Almost didn't go because of not enough training. But one week before, I did a 40km bike ride in the morning and a 7.5km run in the evening, I knew I can make it "in style". So I signed up and finished just before one hour and forty-five minutes.
It was Fathers Day and the weather was great, lots of athletes and spectators. My final time was 1:44:45. But most important: I GOT A MEDAL!
PS: The road out the Conservation Area did not get paved, still an "unforgettable" experience on a road bike.

After skipping one year, the race went very well. My time was 1:43:55.
It would make a lot of racers very happy if they repaved the road out of the Conservation are. There were times when I feared for my bones just shaking apart. We can always hope for next year.

Looking through the blog postings, I noticed the Bread and Honey Race from the previous two years were not posted. It started in 2012 when Aurora and Catherine signed up for the race. The last two two years, I followed Catherine for "moral support" during the race. This year, I tried. The good news, I finished in 30:45. That is about one and a half minute after Catherine. Looks like it's time to step up my training.

Great race, cloudy, so almost perfect weather. And again a personal best. My time was 2:15:50.
Before anybody compares the time with the one in June, the time difference between Guelph Lake 1 and Guelph Lake 2 race comes from the longer bike and run course. The swim is 750 meters for both, then 20km bike distance in June vs 30km now. And the run is 5km in June vs 7km now.
Tomorrow will be a rest day, then back to Marathon training on Monday. Only a few weeks left til Toronto Waterfront Marathon and I'm planning to do the full 42km.

The event was great as usual and I like my finish. My time was 1:39:47. This is my best time for the Guelph Lake 1 races and also the 10th Triathlon. Not much else to say except "Looking forward to Guelph Lake 2".

A picture perfect late afternoon. Race started at 6:30 and was well attended. I didn't train enough this year to run the Half Marathon tomorrow morning. If I can't finish the race and feel good at the end, I won't do it. So the 10K was just right and I also finished just below one hour. My time was 59:18 and as always, I had a great time.

Been there, done that. Great race as usual and didn't take any pictures this time. The lake was a bit low after the dry summer but it worked out ok. My time was 2:21:08.
I really enjoy the Guelph Lake setting and the Subaru Triathlon races. Thinking about adding another race in 2013, maybe the Milton Triathlon.

The event was great as usual and I like my finish. My time was 1:44:25. Not the best time, but with the lack of training caused by a fracture in my left fibula, I'm not complaining. The new bike worked out very well. Not much else to say except "Looking forward to Guelph Lake 2".

Perfect weather, water was comfortable, almost didn't need the wetsuit. Start time for the Guelph Lake 2 race was 9am. This is my 7th Triathlon here at the Guelph Lake and I'm still loving it. Finished with 2:26:18, nothing spectacular, but I had a good time as always.

My goal for this year is 1000 miles running and I'm very well on target. I didn't run much on our trip out west, so I didn't spend much time on the bike either. I had an excellent race in June and that's good enough for me. Looking forward to next year, it will be a good year again.

It was a picture perfect day. The 5Peaks race started at 1860 meters above sea level. To get there, we took the gondola up to Whistler Mountain, then the Peak to Peak gondola to Blackcomb. Getting to the start line was already an experience, very picturesque.
We started at 11am in waves of about 20 runners. The trail was single track most of the time. Two steep climbs up some hills with no name, at least I don't remember. I had enough to do with my running and the elevation, we were well above 2000 meters.

The picture above is close to the finish line. The last 400 meters was down a gravel service road.
The race was an experience and I'm happy I participated and finished. My time was 2:10 and the distance about 10km. I don't know how much climbing we did, but if the breathtaking view on top is an indication, it was a lot.

10 more training days until the 5Peaks race in Whistler. It looks as if Whistler Mountain outside Jasper is not climbed very often. I'm number 771 that did the hike and took the gondola down. The hiking trail starts about 1km before the gondola parking, just by the Hostel. The hiking trail is 6.8 km with just over 1km elevation to the top.

The Jasper Tramway shows these numbers: The Lower Station is at 1304 metres (4279 ft) above sea level and the Upper Station is at 2277 metres (7472 ft)
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On our way to Whistler, we had to stop to visit the Badlands in Alberta. The scenerie is breathtaking and the abundance of dinosaur bones and smaller fociles is overwhelming. We spent three days here to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Dinosaur Provincial Park.

The first day we walked the trails at the Dinosaur Provincial Park and booked a guided tour for Sunday.

