New Powerbars!

More Snow = More TRAINER!

So I got a delightful present in the mail today, from the great folks at Powerbar. I guess you could say it's an early Christmas present? Just as I was about to jump on the trainer (yes, with all this snow lately, I've been logging some solid hours on the old trusty trainer,) the Purolator delivery man arrived to hand over a package. Expecting a few things (yes, Amazon and Ebay have been frequented lately,) imagine my surprise when I receive NONE of the things I was expecting!

Powerbar Christmas Present!!

But what a surprise it was. I've been talking to Troy Hutchinson (the Powerbar Canada rep,) about the newly reformulated Powerbar Protein Plus bars, and my present was a bar of each flavour! Chocolate Fudge, Vanilla Yogurt, Cookies and Cream, and my all-time favourite, Peanut Butter. The delivery was perfect timing, and at the advice of Troy, I tried out the Cookies & Cream bar after the gruelling 3hr trainer ride. As I neared the end of the workout, all I could think about was that Protein Plus bar. Then, finally, I got to crack into the new bar.

Finally, after 3 hard hours, it's chow time

A. MAZE. ING. All I can say. They are absolutely NOTHING like the old bars, completely different flavour profile and texture. The Cookies & Cream was almost a cake-like consistency, very light in texture but huge flavour. The chocolatey coating landed an ever-so-slight crunch, and the inside had tiny little crunchy bits of cookie. They are smaller than the old bar, at only 210kcals (down from a sometimes hefty 300kcals,) but still packing 20g of protein and 26g of carbs, to help you recover. I still am in awe of how amazing it tasted, I am looking forward to tomorrow's training sessions so I can try some more (it's almost sad how excited I am about them! Peanut Butter is next at bat.)

Cookie & Cream perfection. BAM!

Just thought I'd let you all know about the new bars, they are available now, so go get yourself a few and try them out! I liked the old bars, but these bars are a whole new level of rectangular perfection. I'll be posting soon about all the other exciting new revelations lately (skiing anyone?)

Have a Merry Christmas everyone, and a safe and Happy New Year! (and please, be SMART out there during the holiday season!)

Nathan

What happens in December, stays in December

Christmas, it's the best time of year! Well, it's my absolute favourite time of year, that's for sure. It always means dinners, gatherings, and good old-fashioned parties with friends and families! Not even half-way through, and I've gotten up to all sorts of things already! First, there was a poinsettia incident. I can bake you almost anything, but trying to keep a plant alive? Not my forte! I've been told poinsettia's are difficult to kill, but I managed to end the life of some poor thing in only a day or two. Sad really.

This spring, I was asked to partake in the filming for an indoor cycling video, SpinFocus, by my good friend Jordan Hurdal. It was a lot of fun, although I only participated in the outdoor portion of the filming. Well, Jordan recently asked me to ride in one of the studio spin sessions, and how could I say no? I think the seller was the fact there would be a room full of good lookin' ladies, and a kitchen of food :-) He knows the way to an athlete's heart, that's for sure! It was a blast, we spent a few hours filming. The videos should be finished fairly soon, and trust me, they are solid sessions!

In the spin focus studios!

One of the most exciting things to happen yet, was the Team Ossenbrink Christmas party. Partly because it was with an awesome bunch, but mostly because it was at MY HOUSE! The first party I've ever hosted, EVER. I am a big fan of the christmas decorations, I like it to feel very festive, and I tried to go pretty all-out. Maybe beginner to some, but I was pretty happy with my efforts. For my first kick at the can, I'd say successful. Now there are more to come every weekend until the big December 25, which I'll assist in hosting at my parents house. Absolutely LOVE this time of year! Even though I'm lacking a douglas fir or charlie brown in my living room, I was able to get to my parents house for the annual mulled wine and tree decorating (and for the record, my mum makes THE BEST mulled wine around.) What a treat.

Today was the first day in months I've ridden the roadie outside, and what a day to go out! It was sunny the whole time, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone out there today with a bigger smile. I'd attribute the smile to a few things, one of which being that my power numbers were excellent for this time of year, and two being that I recently received an invite to race in the 2013 Abu Dhabi Triathlon in March!! WOO was I ever excited!!!! I am hoping I'll be able to find my way there, but it will be an absolutely amazing race to do. The perfect way to kick off the season as well.

Anyways, it's time to pack it in for the evening, happy training everyone, and Merry Christmas!!!

Nathan

New Reading Material…..

Waffles: NOTHING better!

