Name: Valleyfield Triathlon/Duathlon and Westboro KOS Triathlon, Duathlon and Fun Du
Sport: Triathlon
Desription: 300m swim, 15km bike, and 3km run for both races in the 12-13 age group
Date: August 18/August 26, 2007
Location: Valleyfield, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario
Website: http://www.ottawakidstri.ca/ and http://www.sportriple.com/Evenements/VFevenementA.shtml
Westboro KOS
Swim
In the swim for this race I was acually considered staying in the pack for this section of the race. then I remembered that there were some strong bikers in the pack and that I needed a lead. We were swimming in the Ottawa River and that caused some problems. The water was brown. It was so nasty I was sighting every stroke. finally it was over and I made my way into transition and grabbed my bike before running to the mount line.
Bike
I had a very fast bike. The Westboro course was flat with one rise. I continued to gain time throughout the 2 laps I had to complete. It would have been a great bike except for one thing. My back. By the time I was done the 15km bike back was so stiff I almost fell over and dropped my bike. Luckally I was able to stay on my feet and jog my bike into transition before racking it, stopping to strech my back out, and proceeding to the run exit.
Run
I was struggling on the run until my seond lap. Throughout my first lap I had cramps and had a hard time getting into a rythym. The cramps eventually left me and I was able to find a rythym. I crused to the finish line knowing I won the race and in doing so won the Ontario Cup Points Series.
Valleyfield Triathlon/Duathlon
The day was finally here. Ever since I won Lakeside KOS I had been waiting for this day to come. It was finally here. It consists of four words. Eastern Canadian Regional Championships. Myself and the rest of Team Ontario were at the race site in Valleyfield, Quebec bright and early so we all knew exactly what was happening on race day. It was a long wait but soon the officials were ready to let off the 14-15 age group. I knew this wouldn’t be a normal race when my teammate David Mackie, who usually comes out of the water in first was not even the third person out of the water. Before I knew it it was my turn and and everyone was positioned at the start line. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, cinq, quatre, trois, deux, un, beep. We were off.
Swim
I knew this wasn’t a normal race because I was swimming with someone until the turnaround. Usually I have big lead. I had been practicing my sighting and it was paying off. I wasn’t looking where I was going every stroke and I knew where to go. I was feeling good, working hard and getting draft off the guy next me. At the turnaround I made a small gap and took the lead. Soon I was done and was climbing up the ladder (I know eh, climbing out of a ladder in a tri, this was the best part).
Bike
Out on the bike I didn’t much of a lead and I wasn’t feeling to great I did drop the guy behind me but only find out that someone was catching me on my fifth out of sixth lap he past me and from that point on we traded spots. It was weird. He was always ahead on the the straightaways but off the corners I always caught up to him and past him. It was cat and mouse and it was acually fun. Going into transition I had the lead and I lead out onto the run.
Run
I felt so bad on the run it wasn’t even funny. I didn’t have a good rythym and I wasn’t in the usuall position where I had superhuge lead. Lucky for me the guy behind me didn’t look to great either. But on my second lap, everything changed. You need to know 2 things before I tell you what happened. Number 1. We had to do 3 1km loops for our run. Number 2. I had forgotten about a boy from Quebec who I thought might beat me. The boy was a good runner and was not mentally strong, something you need in triathlon. So, on my second lap this boy caught me and past me at the turnaround point. Now you have to realize that I am half dead right now and that I haven’t been past in the run part of a triathlon in 2 and a half years. So this guy passes me and I stay on his shoulder. Then we get to the water station and he gaps me. We are on our third lap now. I am trying to decide when to go for it when I saw him grab his stomach. I went for it. I got back on his shoulder and when we were at the bottom of the rise before the downhill to the finish. At the bottmom of that rise I went into an all out sprint. We were next to each other, sprinting. At the top of the rise I edged ahead and saw throw his arms out. I kept on sprinting to the line and crossed it in first. I had done it. I went to go get some water and runner was coming. A volonteer grabbed me and I collapsed.
For the rest of the day I just hung out with my buddys and enjoyed the day. Mom said I should retire because there is only one way to go.
