When the Muskoka race became the Muskoka 5150, the sprint distance run course was changed. However, the swim and bike course have remained the same.
Set in the parking lot of Huntsville Secondary School and the Huntsville Community Centre, the Muskoka race offers two distances: a Sprint Distance race held on Saturday afternoon, and an Olympic Distance race held on Sunday morning. The 5150 (Olympic Distance) offers a variety of qualification opportunities for world championships and Ironman races.
750m Swim: this is an open water start at the mouth of the river. You will walk down a rough trail to get to the start. It is a point to point swim that has varying times depending on the current. The river zig zags a bit with orange buoys periodically placed. You do not have to keep the buoys to a particular side, you just swim down the river. When you get to the end, there is a set of stairs that you will be helped up, and then you will run a few hundred metres to transition. When this race is held in June, the water can be chilly depending on the spring (in 2013, the water is expected to be 65F/18C)
20km Bike: As you exit transition, you will be going right up a hill for about 20m, so choose your starting gear appropriately. If you have never started the bike with your shoes attached to your bike, this is not the race to start. This is an out and back course: 10km out, 10 km back. You will climb for the first 10km, and then return with mostly down hill. The climbing for the first 10km is almost like a stair case: climb, bit of downhill, climb, bit of downhill. There is some steepness, but the climbing is shortish. There is a longish climb right before the turn around. It's Muskoka, so there are going to be hills. There are no real flat sections except for the first and last km.
5km Run: the run course has changed. It used to be 2-loops, and now appears to be 1. According to the run profile, they have added a big hill at the start, but then you get to run down it. You will then run along the trail that lead you to the swim start, and turn around to head back to transition. After running past transition, you will head on to the streets. This part is similar to years past. You'll run slightly downhill, turn down a couple of streets, back up to the main street for a bit, turn around, and then head to the finish line. The running on the main streets have a slight gradient to them, but nothing significant.
Overall: this is a fun course. It has some challenges, but nothing significant. It is a good warm up for some of the hillier courses coming up in July (Gravenhurst and Bala).
Good Luck!!!
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Friday, 7 June 2013
Guelph Lakes 1 Sprint Race Review
For many, this will probably be your first race of the season. Traditionally it has been the Ontario Club Championships,and after a few different "club championships" in 2012, Triathlon Ontario returned the championships to Guelph. The following is a review of the Sprint race of Guelph Lakes 1 for 2010/2011:
Swim:
The water is a good temperature. Being south and in a small park area, the water can heat up quickly, so if the season is off to a cold start (like 2013), you shouldn't have a cold water problem. The swim start is congested. There is not much room on the beach for the wave starts. If you are a strong swimmer, work your way to the front expecting to get beaten up, but knowing that you'll get your space quickly. If you are a weak swimmer, stick to the side/back of your wave. It is a simple counter-clockwise swim that will start to open up after the first turn (roughly 300m into the swim). You'll exit the water and be forced to run uphill for about 500m to transition (it is a far run from the water as you'll see when you register/set up transition).
Transitions 1 & 2:
Hopefully you got a favorable transition spot. I personally prefer the end of the rack close to the bike start/finish arch. That way there is minimal distance to run with my bike, it is easy to find because it is at the end of the rack, and you have lots of space to toss your stuff and put on your gear.
Bike:
Unless the city of Guelph has invested in improvements in the roads over the last 2 seasons, they will be rough and bumpy. There is some climbing, but nothing as serious as our Time Trial course (total elevation gain of 100m according to my Garmin. Club Time Trials has an elevation gain of 150m). Long, gradual stuff, but nothing steep. The course is a simple out and back, but the big problem with the course is the condition of the road. Depending on the weather you'll be dealing with headwind for a large chunk of the course as well. The course is a lot of down, flat, up, turn, repeat. Again, no serious climbs, but it will seem long because of all the turns that you will do.
