Mercury Rising Triathlon

Triathlete Training Tip: You have to love training

2012-02-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

Bob Palmer, founder and high performance trainer of SportExcel, personally answers a question posed by one of our own MRT athletes...

Bob Palmer has created a highly successful (non-psychology) system for high performance that has been embraced by athletes and coaches around the world. A former competitive athlete, national champion and coach himself, Bob combined his successful sports background with his professional training in education and human ecology to create a unique, repeatable formula for high performance

His clients include triathletes, ironman competitors, snowboarders, surfers, hockey players and golfers. They have successfully used his system to medal in numerous competitions including the Pan Am, Commonwealth, Olympic, and X Games.

Website: www.sportexcel.ca
Toll-free: 1-877-967-5747
Skype: sportexcel
Email: bpalmer@sportexcel.ca

Bob is also the mental coach for pro triathlete (and MRT's very own!) Sara Gross.

THANK YOU Bob and SportExcel!!!!!

Why Do My Knees Crackle?

2012-01-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

Scott Sherman from Panther Sports Medicine answers this question...

Typically, most individuals knees begin to make some noises at some point in their lives. Truth is that most of our bodies tissues are made up of fluid and water. This is particularly so of cartilage that covers the ends of the articulating surfaces of bones that make up our joints. When cartilage begins to lose its water content, it dries out somewhat and becomes less flexible and smooth. With movement occurring over the drier less smooth surface, noises begin to emerge.

In the case of the knees, it is usually the patello-femoral joints that are responsible for all the cracking and popping. In some who develop significant osteoarthritis, we may also begin to notice similar sounds arising from the main knee joint -- the tibiofemoral joint. Medically, these noises are referred to as "crepitus." Many people have crepitus all their lives without any other adverse symptoms, whereas in others, it may be the first sign of degenerative changes.

Supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, keratin, are hydrophilic compounds naturally found in our cartilage and soft tissues. Hydrophilic means they attract and bind water molecules to keep our soft tissues supple and functioning properly. Taking these orally is theorized to improve the water retention ability of our joint cartilage and thus improve the longevity of our joints and potentially stave off arthritis.

Clinically, the jury is still out on whether these compounds taken orally actually make their way to the affected joints. Some of these molecules are too large to pass through the wall of the gut and are therefore, never even absorbed. My advice to patients is to go ahead and try them for a 3 month period and then see what changes.

Crepitus in knees particularly can also be the result of a flexibility or strength imbalance in the lower extremity. Most of us have heard of the IT band? The iliotibial Band (IT) is a very large, strong, sinewy tendon running along the outside of our thigh terminating at an attachment side on the upper end of the tibia. It is the main attachment for our gluteal musculature and has contributing attachments from the quads and to the patella (knee cap).

If any of the muscles attaching onto the IT band get too tight, this can result in the patella being pulled more laterally resulting in crepitus at this joint. The gluteals often become hypertonic (tight) as a result of lumbar spine dysfunction even though there may not be any overt signs or symptoms here.

Finally, crepitus at the knees often results from sub-optimal foot mechanics. If the foot overpronates (pes planus) or is too rigid (pes cavus), then this can also affect the rotation of the whole lower limb with weight-bearing activities. This alteration can then influence how the patella moves and crepitus is often a sign.

Have a question you'd like answered by Scott? Post it here!

Sponsor Spotlight -- Maryna Massage

2012-01-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

As athletes, training consists of increasing loads of physical exertion and adaptation to these loads, with the happy result of achieving new levels of fitness. Of course, this all depends on the athlete remaining injury-free...

Think about your training schedule and what your body undergoes on a week-by-week, month-by-month basis: You are not only using your muscles; your bones, ligaments, and tendons are also involved. Constant physical training takes a toll on soft tissues, and if you neglect (like many of us have experienced) a self-care routine, this toll can lead to an injury.

What am I trying to say here?

Regular massage can actually decrease your chances for injury as well as speed up recovery.

Yes, you read that right.

How? Read on...

Some common injuries are strains and sprains, muscle fatigue and tenderness, trigger points and overly tight (hypertonic) muscles.

Strain = When you inure a tendon
Sprain = A ligament injury
Deep massage can alleviate the pain of micro tears caused by heavy exercise. Maryna from Maryna Massage often sees triathletes with bicipital tendon injuries (from swimming) and ankle ligament injuries. Left untreated, bicipital tendonitis can lead to a permanent tear (OUCH) and weak ligaments in the ankles can lead to an ankle sprain (another OUCH). Then, the athlete is faced with a lengthy recovery time and physiotherapy. Massage can nip this kind of thing in the bud.

Muscle fatigue and tenderness = Tight tissue constricts blood flow (and oxygen) to muscles
Massage loosens the muscles and breaks up the connective tissues surrounding them. Your circulation system resumes its course bringing fresh blood flow and oxygen to the muscles.

Muscle tenderness = Micro tears in the muscle belly and/or post activity lactic acid build up
Massage promotes a resting state for muscles, giving them time to repair and remove chemicals like lactic acid. It can also help elongate and straighten muscle fibres in the right direction.

Trigger Points = Muscle spasms on a cellular level
If you are overusing a muscle and over-stimulating the nerve that innervates it, or perhaps the muscle isn't receiving the appropriate nutrition (potassium etc), you may experience a muscle cramp/spasm. Trigger points are similar to to muscle spasms; however a spasm happens on a cellular level. Decreased circulation, insufficient hydration, stress, injury, body misalignment, lack of sleep, exercise, and tension can all lead to trigger points. Massage lengthens the muscle tissue, soothes the nervous system, and brings fresh blood full of nutrition to the area.

Hypertonicity = The muscle is contracted and does not fully relax
Every athlete can relate to this one! When you are muscle-building, hypertonicity can be a great thing. Other times, it is a side effect of training and actually slows down an athlete's training progress.

This was a key lesson I learned from Maryna. Think of your muscle as a tight fist. If you keep working a muscle with a limited range of mobility, the chances of injuring that muscle increases. If the muscle is relaxed -- think of an open hand -- you can work that muscle the way it was meant to be worked.

This leads to the notion of massage as a recovery tool and two common massage myths:

Myth #1: Massage is a luxury, why pay more when Advil does the trick?

WRONG.

I admit, I was guilty of this mindset. No one had ever explained to me how and why massage was an integral part of proper recovery, as opposed to my interpretation of recovery as lying on the couch and watching TV. (Think of the closed fist analogy above.)

My first visit with Maryna was a real eye-opener. I honestly believed that training with chronic sore muscles was par for the course. As the weeks would go by, my back for example, would get tighter and tighter. Usually when it reached the point where I could hardly bend over to put on a sock, I'd know that a rest day was near. I was in disbelief after my session with Maryna, my pain was gone, my muscles were relaxed and I could bend over. I'm a convert.

For triathletes, Maryna suggests a regular massage regime of at least once a month. Maryna's rule of thumb is, "Come when you are sore!" This is the time when you want to get a massage to aid in recovery.

Myth #2: Massage is just a relaxing, fluffy, rub-a-dub -- its only real benefit is calming the mind.

WRONG.

Again, I was guilty of this. A good athletic massage is very different from a relaxation massage and will be felt the next day. (Think of it as a 3 out of 10 on a pain scale. You feel it, but you should not be DYING from it.)

Athletic massage focuses on deeper tissue work -- getting into each muscle and working it until it becomes its normal length, decreases in tightness, and is trigger point free. Passive stretching of the muscles is often incorporated into the treatment, but the patient always remains lying down and relaxed.

Massage does not always have to be painful, but some tenderness should be expected afterward. This slight tenderness is an indication that the muscles have been worked on, lengthened, and are going into recovery-mode. Your muscles are now healing and getting the nutrition and healthy cell recovery they need. The soreness also serves as a reminder not to overuse the muscle too quickly.

So....is massage something you should do?

The questions you need to ask yourself are:

Do you want to be a better swimmer, cyclist, runner?

Do you want to be faster? Stronger?

Do you want to recover more quickly so that you can jump back on the bike and keep training?

Do you NOT want to be sore all day long after your training sessions?

Maryna's clinic focuses on getting you to answer YES to all these questions. Every treatment is tailored to the individual athlete taking into consideration the time spent massaging an area, specific stretching, which techniques will be used, and the amount of pressure applied. Maryna has a 100% focus on her clients -- no one ever leaves an appointment with an unaddressed issue.

The massage session doesn't end at her clinic. Maryna gives you home-care maintenance recommendations like a personalized stretching routine.

To book an appointment, call Maryna at -- 403-604-6339 or email her at info@marynamassage.com. Maryna Massage is located at 9624 Academy Drive Southeast Calgary -- near Southland Drive and Blackfoot Trail in the Acadia community.

Check out her website: www.marynamassage.com. To ensure a preferred date and time, call a week in advance. If your schedule has a bit more flexibility, call anytime! Maryna Massage is open from 9:00am - 9:00pm Monday to Friday.

Breakthrough swim workout alert!

2012-01-17T05:00:00.001-08:00

A big congratulations to MRT athlete, Sarah Miller on swimming her first 1:30/100m!!

Doing The Double

2012-01-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

For many iron-distance triathletes, the transition from finisher to competitor is often years in the making. Training, recovery, tapering, racing. Lather, rinse, repeat. But every once in awhile something challenges the way we view our sport in terms of recovery and performance. Outside of the box kind of stuff -- like racing two Ironman races only 1 week apart for example.

In November 2011, professional triathlete Sara Gross (http://www.saragross.ca/ and http://www.saragross.blogspot.com/) did just this. (Keep in mind that Sara gave birth to her daughter Rosalee last year. So, not only did Sara train to regain the fitness required to compete at an elite level, she did so with all the challenges of being a new Mom!) On November 20, 2011, Sara competed at Ironman Arizona. One week later she raced Ironman Cozumel.

The following is an interview I had with Sara about her successful execution of the Ironman Double:

1. How did you feel after IMAZ? In other words, do you feel as crappy as the rest of mortals after an IM race?

How I was going to feel during the week between races was actually one of my main concerns going in. After Ironman Canada this year, I felt terrible for more than a week, so I worried this would happen again. Before deciding to do the double, I talked to Chris McDonald (and wife Marilyn) to pick his brain and get the low-down on doing the double. (Chris was very successful at it and actually won the second race, Ironman Wisconsin 2008, ed.) He told me that recovering from the first race is all about what you do (or don't do) during the first 72 hours after the race. This includes getting hydrated, massage, using compression, recovery food, and the little bit of exercise that you do to keep things firing. To answer your question, I felt great after IMAZ. A lot better than after most IM races, and I contribute that to being more diligent with my recovery. I was also in a very positive frame of mind, which always helps.

Sara blasting out a 3:07 at Ironman Arizona 2011

2. Why did you decide to do another IM only 7 days after IMAZ? Have you ever done this before?

I have never done back-to-back Ironman races before but I did race two long-course distances (4k-120k-30k) 8 days apart in 2005. I finished 2nd at the first race in Gerardmer, France and won the second race in Sweden 8 days later. So, I had a good feeling about racing back to back. I am not sure exactly what made me decide to do both this time. I was signed up for both races and was having trouble deciding which race to do. Arizona is always very competitive and I really love racing against a tough field. That always motivates me, though it isn't a wise choice if you are after Kona points! Once the idea of doing both popped into my head I just couldn't shake it. I was worried that Clint (my husband and coach) wouldn't go for it, but he got completely behind me. I guess the short answer is; because I wanted to. It really is as simple as that. I thought I was fit enough to pull it off and it was a challenge that excited me.

3. In terms of recovery after an IM, what did you do differently, if anything, to prepare for IMCoz?

The differences in what I did after IMAZ compared to what I normally do after an IM were subtle. It was more a mindset that kept me focused after the race. I did everything a little bit more quickly and efficiently. I ate the post-race pizza immediately even though I wasn't hungry. I went to the massage tent right away instead of hanging around and chatting with my friends. It was mostly little things like that. I had my Zoot compression socks ready to put on in the car on the way home. I ate lots of protein. I went to bed and actually slept for 8 or 9 hours. I stretched the next day. I had multiple massages. I walked around and didn't allow my muscles to seize up.

Post-race pizza-eating recovery

4. Racing 2 IMs only a week apart goes against the widely held notion of training, tapering, racing and recovering. Do you think you were fully recovered for IM Cozumel?

Lol! Well, you only have to look at my bike time to see that I was not fully recovered! I was however, recovered enough to finish in 6th place, so I consider it to be a success. So many things can go wrong in an event that takes all day that a little fatigue was not a great concern for me on race day. You know, this little experiment has really challenged the way I see myself and our sport. My performance at IM Cozumel was pretty much exactly what I would expect it to be if I were to do a full Ironman in the middle of a big training block (ie, with no taper). Its amazing how it panned out in such a predictable way. And, the fact that I wasn't fully recovered sort of makes me want to try it again. The whole challenge of racing back-to-back Ironmans is about how well you can recover in 7 days. I think I could do better. I could use my compression clothing from Zoot more effectively or try to get my hands on some of those compression boots that people are using. My daughter really kept me on my toes in the week between the races, so I would recruit more people to help out with that. There are a few bits and pieces that I would change.

On the bike in Cozumel.

