HSBC Triathlon Series

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HSBC Triathlon Series Newsletter - July 2009

Volume 8, Issue 6 - July, 2009

Welcome to the second month of the season

We just finished a busy and exciting month of racing and July brings us two of our most popular races, Gravenhurst and Bala Falls. Most of events at Gravenhurst are sold out and a few spots still remain for Bala Falls. Act quickly and register or miss out.

Whether your main race of the season is one of those races or one coming up in August or September, we hope you find this newsletter informative and helpful for your training and racing needs.

This edition of the newsletter highlights news from the series, some great deals from 7 Systems and Human Kinetics, the new Faces of the HSBC interview series, another look at the Bala Falls triathlon, the Ask the Pro section, Mike Cheliak's new website, training articles, and lots more.

I'll end by congratulating Series Director John Salt and his wife on their races at Quelle Challenge Roth (Irondistance event). John posted an 11:23:04 while Anne was just a few minutes behind in 11:32:09.

Safe training & see you all at the races.

Roger Hospedales

HSBC Triathlon Series Newsletter Editor & Podcast Producer

Plan Your Route with HSBC

Whether around the course or around the world, HSBC can help you plan your life's route

What a success! The sold out opening event within the HSBC Triathlon Series has taken place without a hitch! This goes to show the value that everyday athletes place in this event. HSBC is proud to be a part of this worthy series and looks forward to meeting with participants at the Toronto Island race on August 15^th and 16^th.

As a supporter of healthy living, HSBC is encouraged by the number of individuals who have participated at the races thus far. The increasing number of people signing up for the remainder of the races is equally inspiring.

HSBC representatives and route experts will be on-location at the Toronto Island race. They will be offering timely advice on effective banking and tips on how to best tackle the races.  When speaking to a representative remember to show them your HSBC banking card to receive a premium prize free of cost.

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.

Gravenhurst - The Olympic Tri and Sprint Tri are sold out. There are still spots available for the Provincial Duathlon Championships (with spots for the World Championships up for grabs), the sprint duathlon, and GT 12.9. To grab one of the remaining spots, register today. We would ask athletes who are registered but cannot race to let us know so we can give your spot to someone else. Refund policies still apply and are for medical reasons only. If you wish to transfer to another race that can be arranged for a $10 fee.

Bala Falls - Read the story in the Athlete & Special Interest Stories section.

Bracebridge - Now features two days of racing. The Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon will be held on Saturday August 8th, and the Half Irondistance Triathlon and Duathlon will go on Sunday August 9. While those races are in progress, there will be a GT 12.9 race. The Half Iron Distance Triathlon will serve as the Provinical Long Course Triathlon Championship. 

Host Hotel deals for Gravenhurst, Bala & Bracebridge

We have secured special rates at the Residence Inn Gravenhurst Muskoka Wharf for all Multisport Canada triathlon participants during the dates specified in the grid below. Please take advantage of these great rates which are sure to the snapped up quickly.

Visit the dedicated online booking page here.

New Mike Cheliak Photography Site

Thanks to Mike Cheliak's new site and partnership with ZOOM Photo, 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:

May 31, 2009	1 Month Membership
June 30, 2009	1 Month Membership
July 31, 2009	1 Month Membership
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.

Facebook Page

If you are an avid Facebook user, please join our group. Check out our Facebook Page and to add us as a friend.

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!

Pre-race Nutrition

By The 7 Systems Team

The question of "what and when to eat" before a race can often be one of the toughest to answer.  Racing in particular can be problematic when one considers that nervous energy generally does not lend itself to a healthy appetite.  One must also take into consideration that most races start early in the morning, which means the body has been fasting for hours.  Maintaining consistent blood sugar levels is important when considering peak performances.  Choosing when and what to eat before a race might be one of the most important things you do.

When to eat

The general rule of thumb is that the last proper meal should be consumed at least three hours prior to the start.  Three hours should allow enough time for the food to clear your system before the gun goes off.  In order to maintain blood sugar levels it's also not a bad idea to sip on an electrolyte sport drink in the remaining three hours.  This also helps top up your hydration and electrolyte levels.  It's a good idea to consume something light about 60-90 minutes before.  A banana or gel with an appropriate amount of fluid can help maintain adequate energy and blood sugar levels.  You don't want to arrive at the start line feeling full but you also don't want to have hunger pains.

