Not often I’ve done back-to-back weekends racing. In fact, I’ve only ever done it once before, and that was last year (with these same two races.) They went well, so this year I thought, just for sh*ts and giggles, I’d throw in a third race preceding them. You know how the first went (Squamish report) so here’s a two-for-one of the rest:

Vancouver Half Ironman

This race doubled as the Canadian National LC Championships, and although I was still recovering from illness, I still wanted to perform well. With a few quick guys loading the field, I was ready to give it everything I had.

Elliot out front at the swim start, Can you spot me? (hint: tiger stripes!)

Swim:

With a 10m, steep hill beach start, we hit the water moving pretty quick, instantly filling my right goggle with water. Not willing to stop, I just closed my eye and kept going. It was, as usual, a battle almost the whole way around the first loop, so instead of stopping to get the water out I kept moving. I figured I could empty the goggle running around the beach buoy. I did, but with my luck the goggle filled up again as I hit the water.

Dammit.

Full steam ahead!

Bike

Coming out of the water not far down, I had no idea how my legs would feel on the bike. Coming out of T1, I started to spin it up, and realizing there was some jam there I just thought, “I got nothing to lose here,” and just opened up the throttle. I rode strong and consistent, catching a few guys but not quite making it up to the guys I wanted to, I was happier than the previous race at my power file. Only 1 watt short of my Oliver Half bike, I realized my health was slowly returning.

Run

Hitting the run course in 4th, I just tried to keep moving forward. My running has been rather sub-par the last few months, so I just did everything I could. On a different day I might have been able to go faster, but I gave a good effort. I thought I’d use my short course race flats out there, and they were brilliant. For the first 12km. Then I started to get a nice little foot rub going, and by the end the bottom of my big toe was completely blistered. A 1:18 run was enough to keep me 3rd in the pro field, and I was happy knowing that first and second went to Andrew Russell and Chris Boudreaux, two experienced and bloody quick pros.

Pretty happy to be done!

My new Champion System kit and Gray Cycling Wheels made their debut in Vancouver, and they were both stunning. The kit fit absolutely perfect, and the wheels rode smooth and stable. The focus now became on recovering for Lake Stevens 70.3. I had no idea what to expect.

Gracing the bottom step with Chris and Andrew

Lake Stevens 70.3

Coming back to Lake Stevens for the 4th time, I feel like I needed to have a good race. Yet to have a full race that I was happy with, I thought maybe this would be my year. One of my favourite parts of racing is meeting and staying with homestays; they add a whole new level to the experience. No hotels, no restaurant meals, just a like-minded bunch that open their homes to us athletes, always smiling and offering help. The generosity of homestays continues to boggle my mind, I’m always so blessed to find the best of the best, and for Lake Stevens I’ve always stayed with Mary and Eric Gandee, both emergency service workers and triathletes! How great is that?!?

A foggy swim start. Can YOU see any buoys?

Swim

Toeing the start line a little unsure of how my third race weekend in a row would go, Björn and I just set out a game plan to see what my body had in it. The swim course has a convenient cable that runs along the ENTIRE course, making sighting virtually unnecessary (thank God, because it was so bloody foggy you couldn’t even SEE the next buoy!) It started with a bang, and I was pretty happy to stay on Elliot’s feet for a few hundred meters. As the line of swimmers converged along the cable, it started to break apart into packs. I ended up pulling a few guys through the course, which although not the most energy conserving of tactics, a clear swim makes for less of a ‘Battle Royale’ than usual. Coming out of the water somewhere in the top 15, I knew it was time to really go to work.

The Nineteen Rogue never lets me down

Bike

Keeping it loose on the bike

My bike seems to be coming along fairly well these days, and our plan involved seeing what I could really do over the course of 56 miles. I had a super fast T1, and came out in front of a few guys. After a fairly smooth, crashless flying-mount (the process of running and mounting the bike without stopping, an example HERE,) it was time to get to work. Pulling away from most of the guys, I just put my head down and started to go. The legs were feeling great, the weather was slightly cool, and I was going all gang-buster on the cranks. After about 20mins, the guy who had been behind me came by on a hill, and I got a look at his number.

