Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in dashto's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, September 9th, 2007
6:55 pm	And so :) Now it's Olympic... distance. Completed my first Olympic distance Triathlon in Owen Sounds today, and it was AWESOME... And not really too difficult, compared to the other distances. SWIM: In a word, great :) Didn't panic at all, felt comfortable, and my wetsuit felt like second, buoyant skin.... Finally finding some comfort there. Only challenge was around sighting, I went off course a lot. BIKE: Decent speed, though there wasn't a lot of power in my legs for the first 25% of the race. I think this was due to a bit too little nutrition again (I gotta pack in more food!!!). RUN: Slow. Not sure why. In the end, I put in a solid time... I felt good, but there definitely was room for improvement. Next time I should, perhaps, sleep for more than two hours the night before. Could not quiet the mind, could not sleep. Now, pleasantly spent, ready to relax tonight, and celebrate that end of the Triathlon season. I am very, very happy about how this season went :) Current Mood: bouncy (Comment on this)
Sunday, August 26th, 2007
4:57 pm	The Good and the Weird... Excellent 24k run today, but had a strange experience that made me wonder about people... I was in High Park, running down Colborne Park road, and some guy, walking his dog, elbowed me in the ribs. He actually went out of his way to do this. It was odd, completely random, and from a normal-looking person. I was in a pack of people, off to the side, and we weren't in the guy's way. I suppose I should have been angry, but mostly I was just perplexed. I wondered why somebody would do such a thing, but in the end, the run was paramount, and we kept on. Still wondering... why would somebody do such a thing. In any case, had a GREAT run, strong and smooth feeling. I feel that the season is going to finish strongly, and I'm still on track for a sub 4h marathon, ahead of initial time estimates... Current Mood: contemplative (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
10:12 pm	Sometimes you just have a good run.... ...tonight was a good run. I can't tell you why... was just good. Started well, moved well, ended well. I felt good, strong, and on game. And I've earned my sleep, so off to it I go. Current Mood: pleased (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007
7:39 pm	The Swim Not Meant to Be... So my goggles self-destructed while swimming today, and just wasn't really feeling it. Got 800m in, after having to get out of the pool to put on my backup gogs, but it wasn't happening. This morning, had a rocking bike ride, so it's a net-good day in the training world. Looking forward to getting back to clinic tomorrow night for my run... Current Mood: confused (Comment on this)
Monday, August 6th, 2007
6:05 pm	Registration Completed... IMLP 2008 And I just completed the registration. So my funds are committed, and I'm very excited :) Lake Placid, here I come. In other news, Belwood was an interesting race. I was a bit off time, but it was a FAST crowd. I improve my transitions, as well as my average bike speed, but fell behind in the standings. Compared to myself, did rather well, to others, fell off. I'm told that many of the people in my race were warming up for Ironman Canada... I'll take that as the reason why everybody was so darned fast :) I messed up my nutrition again, ate too little, too late. Will be working with a coach to get all of that good and proper... Current Mood: determined (Comment on this)
Monday, July 30th, 2007
8:58 pm	*grumble, grumble* Tonight's swim sucked. It just sucked. I don't think it would have sucked as bad if my goggles weren't constantly leaking (I think the strap was slipping because I wasn't wearing a cap, lesson learned, wear cap). I didn't swim last week, and now I know what the price is when I don't swim for a few days. It's like they say, swimming is all technique. Tonight my technique was just on the funny side. Oops. That said, I got through it, and I'm proud of that. No more missing the swims... 359 days to Ironman. Current Mood: determined (Comment on this)
Monday, July 23rd, 2007
5:39 pm	Registered... so now it's real. I'm registered for Ironman USA Lake Placid 2008. July 20, 2008 I'll race to something that, had you asked me 24 months ago, I would have said was impossible. Further proof supporting that anything you imagine.... And so now getting to what it takes to cross that finish line. Until December, just keeping myself fit and game. After that, a new level of training and fitness will be pursued... and little else until the July taper. But that's just fine, because then I cross the finish line :) Off to the pool... Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Monday, July 16th, 2007
10:54 am	And now it's 2008... So I was playing it safe, way too safe as it happens.  The basic skills are in place, the drive is there, and I'm surrounded by a good number of people that are following to the same goal.  So it's Ironman 2008- Lake Placid.  I'll be registered next Monday, and then it's just off to the races :) Had a great run on Sunday, the Nissan 10-Miler, ended up 1:19:40, my first sub 5m/km race, felt proud and pleased... Am tired though, have a lot of sleep to catch up on, tonight is a low-key evening... Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Monday, June 25th, 2007