The three-hour rule is good in theory but what if your race starts at 7am or even earlier?  I can tell you that I personally am not getting up in the 3's to eat breakfast.  If your race starts at a reasonable time then the three-hour rule is a good one.  If the race starts early I would wake up a couple hours before and eat a light breakfast that helps balance your blood sugar but does not leave you feeling full or bloated.  Chances are you won't want to eat much anyway but a little bit will help you get through the day with greater ease.

What to eat

Foods that are carbohydrate rich are the most appropriate.  The more time you have before the start, the more of a balanced meal your body should be able to handle.  If you can eat at least three hours before you can add some good quality protein to the mix.  Foods that are high in fat take longer to digest and you may find yourself still trying to process it when the gun goes off.  Stay away from foods that are very high in fiber for obvious reasons.  Caffeinated beverages are a personal choice.  The research is almost undeniable when considering caffeine as a performance booster but it affects everyone differently.  It's important to know when your coffee "hits your bowels" to put it delicately.

Suggested Food Choices

Foods that have a balance of carbohydrate, some protein and small amount of fat are great for your pre race meal three hours out.  

Some suggestions are:

• Oatmeal or Quinoa or any type of slower cooking porridge
• Bananas
• Low fiber breads with some almond butter or peanut butter and honey
• Eggs poached with toast

The most important thing you can do is practice your food choices in training.  Have a plan for your race day breakfast and make sure you stick to foods you know you can digest well and your stomach can handle.  You can practice this in training.  If you have an afternoon workout then eat lunch as if it were your pre race breakfast.  Or even better, if you have early morning workouts then try different food choices during the week and figure out which ones work best for you.

 

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

Endurance Sports Nutrition by Suzanne Girard Eberle

Find your endurance advantage in the foods you eat. Endurance Sports Nutrition will help you select the best foods, fluids, and supplements to train longer, recover more quickly, avoid injuries, and achieve your performance goals in any endurance endeavor.

Sports dietitian and former elite runner Suzanne Girard Eberle provides a proven fueling program that addresses the unique needs of endurance athletes:

• Road and trail running: 5K to 100+ miles
• Cycling and mountain biking: time trials to multiday rides
• Duathlon and triathlon: sprint to Ironman
• Winter sports: Nordic ski races to mountain ascents
• Water sports: rowing and long-distance swimming
• Environmental conditions: extreme temperatures and high altitude

Complete with customizable menu plans, profiles and advice from elite endurance athletes, and strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls of endurance athletes, Endurance Sports Nutrition will fuel your best performance.

Regular Price: $25.95 (Canadian dollars)

Special Multisport price = $19.46

Order online today and save 25%!  Use Promo Code X646 when ordering.

(offer valid until July 31, 2009 on Canadian orders only; not combinable with any other offers)

Click here to see a page from the book.

Copyright © 2009  by Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Excerpted by permission of Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. Available to order from Human Kinetics Canada at www.HumanKinetics.com or by calling 1-800-465-7301.

Zoot CRx

MEDICALLY TESTED. SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN. Zoot's CompressRx is the ONLY medically developed, tested and PROVEN compression sports product on the market. The difference? Zoot is the first to offer zoned muscle and graduated compression in one garment.

Why? For a 25% reduction of lactate, 28% reduction in perceived exertion and a 40% improvement in recovery. Zoot is also the only compression product sized using a 3-D view of your body's unique measurements to accurately respond to your muscle groups and provide true compression performance. Worn by athletes in the NLF, MLS, NHL, cycling and of course, triathlon, Zoot's CRX is spreading amongst the world's best athletes and has already been presented at the American Conference of Sports Medicine for its proven benefits to increase performance.

For a closer look visit our training resources page.

Faces of HSBC Triathlon Series

By Roger Hospedales

Starting this month, The Faces of the HSBC Series detailed profiles will be posted in the form of a podcast interview. As usual, we will post the quickie profile of the athlete but will now provide a link so you can hear the interview with the featured athlete. A few excellent interviews have already been conducted, and we are sure that you will enjoy the insight that those interviews will provide.

