Saturday 30 March 2013

Provincials: Day 3

It's finally over. It's been a long 2 and a half days but I made it out alive. I swam the 200free, 800free and 2 relays (freestyle of course) and I killed every single event.

So my first event today was the 200m free. I was really looking forward to this one seeing as me and Alex were in lanes 3 and 4 and that the 200 is really the distance right in between both our specialties. We both took the first 50 out in 30s and the first 100 in 1:04. Alex then started pulling away and was just over 1s ahead by the 150 mark. Luckily I was able to muster up a final sprint finish, out touching him by just under a second.

 Next up were the relays. Last for the morning session was the 200m free men's relay and just before the 800 began was the 200m medley mixed relay. As I did the days before, I didn't bother asking for my split times but after realizing they were posted online, I figured it wouldn't hurt to check. It turns out I went 26.72 for the morning relay and 26.23 for the second! I couldn't believe I actually managed to hit a 26 and it turns out I went 26.86 is the men's medley yesterday as well. I guess I still have some sprinter in me even though I haven't had a single practice focusing on sprints.

Last even of the day was the 800m free. After my relay I jumped in the warm-up lanes for a couple hundred meters because I felt a knot starting to form but I was able to get rid of it and I was feeling great. Of course, I was still nervous about this race so I went over to Ken and asked for a plan. The general outlines of it were 200 easy speed/300 hold or pick up a little/300 build for a strong finish. For the finish he referred to how I was able to catch Alex in the last 50 of the 200m and said that, similar to that, I should have a strong finish. He obviously didn't mean last 300m all out because I would have burnt out after 50m but he definitely made that clear. I ended up finishing in a time of 10:30.45 which I am really happy with considering I had convinced myself 10:40 was good enough. I'd also like to add that my splits were very consistent. I started in 34 and 39, then held 40s very steadily until the 500m mark where I progressively went from a 40.01 to a 39.11, finishing the last 50m in 36.36. It was a solid race and it felt really good. I noticed how important my kick (where I don't cross my legs over) was in keeping a steady pace so getting a stronger kick could only benefit me in the long run, whether it saves energy in a triathlon or gives me speed in a pure swim race.

Details for the day:

Breakfast:

  • Vector cereal
  • Apple
Lunch:

  • Subway 6" turkey sub with lettuce and tomato
  • Large chocolate milk
  • Yogurt, fruit cup, granola bar
As I should have anticipated, the sub gave me some digestive issues. I was just lucky I didn't have to go during my races.

I'm glad I finished the meet on a good note. That 400 yesterday has left me with something to learn from which is good because if we never make mistakes, we will never learn.

Until next time,
Matt Mahaffy

EDIT: I forgot to mention my sleep. I slept pretty well the night before. Probably only around 7-7.5hrs but that seemed to be enough to keep me going through day 3. I also had a 35-45min nap on deck during the lunch break.

Friday 29 March 2013

Provincials: Day 2

100m free, 50m free, 2 relays and a 400m free. What a long day it was. I started off the morning session with a solid 59.55 in the 100. Considering that I've only gone under 1min a handful of times when my focus was sprinting, I was pretty happy with myself. Next up, just before the lunch break, was the 200m medley men's relay. I swam the freestyle leg of course and although we came first for being the only ones in our age category, I think we actually came 3rd or 4th overall which is pretty impressive considering some of the talent at this meet. Over the lunch break my original plan was to go get a 6" sub at Subway but I found out that I wasn't going to get the extra time from a second warm-up so I just decided to eat my many snacks instead.

First race in the afternoon was the 50m free which I swam in 27.43 followed by the 200m freestyle mixed relay and the 400m free. I lead the relay and raced in my drag suit due to the fact that my legs were getting tired from being in my Speedo aquablade all morning. We did pretty well and I loved the team spirit my team-mates showed even though we had never met before. I didn't get my times for either of the relays because although I still gave 100%, it didn't really matter that much to me.

Finally, I had the 400m free and boy was that ever rough. I really wanted to get around 4:40-4:45 but I was so burnt out and unprepared that things didn't go so well. I took it out around 1:06 (I think) which was as planned but I noticed at the 150m mark that I was about to die hard. I ended up dropping my pace to around 38-39/50m and finished my last 50m in a "quick" 36. I was in lane 8 which was nice for the encouragement from team-mates on deck right beside me but it was tough for me to see how the race was going. I thought that the rest of the field dropped me after the first 100m with the exception of one guy in the farther lanes but it turns out that I only got beat by lane 6 and 7. When my friend Nilesh told me that after the meet was over it brought my spirits back up a little after being disappointed by my performance. Don't get me wrong though, I still did well. I managed to get a pb and go 4:57 which I was happy with because I went under 5mins. I was just disappointed in the fact that I knew, had I either paced better or had the 400m been the first event of the day, I would have done much better. I shouldn't really complain though, my all time pb in the 400m is about 4:55 and that was when I used to train 10+hrs a week. As much as I am looking forward to the head to head in the 200m free tomorrow with Alex Vanderlinden along with the 800m, which hopefully I pace better than my 400m, I can't wait for this meet to be over. I have some school work I need to get done and I never enjoy leaving it until Sunday.