…would it surprise you, at all, to know a cookbook is my new favourite book? If it does, it shouldn't. 'The Feed Zone Cookbook,' by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim, is a phenomenal little book that will give you all sorts of ideas to fuel you right, whether you're taking off on a 6hr cycling adventure, or just kicking back for a day of relaxing. I've been trying out some of the different recipes, my favourites being adapting the pancakes into waffles (with my awesome waffle maker, generously donated to me by Rachel McBride, another waffle aficionado!) Also, I've been starting my day with a take on their Sweet Rice breakfast bowl, it's a real treat! If you head down to Multisport Science Inc you can find it locally, at a great price, along with a few other hardcovers to dive in to. I've also started reading Scott Jurek's 'Eat and Run,' it's been great so far. An added bonus is that Scott has recipes for tasty snacks and meals throughout the book, making it difficult to put down.

After a pretty solid week of training, including some of those long, mentally draining indoor trainer sessions (that leave you feeling like a candy bar wrapper that's been crumpled up and thrown on the floor,) it's time to recover up a bit and do some cooking and baking to prepare for a weekend of christmas parties. This has to be the best time of the year, getting together with all your friends and family to celebrate with good food and even better company.

Have a great week everyone, be safe out there (looks like snow might be in our forecast!)

Nathan

Suffering now = gains in 2013

HUGE Excitement for 2013!!!

Nutrition: it plays a vital role in every aspect of human life, especially for that of an athlete. Good nutrition will help us maintain good health, and keep us performing at our absolute best performance. It prepares us and fuels us through long, hard days of training, and lets our body effectively repair itself after we continually break it down. That being said, I am EXTREMELY excited to announce my acceptance onto the Powerbar Team Elite, for 2013!!! I will be working with Powerbar, to fuel me through what will hopefully be an absolutely outstanding season of training and racing. The races haven't been decided yet, but there will be a good focus on the long course racing this year, while I prepare to improve on my debut Ironman performance. Powerbar will have my back, and I know their line of fine products will get me to the start line strong, healthy, and ready to throw down. 

I hope everyone else is having an exciting week, enjoy the slurry of rain headed our way (I know I will be!)

Nathan

Is the off-season really over? Race report.

Holy WOW are my legs ever sore! It's been 3 days since the New Balance Fall Classic Half marathon, and my legs are still feeling every one of those 21.1 kilometres (actually, it was 21.3, but who's counting?)  That had to be one of the most painful things I've done in a long time (remembering that EPIC 250 wasn't really that long ago!) Just starting up again after the offseason break (and a few too many treats,) doesn't make a half marathon any easier. I won't lie, it started to hurt right out of the blocks, and it just went downhill from there (then uphill, then downhill, then uphill again!) But I finished the race, with my usual epic kick the last 3km. I don't know where it comes from, but I guess I always have some mysterious form of motivation to give it everything I have left for a solid hard sprint. No personal bests this time around, but a 1:21 was good for a top 10 finish, and most importantly, BOATLOADS of fun! Of course, I came out in my Sunday best, which included some neon green Compressport calf guards with matching New Balance 1400 race flats (favourite shoe EVER,) a Carlsberg headband (with colourful hair sticking out the top) that came from the World Cup in Europe, and my scary-as-hell Movember stache. Which, by-the-way, you can donate to my fundraiser at http://mobro.co/nathanjkillam.

Ready to RACE!

As always, I was most excited to be able to race alongside my Team Ossenbrink teammates. Rachel McBride had another solid race, taking the gold medal only a few weeks after her first ever Ironman 70.3 victory in Austin, TX. (She ALSO has an interview on the triathlete mecca known as Slowtwitch.com; you know you're the real deal once you've made it on there. Check out Rachel's Interview.) All the rest of the team had a great day too, everyone had fun despite the high winds and rain. A bunch of the Speed Theory team was their as well, a great effort by everyone! As usual, the volunteers did a fantastic job, especially a few funny Mexican Muchachos at the turn around point (with, I might add, some fantastic mustaches!) Post race we went out to Juliet's Cafe, for some brunch to celebrate Jenn and Christina's birthdays. Juliet's cafe never disappoints, it's a fine joint to check out if you're ever in Kitsilano.

Let the mayhem begin

Not the fastest, but definitely the best dressed

Post-race I was informed that the offseason is over, and this race kicked off the 2013 season. The difference between myself and most: everyone else is just ENDING their season; mine is just beginning. SO…..I figure I might have a good go at the rest of 2012's races, and will try my hand once again at a muddy cross country race: the Gunner Shaw 10km. Dec 1 is race day, and it's guaranteed to be a mud-fest of fun. I'm looking forward to the adventure, outfitted with some fresh spikes by New Balance Vancouver I should be able to rip around the slippery mess with ease. I hope to see a lot of friends out there partaking!

Till then, happy training, get out there in the rain ;)



Nathan

Releasing the Stable Back into the Wild!

