August 28th, 2011 was the 29th annual Ironman Canada in Penticton, BC.
Ironman is a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon (26.2 miles 42.195 km) run

This year, there were six Finish Line Coaching athletes racing. This year was a hot one, testing both experienced and first timers alike. There were so many great stories from race day. As a coach, I was so inspired and impressed with the determination of this group of athletes. I’m so proud of them all. I hope to post those stories and more pictures here with the athletes’ permission.

Here are the times:

Cam Mackay 11:10
Craig Johnson 14:21 (First Ironman)
Doug Giles 9:57
Erin Lee 13:39
Michelle LaPorte 16:31 (First Ironman)
Patrick Okens 11:08 (First Ironman)

Congratulations one and all!

August 29th, 2010 marked the 28th annual Ironman Canada in Penticton, BC.

This year, there were ten Finish Line Coaching athletes racing. Athletes battled wind and cold rain to successful finishes. For eight of the ten, this was their first time completing the Ironman distance, while the two repeat finishers had personal best days.

Two of them, Nicole and Richele also qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona. That race takes place October 9th, 2010.

Here are the times:

Nicole Akeroyd – 11:20 – First Ironman – Hawaii Qualified – 1st in Age Group
Gregg Ambrosi – 11:12 – First Ironman
Dale Anderson – 12:49 – First Ironman
Will Dugger – 12:51 – First Ironman
Richele Frank – 11:09 – First Ironman – Hawaii Qualified
Cameron Mackay – 11:16 – Personal Best
Chris Revell - 11:30 – First Ironman
Don Smith – 11:26 – Personal Best
Kris Steed – 12:16 – First Ironman
Stew Weepers – 11:48 – First Ironman

Congratulations on some stellar performances!

Episode Two of the Finish Line Coaching Podcast.

Shaking Up Your Training, Swim Transition and more…

Show Links:
Erin Lee’s Tri N Reality
“Pet” Hummingbirds

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Finish Line Coaching is brought to you by Finishlinecoaching.com. Music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley. Check it out at ‘music.mevio.com’. The opening and closing theme is by Black Nite Crash and the Tip of the Day music is by Big Money Grip.

We all strive to be happy and satisfied. Happy with our daily activities, happy with our health, satisfied with our efforts personally and professionally and as athletes, satisfied with our results. As athletes, there is much we can do to help ourselves to that happiness and satisfaction, by managing expectations.

First, there are the expectations others have of us. There are many demands that life brings us, some that we have no choice but to accept. These are the highest priority items such as getting the kids to school, paying the bills, getting to work on time. etc. However, there are also those expectations that others place on us that may or may not be high priorities. Some of us (we know who we are) always seem to say yes to added responsibility. It would benefit us all to make a list of our priorities and how much time they take. Then when someone asks us to do something for them, we know if we have the time and can learn to say no. In my mind, even if someone drops a responsibility on my lap without asking, I still reserve the right to say no. Often, I am happy to take on something extra, but I always have a choice and for me, that is important.

In athletics, you have those same choices and it isn’t like getting the workouts and racing done is separate from your other responsibilities. Add the workouts to the list and see how they fit into the scheme of your life. Maybe you can do more training…maybe you should do less. It may cause you to move your training to days it works better. It is about your overall expectations of yourself. If you want to train effectively, you need to be reasonable with yourself and the time you have available.

Race results are cruel. I have long thought they ought to have a comments section so you can tell the world a little about what may have affected how you finished. The truth is that you know what your priorities were in your training and what may have affected those outcomes and that is all that should matter. Easier said than done, I realize, but you will be a much more memorable athlete for balancing your priorities and having realistic expectations than you will for great race results alone. If you can achieve a balance and have both, fantastic! If not, it is still fantastic!

Set out to do the best you can with an honest effort. Expect no less and no more.

The maiden voyage of the Finish Line Coaching Podcast.

Mental Training, about Coach Calvin, Music and more…

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Finish Line Coaching is brought to you by Finishlinecoaching.com. Music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley. Check it out at ‘music.mevio.com’. The opening and closing theme is by Black Nite Crash and the Tip of the Day music is by Big Money Grip.

A subject that has been on my mind a lot lately is unplanned time off from training.

I have personally had a few injuries, illnesses and unplanned events, minor and major, that have interrupted my training and racing. Because I also coach quite a few people, I see that others have similar unplanned events that take them away from their sport.

This is my take on how to successfully get through a layoff and also how to adjust your viewpoint while you are at it. The steps for me are: Establish an action plan, find what you CAN do, pursue other interests, find perspective and appreciate what you DO have.

First and foremost, what can you do to make whatever is wrong better? Do you need physio, a doctor or other professional? Do not delay getting the professional help you need. Get an action plan in order as soon as you can. Of course, you may have no other plan besides waiting and seeing, but it still pays to consult experts.

Second, with the advice of the experts in mind, get to what you CAN do as quickly as possible. If you are fortunate, you may be able to continue with a modified training program. It is also possible that you will need to fill the usual training time with other things, which leads to my third point.

Take the time you wouldn’t otherwise have to pursue your other hobbies. Read or watch movies more, whatever you personally find rewarding.

Fourth, find perspective. It isn’t the end of the world! I have said many times that these things are not roadblocks, but rather speed bumps. Try to treat this time as an opportunity to broaden your horizons. Initially you may be quite angry and that is just fine. Wallowing for too long, however, isn’t going to help in the long run.

Finally, appreciate what this time off has given you. Do you truly miss your sport? You now have a keen awareness of just how much you love training and that’s a good thing. It is akin to a loved one being away for some people and as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I personally would not know how much I love triathlon were it not for the times I couldn’t do it. I also have a passion for many other things that i never want to lose touch with. I put my family first in all that I do. These priorities came to me most clearly when I was forced to stop the routine and think about why I do what I do.