MultiSport Canada Triathlon Series

MSC Triathlon Series Newsletter - November 2010

One more event to go

Suffering any triathlon or duathlon race withdrawals yet? No worries, before you know it, a little over 7 months will fly by and our first race of the 2011 season at Woodstock will be upon us. Until then, you've got lots of training time to be even better than you were last year. We at MultiSport Canada will be doing the same. 2010 was our best year ever, and we look forward to bringing out bigger and better things in 2011.

Even though the racing is over, we still have one more time to hang out together at our Series Awards day on November 28 at the Mississauga Golf & Country Club. It is a beautiful venue and tickets will be in higher demand this year because of our special guest - the great Simon Whitfield. We must thank Gears Bike Shop for making this possible, and at this special event, they will also unleash the new 2011 Specialized product line. After attending this Awards Day you are sure to get charged up for the upcoming season.

To help with your preparation, this newsletter is packed with articles from many of our coaching partners in this series. Read, learn a few things, and most of all, enjoy.

As always, feel free to send me any articles at hosspro@hotmail.com.

Safe and happy training,

Roger Hospedales
MultiSport Canada Triathlon Series Newsletter Editor & Podcast Producer

Series News

Simon Whitfield At The Series Awards...and a great offer from Gears

Yes, Simon Whitfield will be at our 2010 Series Awards day on Sunday November 28th. Kevin Wallace and the team at Gears Bike Shop are helping to make the 2010 awards very special. Gears has not only arranged for Simon Whitfield to give a talk, followed by a Q&A, but we will also have the 2011 bike product line for Specialized, Felt and Pinarello bikes on display. The product specialist from Specialized Bikes will be giving a talk on the 2011 bike line-up and Gears will also be giving a 15% discount to all MultiSport Canada customers who order a bike that day. Seating is limited and on a first come first served basis so please RSVP if you would like to attend.

Here is the Awards Day agenda:

11:00 - 11:30 - Arrival and Welcome

11:30 - 12:20 - Lunch

12:20 - 12:45 - Specialized Bike Expert Presentation

12:45 - 1:10 - Simon Whitfield and Q&A

1:10 - 2:00 - Series and Triple Race Challenge Awards

2:00 to 3:00 - Specialized, Felt and Pinarello Bike Expo

The Series Awards will be held at the Mississauga Golf & Country Club. Full details have been sent out to all series award winners. If your interest is in the bike discount, there are two options:

If you would like to attend the complete awards day and join us for a light lunch please email Jan at admin@multisportcanada.com There will be a $25 fee for lunch. If you do purchase a bike the $25 along with a 15% discount will be credited towards the bike purchase; OR
You are also welcome to just attend the Specialized, Felt and Pinarello expo, talk to Kevin and the bike specialists and get a 15% discount on a new bike order. If you are planning on only attending the expo we would appreciate an email to admin@multisportcanada.com letting us know, so that we can plan space accordingly.

If you order a 2011 bike on Sunday November 28th you will receive a 15% discount. If you attend the awards day and need to take a few days to think about it Gears will still give you a 10% discount on the 2011 line-up of bikes for up to two weeks. We know this is a great deal because you rarely see new products like bikes discounted when they are first introduced. And a 15% discount is fantastic!

Please note: If you are unable to attend on the 28th just send me an email to admin@multisportcanada.com with the subject line: Please send me my Gears 10% off coupon for the 2011 Bike Line-up.

Please add SERIES AWARD DAY RSVP to the subject line in the email.

Sportstats becomes the Official Timing Company of the Series

We are pleased to announce that Sportstats will now time all of our events for 2011!

They are the Largest Timing Company in Canada, and with the vast experience, detailed results, huge database of results, and the great work that Marc Roy and his crew do at many of the world's biggest events, we are in excellent hands. Visit www.sportstats.ca to view their website. This relationship is also ideal because their sister company Eventsonline.ca handles our online race registrations.

Infinit Nutrition MSC Season Wrap Up

The end of the season has arrived and we at Infinit Nutrition would like to thank John Salt and his team from MultiSport Canada for their top notch events this season. This was the first opportunity for Infinit to be involved with their events, and we appreciated all of the efforts from Jason and his team when it came to putting everything together - kudos to you all!

