HSBC Triathlon Series

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HSBC Triathlon Series Newsletter - August 2009

Volume 8, Issue 7 - August, 2009

The core of the season

Can you beileve it is August already? In one way it is a sad sign because it signals the season will soon come to an end, yet it also marks a busy and exciting part of the season where a lot of athletes will be racing in their key race(s) of the year.

We just kicked off August by hosting the Ontario Long Course Championships at the Bracebridge Half Iron. The heavy rain on the bike and the hot weather on the run made an already tough race even tougher, all athletes appreciated the challenge that the course provided and enjoyed their day. Congrats to Tyler Lord and Claudia Johnston, the overall triathlon race winners and their counterparts on the Duathlon side, Filippo Isabella and Tricia Orzeck. Thanks go to all volunteers who braved the conditions to allow the athletes to compete to the best of their ability.

The series will make its next stop at the popular Toronto Island race this weekend. Representatives from HSBC will be there, and HSBC customers who show their bank card will recieve a special prize. Two weeks later, we will close the month of August with a stop at Cobourg.

We hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter. It features race updates, an important article on drafting, great product offers, tips from our pro panel and coaches, information on the Logs Rocks and Steel race, and Tyler Lord's race report from the Bracebridge Half Iron Triathlon. Please visit our podcasts for up to date interviews, course previews, and athlete interviews. Also, check us out on Twitter.

Play nice, train safe, and thank the volunteers. See you at the races.

Roger Hospedales

HSBC Triathlon Series Newsletter Editor & Podcast Producer

Series News

Race Updates

Jason Vurma, HSBC Triathlon Series Technical Director, takes you through each of our races. Listen to our podcast on iTunes or online to get an excellent impression about what each of our race courses has in store for you.

Toronto Island - All set for this weekend, and likely to be a sold out event by race start.

Cobourg - The Olympic distance race serves as the Ontario Provincial Championships. Come test yourself against some of the province's best athletes and a challenging bike course.

Wasaga Beach - a refresher on the new race site with no sand on the run, smooth asphalt transition and finish on Beach Drive.

Lakeside II - is filling up faster than the June Lakeside event. There will not be any wait lists if this sells out so REGISTER NOW!

MultiSport Canada Running Series News

MultiSport Canada is excited to introduce Transcontinental Media as the Official Media Sponsor of the 2009 run series. Together with our charitable partner, Look Good Feel Better, Transcontinental Media will be instrumental in developing a post race celebration that will have our participants feeling refreshed, renewed and invigorated after their run! With the participation of their magazines; Elle Canada, Canadian Living, Homemakers, Style at Home and MORE magazine runners and walkers will be treated to a great 'girly' time, fabulous swag bags, prizes and much more! Look for our ad in the September issue of all of our partner magazines and visit us at www.runmsc.com

Race photos and awards from Mike Cheliak Photography

This year your race photos will be much easier to find. When searching for your pictures, just enter your race number and all your pictures will appear. So make sure your race number is worn on the front at all times. Visit the new site here. If you have won a picture award your ordering instructions are here.

Season Long Draw

New prizes have been added to the season long draw and more will be added throughout the season. If you are lucky, maybe you can ride away with a brand new $3000 Specialized Transition Comp bike.

How do you qualify for the draw? We will track your races and once you have entered THREE OR MORE RACES you are automatically entered. Additional ballots are given when you complete a post-race online survey. The more you race the better your chance to win. We thank all of our generous sponsors for the prizes.

One of our proud sponsors, GoodLife Fitness, has launched and exciting contest for our 2009 Tri Series. Please visit our website for your chance to win!

Early Bird Prize:

August 31, 2009	1 Month Membership
September 30, 2009	1 Month Membership

Grand Prize:

October 31, 2009        1 Year Membership

The contest is limited to one entry per person, must be legal age to quality.

Twitter & Facebook

Follow our tweets on Twitter, or check us out on Facebook.

