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| Angie Hooker, Sheila Treleaven, Sara Little, Brooke Heath Winners 4x100m and 4x50m Medley Relay |
This past weekend was not only Easter weekend, but also the 2015 Ontario Masters Swimming Provincials. During the competition I was asked by a fellow swimmer, "How do you focus on swimming fast here, but also train for running and cycling?"
The answer is, I Don't.
I love swimming and I always will. Swimming will never leave me, and I will continue to compete as long as my body will let me. I also plan on staying as fast I can within my age category. However, as many have seen, this year I am focusing on the sport of Triathlon. There are a few years left for me, where my mind is in the right place to balance the pounding training of the run and the new skill of riding a road and time trial bike, with my job and family.
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| Kevin VanGeest, Gallacher Patterson, Sheila Treleaven Around The Bay 2015 |
Swimming is now part of triathlon. I do not see 3 different individual sports anymore, instead I see one sport with 3 different components. I still swim 4 times per week, but with a different focus. No longer IM and butterfly, but distance freestyle. Who'd have thought I'd find value in doing the part of swimming I used to loathe. Now I find function and challenge in this, asking myself, can I hold a certain pace for a full 2000 meters? Because that is what I'm going to have to do at the end of May when I race my first Ironman branded 70.3 in Raleigh, NC, and I want to be the fastest woman out of the water.
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| Kevin VanGeest, Sheila Treleaven, Gallacher Patterson, Lee Hart Chilly Outdoor Riding. |
There was no specific taper for Provincials. In fact, March 29th, I ran the Around the Bay 30km Road Race and put in a respectable 2:16.36, negative splitting with the hills in the last 10km. I also ran with tendonitis and a bit of a sprain in the right ankle ( I know, you don't have to tell me, a little crazy). On the Thursday before provincials the Triathlon Team (Tri-Hart) did our first, 2 hour, outdoor bike ride, and then on Friday I swam 100 Free, 50 fly and two relays, yes, Middlesex Swimming actually did some relays, and we rocked them! My 100 free wasn't great, but I had stellar relay splits and went 30.79 in my 50 fly. Not bad for an endurance athlete.
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| Me, Lane 3, Start of the 200m Freestyle Provincials |
Saturday morning, I did my first 10km run since the Bay, and then swam 200 free, 800 free, and two more relays at the meet. I just missed the Canadian Record in the 200 Free by 3 tenths of a second, going 2:11.7, and the 800 free I took as an opportunity to learn how to pace. Good thing, as I over paced a bit and negative split by 6 seconds. It's a great sign that my fitness and endurance are there,
my speed is also being maintained as I swam a great 50 fly and went 1:01.1 on my relay split for 100m free. Although the 1:01 came from trying to chase my sister down on the anchor leg of the relay.
The best part of both sports for me are my teammates, the opportunity to swim with my brother and sister, and the people that I meet at the competitions. Every time I go to an event, whether it is Around The Bay, Barrelman Triathlon, or a Masters Swim competition I am always blown away by the amazing results, finishes, and accomplishments I see by the people around me. They inspire me to keep going and to always try to do my personal best.
Swimming is in my blood, I will always be a swimmer, triathlon is my new endeavour. They are not separate entities for me anymore but one sport with three components. Each one providing benefit for the other, coming together to hopefully provide me with my desired results....a trip to Austria at the end of August.
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| Middlesex Swimming team at 2015 Ontario Masters Provincials. |