Thanks again to Steven Keating of Du Tri and Run for all of his support with Infinit and selling our RUN, RIDE and REPAIR at the races. He was awesome to work with and we had a great time working together - feel free to visit his store to pick up some Infinit.

The MultiSport series was a great opportunity for Infinit Nutrition to reach out and help people keep themselves fueled during the races. We look forward to helping all of you who signed up for our "custom formulation" meet the goals that you have set for yourselves with your own personal blend.

As a thank you to all MSC event participants, Infinit Nutrition is offering a free Single Serving with any order. Alternatively, if you select the 3 Single Serving or Bag Value Pack option you'll get $2.99 off of your order. Simply add a Single Serving of RUN, RIDE, or REPAIR to your cart on www.infinitnutrition.ca and use coupon code MSC5248 during checkout - just be sure to hurry, as supplies are limited!

Keep an eye out for the winner of the Quintana Roo Seduza bike giveaway - we will be drawing at the end of December. Good luck to all that have registered! If you haven't yet registered you can click here to register to win on our website.

Thanks for a great season!

Jenn Robertson
Operations Manager
Infinit Nutrition Canada

Sponsor Deals for MSC Racers

Human Kinetics Holiday Special

Sign up for HK newsletters for great deals and info on new releases! HumanKinetics.com/newsletters

Discount Club at Gears

Take advantage of the special prices available to MultiSport Canada customers. 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. Every Wednesday is The Gears/MSC discount day with 10% off most items in the store. Download the Discount Card or call the store (905-271-2400) and ask for Ira or Kevin for details. Discount Club details.

Why should you get a CompuTrainer?

The answer is simple. It gets results.

Six of the top ten women at the Ironman World Championships (including 4 of the top 5) train regularly on CompuTrainer. The sixth, Caitlin Snow (started using CompuTrainer in 2009) made it into the Top 10 for the first time this year. While two male CompuTrainer users, Raynard Tissink (5^th) and Eneko Llanos (7^th) finished cracked the top ten.

"The CompuTrainer has been a key component in my cycling training over the past 2 years,” said Ironman World Champion Mirinda Carfrae. “I definitely would not be the athlete I am today without this amazing training tool."

"I'm training on CompuTrainer 3 times a week, long rides and intervals included," said Tissink.

Pro Model E-Z Payment Options with 0% Financing

Canadian Orders – NOW with lower cost USPS Shipping!

CompuTrainer Pro Model $1649.00
PLUS (1) Free Real Course Video (click to see choices)

$437.25 Down and $108.25 per month for 1 year.
Down payment includes USPS Priority Mail International shipping ($87.25 total) into Canada. Average delivery time is 6 - 10 days. Call or email for faster delivery times and pricing. .

Save an additional $20 by placing your order online here. You can also place your order by calling us direct at 206-524-6625.

Look for us to post CompuTrainer versions of our bike courses soon.

Ask the Coach

Our coaching panel of Nigel Gray, Chris Pickering and Richard Pady will eagerly answer your questions each month, please keep sending your questions to hosspro@hotmail.com

Coach Pickering - Training to go the distance.

Training for a 1/2 or full Iron distance race is an exciting, challenging, and deeply satisfying journey. Crossing that finish line for the first time is a once in a lifetime experience that will remain with you for a long time. Such an event requires one to be committed, disciplined, structured in training, and perhaps a little bit crazy. Sound like you have what it takes? But how should your training plan for such a race be built? Lets go over some of the principles of training that should be considered when planning your workouts. Read the full article from Coach Pickering here.

Chris Pickering is a Certified Healthy Results Training Coach, and a partner in Indoorrider.com. chris@healthyresults.ca

Richard Pady's 5 Training Tips for the month of November

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

Training Articles

Keep Up Some Intensity this Winter and Have a Stronger 2011 Season

By Chris Helwig

As the Winter approaches we often hear the importance of base training. While it certainly is important to work on your aerobic engine over the winter and to dial back the intensity somewhat, it is a good idea to still keep up some shorter bouts of intensity over the winter. It wasn’t that long ago when endurance athletes did very little in the Fall and very slowly built up their fitness by doing only strict base work all Winter long. This approach may work for some, but most athletes will benefit from only letting their fitness come off by about 5% and still including some shorter bouts of intensity.

