Round 2: P2A 70k

Last year this race kicked my ass. You can check out my report here, but I can summarize the painful details by saying that it was one of the worst race experiences I've ever had. The event itself is extremely well organized and it's an epic course but I was mad at myself for pacing so poorly and not respecting the demands of the race.

I'm not quite sure why I was so motivated to give it another crack this year. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment...maybe I just wanted a chance to have a more positive experience this time. So with a new cross bike, some fast wheels and tires, and the valuable experience I gained last year I was looking forward to improving on my execution and result this time around.

Last year I finished in 2:40 and roughly 320th place which was barely good enough to allow me to start from Wave 1 this year, just behind the Elite/VIP wave. I thought cracking 2:30 would be a good (however arbitrary) goal this time. But I also had it in the back of my mind that if you finish in the top-100 you can enter the elite wave the following year.

Now 100th place doesn't seem like something I would normally strive for. But with a couple thousand riders and a large elite field of domestic pros, national champions, World Cup CX racers and even some pro tour riders, finishing in the top 100 is the "holy grail" as Coach Chris told me during last week's Tuesday night interval ride. He estimated that if conditions were fast I would need to go around 2:13-2:15 to achieve that. I decided that would be a great long term goal after a few more years of cross experience, so my main goal this time was just to have fun and feel like I gave it my best effort.

Similar to last year, despite another late spring the course was in excellent shape. Apparently too excellent, as I heard that they actually dumped a ton of water on a couple of the mud chutes to make things more interesting?! I lined up about 20 minutes early in Wave 1 and was already near the back of the corral. It didn't bother me too much though as it would lend to my strategy of starting a little more conservatively this time and leapfrogging the groups as I gradually increased my effort throughout the race. I managed to find Balance Point athlete Craig Linton to talk strategy just before the gun sounded.

The start was still a bit sketchy with Wave 1 being a little more aggressive than Wave 2 last year, but I managed to avoid the craziness and let a lot of athletes blow by as I settled into a good pace on the opening 10k of fast rail trail. As we started ticking off the miles I slowly worked my way forward through the long string of athletes and I got myself to the front of the main bunch just before the first off-road sector without expending too much energy. I learned from my mistakes last year and kept my effort in check on the first big climb. There were still a few good sized groups up ahead, but there was a LONG way to go to catch them :)

Just before the first road section I saw fellow triathlete Scott Dickie come up beside me. I know he's a very strong rider and he was clearly committed to a big effort to get to the front of the race so it was all aboard the pain train while he started riding through some small groups ahead. I was still trying to be careful not to blow myself up too early so I put in a bit of work but also took advantage of some small energy savings like sliding to the back of our small group on the climbs and making it up on the downhills and corners.

I was already putting in a bigger effort than I had wanted to in the first 20k but I didn't want to lose our small pack that was moving up through the field. From ~12-25k the course is mainly gravel roads with farm laneway sectors every couple k's, which is where I went way too hard last year trying to stick with cross packs. But we were rolling along well and I couldn't believe how quickly the miles were going by and how much more comfortable I was compared to last year on my rigid mountain bike. Scott was pulling much of the road sections and I would take the lead on the dirt and was able to make big gains on groups ahead through the technical stuff.

Around 25k we hit one of the more challenging farm lane sections and Scott misjudged a corner and ended up in the grass. I knew it would be a big hit to our firepower but there was a group of 10-12 guys less than 30 seconds ahead. I wanted to wait for him but I had to commit to catching the group as soon as possible before the next long road section. I managed to bridge up and got things organized to keep rolling through the field. I had the feeling we were getting towards the front of our wave so my strategy was to keep a few strong riders at the front of the group working together on the roads, then get to the front before the trail sections and hit them HARD to see who I was with on the other side.

I was starting to put in some much bigger and longer pulls to keep the pace rich but I still couldn't believe how much better I felt than last year and how quickly I was getting through the course. At the half way point I did some rough math and even knowing the second half is harder I was on pace for a huge improvement from last year's time. When we got to one of the final farm sectors at 45-50k (ie. the point where I completely died last year) there were 3 or 4 of us who were putting in a lot of work, and about 10-15 guys sandbagging along for the ride behind us. Then this thought popped into my head from my race report last year:

"At 50k there was a short trail then a long 10+k flat section of rail trail. In hindsight, this would be the spot to really put the hammer down and set up for a great race."

