Title Sponsor

HSBC

We are extremely happy that HSBC Bank Canada is our Title Sponsor for a fourth year and appreciate all of the support they give to Triathlon, Duathlon and other mass participation sporting events.

Transition Zone, Volunteer and GT12.9 Series Sponsor

GoodLife Fitness

GoodLife Fitness has taken a bigger role with our series in 2008 and is now the GT 12.9 Series Awards Sponsor in the HSBC Triathlon Series

Series Sponsors

Zoot Sports
Zoot Sports is the Official Swim Course and Wetusit Sponsor, Official Run Course and Running Shoe Sponsor, and Official Apparel Sponsor of the HSBC Triathlon Series

Hammer

Hammer Nutrition is the Official Nutrition and Hydration Sponsor of the HSBC Triathlon Series

Look for HEED at all of our aid stations and Hammer Gel at selected races.

Timex is the Official Watch And Heart Rate Monitor of the HSBC Triathlon Series

Specialized is the Official Bike Course Sponsor of the HSBC Triathlon Series

CompuTrainer is the Official Bike Trainer to the HSBC Triathlon Series.

Mike Cheliak Photography is the Official Photographer to the HSBC Triathlon Series.

HSBC Triathlon Series Newsletter - September 2009

Volume 8, Issue 8 - September, 2009

Tribute to Matheson (Matt) Tatham

By now, many of our MultiSport Canada family have learned about the tragic death of Matt Tatham at the Wasaga Beach race. Matt completed the Olympic Distance Triathlon finishing 1st in his age group and 40th overall in a field of 294 athletes. Matt collapsed just past the finish line and while paramedics and friends were with him immediately, he passed away 35 minutes later at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. We pass on our condolences and deepest sympathies to Matt's family and friends. Like all of you, Matt was a member of our triathlon family and I believe that it is only fitting that we devote a section of the month's newsletter as a celebration of Matt's life. In Matt's memory we will be retiring Matt's Wasaga Beach BIB #606 for all future Wasaga Beach races.

John Salt
Series Director
MultiSport Canada

Here is a wonderful tribute to Matt, written by his friend Ken Parsons.

On Saturday September 12th, the world lost a truly beautiful soul. Our great friend, Matt Tatham, finished the Olympic Tri at Wasaga Beach and then collapsed and died in spite of the valiant and prolonged efforts made by the HSBC team and the friends and volunteers around him.

As we had in many races through the years, Matt and I drove to the race with our good friend Dave. Banter in the car was lighthearted and conversation ranged from world politics, to past race seasons and most importantly to post race refreshments that always followed these events.

Matt was a true renaissance man, passionately sharing every aspect of life with his devoted companion of 25 years, John and his extensive family. Matt had a long and distinguished career with Nealanders International Inc., as well as greatly enjoying photography, kite flying, reading, trail runs and triathlons. He was a founding member of Front Runners Toronto in 1987 and always had a kind word of support to the new runners joining the group. In the last few years, Matt had even branched out to putting his own films on You Tube - his zest and gusto for life was truly unique and inspirational.

And so to pick up on that theme, our great and noble friend has truly sailed beyond the Pillars of Hercules where we cannot - just yet - follow.

Matt touched all who knew him, and though he would want no tears shed for him, forgive us, my friend this one time for not following your wishes.

Sail on, Matt.

We love you and miss you.

50K Vulture Bait Trail Run October 2007

50K Vulture Bait Trail Run October 2007 - Matt is #70 and Ken is #55

From Scott Simpson

Scott Simpson competes in many of our races. He sent me a note this week and I am including part of it with his permission.

He was my good friend / twice weekly training partner / travel buddy - we spent 2 weeks this summer in Denmark racing and biking around. On Friday night he cleaned the chain on my bike - he was that kind of guy. Matt had an easy going way about him, a positive perspective on life and naturally charmed all he met. I am honoured to have had him call me friend. When my time comes, I want to go the same way as Matt: living life to its fullest by pushing until the very end, and after I've crossed the finish line and won my race. He didn't suffer and died doing what he loved. We should all be so lucky. I miss him already.

