The Olympics are wrapping up today, and no I'm not watching the hockey game that is on right now. Overall I have been really impressed with these Olympic Games and the performances of our Canadian athletes have been truly inspiring.
International media has critiqued every aspect of the Games, with the typical complaints being the weather, the partying, and the tragedy on the opening day. The weather has been unseasonably warm in Vancouver over the last two weeks, - warmer than it was in June of 2008 for Tri Worlds - but I don't see how Vanoc is responsible for the record-breaking meteorological anomaly. The events were hardly affected by the weather, besides a few skiing events which were delayed (a normal part of every winter Olympics). And athletes have had nothing but praise for the venues and events.
The other major criticism I have heard throughout the Olympics has been the partying in downtown Vancouver. For those international media who haven't been to Vancouver prior to the Games, welcome to Vancouver. Its loud, its a harbour town, Granville Street is crazy, get over it.
Perhaps the most disconcerting criticism of the Olympics has surrounded the tragic death of the Georgian luger on Day 1. The media has been so hung up on trying to place the blame, it has been utterly ignored that it was a freak accident, and as heartbreaking as it was to see the video of the young man lose his life, it is an inherent and accepted aspect of the extremely dangerous sport. The recognition and moment of silence during the opening ceremonies was both appropriate and touching, and the Games have taken on an essence of overcoming tragedy with triumph. Still, people search for someone to blame rather than recognize the tragedy, when (apparently) it was the media themselves who pushed for the Whistler Sliding Centre to be the fastest and most dangerous track in the world, for drama's sake.
The Beijing Games have become the standard to which all future Olympics may be measured, and have been considered wildly successful. Considering we didn't bulldoze any neighbourhoods, and didn't send our protesters to work camps for "re-education", I'd say they've done a pretty damn good job.
While there have been some disappointments, Canadian athletes have been overwhelmingly successful and the performances have inspired countless young Canadians (myself included) to strive for greatness. I can only hope that will be the true legacy of the Vancouver Games. But I do have two problems with the coverage of these Games. The first is that damn "I Believe" song. I'm sick of it, and I can't stand that within 10 minutes of every medal performance CTV has made the athlete into a god, showing them in slow motion with the token piano and choir playing. Its annoying, and I can't imagine what non-Canadians watching CTV think of us. Not to mention, "I believe in the power of you and I" is grammatically incorrect...whoever wrote that is an idiot.
The next criticism I have of the games is the all but exclusive focus on the hockey tournament, to the detriment of far more deserving stories and performances throughout the Games. The majority of Canadians couldn't care less how the other Canadian athletes have fared if we don't win hockey gold, and others will consider the entire Olympics a failure if Canada doesn't win the game today.
Meanwhile, Devon Kershaw came a Canadian best-ever 5th place in the men's 50km cross country ski race, and was heartbroken, crying in his interview that he missed Olympic gold by 1.6 seconds. But no one knows his courageous effort and unequivocal desire for personal and Canadian success, because it was on at the same time as the hockey pre-game show. And how many Canadians were watching Charles Hamelin win two gold medals, along with another two Canadian medals in other sports, while hockey semi-finals were on last Friday? For what my opinion is worth, I agree with taking NHL players out of the Olympics for that reason alone.
The Olympics are the pinnacle of sport, and most Olympic athletes sacrifice their entire lives for the chance to compete. Many of Canada's 2012 hopefuls in triathlon virtually live under the poverty line, struggling for funding, dedicating their livelihood to the chance of reaching that pinnacle of our sport. Yet multi-millionaire hockey players show up in Vancouver and take over Canada's attention. They take away from the stories and performances of our other athletes.
Of course I'm a hockey fan too, but it frustrates me that it is all anyone cares about. If we win gold today, it will be one of fourteen gold medals. It doesn't count for any more than any other gold medal-worthy performance. So stop making it out to be more.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
24 Hour Training Camp
It seems to be the season for training camps. Unfortunately there are no high performance programs in London...and I have no money. So I drove up to Guelph for a 24 hour camp with Coach James.
Kicked off the training camp with a spin on the rollers with one-minuters, then off to the pool for a quick technical swim. I forgot how fast the U og G pool is.
The second half of my camp was a swim with the PTC, 90 minute run on snowy trails (man that sucked), and 90 minutes on the computrainer riding the St Croix real course video. "The Beast" isn't that bad, nothing like a real mountain climb. I was around 330W for 7-8 minutes of climbing. Lots of great descending on the course though.
So that was my training camp. No Maui or Tuscon, but good times were had by all.
Kicked off the training camp with a spin on the rollers with one-minuters, then off to the pool for a quick technical swim. I forgot how fast the U og G pool is.