Run:
The two years that I did Guelph Lakes 1 Sprint, it was ridiculously HOT!! It was an afternoon race, which meant the sun and heat was at its peak. By the time you start the run, the temperature was at its highest (in 2013, so far, you don't have anything to worry about...but still, pay attention to the weather). There is little air movement on the run. You will be running through the campsite and the wind will not hit you. When you are swearing AT the wind on the bike, you'll be praying FOR the wind on the run. If the temps get into the high 20s/low 30s like they have before, make sure you take in water at the aid stations and run through the sprinklers. The first and last km or two is a lot of up and down, and the middle section is relatively flat. The course is a simple out and back, with 1 aid station out, and 1 on the way back. The good news, the last 750m are all down hill, so you'll have the ability to let gravity be your friend and sprint to the finish!!
Like I said, I haven't done this race since June 2011, but I doubt there have been many changes. The big problem I had with it in 2010 & 2011 was the heat. In 2013, that may not be a problem. But if it is hot, be aware, and hydrate!!
Swim:
The water is a good temperature. Being south and in a small park area, the water can heat up quickly, so if the season is off to a cold start (like 2013), you shouldn't have a cold water problem. The swim start is congested. There is not much room on the beach for the wave starts. If you are a strong swimmer, work your way to the front expecting to get beaten up, but knowing that you'll get your space quickly. If you are a weak swimmer, stick to the side/back of your wave. It is a simple counter-clockwise swim that will start to open up after the first turn (roughly 300m into the swim). You'll exit the water and be forced to run uphill for about 500m to transition (it is a far run from the water as you'll see when you register/set up transition).
Transitions 1 & 2:
Hopefully you got a favorable transition spot. I personally prefer the end of the rack close to the bike start/finish arch. That way there is minimal distance to run with my bike, it is easy to find because it is at the end of the rack, and you have lots of space to toss your stuff and put on your gear.
Bike:
Unless the city of Guelph has invested in improvements in the roads over the last 2 seasons, they will be rough and bumpy. There is some climbing, but nothing as serious as our Time Trial course (total elevation gain of 100m according to my Garmin. Club Time Trials has an elevation gain of 150m). Long, gradual stuff, but nothing steep. The course is a simple out and back, but the big problem with the course is the condition of the road. Depending on the weather you'll be dealing with headwind for a large chunk of the course as well. The course is a lot of down, flat, up, turn, repeat. Again, no serious climbs, but it will seem long because of all the turns that you will do.
Run:
The two years that I did Guelph Lakes 1 Sprint, it was ridiculously HOT!! It was an afternoon race, which meant the sun and heat was at its peak. By the time you start the run, the temperature was at its highest (in 2013, so far, you don't have anything to worry about...but still, pay attention to the weather). There is little air movement on the run. You will be running through the campsite and the wind will not hit you. When you are swearing AT the wind on the bike, you'll be praying FOR the wind on the run. If the temps get into the high 20s/low 30s like they have before, make sure you take in water at the aid stations and run through the sprinklers. The first and last km or two is a lot of up and down, and the middle section is relatively flat. The course is a simple out and back, with 1 aid station out, and 1 on the way back. The good news, the last 750m are all down hill, so you'll have the ability to let gravity be your friend and sprint to the finish!!
Like I said, I haven't done this race since June 2011, but I doubt there have been many changes. The big problem I had with it in 2010 & 2011 was the heat. In 2013, that may not be a problem. But if it is hot, be aware, and hydrate!!
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Time Trial Results May 14 2013
Congratulations to Ross Fenton for being our speediest Baydog of the night and setting the bar for the rest of the season!
Monday, 6 May 2013
Mississauga Marathon Race Report (Mark D) - May 5, 2013
Mississauga
Marathon Race Report – May 5, 2013
By Mark DesLauriers
By Mark DesLauriers
In preparation for my first Marathon, I did
a 2 week taper. Cut Sunday run in half
the week before. Did a 6km race pace run
on Wednesday before, took Thursday & Friday off, then light run on
Saturday. Lots of stretching and foam
rolling all week. Carbo loaded Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday in hopes of delaying the onset of the “wall” during the
late stages of the race.