Scott

This is a portion of what appeared in the Globe and Mail earlier this week.

Charles Matheson (Matt) Tatham

November 21, 1957 - September 12, 2009

Born in Woodstock, Ontario and a graduate of Woodstock Collegiate Institute, Matt worked in a bakery part time during high school, played football and went to the Ontario finals in wrestling. He graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Food Science and started his career at Marks and Spencer with responsibility for cakes and cookies. He prospered over the next 25 years to become one of the most respected professionals in the bakery business in North America and was enjoying great success as Business Manager at Nealanders International Inc.

Matt was a Masters World Champion triathlete who successfully defended his title in Copenhagen this year. He much enjoyed his running club, triathlons, trail running and cycling. Matt was an ardent gardener and horticultural society award winner, who grew his own hops to brew his own beer. His extensive world travels included two years on a bicycle in Europe and Asia, five months on a kibbutz in Israel, as well as trips to Iceland, India, Machu Picchu, and the Pacific Coast Trail. He also enjoyed an annual winter ski trip with his brothers that over the years covered most of the best ski destinations in western Canada. A skilled photographer, his other hobbies included audio recording, composing and performing his own music, stamp collecting, and making, flying and fighting kites.

Matt lived each and every day to the fullest. His positive nature and upbeat attitude as a self described ''student of life'' was truly inspirational to everyone who knew him. He is survived by his companion of 24 years, John LaRocque and his parents, Sid and Marnie Tatham of Woodstock. He will be sorely missed by his 5 siblings: Robin, Paul (Nancy), Bill (Janna), Mary Ellen Rennie (Dan), and Ian (Edie) as well as his 12 nieces and nephews.

Donations may be made in Matt's name to the War Resisters Support Campaign (www.resisters.ca).

Here are a couple of pictures of Matheson Tatham earlier this year.

Finishing Cobourg Olympic Distance Triathlon Finishing Olympic Distance Triathlon in Gravenhurst

One Triathlon Race Weekend To Go

With only Lakeside II left on the HSBC Triathlon Series race calendar, the season will soon be over. But let's not dwell on that, we still have one more weekend of fun. Jason Vurma, HSBC Triathlon Series Technical Director, takes you through the Lakeside event on our podcast via iTunes or online. Check it out to get an excellent impression about what to expect this weekend.

This newsletter also features great articles tips from our sponsors, coaches, and Chef Cheliak. If you are heading to Ironman Florida or the 70.3 World Championships, you will appreciate the bike shipping service offered by Aubrey Brice. Information regarding that is included in this newsletter. As usual, we also have our Ask the Pro and Faces of the Series section. Please visit our podcasts for up to date interviews, course previews, and athlete interviews. Also, make sure to check us out on Twitter.

See you at the races.

Roger Hospedales

HSBC Triathlon Series Newsletter Editor & Podcast Producer

MultiSport Canada Running Series - Last Race!

The last event of the series takes place this Saturday September 19th, with the Toronto Island Women's Half Marathon. Check out www.runmsc.com for more details.

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!

Series News and Updates

The Gears and MultiSport Canada Discount Club

Gears is the Official Bike Retailer for MultiSport Canada. To celebrate that partnership Gears and MultiSport Canada have developed a program where you will receive discounts just by letting them know you are a MultiSport Canada customer. It is easy to get your discount. When you go to the store ask for Kevin Wallace or Ira Kargel and they will make sure you get the discount applicable with the product you are buying. Right now there is a great end of the season Tri Bike sales with up to 40% off. As a MultiSport Canada customer you will also receive 10% off all shoes and 15% off accessories. Discount Club details.