Here are some details on the day:

Breakfast:

  • Vector cereal (medium sized bowl, didn't want to force down a full bowl)
  • Apple
Lunch/snacks:

  • Water bottle filled with orange juice
  • Goldfish
  • Nutri-grain
  • Fruit cup
  • Yogurt
  • more granola bars, fruit cups and yogurt
I generally only ate half a fruit cup or a nutri-grain bar if I felt like I needed something to eat during the long wait between races, but otherwise I had orange juice and during lunch I had a mix of everything.

Dinner: for dinner I just had some leftover pasta, some breaded fish and freezer veggies

EDIT: I completely forgot to mention my sleep. I had some trouble falling asleep the night before and that may have had a negative impact on my performance and fatigue.

Thursday 28 March 2013

Provincials: Day 1

One down, five and relays to go! I did the 1500m tonight in 20:23 (unofficial) which I am really happy with. I was hoping to go under 20mins but considering that this is the first time I've ever raced more than 400m (excluding triathlon) I would say mission accomplished! Tomorrow I am doing the 100m free in the morning and the 50m and 400m free in the afternoon. I'm probably also going to be put is some relays so it should be a long day.

Here are some details on today:

Sleep: ~9-9.5hrs
Breakfast: Vector cereal and an apple
Lunch: Turkey sandwich on twelve grain, 2 yogurts, couple granola bars, goldfish crackers, orange juice
Dinner: Pasta with tomato sauce ~4hrs before race, ~2hrs before warm-up
Post-race: Cliff bar, granola bar
Hydration for the day: Water and a tiny bit of gatorade

Warm-up: 
  • 400fr
  • 100k/200drill/100k
  • 100fr/100im/100bk/100build fr
  • 8x50 as [easy breath every 3/build/easy breath 3/strong]
Race: Did like Ken said, ~300 feeling light/~500 a little harder/finish at that pace or give a little more (depending on feel). Towards the end I started feeling a little cramped in my right side, which could have added a few seconds but good otherwise. Definitely much tougher mentally than sprinting.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Masters Prov. Champs Tomorrow

So this morning we did basically did the meet warm-up for practice with a couple 100m hard back to back. I'm feeling really good but never having swam an 800m or 1500m is really shaking my nerves. I think the 400m is what I look forward to the most. I really feel like I am ready to perform in that event. It may be the last event Friday but I am ready!

On another note, my mcl started bugging me again. It came back the day after my Sunday easy spin. I still don't have any pain though which is good. I am getting pretty tired of training in fear of injury so unless it becomes a major problem I am going to resume the bike and run sessions. My next bike isn't until Sunday after the meet is over so hopefully that gives it enough "rest". I say it like that because the swim meet isn't exactly a rest period haha. Anyways, that's all for today.

Matt Mahaffy, signing out.

Sunday 24 March 2013

Two weeks ago today, the weather outside was great so I decided to take my bike outside for the first time this year. I went for 2 hours and other than some rough winds, it wasn't so bad. On my way back, I fell over while stopped at an intersection and other than the initial embarrassment of falling over while clipped in and a few scratches, I was fine. A few days later I started having some pain in my MCL and although not too serious, it has kept me off the bike and the run this week. I did an hour easy spin today and it seems to have healed well so hopefully nothing comes up and I will be able to run and bike again this week.

There is now 4 days until masters swimming provincials and I am getting more and more excited. I haven't raced in a real competition since I left TMSC almost 2 years ago now so it should be interesting to see how my new, less intensive training is coming along.

Saturday 23 March 2013

My story so far

My name is Matthew Mahaffy and this is my blog. This is kind of my introduction to anyone who may want to follow my journey to attempt to become a pro triathlete so I apologize for the lengthy post.

I am currently 19 years old and am in my 2nd year of studies for mechanical engineering at The University of Western Ontario (recently changed to Western University). The reason I created this blog is to keep track of my progress in training to become a processional triathlete. This is mainly intended for myself, but just in case anyone else happens to stumble upon this blog (whether accidentally or on purpose) I figure I should give a background of my journey in sport. If you would only like to read about my recent experiences skip to the last few paragraphs as this post will cover everything, briefly, from growing up around sport as a kid.

