Ironman...?

So Jack is a really close friend of mine and the guy who got me started in triathlons but hasn't done any for awhile and keeps talking about wanting to do another Ironman but Amanda his wife didn't want him doing another one because the training took too much time. So on Tuesday I'm over for supper and I'm teasing Jack that he should sign up for an Ironman next year and we both started getting the look from Amanada....so then on Wednesday I see Jack and he hands me this piece of paper and I open it and it's a receipt for entry into Ironman next August and Amanada signed him up without him even knowing. I think this is so exciting and I can't wait to start training with him and now he can come out with Drew and I sometimes also.
On a not so good note, I was at my Fire Fighting practice last night and one of the guys who is involved on with the Naughton Ski Trails where I do my cross country skiing told me that earlier this week someone broke into their garage and stole their trail groomer. It's about 15thousand to replace and they need one or else they can't keep the trails open. I don't understand though how someone can just drive away with one of those and nobody see that! It's really unfortunate that these things happen because it affects so many people.
Lea's birthday was good yesterday and she enjoyed her presents that I gave her and tonight a few friends are coming over for supper.
So far everyone that I've given a copy of my sponsorship package to really likes it and I even think a few companies are going to give me some money for next year so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

26 Years Old!

Well the snow is definetely here and it looks like it's here to stay. Lastnight was my first time this year getting out and doing some cross country skiing. Jack and I did about an hour together at the Naughton Trails. Last year I got out skiing a little bit but this winter I want try and get out even more because it's a good way of doing some cross training and still getting in a good workout. The rest of my training is still going good and I'm swimming everyday now trying to get ready for the swim meet in a couple of weeks. This weekend I have to go to North Bay to coach at a swim meet on Sunday with the younger kids.
Thursday is Lea's birthday and she is turing 26! Going to have a few people over on Friday night for supper which should be fun. Anyways I'm just at work right now and I kind of have to get going so I will write more later when I get the chance.

Santa Parade/Raptors Game/New Bike

So things have settled down now that my trip has come and gone. I've been getting some good base workouts in with some longer runs and bikes inside on the treadmill and on the trainer. I've started doing a little bit of strenght training as well which I think will help with my cycling and I've even started going to a few classes like yoga. My swimming is going great, I'm getting in my swim everyday now getting ready for my swim meet in Guelph. It will be fun again to get up on the blocks and race.
This past weekend we were really bust first going with my Aunt Bon and Jenn to watch Jordon play hockey here in town. It was great to see him play and he scored a goal and was named MVP of the game! After that we went out for lunch and then it was time for Lea and I and Jesse and Sarah to get ready for the Santa Clause parade. We actually had a lot of fun the whole night and I was so surprised at how many people came out. After the parade Jesse and Sarah came over for the night as we had to get up early to catch the bus to Toronto in morning. Sunday the four of us went to Toronto to watch the Raptors game. It was my first time seeing a professional game like that and we had all had fun. I even caught a little ball that they were tossing into the crowed and brought it home for Daisy to play with.
Last week was also exciting because I finally got my new bike that I ordered exactly a year ago! It's a Blue T-17 and it looks awesome, although I don't think I'm going to get the chance to get out and ride it now as the snow is already here. I also sold my race wheels to Drew as Blackwell gave me a Pro Deal on a new set that I also got last week. I can't wait for next year to try out all my new goodies. And congrates to Drew for an awesome Ironman two weeks ago in Las Vegas on one of the hardest courses there is and his 3rd Ironman this year.
Not too much going on this week other than work and training like also. This weekend is our x-mas staff party on Saturday night. Friday we got free tickets to the wolves game so Lea and I will be going to see that on Friday. Not much else new, that time of the year and just trying to stay healthy now. Looking forward to the x-mas season and hopefully seeing everyone!