 

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:

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 2010

We would like to thank all those who came out and volunteered at our races this year. Events like ours cannot happen without volunteer support and we are already looking for volunteers to help at our 2010 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.

Tips and Articles From Coaches & Sponsors

Why Ride Inside?

At this time of year, asking yourself the above question may not feel right.  But before too long the weather will turn, the daylight hours will dwindle, and you'll near be forced to ride inside if you plan to continue to develop your cycling fitness for 2010. 

We multisport athletes spend the most time on our bikes during any of our triathlons/duathlons.  Proper bike fitness not only allows us to get through the bike section of our events quickly, it even perhaps more importantly sets us up for a strong steady run. 

Consider some of the benefits of adopting an indoor riding routine this fall/winter:

  • Safety:  You can ride regardless of weather, temperature, daylight, time of day, etc. Plus thirty or minus thirty, indoor riding works!
  • Efficiency:  There's no coasting on an indoor trainer. Reports of coasting on real road are as high as 10 to 30% of your actual riding time! All riding inside is actual turn-the-pedals riding.
  • Hassle-Free:  No stop lights. No chasing dogs. No rough roads.
  • Convenience:  Your workout is right there in front of you. There's no having to ride out to the hills to do hill repeats. There's no having to ride out to the local time trial circuit to get your time trial in.
  • Effort:  Effort is consistent throughout your workout. When the indoor trainer is set to any given intensity, the trainer holds you to it and doesn't allow you to back off.
  • Monitoring:  If you're riding a CompuTrainer or other such trainer, you can constantly monitor your power...which unless you have an expensive on-the-bike power meter you cannot do outside.
  • Measuring: You can quantify your fitness. No more guessing whether you're fitter or less so compared to previous seasons. Constant monitoring of power and the likes of heart rate allow you to compare apples to apples.
  • Social:  You can ride with other riders of differing fitness levels than yourself...and still stay together throughout the entire workout. No more getting dropped or having to double back for your riding mates.
  • Specificity:  The ability to train for your own personal race while the athlete next to you is training for his or her different race. Training specificity.
  • You're on your bike. Not a spin bike. Your bike.

If you're in need of a break from cycling, now's the time to take it.  But don't wait too long before getting back on the saddle on an indoor trainer and building your fitness for 2010.  You don't want to lose what you've worked so hard for to gain!

 

Adam Johnston, along with Peter Oyler, operates WattsUp Cycling, Toronto's only individualized power-based indoor cycling program. Conveniently located just off the DVP and Eglinton with plenty of free parking, classes are offered year-round in the early morning, late afternoon, and evening. Check out their indoor facility at www.WattsUpCycling.ca

Athletic Performance and the Role of Antioxidants

By Bill Tallman

What is it that some world class and Olympic athletes know that others may not? Besides the desire to win and intensity of training, one such item in their bag of tricks involves embracing full spectrum antioxidants, a potent blend of a wide range of nutrients that are not obtainable at optimal levels from diet alone.

Although we are bombarded with health and fitness advice in today's internet driven "library", the shear volume of information can be confusing, and according to experts, over 90% of what we find on the internet or read in leading magazines is misleading or inaccurate, and science is now disproving many of our previous beliefs. For example some of what I was teaching in Science and Phys. Ed. classes a couple decades ago I now realize is totally incorrect. I remember telling athletes whom I coached to eat a healthy and well balanced diet . . . that's all you need. I made this claim without any scientific evidence to back it up. Well, when you take a detailed look at the 1000's of studies over the past 30 years it becomes quite clear that inspite of our efforts to eat organic and raw foods, and low glycemic carbohydrates, our bodies are still very deficient in most nutrients which includes antioxidants. Even the AMA, in 2002, reversed its stand on comsumption of vitamins and minerals because the evidence was overwhelming that we needed to supplement our diets.