We will start this new series of podcast interviews with Patryk Biegalski. Patryk has been a series regular since 2005, is a threat to win any race that he enters, and kicked off the 2009 season with an overall victory at Lakeside. Look for him to be on the podium at several other races this year. Enjoy the two part podcast profile here on iTunes or here to steam it online.

Patryk Biegalski

Hometown:  Toronto. Born in Warsaw, Poland.

Age Group:  Men 35-39

Years in the sport:  6

Occupation:  High School English Teacher

Fave Equipment:  Cervelo P2C, Newton Shoes

Nutrition:  Pre-race: 5 hr energy drink, chocolate GU before, and Gatorade during the race. Post-race: protein and carbs right away. Overall, Patryk keeps it vegan. Getting away from soy and drinking more Rice milk.

Typical training week:  Doing less this year but generally it is 6-7km of swimming, 250-300km cycling, and 30-40km of running.

Key races for 2009:  Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Toronto Island, and possibly the Esprit Irondistance in Montreal.

Other interesting facts:  Vegan, plays guitar, loves reading (4-5 books on the go at any one time), trained in the martial arts, animal rights activist, rides to work 3 times per week (70 km round trip), coaches high school cross-country and track (long distance runners), 3 time overall winner of the Lakeside Triathlon (2009, 2008, 2007).

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

Special Interest Story

Part II - The History of the Bala Falls Triathlon

By Roger Hospedales

This year's Bala Falls race celebrates it's 15th year. As reported in the last newsletter, the race started in 1995 as a memorial to Lisa Hamann but that memory has been lost somewhat over ther years. To re-ignite that memory and to start a new legacy, MultiSport Canada will introduce a $500 bursary to a deserving young athlete (selection criteria will be released as soon as it is finalized), and will acknowledge the memory of Lisa Hamann at the race. To make this year's race even more special, we hope to have in attendance and competing, a few of those athletes that participated in that first event.

Here are some memories from those participants:

"What I remember is a fun cottage race with a group of good friends and very competitive athletes. The race was a bit different than the Tri s we'd been doing because it was handicapped. Everyone's time was based on results from previous races which made them rough estimates at best. If anyone has done a handicap race they know how brutal this format can be. You're killing yourself trying to catch the person ahead while always looking back to be sure someone who is supposedly slower than you, isn't catching  and humiliating you. We all raced in Lisa's memory, which was still very fresh at the time, and it was a wonderful celebration in her name." - Tony Chisholm

"There is nothing like looking over your shoulder in a handicapped triathlon trying to beat much faster athletes to the finish line. The Lisa Hamann Memorial in Bala was a great way to celebrate Lisa's life. The swim was from our cottage, the bike course was the same, and the run course went through town and then along Trafalgar Bay road. My Dad tried to get insurance without any luck and we never bothered to get permission from the town. Jeff approached my Dad the following year with some questions and went on to start a commercial race." - Shaun Chisholm

Perennially sold out, a few spots are still available for this year's race. A picture of the 1995 inaugural event T-shirt is pictured below.

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: I am a good runner (Boston Qualifier) but when it comes to triathlon my run speed is somewhat pathetic. How can I run to my potential or at least not lose as much run speed?

Nigel Gray's response: 

The answer to this question almost always lies not with your run but with your bike! Generally there are 2 main reasons that athletes with good running backgrounds don't run to their potential in triathlons

1.  Bike Fitness - For athletes with strong running backgrounds but new to the bike can have an issue with a lack of bike fitness, so especially in longer events the bike will take too much energy out of them and they will be too tired getting off the bike to run to their potential.

2.  Bike Execution - This I feel, is usually the main source of poor runs off the bike from talented runners, they have just ridden too hard! Many good runners don't have a good judge of what proper pacing for themselves is on the big and they ride too hard and are unable to run well off the bike because they put too much energy into the bike ride

In order to run well off the bike there needs to be a focus on the bike fitness aspect and making sure that you are doing the proper bike training for your goal races. The next step is to dial in proper pacing and race execution, running well off the bike is really the key to performing to your potential in any tri, so you really need to hold back on the bike until you are able to run well afterwards. This can be practiced in training as well as racing and is really a key component for anyone, but especially so for a fast runner who isn't running fast in their triathlons

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: If you had to choose between race wheels, a power meter or Computrainer, what would you get? Why?