5. Did you do any "training" in the week between the two races?

Based on advice from Chris, I kept moving in the days after the race and also listened to my body. The morning after IMAZ I rode my bike for 30mins. On Tuesday I did an 800m swim and a short water run and on Wednesday I did a 1200m swim and was able to do some short surges of 15m or so. I also did a fair bit of walking (with my daughter in the stroller). If I did this again, it might be entirely different, but this was the right amount for me that week. My legs and energy levels started to come around on Thursday and from there on I proceeded with my normal taper week. I ended up taking Friday off and did the "biggest" day of the week on Saturday with a 20min swim, 1h bike and 20min run. My total volume for the week between the races was 4h30mins.

6. How much food did you eat after IMAZ? Did you eat even more (the day after and the days following) after IM Coz?

Lol!! Yes, Julie, if you do 2 Ironmans in a row, you can eat as many bananas and sweet potatoes as you like!! Seriously, one of the things I was thankful for was that I had a good appetite the night after IMAZ. I often feel too sick to eat after an IM. Clint took me to Chipotle after the race for a giant burrito. During the week after Ironman, I normally eat whatever I want. And I did that this time as well, but I also made sure I was eating enough protein for my muscles to recover. I thought that I would be painfully hungry for weeks after the second race, but shockingly, I just had a "normal" post-race appetite after Cozumel. Actually this applies to how I felt after IMCoz in general. It really felt like I had just done 1 race. I had been warned that I may feel a lot of systemic fatigue in the weeks after the second race, but its been weeks now and I feel great! I am very happy about that.

7. How on earth did you run a 3:07, and then a 3:18 in an IM only 7 days apart? WOW!

Ok. You always have to see things like this in relation to how fit you are and what you are capable of. So, in Arizona I ran 3.07 and had a couple of minutes of walking break in there. In Cozumel, I had a low patch that lasted 4-5hours smack in the middle of the race, so I was running slowly at the beginning and built into it until I was running at a more suitable pace. The same would apply to the difference in my bike times when compared with my ability, the conditions etc.

Gutting it out on the run at Ironman Cozumel 2011

8. Did the new Hawaii qualification system effect your decision to race back-to-back? Will we see more of these double IM races in the future?

To be honest, the points system was a factor, but not the main reason I decided to try the double. If I had done only Cozumel, I would have likely had a faster day, got decent points from that race and made more prize money. For me, it was mostly about the challenge of it. I love Ironman and just really liked the idea of the double. I don't know if we will see more o fit in the future as many people worry (and rightly so!) that they would not recover in time for the second race. Though I did feel that by playing my cards right it was easier than I thought it would be. I was excited about it and had fun executing it. The race in Cozumel just felt like a celebration to me. It was the right thing to do.

9. Anything else you would like to say?

First of all, thanks for the questions Julie! At the risk of sounding a little cheesy, doing back-to-back Ironman races has had a subtle effect on my worldview. It has reinforced the idea that we really can do anything we set our minds to. Once I got my mind linked to the idea of doing the double, it was easy to just follow the path and get the job done. It stretched me as a person and as an athlete. It has had a positive effect on how I feel about my future and on the attitude I bring to my coaching as well. All in all, it was a great experience.

More Running Drills

2011-12-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

Check out the following link for some more great running drills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcH97Dx8VCk&feature=share

Sponsor Spotlight -- TCR Sport Lab

2011-12-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

TCR Sport Lab (www.tcrsportlab.com) utilizes the power of science to help you achieve your athletic goals. Professional bike fitting, run gait analysis and V02 testing for the bike and the run are a few of the services they offer.

You train hard, juggling work schedules and family priorities -- getting up early to swim, packing extra food, and getting in lunch-time runs. You make dietary changes, attend camps, and get your swim stroke analyzed. What is the point of all this training when your bike is ill-fitting? Approximately 25% of competitors in an iron-distance event are in an uncomfortable bike position, and because of that discomfort, end up sitting upright, negating any aerodynamic advantages their tri bike offers.

All of the professional bike fitters at TCR Sport Lab have Masters in Kinesiology -- put their extensive knowledge database and experience to work for you!

Bring in your bike for a professional bike fitting on their Dynamic Fitting Unit (DFU) machine. The DFU is a wholly customisable bike fitting machine. The athlete climbs on board and step-by-step, slight adjustments are made to seat height, handlebar height, and so on. As each adjustment is made, the athlete performs a spin test to gauge power output as well as physical comfort level in each position. Armed with this comprehensive feedback, the professional bike fitters at TCR determine your optimum bike position and then transfer these measurements to your current bike.

Getting the fit dialed in on the DFU.

But, what if you are in the market for a new bike? The same measurements that were taken on the DFU machine can be dialed in to your own customised tri bike...at a similar cost to standard tri bikes (prices ranges from $3000 - $7000). Guru is a "100% made in Canada" company that does custom bikes, but they also carry stock size bikes.

Depending on your unique bike position measurements, you may fit on a stock size bike...but have no fear about a custom-sized Guru! Custom frames generally run around $200 more than stock sizes. As an added perk, Guru bike colours are wholly customisable. You, the customer get to pick out any colour combination you want and truly personalize your ride.

A custom Guru Tri 901 frame in the works.

Run Gait Analysis

How do you know if you need a run gait analysis? If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then learning to run more efficiently might be the solution:

Do you keep getting the same running injury over and over again?

Do you find you just can't get any faster?

Do you "not like running?"

After you are observed running on a treadmill from various angles, you will receive expert guidance as to the changes you can implement in order to fine-tune your running form.

Run gait analysis

Bike and Run V02 Tests

Find out your precise thresholds (zones) to maximize your training. TCR will supply this info to the athlete with recommendations.

TCR Sport Lab

www.tcrsportlab.com

200 - 1414 Kensington Rd NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3P9
Phone: 403-270-9453
Toll-free: 1-877-970-9453
Fax: 403-270-9473

She Did it!!!

2011-11-30T08:31:00.001-08:00

Sara not only completed Ironman Cozumel -- she rocked the course and placed 6th overall female!

To recap...

MRT professional triathlete Sara Gross raced TWO Ironman races a mere 7 days apart and placed in the top ten at both of them!

Ironman Arizona: 8th Female Pro
Ironman Cozumel: 6th Female Pro

Looking at her splits, it's hard not to be awe-struck...

IMAz: 9:18:03
Swim: 54:09
Bike: 5:11:34
Run: 3:07:52

IMCoz: 9:56:29
Swim: 54:44
Bike: 5:38:29
Run: 3:18:18

The run splits alone are a testament to her high level of fitness...can you imagine clocking stand-alone marathon times that good a week apart? And one year after giving birth!

We are all excited with Sara's results!!

Next up, will be Sara's race report and her thoughts on "doing the double."

Congratulations Sara!!

Sara Gross goes for the Ironman Double!

2011-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Last week, Mercury Rising Triathlon head coach and professional triathlete, Sara Gross raced Ironman Arizona and rocketed to an impressive 8th place finish in a deep women's field that saw two women dip under the 9 hour mark.

Sara's splits were:

Swim: 54:09
Bike: 5:11:34
Run: 3:07:52

Even more impressive is that Sara had the THIRD FASTEST marathon split out of the entire pro women field. The only two women who ran faster, were the two women who went under 9 hours...

Not too bad for a gal who gave birth a year ago, eh?

She makes it look so easy -- this is what a 3:07 IM run looks like.

And now, 7 days later, Sara has decided to take on the additional challenge of racing another Ironman race -- in Cozumel, Mexico.

That's right -- she is going for some IM double trouble action!

Check out www.ironman.com tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011) to track and virtually cheer for Sara as she goes for it again!!

Go Sara go!!!!

100 x 100ms....

2011-11-17T05:48:00.000-08:00

Where?

When?

WHY?

Coming soon to a Calgary pool near you...(word has it, next week) A group of nut-minded swimmers and triathletes take on the challenge of swimming 100 x 100ms. Why are they doing this? Because they can!

For your reading pleasure, here is an account of last year's epic session seen through the eyes of a 14 year old girl, Niki Carrasco (niece to MRT athlete Tessa P.):

So, whats the result of nine brave swimmers? Sore butts, puffy hands, rubber ducky families and hot goggle dents on your face would be the answer. When there are groggy and apprehensive people put together about to swim 10km there are bound to be some jitters. The best way to cure these nerves, other than telling them they don’t have to swim anymore, would be pancakes and fruit kabobs! And that’s just what was presented to the eight companions- Keith Cartmell, Lisa Walsh, Kari Strutt, Mary Jessey, Leanne Sherman, Lisa Isley, Kendall Pritchard and Maria Susnjar!

I was sitting poolside with nothing to do for a few hours. Looking back at it now though, I see how difficult it must have been. I mean, if I was asked to swim even 1km I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it. Okay, I wouldn’t have even been able to keep myself afloat, but that doesn’t matter. Everyone had a strong mind set and didn’t give up. I was originally at Talisman to be a live lap counter. And that’s what I did. For - I would say - 2.5 hrs. Leanne was lucky enough to have her water MP3 with her to keep her company underwater. I did have some fun counting laps for Mary, and it also kept me awake. For all the swimmers at the meet it was smooth sailing- or swimming?

I have no idea why someone would VOLUNTEER themselves to go through what I witnessed on Friday, but... I don’t know. Why would someone do that?! Okay, fine! It’s actually really great to get that training and discipline into your system. And personally, I would do it just to sweat - sweating is fantastic for your skin! Although, do you sweat when you're underwater, you're already wet..? Any how it was fun to get out and see everyone at the meet and to be honest I wouldn’t have done anything in the time I was at the pool anyways! Mary and Kari, the full 10km finishers now have something special to remember that day (and me!). The two got little rubber ducky families. Yes, families. Dare I say, to have a celebratory swim with? Nahh, I don’t think anyone will be submersing themselves in water for a while - especially after Friday.

Now, if given the chance to go to another 10km swim meet, would I go? Sorry, no thanks...

New Sponsor -- Tri It Multisport!

2011-11-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

We would like to welcome Tri It Multisport as our newest sponsor!

Check them out at their Calgary, AB location:

2640 Parkdale Boulevard NW
Calgary, AB
T2N 3S6
(403) 270-7776

Swim Camp: Jan. 6-8, 2012 Calgary, Alberta

2011-11-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

Mercury Rising Triathlon has assembled a team of highly qualified professionals including photographer, physiotherapist, massage, and coaches for the weekend of January 6 -8, 2012!!!

For who: Everyone! Everyone can benefit from this camp: Athletes who trained 2 hours a day as swim club kids as well as those of us who learned to swim as adults -- there is literally something for everyone at this camp.

Cost: $400

Why YOU should attend: This is an intensive swim-focus camp. You get one-on-one personal feedback from our three head coaches. Our coaches patrol the deck, and will give you specific drills to work on. The most exciting part of this camp is the detailed video recording of your swim stroke. Shot from various angles, the coaches study and break apart every aspect of your swim stroke and give you detailed feedback in the form of specific drills, stretches, concepts to think about, so you can improve your swim stroke.

Our Head Coaches:

Sara Gross (Professional Triathlete): Professional Ironman triathlete and former European Champion, Sara has a record of taking athletes beyond their expectations. An admitted non-swim-club-kid swimmer, Sara now consistently swims 53-55 minute Ironman distance swims. She explains and demonstrates swimming concepts in a way that is easily grasped and understood.

Clint Lien (coaching credentials include an Ironman Champion): Clint is THE uber-swim coach-guru-extraordinaire. Based out of Victoria, you can find him on deck coaching athletes of all swimming ability: both professional and age-group triathletes. Calling himself a “student of the sport [of triathlon]”, Coach Clint brings more than 27 years of experience with him. This is one guy who WILL help you with your swimming!

Carrie Matsumoto (dolphin trainer) – Yes, she really is a dolphin trainer. She, too, has extensive experience coaching all levels of swimmers – from beginner to advanced. Carrie’s swim instruction/advice has finesse – her strengths include explaining the nuts and bolts of your individual swim stroke while providing valuable advice as to what changes you can implement to start improving your swim stroke immediately.

Even More:

Maryna from Maryna Massage will be present on Saturday, January 7 to provide complimentary massages for camp attendees.

Scott from Panther Sports Medicine is back again this year, to answer, assess, and talk about anything and everything physiotherapy. Attendees from last year’s swim camp can attest to his impressive ability to assess and recommend specific treatment protocols for the individual athlete.

Kaz from Kaz Matsumoto Photography is also back again with his mad camera skills – catching all the action for attendees!

January Jump Start Swim Camp 2012

Fri Jan 6 @ 7:00pm - Sun Jan 8 @ 1:00pm

S.A.I.T. Aquatics Centre Calgary, AB

Tentative Schedule:

Friday January 6:

7:00pm Welcome & Introductions on deck
7:30pm – 9:30pm Swim Session #1; including individual underwater video recording

Saturday January 7:

9:30am– 12:30pm Classroom Session #1; including video analysis, coffee and snacks
2:00pm – 4:00pm Classroom Session #2; including injury prevention Q & A with our sponsor, Scott Sherman Panther Physiotherapy Trico Centre.
4:00pm – 7:00pm Swim Session #2; including individual feedback

Sunday January 8:

10:30am – 1:00pm Swim Session #3; including individual feedback

On Sat Jan 7 our sponsor Maryna Massage will be at the camp and offering a limited number of short massages, from 8:00am – 9:30am & 12:30pm-2:00pm.

Coaches: Sara Gross, Clint Lien and Carrie Matsumoto

Cost: $400 (includes 7.5 hours pool time, coffee, snacks, video recording and analysis, massage, photographs, injury prevention Q & A and individual stroke feedback)

Location: S.A.I.T. Aquatics Center, Calgary AB

Registration: Please download registration form under CAMPS tab on www.mercuryrisingtriathlon.com and submit to info@mercuryrisingtriathlon.com. Questions and payment arrangements can be made to coachcarrie@ymail.com.

Sponsor Spotlight -- Panther Sports Medicine

2011-11-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Why train in pain?

Panther Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centres (http://panthersportsmedicine.com/) is a physical therapist owned and operated rehabilitation company. They are a network of 6 rehabilitation centres located throughout the city of Calgary that offer a wide range of programs and specialized services to help their patients restore and maximize their physical capabilities.

Along with their emphasis on orthopaedic, sports, and work related rehabilitation, they also offer specialized services including spinal rehabilitation, vestibular therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, intra muscular stimulation (IMS) cranio-sacral therapy, orthotics, and custom braces.

Their team of highly trained professionals and dedicated support staff are committed to providing clinical excellence and exceptional customer service. Patients receive individualized rehabilitation with innovative, effective treatment techniques.

This past year, Panther Sports Medicine helped out a number of our athletes -- their physiotherapists taught us how to tape our feet and avoid future injury with a personalized stretching/strengthening regime. They also played an important role in getting 4 of our athletes to the Ironman World Championships in Kona healthy and ready to race!

Panther Sports Medicine physiotherapists are meticulous and thorough -- they take into account the specific training an athlete dose and the bio-mechanical demands on his/her body. For example, an Olympic/Sprint distance triathlete has different training and loading than a half-iron or full-iron distance athlete. And a hockey player has decidedly different training demands than a basketball player.

In any sport, the body naturally adapts to training loads and grows stronger. But sometimes, despite sufficient recovery and adequate nutrition, an athlete will still experience pain or suffer an injury. This can be incredibly frustrating for the athlete who is doing every "right" but is still suffering.

Most injuries have their roots in the spine, and the spine is like the control centre of the body -- even a small problem can be traced back there. Like the CPU of your computer, if it is busted, the physiotherapists at Panther Sports Medicine can take you apart and find out what is broken.

Take the leap to good health!

Visualization

2011-10-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

Interesting article that all MRT athletes can benefit from:

http://bmw4us.org/2011/10/30/seeitbeforeyouseizeit/#.Tq2vVLL9gSZ

Thanks to MRT coach Rachel Kiers for submitting this link!!

MRT Swim Camp 2012

2011-10-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE!!

January 6 - 8, 2012 at SAIT Aquatics Centre in Calgary, Mercury Rising Triathlon will be hosting their January Jump Start Swim Camp again!

This year will have many of the same perks as last year, plus even more pool time!!

Details to follow. We hope you can be there!!!

Kona 2011

2011-10-14T06:30:00.001-07:00

So... how did they do?

I am pleased to report that MRT athletes had an amazing day out there in the lava fields!

For those of us who were not glued to the computer constantly checking on our athletes (or lucky enough to be in the Kona sunshine spectating first-hand)...these are their stats:

Miranda Alldritt (#130) - Swim: 1:16:48, Bike: 5:41:52, Run: 3:35:53, Overall: 10:38:49

Lorraine Churchill (#1170) - Swim: 1:12:00, Bike: 6:28:44, Run: 4:07:10, Overall: 11:59:00

Jennifer Mansell (#1479) - Swim: 1:20:45, Bike: 5:36:18, Run: 3:49:30, Overall: 10:55:22

Michelle Barnes (nee Milot) (#1699) - Swim: 1:06:40, Bike: 5:39:57, Run: 3:34:31, Overall: 10:28:03

Kim Hager (#1168) - Swim: 1:20:01, Bike: 6:50:49, Run: 4:17:59, Overall: 12:45:04

Meg Gillmer (#1873) - Swim: 1:14:01, Bike: 6:49:56, Run: 5:11:02, Overall: 13:26:01

Congratulations athletes! What an experience!

Mercury Rising Triathlon's Sponsor Shout Out

2011-10-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Mercury Rising Triathlon is thrilled to announce our current list of sponsors:

Panther Sports Medicine: http://www.panthersportsmedicine.com/

With 6 locations in Calgary, Panther’s physiotherapists are well-acquainted with the demands that athletes put on their bodies, and can assess, diagnose and treat injuries to get you back doing the sports you love.

Kaz Matsumoto Photography: http://www.kazmatsumoto.com/

Kaz is an artist with the stamina of an Ironman athlete, capturing MRT athletes in action at races and training camps.

TCR Sport Lab: http://tcrsportlab.com/

Put the power of science at your disposal! TCR offers professional bike fitting, V02 testing for biking and running, run gait analysis and more.

SportExcel: http://www.sportexcel.ca/

As athletes we spend so much time training our body and little on the mental side of things. SportExcel can teach you how to rewire your brain and truly maximize your athletic potential.

Maryna Massage: http://www.marynamassage.com/

Ahhh massage. Need I say more? Massage therapy enhances recovery ability and performance in most physical activities, while increasing circulation of blood and promoting an overall sense of well-being.

Mercury Rising Triathlon Goes to Kona!

2011-09-27T05:52:00.001-07:00

On October 8, 2011 fire up your computers and head over to www.ironman.com. In the centre of the screen, you will see a pink box with links to get race updates and track athletes...

Here are the names and race numbers of the 3 MRT athletes (and 1 MRT coach) that will be competing in Kona:

#130 - Miranda Alldritt

Miranda is a professional triathlete and a spitfire...she competed in Ironman race after Ironman race this year to qualify for Kona.

#1170 - Lorraine Churchill

Speaking of spitfires, Ironman Canada was Lorraine's first Ironman ever -- she not only finished, she qualified for Kona!

#1479 - Jennifer Mansell

Yoga guru extraordinaire, Jen has had a very strong season this year!

And let me not forget...MRT Coach Superstar Michelle Barnes (Milot) -- #1699.

Good luck ladies!!

IMC 2011 - Coach Carrie takes 2nd Place...

2011-09-09T23:19:00.001-07:00

...in the race to post blog reports from the big day, that is. Ok, so my time was a bit slower than I'd have liked, but hey, 2nd to Sara Gross...there's no shame in getting beat by her!!

It was a hard day out there, this year. Harder than usual. Judging by the frequency of ambulance traffic, and the activity in the medical tent, many of the 3000 athletes faced disappointment with their days not going as they would have liked. A few were able to put together a good race despite the conditions, and a small number battled the conditions, and rose above expectations to have a great race. Its with a tremendous amount of pride that I report all of my athletes fell into the latter two categories. To their friends and families, and to me, each was the “Hero of the Day.”.

This past season, Patty Infusino, a seasoned Ironman athlete, trained the way an athlete who intends to have an excellent race should train. She was fully committed to having the race of her life, and on race day was well prepared to do so. Having achieved a PB at the Boston Marathon earlier in the year, having improved her biking, and working through some legitimate water-related anxiety, she was right where she needed to be when she arrived in Penticton for the race. Her fortune would change slightly days before the race when she happened upon a crowd surrounding an unconscious man next to the trail she was running on. Concerned for his well-being, Patty called out to see if he was ok. Not one to let anything interfere with a workout, Patty kept running as she spoke to the group, which unfortunately prevented her from being able to see the large bridge she eventually ran into, head first. The one time it might have benefitted her to be a slow runner….She escaped with a large gash on her head, and some neck and shoulder pain. There was not even really a discussion about how this would impact her race. It was as though she made up her mind immediately that it wouldn’t. And, it didn’t. Patty came out of the water right on track, and took off smiling on the bike. As big as her smile was as she started out on the ride, it was hard not to notice her questionable fashion choice for the day. Pink shorts with an orange shirt….it was hard to miss her! With all that racing experience, you would think she’d know better than to get dressed in the dark on race morning!! The next time I saw Patty she was coming in off the bike, a bit slower than we had hoped. Turns out she was one of the many victims of the tacks on the road, and wound up with 2 flat-tires. When you’ve trained as hard as Patty did this year, it would be really easy to get down about the lost time, and let it affect the rest of your race. Not Patty. She smiled and ran very strong. She successfully put the flats behind her, focused on the moment of the race she was in, and crossed the finish line just over 12 hours, with a big smile, and the satisfaction of knowing she gave her very best on that day. I’ve never seen Patty as happy as she was in the finisher’s area after the race, enjoying her routine post-race diet Coke. Congratulations, Patty!

Marija Susnjar. You probably saw her out there. She was hard to miss. Not because she had a fashion faux pas like her buddy, Patty. Instead because her enormous smile lit the race course from start to finish. Every time I saw this girl, she was beaming. I even had people come up to me after the race to ask me who the super happy athlete kicking ass was, and tell me how inspiring it was to see her having such a good time!! Like most athletes, her season had some high and lows, and her two biggest challenges were a) juggling a new, very time-consuming, teaching position with training for Ironman, and b) overcoming a fear of biking after being hit by a car a few years ago. It became clear at PHAT CAMP this year that Marija had stepped up her game and was ready for the challenge of Ironman. She credits a lot of it to one particularly inspirational chat she participated in at camp. “It all changed that night in the hotel…” she told me before the big race. She began to exude the confidence of someone that was about to become an Ironman. After a great race, on a hard day, Marija and her smile crossed the line just after 13 hours. Her first words were, “BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!”. Congratulations, Marija!!

Lorraine Churchill. What do you say about someone who qualifies for Ironman Hawaii in their first Ironman? If you have been following this blog at ALL, its been pretty hard to miss Lorraine’s successful season. A year ago, Lorraine set her sight on this goal, and spent the entire year making decisions that would make her a better and faster athlete. Not just in training….her entire life was committed to this goal; eating, sleeping, breathing….all of it revolved around trying to become the best athlete she could. And to say it paid off would be an understatement. Her season, and this race exemplify the pursuit of excellence. She crossed the line under 11 hours, and took 4^th place in her age group, which ensured her a spot to the IM World Championship race. One of my favorite moments of her day was watching her extremely proud and slightly emotional husband Dave giving their young sons a science lesson….apparently high temperatures can cause Dad’s eyes to water…..right, Dave. Congratulations, Lorraine! We will all be cheering you on, in person (yay!) or in spirit!!

And while on the subject of making a husband proud….Leanne Sherman did just that on her first Ironman race. After a series of challenging races leading into the big day (flat-tires, hypothermia, and bike crashes, oh my!), it seemed as though Leanne had paid her dues to the triathlon gods. After a very solid year of training, she still had yet to exercise her fitness to its full potential, so there was a lot of pent-up energy to be released!!! While her day didn’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped, she managed to cross the line in a solid 13.5 hours, while battling cramps for the better part of the day. A great accomplishment, especially given the conditions of the day! She crossed the finish line knowing she’d done the best she could on that day, the most any athlete can ask of themselves. Upon crossing the finish line, she was greeted by her adoring daughters, “Mommy, I MISSED YOU!” and a very proud husband. Leanne Sherman, you are an Ironman! Congratulations!!!!

With a few half Ironmans under her belt, Kari Strutt decided 9 months ago that doing Ironman would be a great way to commemorate turning 50. While she set her sights on “crossing the finish line before midnight”, there was never a doubt in my mind that she would do much more than that. Her year of hard-work and dedication paid off tremendously. Knowing she had overcome some significant water-related anxiety, it was, well, a shock to be honest, to see her hit T1 in 1:15. Imagine my surprise to find out later that she was in fact THE last swimmer to enter the lake…well, except for that one guy who showed up really late. “I (bleeping) ROCKED that swim!!” she shouted as she cruised out of transition. Rock that swim, indeed. After a great bike, she was off on the run. True to form, at one of the first things out of her mouth as she started the run, “How is everyone else doing? Leanne? Lorraine? Marija??”. Hearing of the success of her team-mates, her smile widened, and when I saw her again 40km later, she was still smiling. After just under 14 hours of hard labour, Kari Strutt became an Ironman. Here’s the day in her words:

“If there weren't photo evidence, I would not believe it.

Even now, I remember moments and cannot comprehend the whole.

I recall the swim start...watching all those people swim away. I started calmly, entirely alone. I was grateful for the kayak people. I stayed close to them and was blessed by their company. I sang nursery songs as I swam. I hope they didn't hear me...that would be embarrassing.

I remember the beginning of the bike, watching all those who had picked up the tacks thrown onto the road by someone who obviously doesn't understand how horribly that might have ended. I saw the folks with flats on the roadside, struggling to remove tires from rims. I was grateful that nobody was horribly hurt. I remember the fallen...one on a downhill, one on an uphill...that latter looking much worse. Grateful that both survived their falls. Grateful that all the tacks were absorbed or deflected by the time I arrived. Being slow sometimes offers advantages.

I remember the transitions and those glorious women who helped me strip off a stinky pair of shorts so I could put on a clean pair. I was grateful for their discretion, and their reminder to apply body glide. I wish they'd applied a dab of sunscreen to my lower back before the bike. I did wonder if they changed those rubber gloves between racers.

I remember running, counting steps, kids with hoses and high-fives...ice in the cap that you told me to get (because then I could put ice in a cap). I needed that ice. I needed that advice. More high-fives, in the dusk. I needed the high-fives. I welcomed the cool of dusk.

Then, in the dark...still counting steps, the echo from the finish line, a ruse...so loud, but still so far away.

But by then, I knew.

In fact, I'd known for several hours, that it was possible...that I could finish.

I began to believe I could finish while still in the water, swimming without panic. I believed more on the bike when the rollers were at my back. Then I faltered at Yellow Lake, the sleek young man, blue in the face, fallen on his side, eyes rolled deep into his skull. I rode past him. It was my lowest moment. He had help already. There was nothing I could add...but it's hard to simply move on. The ambulance that collected him rocketed by 1/2 hour later.

I faltered again at the start of the run...decided I would try to run just a little more than I walked. I counted. 60 paces running. 40 paces walking. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat ad nausium. I remembered that I am good at repeating. I smiled... again.

On the way back to town a woman announced that she planned to run with me. She was loud and talked, without rest, about things that were of no interest to me.

I remember hiding in the porta-pottie at the next aid station.

I passed her later. She was talking to someone else who did not seem to mind, or was too tired to care.

I was grateful that she'd found a more suitable companion...grateful that I was not her only option.

I was grateful for the lights of Penticton, and for your face, and the faces of my husband and my little girl.

I was grateful for the finish line, for coming in close to an hour mark, and the enthusiasm of the announcer who howled me in.

Life offers us moments of grace, but they are rare. Grace was given the day I married Ken, the day that science offered us the potential for a child, and the day Veronika was delivered safely into the world. I don't know that Ironman compares to these, but it is certainly a close second.

Still, unless I am looking at the photos, it's hard to believe it is true.

Thanks to you and to Mercury Rising for one of the best years of my life.” – Kari Strutt

There really aren’t words to describe the pride and awe I felt watching each of the MRT athletes cheer each-other on, cross the finish line, and celebrate with their families. You were all heroes, and I feel very fortunate to be part of such an amazing group of athletes and people. Thank you for all you taught me this year and for letting me be a part of your journeys!!

Ironman Canada 2011- Coach Sara's Report

2011-09-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Mercury gang were out in full force at IMC this year. It was so fun to see so many athletes in team kit and spectators in T-shirts. If you include Clint's "four horsemen" from Island Triathlon, we had over 20 athletes racing. Fantastic.

Having reduced my coaching load after Rosalee was born, i personally had only 2 girls out there racing, but 2 special girls they are.

First up, Tessa P. (or whatever her name is ;). I have been coaching Tessa for many years and have never seen her as excited as after IMC this year! And she had something to be excited about since she went close to 2h faster than her last attempt in 2009. We are getting closer to her potential for sure.

And then there's Julie. Julie swam and biked a pb, despite the choppy and windy conditions. She finally succumbed to some nutritional problems on the run, but for Julie, there are only good races and learning races and combinations of the two. Julie's own race report can be found here:
http://runningwithdoggies.blogspot.com/

I feel very lucky to be on this journey with these two women. Thanks guys and well done.

Strathmore Women's Triathlon

2011-08-22T14:33:00.001-07:00

A quick but big shout-out to MRT athletes Cheryl Jones and Tanya Kingwell who raced the Strathmore Women's Triathon over the weekend. As a new-comer to the sport, Cheryl Jones has had a season full of firsts, this one being her first sprint distance race. Congratulations, Cheryl!

Next up, hard-working Tanya earned herself a spot on the podium! Tanya sped her way to 3rd place overall, and 2nd place in her age group....ironically by 6 seconds...hopefully we haven't started a trend, "the 6 second curse"!! Congratulations on your solid day, Tanya!!

And now for the countdown....to all our athletes racing Ironman next weekend: your big day is almost here!! You are awesome!! Have a kick-ass day and we will see you on the course!!

3-out-of-the-10 Fastest Women at Calgary 70.3 Wear MRT Kit

2011-08-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Coach Carrie's Calgary 70.3 Report

For starters, there was Sara Gross’s amazing race. Though I’m not her coach, as her official BFF, I feel qualified to elaborate.

At T2, she was in third place, nine minutes down from the leader. It was clear right away that she was running strong….but even the announcers were skeptical about anyone being able to make up a gap of 9 minutes. Unphased by the gap, Sara charged on. By the 17km mark, she’d taken over second place, and made up 5 minutes on the leader…and she was still going strong. I wish I had a recording of the announcers as the leader made her way around the corner to the finish line. They’d been congratulating her on victory, long before they’d even seen her, only to be stunned by the sight of Sara turning the corner seconds later. It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever seen! If the race had been 10m longer, there’s no doubt in my mind who would have crossed that line first. Congratulations Sara!! What an inspiring effort!! A worthwhile read, her race report, can be found here:

http://saragross.blogspot.com/2011/08/calgary-703-race-report.html

Next up, rising superstar Lorraine Churchill, demonstrated HER champion spirit in a very similar fashion. After putting together a solid swim, and bike, she was on track to have a really good race. Things changed around the 17km. She decided a good race wasn’t enough. After learning she was 3 min behind the next couple girls, she contemplated if digging deep would be worth it…already having a race that she’d be happy with….could she catch them? Should she try? Would it be worth the effort? Finally landing on, “If I don’t try, I will never know…”, she went for it. In the last 4km of the race, she passed 2 women, one of whom was in her age group. Her late-race charge, earned her 4^th place overall, 1^st place in her age group, 10^th place including the pro-women, and bragging rights by smashing the previous course record for her age-group by over 13 minutes. Her day went from good, to great, in an instant. Congratulations, Lorraine!! Here she is with her very proud, and supportive cheering section!

Leanne Sherman was out to get revenge at this race, after some bad luck at the Chinook Half. Like Lorraine, she was well on her way to a good race, and her day also changed in an instant. Unfortunately, not in the way we’d have liked. She had accomplished a big goal by staying in the moment and focusing on the present leg of the race she was in. So focused, that near the end of her solid ride, she had a crash, which did this:

We are confident that all the “character-building” races are out of her system now, and that her next race will be the big one!! Its been a painful recovery process, but Leanne is ready to go!!!!

Tanya Kingwell entered the Calgary 70.3 as one of her 2 big races this year. In her first season back from a training/racing hiatus, she has come a long way, and accomplished a lot, including a personal best at her first half ironman of the year…. all while living very full life at home, with 2 young kids and a full-time job! The day didn’t go exactly as she’d hoped….some nutrition issues got to her, but they didn’t get the best of her. She spent much of the day battling with the demons, but was determined to get the job done. Here she is getting by with a little help from her friends & teammates, Tessa and Lisa, who prove triathlon IS a team sport. Congratulations, Tanya!! I know there are many more great things to come for you!

A finally, a big congratulations to coach Michelle Barnes (previously known as Milot) who was the 2^nd overall age grouper, and 7^th overall including the pro women!! Way to go, Michelle!!

A very proud day to be part of such an amazing group of athletes!! As always, thanks to Kaz Matsumoto for all the awesome pictures....and a photo credit/cheerleader shout-out to Heather Myers, too!!!

Three Weekends of Awesome- by Coach Sara

2011-08-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

The season is in full swing and the last 3 weekends have brought many good results. First up, Kendall Pritchard finished her season off with a solid race at Sylvan Lake taking 3rd in her age group. Kendall was even the first woman in her category to enter T1! 3 years ago we never would have dreamed that possible ;) Way to go Kendall!

Olympic distance age group star Megan Jones once again crushed the competition with a devastating bike split at the Invermere triathlon for 1st in her age group and 4th overall!

At the Calgary 70.3, Tessa P. put together a very strong race thanks to her new-found run prowess and Lisa Isley pulled out a killer bike split of 2.47 which put her in the "top 10 Calgary athletes"!!

Meanwhile, Julie Anderson took on the Bozeman half, a tough, hilly, hot race in Montana that challenged her physically and mentally. Testing a new nutrition plan backfired badly and Julie ended up bent over in pain at an early aid station on the run. Commitment and determination saved the day for Julie, who not only ran a solid half marathon (after spending a chunk of time at the side of the road) but she also won her age group!! Yay Julie!

And just yesterday, Carlos Vilchez finished 2nd in his age group and 8th overall at the Barrie Sprint. Carlos just keeps getting better. His son Jordi also finished 4th in his age group in the kids race.

Lisa Isley making it happen!

A runner's smile!

Ex- Mercury Rising athlete John Mykytchuk running strong!

Mercury Rising Coach Michelle Barnes had a tough day but still managed 7th overall and 2nd amateur on the day.

Carlos and son Jordi post-race!

Thanks to all for being so great! You make me one happy coach.
Sara

Some updates from Coach Carrie

2011-08-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been an action packed summer for Mercury Rising!! Preparing for and recovering from this year’s PHAT CAMP was a challenge, but worth every second of it! We had a very talented, hard-working group of athletes again this year. There were many break-throughs, a few break-downs, and many inspirational moments along the way. A huge thanks to all who attended, and made this year’s camp such a big success!!!

The very challenging week ended with some of our crew participating in Penticton’s Peach Classic Olympic Triathlon. For starters, Kari Strutt celebrated her 50th birthday that day, by crossing the finish line with a personal best time, a huge smile, and her equally proud and delightful daughter in tow. "THIS is what 50 looks like!", she exclaimed while making her way to the finisher's chute. Most of us can only hope, Kari!!

Unfortunately, the day didn’t bring smiles for all our athletes.....Lorraine Churchill and Patty Infusino were each battling some medical issues which forced them to stop mid-race. Both showed their champion spirits by making their way back to the finish line, to support, encourage and celebrate the successes of their team-mates. The biggest smile of the day, however....and probably even of the week, had to go to Marija Susnjar.

After the epic week of training, she put together a solid race, had a personal best time, and overcame some big demons on the cycling leg of the race. What a difference 2 years can make!! We were all proud and inspired by you, Marija! Both Kari and Marija were awarded the first annual “Blue Hoody Awards” at our wrap-up dinner, each for overcoming demons, and for the tremendous improvements they demonstrated. Congratulations, ladies!

While their teammates were out in Penticton, other Mercury athletes were racing across the globe. In the midst of a total-home-makeover, seasoned Ironman athletes Todd and Shana Graham traveled to Switzerland for their “A” race this year. These two cram more living into a year than most do in 10 years! After a year of traveling, work, and many family commitments, they approached their training with less emphasis than in previous years, and spent the weeks before the race vacationing HARD. In spite of this, Todd crossed the finish line at 11:24, 4 minutes faster than his previous personal best time! Congratulations, Todd! Shana’s race was a bit more of a character-builder. She was plagued with some nutrition problems, and credits Nick Doulias, who was volunteering that day, for getting her to the finish line. Both highly recommend the race, and are already planning out their races for next year!

A huge congratulations to one of our newest team members, Cheryl Jones who successfully completed her first ever 10km run, AND her first open-water-swim triathlon at the Coral Springs/Chestermere Lake Super Sprint. Next up for Cheryl is the Strathmore Women’s triathlon. Goooo Cheryl!

After a year of supporting his wife Kari’s Ironman training, Ken Bagan decided he’d like to take on the challenge of the Gran Fondo Rockies. Having been active all his life, and having spent many hours on a touring bike, it wasn’t a surprise at how easily he transformed himself into a cyclist. In a matter of months, he went from a regular gym-goer, to a solid finisher of the full Gran Fondo distance, with Kari along for the ride. Ken now is re-shifting his focus to support her in the weeks leading into Ironman Canada. Here he is pictured below, after cheering Kari to the finish line at the Peach Classic. Congratulations, Ken!!

Fellow Mercury Rising athlete, Patty Infusino, also participated in the Gran Fondo….which apparently was not the cushy training ride she had anticipated, “Uphill both ways….how is that possible!??!”. She credits the ride for being more challenging than the IMC bike course, and now has the benefit of THAT fitness under her belt. Richter who?!?

Many more updates to follow....

P-town Run Drills

2011-07-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Coach Rachel reporting:

We had a great week here in Penticton, swim-bike-running and more.
We did a run drills session with the awesome Speed Theory boys and as promised here are some of the best links for run and run specific strength drills we practiced.

Check out Jerry Ziac in Vanrunnings videos on youtube, filmed by fellow MRT athlete and run coach Jeremy Hopwood:

Mobility Drills Part 1

Part II

Drills

Strength

Another drill I didn't share with you, you can do at home. It's one of my favourites. You start out like you'll do a stride, but instead of simply building speed, you start out with poor form. Maybe you start with your head down, shoulders hunched forward, arms dangling at your sides, hips too far back, stride too long. Begin running slowly and start at your feet, pick up your cadence, bring your hips inline with you ankles and shoulders, bring shoulders back, put a bend in your elbows and use them and bring your chin up, vision line to 30m ahead. As you do so pick up your speed and emerge from poor form to perfect form and increased speed.
You can do this a couple of times and each time focus on a different aspect, if you like.

Other run drills ideas:
walking on heels, tip toes, toes in, toes out.
skipping with or without a rope
ABC's
cross overs
and more!

Feel free to post any questions or comment with drills you like to include or others I failed to list.

It's been a wonderful week and I know all the campers are eager to keep up the training and will race well this season. We have some keen and talented folks in our group!

Congrats!

Happy training and DO YOUR DRILLS!!! :)

Great Day at the Desert Half for Coach Michelle & her Squad!

2011-07-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Coach Michelle along with 4 of her athletes, Mike Kulawik, Shannon Morgan, Laura Dodds and Lana Spreeman all made the trip to Osoyoos this past Sunday to compete in one of the toughest Half Ironman's around!

Mike inilated his time from the previous year by 20 min finishing the race in 5:10- with a swim time almost 6 minutes faster than 2010! Shannon had a major Half Ironman PB which is quite impressive on this course- Shannon looked fresh and strong all day! Tough as nails Lana Spreeman despite a bike crash at the very start of the bike, wiped the blood off, put her bike back together and got to the finish line! Laura Dodds competed in this race for the first time and finished with a smile securing her an Ironman Canada spot even after doing the whole swim with no goggles- Laura you are amazing and such an inspiration! Laura made it loud and clear after the race that she was likely the only athlete out there with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder).

Last but not least Coach Michelle smashed everyone in her Age Group by 44 min and dispite being forced to stop for 3 min after almosting crashing into an official, she still managed to capture 3rd place overall!

Two Good Weekends for Coach Clint

2011-07-06T14:56:00.001-07:00

Rachel, Sara, Christine

Elk Lake Subaru 1/2 Ironman

Two weeks ago the Subaru 1/2 Ironman was held in Victoria at Elk Lake. I had seven athletes in the race and the day couldn't have gone much better.

My four local Island Triathlon athletes - the Four Horsemen:

Alison Dickson

Shay Averbuch

Steffen Hagen

and Derek Frohloff -

all enjoyed great races w/ Alison, Shay and Derek PBing over the distance.

Steffen was on track to great day after a strong swim/bike but had to settle for a good day when some cramping slowed him up on the run. Still it was clear he's on track and where he should be for IMC coming up in August - as are all four of them.

Shay recorded the 3rd fasted run with a 1:18 - not bad for an old cat!

Jeremy Hopwood jumped into the half distance only a few days before the race. He's been building slowly since the birth of his daughter Adalaide so this really was a test to see where he was at and what needed work. It turns out he's doing quite well indeed. He recorded a very respectable: 4:26:26

Rachel Kiers and Sara Gross (it's weird writing your wife's full name) both ended on the podium with Sara winning and Rachel close behind her for 2nd.

A MOST satisfying day!!

Yesterday in Vancouver was the next race in the Subaru series - the Vancouver 1/2 Ironman. Sara, Rachel and Jeremy were back in the mix.

Sara was using the day as a strong training day. The plan was to pull out after 30 minutes of running unless she felt good. The night before the race we reexamined that plan and decided that maybe running the whole thing - provided the wheels weren't coming off, would be just fine - so the race was on.

Shawnigan Lake champion, Rachel McBride was racing. She was coming off an awesome 3rd place finish in the Boise 70.3 close behind triathlon luminaries Heather Wurtele and winner Magali Tisseyre.

Unlike the Elk Lake race, Rachel Kiers' plan in Vancouver was to go in a little more rested and with higher intent. In the end both women ended up on the podium with Sara coming 2nd and Rachel 3rd. Great races for both of them.

Jeremy is a guy who likes his numbers. For Vancouver we wanted to set those aside (to some extend) and take some chances out there - just race hard. He did that and found himself at the pointy end of the stick. Unfortunately about 2/3 the way through the bike he found himself in some difficulty and had to notch it back for the remainder of the race. In the end, not his finest race but a great learning one. It's now clear to both Jeremy and myself that he can mix it up with the big boys. Some fine tuning and a couple good builds and he'll be there.

Mercury Rising gives a happy salute to our friend Scott Curry on his win. He's a class act and a quality guy!

Up next is the Mercury Rising Camp in Penticton - followed by the Peach Classic for many of the campers. Fun times!!

Great White North- Sara's Report

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was one of my best coaching weekends to date. Thank you to Kendall, Tessa and Julie for making that happen.

Most of my athletes have been with me for 3 or 4 years, i know them well, they know me, and i have to be on my toes to make sure they keep improving. We all hit plateaus in our training before moving to another performance level. These girls really are moving up!

Here are the details:

Kendall: Before the race, Kendall told me she didn't feel ready (do we ever?). I reassured her that she was and hoped that her consistency would pay off. It did. The outcome: Despite herself, Kendall managed a PB and went over 10mins faster than previously on the same course; 5h14. Nice.

Tessa: I knew Tessa was fitter than she has ever been, but i didnt realize she was that fit! A 20min improvement on the GWN course since 2009. Now that is impressive. This girl is coming into her own. The outcome: 5h35

Julie: This girl works just about as hard as she can. And as a coach, it has been a challenge to find out exactly what kind of workload Julie responds best to. Well folks, we found it! The new and improved Julie is taking this season by storm, with a win at the Elkford Sprint, a top 10 overall at Wasa Lake and now... drumroll.... a sub-5 half at GWN!! What a performance! The outcome: 4h58

I want to say thank you to the small handful of girls and guys who have stuck it out with me over the last few years. What a journey. Days like these make it all worthwhile!

Great White North Report Part 1...

2011-07-06T08:17:00.001-07:00

A handful of MRT athletes made the trip to race in the Great White North Half Ironman race this past weekend, and it looks like it was a speedy day for all of them!

Kari Strutt suffered a devastating loss just days before the race. She chose to do the race, in honour and in memory of her dear nephew. To call that a difficult task would be a tremendous underestimation, I’m sure. She carried him in her heart from start to finish, and that strength enabled her to race her fastest half Ironman to date. What a great way to honour his life. The Mercury Rising team extends our deepest condolences to you and your family, Kari.

Bouncing back from a race full of learning experiences at the Oliver Half, Patty Infusino put those lessons to good use, and blazed her way to a personal best! She crossed the line at 5:19, over 10 minutes faster than her time at the same race last year! Here she is, running strong, and looking goooood. Watch out, Ironman!!

Stay tuned for more updates on Great White North...

Heather Hits Idaho.

2011-06-30T22:10:00.001-07:00

A valuable skill for any triathlete is to have the ability to stay positive and focused despite things not going as you had intended. Heather Myers demonstrated her ability to do just that, at Ironman Coeur D'Alene last weekend. Despite feeling off her game at the start of June, she attempted to race the Oliver half, and was unable to make it to the finish line. A trip to the doctor revealed she'd been fighting a pretty bad infection that had been kicking around for awhile from a root canal, and she was prescribed a variety of things, including complete rest for the weeks leading into the race. That alone would discourage many from toeing the start-line. Despite having to substitute some of her biggest training weeks with rest, Heather committed to starting and finishing the race, and held on to those goals, crossing the finish line just 2 minutes after midnight. And she was still smiling when she crossed the finish line! Congratulations, Heather!

“Looking back now I am amazed had how strong I was thru out the day. I could have pulled the plugged at anytime, but I choose to see it thru no matter what the end result would be. At the end of the day I knew that I was a Ironman no matter what the time would reflect. I did my best for the conditions and the health I was in….I still covered the distance ……and I still am a 3 time ironman. I earned every minute of this race.” - Heather Myers

Fast Racing in Ontario!

2011-06-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, MRT athlete Carlos Vilchez earned himself a PB and sub-5h finish at the Welland Half Iron Distance Triathlon in Ontario. Over the winter, Carlos has taken his training to a new level, has been increasingly consistent and learned to push harder than ever on the bike and running. It was great to see this commitment and hard work pay off with a fast finishing time of 4h54. Well done Carlos!

WINNING!! Chinook Triathlon Festival Report

2011-06-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Lorraine Churchill, Alberta Provincial Women's Long Course Champion, sure has a nice ring to it. In one year, the girl has transformed herself from age-group athlete to race winner. Not only is she 110% committed physically to making the most of every second of every session, she could offer seminars in the importance of the mental aspect of training. She is focused on her goals, and utterly devoted to the mental process of achieving them. She turns every challenge into an opportunity to better herself as an athlete, and has been willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals. This has clearly paid off for her. Its been quite a journey for me as a coach, to see first hand what a powerful impact the psychological aspect of the sport can have on an athlete's performance. This race was no exception. Lorraine took over the lead during the second loop of the swim, and raced through the start of the run with the nearest competitor literally breathing down her neck. By the halfway point of the run, her mental strength carried her away from the competition, taking a more than 5 minute lead with her to the finish line.

Lorraine on the podium, with the 2nd and 3rd place women's finishers.

The race brought a day of mixed emotions for the Mercury Rising team. While Lorraine was celebrating a victory, her good friend and training buddy Leanne Sherman was one of the many competitors plagued by a flat tire. While she struggled to get the new rubber off, the cold weather took its toll in the form of hypothermia. After a trip home to get warmed up, Leanne made her way back to the finish line to support her friends and teammates. A tough day. A few lessons learned, and a great opportunity for Leanne to show her mental strength by focusing on the positives of the day and on moving forward with that experience under her belt. The race wasn't even over before she was asking me if this meant she could train hard the next day!! Its just a matter of time, before her next opportunity to unleash the hard work she's been putting in!

Here's a few nice shots of Leanne throughout the day:

All smiles. That's Marija Susnjar! Here she is at the start of the race - nervous, but ready - and at the end of the race...still smiling, despite the day not going how she had hoped! Way to go, Marija!

While Lorraine, Leanne and Marija were battling the Half Ironman race, there were three equally cheerful & hard-working ladies out on the Olympic course. Below is Jackie Morettin just steps from the finish line:
Lisa Isley digs deep coming out of T2:

Tessa P. finishes strong, and looking cool....as usual!

Lisa and Tessa enjoy the finish line.

Proud coach, Carrie Matsumoto, and Lorraine with her first place trophy.

Congratulations, to all the Mercury Rising athletes that raced! Thanks to the Mercury athletes who weren't racing, but came out to cheer! And special thanks to Kaz Matsumoto for all the awesome pictures. More race photos can be found on his website www.kazmatsumoto.com under the "events" tab.

Week 1; Bob's Building Blocks

2011-06-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

So I had my first session with Bob on Wednesday. As I mentioned, Bob is not a trained sports psychologist, just a guy with an idea, a system, that helps athletes, teams and coaches achieve their potential. In our first session we discussed how that system works, and how it will help me achieve my goals in the triathlon world and in life in general. After that, we talked about how i can identify when i am in the right place for optimum performance and when i am not. I am told that over the course of the next 6 weeks i will be learning strategies that will help me be my best self at all times. (These are my words not his!)

Bob likes to talk about The Zone. This is a phrase used in sports psychology to describe the mental state of being completely in the moment. It is also sometimes referred to as Flow. It is a single-minded immersion in the moment that can help us harness our very best performance. Bob's goal is to help athletes achieve The Zone not just once or twice in their careers, but all the time, every day.

I personally prefer to apply different language to Bob's "Zone," to talk about a sense of centeredness, or of just being being. A place where swimming, biking and running flow out of me and my best performance just is. The concept is the same (i think!), but the semantics are different. Imagine a kid playing a video game, he is the game and the game is him. Like the Buddhists and their non-duality.

Traditional sports psychology starts with goals, makes plans and works towards achieving The Zone, maybe, someday, eventually. Bob wants me to start with The Zone first and let everything else take care of itself. The challenge is to stop thinking and to live from that place. To live as if my goals have already been achieved. So my decisions on a day to day level become unconscious. I no longer have to fight the urge to eat the chocolate cake, i simply don't eat it because i want to be lean and fast. The idea is to take the thinking out and live unconsciously at my best. Yoda comes to mind "Do or do not. There is no try."

So, over the next few weeks, Bob and I are going to build a series of strategies to help me get into this state of centeredness and also to help me get back there when i fall out. We identified some of my "blocks" and are going to explore strategies to clean them up. They are as follows:

I have lots of tired, overtrained bike rides to "clean up"

I am still bothered by my SI injury and feel tight in the back

I have a problem with sleeping before races

I never have enough time in my life and always feel behind on my work

We discussed my goals of racing well in Hawaii and of racing consistently over the next few years. If Bob can help me with all this then truly he will have rebuilt my mind. For now, my homework is to learn what cues, feelings and sensations let me know that i am in The Zone. I am also supposed to take note of what takes me out of The Zone. Here's what i have learned so far:

1. When I am in The Zone i feel relaxed in my shoulders and core.
2. When i am not in The Zone i carry tension across my shoulder and if i am training or racing, my limbs feel tight and sore.
3. I have some skills that help me get into the Zone during training, like focusing on technical cues and controlling pain with my mind.
4. I have more of these skills for swimming and running that for biking.
5. Thinking too much is the first thing that takes me out of the Zone. In training and racing this is often related to what others are doing, for example, if someone overtakes me and i start thinking about them instead of myself.
6. If the pain in training is too intense, my mind starts to wander and pulls me out of The Zone. Usually i start thinking about my athletes, planning programs etc... This way, my mind can convince me that i am doing something "useful" when i should be focused on myself. My mind can be very crafty when it wants to be.
7. I am much better at getting into The Zone swimming, biking or running than i am in everyday life.

Thats my summary for this week. We have a big job before us, me and Bob. OHM!

One more Wasa shout out...

2011-06-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

Kari Strutt is two for two for age-group podium finishes this season. After bouncing back from a rough day at the Shawnigan Half, she sped her way to 2nd place at the Wasa Lake Sprint last weekend. Big congratulations, Kari!

Upcoming Blog Series by Coach Sara

2011-06-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

In the course of my triathlon career I have done bits and pieces of mental training. Starting with the work i did with Russell Martindale, a graduate student who was working on his PhD in Sports Psychology while i was pursuing my own PhD at the University of Edinburgh. This was followed by a bunch of book-reading and note-taking over the course of the next couple years. In 2006-07, i would plan specific visualization sessions into my schedule. Now, as i begin my post-baby comeback to triathlon, I am pleased to say that i will be working with a new mentor on the mental side of things, Bob Palmer from Barrie, Ontario.

Bob was a teacher and martial artist who stumbled upon a technique for optimizing performance in his own athletic career and life and is very keen to share than technique with other athletes and coaches. Bob is not a trained sports psychologist, just a guy with an idea that he feels passionately about and wants to share with as many people as possible. In my experience, people with great ideas and the drive to make change are often the best people to have in your corner.

Bob and I will be doing a 6-week program together called The Ignition Series. Each week I will be blogging about my experiences with Bob, what am i learning and how it is changing my perceptions and my performances. I feel that my first meeting with Bob is what helped me stay so calm when i punctured in St. Croix 70.3 and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together over the 6 weeks.

To learn more about Bob, check out his website here: www.sportexcel.ca

Watch this space for the six-part series "Adventures with Bob"

Sara

Winning Weekends

2011-06-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Its been a pretty amazing couple weeks for me as a coach. It started last Saturday with Kendall running a PB in a local 10k race in Calgary and winning the whole race in the process! Next up was Carlos taking on a Sprint race in Ontario on Sunday morning. After a couple months of struggle with a knee issue, Carlos managed 9th in his age group and went faster than last year at the same race! And topping off this successful weekend Julie Anderson won a Sprint race in Elkford BC, proving that her consistency is paying off. Julie's efforts were good enough to beat all but 3 of the men as well! Yay team!

Moving on to this weekend and the success continued. Once again Julie was up to bat, this time at Wasa Olympic Distance. And true to form, Julie managed a PB for the distance and landed 2nd in her age group and 10th overall. At the same time, Megan Jones was racing to one of her best finishes winning her age group and finishing 8th overall! Well done to all of you! What a great start to the season!

And lastly, HUGE congratulations to Mercury Rising Coach Michelle Milot who married fellow triathlete Gary Barnes on Saturday afternoon in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Vernon. We wish them both the very best for their new life together.

Michelle and Gary post-nuptials.

Mercury Rising athlete Lana Spreeman was a bridesmaid.

Michelle and I wishing we had our swimsuits and goggles!

A nice start to June...

2011-06-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Patty Infusino was up against an old demon at this past weekend's Oliver Half Ironman. Despite her day not going exactly as planned, she's using it as a learning opportunity, and STILL managed to take 6th place in her age group. Good job, Patty!

Three of MRT's athletes made the trek to Kona for the Hawaii 70.3. Despite having some delays on the bike (ie, a questionable drafting penalty, a blowing the tire off his wheel, riding the rim into a ditch), "Mr. Positivity" (aka Todd Graham) kept his head in the game, battled the heat and went on to have a solid race, finishing in 5:20. His wife, Shana Graham, took her new ride to a pb, crossing the line just after 6:00. Way to go, Shana!! Next up for the Grahams is Ironman Switzerland. And finally, in her first big race back from a maternity/medical hiatus, AND after enduring a week-long training camp in the heat and winds of Hawaii, Tanya Kingwell took home a personal best time, crossing the line at 6:13. Watch for more great things to come from this girl this year!!

Luke Gillmer

2011-06-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Luke pre race with mate Andrew Wilkinson

This past weekend our favorite son, Luke Gillmer jumped in with the elite men to once again test his metal against some of the best at the 70.3 distance. He had a great race.
His swim started it all off proper - exiting the water in 24:27 - more than a 2' improvement over his last effort at Port Mac!
Luke reported he was really hit hard by the heat - but held it together for the entire race - save the last kilometer where the wheels finally started to come off. When the race was finished he ended up 6th over all with a fast charging Justin Granger just nipping by him in the final 800 meters of the race.
And while the heat hit him hard - an official hit him harder with a 5' drafting bonk - that Luke owned - "I got too close. That's racing." He's a class act, our Luke and everyone at MRT is very proud of him.
On to the Philippines!

Some more race results

2011-06-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

At the Shawnigan Lake Triathlon weekend four MRT athletes did the team honor!
Rachel Kiers (who has won the event outright twice in the past) faced some strong competition but pulled off a strong 3rd placing.
Miranda Aldritt coming off 2 Ironmans in the past 3 weeks still went 5 hours and came 6th overall - so impressive!
Kari Strutt another one of Carrie Meakin's (or is it Matsumoto now?) amazing gals came 3rd in her age group! She said afterwards it was the hardest thing she'd ever done - but she was smiling at the time so it couldn't have been that bad.
On the mens side - Jeremy Hopwood, still on the comeback trail after entering the world of fatherhood, pulled of a 3rd overall in the Olympic.

And then yesterday at the Oliver 1/2 Ironman Jennifer Mansell secured her place in Ironman Canada by placing 4th overall!

Proud of them all!

A race reflection worth reading!!

2011-05-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Kari Strutt dug deep for her 3rd place age group finish this weekend at the Shawnigan Lake Half Ironman. Here's an honest reflection on her challenging day:

"OK...so that was the hardest thing I've ever done by choice. Seriously...

It sounded so lovely on the internet...

Rolling terrain...that sounds so pastoral, doesn't it? I love to roll...I love rolling. See how I roll? I roll. I am sooo good at rolling.

So...THIS is what rolling terrain REALLY means:

a) at any given moment, you are going either up, or down. There is no flatness. None. NONE. EVERRRRRRR.
b) as my clever husband points out (as if to illustrate the simplicity and ease of this rollingness), "If you start and finish at the same place, you've gone down just as much as you've gone up, so it's all even." This is some mystical man equation that actually says "stop whining and pedal".
c) husband forgets that it takes at least twice as long to climb up as it does to roll down, so a rolling course means you are riding "up" a shift-load of time...MOST of the time, in fact (in granny gears), which basically feels like ALL of the time - and the hills are often steep, so it kind of hurts
d) item c) does not favour you when it comes to running

Rolling? Who named it that? Should have named "relentless climbing punctuated by a moment to wipe the snot off the end of your nose". Thus ends my missive on "rolling".

Can I start now with total head freeze? First off, I got so panicked in the swim warm-up I actually decided to pack it in before I started. Really. I left the water. Thank God for the National Anthem - gave me the minute I needed to get the heeje up (heeje - it rhymes with the first syllable of "legion")... I know it's not a real word, but if I get my way, it will be. I did the breaststroke for so long I had my own guide kayak...seriously, everyone swam away. It was just me "fair-haired lady in kayak". I was sooo dead last. I started making little bargains with myself (just 3 crawl strokes before a couple of head-ups...then 6...then 9...then 12...then I was doing 50 at a time, and finally I got it going and just swam, but it took a long time). I was golden for the last 25%.

The run was really lovely - but that same numb foot thing that happened in the 70.3. I haven't had a chance to check my run time, but I've never started a run with legs so beat up, so I'm guessing it was a bit dull. For all that, the late finishers are a pleasant bunch and I made a few new friends.

I got an age group medal. Ha ha hah. If you wait long enough, the field gets small! It was a big thrill for Veronika...and oddly, for Ken. Vern stole my age-group medal (purple ribbon) and the hat I won. Wore them home on the plane. (I'm currently in an Abbotsford Hotel, driving home on Monday).

There were a number of moments when I was ready to quit this race . Near the end of Lap 1 of the bike a woman passed me half way up a hill, then a man shortly after...30 seconds later he's standing at the side of the road, and she's motionless on the ground, between two parked cars. It was very sobering. Reminds of some old add slogan..."first you get good THEN you get fast". I also felt like quitting after Lap 2 of the bike. And after Lap 3 of the bike. By Lap 4...I was cool with saying "last f***ing time I see you ash-hill".

My finish time was not anywhere near a personal best...in fact it might be a personal worst, but at this moment I'm feeling ok with it. I'm not dancing on a table or anything, but it seemed like challenging course, and I certainly had to fight myself (yay, I won...but wait, I also lost). Either way, I'll take what I got, but I soooo need to work on my roll."

Congratulations, Kari! We are very proud to have you as part of our team and are looking forward to hearing many more of your race day musings.

Supermom starts the season strong

2011-05-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend in Calgary, long time Mercury Rising athlete and 12h Ironman finisher Kendall Pritchard took on the Try this Tri Triathlon (say that 10 times fast!) to work out the cobwebs before her big races this year. And blast those cobwebs she did, finishing second in her age group! Congrats Kendall. Roll on Supermom!

A Wet Weekend of Racing (in some places)

2011-05-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend a number of MRT athletes saw action.

The Oak Bay Kool 1/2 marathon was on the calendar and the Mercury team was well represented.

Jeremy Hopwood, Rachel Kiers and my lovely wife, Sara Gross were all signed up. Alison Dickson and Steffen Hagen also toed the line - and a wet line it was! The rains were coming down hard but everyone had an outstanding race. Rachel was first in her age group with a 1:28:36 - a strong run! Jeremy - coming off a new addition to the family less than three months ago, managed to come in 7th overall with a time of 1:18:26. Great run Jeremy - and trust me when I say, he's not as lean as I've seen him in the past. When he loses the last few pounds of baby fat, he's gonna be ripping up the road! Ali Dickson just keeps PBing 1:45:41 - 6th in her age group. Steffen Hagen ran 1:36:24 - 6th in his age group. Not bad. Both Ali and Steffen spent about half a day on their bikes the day before the race!!

Sara just gets stronger every day. She pulled off a 1:23:17. Good for 2nd over all! She's ready for IM Brazil!! Rosalee was very proud of her.

In the interior there was an Olympic tri going on - the Oliver Oly, and MRT's Jennifer Mansell was there. She ended up 4th in her age group. The exciting thing about this result was her run time. She did the run in about the same time as last year - this is exciting because we've been doing less volume and no speed work - yet maintaining the same speed - and with NO Achilles pain that was the bane of her training existence! It's very encouraging and bodes well for her Ironman this year.

Over in Edmonton MRT's Elissa Papp was laying it down at the Spring Thaw Sprint Triathlon! She had a great all around race and finished 4th over all and 2nd in her age group. I'm very proud of Elissa. She had many challenges this year and has kept her nose to the ground!

Last and certainly not least is our favorite son - Luke Gillmer. He was racing in his club championships in Australia. He was the 2nd Age grouper in the club - he trains with a STRONG group! Well done Luke! We're all looking forward to seeing him tear it up in the Cairns 70.3 on June 5th!

Another great weekend for Mercury Rising!

Springing Back

2011-05-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

As triathletes we are always learning, how to get the best out of ourselves, how to manage our weak spots and injuries and how to balance our time, our priorities and our cheque books.

Top age grouper Megan Jones is emerging from a difficult winter and proving that she can and will be stronger than before. She kicked off the season last Sunday with a hilly 10k which she ran in just under 46mins. Big congrats to Megan for her hard work and perseverance and we look forward to what the season will bring!

Welcome aboard.

2011-05-17T07:26:00.001-07:00

Meet Cheryl Jones, one of the newest additions to Mercury Rising Triathlon's team. With a background in martial arts, she decided just a few months ago to enter the world of triathlon, and officially became a triathlete on Sunday after crossing the finish line at the Tri-Diva Tri in Airdrie. Here she is, all decked out in this year's race kit, with her 2 coaches. Congratulations, Cheryl!

The Grahams and The Podium

2011-05-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

A third place age group medal for Todd Graham last weekend at the Ice Breaker Sprint Triathlon in Regina is followed up here by a nice post race snack! And not to be out-done by her husband, Shana Graham took the second place slot in her age group at the same race. Shana was defending her first place overall title from last year, and while she managed to race faster this year, a few gals (mostly pesky teenagers!!) upped the stakes. Well done, guys!!

Fast Feet!

2011-05-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Huge Congratulations to Mercury Rising coach Michelle Milot, who once again was consistent and strong on a tough day, on a tough course at Ironman St. George! Michelle used her speedy run to move herself into second in her age group and grabbed a Kona spot to boot.

Meanwhile, in balmy Calgary, Tessa P. ran a PB at the Mother's Day 5k to finish 4th in her again group out of 100 women. Tessa has been patient through a number of run injuries over the years and her persistence and consistency in training are just starting to pay off. Congrats Tessa!

Catching Up!!

2011-05-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm behind on my admin these days! In the past several weeks there have been several notable Mercury Rising Performances and they need to be acknowledged!!

And one of the most exciting results to brag about came from Jennifer Mansell who, on April 10th was the FIRST FEMALE OVER ALL - out of a 116 women at Port Royal Sprint in a time of 1:05:10! So exciting!

This past May 1st weekend Luke Gillmer made his pro debut at the Port Macquarie 70.3. He posted a PB of 4:29:18 and ended up cracking the top ten. It was a great introduction to the big show for this young man who is a genuine triple threat in the sport. Watch out for this one - more to come!!

Jeremy Hopwood who is a new dad has obviously been sneaking in a few runs. He ran 17:13 in the Dave Reed 5K on March 26th and was 19th over all in the race. A month later and he went 17:04 in at Eugene 5K. It's always tough with a new kid in the crib but Jeremy is finding his rhythm. He'll have some great races this year!

Rachel Kiers ran the Gibson 1/2 marathon on April 3rd. She ran 1:26:49 and came 2nd in her age group. This result is especially note worthy because athletes are sometimes fitter than they think they are!! Yay Rachel!

Island Triathlon athletes Steffen Hagen and Alison Dickson, who I'm working with, went to Kona last month for a fun I Tri camp that culminated in everyone doing the Lavaman Triathlon. They both had great races. Steffen PBd at the distance by FIFTEEN minutes going 2:33 and Alison went 2:38:06 coming 6th in her age group!

I also have to mention that sneaky Cathy Noel - slipped into the Vancouver marathon and ran a 4:04. We're both pretty happy with that!

Sara also made her return to racing recently. On April 16 ran a 39:12 for her first official toeing of the start line at the hilly Sooke River 10K where she ran a 39:12 good enough to come 2nd over all.
For her first foray back in the pro triathlon world we chose a tough one - the St. Croix 70.3. Neither of us put high expectations on a result there. It was a test for sure. It's just too bad we didn't test the race wheels out - specifically the extended stem. It wouldn't seal and when Sara had to fix a puncture about 37 miles into the ride she was unable to get air into the repair. It was almost an hour before a mechanic got to her and was able to get her back on the road. Of course after that long on the side of the road the impetus to red line to the finish line is gone but Sara finished out the ride and got a nice run in. It was a good thing she did. The money went 10 deep and there were only a 11 pros. Unfortunately one of the women went down on the bike and was unable to finish. This meant Sara picked up a pay cheque just for finishing. Sure was glad to see that ridiculous 8% rule removed!

It's going to be a great race season!!

A few belated shout-outs!

2011-04-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Alright! A few noteworthy performances over the past few weeks...Heather Myers followed up a solid swim with a smoking bike time at her first race of the season, the Mount Royal Sprint Triathlon. Lorraine Churchill and Tanya Kingwell battled what I heard were miserable conditions for the Calgary Police Half Marathon...a race that just completing this year was something to be proud of!! And finally, a HUGE congratulations goes out to Patty Infusino who laid it all on the line at the Boston Marathon, coming home with a big smile, and a PB time of 3:36!! Way to go, Patty!!

In other news...the Grahams ran their way through undesirable conditions the Regina Police Half Marathon...Shana shaved a minute of her time from last year, and Todd made the local news, and the top ten!! Way to go, guys!!

100 x 100: The details

2011-04-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Every so often I get an email from one of my most hardcore athletes (lets call her "T" or "thepfactor" or "swagger girl") requesting an epic 10k swim set of 100x 100m. I love these kind of epic challenges myself, so of course, I can't say no. This time we decided that maybe she should lead the charge and recruit some company, since its good Friday and all. What better way to celebrate than to suffer?

The set will be as follows:

10x 10x 100m w10s rest.
1min rest between sets of 10.
Odd sets swim
Evens pull or pull/paddles.
The goal: to hold your pace for all 100!

Tessa will meet you poolside at the Talisman Center in Calgary at 8.20am for an 8.30 start. I suspect she has some words of wisdom to impart (she has done this set many times) and some pacing and nutrition strategies!! Bring enough calories to get you through the 3-3.5 hours.

Faster swimmers could come a little later so you all finish together.

There will likely be some celebratory post-swim feasting for those who have time and I am assured the bread will be leaven!

Email Tessa if you have any questions or just show up. Hope you all have a blast and wish I could be there.

Also, if anyone would like to lead the charge on a Vancouver, Victoria or Ontario version of the event, let us know!!

Tessa's email: thepfactor@me.com

Enjoy!!
Sara

Important Phat Camp Info

2011-03-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Spring is arriving as I type, and here at Mercury Rising we are getting ready for the 3rd annual PHAT CAMP!! PHAT CAMP is our no-nonsense work-hard camp that takes place in Penticton BC, the home of Ironman Canada. This year, the dates of the camp align perfectly with preparation for both Ironman Canada and Calgary 70.3.

Here are some important details:

When: Monday July 11th-Monday July 18th 2011
Where: Spanish Villas, Penticton, BC
What you get:
-12 coached training sessions
-Ironman and age group champion coaches providing personal attention and feedback
-entry to the Peach Classic Olympic or Sprint Triathlon
-challenging week of training to suit your personal race goals
-wide range of abilities and fitness levels welcome
-technical sessions on open water swimming, bike handling and transitions
-training on the Ironman Canada course
-positive group environment
-7 nights accommodation at Spanish Villas on Lakeshore Drive
-3 group dinners
-2 talks by coaches, including Sara Gross; "Mental Training to Race at Your Potential"

Tentative Schedule:
Monday- arrive, easy run, group dinner
Tuesday- bike skills and hills, swim sighting and drafting, tempo run
Wednesday- bike Ironman course w transition run
Thursday- run along Ironman course, open water swim, pizza night
Friday- 2h easy bike
Saturday- open water swim and transition practice, easy run with drills
Sunday- RACE Peach Classic Olympic or Sprint Distance, recovery swim, group dinner
Monday- Optional open water swim, check out!

Pricing:
$1500- based on sharing room between 2 (rooms include bedroom with 2 double beds, separate living room with pull out sofa and kitchen with stove, fridge and microwave)
$1950- for private room (room the same as above)
$1000- for camp only, no accommodation

**Important note**
Must register by May 1st to qualify for accommodation!

To register: Go to the "camps" page on our website (http://www.mercuryrisingtriathlon.com/camps.php). Download the word document near the bottom of the page. Fill it out and email it to info@mercuryrisingtriathlon.com. Information will then be sent to you regarding payment!

Hope to see you all in Penticton!

Going to Disneyland!

2011-03-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

In between trips to Sea World and the Magic Kingdom, Leanne Sherman fit in the Desert International Triathlon in Palm Springs yesterday morning. Clearly in a hurry to see the rest of California, she crossed the line with a speedy time of 2:29, taking 7th in her age group. Congratulations, Leanne! Enjoy your vacation!

The Tri Season is Upon Us!

2011-03-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Although it may be hard to imagine, triathlon season has arrived! Many of us are eager for more outdoor training and racing. Hang in there, spring is just around the corner!

While YOU may have been training indoors due to snow and ice-covered roads this weekend, Mercury Risers James Galbraith and Sergio Del Piccolo were battling it out at the UBC Olympic Triathlon. A pool maze swim, a windy and cool bike and a sunny, still windy run made for a good early race and both athletes did well. Placing 5th and 6th in their respective age groups made for a satisfying finish.

Coach Rachel was happy to find them on the staggered start course and proud to see them finish strong. A friendly rivalry between these two will continue to fuel the fire as the season builds. Nice work guys.

Cathy Noel's Adventure in Napa Valley

2011-03-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

The entire Mercury team is very proud today of Cathy Noel's awesome effort at the Napa Valley marathon today where she ran a 3:54 and qualified for Boston!!!
This lady has SOOOOO much potential!!
Well done Cathy!!!

And another lil' triathlete is born!

2011-03-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

As well as pulling off some great races, we seem to be reproducing pretty quickly here at Mercury Rising. Welcome to the world Adelaide Elizabeth Hopwood! Dad Jeremy is an outstanding athlete who raced his first Hawaii Ironman last fall. All the best to him, mom Leslie and the new little girl!

Nice early season 1/2 Marathon

2011-02-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, Mercury Risers Sergio Del Piccolo and Jeremy Hopwood competed in Vancouver's "First Half" half marathon.

Sergio recently joined MRT, and works with Coach Rachel. Only 6 weeks back to steady training he was hoping to finish under 2 hours. He finished strong with an impressive 1:45:49. Congrats on a new PB Sergio!!!

Coach Clint is proud of Jeremy's 1:21:49, run on tired legs. Jeremy is now racing the clock until he joins Clint, Sergio and so many others in the world of Fatherdom.

Welcome Clara!

2011-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

Clara Falkowski Vilchez was born at 7.20am on Valentine's Day. She is the third child and first daughter of Mercury Rising Team member and website designer, Carlos Vilchez. Congratulations to Carlos and wife Anna. All the best to you and your expanding family!!

Mercury Rising Women Own the Race!

2011-02-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

143 ladies showed up to race the Calgary Hypothermic Half Marathon today. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 13th place in the women’s field ALL went to Mercury Rising athletes! Lorraine Churchill blazed her way to 2nd, with a pb time of 1:38, over 35 minutes faster than her previous official half marathon time. 3rd place went to Leanne Sherman, who had a breakthrough race, and a pb time of almost 4 minutes! Hot on Leanne’s tail (8 seconds to be exact) Patty Infusino took 3rd place, pb’ing at 1:42. And rounding out the streak of personal best times for the day, Marija Susnjar battled her way to a pb, finishing in 1:49, taking 13th place.

Congratulations, Ladies! Way to represent!!!!!

*Editor's Note: The results published were based on the 10:00am race wave. Unlike past years, this year an additional 1:00pm race wave was added to the race and those results were posted after this blog was written. Despite an extra 48 women's results being added to the combined list, the girls' overall placement only changed slightly, putting them in 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 21st out of 191 women.

Congratulations Michelle!!

2011-02-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Mercury Rising athlete and coach Michelle Milot (aka Rockstar) has been selected for the Team TBB Elite Development Squad! This means that she will be working with world-class coach Brett Sutton and his team for 2011.

Sara has been coaching Michelle for 4 years and can tell you that there is no one more worthy of this than her. Michelle has the attitude and work ethic of someone who can and will achieve her potential in this sport. As a coach there is no greater reward than seeing someone who was a complete beginner 4 years ago become a competitive athlete and an age group champion through hard work and dedication. Michelle's next goal is to make the leap to the elite side of the sport and we look forward to seeing her succeed!

Go Rockstar!!!

Swim Camp Follow-up

2011-01-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have noticed that following a swim camp (or any camp for that matter) athletes are often left with a high level of motivation and generally tend to feel inspired (i hope!) and are ready to make good on what was learned. The trouble lies in the follow up, when we go back to our normal lives and responsibilities and tend to let go of what was learned and go back to our old habits, including poor swim technique.

In the days following the camp, Clint put together a series of video clips for one of his athletes to help keep her on track. I thought everyone could benefit from his work, so here goes:

It all starts with a great clip of Thorpe. You can see where his hand enters the water very clearly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm-vSqlWmgs&feature=fvw

Here's one of Phelps. In this clip Michael is clearly extending well behind his head before he enters HOWEVER he's going so fast that he incorporates a beat of glide before he catches. This gives the illusion that he pushing his arm through the water. If a slower swimmer (say over 1:30 per hundred at a minimum) were to try this technique they would begin to sink before they started their catch. This highlights one of the many reasons we dont recommend taking our cues from Olympic 100m freestylers! We mortals can't possibly emulate them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc&feature=related

Here's Popov
Super slow - very clear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIzBaSiWdRA&feature=related

Here's a guy who is NOT Phelps, Thorpe or any other gold medalist:
Perfect: note how he exits the water at his hip. One of my favorite clips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9ieteTZ2rk&feature=related

This is EXCELLENT as well (its Jodie Swallow!) - also from swimsmooth.com - great site!
He even talks about getting rid of the dead spots at the front of the stroke - he's talking about the glide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiNkAMU8syI

Enjoy and keep working!!

You don't want to miss this!

2010-12-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

In August 2010, Mercury Rising launched the first in a series of events to raise money for charity. At that event, we heard Laura Dodds tell her amazing story of overcoming the struggles of living with Fetal Alchohol Syndrome through the sport of triathlon. We managed to raise $1200 for the Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network's Empowerment Fund.

Now in 2011, we are aiming much higher, organizing bigger events with bigger goals. From the outset, we wanted our chosen charities to have meaning to us personally. For example, Laura is coached by one of our coaches, Michelle. This time around, we are raising money for Brain Cancer Research alongside one of my childhood friends, Alyson, who was diagnosed with Brain Cancer over a year ago.

Alyson is a woman of great talent and even before her diagnosis she was an inspiring person and leader. She has agreed to put together a presentation for us that i have no doubt will inspire us as athletes and enrich our lives. I am very much looking forward to hearing what she has to share.

On January 16th 2011, we will be holding a charity event at Tri-it Multisport, 2640 Parkdale Blvd NW, Calgary. Our goal is to raise $5000 for Brain Cancer Research. The day begins with Alyson's talk at 9am. We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for the talk which will be open to the public by donation. At 11am we will start the 3h SPINATHON, which will include live music and an inspirational slideshow followed by lunch. Join us for the whole day for $99 (or $89 for Mercury Rising athletes) and ALL of the proceeds will go towards the cause. Alternatively, join us for the whole weekend including the swim camp (go to www.mercuryrisingtriathlon.com/camps for details)! Its going to be an amazing weekend of learning together.

What follows is some further information about Alyson, her talk, and how you can expect to be inspired:

Seminar Bio - Balanced Roles for Smarter Goals
“With awareness of the fuller picture, your outlook becomes reasonable and your actions become practical and in this way, favourable results can be achieved” – his holiness the Dalai Lama
As an elite amateur athlete, there are constants demands on your time. You have limited amount of energy to expend and unlimited commitments demanding your attention. To achieve success in your goal of completing Ironman, it is critical that you have a plan which helps you manage your “athletic” roles in the pool, on the bike and on the road, without ignoring your “life” roles in your work, with your family and with yourself. While training, much of your immediate energy may need to be focused on your sport, however investing all your energy into but one part of your identity can leave a person feeling stressed, overwhelmed, unmotivated and resentful, all of which will only work to limit your performance on the course. In developing your plan for Ironman, it’s important that you consider how you can incorporate time to develop your “life” roles in conjunction to developing yourself as an athlete. It’s time dream about the best you can become, acknowledge all the key roles which make up your unique identity, and articulate smarter goals to balance your life and unleash your potential.

Speaker Bio - Alyson Woloshyn
Alyson Woloshyn is a leader, athlete, writer, consultant, motivational speaker and mentor. Alyson draws on her over 15 years experience developing people and programs, to offer practical and tactical strategies to inspire people to turn their impossible dreams into possible realities. Deeply committed to community engagement, professionally she has chosen to invest her talents working in the public and not for profit sector. As a community leader she has participated in planning major concerts, raised tens of thousands for local charities and assisted in planning major events such as the 2009 Juno Awards in Calgary. She currently works at the University of Calgary as the Director of Client Services and volunteers for the Calgary Stampede and Young Adult Cancer Canada.
In May 2009, Alyson was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma (GBM), an incurable form of brain cancer. Although a severe and serious diagnosis, she has chosen to approach her journey with cancer with strength and optimism and shares her journey through writing to help people understand how to turn devastating tragedy into a life’s greatest opportunity.
In her spare time Alyson is happiest when engaging in an active lifestyle which includes yoga, running, and outdoor activities like skiing and mountain biking. To bring her balance she writes, meditates, cooks and maintains close relationships with friends and family.
Website – alysonwoloshyn.com Book – “Blogs for the Brain” – available at alysonwoloshyn.com

Chosen Charity - Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF) Brain Cancer Research Grants and Trials
The Mission of ACF is to deliver progress in cancer research, prevention, treatment and care by generating community investment for Alberta's coordinated research strategy and cancer centres throughout the province. Alyson has created a specific campaign “Woloshyn’s Warriors” to support ACF in their research to find new treatments or a cure for brain cancer. Alyson has completed 15 months of treatment which included surgery, radiation and chemo-therapy. Treatment was “successful” however brain cancer can not be cured and recurrence happens in 99% of cases, likely in less than 5 years. Alyson has received the maximum dose of radiation and chemo-therapy a body can manage, consequently when recurrence happens, unless new therapies are created, there will be no options but putting hospice plans in place for Alyson’s care. Confident that new effective treatments are on the horizon, Alyson has chosen to support ACF research efforts to find new ways to treat or cure her disease.
Information about Alberta Cancer Foundation can be found at - http://albertacancer.ca/page.aspx?pid=643
To view “Woloshyn’s Warrior” campaign please visit - http://albertacancer.ca/page.aspx?pid=747&tab=0&frsid=620

We look forward to seeing you there!!

SWIM CAMP SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE!

2010-12-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

The schedule for the January Jump Start weekend is now available! The weekend basically includes 2 events in one. The swim camp runs on Friday evening and all of Saturday and The Inspiration Series Event #2 is all-day Sunday. The whole weekend costs $350 and a portion of this will go to the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Sunday's spin-a-thon is also being run as a separate event and costs $99 with a 10% discount for Mercury Rising athletes. All of the proceeds will go to charity. We hope to see many new and familiar faces, so come and be inspired!

Friday January 14th

5:00pm-6:30pm Tri It Multisport; welcome & shopping

7:30pm-8:30pm SAIT Aquatics Center Pool; warm up session & individual swim video-taping

Saturday January 15th

6:00am – 8:00am SAIT Aquatics Centre Pool; hard swim, stroke feedback

8:30am – 10:30am SAIT Campus Room V-10; breakfast will be provided, video stroke analysis

1:30pm – 3:45pm SAIT Campus Room V-10; more video stroke analysis, injury prevention discussion from our sponsor, Scott Sherman @ Panther Sports Medicine Trico Centre

4:00pm – 6:00pm SAIT Aquatics Centre Pool; stroke feedback and practice

Sunday January 16th

The Inspiration Series Event #2; Tri-it Multisport

9:00am - 10.00am Talk from motivational speaker Alyson Woloshyn; snacks provided

10.30am - 2.00pm 3h30 Mega Bike Session with Michelle Milot; includes live DJ, singers and slide show!

2.00pm - 3.00pm LUNCH and final words

We look forward to seeing you there!

Viva Las Vegas

2010-12-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

A great finish to a great year! Watching Tisha cross the finish line at Ironman Canada was one of my own personal highlights this year. To see the smile on her face, and the tears of joy in her eyes...still gives me goosebumps to think about. This girl definitely earned her every one of her finisher's medals this season. Although her season was filled with personal challenges, her commitment to training never waivered, and continued on right up to the Las Vegas Marathon this past weekend. She crossed the line at 4:08, a PB by 30 minutes, and STILL had the energy to take her teenage daughter on a shopping spree! Congratulations, Tisha!!

At last! Here she is.....

2010-11-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Rosalee Sara Lien, our newest team member, was welcomed into the world just before midnight on Saturday, November 27. She took her time coming and arrived safely weighing in at 6 pounds 11 ounces. Mom, Dad and baby were all smiles at the finish line and are all doing great! Congratulations Sara and Clint! We can't wait to meet you, Rosalee!!!

SWIM CAMP IS COMING!!

2010-11-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

JANUARY JUMP START
presented by:

Start the New Year with us!

Intensive Swim Technique Camp
and
The Inspiration Series Event #2
Calgary, Alberta
5pm Friday 14th January – 5pm Sunday 16th January, 2011

Tentative Schedule
Friday January 14th
Camp Intro Meeting; Meet the coaches and surprises from Zoot Sports!
1h SWIM and video session

Saturday January 15th
Big day of swimming and learning!
Talks on swim technique and injury prevention
Individual feedback and video analysis
4h of SWIM time to implement changes, learn new skills and swim hard

Sunday January 16th
The Inspiration Series Event #2
The day includes: An inspirational talk with cancer survivor Alyson Woloshyn
Epic Bike Workout with Michelle Milot
Live music, sports nutrition products, draw prizes, lunch and more!

The Leadership Team includes:
Clint Lien: Triathlon Coach
Carrie Meakin: Triathlon Coach
Sara Gross: Professional Triathlete
Michelle Milot: Triathlon Coach
Shawn Skene: Triathlon Coach
Alyson Woloshyn: Inspirational Speaker

The cost of the camp is $350. Part of the proceeds will be donated to charity. For further info or to register go to www.mercuryrisingtriathlon.com or email info@mercuryrisingtriathlon.com. Events will take place at SAIT Polytechnic and Tri-it Multisport.

Sponsored by:

A few quotes i like

2010-11-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

I was surfing the web for fun things to read when i came across a thread on the Team TBB forum of favorite quotes. There were literally dozens of great quotes posted there, but i stole a few of my faves and thought i might share...

Adolph Rupp, Hall of Fame basketball coach for Kentucky, used to say;
"Coaching is the art of making athletes behave like thoroughbreds. When you call upon a thoroughbred it gives you all its heart and sinew; when you call upon a jackass it kicks."

If you trust in yourself...and believe in your dreams ...and follow your star...
you'll still get beaten by people who spend their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.

"Go on be my guest, go listen to the take it easy preachers, train smart not hard,
but ill guarantee you this, you will watch the real men, who like the feel of the burn, who like to see what they are made of, who are not fragile in the face of exhaustion,
youll watch them do great things, while you sit there tellin yourself, you didnt have it, and son, you will be right." Percy Currutty

And my personal fave:

"Show me a fighter who's nothing but heart, and i'll show you a man waiting for a beating." Million dollar baby.

Happy Training and don't forget to work hard!
Sara

New Mercury Athletes Rising to the Challenge

2010-11-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

Two of our crew's newest athletes, Kari Strutt and Patty Infusino, are already on their way to a great year! Both had solid days at the Last Chance Half in Calgary on the weekend. Congratulations to Patty for finishing 28th out of 257 females the day after surviving one of Michelle Milot's awesome marathon spin sessions, and Kari for hitting a PB by over 12 minutes!! Great first race of the year, ladies!! Some post-race thoughts from Kari can be found here...a great read!

http://alexandrawriterswritenow.blogspot.com/

Clearwater

2010-11-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to send a quick shout out to Luke and Meg for competing in the Clearwater 70.3 World Championships! It was a tough day but both of them slugged it out to the finish! Luke finished with a 4:18 and most certainly had some positive aspects to the day! He had an amazing year!!

Silverman and Jingle Bells

2010-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Todd Graham met his match at the Silverman Iron Distance Triathlon over the weekend. A momentous occasion - not only did Todd take 15th/45 in his age group, but it was the first time I have heard Todd use the phrase "I am tired." Apparently it takes one of the toughest Iron Distance courses out there, less than 2 months after Ironman Canada, a windy & hot day, killer tarantulas, and a series of flats to finally tire this boy out. He dug deep to get through it and now will be taking a well deserved rest...right, Todd?!

While her husband was battling the desert, Shana Graham raced her way to a PB at the Jingle Bell 10k Run in Regina over the weekend. Congrats, Shana!!

Fast Fall 10k's

2010-11-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: telegraph.co.uk

Mercury Riser's James Galbraith and Sarah Miller competed in their very first 10k run races this fall.

Two weeks back James did the Hallow's Eve 10k on Vancouver's North Shore. An incredibly hilly and challenging trail run where runners race in costume (this can be distracting, yet fun). James made it look easy, finishing in an impressive time of 51:17. He was 4th in his age group and 18th overall. Way to go James!

Today Sarah Miller competed in the Angus Glen 10k in Markham, Ontario. Her goal time was 50 minutes and Sarah came in at 50:36. She was thrilled with her time and then had the added bonus of being on her age group podium. 3rd place belongs to Sarah and we're very proud of her hard work.

More speed to come from both James and Sarah. Congrats to you each. We look forward to your future results!

Claire gets the job done at IM Florida

2010-11-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ottawa resident and Ironman rookie Claire Matheson finished Ironman Florida today in 11h21 and 9th in the competitive 30-34 age group! She got stronger as the day went on with a 1h16 swim, 5h57 bike and sub-4h marathon.

Claire is a long-time friend of mine (Sara) and i have coached her since 2007. She focused on running for 2 years, qualifying and completing 2 Boston marathons before returning to triathlon and deciding to take on the Ironman. Like everyone, Claire has had some challenges in her training and has had to make sacrifices to stay healthy and consistent. I am very pleased to see those sacrifices pay off!

My history with Claire goes back to the first time i returned to Canada after many years abroad. I came to race Ironman Canada in 2004, my second Ironman. Claire was one of the people in Penticton who made me feel very welcome. My first morning in town, Claire and I rode together and she invited me to her Yoga class as well. Claire's kindness truly goes above and beyond. In the years that followed, I stayed in her home for a couple months each year training for Ironman Canada and Hawaii. Needless to say, I am very pleased to see Claire put together such a great race on her first attempt at Ironman! Congratulations Claire!

Claire chilling out before one of her little runs in Boston.

Big Day in Kona for Mercury Rising

2010-10-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Mercury Rising had 3 athletes competing in the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kona this year, and all three executed excellent races.

Leading the charge was Michael Vanderhyde who put together a sub-10h finish of 9:58! Fantastic. Michael was followed closely by Jeremy Hopwood, who managed a 10:05 and swears he will return someday for a faster finish!

Jeremy glad to reach the finishline!

And Mercury Coach and athlete Michelle Milot finished in 10:28, a superb time that also made her the 2nd fastest Canadian female!!

Michelle rocks the run course.

We are all extremely proud of these 3 amazing athletes!

The very next day Clint and I (Sara) went out to watch some of our girls compete in the Victoria full and half marathon. It was fun to watch both Tessa P. and Lisa Isley run PBs for the half distance and see Jenna's smiling face as she finished the marathon just 6 weeks after Ironman Canada.

Huge Congrats to everyone!!

Teresa Copeland Rocks the Black Diamond!!

2010-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Teresa Copeland took the 50-54 age group title at the Black Diamond 1/2 Ironman in Washington! She also knocked 30 minutes off her 1/2 IM time from last year.
Everyone at Mercury Rising Triathlon is very proud of her!
Come on Teresa - send us some photos and write a race report!!

Calgary Brick Class Starting October 16th!

2010-09-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall Super Spinners!

Well it's that time again when the air is becoming a little too cold to keep doing our long rides outside:-(

Starting Saturday Oct. 16th (weekend after Kona) at 9:15am at Fitness Plus North, I'll be holding the 1st of 8 weeks of SUPER SATURDAY SPIN!!

The class will include minimum 2 hrs of indoor riding on a spin bike or your own bike and trainer, a short transition run followed by tri specific, injury preventing not to mention 6 pack building core!! I promise to keep the MOTIVATION HIGH AND THE TUNES FLY!

Call Fitness Plus North,403 273 7450 to reserve your spot or shoot me an e-mail (michellemilot@hotmail.com)!

All Mercury Rising Triathletes, Fitness Plus Members and past Super Spinners all all eligible for the discount of $199 + tax for 8 classes (25% off the regular price of $249 +tax)!

Drop in is available for $30 + tax but package holders get priority to the classes:-)

Hope to see you all there!!

Michelle

Mercury Takes Banff

2010-09-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, myself (Sara) and Clint made the long drive to Banff to help out with the Lifesport event there (well, Clint helped out, i mostly hung out). I was very pleased at the Mercury Rising turnout at the race, including amateur photographer Tessa P. who took some beautiful shots and was kind enough to share them with us.

In terms of results, there was no shortage and it was great to see various people in team kit on the podium in various categories. Jackie Morettin completed her first Olympic distance race in 3h14 and Leanne Sherman put together a solid race in 2h40. Todd Graham (aka the energy bunny) won his age group just 2 weeks after Ironman Canada!! And relay team of Tessa, Lisa and Jon came 2nd overall in the Olympic relay division. Luke Gillmer put together a solid race placing 3rd in the elite division, another great result for Luke as he prepares for the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater.

Leanne smiles as she runs home down Banff Ave.

Mercury team member Lisa shares a burger with hubby Jon after a successful effort in the relay division (photographer Tessa biked for this team)

I love this shot of Todd and I chatting after his podium finish, while wife Shana removes a timing chip from a competitor. Shana offered to help out at the finish line at the last minute and really saved the day! Thanks Shana!

Volunteer extraordinaire Shana.

Todd and Shana debrief post-race in the shadow of the mountains.

Todd on top of the age group podium.

Luke 3rd in his second elite race! Yay Luke!