According to marketing experts the number one reason why people, even those looking for better health and performance, are less likely to add supplements to their daily regime, is because they do not understand the total role of antioxidants in preventing damage by free radicals, or they don't know the precise amount of antioxidants to consume.

Here is a scientist's explanation of these two terms:

Free radicals are atoms or molecules with unpaired electrons. These highly reactive substances can be formed in a number of ways, and once formed they may use their reactivity to damage important cellular components - such as the cell membrane - or macromolecules like DNA. This damage can lead to mutation, impaired function, and even cell death. To minimize potential damage from free radicals, the body utilizes a defense system of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules that can safely interact with free radicals and terminate their reactivity before vital cellular components are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle micronutrient (vitamin/mineral) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and selenium. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients, so they must be acquired by diet and supplementation. In addition, there are many plant-derived nutrients (phytonutrients) that can act as powerful antioxidants in the human body.

The mistake that some athletes make is to buy bottles of these specific nutrients without realizing that the maximum benefit is achieved by selecting a full spectrum vitamin and mineral that supplies all nutrients in the proper form and balance, to maximize the effect of all nutrients working together synergistically. The combination provides an effect many times greater than the sum of the individual benefits (ie. 1 + 1 = 6).

Let's consider one specific case - damage to our blood vessels. When free radicals outnumber the antioxidants, many free radicals that have not been neutralized, contact the vessel wall, pick up one or two required electrons and attach to the wall. This inflames the tissue of the wall which creates three problems:

  • First, the vessel opening becomes smaller because of the inflammation, and this restriction starts the process that could eventually lead to cardiovascular or heart disease, and issues with blood pressure and other vital functions.
  • Secondly, the vessel wall is now thicker which means increased difficulty in driving insulin through the wall into the cells. This causes the pancreas to produce more insulin and we are now into the early stages of insulin resistance, and possibly type II diabetes.
  • Thirdly, insulin is the fat storage hormone causing carbohydrates to be redirected and stored as fat around the midsection, leading to weight gain and decreased utilization of carbohydrates for energy.

All of these affect performance and long term health and vitality. So ideally, we should be eating generous amounts of fruits and vegetables to acquire some of these valuable antioxidants, and then consuming high level full spectrum supplements to provide a potent combination of free radical slayers that are impossible to get from our diet alone. I choose the same pharmaceutical grade multivitamin and mineral supplements that many world class and Olympic athletes do, for several reasons:

  • Greater performance
  • Faster recovery
  • Ability to train harder and more often
  • Fewer colds and flus, and less down time from training
  • Decrease in stress and anxiety

Now for athletes here is a real kicker. Whenever you train or compete, the increased activity within your body produces a much greater quantity of free radicals, requiring a huge increase in antioxidants to prevent even further damage. So in fact by this very training, that makes you feel terrific, you are setting yourself up for greater damage to vessels and other tissue as a result of this free radical bombardment, unless you have "radically" stepped up the wave of warrior antioxidants.

This is what many elite, world class, and olympic athletes know . . . that can make the difference between watching a medal presentation and being on the podium. Other than proper training, embracing a full spectrum pharmaceutical grade antioxidant supplement along with a well planned food intake is the best combination to give you the performance and long term health that you seek. After 3 to 6 months of bathing the body with an optimal supply of antioxidants, the effects will be evident and life changing. Just ask Werner Berger who climbed Mt. Everest just shy of his 70th birthday, and at the age of 72 has mastered the 7 summits - the 7 highest peaks on each of the 7 continents. A triathlon is obviously different but, as you are aware, very demanding. Several ironman/woman competitors experienced a significant decrease in their times by adopting this program.

I wish you all the best in your quest for perfection and in your desire to perform at a level that you have always wanted to achieve.

Bill Tallman

519-643-8255 cell, 519-349-2252 home, 519-349-2251 fax

Bill is a 3 time Canadian waterski champion, 18 time Ontario champion, former high school science teacher and author of 3 books.  After retiring from teaching he became more involved in nutritional science not only to enhance his own performance and health but to work with others who have a desire for more energy and vitality, to look and feel younger, to perform better, and to lose weight in a healthy manner.