Richard Pady's response:

I'm not sure I'm the best to answer this question because I have all three, but I'll try. The basic answer is, it depends on who you are and what your goals are in triathlon. I will try to quickly explain the benefits of each to you so you can make your own minds up on what you think you should have in your garage. 

Race Wheels: 

Race Wheels are ideal for athletes trying to save every last second from their finishing time. In a sprint or international distance race you are looking at saving 1-2 minutes from your bike time buy having a race wheel. Besides looking good in transition there are a few things you should know about what to buy if you are looking to purchase a set.

Step 1: Know Your Options

Least-aero: Standard flat or box rims with various patterns and numbers of round metal spokes that are usually very durable and relatively inexpensive.

More-aero: Bladed spoke wheels with aerodynamic rims. The best of these will decrease a person's 40-kilometer time-trial time on a flat course by roughly 1.5 percent (or 50 to 70 seconds) versus the standard rims above. In the "More-aero" category, there is a range of options. Aerodynamic rims come with different rim depths, and the spokes will range in number and vary from round to bladed. In a strict drag-related sense, the deeper the rims and the more bladed the spoke, the faster the wheel.   

Most-aero: The most efficient set-up is a rear disk wheel with a composite-spoke front wheel. This set-up can knock another .5% (10-20 seconds) off a 40k time when matched up against the best aero rimmed and bladed spoke wheels. These are heavier wheels and are the least durable of the three options.

Step 2: Weighty Matters

Reducing the drag force (that is the force it takes to move the wheel through air) by 10 grams can negate an increase in actual weight of 1,000 grams. Problem is, once the road tilts up, weight must be considered, and the arguments over using a disc versus an aerodynamic spoked wheel gets heated.

Once speeds drop under eight mph, as they would on a sustained and steep climb, aerodynamic drag contributes minimally to the total force you must overcome through pedaling, but at 25 mph this number jumps to 90 percent of the resisting force. The general speed where aerodynamic drag trumps weight and calls for aerodynamic wheels is 12 mph. And even in courses with sustained climbs, the weight of a good aero wheel set (1500+ grams) is not much heavier than a light-weight wheel set (1100+ grams), and the aerodynamic speed advantages can be significant.   

Step 3: Speed vs. Durability

But besides weight, there are a few other downsides to the "most-aero" option in racing wheels. One is durability: these wheels are made for racing, not for enduring thousands of miles of training. Additionally, these wheels have an "apparent mass" which makes them harder to get moving. Basically, the more weight found farther from the axle, the more force it takes to make that wheel turn.

My Opinion: If you're training and racing on just one set of wheels, a durable aero rim with bladed spokes is your best option. It gives you the aerodynamic advantage of reduced drag and the flexibility to reap the benefits of that advantage in almost any conditions.

Power Meter:

Power Meter is a device on a bicycle that allows measuring of the power output of the athlete. Training using a power meter is increasingly popular. Most power meters also measure and display heart rate as well as riding speed, distance and time. Power meters provide an objective measurement of real output that allows training progress to be tracked very simply. Power meters provide instant feedback to the rider about their performance and measure their actual output. A power meter is ideal for an athlete who has a few years of training under their belt and is looking to take their training and racing to the next level. The power meter will teach you a lot about how you ride and how to ride to yield a faster bike split. However, if you purchase one make sure to take the time to read up on how to use it properly and/or get help from a coach.

CompuTrainer:

The CompuTrainer (CT) provides the most interesting indoor bike experience hands down. It is an interactive cycling trainer that hooks up to your PC. You can ride real course in real time. It's the next best thing to being outside. The CT promises to increase your cycling power just like the power meters do but it will also help your technique which I think it very important for ALL triathletes (myself included). Also if you live where it is hard to do intervals, time trials, steady state rides or there is too much traffic then this is the piece of equipment is ideal for you. I use my CT all winter and still use it once a week in the summer. The price tag is what holds most people back from buying. One tip would be to buy one used. I've had mine for 6 years know and logged thousands of kms on it and it's still running well. 

