2009 Under Way!

Spring is in the air in Ottawa and that only means one thing - time to dust off that old race equipment and start thinking about competition season! Winters tend to be long and snow filled in this part of the world, so keeping fit (ie. race ready) can sometimes be challenging. The early indications tend to suggest that 2009 could be a really good year!

Spring is in the air in Ottawa and that only means one thing - time to dust off that old race equipment and start thinking about competition season! Winters tend to be long and snow filled in this part of the world, so keeping fit (ie. race ready) can sometimes be challenging. The early indications tend to suggest that 2009 could be a really good year!

Over the winter I was able to get in a few events to keep a check on the fitness. In February I competed in a 50km cross country ski event. Despite not getting in tons of skiing, I was quite pleased with the result. And for those that are wondering, the Kekinada is a super event to try.

A few weeks after the ski race, some fellow athletes and I set up a 1500m TT. Tenille Hoogland, Matt Vierula and I swam for the Triathlon Canada standard and were all successful. Tenille swam an impressive 18:25 while I finished in 17:40.

Next up were a couple road races. In mid April I traveled to Montreal to do the Montreal half marathon. Having only ever previously raced in 1 half marathon (in 2004) I wasnt sure what to expect. I thought with a good race I might expect something in the 1:15 range. I guess things went better than planned because I finished in 1:14 flat (1:13.59 chip time!). Then in May I ran in the Sporting Life 10km in Toronto. A downhill course is always welcomed by a heavier runner like me! The course did not disappoint - one day before my 36th birthday I was able to equal my best 10km time by going 32:49.

Next up is the Columbia Triathlon. This will be the first true test of the year. The field looks deadly fast so I dont expect to be in the mix for a top finish but I look forward to a fun race to get the rust off. Race summary to follow!