#1

“Holy JESUS” I thought, “it’s Chris FREAKIN Legh!!!” (an absolute legend!) Staying in contact with Chris, I decided around the 30min mark to start and push the pace. We continued to keep each other motivated, taking turns setting the pace. I felt like Pac Man after eating a power pellet, chasing down the ghosts to some 16bit music and gobbling them up, shooting them out the back. Eventually we came to Chris Bagg, and he joined in on our rolling party. Nearing the end of the bike, I thought it would be fun to ride outside my skin and try to open a bit of a gap. Really, what did I have to lose? I managed to get a few more seconds out front, and that had me pretty happy. This was the first race in my career that I was actually sad to be getting off the bike, I felt incredible out there. My wattage actually increased over the second half of the bike considerably, with a mean split of 306 watts, putting me in 8th place with the 5th fastest bike split.

After going gang-busters on the bike

Not bad for a buck fifty soaking wet.

Run

Björn and I knew my run has not been my strong point lately, so I went out on the run course knowing it was going to be a battle for survival. Sometimes, in retrospect, we can easily criticize ourselves, being overly critical on our performance. Looking back, I feel that I raced the first half of the run weak, giving a second-rate effort. But the second half, after a decent portion of the field passed me by, I started to dig. The legs just didn’t have a run in them this day, and I put myself into the pain cave pretty deep. My legs were hurting bad by the end, a good indicator that I really did give all I had left. Apparently, three weekends in a row can take a bit out of you?

Finishing in one piece

The most epic part of the race was going out for the second half of the first run loop, only to see Craig Alexander and Luke Bell running shoulder to shoulder, with my teammate Elliot Holtham right on their heels. I couldn’t help but explode with cheers and encouragement!!! He was running like a rockstar, right with them from the start until about 9km into the run. Elliot ended up a fairly close third place overall, a brilliant performance that the whole team is proud of him for, and there was nothing more amazing than having front row seats to witness.

That’s my Boy, Blue!

with an incredible learning experience, not just about myself but also race strategy, and most importantly with a big smile on my face. I still love this sport as much as the day I did my first race, and knowing it’s a long process keeps me positive and looking forward to the challenges of each new day. It’s great to see such a big improvement on my bike this year, after a winter/spring of heavy bike work.

Hard work paying off.

Fully recovered and sitting here at my training camp in Penticton, I’m training on the Challenge Penticton course (that’s only just 3 weeks away now!!!) Time to go hit the bike, happy training everyone!!!

Be safe,
Nathan Killam

Getting new gear ALWAYS makes for an exciting occasion; as you get your box or package, tear it open like it’s Christmas (for those of you that observe,) and hold up high your new item as if it’s the magic piece you’ve been missing, the shining star to some more speed! Well, this describes my experience anyways (including, but not limited to: excited jumping and dancing, squealing like a 13 year old at a Justin Bieber concert, and the all-important fist pump, with the rare and exclusive double fist pump making the occasional appearance.)

Matching blue & black gloves

Because, euro caps are AWESOME!

So, you could only imagine my excitement as I picked up my new Champion System Canada kits from FedEx; months and months in the making, to finally get the 9lb box in my fist pumping hands was beyond a Bieber worthy squeal! Getting home and frantically tearing open the box, I could hardly contain my excitement as the “holy shit” and “golly gee whiz!”poured from my mouth whilst item after item landed in front of me. It was like Christmas in July.

                                                                     
                                                                     Only better.

Feeling just a LITTLE excited

Wearing the cycling kit pretty much immediately (new kit = the BEST reason to go for a ride,) I was absolutely astonished and blown away not only by the fit and comfort, but also by how professionally the sublimation had been done. Down to every little detail, I felt like I was ready for the peleton (well, a slow moving peleton anyways.)

I’m amazed I didn’t drop my phone!

The running kit was equally as fantastic, but the true crown jewel was the two separate triathlon kits I had made; a one piece for Half Ironman and shorter distance races, and the two piece for anything longer (or exceptionally hot half distance races.) They were unlike any material I’ve ever felt, their fitment was absolute perfection, and the comfort was something else. They fit so well it felt like I was wearing nothing at all, with NO tight spots or concern areas.

A preview of what I’ll be racing on course this year!

Suffice to say, ANYONE can have this quality, and not necessarily with the massive orders required for most distributers. You can even get one kit made! Check out their website HERE to see what they can do for you or your club. I was blown away by my kits, and everyone who’s seen any components of them have given super positive feedback.