I decided there weren't going to be any more free rides, and after riding well through the trail I was at the front of the group and put in a surge at the start of the rail trail. We still had 20k to go but it was time to commit to a big effort. When I looked back there were still a few hanging onto the back and one young guy who was able to pull through and help, so we shared the work load up to the left turn at 60k.

From there all that's left is a couple steep gravel climbs, two mud chutes and the crazy climb to the finish. There was no more working together...it was max effort to the finish line. It was also the only part of the course that I was a little nervous about the capabilities of my cross bike vs. the lighter gearing and stronger braking of my mountain bike last year. I thought my hands were going to give out on me going down Powerline Mud Slide from braking so hard down the 500m insanely steep and slick mud, but I cleared it and only had a couple Wave 1 riders left ahead of me.

Powerline brings out the most determined of faces

After barely surviving the final climb last year with 30x36 mountain bike gearing I wasn't sure if I was going to make it up on my cross bike with my 36x28. But once the climb started I was worried that if I unclipped I wouldn't even be able to walk up the hill to the finish. I put the bit between my teeth and told myself that every rider I could see ahead was 101st place and I HAD to pass them for top 100!! I almost couldn't believe my Garmin when I hit the finish line in 2:13. I was smashed and I felt that I had executed a good race, but I didn't expect it to be that fast.

I managed to finish in 71st place overall and 8th out of 400+ in Wave 1, almost 30 minutes faster than last year. Similar to Steaming Nostril it's hard to compare my time to the winners (about 9-10 minutes faster) who of course had the advantage - and challenge - of an elite peloton to race with. But I guess I'll find out next year when I line up with the big boys! I was thrilled to achieve my big goal for this race and had WAY more fun than last year...and I guess it gives me motivation to have some solid early season form next year too!

But for now it's time to switch gears and refocus with my final spring race this weekend at the Mississauga 10k where I have another big goal of trying to break 35 minutes. I wasn't sure how things were going to go this spring switching back to short course training but I've already exceeded all my expectations and I can't wait for tri season!

Spring Tune-Ups

After waking up my legs in Florida with the Draft Legal Challenge, I got my local racing season rolling over the past couple weeks with some fun community races. Unlike last year when I focused my whole season around a few big events, this year is all about getting back to basics and smashing myself at the local favourites.

After spending most of last year focusing on volume I was really looking forward to getting back to some fast and hard racing this year. Partly because I'm not yet ready to dedicate myself completely to long course, but also because I've been keen to see if/how a new level of strength, durability and mental toughness can translate into speed.

Historically I've struggled to stay consistent in short course high intensity training and tend to get injured and/or burned out. Give me all the 30k tempo runs and six hour bricks in the world, but 4x2k hard used to nearly kill me. But I've put in some decent early-season hard yards on the treadmill and indoor track so I was cautiously optimistic about my spring fitness.

First up was testing my run speed at a local 5k put on in part by my parents!..the Komoka-Kilworth Easter Dash. Sure, I could have chosen a certified drag race of a course with a massive field, but the food and prizes wouldn't be nearly as awesome! After all my goal was simply to push myself as hard as I could to the line. I figured I'd just take things out at "faster than PB" pace and see what happens!

For maybe the first time ever in a 5k, after taking it out hard and already feeling it at the 2.5k turn I had the fitness and focus to maintain my pace. I certainly benefited from my new perspective on distance and pain and with 1k to go I knew I had a new PB locked down and it was time to see how low I could get it. I hit 5k on my Garmin in 16:35, however with the course slightly long (out of necessity for logistics) my official time was 17:01 for ~5.18k. It was a super fun event run entirely by volunteers, and proceeds go towards building a trail in my hometown community, so what more could I have asked for? 

I felt GREAT about that new PB, until all my Hurdle Project teammates crushed Around the Bay 5k this past weekend :) In all seriousness, it was an excellent early season bench mark and now I'm excited to see how much more time I can knock off on the next one.

The following weekend it was time to test my cycling legs and new cyclocross setup in preparation for Paris to Ancaster. Not that P2A is a priority race, but after nearly getting off my bike and crying in the fetal position half way through last year, I vowed to at least be prepared this time around. So I jumped in the smaller and slightly lower key "Steaming Nostril" 70k in Waterloo.

