Cambridge Duathlon

June 16th

Well today is my 6th anniversary or birthday it all depends on how you look at the glass – half full or empty. I tend to look at it as a birthday of sorts as it was a re-birth on my life 6 years ago when I had the Heart Attack. Today I spent some of it at the same hospital that I was taken to on the day I had the Heart Attack, as my mother had to go there for a little operation. It was a different day spending it there knowing how far I have come in the last 6 years. So lets move on…..

SubaruCambridge Duathlon

Dino and Kelly came for the drive to Cambridge with us early morning. Drive was nice with getting my Timmies for the haul. We arrived at Shade’s Mills Conservation Area around 7:30 and headed over to registration, bib’d, marked up and bike racked up. It was well set up withe easy transition before getting my gear laid out in order. Another Team Running Free Athlete came up to me and said hi and introduced himself as Alain Lai from Markham team as well. It was nice meeting someone else and from the same team. We chatted a bit wished each other luck and I was off down to the beach to watch the start of the Triathlon. When the Elites went off, one guy (Ben Sayles) took the lead and just kept gaining ground on the other athletes. Out of the water in 9:54 and kept his lead all the way. I was at about the 8km mark on the bike when he flew past me going in the other direction with about a 3 minute lead before the next guy came by. Ben won the triathlon in 1:19 and change.

Well 9:15am is rolling around and the Duathletes are getting ready to start our Sprint Duathlon. When I signed up for it, I didn’t look at the run course. We started on the beach for the 2km portion, ran on the beach, then the grass and then I finally got to see some road, but quickly made the turn around and back to transition through the beach. I didn’t want to start out to fast as i had to keep looking down for my footing. It was a good time for me 12:54 with a 1:58 in transition and then off on the bike I went.

Out on the 30km bike course it wasn’t long before I found my first hill. ¾ of the way up I just lost power, unclipped and ended up walking, jumped on and tried to make up some ground. From here out to the 15km Turn-around, it was a fantastic ride, little rollers, flat stretches and some nice scenery (cows, horses). My left arm was hanging in there for me, resting nicely on the handlebars not having to switch my big ring to go over the hills. BUT on the last Klick of the bike course I changed gears to start the climb and my arm collapsed, my head went down between the handlebars and my left foot, there is where i lost balance and fell out to my left with my feet still clipped in. I am glad now that it was up hill not down hill. Gathered myself, got up and fixed the chain and got back on the bike. My shoulder was hurting, my arm now just dangling with not much strength left to put it up on the bar and climbed the hill holding on with just the right arm. Made it back to transition, off the bike, trying to run but my arm was just flopping beside me. 1:20:03 (Ben finished the whole Tri in 1:19:??) lol. While Racking my bike, I wanted a medic so that I could have my left arm Tensored to my body to be able to run the last 6km segment. I asked to strap my arm to my body, but they just didn’t know how to????? well no tensor bandages in their kits, so we tied a sling around my arm and body and off I was…. so I thought, got stopped and they wanted me to sign a waiver to continue. (I understand the legal aspects of why, but my problem with the arm and muscles was already noted on my registration and I had already signed my waiver. Didn’t need to sign another. Told them nothing was hurting and then I just started to run out and go.) 4:29 in transition.

The run was interesting, between my shoulder bouncing around and starting to hurt and the fact that we were running in the bush trail, roots, rocks and half the time I am looking out for SNAKES. Sorry I don’t like snakes, not bad if I see them, but not if they sneak up on me. So I am seeing sticks that I think are snakes but their not. Then I think it was stick, but NO it was a little garder snake. LOL.

Going up one of the little hills at about the 3km mark, I caught up to a woman and we chatted and ran together for the rest of the 4km. We came down the last hill, turned left and she said lets go and we crossed the finish line together. Thanks Michelle Svartsjo for the company.

Finished the race in 2:33:51 64th place out of 71 (not last) my 6km was very disappointing for me but with one arm not being able to go through the motion and a little pain, it does slow you down. 6km 54:29 a 9:05/km.

I have to say nice job Alain for finishing 17th overall.

Alain Lai Team Running Free

Cambridge…. I would definitely come back and do this race again next year. This was the first time it has been run in Cambridge, so PB’s were set and course record was set as well. Subaru Triathlon Series put on a great event, the Volunteers were amazing as well as the chit chat among the athletes, newbies and veterans.

So now, I am getting ready for a big weekend, Guelph Olympic Duathlon (52km – 2-40-10) on the Saturday the 21st and then the MEC ½ Marathon on the 22nd in Toronto. Then I will have a week and a bit off until Peterborough Half Iron Duathlon on the 6th of July. It will be a good weekend as we will get to see my parents who live up there.

Have a great week everyone.

Damaged Heart