Made a good decision to stay at host hotel
(Novotel) which is 500m from starting line.
Got all of my race gear ready before dinner, so I didn’t have to think
about it in the morning. Realized I
forgot my race socks, so needed to figure something out quick. They offered a $12 pasta buffet to
participants in the restaurant, which allowed me to fill up the glycogen stores
with those yummy carbs. Went to visit
some friends who lived nearby to watch the Leafs win their first playoff game
in 9 years. Thankfully, my friend gave
me a pair of ankle socks to wear during the race. When I got back to hotel, there was no
parking spots left. Finally found a spot
in the back of the hotel by the loading dock.
In to bed by 11pm but not able to get to sleep until 2am.
Woke up before my alarm at 5:15am. Felt surprisingly fresh. The hotel offered oatmeal, toast, yogurt, coffee,
etc in the lobby between 5-6am. Met some
other runners, including Dave Jupp at breakfast. Polished off a big bowl of oatmeal, banana,
toast, and large coffee. Back to the
room to get ready for the race.
Conditions outside were 12 degrees Celsius and sunny, with light
wind. Perfect conditions for
racing. My race nutrition consisted of
500ml of Eload drink, and 5 Eload Apple flavoured gels (which I would consume
with water every 45 minutes). I decided
to carry the drink bottle on my Nathan belt, rather than drinking Gatorade at
the aid stations. (I have been training
with Eload, and didn’t want to mess around with my system). Consumed 1 gel ten minutes before the start
of the race with some water. Lined up in
the start corral about 20 meters from the front. Wanted to be close enough to the front so
that I didn’t have to bob and weave around a lot of people as my pace
quickened.
My stretch goal for the race was to finish
in a time of 3:10, which would have exceeded the 3:25 Boston qualifying
standard by 15 minutes, and giving me a potential buffer in case the race
didn’t go as planned. A 3:10 marathon
equates to average pace per kilometer of 4:30.
My plan was to take it out slowly, and gradually pick up the pace. Race strategy: First 3km at 4:45/km pace, next 2km at 4:40/km
pace, followed by 2km at 4:35/km pace.
Then settle into a pace of 4:30/km starting at 8km mark. Then pick up pace at 32km mark, followed by
strong finishing 2km. Course is
relatively flat, with a net downhill.
The last 10km of the course has a lot of twists and turns as it moves
from lake paths to residential streets. Aid
stations were situated every 2km on the course, serving water & Gatorade, a
few of them also had PowerBar gels. **
See my Actual KM pacing at the bottom of this blog **
The Start Of the Race:
Race started at 7:30am. Half marathoners and full marathoners started at same time, and shared the first 15km of the course. Took me 9 seconds to cross the timing mat after the gun went off. Initial pace was right on track and the pace felt easy. Focused on maintaining good form, and resisted temptation to think about how the end of the race was going to go. The first 10km of the race is very scenic with a lot of downhill sections. Consumed my first gel just before the 10km aid station and washed it down with a cup of water. The first big hill happened at the 10km mark. Felt I had to pee, and had to decide to either stop at a port-o-potty or hold it for the entire race. Decided to pop into a free port-o-potty just before 11km mark. Lost a minute of time but felt much better. Time to get the legs moving again. Didn’t have any trouble getting back into a 4:30/km pace. At the 15km mark the half marathoners & marathoners split up. We headed West another 10km to our turnaround point. Still feeling pretty good. Just focused on catching the next person in front of me and maintaining my cadence. My friends Paul & Jody (and baby Lilly) were at the 19km mark cheering me on. They were holding a sign “DEZ”, and