I have been involved in sports since quite a young age. The friends I've made and the experience I've gained growing up around sports have been crucial to who I am today. I have never been a talented athlete, but have always enjoyed sports just the same. I've played hockey, soccer (or football), made several attempts at basketball, ran cross-country and track and field, and have swam competitively. My main sport had always been swimming growing up.

I mentioned earlier that I want to become a pro triathlete so I will talk about my swim/run background.

I always enjoyed taking swimming lessons as a kid and being that the lessons were run by the local club, the next logical step was to join the swim team. I began swimming with the Timmins Marlins Swim Club (TMSC) when I was about 9 or 10 years old (don't quote me on that) and swam with them until I graduated high school, with the exception of grade 9. The reason I did not swim in grade 9 is because I was given the ultimatum of staying in swimming or playing hockey, which I'd also been doing for a few years. I chose hockey because all my friends were doing it, typical high school logic, but I quickly realized that I'd made the wrong decision. Getting back into the pool after a full year off was rough but with the help of my coach, Tracy McCartney, I was able to gain some flexibility along with some new found strength I'd been gaining through puberty. I began to do quite well  relatively quickly, much to my own surprise, even though I'd been off for a year. Like I mentioned earlier, I've never been particularly talented and before I took a year off in grade 9, I couldn't even keep up with other guys near my age and younger. Coming back to swimming, I only had one goal in mind and that was to get in shape and catch up to the other guys on the team. I wanted to contribute to the team's success. I put the time and the effort in and I was able to work my way up to one of the faster freestyle sprinters on the team.

As for running, I started a bit later than I started swimming. I pretty much began running in elementary school because my school was quite good at promoting the cross country team and everyone was doing it. I was always nervous about joining because I wasn't good but my friends encouraged me to join with them and I'm glad they did. I was right about me not being very good but I really enjoyed it. I was in the same situation going into high school. I was extremely intimidated by the fact all the best runners from the elementary schools around the city would be joining, but once again my friends convinced me to join and I've been great friends with every guy on that team ever since. I was never the worst on the cross country team and being that my high school has a great history in cross country running, the coaches really knew how to improve their athletes without driving them into the ground. Because I was slower I was always left behind while my friends went the the provincial championships (OFSAA) every year and at the end of the grade 11 season I told myself I was going to do everything I could to make that team of 5 that got to represent our school at OFSAA. They'd won 4th in grade 9, 2nd in grade 10 and 3rd in grade 11 and I wanted to be a part of that. I built up my mileage during the summer, as opposed to running 2-3 times total in the weeks leading into the season, and I seen massive improvements. I went from a 30+mins pb on our local 6.9km course to a 28min pb with only that summer mileage. I was really looking forward to see if I was going to have a shot at making the team, but unfortunately I got a minor ankle sprain during a really muddy race in North Bay and was never able to run at 100% until the end of the season.  Luckily, all my hard work and dedication, which began in grade 9, paid off and the coaches allowed me to go to OFSAA as an alternate even though there were clearly other, faster runners who could have taken my spot. Our team didn't get the gold they wanted but they did manage to grab a silver and I was allowed to get on the podium with my friends and receive a medal of my own. To this day, it is still one of the most cherished things I own. I went to University the following year, but I would like to mention that my friends stayed for grade 13 and managed to snag that elusive gold medal that they'd worked so hard for.

I did say I'd done some track and field but it was during peak swim season so it was always just for fun. I did long jump, triple jump, high jump, hurdles and a couple 1500m throughout all of high school and I have to say, it gave me a real appreciation for all the track athletes out there.

Now for the reason I created this blog: triathlon. In grade 10 a couple of friends on my cross country team -  Marc-Antoine Nadon who is a fantastic mountain biker and currently competes on the international level, and Colin Allard who was a very talented cross-country running growing up - had planned to do the local Heart of Gold triathlon as a relay and were looking for a swimmer, as their previous swimmer had to cancel. I agreed and that is kind of where it began. I never swam during the summer before, but these guys believed we had a good chance of winning the men's relay so I figured I would train a few times before doing my very first open water race. Swimming open water was much tougher than I thought. It was 2 laps where you had to exit the water after the 1st lap and that gave me bad cramps. We managed to come second to a team of adults. The runner on that team was actually a sponsored Brooks runner and Colin's uncle but it was still very close. The following year the swim club had taken over the role of managing the triathlon which made it a lot easier for people who were lacking a swimmer to find one. I ended up swimming for an older man and a young lady and although they were not in it to win it, I still enjoyed it. We just missed the podium for the co-ed team relay and although I didn't expect to make the podium I was kind of disappointed. After some thought, I decided that before going away to University I wanted to do the entire triathlon myself, so I did. I bought a bike, got a cheap race suit and competed by myself the following year. I severely under trained for this over 1 hour race. I'd barely done over 20km on my bike before the race and had never done any sort of brick workouts. I died during the bike and had to walk several time on the run, which I hadn't done in any race since entering high school. To my defence, it was about 30 degrees Celsius outside but no excuse is a good excuse. I was glad I was able to finish and I think the attention I got from friends and acquaintances really contributed to my future love for the sport.