9:50 pm	Ramping Up Again... So... one single pair of goggles can make such a difference. Bought myself a paid of Speedo Hydralign goggles, which have helped me to put my head into the proper position while swimming. Makes a huge difference, I'm no longer looking directly at the floor... Now looking forward, makes a huge huge huge diff... This week is a rampup week in distance and intensity, both in my tri training and my marathon clinic. I firmly expect to be tired at the end of the week... :) But that said, it's not a bad thing, because I feel like I'm accomplishing something :) Off to bed, up early to ride and run... Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Monday, June 18th, 2007
8:59 pm	A lesson... ...don't swim in a chlorinated pool without goggles... oops, forgot 'em... nevertheless, still a nice swim... Current Mood: happy (Comment on this)
10:29 am	Muskoka Sprint Triathlon- Race Comments Muskoka Sprint Okay, so I've made it through my first sprint. Smile on face, spring in step, all very happy. And learned that with all the work that I have been doing, there is still a long way to do on the path towards an Ironman dream. That said, it was a triumph in many ways, and I really enjoyed the experience. 1- Swim: Water was warm, and was a nice swim. That said, this is my current achilles heel, and Saturday was no different. I freaked out a few times, and had to do a 'flip on back', but on the plus side, freaked out far less than I did in Orillia, and spent much of the swim in a pack without getting too uncomfortable. The course was beautiful. 2- Bike: Had my kick-ass leg here. T1 took too long, but a minute shorter than my last try at T1, so I'm speeding up. Will be practicing transitions before Peterborough. Was pretty fast and confident on the bike, all of those hill climbs really paid off here Saw an accident, where the police inadequately controlled a car on the road (wondering why there were cars on those roads), and a cyclist ended up going into the ditch in front of me (at nearly full speed) due to a truck crossing the yellow line. Was pretty scary. Ended up doing cat-and-mouse with another guy the whole way, was neat. 3- Run: Little power in my legs, ended up below pace for most of the run. I think I burned too much off in the swim, and then while I was hammering the bike to catch up (which was fun, because I passed somewhere between 50-100 people on the bike), and didn't leave much for the run. Also, next time I'm going to take in some calories before getting off the bike, think I was a bit undernourished. Goals for Peterborough: 1- Do not stop on swim, just move through it (also, new goggles, my current ones fog up, and that just adds to the panic) 2- Ensure proper nutrition (learned something: those energy blocks don't agree with tum, craaaaamping) 3- Keep laughing and smiling. Was fun to see that people were encouraging each other whilst racing, I had a great time both on and off course. 4- Get those transitions down even further. 5- Wear socks (I tried to go sockless, needless to say, I have blisters, many blisters) Lots of support on course (Thanks Lesley and Tracey), good cheer squad out there for the TTC. Cheers! Ian _________________ 2007 Races Planned: ______________________ Mississauga Half-Marathon (1:48:07 PB) Muskoka Sprint (1:32:15) Peterborough Sprint Orillia Sprint Owen Sound Olympic Toronto Full Marathon Current Mood: optimistic (Comment on this)
Saturday, June 16th, 2007
9:46 am	My Declaration for my First Sprint Triathlon I'm pretty scared.  Predictably, it's the swim.  I can bike and run, there are no questions on either of those disciplines, and I can be fast on both when it's called for.  The swim I still struggle with, and open water is something that I have now done a total of two times in my life.  I am getting more comfortable in the pool. So, I'm choosing to look at this as a training run, not a race.  The goal is the Owen Sound Olympic tri for this year.  Today, I am going out to train, and I will learn about important things, like learning how to swim in a pack, and learning how to sight my lines. But I will not look backwards, I will only look forwards, and I will sight the buoy, and I will move with regular rhythm, and a plan, to the finish of the swim, into T1, and with strength and confidence, jump on the bike where I know I can push hard gears and rocket along the roads. I've trained all winter and spring for this, even if I do not know that I am ready right now, I am ready. Current Mood: determined (Comment on this)
Monday, June 11th, 2007
9:34 pm	Racing.... Today I swam, 800m, in anticipation of the Muskoka race this Saturday. I am pretty much losing it inside, because Orillia swim was... ahem... rough... So I'm worried about the swim, but I'm going to keep saying to myself 'be calm'. And just ride through it. I really want to ride my bike tomorrow AM, but I'm starting my marathon clinic, and as such, I will have to take it easy. Ride Wednesday AM instead... Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
Monday, June 4th, 2007
9:20 pm	Swimprovement Doing better, on week two of my Olympic training program. Tonight was a 600m swim, felt pretty good, despite the fact that I am really tired. Didn't sleep well last night, so tonight I go to bed early. Tomorrow morning is a 50 minute ride, important to get a good night's sleep to make the ride go well... Off with me, glad that I went tonight, was hard to get over there, but good once I arrived. Less than two weeks to Muskoka, have to get my swim on :) Current Mood: pleased (Comment on this)
Saturday, June 2nd, 2007