gave me a nice little boost at almost the half way point of the race. Hit the 20km mark and consumed another Gel. It was starting to warm up out there, so I dumped a cup or two of water on my head every aid station. Worked very well to keep me cool. Pace still on track. Barely breathing hard at all. Looked forward to getting to our westerly turn around spot at the 25.5km mark. Saw the 3:10 bunny go by after turn around, then the 3:15 bunny…but I was really close to it. Set my sights on catching the 3:15 bunny, which would have been awesome. If I hadn’t stopped for a bio break, I probably would have been right with the 3:15 bunny. This point of the race was not very scenic and was a fairly industrial area of Mississauga. Finally got onto Lakeshore heading East toward the finish line. Decided to walk for a minute during 28km stretch to collect my thoughts and refocus. Saw my average pace slipping a bit and started to calculate my possible finishing time. I felt that I was likely on pace for sub 3:20 if I could maintain the current pace. Took my 3rd gel just before the 30km aid station. There is a big hill just before the 32km marker. At the top of the hill is an inflatable brick wall that you run through. This is where a lot of people start to feel their glycogen stores depleting and their bodies switch to burning fat for fuel. At the top of the hill, I could feel my IT bands tightening up a bit, and pace began to slow a bit. I then latched onto a pair of runners who were working together on the final 10km of the race. Used them to draft off of and take my mind off of the final stretch of the race. Ran next 3km with them, but my legs were not feeling good….. How much do I want Boston?? From the 36km mark to the Finish, the course alternated between lakefront paths, to residential streets, to Lakeshore drive. Lots of twists and turns, ups and downs. These changes in direction are very hard on your legs this late in the race. My pace significantly slowed (almost to a walk at times) especially on the inclines (my tight IT bands don’t like hills of any kind). I saw my Boston qualification time slipping away, but not much I could do about it. Sucked back my final gel at 38km mark, and recalculated my time. At current pace, I would finish at 3:27. All I could think about were all those people at work saying “How did your race go? Did you get Boston?” And I would have to explain that I fell short of my goal by just a few minutes. I decided I had to give it a shot. So I picked up the pace, ignored the pain and set my sights on finishing the last 3km strong. All of those Wednesday speed workouts would pay off (Thanks KevO). After every KM I would recalculate my finish time. It was going to be close, but I had to keep pushing through. But wait. I did not factor in that the marathon was actually 42.2km, not 42km. How long would it take me to run the extra 200m? Shoot that’s another minute. Push on!! There were a lot of spectators on both sides cheering the runners in. Finish line is up a gradual incline and around the bend. I could hear the announcer but could not see the finish line. My watch is almost at 3:24….finally I spot the finish line and go for it…crossed the line in 3:24:16. I made it!!! I got a little choked up that I had actually pushed myself and got under 3:25. Hard to walk when I was done, but used the foam roller when I got back to the hotel room and legs felt pretty good. I am proud of my accomplishment for getting the Boston standard in my first marathon. Not sure if my time will be enough to get a registration spot in September, but that is out of my control. This race was a real character builder for me, and let me know that I can always push a little harder. Now my sights are on preparing for Ironman Mont Tremblant in August. My second marathon will be proceeded by a 4km swim and 180km bike ride. Bring it on.