For Triathletes, the pool is a good place to keep up some intensity. Most swim groups and swim workouts include some higher intensity efforts, so keep up some harder efforts in the pool. For run training it is important to keep up some Tempo efforts over the winter. You can back off the harder Z4 and Z5 repeats, but keep up some Z3 Tempo.

For bike training, December and January can be mostly Z2 and Z3 tempo work with different high and low cadence drills and you should also keep up some 15 second sprints. Come February start implementing some 30 second intervals to segue into the harder Z4 efforts to come later in the spring.

By keeping up some higher intensity work over the winter you will make sure you don’t have as far to build up come next race season and have a successful 2011 season.

Chris Helwig is an Endurance Coach and Personal Trainer based out of London Ontario. Chris’ full bio and information can be found on his website www.coachchris.ca

The Importance of Off-season Rehabilitation for a Common Sports Injury

It is reported in the literature that 48% of all injuries involving athletes who participate in multisport events, occur during the running portion of the event. More importantly the greatest number of injuries occurs to the knee. The most common knee injury reported in the research is “Runners Knee” otherwise known as patella-femoral pain syndrome (PFPS).

PFPS results in pain that originates on the front of the knee, with a gradual onset which progressively increases over a period of time. In general, PFPS occurs when the patella does not move or “track” in a correct fashion when the knee is being bent and straightened. This movement can lead to damage of the surrounding tissues, such as the cartilage on the underside of the patella itself, which can lead to pain in the region.

When bending and straightening the knee, several structures surrounding the joint act together to cause the patella to run in a straight line within a groove formed by the Femur and Tibia. If any of the structures are particularly tight or weak, this causes an imbalance which can result in the patella mal-tracking. The most common example of this is when the outer structures of the knee including the vastus lateralis and iliotibial band are tight and the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle on the inside of the knee is weak. This results in the patella moving too far laterally (to the outside) as the tight lateral structures pull it across and the medial (inner) muscles are not strong enough to control this force.

Off-Season Management/ Prevention Strategies

Firstly, the athlete should consult with a sports medicine professional to assess the knee joint for proper biomechanics, and make recommendations for rehabilitation.

Which muscles need strengthening?

It is usually the Vastus medialis obliques, and the gluteus medius muscle that require strengthening. The aim of strengthening should be to encourage the patella to track in the proper position and to spread the forces throughout the joint.

Strengthening Exercises:

Exercise 1 – Isometric Quads

It is essential that the athlete learns to isolate the vastus medialis (VMO) muscle and feels it being used for strengthening to be effective.
A muscle stimulator or tens machine can help in the early stages.
The athlete sits on the floor with the legs out straight. They should practice contracting the quad muscles, with particular emphasis on the VMO muscle
The athlete should feel the muscle with their fingers so they know its contracting
To progress, place a rolled-up towel or a foam roller underneath the knee so that it is slightly bent
The athlete straightens the knee so that the foot rises off the floor
Perform 10-20 reps, gradually increasing the number. Hold each contraction for 3-5 seconds.
This exercise should be performed 3 to 5 times a day if pain allows.

Exercise 2 - Standing Lunge

Stand one foot in front of the other, the injured knee forwards. Bend the front knee enough to feel the vastus medialis is working. Aim to keep the knee pointing forwards
Return to starting position and repeat. Aim for 2 sets of 10 repetitions initially and gradually increase.

Exercise 3- Step Down

The athlete drops down off a small step, and returns to the starting position.
Progression: Increase the size of the step
Repeat 10 times and aim to perform a number of sets throughout the day.

Exercise 4- Side Lying Clam

The athlete lies on their side with the knees bent and feet in line with their spine.
Make sure the back is straight and that the hips are stacked one directly on top of the other (don't lean back!)
Keep the ankles together and back still, as you raise the top knee away from the bottom one
Start off with 2 sets of 10 reps and gradually increase to 3 sets of 15.

By Paul Gallo

B.Kin, MSc.PT

Chasing PB's

As one of the guys who asks for your goals each season, unless they are obvious to me already, I get a pretty standard set of answers. By far the most common one is to do an Ironman. Next up is a PB, and the third most common is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

While those may be good end objectives, I think I’ve been pretty consistent in telling people to enjoy the journey, that it’s not about the time, but the process and the execution; to take control of what they can control and not worry about what they cannot.