The second half of my camp was a swim with the PTC, 90 minute run on snowy trails (man that sucked), and 90 minutes on the computrainer riding the St Croix real course video. "The Beast" isn't that bad, nothing like a real mountain climb. I was around 330W for 7-8 minutes of climbing. Lots of great descending on the course though.
So that was my training camp. No Maui or Tuscon, but good times were had by all.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Vancouver!
For the past few months I've been wondering why VanOC had such a ridiculously long torch relay. But as it finishes the journey today, it really has been pretty amazing to bring all of Canada into the Olympics which kick off TONIGHT! The games will give me some much needed inspiration for the next two weeks, I just wish I was there.
I happened to catch a quick interview with Simon on CTV this morning before my swim which was pretty cool. I finished off my first training phase of the year today after a solid week of training (the first in a while). 4k endurance swim and quick 15k easy run today, tomorrow 2hr ride with short intervals and 40min run off the bike.
One last thing, check out a nice little bio and a quick article I threw together for Multisport Canada's February newsletter. I think the interviewer was far more excited than I was that I was awarded elite status right before she talked to me. But I don't mind the press coverage...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Who is this guy?
I seem to be starting to get some people who follow this but may not know me personally. First off, thanks! But I feel that in my boredom (ez training day), I should provide a short history of me. So here's a third-person autobiography of my athletic career...
Early Life:
Ryan was a bad runner, frequently frustrating his father who was a self-proclaimed awesome athlete and swift runner (evidence is lacking). It became clear that young Ryan was not an athletically-inclined child. Unfortunately he was an even worse swimmer. He was that kid in swimming lessons, you know the one who looked like he was drowning and kicked like a frog. Ryan learned the hard way that he was not a natural athlete.
Athletic Beginnings:
Like all athletes who suck at real sports, Ryan turned to baseball. He found success as an outfielder and pitcher, winning his league in 2004. His utter inability to hit held him back from true greatness, so he gave some other sports a try. By high school Ryan was starting to develop some leg speed, and played football for a year before discovering a sport with a much better dude:chick ratio - track and field.
Running Career:
Ryan began running in grade 10, focusing on distance events. He wasn't all that good, but continued to work hard. In grade 11 he began to improve and by grade 12 was competing at the club level in middle distance. In a few short years he had become the fastest kid in his high school and was reasonably successful, but due to a string of injuries and a really bad coach, he decided not to run for the UWO varsity team in first year. Instead he bought a road bike...
A Passion is Found:
Ryan was first introduced to the sport of triathlon at the age of 12. In that year, a neighbour competed at Ironman Lake Placid, and Simon Whitfield won Olympic gold in Sydney. He was intrigued by the sport, but figured it required a level of athletic ability he was incapable of attaining. However it remained in the back of his mind for 6 years until he hung up his track spikes and began what became his true passion: cycling.
Triathlon Career Timeline:
2006
-gave up track, bought a road bike and loved it
-competed in his first duathlon. Rode on an almost-flat tire in a rain/wind storm, but had one of the fastest run splits. He had found his sport.
-in the fall he realized he could not swim a single length of the pool and set out to learn how
2007
-first full season of racing - competed in his first triathlon, finished 3rd in his age group
-finished a half ironman at the age of 18, just to see if he could do it
-qualified for sprint and olympic-distance Age Group World Champs, took the olympic distance spot to force himself to become a better swimmer
2008
-discovered he had exercise-induced asthma, and from then on had to carefully monitor his winter training
-competed in Vancouver at Worlds, had a blast...1:01 40k bike split remains his PB
-shortly after returning from Vancouver, was diagnosed with spondylolysis - a strange and complicated issue with his L5 vertebrae. Sport physicians told him to give up triathlon.
-Ryan missed the rest of the racing season, but did not take the doctor's advice
2009
-returned to training, set his sights on obtaining pro status for the 2010 season
-lived the dream training full time with the Provincial Triathlon Centre, where he learned (somewhat) how to swim, but more importantly how to train and recover effectively
-had a successful racing season, and won age group sprint distance nationals
2010
-became a professional triathlete (ie. making a living out of avoiding having a real job)
-will finish his undergrad, and will make his ITU and Ironman 70.3 debut in a few months
-continues to try to learn how to swim
Early Life:
Ryan was a bad runner, frequently frustrating his father who was a self-proclaimed awesome athlete and swift runner (evidence is lacking). It became clear that young Ryan was not an athletically-inclined child. Unfortunately he was an even worse swimmer. He was that kid in swimming lessons, you know the one who looked like he was drowning and kicked like a frog. Ryan learned the hard way that he was not a natural athlete.
Athletic Beginnings:
Like all athletes who suck at real sports, Ryan turned to baseball. He found success as an outfielder and pitcher, winning his league in 2004. His utter inability to hit held him back from true greatness, so he gave some other sports a try. By high school Ryan was starting to develop some leg speed, and played football for a year before discovering a sport with a much better dude:chick ratio - track and field.