Race started at 7:30am. Half marathoners and full marathoners started at same time, and shared the first 15km of the course. Took me 9 seconds to cross the timing mat after the gun went off. Initial pace was right on track and the pace felt easy. Focused on maintaining good form, and resisted temptation to think about how the end of the race was going to go. The first 10km of the race is very scenic with a lot of downhill sections. Consumed my first gel just before the 10km aid station and washed it down with a cup of water. The first big hill happened at the 10km mark. Felt I had to pee, and had to decide to either stop at a port-o-potty or hold it for the entire race. Decided to pop into a free port-o-potty just before 11km mark. Lost a minute of time but felt much better. Time to get the legs moving again. Didn’t have any trouble getting back into a 4:30/km pace. At the 15km mark the half marathoners & marathoners split up. We headed West another 10km to our turnaround point. Still feeling pretty good. Just focused on catching the next person in front of me and maintaining my cadence. My friends Paul & Jody (and baby Lilly) were at the 19km mark cheering me on. They were holding a sign “DEZ”, and gave me a nice little boost at almost the half way point of the race. Hit the 20km mark and consumed another Gel. It was starting to warm up out there, so I dumped a cup or two of water on my head every aid station. Worked very well to keep me cool. Pace still on track. Barely breathing hard at all. Looked forward to getting to our westerly turn around spot at the 25.5km mark. Saw the 3:10 bunny go by after turn around, then the 3:15 bunny…but I was really close to it. Set my sights on catching the 3:15 bunny, which would have been awesome. If I hadn’t stopped for a bio break, I probably would have been right with the 3:15 bunny. This point of the race was not very scenic and was a fairly industrial area of Mississauga. Finally got onto Lakeshore heading East toward the finish line. Decided to walk for a minute during 28km stretch to collect my thoughts and refocus. Saw my average pace slipping a bit and started to calculate my possible finishing time. I felt that I was likely on pace for sub 3:20 if I could maintain the current pace. Took my 3rd gel just before the 30km aid station. There is a big hill just before the 32km marker. At the top of the hill is an inflatable brick wall that you run through. This is where a lot of people start to feel their glycogen stores depleting and their bodies switch to burning fat for fuel. At the top of the hill, I could feel my IT bands tightening up a bit, and pace began to slow a bit. I then latched onto a pair of runners who were working together on the final 10km of the race. Used them to draft off of and take my mind off of the final stretch of the race. Ran next 3km with them, but my legs were not feeling good….. How much do I want Boston?? From the 36km mark to the Finish, the course alternated between lakefront paths, to residential streets, to Lakeshore drive. Lots of twists and turns, ups and downs. These changes in direction are very hard on your legs this late in the race. My pace significantly slowed (almost to a walk at times) especially on the inclines (my tight IT bands don’t like hills of any kind). I saw my Boston qualification time slipping away, but not much I could do about it. Sucked back my final gel at 38km mark, and recalculated my time. At current pace, I would finish at 3:27. All I could think about were all those people at work saying “How did your race go? Did you get Boston?” And I would have to explain that I fell short of my goal by just a few minutes. I decided I had to give it a shot. So I picked up the pace, ignored the pain and set my sights on finishing the last 3km strong. All of those Wednesday speed workouts would pay off (Thanks KevO). After every KM I would recalculate my finish time. It was going to be close, but I had to keep pushing through. But wait. I did not factor in that the marathon was actually 42.2km, not 42km. How long would it take me to run the extra 200m? Shoot that’s another minute. Push on!! There were a lot of spectators on both sides cheering the runners in. Finish line is up a gradual incline and around the bend. I could hear the announcer but could not see the finish line. My watch is almost at 3:24….finally I spot the finish line and go for it…crossed the line in 3:24:16. I made it!!! I got a little choked up that I had actually pushed myself and got under 3:25. Hard to walk when I was done, but used the foam roller when I got back to the hotel room and legs felt pretty good. I am proud of my accomplishment for getting the Boston standard in my first marathon. Not sure if my time will be enough to get a registration spot in September, but that is out of my control. This race was a real character builder for me, and let me know that I can always push a little harder. Now my sights are on preparing for Ironman Mont Tremblant in August. My second marathon will be proceeded by a 4km swim and 180km bike ride. Bring it on.
