break away because Alex would have out run me in the last run. But I crashed on the corner. This put me back into 5th place. I ran in trying to minimize the time I had lost. Alexander Hinton won the Duathlon with John Rasmussen 2nd and Sean Bechtel 3rd.

The total time gaps after F1:
Jackson Laundry: 0
Alexander Hinton: +2sec
Sean Bechtel: +22sec
Taylor Reid: +24sec
John Rasmussen: +47sec

The 3km chase race was the last event. The women where started 80seconad before the men. I was 24sec down from 2nd place and I new that 1st was out of reach after the crash but I still had a shot at 2nd. Simon Whitfield jumped into the 3km race as well starting at the same time and dropping me in the first 1km then started to feel the burn allowing me catch up to him. It took me 2.2km before I caught Jackson Laundry who was now in second after Alexander Hinton had passed him. Alexander Hinton won the 3km race, I came second and Andrew Beardsall came 3rd.

I was second in the eGames. A fun day with a great twist on Triathlon.
Top 5 at the egames:
Alexander Hinton: 49:38
Taylor Reid: +44sec
Jackson Laundry: +54sec
Sean Bechtel: +1:20
John Rasmussen: +1:28