Volunteer Help for 2009

Events like ours cannot happen without volunteer support and we are looking for volunteers to help at our 2009 events. Why volunteer? It is fun, you can give back to the sport and your fellow competitiors, and we offer some other great incentives. We offer: donations to support community groups or sports teams that volunteer at our events, High School (and Grade 8 Grads) can earn volunteer hours toward their required 40 hrs, FREE racing for young (high school and university) athletes in exchange for volunteering, entry discounts to racers who help recruit volunteers. Helping us recruit volunteers in your local community does not preclude you racing at your local triathlon. If you think you could recruit 8 - 10+ volunteers for your local triathlon, or would like to volunteer, drop us an email at volunteers@multisportcanada.com and let us know. See you at the races!

 

Drafting - What can you do to prevent it?

It is unfortunate that we have to publish an article about drafting, but it is something that needs to be done since there seem to be a rise in its occurrence this year. The information gathered from our post-race surveys indicates that some athletes are drafting out on the bike course, whether intentionally or not. Regardless of the reasons, drafting is cheating and it is something that this race series will never condone. We we wish to preserve a safe and enjoyable race experience for all of you and ask that you please make sure you honour the rules and make sure you have integrity when you compete.

While we wish we could get more officials at our races, the fact remains that these officials are volunteers and the Ontario Association of Triathletes face a tough task of supplying officials to races as it is. In reality, self-policing is the best way for all of us to combat drafting. So what can you do as an athlete?

1. Know the rules.

If you do not know what drafting is, the violation is described below (taken from Triathlon Canada's Competition Rules). If you still have questions, ask the official on duty or ask for clarification during the pre-race meeting that occurs prior to the start of our races.

Bicycle Draft Zone 

The draft zone for all competitors in Long Distance Competitions and all age group competitions will be a rectangle 7 meters long by 3 meters wide. The center of the leading 3-meter edge will be measured from the leading edge of the front wheel. A competitor may enter the draft zone of another competitor, but must be seen to be progressing through that zone.  A maximum of 15 seconds will be allowed to pass through the zone of another competitor. A competitor is passed when another competitor's front wheel is ahead of theirs.  Once overtaken, a competitor must immediately move out of the draft zone of the leading competitor.

Entry into Bicycle Draft Zone

A competitor may enter a bicycle draft zone (subject to the official's judgment) in the following circumstances:

a) If the competitor enters the draft zone, and progresses through it within 15 seconds

b) For safety reasons

c) At an aid station

d) At the exit or entrance of a transition area

e) At an acute turn

f) If race officials exclude a section of the course because of narrow lanes, construction, detours, or for other safety reasons.

2. Communicate.

If you suspect that someone is drafting you, tell them! But don't be mean about it. Give them the benefit of the doubt and just tell them to go ahead or wave them ahead of you. If that person still decides to hang on your wheel then you have the choice to go to step 3.

3. File a protest

Hopefully, things never get to this stage but it is well within your right to file a protest against an athlete who has violated the drafting rule or any rule for that matter. A summary of the process is outlined below.

(a)  Get the number of the athlete involved.

(b)  Make note of identifiers such as clothing, the type of bike, etc.

(c)  Make a mental note of the time and location on the course if possible.

(d)  Make sure someone else witnesses the violation and is prepared to support your protest.

(e)  Go to the head official as soon as you finish the race and file a formal protest.

The text of the official protest protocol is here.

The full Triathlon Canada Competition Rules can be found here.

We thank you in advance for adhering to the spirit of this great sport and by participating safely and honourably.

Roger Hospedales

Special Offers

As always, supporting the series sponsors is extremely important. Here are a couple of offers from 7 Systems and Human Kinetics that we hope you can take advantage of.

7 Systems

HSBC special offer extended to 10-POUCH TRIAL PACKS! SAVE $10 when you buy 7SYSTEMS endurance sports supplement for the first time.   Just enter the coupon code: HSBC7.  Only available to the first 20 new customers who enter coupon code.  To be among the first ORDER NOW Learn about OUR BEST PRICE GUARANTEE  Limit 1 coupon per customer for orders of 10-Pouch Trial Packs or 30-Pouch Single Containers. Offer expires August 31, 2009 at midnight, EST.