Pace/KM Breakdown for the Marathon:
KM 1: 4:47 (easy pace for first 7km, as planned)
KM 2: 4:47
KM 3: 4:40
KM 4: 4:35
KM 5: 4:39
KM 6: 4:33
KM 7: 4:33
KM 8: 4:33
KM 9: 4:17
KM 10: 4:28
KM 11: 5:34 (pee break)
KM 12: 4:30
KM 13: 4:32
KM 14: 4:33
KM 15: 4:27
KM 16: 4:30
KM 17: 4:34
KM 18: 4:29
KM 19: 4:34
KM 20: 4:38
KM 21: 4:32
KM 22: 4:37
KM 23: 4:37
KM 24: 4:37
KM 25: 4:40
KM 26: 4:39
KM 27: 4:38
KM 28: 5:19 (walked, time to refocus)
KM 29: 4:54
KM 30: 5:02
KM 31: 5:10
KM 32: 5:10
KM 33: 4:49 (hooked on to 2 runners)
KM 34: 4:49
KM 35: 4:59
KM 36: 5:28 (IT bands tighten up good)
KM 37: 5:28
KM 38: 5:48
KM 39: 5:43
KM 40: 5:05 (put my head down and go)
KM 41: 4:50
KM 42: 4:44
KM 1: 4:47 (easy pace for first 7km, as planned)
KM 2: 4:47
KM 3: 4:40
KM 4: 4:35
KM 5: 4:39
KM 6: 4:33
KM 7: 4:33
KM 8: 4:33
KM 9: 4:17
KM 10: 4:28
KM 11: 5:34 (pee break)
KM 12: 4:30
KM 13: 4:32
KM 14: 4:33
KM 15: 4:27
KM 16: 4:30
KM 17: 4:34
KM 18: 4:29
KM 19: 4:34
KM 20: 4:38
KM 21: 4:32
KM 22: 4:37
KM 23: 4:37
KM 24: 4:37
KM 25: 4:40
KM 26: 4:39
KM 27: 4:38
KM 28: 5:19 (walked, time to refocus)
KM 29: 4:54
KM 30: 5:02
KM 31: 5:10
KM 32: 5:10
KM 33: 4:49 (hooked on to 2 runners)
KM 34: 4:49
KM 35: 4:59
KM 36: 5:28 (IT bands tighten up good)
KM 37: 5:28
KM 38: 5:48
KM 39: 5:43
KM 40: 5:05 (put my head down and go)
KM 41: 4:50
KM 42: 4:44
Finish
3:24:16
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Baydogs Don't Pick Their Poison, Poison Picks The Baydogs!
After what was a strange weather week (sideways snowstorm during speed work the last Wednesday of April), the Pick Your Poison trail running race held annually at Horseshoe Valley would prove to be...interesting. With snow still on the trail and sloppy/muddy conditions, a few Baydogs were not afraid to get dirty to show their trail running prowess!
Pick Your Poison is a local trail running race that offers 3 different distances: 12.5km, 25km, and for the Ultra enthusiasts, 50km of trail running up and down one of Georgian Bays leading ski resorts!
6 Baydogs competed last Saturday April 27th:
Genevieve Blais 12.5km @ 1:52:29
Shaun Patton 25km @ 2:21:29
Greg Cormack 25km @ 2:27:03
Brenda East 25km @ 2:43:50
Dr. Frank Astri 25km @ 2:59:25
And a special shoutout to trail running enthusiast Nathan Brooks, who completed the 50km, 4-lap course in a time of 5:28, accomplishing his goal of completing the 50km race in under 5hr 30min! Way to go Nate!!
This is a fun race that will really test your meddle, and get you ready for the spring marathon season, and local triathlons that can be quite hilly! Way to go Baydogs!!!!
Pick Your Poison is a local trail running race that offers 3 different distances: 12.5km, 25km, and for the Ultra enthusiasts, 50km of trail running up and down one of Georgian Bays leading ski resorts!
6 Baydogs competed last Saturday April 27th:
Genevieve Blais 12.5km @ 1:52:29
Shaun Patton 25km @ 2:21:29
Greg Cormack 25km @ 2:27:03
Brenda East 25km @ 2:43:50
Dr. Frank Astri 25km @ 2:59:25
And a special shoutout to trail running enthusiast Nathan Brooks, who completed the 50km, 4-lap course in a time of 5:28, accomplishing his goal of completing the 50km race in under 5hr 30min! Way to go Nate!!
This is a fun race that will really test your meddle, and get you ready for the spring marathon season, and local triathlons that can be quite hilly! Way to go Baydogs!!!!
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