The big story for this race was going to be the conditions. If a 70k gravel race in early April wasn't crazy enough, the morning brought -15 windchill and more snow than we had at Christmas. So I mentally prepared myself for the battle ahead, and my wardrobe looked something like this: 

Race 3 of the season tomorrow and first bike race of the year. Forecast is -15 windchill and 10-15cm of snow. If I become one with the Canadian tundra let it be known that I shall donate my bike parts to the #hurdleproject #steamingnostril

A photo posted by Ryan Power (@ryan.power.5) on Apr 2, 2016 at 4:44pm PDT

I started in Wave 2 as the first wave was reserved for riders with a UCI race license (which unfortunately is absurdly expensive), so my only goal for the race was to dial in my equipment, tire pressure and pacing for P2A...in other words, to inflict as much self-induced pain as possible and still get over the finish line. The insane conditions just made all that a little more fun!

After a pretty relaxed roll-out with a neutral start I wanted to stay at the front but be careful not to go bananas from the gun like I did in P2A last year and completely blow up. It was clear right away that very few riders in Wave 2 were committed to a big effort, but I wasn't going to get caught up in any tactics...my only reason for doing this race was to destroy myself.

They gave Wave 2 our own lead vehicle which was amazing! It helped feel like I was in my own race, and kept me motivated to push the pace all day. I found a couple allies who were willing to work with me early on. We got organized and put our heads down for the first 20k which was almost entirely into the 30+km/h headwind. After 20k it was down to two of us while we started rolling through bigger groups of Wave 1 riders. I made an effort to bring up the pace when passing groups, no free rides today!

stolen from Instagram...that's not me

The course to that point was relatively tame, mostly well-packed gravel roads with some pavement. The conditions were pretty brutal though and despite being well-prepared clothing wise my bottles were frozen and my shoes had a layer of solid ice on them. I put my gatorade bottle inside my jersey to make sure I had enough carbs along with a gel every 30 minutes.

At 30k we had made it through most of the headwinds and I was starting to think about whether I wanted to attack and go solo vs. see how long we could work together. But after a long pull I looked back and the decision was made for me...I was on my own. I set my sights on the lead vehicle and went into solo TT mode. It didn't matter to me that this was Wave 2 of a spring gravel race, to me there is no greater feeling in racing than getting off the front and chasing those flashing lights. I've enjoyed that feeling a few times in tri's, but ripping on my cross bike down gravel roads in the mud and snow just made it even more memorable.

I knew my chances of putting time into a peloton of legit Cat 1 riders in Wave 1 were pretty slim, but why not try!? I was inspired by Lionel Sanders' words "There are no limits!" and was chewing stem for the next 30k. When I got to 60k I was seriously in the hurt box and was telling myself "only 15 minutes left". Little did I know the race organizers had a little surprise in store, the kilometre from hell!

We turned off the gravel road onto a farm laneway, and first up was a mud chute that put Powerline Mudslide to shame. I tried to clear it but had to take a less than ideal line around some wave 1 guys walking down the middle...I got about 80% down, hit a massive rut and went ass over tea kettle. I got back up quickly but lost my bottle (it was frozen solid anyway) and my bars were pretty crooked. But there was no time to fix it yet, there were a few streams to run through first! This was the only time of the race I really wished I was in Wave 1 before the course was completely destroyed and full of cyclists who don't know how to run :)

But we weren't done yet! We had to scale about 200m of straight uphill through the trees. It's hard to put into words how steep and muddy it was...I managed to shoulder my bike and pull myself up by hanging onto trees. Others had to throw their bike ahead of them, crawl up a few feet and repeat. It was absolutely ridiculous, but hilarious at the same time. I managed to survive, quickly knock my bars relatively straight and get back on the roads. After one more awesomely fun laneway section I was just about smashed, but the end was near. A couple k's on soft rail trail, a short jaunt through downtown St. Jacobs, then up the famous "Stairway to Heaven" to the finish.

(photo apparently taken in far warmer weather)

I was completely destroyed but I told my legs it was just a brick interval and I survived running up the stairs to finish strong. I ended up finishing nearly 15 minutes ahead of the next person in Wave 2, but was about 10 minutes behind the winners in Wave 1. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't get closer, but they had a pretty solid field of Cat 1 pro's and surely weren't slowed down as much in the kilometre from hell.