More pics

San Fran Pics

Recouvering...Mentally

So San Francisco has come and gone and I guess the good thing is I'm still here and still kicking. The didn't go as planned and it's something I'm going to have to accept and deal with. In 15 years of swimming and about 30 triathlons over the past three years I can't say I've ever had a race quite like this one.
After our swim warm up we were all put in a holding tank where we waited for about 10minutes. It was quite cold, the water temperature was only 58 degrees and it was the only day that we were there was wasn't sunny and there was a fine mist coming down. It was really one of my first races where I had no idea what to expect. The top 5 guys get an introduction and their World Ranking and just returning from the Olympics in Beijing...I think at that moment I was like OMG what am I getting myself into. They moved us down onto the starting dock and it was going to be the first time that I do a dive entry in a triathlon. I think I was so used to at the start of the swim being able to swim without anyone right on top of you...well not the case with time. There was 37 other guys who were all bigger than me and seemed just as fast! I was able to pull up a little big from the group but knew there was someone on my right and a bunch of guys right on my feet. I lead the first 500m and then someone came up beside me and tried going around. We swam side by side for the rest of the first lap and then going around the buoy he cut inside of me and he did a breast stroke kick I guess to get around it and I took it in my side. It took the wind out of me for a second and he pulled away and two other guys tried going around me. Now I was back in about fourth or fifth and not where I wanted to be. I swam really hard and passed a couple of them pack but the first place guy had a good 10-15m lead on everyone else. The rest of the second lap I swam in second with a guy right beside me. I got out on the pontoon dock and right away felt sick. I exited the water with about 6-7 guys within about 5seconds behind me and then there was about a 20-30second gap before the next group. Everything though just seemed to go down hill even more as I got out of the water. Running to my bike I got the top part of my wetsuit off but as I got to my bike I struggled getting it the rest of the way off(I knew I shouldn't of used my new wetsuit for the first time at this race). The group of guys that I came out with had taken off. I stumbled getting onto my bike as the toe of my shoe got caught on the ground. I tried catching that lead group through the first half of the lap but they were all working together and I just couldn't. The rush of getting out of transition now I think had worn off and I could feel my stomach and it wasn't happy. I think from getting kick I felt sick and the next group of about 10 guys went flying by me and I pushed hard to catch one of there wheels but I was only able to stay there for a few minutes . I biked the rest of the first lab and half of the second lap by myself and after feeling part of my breakfast coming up I made one of the hardest decisions to pull out.
I've never been faced with that decision before and it was really hard to handle. I got my stuff back in transition and after a minute of whipping the tears away I went to catch a cab and get out of there. I was very upset at myself and had very mixed feelings. I had that split second of not wanting to do this anymore and then I turned my anger to how am I going to come back from this. The next morning I got up early and went for a 75minute run on the treadmill in the hotel and killed myself....the whole time planning on how to come back strong and what I'm going to do over the next little while. I had told myself before the race that if I had a good race I was going to take a week or so off and do nothing but I'm not doing that now and I'm right back into it. I'm going to be training harder than ever this winter and hopefully get a running partner to push me on at least one of my run every week. I'm going to be doing a big swimming phase over the next little while also as I will be going to a swim meet in December where I can win some money. Also this winter one of my goals is to beat my 1500m personal best time that I swam when I was 15 years old and at the time was good enough to rank me number one in Canada. I can close when I swam for the university a couple years ago and only missed it but less than 2 seconds but this year I'm going to prove it to myself that I can still do it and I'm getting faster.
I got a lot of good pictures from San Francisco and will post those later and will talk about the fun I had while visiting San Francisco like going to Alcatraz!! That was sooo cool!

4 Hours to go....

So I'm less than 4 hours to go unstill the start of the race. Nervous as hell!! The breifing lastnight was going good until they asked, "is this anyones first ITU race"? I looked around...nobody was putting up their hand so I said what the heck and I put my hand! Their response was, "you sure picked a hell of a course to start on"! I've biked the course and I went in for a swim yesterday. Little wired swimming in water with sea lions. Something doesn't seem qiute right about that. The water was very cold at first but I warmed up after a little bit. Well I'm just off to grab a bite to eat and then hit the tub to shave down. It's time to GO!

My first Professional ITU Race

It's been awhile since my last post and things have been pretty busy lately. I leave this week on Thursday for San Francisco. I can't believe that's it's almost here and in five days I will lining up on the start line next to the best in the World along with Olympians that were in Beijing only two months ago. I think I'm going into this race though with a good attitude though that no matter what the outcome and what place I finish it will be an amazing learning experience for other races like this to come. I know I'm not where I want to be with my training from some health issues over the past month with being in the hospital for my stomach to being sick and run down for almost two weeks. My training had to be cut back in order to recover from these things but going into this race I know no matter what I can swim with these guys so I know I will come out of the water with the leaders. On the bike it will be my first race where it's a draft legal race so I know there will be lots of things to learn about how these guys race races like these. I know coming out of the water with the leaders I will be in the lead pack on the bike and it will be just not to do anything stupid and I should be able to stay with them. After that once I get to the run the top guys will be running between 30-32 minutes for the 10km and I'm just not there yet. There will be so many things to learn though from this race that I know I will be able to find all the positive aspects and build on those for my next one.
Work has just been work lately, nothing new and exciting. Last weekend Lea and I went for out weekend course of marriage prep. I went into it with a pretty negative attitude and that the whole thing was going to be really boring but I was very wrong. I learned quite a bit of stuff from the couple that was giving the course and many things that Lea and I can use in the future. The wedding is only about 6 months away now and we are starting to put invites together to get ready to send out. We're working on a few other things also in order to get ready and we are getting pretty excited. Last weekend on Saturday night I got went to a big structure fire at a family home where the family just barely made it out. It was a big fire and the house sustained a lot of damage. It was my first house fire since Lea and I moved into our house and it really hit me how scary it must be for the people who's house it was and how I have no idea what I would do if that ever happened to us.
Things have been going good though at our place and we've been getting lots of work done. We finished the base boards in the basement around the floor we put in and we installed a door to separate the rec room from my work shop and laundry room. This weekend my aunt and uncle from North Bay came to visit. They got here Saturday afternoon and after doing some shopping into with them we went to the pool because my sister was swimming in a swim meet. After that we had a really nice relaxing evening back at home and my sister came over and we all played some cards. It was good to have Mark and Bonnie here for the weekend because we never get to see them enough and it was a chance for them to see our new house for the first time.
So I guess I'll post after I get back from San Francisco with some pictures. I leave Thursday morning and I'm pretty much ready to go. I've got the race wheels on the new bike, my new wetsuit from Xterra because I'm sure that ocean is going to be chilly and now I just got to show up and race my best.