Final View:

I get asked all the time "what is the best piece of equipment I can buy that will make me faster?" My response is, "it depends on what will make you faster." All three pieces of equipment cost around $2000.00. Race wheels claim to help improve your times buy 1-2 minutes over 40kms and you look cool doing it (you can't overlook the cool factor it makes you ride harder). A power meter is going to help you train smarter and give you real objective results. The CompuTrainer will make you more consistent in your training year round, it gives you objective results from the data collected, it will help improve your technique and it keeps it interesting when the weather is poor. Therefore for the everyday athlete I would have to say the CompuTrainer would yield the greatest benefit.  Happy Training and Racing

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

Breath Gas Analysis - How it can help you?

By Ian Maclean

Okay, last issue I was talking about the benefits of a full breath gas analysis versus a simple blood lactate test. At the end of that discussion, I teased that I'd be talking about how a BGA could improve your nutrition, especially on race day. It's now time for part two.

One of the really cool things that a BGA will give you is caloric expenditure. By measuring your oxygen uptake, it is able to extrapolate a very accurate picture of how many calories you are burning for a given effort level/heart rate. By comparing your O₂ uptake to your CO₂ expulsion, the BGA will accurately tell you how many fat calories you are burning in relation to glycogen calories for a given heart rate. Why is this important you ask? Let us explore that.

Everybody who races, or who takes part in longer endurance type "fun" events always wants to know how much to feed while on the bike, and the really smart ones will take that a step further and ponder not just how much they should be eating, but what best to feed upon. The answer to both those questions is directly related to the intensity at which you are racing/training/exerting. One of the more obvious statements will be: the harder you exert yourself, the more calories you will need to consume. The question is: how many more calories for how much harder? With the results from a BGA you will know exactly how much to increase your caloric intake based on your level of exertion.

HeartRate	HR/Pred	VE STPD	Fat	Kcal	FAT/KCal
(BPM)	(%)	(L/min)	(Kcal/min)	(KCal/min)	(%)

 

150	81	46.1	10	13.4	75
150	81	46	10.1	13.4	75
150	82	45.4	10.4	13.3	78
150	82	46.4	10.6	13.6	78
151	82	46.3	10.9	13.7	79
151	82	46	10.8	13.7	79
151	81	46.3	11.1	13.8	80
152	81	47	11.4	14.2	81
152	82	48.6	12	14.7	81
153	82	49.9	12.2	15.1	81

 

161	87	66.3	11.7	18.2	64
161	87	67.7	11.5	18.2	63
162	87	67.6	11	17.8	61
162	87	68.3	10.5	17.8	59
162	87	69	10.5	18.1	58
163	88	70.1	10.2	18.2	56
163	88	68.9	9.9	17.9	55

170	92	87.4	9.4	20.9	45
170	92	87.3	9.6	21.1	46
171	92	88.9	10.1	21.7	47
171	92	90.8	10.6	22	48
172	92	92.6	10.6	22.2	48
172	93	94.8	10.6	22.5	47
173	93	96	10.3	22.7	45
173	94	96	10.3	22.7	45

Above you will see three snippets from the results of one of my coached clients. They represent snapshots of Zones 2, 3 and 4. You can see that in Zone 2, this client is burning roughly 14 total calories per minute, around 80% or 12 of those calories are coming from fat calories stored in the body. That leaves about 2 glycogen calories being burned per minute. Does anybody think that a glycogen laden shot or bar is needed for an hour in this zone? I don't. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this client could go for quite some time in this zone with very little need to feed at all. Fat stores are a very efficient source of fuel, they give you a huge bang for your burning buck, and the best part is, they don't need to be replaced.

Now, let's move to the dark blue zone, or Zone 3. You can see now that the total caloric burn has increased with heart rate. This person is now burning around 18 calories a minute, with roughly 60% or 11 of those calories coming from fat. That means about 7 glycogen calories a minute. Now how about that shot or bar? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to pop one every hour or so. Seven glycogen calories a minute equals 420 glycogen calories an hour. Your average shot gives you about a 125-150 calorie boost, so at least one of these an hour is going to help reduce the chances of going into glycogen debt and hitting the dreaded "wall". However, the majority of calories are still coming from fat stores, so it would also be a good idea to be consuming something that was less glycogen based and more fat/protein based, especially if the event is lasting longer than 2hrs. There are energy bars on the market now that fit this bill. I'm not big on plugging things on my website, so if you are curious, drop me a line and I'll put you on the right track.