Here are a few links to videos, articles, and items that may be of use to assist in high level performance:

Nutritionals You Can Trust (12 min. video)

Olympic and Professional Athletes (3 min. video)

Athlete Accolades (list of teams using high level supplements)

Contact us  Feel free to contact Bill for more detail on any performance/health related question, or see him at the booth at the Lakeside, ON, triathlon Sept. 19 & 20, 2009

Fitness Assessments

By Coach Chris

I often get asked by endurance athletes, what is the benefit of getting a testing assessment to my training and performance?  There are many benefits to get testing done, and you don't need to have a coach or be an elite athlete to see improved results.

Most testing assessments will include a body composition profile and an Anaerobic or Lactate Threshold Test.  Some may also include a V02 Max test. 

The body composition profile lets you see how much lean tissue you have as apposed to fat levels.  My getting periodically re tested you can see if your training and nutrition is helping you get to an ideal level of body composition depending on your goals.

A threshold test will give you personalized heart rate or power training zones.  This is extremely beneficial to help make your training more systematic and repeatable.  Using an old school 220-age formula to calculate heart rate zones can often be WAY off what your actual zones are.  I have seen athletes as much as 30 beats per minute different than what they would get using an age predicted formula.  By having zones that are personalized to you, you will be able to train more effectively.

Doing a V02 Max or estimated V02 Max Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP) test will give you important feedback on your power to weight ratio.  The power you produce on a threshold test varies quite a bit depending on how much you weigh.  A V02 test factors in your body weight in the score so it is a better way to compare your power to weight ratio to other equivalent athletes and those that may currently be performing better than you.

You spend a lot of time and invest a lot into your endurance performance.  A testing assessment gives you a very good return on investment in your performance and definitely is worth looking into.

Chris Helwig is an endurance Coach with www.coachchris.ca he is based out of London Ontario and offers personalized coaching and testing assessments.

Sprint Like Simon

As you may have heard, at the recent Triathlon World Championships only 1 minute separated Simon Whitfield from the winner. Yet it meant a solid 8th place finish, not the title he had hoped for. 

Along with using 7SYSTEMS endurance sports supplement, Simon spends a lot of time doing high intensity workouts to help him have that winning final kick. Checkout Simon's workout favourites.

Fans of Whitfield know that he will be working hard to make sure he has an even strong winning kick next time. That's saying something considering he is already famous for his finishes. Here's you chance to vote on which his 3 more famous finishes AND be automatically entered into a draw to win $150 worth of FREE product.

Here's how:

 

A) Click on the 3 great races below to view them,

(1) Des Moines Gold 2009

(2) Beijing Silver 2008

(3) Sydney Gold 2000

B) Click here by September 21 to PICK the winner

Contest Details: One lucky person will be randomly chosen from everyone that enters the contest to win a FREE one month's supply of 7SYSTEMS and a 7SYSTEMS technical running hat (total $150 value). Contest closes midnight EST, September 21, 2009. Winner will be chosen and contacted before the end of September.

Snack Like Simon

How many times have you been in the situation where you really need a snack but don't have the time to prepare something that falls into the healthy category?  It's far too easy to simply grab a 400 calorie starbucks snack or a bag of chips..... not necessarily ideal and simply not good for you.  At 7SYSTEMS we believe in natural convenience. Click here for some quick, convenient, healthy ideas for daily snacks...not to mention, they taste amazing!

Ask the Pro

This the time of year that many athletes assess their season and start setting goals for next year. Often, part of the process is wondering whether to hire a coach. With that in mind, this month we asked our Pros to answer why you should consider getting a coach, and what to look for?

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: Why should I get a coach?