It's that time of year again!!!! Time to 'release' my trusty steed, the 'White Lightening' that's helped me to not only some fantastic bike splits, but has brought me hours of extreme satisfaction on the roads. It's a funny thing, riding is; I feel like I almost enjoy riding (and training in general) more than I do the racing! Don't get me wrong, the racing aspect is one that helps direct my focus on particular dates, and keeps me pushing towards certain goals. But sometimes I feel like I race to justify dedicating so much of my time to training. Nothing makes me more excited to get out of bed than the prospect of getting out in the sun to ride or run for hours, or hit the pool for a hard swim set. You need to have goals, of course, but I think I almost enjoy the process more than the outcome (the training more than the racing.) I'm sure I'm not the only one. There are many who think along the same lines; that is, how can we spend more of our lives swimming, biking, and running, with no particular goals in the schedule to justify it all?

Anyways, I digress. I have my 2012 P3C up for sale. A 54cm, Ultegra equipped machine of a bike! It's nestled between two Fulcrum Racing T wheels (brand new,) with a lighter-than-air (almost) Easton Attack aero-bar set-up, with dura-ace bar end shifters and SRAM aerodynamic brake levers. A 172.5mm Gossamer crank (almost new,) with standard chainrings helps you throw the bike up hills like a champ. And for your seating pleasure, a new Fizik Arione saddle to park your tookus (it's a word, google it!)

If you'd like to see the Craigslist ad (or maybe share it with a friend who's looking for a bike,) check it out HERE!

The bike's from Speed Theory Vancouver!

I'm asking for $3050, price is negotiable. This would make a SWEET rig for 2013, whether you're racing an Ironman or short course. It was bought brand-spankin new from the always awesome folks at Speed Theory Vancouver, in March this year.

Happy training, enjoy the RAIN!

Nathan

Easton Attacks: one-piece, SUPER light!

Fizik Arione Saddle

How awesome the bike looks at full speed!

Filling all the 'spare time'...

Fall and winter usually means just a 'little' more time on my hands, once the race season has finally ended. No more logging 20+hrs a week (and a lot of time that's JUST on the bike!) No more endlessly wishing there was 25 hours in each day, trying to find time to do even the most BASIC of tasks outside of training, sleeping, and shovelling vast amounts of food in my mouth (just to keep me going.) You know what I'm talking about. The off-season and pre-season training is always a lot lower volume, so there seem to be a few more 'spare hours' through the day. Not that I don't love them, but I seem to be able to get myself into mischief if left to my own devices. Sooooooooo.......I usually try to fill the void with creating new kitchen masterpieces (or disasters; it's usually a black & white affair, either things work great or they fall flatter than a poorly made Yorkshire Pudding!) or READING. I'm sure there will be more posting to come shortly about my culinary adventures; I've not done much blogging about my creations, but I've found blogging is a good distractor in keeping me out of trouble when I have a few minutes too many to spare. So stay tuned to see the outcomes of my baking and cooking (both good and bad!)

Now, onto the reading part of my time-consumption: on my recent hunting trip, I needed something to keep me entertained for the 18 hours of driving to get there and back. Instead of my usual podcast selections (which I ALSO had with me,) I decided to try out an audio book. I had it on good measure that "The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at all Costs," by Tyler Hamilton, was a great read (or listen, in this case.) It was quite the eye opener, it goes pretty into depth about doping in pro cycling. Fantastic. 

Unfortunately, I've finished with it, and need something else to 'get my read on!' So, if anyone can suggest some good reads, post them up! Doesn't have to be sport related, although it's never a bad thing ;-) For those who haven't read "The Secret Race," it's a great book, and I suggest it as an off-season read!

I recently saw an awesome bike video, looks like a fun way to ride. So I leave you with this:

Happy training everyone,

Nathan

Off-season Traditions

Everyone has traditions. Whether it's certain family get-togethers, summertime camping, or holiday activities, everyone has them. They bring with them a barrage of memories, mostly great ones, although not always!! I grew up in a hunting and fishing family. We used to go fishing, at the same place, at the same time, for 3 weeks, every summer (although my parents still do, I haven't been in a few years as it falls smack-dab in the middle of race season.) My first hunting trip with my dad was when I was 13; freshly started high-school, I was off for some great northern exploits with a rather large hunting group (consisting of a bunch of fire fighters, it managed to get damn rowdy at times; once the Appletons Estate Jamaican Rum came out at night, it was like a comedy show!) I've been hunting every fall with my dad (and now with my mum too,) and it seems to have become another tradition for me. I love everything about it: the little trail-mix baggies (homemade by mum of course, a big mix of whatever she deems good enough for us;) the fall colours on the trees after the first good overnight freeze; the evening hot-tub/bathing sessions (which include the rule that you can't get out until you've found a satellite in the evening sky, which isn't difficult when there's no light pollution to steal the show;) sitting around the wood burning stove dad made out of a propane cylinder (to heat our tent that we live in,) eating mum's great pre-made home cooked meals, sipping away at a cold beer (which may seem counter-intuitive up there in the cold, but is there EVER a time when a cold beer doesn't fit the bill?) When I start to think about this new(ish) tradition of mine, I can't help but think about all the finer details that make it so great! This year I brought up a box full of different single-serve craft brews to test out; I discovered a few beers that I like (but a whole bunch that I don't!!)