Poor drivetrain...actually it performed remarkably well given the conditions

It was without question the most challenging conditions I've ever ridden or raced in and will give me a mental edge for the rest of the year. It might also take me the rest of the year to clean my bike, clothes and car. I couldn't have been happier with my effort, I was well prepared for the conditions, nailed my tire pressure and tread choice...and overall feel infinitely more prepared for Paris to Ancaster this year. I can't wait to bring that experience to P2A, and if its above -10 that's just a bonus!

MSC & Me: A Brief History

It's hard to believe that 2016 will be my tenth year in the fun and crazy world of triathlon. I'm still learning things every day...about myself, the sport, the gear, and ultimately how to get a little bit faster every season!

I came into the sport when I was training with the Western track & field team in 2006. I was so hopelessly injured that I bought a bike so I could at least maintain some form of activity while my multiple stress fractures were healing. I should note that I wasn't some prodigy runner who had scholarships lined up. I had some decent 300 and 400 times but I made teams because I was the hardest worker at practice.

When I started cycling I immediately fell in love with it and I still remember thinking to myself, "I can't be doing this right, there's no way training for something can be this FUN!" I quit track a week before varsity training camp and committed to a new journey, one that I was incredibly passionate about...mostly because it scared the crap out of me!

There was only one problem. I couldn't swim. I don't mean it like most competitive triathletes mean it, as in they wish they were faster. I mean I was literally so bad at swimming that even my parents would make fun of how bad I was at swimming lessons. My mom made me tread water in our backyard pool for 30 minutes before signing up for my first race, just to make sure I wouldn't die.

I joined the UWO triathlon club in the fall of 2006 and immediately found an amazing sense of community. I was the guy wearing board shorts in the slow lane trying not to drown, but there was something very welcoming about everyone facing their own personal challenges; in track all that mattered was whether or not you had made the time standards.

I also met a man in the club by the name of John Salt. First I only knew him by reputation of his torturous 6am spin classes and the crazy fast swimmer in lane 1. Then he told us some of his Ironman war stories and it was the coolest and most badass thing I had ever heard in my life. Finally I found out that he was the owner of the "HSBC Triathlon Series" and he had some pretty cool events. So in 2007 I signed up for a few of his races to really see what triathlon was all about.

Fast forward ten years and I've raced dozens of MultiSport events, volunteered at a bunch more and even worked on the race crew for a couple seasons. That's why I'm thrilled to partner with MultiSport Canada this year as part of the Recharge with Milk Ambassador Pro Squad. Over the last ten years John, Jason and the crew have watched me grow up as an athlete and a person.

In that time the MSC brand has also grown from the small events with a great community-feel to the biggest series in Canada, and John still shakes everyone's hand at every finish line. It's been a lot of fun to be a part of all that and I couldn't be happier to formally represent the Recharge with Milk Triathlon Series this season and help get the word out about their amazing events.

I thought I'd have a little fun and dig a few items out of the archives for a brief synopsis of how I - along with MSC - have grown over the years!

Binbrook 2007 - my second ever tri...I was such a noob!

I finished my first tri season in Wasaga Beach where I qualified for AG Worlds in Vancouver the following year!

This shot is just too old-school not to post - Cobourg 2008

Back when Lakeside was in June, and it was about 6 degrees in 2009! I didn't race locally too much that season - I was racing AG Nationals in Kelowna then Worlds in Australia, so I decided to start training a little smarter. I moved to Guelph to train with what was then called the Provincial Training Centre under Coach Craig Taylor. It was a summer of getting my ass kicked multiple times a day, but it was the most valuable experience I've ever had in my tri career.

Cobourg 2010. I spent most of that season working on the race crew to help fund my flight to Elite Nationals. I gained some serious respect for the MSC crew who often put in 40+ hours of work over a single weekend to make these events happen. Everyone should do it at least once!

2011 was marked by winning my FIRST MSC race at Bala Falls. The Recharge with Milk finish line interviews were a fun bonus!