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I did two practice swims the weekend before to get ready for the Guelph Lake Triathlon. I accumulated plenty of running practice with about 900 kilometers up to now. I only put in two biking practices, but I didn't think that this will be an issue.

Weather was great and as always, I enjoyed the random chats with the participants, volunteers and exhibitors. My time was 1:41:40, a new personal best time. In the overall ranking, that is place 499 out of 607 participants. When I'm looking at my splits, I spend way too much time in the transition, 6 minutes to change. I have to find a better system to get the wetsuit off and socks on my wet feet. The swim, bike and run times are ok. I may be able to improve the biking with some training, I did a 27km/h average. I'll leave this for next year. My 2011 goal is already set and I'm right on target - 1000 miles in one year. But more about this later.

Unlike last year, it was wet. Drizzle from the start line to the finish line. But still I enjoyed the Mississauga Marathon like every year before. Finally managed to get a sub two hour time again. I finished with 1:59:18

Thanks to the 2:00 Pace Bunny, I could finish somewhat relaxed. Knowing I'll make it in the 2 hour limit. And now the cross training starts again, the triathlon is coming up soon.

An almost perfect summer comes to an end, with temperatures that make a summer proud ... except on September the 5th. Preparation for the Guelph Lake Triathlon as usual, 20 minutes before race start a swim in the lake to cool-down. This time, it was a warm up, the water was so much warmer then the air. More and higher waves then usual, but still within the comfort level.

5 minutes before race start, a delay was announced. Another 10 minutes later, the swim was cancelled. The rescue boats were not able to hold the positions due to the high winds. So the swim was replaced with a 3km run. Eventually the race started. The 3km run was OK and the drizzle only started when I got on the bike. Compared to last year, the 30km took me over 11 minutes longer. The final 7km run went OK, ignoring the wet running shoes, pants and shirt. I finished the race in 2:26:52.

Trisport posted this on their home page
"Congratulations to all our athletes who survived the worst race conditions we have seen in over 20 years of our triathlon history! "
I'm not surprised, it was ... 'challenging'.

Another year, another race - time for my favourite race, the Guelph Lake Triathlon. Weather was perfect, maybe a bit too perfect.

My time was 1:48:06 and I improved in the swim and bike portion. Running was another story, too hot for my old body. There is always next year.

Just a beautiful morning today for the start of the Mississauga Marathon. Lots of participants at the start that need to park the car. And lots of finishers to lineup for water, banana and all the other goodies. I finished with 2:02:52 which is within my expectation of 2 hours (plus/minus 2 minutes). I blame the 52 seconds on the Power Gel at km 17, that stuff is sooo sticky, it took 52 seconds of my momentum.

Now starts the countdown for Guelph, bike is ready and the weather seems to get warmer.
Get some Marathon pictures here

I reached my goal - 1000km running in one year. And the conversion for my non-metric friends 1000 km = 621.371 miles. The 1000km/year is on my list since 2007 when I missed it by less then 50km. Last year in June and July, no running after surgery. So my 2008 total was 755km.
Now in 2009 it's done ... and getting ready to set a new goal. I'm still undecided if it will be a Olympic Triathlon or full Marathon. Both are double the distance from the races I'm doing now. I know that I have to finish a full Marathon one of these days, but my final decision will be early next year. It all depends when the trails are ice and snow free. I will run the Mississauga Half Marathon, but this event is mid May already. Training starts about 3 month before that, and February is not very appealing for long runs.

It is obvious that the running season is winding down. The trails are quiet and soon will be covered in snow and ice. I hope to catch a few more runs over the next days and then it's time to hibernate.
December 30th Update: The weather over the last few weeks favoured my running. Just finished my last run for this year, the 7km loop through the park and Sawmill Valley trail. The picture above is from the trail. This brings my total for this year to 1075km.

It's Saturday and I'm getting all the gear ready for tomorrows run. I picked up my race kit yesterday over lunch. I expected a bigger crowed and lineups, but all went without any waiting. I got my race number by email, so no need to find my name on the long list of runners.
It's raining now ... but according to the Weather Network, this should change at 7am, half an hour before the start. We'll find out soon. Anyway, it's time to go to sleep. I have to get up early.

The run course went west on Lakeshore, then a u-turn and all the way back. This gave us the chance to see and cheer the elite runners. About 10 runners, then ... a big gap ... until the next group of runners. Three of the elite runners finished in less then 2:10 for the full 42km, that is a speed of almost 20km/h.
I finished just under 2:14 and crossed the finished line about 30 seconds after Toronto's Mayor David Miller. And the 'scary' part, I crossed the finish line several minutes after the winner of the full 42.2km marathon. Keneth Mungara of Kenya who also broke the Canadian record by finishing in 2:08:32.
The event was well organized, but 20,000 participants plus 30,000 spectators (according to the radio station), everything takes a long time.