Nigel Gray's response:

Well, there are many answers to this question!! First off coaching isn't for everyone, some athletes are very successful doing their own thing, but having said that coaching should be able to offer a wide range of benefits to any athlete

Coaching goes well beyond just setting up a monthly training schedule, coaching should provide a lot more:

  • A Dynamic Training Plan -adjusting your training on an ongoing basis, based upon feedback from your workouts.
  • Workout Analysis - a coach should be looking at your workouts and providing feedback on how well they were executed and what can be done to make them better in the future.
  • Goal Setting - help you to set up appropriate (i.e. challenging but achievable) goals.
  • Setting Appropriate Training Loads - being able to help dial in the appropriate amount of training needed at the different points in the season depending upon your goals and schedule.
  • A Plan you Trust - having the comfort of believing in your training plan and being able to wake up in the morning and focusing on executing the set workout as opposed to getting up and wondering what workout you should do that day!
  • Psychologist - a coach should help you with the mental side of training and racing, whether it be day to day fatigue, swim start phobias or your best mind set for racing, a coach should help you figure out what works best for you.
  • Equipment - being able to provide feedback and information on the huge variety of training and racing equipment available and help you to use your money wisely and get the tools that give you the most return for your $.
  • Race Plans - A coach will provide a detailed race plan, going over overall strategy for the day as well as details on the appropriate heart rate, power and perceived exertion levels for any given race for each athlete as well as specific details about the race course. This will all help to ensure that you have best chance or racing to your potential on the day.
  • Nutrition - A coach will be able to help you set up a nutrition plan for training and racing, as well as daily nutrition.
  • A Reliable Source of Information - there are so many places to get triathlon information these days (tri mags, internet forums, your training buddies) but there are lots of conflicting ideas and theories, by working with a coach you should have a go to person who you are able to ask any questions and not be left confused by the differing opinions from different sources of info.
  • Experience - a good coach should have a wealth of experience with different athletes and different training situations, so that when issues arise with your training your coach is able to recognize the problem and help provide a solution. As well a coach should be able to help athletes avoid some of the common pitfalls of training and racing so you can avoid having to learn by doing!
  • A Different View Point - a lot of times as athletes we get too caught up in the daily ritual of training and aren't able to step back and take a look at the big picture, a coach is there to be able to tell you if you aren't seeing all the factors in an important decision (this tends to happen a lot with type A motivated personalities) i.e. when you are too tired and what you really need is more rest as opposed to more training, this is a very hard call for most athletes to make on their own.
  • The Stick or the Reins - a coach should help an athlete with their motivation (i.e. the Stick!) when they need it but also be able to hold an athlete back (i.e. the Reins!) when they need it as well.
  • Provide a Network of Assistance - whether it be bike issues, massage therapy or a sports injury specialist a coach should have a network of contacts that they use to help their athletes with any issues that comes up.

Overall coaching is about building a relationship and a level of trust between the coach and athlete so that the athlete feels confident in their training and racing plans and they are able to focus on key factors to success and not worry about the smaller details.

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 do I find the right fit with a coach?

Richard Pady's response:

As fall draws closer and the triathlon season comes to a close, I find myself planning for 2010. The fall is a great time to plan your next year's goals. So often an athlete will sign up for a race a year in advance with very big goals but no real plan.  If this is you try this year something new and hire a coach. Many people think a coach is only for someone trying to win or someone who wants to be pushed really hard. The truth is a coach's role is to work with you to help you achieve your goals. To motivate you, educate you, and to take your fitness to a new level. The key to a successful Coach-Athlete relationship is the fit.
 
Finding the perfect coach-athlete partnership can be a difficult thing to do. I find around this time of year I start getting calls from athletes. At times I feel like I'm applying for a job. Online coaching increases the options for the athletes looking for a coach.
 
Over the past 20 years I have had the experience of being coached online and in-person, as well as being on the other end (the coach). I have seen the challenges that face both sides.  You need to do your homework before signing up with a coach. So I have created 10 key questions you should ask yourself or a coach before entering into a coach-athlete relationship.