As if that’s not enough excitement for one post, here’s some more! My support team is growing, and I’m excited to say that GRAY WHEELS has come on board (or, rather, that I’ve climbed on board of them!! Pun intended.) I’ve had the pleasure to race them once so far (during the Vancouver Half Ironman, race report to come,) and I’m impressed. They have an excellent team behind them, and being based locally you can test some of the wheels out before you buy!! If you’re interested in trying them out or buying a set (they retail for much less than the big name wheels like ZIPP, Reynolds, Shimano, etc,) check out their website HERE to see what they have on tap to serve your needs! Everything from an ultra-light climber (the High Modulus 4.0) to the wind-dissecting carbon disc wheel, they got you covered with everything in between. Aero wheels, aero helmets, and a well fitting aero bike are the three most advantageous items to get the most out of your hard work on race day, giving you more watt-saving aerodynamics to go faster with less effort.

The Gray Cycling 9.5 wheel set for a little more ‘ZOOM ZOOM’ on race day!

The best part? Use discount code NK13 to snag a sweet 10% discount on your purchase!!! They have tons to look at, so have a cruise through.

Wow, that’s too much excitement for one day. Time to go do some training to prepare for the big Lake Stevens 70.3 on sunday! Be safe everyone!!

Nathan

Team Ossenbrink flying their colours at the Clinic

After learning of some health implications a week prior to the Squamish Triathlon, I went into the race with no clear idea of how my body would perform. Being my first olympic in, oh, 3 years, I also had no idea how I would go anyway! So many unknowns, so many questions.

Fielding some questions with Rachel

One week prior to the race, we held a training clinic to help prepare the athletes for open water swimming and transitions. By we, I mean Coach Björn, Rachel McBride, and myself. We had a really great time, and I can tell you it was fulfilling to impart some knowledge to the athletes. There were a lot of questions, and it feels like just yesterday I was the one asking all the questions (well, if you asked Björn, he’d say it was THAT MORNING that I was asking him all the questions!) Helping athletes learn more about the sport, and how to improve their own training and racing with regards to different aspects, really gets me excited. It was absolutely perfect weather, a foreshadowing of the weather to come on race day.

RACE DAY

With a 9:30am start, I felt quite spoiled to sleep in so late. Generally used to waking at ungodly hours for Half Ironman races, at hours reserved for sleeping and late-night washroom breaks by about 99.7% of the world’s population, it was lavish to be getting up around the time the gun normally goes off. Setup went smooth in the morning, and I made it to the start line feeling relatively alive.

Pre-race shenanigans mandatory. Ready to stretch out the Nineteen Rogue!

The swim was what I normally expect, trading blows with a few guys for more than half the swim, shoulder to shoulder combat that feels more like a kick-boxing event than a swim. At the halfway mark, the guys I was following started to swim towards the wrong buoy, and after a few meters I realized and changed course. It gave me a few seconds over some of the other guys, getting me out of the water somewhere in third place. Only being the second time I have worn my brand new Nineteen Rogue wetsuit, it performed incredibly well as expected, helping me keep a solid pace the whole way through.

Coming out in a good spot

When I hit the bike, that’s where it all kinda went sideways. I did my best to muscle my way through, but when the body decides it would rather be sitting on a couch than a saddle, it’s all you can do to push like a freight train hard as you can. With my average wattage far below that of Oliver Half Ironman (only a month previous,) I chalked it up to experience and hit the run course with, what else, a smile on my face!

Photo courtesy of Petra Walter Photography

The run course was amazing to say the least. Closed in trails and wooded fields, it was a change of scenery from the usual blacktop run courses. A hard charging Aussie (in town with a few of his teammates for training the last few months,) was throwing down the kung-fu hustle, and try as I may to hold on to him, he was outta-sight, outta-mind fairly quick. I just put my head down (or, if Björn is reading this, I put my head slightly forward, not too far down or up, and kept my chest from sticking out,) and went as hard as my legs would let me. I can tell you I was cursing myself for neglecting any form of speed work this year!

Yes, rocking the old-school look. Why wouldn’t you? Photo courtesy of Petra Walters Photography.

