Calgary 70.3

my first finish in 14 months. Yes, 14 months of injury, sickness and dns, dnf and finaly crossing the finish line of a race!

I was pretty bag up at the end, my body was in shock as the effort was big and i put everything into this. I had a amzzing swim and up front with Kieran doe, Brian Fleshman and a few other fishy. We were 6 of us out of the water in 23minutes and i was in sock to realise later in the ride that we had over 1min lead on Jeff Symonds the pool fish and Paul ticheelar the shark.

On the bike, i did my best to put a hard ride and was doing great until km 60 where i ran low on calories, made lots of technical mistake in how i race and to be honest, i ran out of fitness........i just didnt ride as smart as i usualy was. I got drop and lost 5minutes to my peers in the last 35km as the body started to fall appart. On the run, i tried really hard to be strong mentaly and put a hard effort in it. could not get my legs back to normal but keep trucking along and avoid any falling appart until i cross the finish line.

Well, i have to say i was happy to be a finisher again. It lasted a good 2h where i was proud to make it to the finish line until i started looking at the results and realise i was 12th, 13 minutes down on the leader and was really far from the front of the race. So, yeah, not happy at all with it, but 5 months into my return to training and getting healthier, i will have to accept that it s where i m and that a few more months of training and hard work are needed to make up those 13 minutes.

thanks to everyone on the course that gived me a tumbs up and cheer for me...this include my cometitor that passed me on the bike/run and found the time to cheer my up in my fun misery! Triathlon is full of really GREAT people!

Kiwi Wisdom............

I was out on the road with Olly today to get the work done over a very simple z2 long ride. As we start the long downhill from Mt Baldy, and come into the first switch back;

Jonny; I never know how much speed i can carry when i enter those tight turns

Olly; It simple, if you crash, you know you were going too fast.....

Jonny; I see..........



Got the work done today.....

ironman CDA

This weekend, i was in beautifull Coeur d'Alene for the ironman. What i didnt tell anyone was that i was there to race, take part in it and make a big step in a long process, toe the start line of a race, a first in 13 months or me.

I was so dam happy to be on the beach and have a go at it. There was a good field of strong athlete and the perfect set up for a honest evaluation of my fitness.

The swim start was different than usual, i dont have my normal fitness and not start speed so i decided to start on the outside alone. I swam the first few minutes alone until i juge safe for me to re-enter the group that was string up a long way ahead of me. I could not tell how many swimmers were ahead but it was A LOT.

I settle into a very comfortable rythme and knew we were going very very slow. PErhaps the slowest swim i have ever done in a ironman since my age group times in 97! Onmy side was a annoying swimmer screaming at me and banging on me in a weird way but i could not focus on him, i had to stay focus on swimming relax and save my energy. Coming out of the water for the first loop, i was ready for the update and see how far down i was but to my suprise and shock, i was in the lead group of 6-7 swimmers and the annoying dude next to me was my training partner tom evans...oh boy... i knew this wasnt good.... well, good for me to be in the lead group but the pace was so slow that i knee some indesirable people would still be in contact and our lead out of the water would be next to nothing!

out of the water and on the bike, i proceed right away to pass tom and show him the view of my butt...the pace wasnt easy for me right front the start and i had to remaine very focus. At the 25miles mark, as the group was about 8 of us, my rear tire went flat. I right away screamed , ''WHEEEEEELLLLSSSSSS'' to the neutral support motorcycle but thhis BASTA##$ F#@$#% didnt stop. I was left on the side of the road to change my flat and wearing the number 13, everything went wrong, the spare went flat right away and i could not find any reason why....the tire and rim were clean..... I had to wait 20minutes on the side of the road for the neutral support from the woman pro race to get back on the saddles.

At this point, the day was over, rode back to transition and went back home to digest all this.

My fitness is clearly not back to where i need it. But i m back to be able to race and not look like a complete idiot....but i sure did look like a idiot on the side of the road.

that is it for now, time to go for a ride, i will bring 2 spare today....

i m still alive!!!!!!!!!! and well!!!

How was your day? was it a good day or a bad day....lets talk about our day!

Well, i m getting the work done and this week was my biggest week in 13 months!!!! This afternoon, i finish a triple workout day, to make it 21h of training! my biggest week in over a year! I was so happy!!!! Well, of course, i m far from been a rock star with my current fitness but it sure feels good to be outside and training like this!

The weather as been, lets be honest shitty in the okanagean.... we have one of the worst ever month of june, cold and rainy and very challenging mentally. I m very happy so far as i have come a long way in the last few months from complete inactivity and injury to a much better position now!

This coming week, a easier week for me to recovery from a monster 21h and a little trip down south for a fun weekend in CDA!

secret from the TOP pros!!!

Well, for those that still dont know, yes, i m officially Tom Evans new coach. I say new but over the years....it s really under my guidance and supervision that he as mature as a great champion and multiple time ironman win. Now, i understand joel filliol might not agree but how many hours as joel ever log in with tom on a ride...how many hills climb...how many watts...how many meters swim in the pool... Yes, it s me, i more than a coach...i would call myself a mentor for Tom in his triathlon carreer but also in is professional carreer as a dentist...yes, i even go often to the dental office to supervise.

Today was a nice couple of hours ride....the Naramatha hill circut compose of very step climbs... big watts and threshold effort. I m now sharing with you the secret of Tom for a killer bike ride at a ironman....






A short run, and a swim in Okanagean lake and that was it for today....the work is done, time to rest...tomorrow should be even more fun

time to cheer for the montreal canadian!!!