The fall road racing season is here and although maybe a bit late, I’d like to focus on the second and third most common goals, and to re-iterate my philosophy, and expand on it a bit.

Your main objective should be to prepare diligently and to execute your race day as well as you can. If the time is fast enough to qualify as a best time or for Boston, so be it, but the main thing is to do things right. If you do that, you will guarantee yourself some measure of success. If the sole measuring stick is the clock and bettering your previous times, you are bound for disappointment more often than you will be happy with your day. The simple fact is that you cannot run faster and faster and faster at each event. This should be logical and clear enough to all of you, but it seems hard for people to accept. You cannot be 100% at each race you do, much less 101%. Constantly pushing your best times downward may happen for little while, but eventually, this will stop. Before that, though, they will get harder and harder to achieve. Further improvements will require more and more things to go right for the times to drop.

It is important to recognize that we all have limits, be they temporary or more permanent ones. When you get close to your maximum potential, like it or not, only a near perfect day will let you push beyond your previous limit. But, if your goal is to do your best and execute things properly and to stay focused on the task at hand, even bad weather, a difficult course, or a flat tire can be viewed as an unqualified success if dealt with properly.

Many of you are high achievers in one thing or another. On top of that, most of you are inclined to aim high in everything you do, whether you are actually proficient at it or not. While high standards are laudable, they may not always be the healthy and realistic thing to have. When it comes to events, aiming high means huge risk and potential for failure, but also great success. Unfortunately, not everyone is good with failure, the other ‘F’ word. Those that are not good with it end up fairly depressed and demoralized.

It also means a lot of time is put in to the preparation for each event, meaning there cannot be many shots at that PB, and therefore there is a huge amount of pressure on each attempt. I believe the pressure is doubled in this instance, mostly because there are so few shots to be taken and will take a long time to get ready for the next one, we feel the shot has to be close to perfect to count.

Unfortunately, with our sports, there are so many variables outside our control, it is essential to gain as much experience as possible to increase the odds of success on the shot. We do this by training and racing in all kinds of weather, on all kinds of courses, in all kinds of distances and events. Aside from something that is too far for the level of training, I believe a runner or triathlete should race almost any distance, any course, in any weather, and put as much effort to producing a good result in short or long events, specialty or not.

It is simply not reasonable to expect to have your new best race each time you start, possibly in conditions in which you are not experienced. Personally, I prefer the shotgun approach—race lots and eventually one of them will be a keeper, but not everyone can handle the near misses as well as I do. I know a few people (no, not you) that have 2-3 races under their belt and think they have loads of experience and know lots about the sport: what a wavy swim is, or a hilly ride, or a hard or hot run. I can guarantee you there are wavier, hillier, hotter races out there. Some a bit, some a lot, but they are out there, and if a bit of choppy water qualifies as wavy, one day, you will learn what wavy is. And then you will laugh at a choppy swim: “ha, ha, ha, haaaaah. I laugh at you, choppy water. Let me in there!Let’s get this party started!”

This entire process is just like training: you stress the body and mind to a level that is uncomfortable, and then take a break. Since pain is temporary, you forget how it felt and do it again until you eventually get used to that particular level of stress. You then increase the stress load and repeat the routine.

Getting used to various conditions that may present themselves to you on race day or in training is the same concept: swim in a pool all the time and all open water is cold and 6 inch waves are big. Swim in open water regularly and 6 inch waves are pretty normal. Swim in 12 inch waves and the 6 inch ones are no problem. Similarly, a light breeze can be annoying and frustrating until you’ve ridden in 50 kph winds, and then the breeze is no problem. Ride in a lot of rain and a little bit is no problem. Ride in windy and wet conditions and you really appreciate the sunny days, but you also know how to handle your bike if the need arises. Etc, etc.

Some people (no, not you) classify these tough conditions as character builders, and after a while they think they have enough character so do not need to do them anymore. I disagree. We all need to do them. Get out there, do your training in whatever conditions Mother Nature throws at you, unless they are darkness (and getting darker) or dangerous, and smile while you do it. After all, you could be at work instead. These are the workouts that will help you to achieve your goals—when it’s hard, it’s hard, and if you’re used to hard, when it’s easy, it’s awesome.

