Saturday, October 4, 2008

Training Update

Things have been rolling along nicely. I have been as consistent, injury free and generally spot on as I could ever expect given all of this is some kind of crazy hobby. The work is getting done; as it has for the past few months. I am generally happy where things are at. Today was another 7hr workout day with over 6 hours on the bike followed by a run. This was on the heels of a 3hr ride with short run last night which itself was on the back of 2.75hr done solidly at my race pace on Thursday night. Chewing through this kind of stretch at this phase of things with solid energy - both physical and mental is great for confidence. I have another big week ahead and then volume begins to get tapered back. While volume is reduced, intensity and the number of workouts themselves stay relatively consistent. The lower amount of volume allows time to recover but by keeping intensity and the number of workouts unchanged, fitness is maintained and your body stays on the same kind of schedule it has become accustomed to. The icing on the cake...(mmm, icing...after the race I already have a list of fast food meals I have put on hold the last few months.)
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THE CAUSE

Regardless of what brought you to our site, we welcome you. Simply put, Racing for SickKids – Ironman Florida 2008 exists for a sole purpose: to raise as much money as we can to support Cardiac Care at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

The division of Cardiology at SickKids was established over 60 years ago and is now one of the largest and most successful of its kind. Like many of the Hospitals’ departments and programs they are world-class innovators, teachers and caregivers. But the real reason SickKids and the Cardiology group is so important to me among the many, many other causes and charities is what they did for my friend, Jonathan Holiday.

I am using the platform of training for and racing in an Ironman Triathlon to share his story. The physical challenges are quantifiable: I will swim 3.9km, cycle 180km and run 42km – consecutively. I will be racing 226km (140 miles) or approximately the distance from Toronto to Parry Sound in a single day. While daunting, I find the mental obstacles far more intimidating, notably having the discipline to fit 15 to 20+ hours of training a week into “life” while avoiding injuries and too many trips to the buffet table. While there is certainly a degree of physical and emotional pain in all of this, it pales in comparison to what the kids and their families are forced to endure every day at SickKids.

Jon was one of these kids. To me he was friend, student, and partner-in-crime. To others he was son, brother, grandson, nephew, classmate, teammate, boy friend. To most, he was better known as “Lawnboy”. For all, he was a special person who, at only 17 years old, left us far too early.

100% of the money we raise will support the Jonathan Holiday Fund to support Cardiology at SickKids. Please follow the link at the top right of the page or click HERE to make a secure online donation.