 

Human Kinetics Book Feature

Triathlon 101  by John Mora

Mora offers tips for beginning triathletes    The days preceding a first triathlon can be nerve-wracking for first time triathletes. In Triathlon 101, triathlon expert John Mora addresses five pre-race mistakes triathletes should avoid: ·            Overreacting to new race course information. It’s important to be familiar with the race course on race day, but don’t squeeze in some last-minute training based on new information you learn about the race the day before the event. For example, perhaps you discover that the bike course is hillier than you thought-now is not the time to get in some last-minute hill training. You’ll risk injury or burnout, plus it won’t do you much good, anyway. ·            Losing sleep. Chances are you’ll be a little anxious the days before your first triathlon. While it’s not a big deal to get less sleep the night before, long-term sleep deprivation over three or more days can cause you to lose your edge and diminish your enjoyment on race day. Make a special effort to catch up on your sleep the week before an event. This will also help your body recover from training. ·            Becoming too preoccupied with details. Triathlon racing, like life, is a balancing act. We’ve talked about the importance of covering all those details, but there is such a thing as obsessing over insignificant particulars. Examples include fussing over the lack of detail on the swim course map, fretting over which flavor Gatorade to drink, and checking the race Web site every 15 minutes. ·            Not accounting for race-day conditions. Keep an eye on the weather forecast in the days before the race. If there’s even a slight chance of rain, pack a poncho for prerace transition area setup and comfort. If conditions will be hot and humid, pack extra fluids and your best moisture-wicking racing apparel. Of course, don’t forget your sunblock and sunglasses. ·            Not preparing for a flat. We’ve talked about the importance of having the essential flat repair equipment on your bicycle-tube, frame air pump, tire levers. Yet, you’ll almost always see a novice triathlete walking his or her bicycle back to the transition area or waiting for a rescue wagon during a big race. Don’t let that be you. You should have done it long ago, but if you haven’t, visit your bike shop for the gear and a flat-tire changing lesson the week before the race. Copyright © 2009  by Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. Available to order from Human Kinetics Canada at humankinetics.com  or by calling 1-800-465-7301” Regular Price: $24.95 (Canadian dollars)   Special Multisport price = $18.71 Order online today and save 25%!  Use Promo Code X647 when ordering (offer valid until Aug 31, 2009  on Canadian orders only; not combinable with any other offers)

Faces of HSBC Triathlon Series

By Roger Hospedales

This month's Face of the HSBC Series is Scott Simpson. He has aleady raced 5 times with us this season, and has been a familiar face since this series started in 2002. Make sure to check out the podcast interview with Scott and learn a whole lot more about this incredible athlete. Enjoy the podcast profile here to stream it online or here on iTunes.

Scott Simpson

 

Hometown:  Grand Valley, Ontario.

Age Group:  Men 40-44

Years in the sport:  12

Occupation:  Career counseling

Fave Equipment:  Cervelo P2SL, Profile Design T2+ Aerobars

Words of wisdom:  "People can always change. Set goals and go after them."

Training tips: Listen to your body, make the hard days hard, easy days easy, and let your body recover.

Race strengths: Transitions, second half of his swim, bike and run.

Goals/Key races for 2009:  Cobourg Olympic Triathlon (Provincial Championship), reach the podium in all of his races

Other interesting facts:  Grew up on a farm, used to weigh 240 pounds, a former pack a day smoker and heavy drinker, HIV positive, Founder of Race for Dignity, Ironman finisher (Wisconsin), self-coached, just finished his University degree in Psychology (23 years after having started it), and gets his competitive spirit from his parents who are tractor and truck pull fanatics.

Click here to listen to the podcast interview on iTunes or here to listen online.

 

Special Professional Athlete Feature

Tyler Lord's Bracebridge Half Iron Race Report

After a solid performance in Calgary, not the best run, but a solid performance nonetheless I decided to enter the Bracebridge 70.3. The course looked great, and although I knew I would be tired I couldn't miss the opportunity! Shannon (his wife - they celebrated their first anniversary on race day) and I drove up on the Saturday night and decided to camp. What better thing to do then sleep on an air mattress on a camp grounds....in the rain! Surprisingly, I was feeling really good. I had some solid workouts throughout the week and was thinking it was going to be a good day and it was.