One final note: don’t ever expect a best time before the gun goes. Don’t even visualize it. Instead, visualize yourself executing the race plan properly and dealing with anything that comes your way efficiently. If your goal is realistic and you have indeed trained well and done everything properly leading up to that moment, the weather gods are on your side and everything else is as you like it, all will be well. All you can do is stack the deck in your favor, and then let things take their course when the gun goes off. The only things that remain is for you to put your head down and go, and to put in your best effort.

It is so very important to keep the goals in perspective. We all need to remember that these events and goals are just for fun and personal achievement. Running 15 sec faster for 5k will not make you a better person. Finishing an Ironman or winning your age group will not make you a better person. If you are mean spirited before, you will remain mean spirited after. Similarly, if you were humble, honest and hard working before, you will remain that way no matter the outcome. What is important is to appreciate the lifestyle and to enjoy are the memories, experiences and friends. I know, your parents used to say that: just do your best…They were right.

So, with this new perspective, how was your season?

Rick Hellard

Rick@zone3sports.com

Three Ride Techniques for Better Health

It’s the most dreaded time of year! It’s cold, dark, dreary outside, and more importantly, our will powers are taxed from Thanksgiving through to New Year’s Day. Between turkey and pumpkin pie, the siren call of the kids’ Halloween treats, the partying that starts with the Santa Claus Parade weekend, work parties, Christmas drop ins, all culminating with the final send off on New Year’s Eve, we need a bullet proof vest on our will power to not gain 20 pounds in the next few months.

The reasons why we have become triathletes are varied, however, for the most part, we do it to stay healthy or improve our health, and keep the weight off (or at least to allow ourselves to indulge a little, especially in the next couple of months!) With that in mind, I found the following 3 suggested rides that target specific health concerns, and improve your overall health. Try these in the off season, and they will lead to a great base of cycling for the start of 2011. (Source: www.bicycling.com)

Problem: High Cholesterol

Cycling Remedy: Lactate Threshold Intervals

While all form of exercise is great for lowering your bad cholesterol, some studies have shown that Lactate Threshold training is optimal for your cholesterol. The target is train at 75-80% of your max heart rate, or about a 7 or 8 on an exertion scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest. For cycling, try the following: complete a ride with two or three 10-15 minute hill climbs. Between the hills, ride at a heart rate of 60-75 %, and then push to at least 75-85% on the climbs. Try this 2 to 3 times a week to combat the bad cholesterol.

Problem: High Blood Pressure

Cycling Remedy: Build your Base

Any sustained aerobic exercise reduces your blood pressure. The best type of workouts that lower your blood pressure over time are ones that build endurance, as they strengthen your cardiovascular system, making it easier for your heart to push your blood through your body. For a cycling workout, train at 65-70% of your max heart rate for extended period of times (at least one hour). Doing this during the off season and early in the training season will build your base significantly, allowing you to build into interval training and speed work as you enter into the triathlon season.

Problem: Hard Time Burning Fat

Cycling Remedy: High-Intensity Training

Many people complain that they spend hours on the bike (or running, or swimming) and still have a hard time burning off the spare tire. The reason is that our bodies adapt to long periods of exercise (plateauing), and while sustained aerobic exercise is great for improving the overall health, it’s not enough to burn fat quickly. It is necessary to kick it up into high intensity intervals to fire up the metabolism. Not only will it burn more calories, and therefore fat while you exercise, but more importantly, your body will need more energy to recover after exercising, and will continue to burn fat. Try this cycling workout: warm up for 10-15 minutes at 60-75% of your heart rate max. Then kick up the intensity to 90% of your max for 1 minute. Recover for 2 minutes, going back down to 60-70% of your max. Repeat this for 10 intervals, and then cool down for 10 minutes. Over time increase it to 20 intervals. You’ll burn fat, increase your max threshold, and build significantly on your endurance.

Come visit us over the winter at the Wolf Den Radical Cycling Studio! The above workouts are examples of our cycling coaching at the studio. Call us at 647-476-3499 for a free one-week membership at the studio.

Mark Hummel - Cycling Coach

Wolf Den Radical Cycling

mark@wolfonetwo.com

647-476-3499

Kinesiology preparation for the Namib Desert

On a cold January morning this year I received an interesting request for a consultation to prepare an athlete for a race dubbed the “toughest footrace on earth.” A former University of Minnesota and BC Lions Linebacker, Alex Ikonikov is no stranger to athletic challenges and has successfully completed several marathons in less than 3 hours. Although he had never competed in an ultramarathon he though he had a good chance of not only finishing, but winning!

