Why You Should Zip Up Your Riding Shirt

So the taper down for Muskoka 70.3 has begun, although it isn't much of a taper as its only one week.  Running wise, my shin is ok but does get a little sore after each run but my run times down right suck.  I'm probably about  one minute per kilometer slower than when I was running in April this year but at least I'm running.  I was hopping to smash last year's time of 6:12 (flat tire) but my biking has not improved all that much and I'm going to be hard pressed to beat last year's run time of 2:03.  I've tried to incorporate some hill training in my runs, but it just aggravates my shin.

At this time of year, it is getting lighter out later and later.  I headed out while it was still dark as we had plans go visit my cousin and hang out at the beach.  Last week, while riding with Peter A, we found a nice hill to do some hill repeats.  Its straight up Mccowan Road past Aurora Road and in the same area of where the twin hills are except they are off Kennedy Road.  One thing that's better than riding the twin hills on Kennedy, is that Mccowan becomes a dead end road so there is no traffic.  With Kennedy road, you get the odd car or dump truck that comes racing over the hills.  I did the two hill repeats before heading back home.  My legs were burning after the second repeat and I'm sure I'll be seeing those hills many times next summer before IMMT.  I was zipping down Mccowan coming down a long but not steep hill doing about 50 km\hr when I saw this black thing flying in front of me.  Before I had a chance to brush it away, it flew into my shirt and I tried to get it out.  It stung me once as I fished around for it.  I jammed on the brakes and veered to the left where there was a driveway.  I didn't even look behind me as a car just missed me as I turned across the road.  I stopped and tried to get the wasp out and it stung me again on my side.  I ripped off my helmet and shirt looking for the little bugger but couldn't find it.  I guess it could have been worse.  One my brothers got stung in the mouth during IMLP.

Coming off the ride, was a 45 minute run.  This is the longest brick I've done and it was very humid.  The temperature was only 23 degrees but with the humidity it felt like 33 degrees.  If I'm going to stand a chance of beating last year's run time of 2:03, I figure the only way I can do it is to run a negative split.  I have to hold back on the first half and hammer through those rolling hills on the second half.  I took off running and kept checking my pace.  I started out at 5:45 min\km (perfect) and then next time I looked, I was running at 5:00 min\km and then 4:50 pace.  Ok, this is not how a negative split works.  I had lots of trouble running at a slower pace but oddly during my last long run, I had to run faster to maintain my pace.  The run was tough with the heat as I ran along Rammerville which has some rolling hills (not much but better than a flat road) and even did one hill repeat.  I was bagged after the run and completely soaking wet.  I don't think I could have gotten any wetter if I went swimming.

During the last couple of long rides, my Power Tap has conked out during the rides.  Last week, it died about 12 minutes into the ride and a couple of weeks ago, it died about 75 minutes into the ride but the weird thing is that for my indoor trainer rides, its worked perfectly.  How could it work inside but not outside as its a wired unit so there is no interference.  I didn't want to take any chances for Muskoka so I took it up to coach and he replaced the batteries in the unit head as well as the hub.  For this ride, it worked perfectly and I didn't have any problems.  In fact, my power numbers surged.  I normally ride around 175 watts (yes I know this is pathetic) but today's ride I averaged 225 watts.  I asked coach and he said it was a)  I had a great ride - ummm maybe b) I'm getting stronger - no c) weak batteries in the hub - yea this is probably it.  We'll find out for sure over the next couple of rides.

So as we head into the last week of my first and last triathlon of the season, I don't feel as prepared as I did last year.  Last year's swim was a PB and I  don't know if I can match it.  I thought I would be stronger on the bike this year but my numbers at the Peterbough Half Iron Aqua\Bike don't show it and I'm slower and weaker on the run because of all the time I lost from the stress fracture in my shin.  I guess I should be happy that I'm able to race at all this year and look at this race as a preview for Ironman Mont-Tremblant.  Oh speaking of preview races, how's this for the ultimate warm up race for IMMT?  Pretty clever

wse > Home / WTC Announces Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant

WTC Announces Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant

New event in Quebec slated for June 24, 2012

Published Thursday, August 25, 2011

Following the excitement over the inaugural Ironman Mont-Tremblant next August, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) announces that it will also offer an Ironman 70.3 event in Mont-Tremblant on June 24, 2012. This will be WTC's first-ever 70.3 event in the province of Quebec.



 

“We anticipated that registration would fill up quickly but the interest and response from athletes has been beyond our expectations for the inaugural Ironman Mont-Tremblant,” said Mitch Fraser, WTC’s Director of Event Development in Canada. “We are delighted to be able to enhance our calendar by offering athletes the Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant race. Participants registered for the full Ironman in August will have the chance to experience the course in June.” Online registration for Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant will open on Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, at 12 p.m. EDT at www.ironmanmonttremblant.com.
A challenging course
Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant athletes will begin the 1.2-mile swim at the Beach and Tennis Club close to Tremblant’s pedestrian village. The one-loop course will bring them back to the Beach Park, 300 meters from the transition zone, located close to the Quintessence Hotel.
The 56-mile bike course winds mainly through forest and mountains, with the Montée Ryan being the most consistent part of the challenge. At Highway 117 the elevation goes from 200 meters to 310 meters with a six percent slope. On the return route, via Montée Ryan and the Chemin des Voyageurs that crosses Mont Tremblant Resort, the athletes head into the municipality of Lac Supérieur.
The 13.1-mile run leads athletes through the Tremblant pedestrian village, toward Club Intrawest and then to the linear park bike path. The athletes will run through the Old Village sector of Mont-Tremblant before launching on to the final portion on Chemin du Lac Mercier. After having run along Le P’tit Train du Nord, a former railway bed that has been made into a linear park – the longest of its kind in Canada - the athletes will complete the course by again running along the Chemin du Village to end at Mont Tremblant Resort.


Originally from: http://ironman.com/new-event-in-quebec-slated-for-june-24-2012#ixzz1Wytz7Ka6