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Unfortunately I missed the women's Olympic tri coverage - my stomach pangs won out over the race and by the time I had finished the feed, it was all over.   I was bound and determined to make sure I watched the mens race, so I ate on and off al day long to keep the munchies away.

 

 

How about that Simon.    In your face CBC anouncer .... I never thought Simon looked tired, shoulders tight, and on and on .....  Being a Canadian comentator, you would have thought he could have been a bit more positive.   By now, everyone has seen Simon's run in Sydney, how could you not believe the dude would come back.  I was screaming at the TV and for a moment, I thought he had done it again - WOW, our sport makes for some exciting finishes.   Thanks Simon for another awesome performance.

 

 

The second triathlon in as many weekends was IMC.  Maybe it was just me but the crowds seemed much larger than in previous years .......  Check out Lakshore after the swim start.

 

 

 

 

I manged to catch a few fellow Polar athletes, Carolyn Hubbard and Scott Jacobsen on the bike and run - Scott and Carolyn looked focused and strong, so I am not surprised to hear that he had a great result.  

 

 

 

 

I am often asked if I would ever try my hand at the Ironman distance - my response is always the same "nope".   I tip my hat to each and every finsher, I even get teary eyed when I see friends finish or hear of athletes who have overcome significant adversity to be in the race.   It's just not for me, I'll stick to appreciating those that take on the challenge of the Ironman event.

 

 

It was great to be there as the last person crossed the line before the midnight cutoff - a powerfully moving experience for me each and every year.   And so ends tow weekends of triathlon. I'm now back home and switching my focus to a few running events (yet to be determined) before the end of another season.

 

 

Duncan

 

 

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You know how the saying goes, better late than never.    I was not able to access the polar site while on vacation so am now only getting to an update.

 

 

I left Vancouver early Saturday Aug 16 bound for the Okanagan.   I had decided to race the National Championships in Kelowna and then hang out in the area until IMC.  Mixed in with all of this was the Olympic Triathlon ..... More on that in a few mins.

 

 

I arrived in Kelowna on what seemed like one of the hottest days ever - picked up my race kit and then just relaxed at the hotel for a few hours.   At 4:00pm I went for my usual pre race run which left me dripping, apparently it had got even hotter ..... As usual, the run seemed sluggish but knowing that I usually feel this way made me realize i was ready.   I woke early on Sunday morning and forced down my usual pre race breakfast  (this never seems to get any easier - I always feel like a fish that's been in the hot sun all day) and headed over to transition.   I organized my piece of turf (gotta love numbered racks), visualized myself in transition a few times and then went for a pre race swim.   As per Scott's previous message, this was a no wetsuit swim.   On a side note, in almost 15 years of doing triathlons, this is the only the second time I have raced without a wetsuit.  I noticed more than a few individuals were concerned that it was no wetsuit ...... do they train in a pool with their wetsuit?

 

 

Race started and I immediately knew it was going to be a tough swim - I may not be the best at swimming in a straight line but I sure was better than the clown that constantly kept swimming into me.   Even when I got out for the first lap, he couldn't run straight.  Needless to say I had a few elbows and fists come my way throughout the swim - nothing major, but enough to make one think twice about swimming in a pack.   I had a mediocre swim and an OK transition.   

 

 

I headed out onto the bike and found my rythm quite early on.  I had and excellent ride and felt strong heading into transition for the run.  By this time, it was warming up - I headed out onto the run.  It seemed to take me forever to get my running legs, although the time splits suggested otherwise.   By the time I got onto the second lap, I was feeling more like a runner (at least a runner in a triathlon).  I ended up finishing 21st overall and 5 in my AG against some tough competition.   I also qualified to representa Canada at the World Championships on the Gold Coast next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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