1.  Is the coach a certified NCCP triathlon coach?

2.  Does the coach have an area they specialize in (biomechanics, nutrition, injury rehab)?

3.  When talking to the coach is he/she someone who would motivate you?

4.  Does the coach have extensive knowledge in the science of training and monitoring of athletes?

5.  Since success is half physical and half mental does the coach work not only on training the body but also the brain?

6.  Can the coach relate to you? Some coaches only know science and numbers and don't understand how to apply science into the real world of work, family, and bus y schedules.  Dealing with training glitches as they arise (due to work/family schedules, injuries, etc) is the true art of the coach-athlete relationship.

7.  Does the coach work one on one (gait/stroke analysis and feedback) or do they work with professionals in those key areas? Sometimes it is better if a coach has a team working with him or her instead of trying to do it all by him/herself.

8.  Does the coach have expert knowledge in your weaker areas (conditioning, swimming, nutrition....etc)?
9.  How many athletes does the coach have at any one time?  If you are paying for personal coaching a good coach should only have 20-30 athletes max.
10.  Ask; how the programs are designed? And how much input will you have in the programs? Again this is a partnership so you are to work together to reach your goals.

Once you have determined what you would like from your coach, it is important to do a little research before making the big decision. Just because the coach has high-end athletes doesn't make them a good coach for you. Ask for reference from athletes the coach has worked with that are at the same level as you. From there, it should be happy and successful training!

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

rpady@healthyresults.ca

 


Faces of HSBC Triathlon Series

By Roger Hospedales

This month's Face of the HSBC Series is Gary Kennedy. Make sure to check out the podcast interview with Gary here to stream it online or here on iTunes.

Gary Kennedy

Gary Kennedy

 

 

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario.

Age Group: Men 40-44

Years in the sport: 12

Occupation: Manager, Recruitment & Retention

Fave Equipment: Cervelo P2C/SLC, SRM, Zipp Wheels, Aquaman Wetsuit, Zoot Apparel

Words of wisdom: "Ride like you don't have to run". For races with the bike being 40k and under go as hard as you can, this changes as the distance gets longer. Many tend to worry about biking too hard and blowing up on the run so moderate their pace too much. This approach will also teach you what your limits are and how to recover once you hit them. You will be faster overall too!!

Training tips: Do as many runs as you can off the bike. They don't need to be long 15-40 minutes is enough. You will find that on raceday your legs will feel great right from the start of the run and you will settle into whatever your racepace is quickly.

Race strengths: I am an all rounder. I not the fastest swimmer, biker or runner, but I am pretty good at all three. I also Love to race and pushing myself as hard as I can from start to finish.

Other interesting facts:
Water skiing was my main sport growing up, Member of Team Running Free, 3 time IM finisher (10:32PB Ironman Switzerland), Completed 50+ multisport races, Met my wife at a Marathon Clinic.

Special Feature - Chef Cheliak

Did you know that our very own race photographer extraordinaire Mike Cheliak is a masterful chef? If you follow his twitter posts, you will know that he regularly prepares a wide variety of healthy, tasty, healthy meals. I often wish he would adopt me into his family just so I could be there for all the great food. As an egg lover, this particular recipe caught my eye.

The Nearly Famous Egg Burger

By Mike Cheliak

I love eggs and so do my wife and kids. We are always “cooking up” different ways to have them and don’t care if it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We eat Organic, Omega 3 fortified eggs from a local farm and love the nice, deep yellow colour of them. We also know how really fresh they are!

As a quick breaky or lunch, I have concocted a mix of different ideas to come up with our family favourite, The Nearly Famous Egg Burger. It is a great and super easy way to get a complete meal that you can hold in your hand.