The organizers of the Namibia Ultramarathon challenge the boundaries of what is humanly possible. Described as a 126 km race across the scorching Namib Desert, through ancient meteor craters where the temperatures exceed 50 degrees Celsius to the remote and inhospitable Skeleton Coast on the Atlantic Ocean where the temperatures drop to freezing, this race is not to be undertaken without thorough training.

Clearly the opportunity to work with Alex in his preparation for this challenge was exciting and required a very thorough understanding of the demands in order to forecast potential roadblocks in training and competition. My main concerns included: cardiovascular fitness and endurance, nutrition and hydration management, acclimatization, injury prevention strategies, and foot care.

Cardiovascular Fitness and Endurance: To prepare for his training I suggested we complete a VO2max treadmill study to measure his anaerobic threshold, aerobic base and exercise substrate metabolism. As a runner the main feedback he would have during training and racing is heart rate. I instructed him on the proper use of a heart rate device as a “trainer” to influence his pace, not just a “monitor” to review afterwards.

The outcome of the test and comparison to his training history indicated he had generally been training too hard! Baseline VO2max was 55 ml/kg/min and AT was at 93% of max (should be between 80-85%). I provided an initial 10 week progressive and periodized cardiovascular endurance training plan based on heart rate. In follow up, his VO2max had increased to 62 ml/kg/min and AT was now 87% of max despite training slower and I updated his training program. We discussed running efficiency training strategies to maximize his efforts and aim to decrease his risk of heat stroke and heat exhaustion due to excessive heat production resulting from poor techniques.

Nutrition and Hydration: We conducted an anthropometric evaluation to determine total body water and hydration percentage as well as body fat. Additionally we conducted a resting metabolic rate (RMR) evaluation from which we determined his daily caloric needs. I requested Alex track his weight before and after runs noting the duration and distance, average and max HR, fluid consumed (type and volume), weather conditions and symptoms. We used this information to ensure adequate hydration requirements and also suggested he have a sweat test study with Dr. Lawrence Spriet at the University of Guelph.

Using Alex’ RMR data, his training hydration data and his exercise substrate and calorie expenditure data from his VO2max tests, we were able to provide him with precise caloric requirements for his training and racing and tracked with an online calorie calculator.

Acclimatization: The majority of Alex’ training was done in the cold snowy terrain of Midland, Ontario, not exactly the ideal training environment for an African race! I was hopeful that Alex had planned to arrive in Africa with enough time to acclimatize to the environment, unfortunately the trip was already booked and he was due to arrive only 3 days prior to the race.

Foot Care and injury prevention: Alex worked with a Certified Pedorthist colleague of mine to ensure we optimized his biomechanics from the ground up. However my main concerns were related to friction and blistering. Running long distances has the potential to reek havoc on those unprepared but running 126 km continuously on sand is an extreme risk (just the thought of 1 grain of sand in his shoes for any distance made me cringe). Alex consulted with other ultra distance runners (including former OKA keynote presenter Ray Zahab) to identify methods to reduce friction and spare his feet. Incorporating typical strategies of anti-friction running socks, we also determined a wrapping technique to spare his feet. At the end of the race, his feet were sore, but not a single blister!

Results: With a thorough Kinesiology preparation and training program, Alex had the tools necessary to compete. As the only Canadian participating in the race and he made us proud. His months and kilometers of training had paid off as he not only crossed the finish line, but he beat the previous course record by nearly 5 hours (15 hours, 47 minutes – only 6 athletes finished in under 20 hours). Like Ray Zahab, Alex has ambitions to change the world through his running. For more please visit http://twitter.com/AlexIkonikov

Zach Weston MSc CK, MBA

Certified Kinesiologist & Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist

Faculty Member, Department of Kinesiology, Wilfrid Laurier University

WATERLOO: 10-105 Lexington Road, (519)772-1056

Follow Iron Heart Fitness on Facebook

Athlete Profiles and Stories

Challenge Cairns introduced, win entries to Challenge Roth

The global Challenge series of long distance triathlons increased its global presence with the announcement of Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The event is set to make an impact on the global triathlon circuit with one of the most remarkable courses and a significant prize purse.