The Swim was tough with a solid current in the river. My goal was to come out not too far back to catch the leaders. I came out 7th and with a fast transition I was in 5th! Onto the bike I quickly caught the leader 10km in and never looked back. I really wanted to work the bike and in 45km I hit 1:07 on my power meter. My goal was to stick the same pace back, but like my season is going the sky opened up again and dumped a crazy rainstorm on us, so I really was careful not to skid out or blow a tire! I came in 2:19, with an avg of 39 and change. Not bad for the rain. That gave me a 10min lead going into the run. I have to thank Louis Garneau for a great pair of carbon shoes. I can honestly say I have never had a shoe that has such a solid transfer of power from my foot to the pedal. I avg 285 watts for the race and my feet felt comfy the whole time! Amazing!

It rained like crazy 12km in on the run and my goal was to settle into a 4km pace. Mentally the run is tough, especially when you have no lead vehicle, no one around just you and the road. I was clicking off the kilometers and when I got to the out and back and didn't see anyone, I know I shouldn't have, but let up the pace just a bit and started doing 4:15's still not bad!

I took 1st overall and won by 14 minutes over the next athlete. It was a good day and I am very excited to have gotten the win. I have to thank John and HSBC Triathlon Series for a great race and excited to do it next year!

You can read the full race report and all of Tyler's future exploits at his blog.

Ask the Pro

Our pro panel of Nigel Gray and Richard Pady will answer your questions in each newsletter. So get your thinking caps on and send your question(s) to hosspro@hotmail.com.

Question: How can I improve my hill climbing on the bike?

Nigel Gray's response:

There are really 3 key things to help an athlete ride hills better:

1.     Efficiency while Climbing -  This involves a few things: First, having the right gears for the terrain you are riding, so having small enough gears that you aren't forced to go too hard to keep a decent cadence on the hills or that your cadence drops to <40rpm in order to maintain the appropriate effort level. Second, changing gears properly, so getting in and out of your big chain ring at the appropriate time and not getting stuck in the wrong gear. You need to change gears in order to maintain your proper cadence and effort level on a climb and smooth shifting will help to keep your momentum as well as keep your effort level in the right range

2.     Power - raising your threshold power output (threshold power = the max power that you can hold for 60min) will make you a better climber, this can be done numerous ways, but even building your LT power on the flats will help make you a better climber, as will longer extended efforts on hills (ideally at least 5min intervals)

3.     Weight - the less weight you carry up a hill the faster you will go! And the weight of your bike is not a huge part of this, so focus more on reducing your body fat %

Remember however that racing hills in a triathlon is not about who can sprint to the top first, most of the hills in Southern Ontario are quite short and the fastest person up them in training is the one with the most fast twitch muscle fibre, but sprinting up hills like this in racing is a big mistake, it is highly energy costly and inefficient. The goal in a triathlon is to even out your power output over the course, yes your power should go up on a hill, but only so much that you can change gears and keep pushing over the top, if you get to the top of a hill and have to coast to recover you have gone too hard. You will be just as fast or faster if you hold back slightly on hills but push over the top and down the other side (this will have you catching back up the to the athlete that hammered the hill), and at the same time you will use less energy which will be needed later in the ride or on the run!

Nigel Gray is Head Coach of NRG Performance Training, with over 10 years of coaching experience from beginners to Elite athletes www.nrgpt.com

Question: How can I improve my run to perform better on a hilly course?

Richard Pady's response:

Think of a hill workout as a running-specific weight workout. The exaggerated knee lift, driving arms, and pronounced toe-off necessary to run up hills strengthens you every bit as much as hitting the weight room.
 
Here are 3 workouts to try - reminder to always build into each workout so not to over do it.
 
1. Short Hills. 100 to 200 meters that you repeat multiple times (4-10). They can be tacked on the end of an easy run or used as a complete workout. Because these hills are short, you should run them at a fast pace -- almost an all-out effort -- with a walk or slow jog back down the hill as a recovery.
 
Note: a grass or dirt hill is less stressful to your body. Short hills are important for anyone who wants to improve their finish in a sprint, or international distance racing.
 
2. Hilly Power Run. This workout builds strength for a strong 10k or half-marathon. Pick a route that has rolling hills and "push" each hill. By push, I mean you should try not to slow down as you roll over each rise. But don't attack the incline as you do when running short hills.
 