The summer comes to an end and it's time for the Guelph Lake Triathlon. A sunny day, a bit on the warm side for the running part. Water temperature didn't really require a wetsuit, but I feel more comfortable with the extra buoyancy.
Both the Sprint Triathlon and the Try-a-Tri were sold out. Like the previous events, I was in the last wave. Now I have a white cap in my collection as well.

I finished the race in 2:18:59. I was hoping for less then 2:15 and not sure where I lost my time. It took me 2 minutes more for the 30km bike ride, but both the swim and run were faster then last year. My guess is that the transition needs lots of improvement.
After the race it was time for the goodies from the sponsors. The top prices were a new wetsuit, watches and sunglasses. They pulled our names out of a box and very unexpected, my name was one of the first five. I won Bollé sunglasses, perfect for my runs. A big thank you to Bollé and all the other sponsors.

Five days in Las Vegas and no running? ... I don't think so. Before we even went there, I was looking for places to run in Las Vegas. Staying at the New York New York Hotel, my options were limited. Las Vegas in July is hot and no consideration is given to outdoor activities beyond a pool with an average depth of 4 feet. After all, you can't swim with a drink in your hand. Anyway, my search pointed to Red Rock Canyon, a 40 minutes drive from the Hotel - perfect. With temperatures close to 40 degrees (over 100 F ) during the day, I had to be there as early as possible.
Alarm went off at 5am, and we were on the road by 5:30. The Red Rock Canyon is a national conservation area and you can find some information here. We arrived around 6:15am and the park was already open (they open at sun rise). The sun didn't yet make it over the mountains. Starting at the visitor center running north, the road was still in the shade. A perfect combination of weather and nature and the road ahead of me. From the start to about mile 5, there is over 100 meter height difference. So I appreciated the shade on my uphill stretch.

I was not alone, the Red Rock Canyon seems to be favored by many runners and cyclist - and not too many cars so early in the morning. The one-way loop in the park has several parking areas to view the breathtaking rock formations and colors.
I had to be back at the hotel by 9am, I jumped into the car at mile 7. We made it just in time for the meeting start at 9am.

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A long and never-ending spring with less then appealing weather conditions this weekend, the Guelph Lake Triathlon is happening. Now after the fact, the weather conditions were actually very pleasant, a bit wet beyond the swimming part, but at least no pouring rain.

My time was 1:42:45 and the time splits were within my expectations.
About an hour before race start, I laid out the helmet, running shoes, towel, drink, bib and whatever else I need when changing from the swim to bike and then to the run. This year I started in the Men-55 category, so the bike rack was not as crowded as other age groups. I had all my gear ready for the transition, stepped back and mentally went through the process. I was pleased with everything and expressed it with a "Now I'm ready for the race". A fellow racer looked at me with a big smile and said: "You know, in our age group we shouldn't be that excited anymore about the race!". Based on appearance, this was not his first race - and he looked as if he is in great condition - and is having fun.
I finished 13th out of the 19 men in my age group or in 454th place of the 542 competitors. Just out of curiosity, I check the results how I would perform with the next age group (Men 60-64) and it's nothing to look forward to. 6 participants, 5 finished well before my time and my chances don't grow in the higher age groups. With these results in mind, I think I know what my fellow racer was referring to before the race.
Hey, I enjoyed the race - I finished within my expectation - I got my T-shirt, what else can I ask for? Well maybe that a few years down the road I can still participate and finish the race.

Not sure what's more challenging, finding the entrance or the bike trails.

Two trails are for mixed use, the Swayze Falls Trail and the Black Walnut Trail. They are 6.2km and 4.3km and go through mixed terrain. Open fields and forrest, with a few steep passages, some are badly washed out by rain. Several muddy patches, but nothing that is extreme. Hey, you can always push the bike if it's too steep.
There is no entrance fee, so there is really nothing to complain about. I actually enjoyed the ride and the uneven tracks. Many places are very pumpy, my guess is from the equestrians that share the same trails.
More details about the trail can be found at the Friends of Short Hills Park.
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It was cold this year for the Mississauga Marathon.