Finally, Zone 4. Now this person is burning 22 calories a minute, at a very elevated heart rate, very close to Anaerobic Threshold. Fat metabolism has dropped to less than 50%, which means that 12+ calories a minute are now coming from glycogen. That adds up to 720 glycogen calories an hour. It is now a very good idea to have a plentiful supply of gels, bars and energy drinks on hand to insure the body is getting the replenishment and nourishment it requires, or that dreaded wall will be hit!

So, there you have it. Training day and race day nutrition tailored specifically to your individual metabolic needs, based on the results of a Breath-Gas Analysis. Pretty simple really. Twenty minutes of your time, a small investment and you can accurately track your energy expenditures during any level of exertion.

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

Ironman Canada Bike Transportation

Enduro will once again transport bicycles to Ironman Canada in Penticton, BC. In 2009, our truck will depart the D'Ornellas Bike Shop on Saturday August 22. Our estimated time of arrival in Penticton will be Tuesday evening, August 26, 2009. We will be ready to provide your bikes for pick-up starting on Wednesday August 27, at 8:30am.

As an added value to this service, the bike shop will inspect your bike for its race readiness at no charge. However, in an effort to complete this activity without compromise to the shop's normal operating processes, please call ahead to make arrangements for this activity well in advance. We will check your brakes, miscellaneous cables, wheels, tyres, bearings, etc for optimal performance. Replacement parts and labour for corrective work performed will be at prevailing labour rates.

The cost is $275. Click here for more information.

Enduro Training Systems will also be running an Ironman Canada Simulation Day on Saturday July 18. Click here for more details.

    www.zipalong.com

Did you ever want to check out a race course before going to the race? Do you want to keep your hordes of fans abreast of your racing season? Do you like to discuss and get others' feedback about a specific race?

If you've answered yes to any of the above then welcome to Zipalong, your one stop site for planning, organizing, discussing and sharing your racing season!

Zipalong allows you to create trips or events, collaboratively map out itineraries and upload pictures, maintain a journal, check out animations of your itineraries in 2D and 3D, and much more! And you get to do all that within the confines of a social networking platform which provides you with a rich set of communication and sharing tools, full control over your privacy, and interactivity with other popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Digg it.

Intrigued but don't know where to start? Here are a few scenarios of what you can do on Zipalong:

1) Create trips/events

You can create trips ("Create new trip" button on the home page or the trip page), and add itineraries/race courses, journals and blogs, upload pictures, map the pictures (if your camera has GPS the pictures will automatically be mapped for you), add a description, and have others comment on the trip. You can collaboratively work on a trip with others by adding them as participants on the trip. You also have full control over the privacy level of the trip (under the "Settings" link). You can also copy another trip to use as the base for yours ("Copy" link). Once you are done, you can embed the trip into your own site ("Embed" link), view an animation of the trip in 2D or 3D ("Itinerary flyby" link) or view the itinerary in Google Earth ("View in Google Earth" link). You can also share the trip with others on Zipalong, or invite friends and family by email to view the trip, or share it with friends on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Digg it. You also have the ability to manage your shares once you shared your trip with others ("Manage trip shares" icon).

2) Showcase your race season or create a forum for your club:

In addition to creating trips, you can also create a group and add specific trips or races to it. This helps you organize your trips by season for example or by event type. You can also create a group for your club and start a discussion forum, as well as maintain and manage races and pictures for all members in one place. Each member can add their races to the group and upload their pictures as well as post comments and start discussion threads.

3) Prepare for upcoming races

You can now check out race courses ahead of time before ever setting foot on the race site! You can use this to adjust your training leading into the race to match the road conditions you will likely encounter. As mentioned above, once you create an itinerary, you can view an animation of it under the "Itinerary flyby" link. You can jump to view a specific leg in you itinerary, view mapped pictures and notes about the course, and see the elevation profile for each leg of the itinerary. In addition, you have the ability to view the animation in 2D (Google maps) or in 3D (Google earth plugin).

This is just a little preview of the features you can expect on Zipalong! The best way to find out more is to go on the site and play around for a while. We have several exciting features still in the pipeline, and we are always open to new feature suggestions!

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.

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