'Discovering' some new brews

It just so happens that the hunting season starts right at the end of race season, so it's a PERFECT time to escape from civilization (yes, I do mean that in every sense of the word; there isn't ANY reception anywhere even CLOSE to where we hunt, rendering our cell phones as nothing more than a flashy paper weight, to prevent our reading material from flying away,) and give myself the mental and physical break I need to recharge from a long season of training and racing. I'm almost 3 weeks into the 'off-season' break, and friday looks like it'll be the re-start of training! FINALLY!!! I tell you, going that long without training, I'm feeling pretty antsy and chomping at the bit. But it's a healthy (and necessary) break from the rigours of training. I feel my energy levels are ridiculous (even WITHOUT a sip of coffee, I always feel ready to go!) I'm able to run up a few flights of stairs without my legs screaming at me with fatigue. A few of the many signs I'm ready to start going again. It'll be back to the basics, building up slowly and steadily to make a solid foundation for 2013. 

It's time to 'Chop wood, carry water'; put in the hard work through the winter that'll payoff in the summer. 

'Chop wood' in the most literal sense of the word!!

As unsuccessful as out hunt was in filling the freezers, it was successful in the sense that it filled me to the brim with a new eagerness to start the long-haul to the 2013 season. It isn't going to be easy, but nothing worth it's weight in beans ever was! Should be a fun fall/winter, sounds like there might be some fun 'new' training adventures on the agenda!

Happy training!

Nathan

On the other side of the fence.....

Just over a week since my last race (LeadmanTri Epic 250,) the offseason is in full swing. Er, let me try that again: the offseason has come to a dead halt. Yes, that's right, there is pretty much NOTHING happening right now! For someone like me (for those of you who know me,) this seems like a most impossible of tasks; waking up everyday with no real schedule, outside of actually GETTING OUT of bed, and eating? As a typical type 'A,' you'd think "no way!" But it's true, I swear. Other than a few swims with Team Ossenbrink (which I relish, and count down the time 'till I'm there,) I'm just filling my time with ALL those things that just never seem to get done during the season (you know, the things that you need done but say " ah, I'll get around to it in the offseason!")

It's tough, but (surprise surprise) I'm actually enjoying it. It's giving me a physical (and mental) break, allowing me to recover in all aspects, and makes me eager to get back at it when I ramp it back up again. This is the first season I haven't raced until the end of October, and I think the early break will allow me to go into next season fresher and stronger, earlier. Some people might think taking a break is counter productive, but it's not. A lot of the worlds most elite follow a 'complete rest' cycle, here's a great read.

Lots of people ask me, "so, you're really not doing ANYTHING?!?"

Correct.

But I'm really not. I'm getting stuff done, and enjoying it as well! For instance, today was the inaugural Surrey International Music Marathon, with multiple bands playing along the course (my pipe and being one of them, at the 12.5km & 33km mark.,) and I was there bagpiping and cheering like mad! I tell you, it's amazing being in a race and having friends and strangers alike scream your name out and cheer you on; it's BLOODY fun to be part of the cheer section though!!! It was an absolute blast, and I encourage everyone to get out and cheer their friends and family members on, if they're going out to race! The best part was there were so many friends of mine racing:

- My New Balance Vancouver Teammate Drew Nicholson crushes the Marathon, with a PB setting 2:36 marathon;
- another New balance teammate, Chris Barth, held it together for a solid 2nd in the marathon;
- Nicole Kolstad (who is becoming quite the triathlete this year, new to biking and running,) ran her first ever and pulled in a 3:41 full marathon;
- Team Ossenbrink Teammate Andrew Powell pulled out a deadly half and made second overall;
- Jordan Back, Jenn Turner, Kevin Lunnie, the list of friends who had stellar races goes on and on!!! (jeez I hope I didn't forget anyone, my apologies if I did! Memory of a goldfish doesn't serve me well.)

Bam-Bam stick cheering!

It was great to be out there to support all my awesome friends, in a hometown race (one of the few in my hometown, and the only one in the district I grew up in, Whalley.) Loud bagpipes, and the even louder 'Bam-Bam' sticks (yellow sticks in the photo,) are the best ways to be heard! Glad I could share the amazing weather with everyone, and give some cheer back to those who always cheer for me.