I finished after 2:03:46, well within my expectations. Like the years before, very well organized and just a nice stretch of road and parks. The Marathon finishes at the Lakefront Promenade Park. About 500 meters before the finish line, the runners come down to the lake front and run around a small bay. You can see and hear the excitement from the finish line. And only one thing in mind ... "I wish I were there already". Like every year at the Mississauga Marathon, the last 3 kilometers show the result of the training since beginning of the year - or the lack thereof. Hey, I finished and feel great.

The Challlenge Park is located in Mississauga, Ontario, just north-east of the 403 and Credit River. The Challenge Park is in memory of Ellis Leuschner who passed away as a result of a bike accident.

Find the exact location here. Switch to the Satellite map and follow Wellsborough to the south. This is prime recreation area. Just before the bend, you see a dirt spot (north-east) with trails leaving in all directions, that's the one.
The Challenge Park is at the northern end of the Credit River trail. Continue the trail from here and follow Wellsborough then turn left into Credit Pointe. About 200 meter until you see a sign marking the trail/park entrance. Eventually you end up in Streetsville.
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Two degrees above freezing and a clear sky for the 2008 Toronto Marathon. I signed up for the Half Marathon and the run was ok, but for some odd reason, I didn't expect to break any records. My training went ok and I was ready to run. I ran around 100km each month to prepare for the race. At the runners expo when I picked up the race kit I stopped at a booth that promoted some magical 'all natural' something that takes all the pain away and makes you healthier, stronger and faster. People assume that a runner MUST be in pain after the race. Several posters along the race track reminded the runners that 'The Marathon Is Not Over Until The Pain Is Gone' promoting some pain killer. I did however appreciate the printed signs displayed by several people on the long uphill stretch 'A Hill Builds Character'. I always say that there is 'pain' and then there is 'good pain', I have the second and don't need anything to numb the 'good pain'. Actually, I usually feel good, a bit tired after the race but it's all gone the day after. With the Toronto Marathon over, so is my 2008 running season.

No record setting time, but I met my target of 2 hours for the 21km close enough. I finished with 2:02:00 sharp.

Guelph Lake Triathlon, the long awaited race... after I had to skip the June 1 race. Get up at six, pack and drive for one hour to the Guelph Lake. Park the truck and get my bike and the bag with towels, shoes, shirt, bike helmet, goggles, hat, just everything you need to swim, bike and run. I was ready for the 750 meter swim, 30 km bike and 7 km run and my target time was set at 2:15.

My time was 2:16:24 and the time splits were within my expectations.
My guess is that I spent too much time in the transition after the swim. Had to get out all the sand between the toes. The times were taken when leaving the transition area just before the bike ride, and again when entering the transition area after the bike ride. The swim time includes the dress and shoe change. Peeling off the wetsuit takes time and the last thing I want is to drip all this water into my running shoes.
Coming back after the bike ride, hang the bike on the rack, helmet and sunglasses off, hat on and off I go. Immediately after leaving the transition are, up the hill. Now that is ugly. Switching from biking to running is hard enough, but up-hill? Anyway, I managed somehow and by this time it was around 11am. No clouds and the sun was out in full force. I had to walk three times to get my heart rate under control. No shade along the run course and the heat did not make it easier.
I finished within my expected time and very important ... I earned my T-shirt. It's a nice one

No running this July 1st, but I could still check off the Vancouver event from my list. I was still recovering and couldn't risk to run for 10km. As a bonus, my wife joined me in the Run For Canada, we did the 3km walk along the Vancouver shoreline together.

My second half-marathon here in Mississauga.

My time was 1:54:54, a steady improvement from last year.

It was early, it was nippy, it was fun. The start was behind Mel Lastman Square. They closed Young Street for the Toronto Marathon and University Avenue to the finish at Queen's Park.

I even had some 'fuel' left to speed up on the last kilometer before the finish. And improved my time again to 1:58:18 for the Half Marathon.

10km along Lake Ontario, starting at Ontario Place. The reason I participated was the shirt, printed with my own number. I finished in 56:26 and can check off the first 'Run For Canada' from the list.

The HBC Run For Canada is held in several places accross Canada. Next year will be another place. Oh, and I'm the one with the red t-shirt.

Just finished my first Half-Marathon, 21km (13 miles) from Square One Shopping Center down to the Lake. When I signed up for the event back in February, I had to enter a time estimate for my run. I knew that I can run 5km in 30 minutes, but never attempted to run more then 8km. I still put down 2 hours and 6 minutes, hoping I can maintain a 10km per hour pace. Race day came and I was really pumped, seeing all the participants.

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