2012 was highlighted by the Welland Half Iron, hands-down the hardest thing I had ever done. It was also the first season that offered series prize money so my year was all about chasing points. Unfortunately I crashed badly in my next race and John told me he wouldn't let me race again until I had been cleared of concussion symptoms. I had to sit out the rest of the season but was very grateful for his words of wisdom.

 Fast forward to 2015 back in Welland. My aero game has improved slightly since my road bike clip-ons :)

After a few years of focusing my season around big destination/championship races, I'm really excited to get back to my roots in 2016 and chase some points on the Recharge with Milk series. They truly are top-notch events and with the talent coming out of Ontario these days it has to be one of the most competitive domestic series out there. I'm still putting the final touches on my race calendar but I can't wait to throw down on the MSC circuit again this year. See you on the start line!

Season Opener & campLPC

It seems like just yesterday that I was wrapping up my 2015 season and hunkering down for winter training! And it certainly doesn't feel like a full year has passed and another LPC Florida Camp is in the books. But I took my time getting back into structured training after Louisville and after a couple months of solid training I was looking forward to heading back down south.

I was really excited to once again kick off my racing season with the Draft Legal Challenge in Clermont. Last year I jumped at the rare opportunity to do an Age-Group draft legal race, and despite feeling completely unprepared I finished 5th. I was hoping to better that this year after a recently renewed focus on short-course racing, but with AG Worlds going draft-legal this year it brought a much bigger, deeper and more diverse field...including many other LPCers!

(all photos courtesy of Ken Milner & BPT)

On Saturday a huge group of campers headed to Lake Louisa to catch the ITU race which included my Hurdle Project teammates Jack, Garrick and David and many RTC Guelph friends. Then first up Sunday was Amanda's first draft-legal experience in the Elite Development Race. She's gearing up for sprint-distance Nationals and Worlds, and what better way to get some experience in the unique race format!

I have to give Amanda big props for jumping in the EDR. They combined the EDR and AG races but gave the age groupers a 10-minute head start to help them from getting lapped out. But Amanda lined up with the big girls. She had a solid swim but in the strong field of junior-elites and some U23s she just missed the big chase pack out of the water. Then despite only being on her new road bike a handful of times, she lit up the bike course and was carving the technical sections! Unfortunately she was in a position I'm far too familiar with...she was picking up stragglers who couldn't even hold her wheel, let alone pull through. So she toughed out the ride mostly solo but was in no danger of getting lapped out, and finished strong in her first draft-legal race!

Then it was the boys' turn in a sold out field of all ages and abilities. I saw a few familiar faces from last year including another huge contingent of Canadian Forces guys, a solid group of LPCers and Amanda's dad! It was really cool to have such a range of athletes starting together and there were only a handful of sketchy moments with the race organizers being lenient on the lap-out rule to keep things inclusive.

I was really looking forward to seeing what I could do in the swim knowing that I'm swimming well for this time of year...and with a funky new wetsuit (thanks Santa)! But between the challenging conditions and lacking a bit of race-specific fitness I had a bit of a disappointing swim. I lost my stroke a bit and struggled to find a rhythm after taking it out hard. It's hard to compare times with the swim being quite rough...I can't say it felt great but I'm confident I'll be swimming better than ever in the open water this year!

I got to work on the bike chasing down the lead pack, which I successfully managed to do last year. On the first lap of four I started working with a pair of strong guys and started bringing back time. But just before coming through transition for the first time one guy flatted, and the other couldn't hold my wheel through the tricky transition area. I knew that was going to be a big setback in trying to bridge up and settled into my own rhythm for most of lap 2.

Determined face, determined face

Just before the end of lap 2 I was joined by a two strong riders and we started rolling well. I wasn't feeling super strong on the bike and nearly got dropped at one point, but I made up for my lack of fitness with technical skill, and brought back a 5 second gap through transition :) On the last lap the three of us got swallowed up by a large pack lead by LPCer Lee Rantala. I covered some weak attacks and mostly recovered for the last 3k and came in near the front of the group.

I was still feeling the early-March lack of fitness on the run, but managed to find a bit of a rhythm and ran better than last year. Despite the faster run I only managed 10th in a deeper field this time around. But I got exactly what I wanted out of the race, a good cobweb scraper and a fun start to camp!

I could - and probably should - do a separate post dedicated to camp, but that seems like way too much work! So here's a quick recap on a big week in the sunshine:

My new cross bike was a great road steed!