Time to pack for the annual hunting trip with the folks, and fill the freezer with some more food! I'll be falling off the face of the earth for a while, but I'll be back soon enough, eager to get going!

I hope y'all are having a great fall, happy training everyone!!!

Nathan

An EPIC Quest for the the Big Buckle; LeadmanTri Race Report

A few days removed from the last triathlon of the season, I've had some time to not only delve into what I accomplished at the LeadmanTri EPIC 250 in Bend, OR this past saturday, but I've also reflected on what I've accomplished this season. Unfortunately (or, maybe fortunately?) for you, this is just the race report, so the 'Season Reflection' will have to wait ;-) Epic 250 was only the second long distance triathlon I've ever done, my first being Ironman Canada barely 4 weeks ago. To say I was recovered from Ironman Canada would be a lie, and I knew that EPIC was going to hurt. This is an account of how I entered the hurt locker, embraced the suck, and rode the pain train all the way to the finish line. Did I earn the coveted sub-9hr Big Buckle? Read on to find out.

Packed TIGHT in the 'FIT'

First and foremost, I HAVE to throw thanks out to LeadmanTri and their title sponsor/organizer Lifetime Fitness. Not only did they put on a world class event, but they picked an absolutely fabulous locale to host it. Bend, Oregon, is a place of beauty; surrounded by endless mountains, curving and winding FRESHLY PAVED roads (with enormous bike lanes to boot,) I would go there for a summer training camp without even a HINT of hesitation. With all the hype surrounding the race, I believed there would be thousands of competitors racing! Walking through the transitions, it was reminiscent of an enormous International race venue, put together with such professionalism. That was, until we realized there were only approximately 450 people registered for the 250/125 events COMBINED! LeadmanTri ensured ALL the athletes (whether Pro or amateur,) got quite the SWAG-bag (Stuff-We-All-Get, so you know the lingo) at package pick-up. More things than I've ever gotten at a race!

Some LONG HAUL snacks!

Filled with 'race fuel' and ready

My travel companion was none other than the feisty 'Tiger' Rachel McBride, my Teammate who was racing EPIC as her first race since March. There was a huge mix-up on the bike course, due to some poorly marked turns and last minute course changes, that caused Rachel and a portion of the race field to make a wrong turn, ending in a DQ. To find out more about Rachel's experience, check out her post HERE. We left EARLY thursday morning, with the hopes of making it to the Pro meeting that evening. Packed and rolling out just before dawn, we were outfitted with all the delicious snacks you could think of. The two days leading up to the race were fantastic, and although I was apprehensive about how fully recovered I was, I was excited for the last "Kick at the Can" of the season. Meeting all the Pro's that I've seen at the races all year was great, catching up and shooting-the-shit with them about what's been going on. I was stoked for race morning, and boy did it ever come early.......

High-fiving bikes, off to T1

Bus riding excitement!

The most exciting (in a nerve-racking way) event pre-race was definitely the bus ride from T2 to T1. It was a 60mile bus ride, and our slightly under-informed bus driver (God bless him for volunteering to be up around the same time most people go to BED on a saturday morning,) kept missing turns to the lake, causing a slight amount of panic. Inside, I wasn't too worried, as at least half the pro field and the head race officials were riding the same bus. They ended up starting the race 15mins later to give us more prep time. I wasn't complaining, it was DAMN cold!

The Swim:

Waiting for me in T1

Not having swam since wednesday, I was slightly nervous about how I would perform. But after a few strokes in the warm up, I was feeling perfect. The water was heralded as really cold pre-race, but after an initial cold forehead, I actually felt pretty comfortable. I snagged myself a good spot on the start line, near Olly Piggins; Olly and I had swam together during IMC, so I figured a great spot to be. The horn went off, and it was ON! I swam hard out, and found myself leading a few swimmers after the initial melee of flailing arms and kicking feet. I kept my spot until shortly after the turn around, when Olly (surprise surprise!) pulled in front of me, and I decided it would be a mighty fine place to cruise. We caught up to Thomas Gerlach and swam as a group to the finish. All I could think as I exited the water was how BLOODY cold it was!!!! Wetsuit stripped and running like I was on tacks, I made my way to the far end of T1 to my bike. Initially, I figured I was one of the last guys out of the water. WRONG!!!! Imagine my surprise when I came across the rack and saw Jordan Rapp's bike (along with MOST of the other bikes) still hanging there!! I couldn't bloody believe it!!! THe reason though, as I soon found out, was that they had gone into the heated change tent to damn-near put on FULL winter riding kit. Brilliant. Luck was on my side that I happened to have a few items there to put on, and as I struggled to get it all on, the other guys slowly streamed out onto the bike course. Finally geared up, I headed out for the longest ride I've ever managed (by FAR!)
The Bike:

