Tag: training

At the end of 2007 I had completed 5 Give it a Try races, the shortest distance that you can do.  It’s a pure sprint, but a great place to start if you are a beginner and just getting into this sport for the first time.

That off season and over the winter I educated myself immensely into the sport of triathlon, taking courses offered at Guelph University to help my swim stroke, and train with some other like minded people.  I invested in all the gear that would be needed as it certainly is not a poor man’s sport at all, wetsuits, bike equipment, spare tires, aero bars, saddle bags, unitards, and a big old bag to hold it all.

Continue reading Give It A Try: My Journey from Couch Potato to Ironman part 2

This might be my all time photo ever taken of me, it was at the Gravenhurst Triathlon in 2009 when I was at the peak of my physical fitness that year, and perhaps in my entire life.  I had just finished the 1.5km swim of the Olympic Distance triathlon I was racing in.  I had done both races the day before as well, the Sprint Distance along with the Give it a Try race.  I had carefully planned out a schedule of races and events to test my physical endurance and to mentally prepare me for what the Ironman to come.

I had just flown out of the transition area, jumped onto my bike and this was about 500m out of transition area after climbing the first short hill of a 40km bike to come.  Your arms were still all pumped from the swim I had just finished, and I looked awesome.  The photographer, Mike Cheliak @MikeCheliak was perfectly positioned to capture this moment in time.  He also took the picture above as well.  Thanks Mike for making me look my very best.

It was about a month and a half before I would go on to complete Ironman Kentucky in August of 2009.

But let’s go back a few years shall we.

I grew up a very active child, I don’t think I ever sat still.  After all I didn’t have an iPhone back then, in fact I was fortunate to see the growth and invention of the home computer all the way to its modern counterparts.  We had to get up and turn the rotary dial on our antenna to change the channel on our TV that has maybe 10 or 11 channels… oh how far we have come.  I think of my Dad who will be 88 next year, and the changes that he has seen over his lifetime.  Brings new meaning to the word perspective. Continue reading Give It A Try: My Journey from Couch Potato to Ironman part 1