Set in the iconic landscape of Queensland, the first Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef will take place on June 5, 2011. It will feature a course memorable for the 3.8km swim in the warm crystal clear waters off Yorkeys Knob, the 180km bike leg that travels up arguably the most scenic coastal roads in Australia towards Port Douglas and a 42.2km run that includes the Cairns boardwalk before finishing in the heart of the city of Cairns. Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef promises to attract some of the biggest names in long distance triathlon with its 100,000 Euro prize purse, the second richest in iron distance racing. The Challenge Family will work with renowned event organisers, USM Events. Entry lists will be opened in November 2010. For further information please visit www.challenge-cairns.com

Win three entries to Challenge Roth.

The Challenge community at Facebook was founded only in February, but already has about 4,800 members - and it is growing every day. Facebook is just the right place to keep current about the latest news and funniest stories about the Challenge Family and to discuss them with other Challenge fans around the world. The Facebook button on the Challenge homepage gets you connected. Registration is for free and really easy! By the way, check out facebook on Monday November 8th where you can win three entries for the Challenge Roth 2011

January is Alzheimer Awareness Month

Walk With Us To Help Fight Dementia In Your Community!

Remember where the money goes…38,000 Ontarians are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease each year. Every dollar you raise will help provide counselling, education and information to people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Walk this year to ensure that no one has to face this disease alone!

The 8th Annual Alzheimer Walk for Memories increases public awareness and support to keep funding local critical programs and services for people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Visit our web site at www.alazheimer-york.com and sign up on line. All funds raised in York Region stay in York Region!

Walk for Memories on:

Saturday January 29, 2011 at the Georgina Ice Palace Hall in Keswick, Registration at 9:00 a.m. Opening Ceremonies & Walk at 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, January 30, 2011, at Vellore Village Community Centre in Woodbridge, Registration takes place at 8:00 a.m. followed by opening ceremonies and Walk/Skate/Swim at 9:00 a.m.

Everyone who raises $100.00 or more will receive a unique 2011 event T-shirt! Learn more at: www.alzheimer-york.com. Sponsorship & Promotional opportunities are available. Everyone is welcome. Venues are wheelchair accessible.

For more information and/or pledge forms please call: 905-895-1337. Your continued support of community events like this is appreciated and recognized.

This information was submitted by Elaine Ross, Event Coordinator, Alzheimer Society of York Region eross@alzheimer-york.com

A Series Regular Shares His Story - Torbjorn Zetterlund

My name is Torbjorn Zetterlund, I did my first Sprint Triathlon in Woodstock 2010 and when I reached the finish line, that was so inspiring that I went on through the summer months and raced the sprint distance at Welland, Bala Falls and Toronto Island, rounding out the racing season, I also entered two Olympic Triathlon's Cobourg and Wasaga Beach.

Why did I start doing triathlon? Here is my story about how I got back into sport and how I got started with triathlon.

Growing up in Sweden, I always biked either to school or work, in the winter I was involved in cross-country running. I lost touch with biking and running when I moved to the Middle East and only after coming to Canada, I took up biking again after a dramatic life changing illness.

A few years back I developed the Guillain–Barré syndrome, which according to my doctor, it was possibly triggered by an innocent flu shot. Guillain-Barre causes paralysis and it took me over 8 months to gain my functional capacity back. I still suffer mild symptoms from time to time such as numbness in my feet and hands. Recovering from the illness, my doctor recommended biking (stationary initially), swimming and weight training to gain my strength back. Given a second chance in life to regain my fitness, I made it my mission to keep my fitness at the highest level for the rest of my life.

When my strength came back I dusted off my road bike, a Bridgestone RS 800, that I bought in Sweden in 1984 and started with short rides to build up my stamina. With increased stamina I made a change to my daily routine and added biking as a part of commuting to/from work. I ride on average 50 km daily, starting in early March to end of November. I live in the Yonge/Sheppard area and work near Metro Hall on King Street. I carry a change of working clothes with me and I shower and change at a downtown gym.

Biking to work for me has become more of a workout. I have created 4 different routes ranging from 20 to 50 km and I have divided my routes into zones. I use these zones for the purpose of doing interval training, a hill workout or a high intensity workout. There is nothing better than at 6:30 in the morning zooming down Banbury Road towards Edward Gardens or climbing up Lawrence towards Park Lane Circle in the Bridle Path or if I am early enough and have the luck with the traffic light, I can get a good flat out ride from Eglinton down Mt. Pleasant to St. Clair.