It doesn't matter HOW you cut it; 223kms on a bike is DAMN far! There's no fooling yourself with this one, you have to be ready for the long haul. I froze my hands and feet off for the first 2 hours (making things difficult and painful,) but toughed it out. As I rolled through the first 30-40kms, I felt like mother nature was playing a practical joke on me: it was a BEAUTIFULLY clear morning, and the sun looked glorious. The evil joke, though, was that the sun JUST didn't quite make it past the top of the trees, condemning us to the frigid shade and an added level of suffering (especially for someone like me, who prefers the temperature closer to 35C!) The hardest part of the whole ride was to slowly see guys pass me, and I felt powerless to do anything about it (aside from potentially throwing a Powerbar into their spokes; would be effective to slow them down, but that's really not how I roll.)

The 'White Lightning' Race Rig!!!

**Biking is something I've learned just takes TIME; i.e. 'Time on the Bike' is what'll make you stronger. I, being just a wee young lad, haven't many years at all on a bike (about 5-6 years ago was the first time I ever placed my rather large, cushy tookus on a bike saddle.) As such, I have MANY MANY years of gains ahead of me. This is something I have to constantly remind myself of when things start to hurt and the 'Big Dogs' start to roll by me.**

The bike remained a rather uneventful event for me, aside from an exciting revelation; I figured out how to urinate off the bike WITHOUT GETTING IT ON MY LEG!!!!! Probably my proudest accomplishment of the day (naw, just kidding; second proudest,) it prevented my legs from freezing up in the icy cold morning. Warming up, I was able to focus more on the ride as the day went on. My nutrition on the bike went VERY well, something I'm very happy with. I had to adjust a few times, but that's what makes the long course racing so exciting, is overcoming obstacles and troubleshooting. Later in the bike I could feel the effects of IMC in my legs, as it was a physical grind the last few hours.  At the forefront of my mind were two targets:
- Go as hard as I can to try and get my BIG belt buckle (which felt like it was slowly slipping through my fingers, as the ride went on;)
- Ride 'Faster than Fatty;' a blogger named Fat Cyclist had put out a challenge, that anyone who could beat him in the bike leg (he was part of a Relay team,) would get themselves a 'Faster Than Fatty' T-Shirt. Check out more on his challenge at Fatcyclist.com.
Luckily for me, the last miles were all down-hill & tail-wind, which helped me FLY all the way to T2. I was feeling pretty crushed rolling in, but I knew my nutrition had been great, and the run is what I do better than the other two disciplines.

I had been worried about Rachel the whole ride, asking race officials whenever I could if they had seen her or where she was on course. My concern came from not seeing her during the initial out-and-back portion of the bike course, where I was SURE I would have seen her! I was shocked (but also relieved) to see my teammate in T2, standing there eating some grub. After a short conversation (while I did my thang in T2,) I discovered her predicament. I also learned I was WAY behind, so I headed out with haste to the run course.

The Run:
I started the run course, and the first thing to happen was I got a few whistles from some girls in a car. Being a dude, it seemed to add a bit of 'hop' in my step, straightened me up, and put an even bigger smile on my face (which was permanently pasted there all day.) Nothing like women to make a guy try a little harder; some sort of primitive response. The run course was beautiful, and it started to make my mind relax. When you're so far behind, with nobody close on the chase, it's hard to mentally push yourself to the limit. At only 22km, the run is short enough that you can really gut yourself. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the best mental spot the first 3-4miles, and was more or less in full-on 'cruise and enjoy yourself' mode. So I cruised and enjoyed myself. But then, the pivotal moment in my efforts came at the 4-5mile mark. I turned my garmin 605 watch over to the actual time-of-day, and realized that there was a chance (albeit slim) that I could potentially make it under 9 hours. I decided, right there and then, that I was going for it.

I committed. I started to do what I do best, and started to gut myself on the run. Hitting Coke, water, and my ELOAD Zone caps through all the aid stations, I was givin'er shit! Nearing the end of the run, I was absolutely putting everything I could into the run (as well as giving thanks to volunteers and "great job"s to the other athletes in the 125,) but looking at my watch, I thought I had missed the 9 hour mark (and subsequent GIANT belt buckle,) by 2mins. As I rounded the finish line chute (bridge over the Deschutes River,) I saw Teammate Rachel standing there, yelling out "GO GET THE BIG ONE NATHAN!!!!" Confused as all hell, my smile nearly exploded as I crested the top of the bridge and could see the finish line clock:

