A BUSY SEASON

It's been a pretty busy time for Ironstruck this Spring and as a result I have not been able to keep up with my blog.

Just keeping up and adding new info to my ironstruck.ca website is a challenge and has priority when I do have time to write.

Was at the Vancouver Marathon Expo, The Woody's RV Marathon Expo and the Calgary expo all in about 4 weeks and will be doing a book signing at Market Mall On Sunday May 6.

It was really great being back in Vancouver, the place where I grew up. It is certainly a city that has come of age and I can see why people fall in love with it. I met many very cool people out they during my stay.

The Kenyan runners are pretty amazing they won the men's and women's side in Vancouver despite cold, wet conditions that were not really much to their liking. Or as the men's winner said "it was cold and lonely at the front and I didn't think I would even break 220.

He actually went a pedestrian 2:16(for him anyway). Rumor has it that he has gone in 2:11.

I have been chatting with many people who are getting very close to their big races of the season especially with IM CDA in Idaho later this month, Ironman Calgary 70.3, and Ironman Canada at the end of August.

Also chatting with many people online from other countries who are getting nervous about their pending Ironman races.

What I am noticing--much like most years at this time--is that so many people are doing way to much in the way of training as their races get closer.

To my way of thinking and through my own experiences of making this same critical mistake, people are not tapering soon enough and are simply not resting enough.

There is no doubt in my mind that people are still not grasping the important fact that rest if their greatest friend when it comes to Ironman or half Ironman preparation. There is really not much long distance you can do in the final four weeks that is going to in any way increase endurance.

Basically at that point, you are just using up valuable energy and have a good chance of going into your race over-trained and tired.

Often the novice Ironman does not notice the effects of that over-training until about half-way through the Ironman bike course and then it becomes a very long day.

this is a test to see if this will download

Another season

Hope everyone in Calgary is getting for a new tri season as we make our way into Spring.

Another amazing Calgary presence in Ironman Canada this year and it should be fun to take Ironstruck on the road again to Kelowna and Penticton.

The tri community can also look forward to the second annual Ironman Calgary70.3 taking place in early August.

Best of luck to everyone from Ironstruck.ca. The premier free website for triathletes of the world.

TIME FOR SERIOUS TRAINING

You can expect to see more spiffy looking tri-bikes on the highways and bi-ways around Calgary now that we are into April. For years it has unofficially been the month when Calgary triathletes begin to unhook their bikes from their wind-trainers and hit the dusty highway.

Of course there are always those who have been out there biking for a few months now whenever the weather turned mild for a few days.

I remember when I used to do that. I remember being 20k from my car and watching those ominous snow clouds coming from the mountains and heading right for me. Amazing how fast they can move and how soon you can find yourself slogging through fresh snow and freezing your ass off for 15k on your state-of-the-art tri bike.

It took a few years of frozen hands and toes to figure out there was really no advantage to those early season bike rides. You could get in great shape and just as far ahead on a good wind-trainer that you plunk down in front of your T.V. in the comfort of your own home.

As a matter of fact, one year I did about 90% or all my bike-training on a wind-trainer and was only about 10-15 off my usual Ironman bike time down in Couer D'Alene.

Best of luck to all those who are getting ready for some big triathlons coming up this year.

As usual, Calgary will be sending a HUGE contingent to Ironman Canada 2010. Also, it will be year two of the Calgary 70.3 Ironman and I'm sure that will be another amazingly successful event.

If you are looking for some inspiration and motivation for the coming tri season, be sure to Visit my Ironstruck book store and pick up one of my tri books. It you are in your first season as a triathlete, my latest book "Triathlete In Tranisiton" might be just the ticket.

The Vancouver Olympics and Inspiration

With only one day left in the Olympic Games in Vancouver it's time to start paying more attention to my blog and Ironstruck in general as the 2010 Triathlon season in North America looms on the horizon.

Any of you who have visited my Ironstruck.ca website or read my book
"Ironstruck...The Ironman Triathlon Journey" may recall how I defined being "Ironstruck" as that moment in your life when something you see or hear inspires you to take your life in a new more positive direction and discover the true ability you have within on so many levels.

It's pretty amazing how many of the Olympic athletes in Vancouver claim they were inspired by watching other athletes in previous Olympics to take up a sport for the first time.

You can bet there are a lot of kids out there who will also be "Ironstruck" by what they witnessed in Vancouver the past two weeks and will take up a sport of their own.

So if there is a family member, friend, or co-worker you know who could use a little inspiration to get them started on their own "triathlon journey" than do all you can to inspire them through your words or actions.

It can be very rewarding to be responsible for inspiring someone to change the course of their lives for the better.