To keep my bike fitness over the snowy months, I added swimming to my fitness regime the winter of 2009/2010, until the roads were good enough to bike. I was thinking to myself that I should try a triathlon. I first heard about triathlon in 1980's and though then that this would be something I should try one day. So, in early March 2010, I went to the gym for a swim, bike down to the gym near my work and run on the treadmill for 3 k.

I thought to myself, I can do this, I have the fitness for it, so I signed up for the Woodstock sprint triathlon, my goal one day is to do an Ironman, that is my ultimate goal. For 2011 - to build me up for an Ironman, I am going to sign up for the Welland half-ironman. By the way, in 2010 I also got back to running - and have run distances from 5k to a Marathon.

To end my story - I built a training calendar for the year, and my favorite days of the week have become Tuesdays and Thursdays - I start off with a swim at a Sheppard/Yonge gym, ride to a downtown gym and do a run on a treadmill for a few miles before showering and going to work feeling so relaxed. I have to say that biking is the ultimate way to commute to work with the freedom of not getting stuck in a traffic jam or waiting for the next train on the subway.

Great work Torbjorn! Happy training and we can't wait to see you complete the Half Iron in Welland.

Camps, Clinics & Other Events

To Learn Technique Or To Train Hard?

I often hear this from many triathletes. They ask me what to do. While my answer isn’t what they want hear, I tell them that learning proper technique takes time (to get really good) and a lot of easy practicing of our six step system of drills. Training hard with improper technique may feel like you are getting a great workout, but it can cause injury. Moving forward and just training hard will allow you to make some conditioning improvements, but you will plateau quickly and are likely to chalk this plateau up to getting older. Where a lot of programs focus on improving interval training, we focus on the six key components that when linked together, produce faster, smoother and more efficient swimming. Once you can achieve this, then you can begin to work on the training component of your program, where you will see even more improvements!!

What if you could spend more time focusing on being taught the proper technique and could swim easier and make great swim time improvement? This can happen for you and has happened for everyone learning the swim faster now 6 step system. Over this past season, we have seen numerous triathletes and swimmers from the entry level to the international level, make great improvements using our 6 step system to faster front crawl. Our success stories have ranged from completing a first triathlon all the way up to medaling at world sprint triathlon championships to winning multiple gold medals at the IPC World Championships. The common thread that all have is their desire and commitment to learning to swim smart and with less effort to get great technical improvements leading to great speed improvements in a race setting.

At Swim Faster Now, our goal is to teach all participants the proper mechanics to swim faster and use less energy doing so. We work on specific progression drills that can teach anyone how to achieve proper balance in the water. When you add streamlining your position in the water with balance and proper timing of the arm movements, you are left with a very efficient stroke. I know that some of you are happy with your current stroke and others are worried about trying to improve. I can tell you from working with tens of thousands of people over the years, that this system works.

Our next clinic is on Sunday December 5th in Oakville Ontario. If you need to stay overnight, there are a lot of excellent hotels in the area. Clinics are limited to a maximum of 10 participants and run for 3 hours in the water.

We also offer private one on one classes with our master instructor. These classes can be done during the week and on weekends. If you are looking to make a weekend for private classes, we will arrange classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so you can go home and have a strong handle on your swimming skills. Numerous people are now taking advantage of our 3 day weekend private classes.

For more information, please call 1-888-380-7946 or visit our website at www.swimfasternow.com.

If you have a question about your swimming, send me an email thru our website at www.swimfasternow.com

Snowflake Series 2010/11

Velocity Bicycle’s Snowflake Series begins on November 28th.

Registration is easy:

1- Click HERE for link to info sheet Velocity site.

2- Print out and fill in form.

3- Mail or bring in form and $$ to Velocity.

Note: if paying by cheque - please make it payable to "Orillia Snowflake Series"

All proceeds go to the Orillia Sharing Place food bank!

Check us out at velocitybicycle.com

Please Support our 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

We extend our thanks to each and every sponsor and the local bike, running and triathlon shops in the communities where you race. 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.

MultiSport Canada Triathlon Series

We are extremely grateful to have the support of our sponsors. Please support all of our sponsors. You can visit their website by clicking on their logo.