8:57

Hard-earned, but a perfect race medal

Yeah, holy shit is right! I blasted through the finish line, absolutely elated to have earned that coveted buckle! I enjoyed some post-race chatting with Steve Fleck (Steve used to work for Nineteen wetsuits, and was the one that set me up as one of their athletes,) Matt Lieto, Matt Sheeks, and of course Rachel McBride (who, as you can imagine, was just a few degrees above furious at her shortcomings.) I gyrated towards the Deschutes Brewery beer taps (naturally,) and enjoyed an absolutely smashing beverage! After some more slightly-slurred post-race chit-chat and socializing (ever had a beer after a 9hr race? Doesn't take much!) Rachel and I retreated to our hotel. We finished off the day by celebrating/sorrow-drowning with more beer, fabulous Mexican food, more beer, and a GIANT cup of frozen yogurt (self-serve is DANGEROUS!)

All-in-all, this was a perfect way to end the season. I was VERY proud of how well I swam, it seems to be improving a lot, putting me closer and closer to the front pack against the big dogs. My run was fantastic as well, I ended up running sub 1:30 for 22kms, with the 3rd fastest run split of the entire field. I am so fortunate to have such amazing support and such a great team to train with. Thanks to EVERYONE who helped me, without my team of support I'd not have made it to LeadmanTri and performed like I did. It's time to shut-it-down for a bit, recover and recharge my mental and physical fuel tanks, and in a few weeks I'll be starting up again to get stronger and faster for 2013. I have big hopes for next year, but more on that later!!

Thanks for reading (I hope you enjoyed,) it's been a phenomenal 2012 season. Happy training and racing for those of you still at it, I'll see you out there!!

Nathan

The 223km 'White Lightning' Rocketship

Two days ago was the inaugural LeadmanTri EPIC 250 in Bend, OR, and was it EVER a great experience! I had such a blast, and it was a great way to end the season. My valiant steed (affectionately named 'White Lighting,') got me from T1 to T2 as fast as I possibly could! Wondering what bits and pieces come together to assemble my rig? Well, watch my little video to find out!

ps. I know it might be tough to believe, but this vid had NO rehearsal, kind of a 'flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants' sorta thing. True story.

ENJOY!

pss. Thanks to Speed Theory Vancouver for the sexy rig, and setting me up with the TorHans Aero 30 bottle and other components; Björn Ossenbrink for hooking me up with the bloody brilliant Power2Max crank-based power meter; and the always generous Jared Chartrand for the wheel hookup! Last, and certainly not least, thanks Rachel McBride for the awesome camera-woman skills ;-)

LeadmanTri Epic 250 ROAD TRIP

ROAD TRIP!!!

Today was a pretty damn long day; starting BEFORE 6am (for those of you who aren't morning risers, it really DOES exist!) Rachel McBride met up at my place so we could make the journey down to the LeadmanTri race in Bend, Oregon. After last night's late-night scramble to get all my race gear together, as well as prep all the snacks for the trip (a guess that's an added 'benefit' of riding shotgun with me, you get in on some decent food that I've crafted,) the alarm clock came way too soon this morning. No matter, I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead. We managed to get through the trip unscathed (barely) albeit some rather fugly looking weather on the drive down (which, to our surprise, cleared up completely as we got close to Bend, and was replaced by a blazing sun and blue skies!) Rachel surprised me with a GIANT bag of trail mix (and how could I NOT be excited,) and a sushi-rice-salad that was out-of-this-WORLD! The best part of the drive was, as we concluded the salad needed some wasabi, was my mad dash-like sprint through a Fred Meyers looking for (and successfully finding, I might add) wasabi paste. Now, I know we have big stores around town, but the Fred Meyers was FREAKIN HUGE!!! I think it's fair enough to say I ran well over a kilometre to get through the store, and as such will be logging that as a a workout for the day (fair game, right?)

A few snacks to keep us happy!

The 9+hr excursion found us at the Tetherow Golf Club, the venue for the Pro Athlete briefing/press conference, and the VIP 'mingle session.' Really, it was a play-by-play of the race course (which was outstanding, as this is the inaugural Bend EPIC race, so not many people know the course,) followed by a few quick photos, proceeded by all the pros making a mad rush to the hors d'oeuvres table and the bar (yes, free beer!) Now, all this week I've been eating gluten free, a lifestyle that I usually live by, and I was pretty good and strayed away from the gluten at the mingler; I'm just hoping that Björn doesn't find out I was sampling the fine brews (made by the local Deschutes Brewery,) they had on tap. In all fairness though, they ARE serving it at the finish line, and of COURSE I had to test it to make sure destroying myself for 9hrs was going to be worth the finisher's beverage (oh, and the buckle too!) I've concluded that it is indeed worth every ounce of pain I'll endure. Plus, it's good carb-loading protocol (right?)