INGREDIENTS
1 Egg (of your choice)
1/4 cup Egg White (I use the Carton variety)
1/3 cup of “The Mixture” (recipe to follow)
1 Slice Real Cheddar Cheese (or your favourite)
Lettuce
Sliced Tomato
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Thin Pita Style Burger Bun (They look like a burger sized pita)

METHOD
Spray a cereal bowl with no stick spray
Crack your egg and add your egg whites
Scramble and add “The Mixture”
Season as desired (I add Cayenne Pepper)
Cook on high for about 90 seconds (1000 watt microwave)
Toast your pita bun
Dress with the lettuce and tomato and slice of cheddar
When the egg is done, add it on top and voila…an Egg Burger!

The Mixture
I make a tonne of this and keep it in the fridge for omelets as well.
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 cups of chopped mushrooms

Saute all the indgredients until crisp but tender.

Enjoy

Check out more great recipes and more right here.

Valuable Athlete Service

Ironman Bike Transportation

Planning on flying with your bike to either 70.3 World IronmanTM Championships in Clearwater or Ironman TM  Florida, in Panama City?  Think again!  Going from a big hub like Toronto to a big hub like Atlanta, then to a much smaller regional airport at the race city has its delivery risks. Minimize that stress plus the cost of renting bike boxes, disassembling and reassembling your bike, long assembly wait-times, high air transport costs and on-time delivery risks.  Instead, drop your bike off at our location and have it arrive at the race site on-time, intact and as race-ready as at the moment you placed it in our hands for transport. Your bike will arrive ready to ride with no dents or scratches!

Remember! Wrapping your bike in a jute bag and strapping it in a truck among others serves no real protection for a $10,000 piece of essential equipment. Putting it in a cardboard bike box also has is drawbacks as this sometimes necessitates removal of pedals, seats and handle bars, depending on the size and specific configuration of your bicycle. Our system ships your bike whole. We simply drop the front wheel and lock your fork into our newly developed locking system, which secures your bike to the shipping floor. There is no possibility of movement and contact with adjacent bikes.  Your wheels are labeled and shipped beside your bike in padded wheel bags.

 

Cost: $250 (+GST)

 

Sign up online at: www.endurotraining.com

or

call (416) 881-7036

 

Partner Events

Tri Kids Triathlon Series

 

Ontario's newest series for kids, has four races for the 2009 season. The final race at Milton (Sept. 26) is sold out. Tri Kids Triathlons are non-competitive, safe events designed for 3 to 15 year-olds.

Visit TRi KIDS Triathlon Series for more details about the series.


 

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 final race takes place this weekend with the Toronto Island Women's Half Marathon on September 19th.

 

 

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

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

goodlife

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.

zoot

Official Swim Course and Wetusit Sponsor

specialized

Official Bike Course Sponsor

 

hammer

Official Nutrition and Hydration Sponsor

zoot

Official Run Course and Running Shoe Sponsor

timex

Official Watch And Heart Rate Monitor

 

zoot

Official Apparel Sponsor

computrainer

 

Official Bike Trainer

 

mcp

Official Photographer

gears

 

Official Bike Support Team

Silver Level Sponsors

Country Harvest

Post-Race Bagels

munchies_175

erichs

Yakima destination hardware

 

Post-Race Prizes

 

 

Headsweats

 

Hats and Headwear

 

Local and Retail Sponsors

gears
GTA - Mississauga

lonhonda

 

Located in London

endurosport

 

Toronto

runfree

Markham, Barrie, Newmarket and Milton

dornellas

GTA - Scarborough

velocity

 

Located in Orillia

champion

 

Located in London

runchoice

 

Located in London

durham

Oshawa

siskinds

 

Located in London

trysport

 

Parry Sound

hardwood

ida
rexall
Gravenhurst Rexall IDA

tim hortons

Gravenhurst

Medical Support

spc logo absolute

Thank you for racing in the HSBC Triathlon Series!

John Salt and the MultiSport Canada Team