Jump forward about a month (from July to end of August) and now I am in London, Ontario for a training camp for the Western Mustangs swim team, one of the top ranked in the province. I struggled the first few days but got the hang of it near the end of the week. To my disappointment, even though I felt like I was in the best shape I'd ever been, it just wasn't enough and I failed to even make the training team. I never tried out for cross country because I knew I didn't stand a chance. Struggling to adapt to all my new free time, which didn't last long once I realized what I'd gotten myself into by choosing engineering, I decided to try and find a club to join. I almost didn't find anything of interest but as clubs week came to a close I noticed there was a triathlon club. I knew I would be able to continued running and swimming with other individuals who have a passion for sport and I could do it at my own leisure, which was very appealing after 3 years of swimming 2hours a day during the weekdays. It took some time to get use to spin classes but I loved the triathlon club. Wanting to get back into shape as quickly as possible after quite some time off, I gave 100% at every workout I went to, which soon turned out to be a bad decision. I ended up having some knee and hip injuries which kept me on and off training for the majority of the year. As April came around, there was a triathlon, against other university clubs, in Kingston and being that I was finally free of injury, I thought it would be fun and a good challenge to take another go at a triathlon race. Much to everyone's surprise, it was not very nice out on race day. It rained, was below 10 degrees Celsuis, had heavy winds and no sun was to be found. After finishing that race, completely frozen and exhausted, I had to ask: "What is so special about this sport that has me coming back for more when both of my race my experiences so far have been so difficult and miserable?" And not being able to think of anything logical, I simply decided that perhaps I'd found my sport. I wanted to perform better and realized that I knew nothing about this new sport so I decided to get a coach. I found my first coach online and he gave me workouts to train for my 2nd Timmins Heart of Gold triathlon, which I happened to have unfinished business with, having been the first race I walked in 4 years of competition. My coach's workouts were hard and I drove myself into the ground, injuring myself again, this time some shin pain. We managed to keep me healthy enough to compete and I shaved 7mins off my time from they year before (2011) although my run suffered due to the lack of training. I realized this wasn't the coach for me as they were more focused in developing elite athletes so I said my thanks and cut off all ties there. I did about a month of easy training on my own before looking for a new coach. A friend and quite talented triathlete named Devin Wittig had a coach who happened to be closer to home and was more focused on developing all types of athletes, so I got in touch with him and we went from there.

It is now mid August and knowing of my recent injury history, my new coach decided it was best we address my injury before my next race in September, the Lakeside Triathlon, which is a part of the Multisport Series. Things went well during the 5 weeks leading up to this race and I killed it. I under estimated the wind on the bike but I dug deep on the run and had the best run of my life. I ran just over a 20min 5k which was only 20secs off my 5km road race pb in May of the same year.

We are now back into the school year and into the winter season. Because I never really had a large race season I didn't need to take a rest period so we worked on my base for the next few months. Things were going well, I had my longest run ever of 19km. A few days after that 19km run my shin started acting up worse than ever. I got some professional advice and was told to take a minimum of 6weeks off of running. I was able to continue swimming and biking, but not being able to run was quite devastating. I finally began to understand that listening to my body's aches and pains and dealing with them properly was going to be a huge factor if I ever wanted to have a chance at going pro. I am currently nearing, what I believe, is the end of my walk-run program after taking 2 months off of running and am getting into quite good swim and bike shape. As the weather warms up I will be able to get out and test my new strength on the roads and in the winds. I was lucky enough to get out for a nice long 2hr ride two weeks ago and held a pace similar to my race pace at the Triathlon I did in Kingston last April. This coming weekend I will be participating at the Ontario Swimming Masters Provincial Championships conveniently located here in London, Ontario. I will be racing in all the freestyle events, from the 50m to the 1500m. I've never actually competed in an 800m or 1500m before so it should be interesting to see where I stand since shifting my focus to triathlon.

I apologize again for the long post but if you've made it this far congratulations! All of the posts from here on out will be training/racing related, perhaps with the occasional school related post, and will be much MUCH shorter. Also, every time I previously mentioned that I raced a triathlon, I am specifically talking about sprint triathlons.