Sub-9hr finishers buckle, the grand daddy of them all!

It was great to meet up with some of the other pros, as I usually only see them AT the races, so catching up was great, especially Matt Sheeks (for those of you not in the know: Matt Sheeks and I ran probably about 3/4's of the marathon at Ironman Canada side-by-side.) Rachel and I had a great conversation with Olly Piggins, an amazing New Zealand athlete that has made the equally amazing city of Penticton, BC, his home. It was awesome to see Jordan Rapp out here, being not only a phenomenal athlete, but also a great ambassador for this sport. He's slated to be racing in Kona in October at the Ironman World Championships, so this must be a training day for him to prep for that. Anywho, it should be exciting to watch some of the big dogs duke it out on course (perhaps I'm lucky enough on saturday to mix it up with them!) For EPIC, they follow a similar tradition as the Leadville 100 Ultramarathon run, where finishing under certain time cutoffs gets you the sought-after 'buckle:' finish in under 11hrs, and you get the shiny silver buckle; finish under 9, and you get the big daddy of them all!!! I haven't seen them yet, but word on the street is they are HUGE; someone said it will take quite the amount of core strength to handle such a belt-loop loading.

After, we made a mad-dash through the local Whole Foods Market, which I probably made a lot more difficult and time consuming than it ought to have been:
"is this gluten free;"
"does this have dairy in it;'
"how long will this last;"
"is THIS cheaper by weight than THAT;"
"do I want low-fat or fat-free;"
"does this have too much fibre;"

I kid you not. That's only getting through the first two isles!!!! We made it out alive (and unlike some of my past exploits, before midnight,) but not before WFM managed to suck us dry of most of our precious savings (which seems to be standard issue!) See the video for explanation.

Post-Whole Paychec.....I mean, Whole Foods stop, we made our way to "home" for the next few days; an old little 'quaint' motel close to the race site, far from the conventional Best Western most are used to, but it was a great price (pretending we didn't spend all the hotel savings on our Whole Foods shop) and should keep us alive until at least sunday. Time to hit the hay, as tomorrow will be a LONG day of prepping for what will be an even LONGER day on saturday!

Out for now, happy training folks!

Nathan

Thanking a bunch & Ironman Canada Photos

I have to thank everyone who's instilled confidence in me for Ironman Canada, and especially all those who've supported me on any level, to any degree. Without the monster support from everyone, I wouldn't have been able to perform like I did on the day. 

Special thanks to my family, who've ALWAYS believed in me; to coach Björn and the rest of Team Ossenbrink, who've not only gotten me to the start & finish line stronger & faster, but have made it an absolute BLAST of a process; Eload for keeping me constantly fuelled and hydrated to my max; Nineteen for giving me the tools to swim fast; Jeremy and Speed Theory for keeping me riding and running smoothly all year, even through the tough times; New Balance Vancouver, you guys are the best!! Keeping my shoes fresh (I mean that in more than one degree haha!); Popeyes for keeping me supplied with everything I need to stay healthy; Compressport for keeping my recovery and performance optimal (maximum 'support' you could say!); Bajong Bar for keeping my supply of tasty snack bars ever refreshed; ECOS Coconut Water starts my day right, every day, and keeps my electrolytes and nutrients topped up; and Scott and Julie at Oomph! For making some phenomenal race suits!! 

I wanted to throw up some photos from the big day, as there were so many people out there shooting. Thanks a ton to Mark Bates of 321Photos, Jordan Bryden of Right Balance Photography, 'Cousin', and all the others who've sent me these amazing photos to post up.

I even made it into my local paper, check it out HERE.

ENJOY!!!

Here's the SHaw TV Okanagan Interview:

Interview with Steve Fleck. COOL!!!!

An idea of the magnitude of 2600 people starting together!

Splashedy-splash-splash, 5th out of the water!!

Starting out on the bike course

Probably one of my favourite shots by Mark Bates, this is well done!

Beautiful shot from 'Cousin' climbing Richter!

Yet more great shots from Mr. Bates, at the top of Richter

A little TdF-style 'crazy running fan' action at Yellow Lake

Finishing the bike, by Jordan Bryden

'Cousin' & Charlene, CHEER SQUAD!
They were EVERYWHERE during the race!

Running most of the marathon with Matt Sheeks. Pretty much a 'Running Party!'

Wicked shot by Bates, not far after the run turnaround

the last few km's.....

High Fives for anyone near the finish!

A proud moment: you can't see, but Charlene (my triathlon mentor, taught me most of what I know and got me started in triathlon,) is tearing up because she was so proud of me. It meant a lot to have her there cheering me on. Made the day that much more special!

A few videos from Kimberly Appleton, who was out on the run course to push us on: