Coteau du Lac ITU

Race today here went well all around:

Prep went well, big meal for breakfast and a smallish bowl of pasta before heading out for a 3:30 start. Overcast skies that looked threatening hung over the course all day but not a drop of rain was felt.

Swim:
Wetsuit swim. Decent start, with a good position on the pontoon took me into the front pack right away. The pace on the first lap was full on, especially around the turn bouys I was redlined. Get out and re-entry on the second lap was sub par I had a pretty pathetic dive. The second lap the pace settled in and when you can draft behind guys like bechtel and bryden it becomes even easier. Coming out of the water I was about 6th or 7th in around 17:40. Fast swim , happy with it.

Bike:
A-Mac was first out of tranny and it took a good 2k to reel him in. The initial front pack included. McCartney, Dye, Elvery, Sexton, Limkemann, Green who was useless, myself, bryden, webber and pattle. For most part it was dye,sexton, limkemann and myself keeping the group rolling as a chase pack which included some great runners like AP and Yorke were about 45s back.

On lap 2 we were caught by the chase. Bechtel played a big domestic role in this race and was the most influential athlete on the course today. Had he raced his own race and put that work into the lead group things would have played differently. Cudos though to him, such a strong cyclist.

Once the packs merged I took a breather for most of the remaining bike. I threw in one attack on lap 4 to test out the pack followed by an AMac special with cheese, but it was not to be on the flat out and back course. Another Cudos to my roomate here, Patrice Hamelin, who rode a flat front wheel for the last 6k of the bike, and still hung on.

Run:
Into T2 I had a great one and was out with the two kiwi`s Elvery and Pattle to start the 10k. Elvery set a high pace very early, running away with the win within 1k. Things got interesting at about 2k when a pack of 4 formed of AP, Yorke, Pattle, and myself. Pattle pulled out with stomach issues and I dropped off the pace at about 3k. Great running AP and Yorke. At about 5k Sexton came up on me. He probably raced the most agressively on the day, staying at or near the front for the entire ride. I hung with Sexton for about a mile and then saw him creep away. So I found myself in 5th. With 1.25k to go Francois Hogan, who I believe was racing his first ITU Olympic, was starting to press on me. I had to really kick it up a notch for the remainder to hold him off, what a scare he gave me. So i finished 5th, very happy with this result. Felt solid in all three disciplines today and did not suffer from any rib/diaphragm cramping, I think i know the secret now.

Results are posted @ elitetriresults.com

Good luck to all the Canadians racing in Washington DC tomorrow! I`ll have some bacon and eggs ready to watch the men at 9:15 and then the women at 11:45 est.

I will take an active recovery week now which will take me to the end of the first half of my season. It has been a successfull campaign so far I think, pretty consistent.