Monday:
Monday is always one of my favourite days of the camp, as we head to the NTC for a big day of training. First up was a workout on the track, somewhere I've become intimately familiar with since coming to Clermont for track camp many years ago. Since I raced on Sunday I had a shortened set of 9x400 on 2:00 dec 1-3 (79, 75, 73). Then it was up to the pool for a solid swim in the fast lane with some drills from Coach Gabbi and Coach Alex, and a set of fast 50s.

After a big morning we were treated to seminars with Coach Mark and a great Q&A with Lionel. It was great to have him back at camp...I still vividly remember the crazy guy in 2011 who pedaled his bike so hard that every bearing and bolt was creaking underneath him. I remember telling James "this dude is going to be the best long course athlete in the world some day." I'm still in awe of what he's accomplished since then, and he's still just as crazy. But he's one of the nicest and most genuine people in the sport, and it was an honour to share some training with him throughout the week.

Tuesday:
We changed things up a bit this year and the highlight of Tuesday was the world-renowned Allen's Challenge. The "miracle mile" sub-four minute barrier was demolished with Johnny Pulford clocking a 3:16 for 11 scoops of ice cream and 5 toppings.

The 84k ride and run off the bike used to feel like a long day for me, but after going through Ironman training it felt more like a nice warmup! Unfortunately I was a little under the weather and shortened my run off the bike. I thought back to last year when I ran 16k on the hottest day of camp and part of me wished 2016 was another Ironman year...

Wednesday:
We were back to Lake Louisa for brick intervals. This is typically the workout that the young-ins beat up on ol' RyGuy. But I was still feeling sick and drained so I cut my workout short and missed out on some hard yards with the boys. I'm not sure if I wasn't quite recovered from the race and then went too hard on Monday, or if I was fighting some sickness. But I decided to shut it down in hopes of feeling better later in the week

Thursday:
I was really motivated to have a great day of training on the longest day of camp after the last two days not going to plan. It started off with a ~4500m lazy river swim. I committed to staying with the ITU guys and Lionel for a s**tload of open water simulations. I remembered how I lost my feel for the water and a bit of focus during my race, and did my best to swim HARD and hold good form. I ended up having one of the best (and hardest) swims of my life staying within touch of the fast guys the whole time.

Thursday afternoon is the long ride out to Clermont and Sugarloaf hill. Last year I completed my first century on that ride and was a huge step in my IM training. This year I just had 90k on tap, but before we even got to Sugarloaf I somehow managed to break the lower jockey wheel and crack the cage on my rear derailleur...which mechanically speaking, means you're f**ked.

I sat on the side of the road for about 40 minutes trying over and over to shorten my chain to ride single-speed and find a gear that wouldn't skip too much or lock up. Eventually I limped up Sugarloaf where our sag wagon Ken (Gabbi's husband, also photog genius and beer connoisseur) picked me up.

I was pretty bummed that my perennial favourite ride was cut short, but was satisfied in my mechanical skills to at least get to the pick-up point (and thankful for being prepared and carrying a multi-tool with a chain breaker). Case in point for those cyclists who aren't mechanically inclined...learn how to do basic repairs on the road so you don't get stranded in scary Trump-voter areas!

Friday:
The last day of camp is always my favourite...Orange Grove 10 miler! Last year I did two laps plus some bonus for a 35k run that was one of the most memorable runs of my life. This year was a little bitter sweet as I fell in love with the long miles last year. But the workout this time around was easy warm-up for the first half, tempo coming back. I told myself that if I was only doing one lap I was gonna make it count! I averaged 3:36/km for the hilly 8k coming back, which I was really happy with and gives me confidence that my long-time goal of a sub-35 10k might be getting closer.

We finished off camp with a short-ish 55k ride for which I was fortunate enough to borrow LPC pal Kyle's sweet Speed Concept! I've always wanted to try one out and it sure was fast! But my P3 isn't going anywhere anytime soon :)

We're now back in Canada but race season is coming up quickly! I already have some spring races planned including some fun on my cross bike, then a couple running races before tri season really starts. I'm looking forward to staying a little closer to home this year and focusing on the MultiSport Canada points series and TriOn long course series. It's going to be a fun year getting back to basics racing local and racing hard!