As athletes, there is really no way of avoiding the aches and pains we feel after a tough workout or race.  Unfortunately, a fairly common practice is to pop a couple ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) before a race or particularly intense workout session to reduce muscle and joint soreness both during and […]

I just finish my first triathlon and I couldn’t have ask for a better way to start my journey into the sport. The weather, the venue, the race, the officials and the organizers were perfect.
Race: Belwood Try-A-Tri
Date: July 24, 2011 at 1:15pm
Organizer: TriSports Subaru Triathlon Series
Website: http://www.trisportcanada.com/home.php
Pre-Race
Let me start by saying that getting into a […]

Date:  July 16th, 2011
 
Race:   5 Peaks, Rattlesnake Point Sport Course.
 
Website:  www.5Peaks.com 
 
Last Saturday was my first “off road experience” in over 10 years and it did not disappoint.  I ran the “sport” course at the 5 Peaks Rattlesnake Point race.  I knew it was the most technical of their races so I was a bit […]

The obvious word to describe this race was - HOT.  The start time was 6:15PM and it was right on Lake Ontario at Charles Daley Park outside of St. Catharines.  All day I tried to convince myself that even though the heat was brutal at home, it would be much cooler at the race site […]

Race: 20 Valley 21k
Date: July 17, 2011
Location: Charles Daley Park, Lincoln (almost St. Catherines)
Result: 1:23:56, 5th overall, top male master (PB2010: 1:18:26)
Subaru Niagara Race Series: http://www.instride.ca
I am sure I am not the only person who feels it just might be better some days to pull the covers over our heads on race morning and forget […]

Now that we are basking in hot and humid summer temperatures, I figured this was a good time to recall the sometimes ridiculous winter conditions that GTA runners endured in our March races.
Chilly Half Marathon (Burlington)
Sun. March 3, 2011 @10am
Overcast -5 degrees celcius
The quest for a spring marathon often begins with a […]

Finally (I think) the summer is upon us.  We can now wear flip flops après run/race and not worry our feet will freeze.  Most flip flops are usually thin bases with hard plastic straps, not very comfy after a long run or ride.
Montrail’s Molokai/Mokolini is a flip flop that is considerably different.  […]

This morning’s ride ended pretty suddenly… About 20 km short of the intended finish, and as one could assume, equally far from home.
Luckily, I could make a phone call and arrange a ride (straight to work!)
As prepared as you can be with tools, air, spare tubes, patches and the like… there is always the possibility….
This […]

Race Preparation
I only officially signed up one week before race start.  It was my first adventure racing since the 2007 Keen Games.  The majority of my training consisted of road biking, a handful of road runs, and no paddling.  I spent the night before arranging the mountains of the gear, much of which I never […]

I’ve always been a bit of a gear freak, and I’m here to talk today about aerodynamic deep dish wheels and my experience with them. I first started using deep dish wheels in 2007, when a pair of used Spinergy 43mm deep wheels were given to me when I bought my Kuota Kharma road bike.
Here, […]

Mizuno Wave Ronin 3 vs Musha 3
Track test: June 16, 2011
Arnold, our sales rep at Mizuno, just can’t treat the folks at Ajax Running Free any better. He showed up a couple Tuesdays ago at the store, and after we returned from our tempo session handed out freebees to many in attendance. Arnold knows something […]

Race:  Welland Half Iron Swim/Bike
Date:  Sunday June 26, 2011
Description:  2 km swim, 90 km bike
Website: www.msctriathlon.com
This was my first Swim/Bike race and it sure is a great alternative for those heading into an Iron distance race, or for those with injuries or other issues that are unable to complete the run or just don’t feel […]