Rounding out the podium in third, I was happy with my efforts on the day. The race itself was fantastic, I had a solid experience, and with all the people out there cheering me on I was just feeling great to be supporting a fine local race like Squamish. The two Aussies came in and did a fine job, evidently their training has paid off (I never saw the winner, he led from start to finish.) I have to thank all my teammates and especially Jenn, who RODE to Squamish on her bike, for all the support and massive cheers out there.

On a side note, my ever-so-studly teammate Rachel McBride not only won the women’s race (and beat most the men,) but also set a new course record! By 4 minutes!!! Talk about a sunday quickie.

A happy bunch.

Race one of the three-weekend trio (Squamish Triathlon, Vancouver Half, and Lake Stevens 70.3,) went well, keep your eyes peeled for a few exciting announcements in the next few days!!!

Happy training everyone, enjoy the SUN!

Nathan

The home of Challenge Penticton

The desert. Generally conceived as a hot, desolate location, devoid of life and anything more than grains of sand and a few reptilian species. But not in THIS desert, this place is anything but. The vacation oasis that is the Okanagan is definitely my favourite desert in the world (sorry Tucsonians, your just too damn far away to take spot #1!) I’m back in Penticton for a training camp, a 2 week long venture to get some miles on the Challenge Penticton course (previously known as the Ironman Canada course,) as well as try to input some speed into my running legs. Coming into day two, I’m feeling great and looking forward to the rest of the training; this morning’s pool entertainment included watching the Women’s Canadian National Hockey Team race in the end lanes at the community centre. There’s always something going on around here!!!

Along with my training camp, there have been other exciting going-ons this weekend: My teammate Elliot Holtham, who’s recently recovered from an ugly bike crash in March that had him out since with a concussion, not only WON the Subaru Victoria Half Ironman, but smashed the previous course record by almost 6 minutes! Elliot is coming on strong this year, with such early season fitness he’ll be a force on the race course in 2013. I’ll be toeing the start line with Elliot at the Vancouver Half Ironman (also the Canadian National Championships,) which should be a great race. Hometown turf and (hopefully) a really solid field coming out, it’ll be a fast day. The Victoria race had a fair bit of media coverage, which is ALWAYS great for our sport! Including a ChektvNews spotlight, with an interview of Elliot, a well placed Team Ossenbrink jersey appearance, and the women’s winner Karen Thibodeau rocking a sick Champion System kit.  There were some other great teammate performances, including more top 10 finishes!

Video link: Chek News Video

He’s BACK!!! New course record.

There was also a little clip in the local newspaper, the Times Colonist (Victoria), link is here: Times Colonist Article

I can’t forget my superstar Team Ossenbrink Teammate Rachel McBride, who not only came third place two weeks ago in the ITU Long Course WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (yeah, 3rd in the WHOLE WORLD,) but followed that up by landing on the podium AGAIN this weekend at the Ironman 70.3 Berlin triathlon. What a stud.

Studly Rachel on the podium

I’m so proud to call these guys teammates, they are only two of the amazing group of athletes that I have to honour of working with. Surrounding yourself with strong and positive energy is the best way to improve not only your performance, but also your quality of life. When you look forward to getting together with your teammates to train, you know you have a great thing going.

Time to go hit the road, the sun is calling! Happy training and racing everyone, be safe out there 🙂

Nathan

Swim: 28:42
Bike: 2:18:01
Run: 1:25:49
Total Time: 4:16:31

1st Overall

A few weeks ago I contacted Joe Dixon of Outback Events, interested and excited to go back to one of the races that started it all: the Oliver Half Ironman. It was the first big triathlon I ever did, which I did in 2008 and 2009 (with a 4:53 and 4:27 respectively.) I decided to do Oliver again as Challenge Penticton is one of my most important races this season, so racing in the same area in potentially similar conditions would be of benefit. The weeks leading up to the race I was excited, but didn’t really have the same kind of focus as I usually do. I also wasn’t quite sure who all would be racing, but I had a pretty good idea from some Twitter banter who might be there. I was pleasantly surprised to see Tom Evans racking his bike, and was incredibly excited to be racing with legendary professional cyclist Axel Merckx (who has ridden in the Tour de France 8 times.) I knew it would be a lot of fun, with Jonathan Caron including some great warmup banter on race morning.