Note: This type of continuous hilly power run will be your best weapon against monster hills in your next race.
 
3. Long Hill Circuits. The key is finding a grass or dirt circuit that has a number of uphills. The distance of the circuit can be as short as 500m or as long as 3kms. Run the downhill sections at a semi-easy (75 percent) effort to avoid injury. Run the flat and uphill sections at 5-K race pace (effort). Do a total of 5-7kms, with 3 minutes (for 500m) to 5 minutes (for 3km) of jog recovery between each circuit.
 
Always remember to warm up before you do any of these workouts and to always slowly build into each interval. If you have any leg injuries or overly tight calf muscles I would not recommend hills in your training.
 
Happy Training

Richard Pady is the Head Coach of Healthy Results Training, the creator of Indoorrider.com, and the Founder of Race 4 Kids.

 

Tips and Articles From Coaches

Tri Sheep

By Ian Maclean

Have you ever had one of those rides that just sticks with you for a reason totally unrelated to the task at hand? I have. A couple of years ago I was down in California for a self-directed training camp and I came upon the strangest thing. We were riding through some rolling hills, in and out of little farmland valleys, when at the top of one of the hills all traffic had come to a halt.

What was the cause you might ask? Cows! A farmer was moving his cattle from one field to another, across the road, and all traffic was stopped while these cattle crossed the road in a very orderly, single file manner. Guess I now know the answer to why the cow crossed the road!

Ah, but I digress. While we were stopped waiting for the cattle to cross the road, I looked down into the valley below and saw something even cooler. Two Australian Shepherds were keeping an eye on a flock of sheep. There was no human around, just these two dogs keeping this herd of sheep in line. Now, have you ever seen how a flock of sheep moves in a field when the dogs are around? It's really quite interesting. They stay bunched very tightly together, moving together as one unit, almost as though one brain were controlling all their movements. It's very surreal watching this mass of white fluff floating around the field.

Anyway, I found my thoughts drifting back to those sheep recently when I was thinking about the current make up of a typical transition zone. In my humble little opinion, there are too few manufacturers with far too great a representation in the typical race field these days. Which has led me to coin the cute little term, "tri-sheep"!

In my opinion, there is a prevalent mentality among the triathlon community that goes something like, "I am/want to be a triathlete, therefore I must ride X bike with Y wheels and Z wetsuit." It is a self-perpetuating cycle as well. The more people who live and purchase by this philosophy, the more of a foothold particular brands gain in transition zones, which gives them more visibility and a greater perception among the masses that this is the best bike/wheelset/wetsuit to use. These tri-sheep also allow themselves to be herded around by the industry version of the Australian Shepherd, corporate marketing departments. You can almost see them traveling en-masse, drifting from one "must-have" gadget to the next.

Are these tri-sheep really making the best use of their resources though?  Just because you see Dick and Jane riding a particular brand of bike or wearing a particular wetsuit, that doesn't automatically mean you should be too. Each one of us is unique. We all have individual fit and ride parameters based on our level of fitness, our range of motion, our overall athleticism and our goals and reasons for taking part in triathlon. All of those factors should go into choosing your bike, and any other equipment you need to purchase.

As an example, if you are a relative newcomer to the sport, or maybe a little overweight with a corresponding limit to flexibility and range of motion through your hamstrings, hip flexors and lower back, there are some very aggressively built triathlon bikes out there that you should probably stay away from as your body is not currently built to ride in the position that is optimal for the handling and comfort of that bike. In fact, I would argue that if you fit the above description, you should probably stay away from a tri-bike altogether, and look at a nice road bike instead. And yet, I see bikes in transition at every race that have had all kinds of modifications made to the geometry to try and create a rideable position where one really doesn't exist.

I am a firm believer that fit is the number one most important criteria in choosing a bike, especially a tri-bike. Fit affects everything... comfort, power output, aerodynamics, efficiency, handling and stability. An improperly fit or sized bike will sacrifice or compromise on one or more of these performance parameters. Why anyone would drop over $3000 on a compromise is beyond me. Especially when one considers the sheer diversity of choice that currently exists within the triathlon market. If, as a consumer, you perform due diligence and truly research your options, you can almost always find a stock bike that is going to get the job done. And for those times when you can't, custom is always an option, and at far less a premium than most people think.

How can you know if you are compromising or sacrificing fit? If your handle bars or arm rests are higher than your saddle, your set up is probably wrong. If your stem is shorter than 90mm, your bike is probably too big for you. If you have more than 3cm of spacers under your stem, a stem with a positive rise of more than about eight degrees, or worse, a combination of the two, you are definitely on the wrong bike.  And those are just the basics.

Now, I know what you are thinking, this is just a long drawn out argument for going custom. Not so. I spend quite a bit of my time doing pre-purchase fit consults for clients to help them determine which of the stock bikes on the market is going to provide them with the best fit for the money they want to spend. I'd say about 80% of the time, I'm able to find a stock bike that either makes no compromises, or if it does, they end up being negligible. For the other 20%, they have a decision to make. Live with the compromises that a stock bike offers, or go custom. Regardless of which way they go, at least they are entering into the purchase with full knowledge, and full disclosure.

So, what am I really getting at? Don't be a tri-sheep and simply follow the herd. Ask yourself exactly what it is you want from your equipment, determine the size and geometry of bike you truly should be on. Make sure your equipment matches your physical requirements, your skill level, and your goals. You'll get more out of your equipment, more out of yourself, and more out of your participation in this sport.

 

Ian MacLean owns and operates IMFIT.ca.

He combines years of experience with professional certifications in CANFITPRO personal training, NCCP certified fitness coaching, V02 Metabolic Assessment testing, F.I.S.T. certification on accurate bike fit. Ian MacLean and IMFIT.ca has helped hundreds of ordinary people achieve extraordinary results, and surpass their individual fitness goals.

 

Other Cool Things to Check out

Logs Rocks & Steel

Spend Labour Day weekend working hard to get all sweaty and dirty. How perfect is that?

Sign up for the Guats Logs Rocks and Steel Multisport Adventure on Saturday, September 5 at the Frost Centre (near Dorset) and get ready for a seriously awesome adventure race.

The Championship Course starts with a 16K trail run, followed by a 14K wilderness paddle, and finishes with a 50K mountain bike ride - all through the incredibly scenic terrain and waterways of the Haliburton Highlands.

And for those who are thinking they'd rather tackle something a little less, well, epic, there's also the Frost Centre Course, with a 4K paddle, an 8K mountain bike course, and a 5K trail run to finish. So maybe you won't sweat for as long as on the Championship Course, but you'll definitely sweat.

So, if you're thinking, hey, sounds cool, go ahead and check out the race's website at www.logsrocksandsteel.com. You'll find lots of race information, details about accommodation (why not stay for the weekend?) and camping - and oh, there's also a celebratory bonfire after the race, so - pack your marshmallows.

Partner Events

Tri Kids Triathlon Series

Ontario's newest series for kids, has four races for the 2009 season. Mississauga, Oakville, Bracebridge and Milton. Each one provides a unique race setting. Tri Kids Triathlons are non-competitive, safe events designed for 3 to 15 year-olds. The first race takes place on June 21st in Mississauga and is expected to be a sell-out so register early.

Visit TRi KIDS Triathlon Series for more details.

Multisport Canada Running Series

Make sure to visit the site of the new MultiSport Canada Running Series and register for the races for this fresh and exciting series. The series aims to create events that combine great race courses, inspiring entertainment, cool technical t-shirts, fantastic post-race celebrations and much more. The Toronto Island Women's 10K on August 15^th and Toronto Island Women's Half Marathon on September 19^th invites and encourages women of all ages and abilities to participate.

 

 

Come celebrate the Island way of life on August 15^th when the MultiSport Canada Running Series puts a tropical twist on an already unique event. The first annual Island Girl 10K, a race created just for women, was recently renamed and promises a lively, Caribbean-style running event on a fast and scenic course. Steel drum bands, raffia skirts and tropical fruit await you after your race. Take the short ferry ride to Hanlan's Point, lace up your shoes and enjoy the camaraderie and festive ambiance of our women's only 10K. Challenge your sister, walk with your mom - join us on the Island where it's 'all cool running'. To register for the Island Girl 10K or for our other MultiSport Canada Running Series races visit www.runmsc.com.

 

The MultiSport Canada Running Series is proud to be associated with Look Good Feel Better, Canada's only charitable cancer program dedicated to empowering women to manage the appearance-related effects of cancer and its treatment. Look Good Feel Better believes that an improved self-image can help lift women's spirits and nurture hope, helping them face their illness with greater confidence. Launched by the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA) in 1992, the program has helped over 90,000 women since it's inception. The benefits of the program go well beyond beauty.

Participants in our three MultiSport Canada Running Series events are encouraged to raise funds and awareness for this unique campaign. We encourage you to take some time to visit the Look Good Feel Better website to learn more about their free 2-hour hands on workshops offered at over 100 cancer facilities throughout Canada. The workshop brings together women with cancer in a safe and supportive environment where they benefit from shared experiences. By running in support of this program you are helping women with cancer look and feel more like themselves again. Please donate to the cause by visiting this site.

 

If you would like to submit content to the newsletter, please send items to hosspro@hotmail.com

Please Support our 2009 Sponsors

We extend our thanks to each and every sponsor. Race entry fees never cover the complete cost of a particular race or series of races and without the sponsors there is no race or race series that would survive without their support. We hope that you all take a moment to check out our Series Sponsors below or visit the sponsors page and see what they do and look at the products they sell. Please thank them for supporting the sports of Triathlon and Duathlon by trying and using their products. If you do visit them please take a moment to thank them for supporting Triathlon, Duathlon and Kids races in Ontario.

Thanks To All Of Our Sponsors

As you all know there would be no race or series without sponsors. We extend our thanks to each and every sponsor starting with the HSBC Bank Canada or the local bike and running shops in the communities where you race. We hope that you all take a moment to visit the sponsors page and see what they do and look at the products they sell. Please thank them for supporting the sports of triathlon and duathlon by trying and using their products. If you do visit them please take a moment to thank them for supporting triathlon and duathlon.

A Message From The HSBC Bank Canada

HSBC Bank Canada is extremely proud to be the title sponsor of Canada's fastest growing triathlon series. HSBC, both here in Canada and around the world, has a strong tradition of supporting both local and national events. Health, fitness and a balanced life is important. Many of the initiatives we support are based on this premise. Whether its our sponsorship of HSBC Stars on Ice (skating), the HSBC Calgary Marathon, The Vancouver Sun Run, HSBC Childrun, HSBC Triathlon Series, the ITU Brampton Pan American Cup, or the Ford World Curling Championships, presented by HSBC we believe our presence in communities across Canada should extend far beyond meeting the financial services needs of our customers.

About HSBC Bank Canada

HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, has more than 290 offices, including over 140 bank branches. With around 9,500 offices in 86 countries and territories and assets of US$2,527 billion at 31 December 2008, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations.

Our Title Sponsor

HSBC Bank Canada is back for a fifth year. HSBC Bank Canada is a tremendous supporter of Triathlon, Duathlon and other mass participation sporting events

 

Transition Zone, Volunteer and GT12.9 Series Sponsor

Series Sponsors

Please support all of our sponsors. You can visit their website by clicking on their logo on the left side of the page.

Official Swim Course and Wetusit Sponsor	Official Bike Course Sponsor
Official Nutrition and Hydration Sponsor	Official Run Course and Running Shoe Sponsor
Official Watch And Heart Rate Monitor	Official Apparel Sponsor
Official Bike Trainer	Official Photographer
Official Bike Support Team

Silver Level Sponsors

Post-Race Bagels
Post-Race Prizes		Hats and Headwear

 

Local and Retail Sponsors

GTA - Mississauga	Located in London
Toronto	Markham, Barrie, Newmarket and Milton
GTA - Scarborough	Located in Orillia
Located in London	Located in London
Oshawa	Located in London
Parry Sound
Gravenhurst Rexall IDA	Gravenhurst

Medical Support

Thank you for racing in the HSBC Triathlon Series!

John Salt and the MultiSport Canada Team