Running Career:
Ryan began running in grade 10, focusing on distance events. He wasn't all that good, but continued to work hard. In grade 11 he began to improve and by grade 12 was competing at the club level in middle distance. In a few short years he had become the fastest kid in his high school and was reasonably successful, but due to a string of injuries and a really bad coach, he decided not to run for the UWO varsity team in first year. Instead he bought a road bike...
A Passion is Found:
Ryan was first introduced to the sport of triathlon at the age of 12. In that year, a neighbour competed at Ironman Lake Placid, and Simon Whitfield won Olympic gold in Sydney. He was intrigued by the sport, but figured it required a level of athletic ability he was incapable of attaining. However it remained in the back of his mind for 6 years until he hung up his track spikes and began what became his true passion: cycling.
Triathlon Career Timeline:
2006
-gave up track, bought a road bike and loved it
-competed in his first duathlon. Rode on an almost-flat tire in a rain/wind storm, but had one of the fastest run splits. He had found his sport.
-in the fall he realized he could not swim a single length of the pool and set out to learn how
2007
-first full season of racing - competed in his first triathlon, finished 3rd in his age group
-finished a half ironman at the age of 18, just to see if he could do it
-qualified for sprint and olympic-distance Age Group World Champs, took the olympic distance spot to force himself to become a better swimmer
2008
-discovered he had exercise-induced asthma, and from then on had to carefully monitor his winter training
-competed in Vancouver at Worlds, had a blast...1:01 40k bike split remains his PB
-shortly after returning from Vancouver, was diagnosed with spondylolysis - a strange and complicated issue with his L5 vertebrae. Sport physicians told him to give up triathlon.
-Ryan missed the rest of the racing season, but did not take the doctor's advice
2009
-returned to training, set his sights on obtaining pro status for the 2010 season
-lived the dream training full time with the Provincial Triathlon Centre, where he learned (somewhat) how to swim, but more importantly how to train and recover effectively
-had a successful racing season, and won age group sprint distance nationals
2010
-became a professional triathlete (ie. making a living out of avoiding having a real job)
-will finish his undergrad, and will make his ITU and Ironman 70.3 debut in a few months
-continues to try to learn how to swim
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Today's History Lesson
Top 10 Facts About St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
1. It is a pretty little island in the Caribbean that no one other than triathletes know about
2. It really is pronounced "Saint Kroi"
3. It marks the first site where Europeans started killing indigenous peoples in the New World
4. Through the 1600's-1800's it was passed around like a peace pipe between Spanish, Dutch, British, French and American control
5. It was one of the first places in the Americas where the Spanish realized they could enslave the native population to exploit natural resources, rather than doing it themselves
6. The island was a pit stop in the African-American slave trade through the 17th and 18th centuries
7. It is now best known for its rum industry, and they hand you a shot while waiting for your luggage at the airport
8. Today the people there are nice, and it doesn't hurt to be a courteous guest
9. It hosts one of the toughest and most beautiful Ironman 70.3 courses in the world
10. I am making my 70.3 debut there two days after finishing my undergrad in history
1. It is a pretty little island in the Caribbean that no one other than triathletes know about
2. It really is pronounced "Saint Kroi"
3. It marks the first site where Europeans started killing indigenous peoples in the New World
4. Through the 1600's-1800's it was passed around like a peace pipe between Spanish, Dutch, British, French and American control
5. It was one of the first places in the Americas where the Spanish realized they could enslave the native population to exploit natural resources, rather than doing it themselves
6. The island was a pit stop in the African-American slave trade through the 17th and 18th centuries
7. It is now best known for its rum industry, and they hand you a shot while waiting for your luggage at the airport
8. Today the people there are nice, and it doesn't hurt to be a courteous guest
9. It hosts one of the toughest and most beautiful Ironman 70.3 courses in the world
10. I am making my 70.3 debut there two days after finishing my undergrad in history
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
More Music + News
Fantastic new single from one of my favourite bands, going straight to the long run playlist...
And some news on the homefront. I've been granted elite status for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Its a big step but just the start of things to come. Looking forward to a fun year with coach James Loaring and new(ish) sponsors Multisport Zone, Scott bikes and Pearl Izumi, and Rudy Project who were with me all of last season as well. And of course thanks to OAT for the opportunity.
And some news on the homefront. I've been granted elite status for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Its a big step but just the start of things to come. Looking forward to a fun year with coach James Loaring and new(ish) sponsors Multisport Zone, Scott bikes and Pearl Izumi, and Rudy Project who were with me all of last season as well. And of course thanks to OAT for the opportunity.
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