5:33 pm	Lake Wilcox... In a Wetsuit... Did a 45k ride out from Lake Wilcox today, with the Toronto Triathlon Clubbers.  Starting to really enjoy what that club brings, there's nothing like community to remind you why you're doing a thing, and like minded folks to help you push it forward. Also, swam in open water.  Freaked out a bit, but I think that was mostly because I felt constricted by the wetsuit.  It gets HOT in a wetsuit, which I didn't expect.  I've figured out one of the interesting challenges for me with a lake swim.  I can't judge speed or distance.  And it's not easy to figure out direction either.  I floated quite a bit, and just got used to the sensation of being in the water, in a wetsuit, and CALM. Going back out next week, just have to keep hammering away at it... But it is progress... Current Mood: pleased (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 31st, 2007
6:53 pm	Upping the ease in the water... ...it's coming back. Tonight I was a lot more @ ease in the water than I have been lately, this despite there being piles more people in the pool. For some reason it's a parking lot these days, lots and lots of people in the water. Guess the weather improves, people start thinking of their bathing suits. So I did three swims so far this week, each a short distance, as indicated by the training guide. So 400m, thrice. It just wasn't enough distance, but I think it was a good thing to do a reset. Saturday is a group ride and a lake swim. First time in my wetsuit, and I CANNOT WAIT. Whoo hoo Current Mood: excited (Comment on this)
Monday, May 28th, 2007
9:46 pm	Back from Training Camp + Swim.... :) Tonight I went for a quick swim: 400m, getting on plan to the Olympic Training Program put up by NRG on the TTC Website... Good swim, starting to feel more at home in the water... Still... :) Training Camp was great, here' s a report that I put up on Toronto Triathlon Club: In a word... AWESOME. In a few more: Arrival: Arrived on Friday around noon, having hooked a ride with Ben (THANKS BEN!!!). We took off on our bikes, and did a pre-camp 60k in the Collingwood area, very hilly, some gravel (we went off course), and a beautiful downhill (hit 72kph, fastest so far on new bike, was amazing), ran off the bike for 5k. Headed back to village around 4pm, and settled until the camp began with the evening seminar at 7pm. Day 2 was the first official ride, this time 85k (there were 30 and 60k options). Before the ride, there was a clinic around bike handling (learned quite a bit). The 85k was very hilly, challenging, and a good deal of fun. Finished off with another 5k run off the bike, followed by a nutrition seminar. Headed into the Blue Mountain village for dinner @ Kaytoo (good solid Canadian food). Followed by some Ben/Jerry's, and then back to the chalet for a movie viewing ('What it Takes' Documentary). I crashed early, hit the sheets around 9:30 (145k on the bike, much of it uphill, in less than 24 hours= me needing to crash). Day 3, morning seminar on proper swimming technique, followed by stroke analysis in a (very cold) pool. The coaching was valuable, have lots of insight into what I need to do for improvement. Following this, some running drills, then a brick workout on stationary trainers, followed by running (repeated three times). All in all, the training was great, the seminars were packed with useful information, and I've picked up some skills that I previously had associated with 'pro' athletes. The trip was well worth the time. Lots of fun, both in the training, and in getting to know some new folks. Feedback was solictited by the board members, as to how to make next year's camp more successful... This is a dedicated bunch of folks, and they put on an excellent camp. Thanks go out to Andy and Judy (as organizers), as well as to the coaches, Nigel and Sylvie. I had a great time, and would recommend the camp to anybody looking to upgrade skills, kick it up a notch, or just get motivated on a path towards Triathlon. All levels were represented at the camp, and it was amazing how open and inviting all the folks were. Well done, and thanks. Ian Current Mood: content (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
10:33 pm	And I Swam.... Tonight was back into the pool... not a bad run at it. I wasn't super fast, but I was consistent and hadn't lost much ground in the past two weeks when I hadn't been in the pool.... I'm not sure if I can swing it before training camp, but might get a swim in tomorrow night as well. This weekend is training camp :) I cannot wait... Current Mood: peaceful (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 20th, 2007
12:23 pm	70k Ride... Woke up this morning, had a great time out on a 70k ride... Legs were a bit tired after my half marathon last weekend, but feel like my motivation is returning (last week was a bit tough, but being out of town for the week helped put a lot of the world back into perspective). Mother is in town, hanging with her for the weekend, but sneaking training in where possible... Need a yoga class... Perhaps tomorrow... Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 13th, 2007
10:53 am	Personal Best Half Marathon Just ran a personal best Half Marathon:  1:48 (awaiting official chip time)...  In October, I ran the Toronto Half in 2:00:28.  So, 9 months, 12 minutes improvement.  Not at all bad.  Feel elated, accomplished, and gonna bask today before plotting out the next step forward... This week I am in Tennessee, which is wreaking havoc with parts of my training schedule.  As well, have family in town next week, so my longer runs and bike rides have to be truncated.  Course correction will have to happen next Monday after the long weekend... YAY Current Mood: ecstatic (Comment on this)