Sorry i can not blog, i m kinda busy, i m kinda busy, i m kinda busy

Ok, this as got out of controle, 4 months of no blogging. What happen?!?! M i still alive? Retired? injured?

Well, i been extremly busy this winter. My life as change and i have lots of big responsability now. I been extremely good at jungling with all of those. To start, i have a phone now, i need to pay it once a month, answer it, check messages, check voicemails etc... lots to do...

I have a brand new car, need to drive it, refuel, clean it, drive it some more...

I do have a real job outside triathlon, i run the big show at PODIUM IMPORTS ( canadian distributor or orbea, garmin, orca etc). It s a challenging challenge as i have to take all the decisions, show up to the office often(up to 5 times a week) and i have to suppervise 2 employe that arent fluent in INGLISH. Communication are often a big challenge (kiwi bird) but i m on top of things....

So,what about triathlon. Well, i m trying to keep a low profile, doing my weekly 15-20h of training and repairing my body so i can be ready to sneak in some races in early july. I m presently very busy supervising and coaching Tom Evans on his preparation for ironman Coeur d'Alene. I will also go to CDA to supervise him and make sure he dosnt make a fool of himself.

Well, that is a small update for now, i think it s time to get some more jonny tip of the weeks, training update and serious post about everything happening in beautifull penticton. I say beautifull but it s been very cold and rainy...lake are too cold to swim in and training can be challenging on some days..... summer is coming soon!

more to come!

50km skate ski race......18th overall...

Sunday was my first 50km ski race in about 12 years! I havent done those hard races in a long long time. IT was nice to get a good go at it. With a few past olympian athelte in the field, it wasnt long that i was long gone and far away from the front of the race. But a lot of fun and one more step into getting the fitness back to a elite level.

here s the video summary of the day, Me, Tom and GW!

Lets be honest here mister Tom Evans

after having to deal with people making fun of me for battling with all my heart (and my extra weight and 7 months of serious injury and low fitness) in a ski race and getting beat by some 60 year old prodigy, i would like to share with you all some of Tom Evans results,

Tom as been very good at keeping on the down low what we all remeber as BLACK Saturday in 2008,

Saturday janurary 19th 2008 started nicely with perfect condition and Tom evans had put all his energy and money in getting the top of the line HF wax and fastest ski possible to attack the 4TH REINO KESKI-SALMI LOPPET. Tom was showing some agressive sign at the start of the race but nothing would have prepare us for what was to come in the next few hours.

The race went on, and tom was shatter by the pace of Doug G...the 58 year old man coming back from cancer and tom had to let doug go..... Milaine, a recreational skier competiing in her first race ever passed tom and cheering for him on the way. Tom didnt appreciate but could simple not keep the pace with the young lady. But with in the last few minutes of the race, Tom in a no man lands noticed that a 63 year old man was shadowing him on the final approche to the finish line, The old man took the outside track ready to challenge tom in a fair and square sprint dash to the line. Tom in a vicious attack move to the outside, takling the old man and pushing him in the fence while crossing the line and screaming..... TAKE THAT GERRY!!!!!

While the official miss the vicious attack on the old men by them.,....we will never forget what really happen on BLACK SATURDAY on janurary 2008.

Here's the results......

4TH REINO KESKI-SALMI LOPPET


11 Doug Gudwer 669 BSR 1:01:39 2:05:19 1 M 50-59

12 Milaine Theriault 564 xc.c 1:01:38 2:06:08 1 F 30-39

13 Alastair Duncan 522 BSR 1:01:49 2:08:39 8 M 18-29

14 Thomas Evans 544 NP 1:04:17 2:09:18 4 M 30-39

15 Gerry Morrison 700 TEL 1:08:37 2:09:19 1 M 60-69

Tom and jonnyo race report

Ski race, salmon arms, 36km classic..... it was hard, it was only my 4th time on classic ski so i m not yet ready to go fast ;) First race in 7 months...was lots of fun!

Pinnapple Express

The train as arrive in town..... Everyone can feel it because the snow is metling and rain is pooring.... The Pinnapple express is ready to RACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, tom as call me pinnapple jonny for many years now. And the pinnnapple express is also a warm wind in the okanagan that make the snow melt and disapeer. This is what is happening this week, abnormal hot weather with rain for our winter and the snow is melting fast!

The problem, well, tomorrow night, me and tom are driving down to Salmon Arms where we will offically start the cross country season with a 36km classic race. My first race in over 7 months of injury and time off! While i have very low expectation from very little fitness and some additionnal 25lbs to my frame, it s one step toward getting back into the racing game!

Stay tune for a little video of me and tom tomorrow night in the final preparation before the first BC cup race of the season.


But for now, Tom....be warry......be ready...... Here's the thing that makes life so interesting. The theory of competition says, just because theyre the strong doesnt mean they cant get their asses kicked. Thats right. See, what every long shot, come from behind, underdog contender will tell you is this: The other guy may in fact be the favorite. The odds may be stacked against you, fair enough. But what the odds don't know is this isnt a math test! This is a completely different kind of test, one where passion has a funny way of trumping logic. So before you step up to the starting line, before the whistle blows and the clock starts ticking, just remember out here, the results dont always add up! No matter what the stats say, or what the experts may think, and the commentators may have predicted, when the race is on, ALL BETS ARE OFF. Dont be surprised if someone decides to flip the script and take a pass on yelling uncle.

.....And then, as the old saying goes, we got ourselves a RACE.