I had the pleasure of yet again staying in Mark Shorter’s Penticton condo, who has been incredibly accommodating every time I head to Penticton and need a place to stay. I slept well the night before, getting to bed early and snagging a solid 7.5hrs of sleep (which is more than I usually get.) I was oddly relaxed, and was overcome by a strange amount of focus. The weather forecast was worse than the emotional roller coaster of a teenage girl, changing almost hourly the days before the race. I had no idea what was coming, but I knew it would at LEAST be fairly warm.

Chilling at the start.

Leaving Penticton for Oliver early, the first thing I noticed was the wind. It was 4:45am, and it was WINDY as heck already. Everything went smoothly to get me lake side; as I stood at waters-edge bantering and heckling with Tom, Jonathan and Axel, I knew what had to be done. The gun went off, and it was instantaneous mayhem. But unlike the usual never-ending washing machine, I managed to break free of the washing machine within 30-40 seconds, swimming alongside Tom and Jonathan. They slowly pulled away over the course of the swim, but I still felt strong and smooth the entire way. The first few hundred meters all I could think was “who the HELL is cruising a boat in front of us?!?!?” There seemed to be this massive chop smashing me in the face as I sighted, and it took a bit to realize it was actually the wind! I knew the bike was going to get a little more exciting than anticipated. I came out of the water alone in third, about 2 minutes down from Tom and less from Jonathan. I got my hustle on to get to T1, which was an 800m run from the lake (no exaggeration either!)

BOOM!!!

In my new Nineteen Rogue Wetsuit

One of my weaknesses last year was my bike; comparatively speaking, in relation to some of the big pro fields I’ve raced in, the bike is where I usually lose the most time. I’ve been working hard on my bike power, and Björn and I decided it would be a good race to push as hard as possible on the bike. I’m talking tear-your-legs-off, invert-yourself effort. I knew Axel was somewhere behind me, and with two guys to try and catch, I pretty much pinned it from the get-go.

Full Gas, as Jesse would say.

On a mission from the start

I could see Jonathan ahead of me, so I started to push some solid watts chasing. With well over 300 watts bouncing around on the screen, I quickly caught Jonathan, and set my sights on Tom. By halfway through the lap I had caught Tom, and managed to put a small gap on him. But when I got back on the highway, into the headwinds, it was like getting slammed in the face by a wall. The winds were high by then, and Tom managed to pull back up. I decided I would just bury myself into the headwinds, knowing Axel was coming. He eventually caught me in the second loop, coming by with a purpose. I turned it up a bit but it was all I could do to watch him drift away. Coming in to T2, I could see Axel just leaving transition out for the run. Tom and I came in together, swapping our bikes for some runners, and collectively agreed that I did one piss-poor job of keeping up with Axel.

I’ll never forget last year when I came in to T2 at a race, after a rather demoralizing and crushing bike, and Björn was standing there and said one short sentence: “time to do what you do best.” That’s all I could think about when I headed out for the run.

No matter how painful, ALWAYS time to hang loose.

I caught Axel inside the first 1500m, and maintained the lead all the way through. My goal the last few months has been to try and really increase my bike power, and the resulting weight gain (from eating a little bit extra) has had my run legs evading me. Coming in to the race without as much run speed, I just went for it right off the bat. I put myself in the pain cave in the later stages of the run, feeling pretty rough and the wind not doing me any favours. Throughout the whole race all I could think was “push harder, push harder, go go go,” along with the usual voice in my head of Björn yelling “UP UP UP!!!!”  With a couple hundred meters to go, still pushing hard, a guy came up to me on a bike and said “the guy behind you is WAAAY back there, you could probably slow down a little and enjoy the finish a bit more.” I couldn’t help but smile and dial it down a bit, and ran it home with a huge smile on my face.

Add caption

It was an amazing feeling to win my first half ironman. I have to give monster thanks to all my support team and network, I’ve had so many people help me that there’s not enough space on this page to list everyone. Björn and my Team have gotten me ready for this, and I hope to do them proud with more solid results this season. I held more watts on the bike than I’ve ever held during ANY distance triathlon (including olympics,) averaging almost 300 watts. At my fighting weight, that’s a huge improvement from last year, and a confidence boost for the year to come. One of the best parts of the day was running in to so many friends I haven’t seen in a while, and a highlight of my career so far is definitely racing Axel Merckx! I mean, who gets to say they raced Axel Merckx?!?!? Talking with Axel at the finish line, it seems he’s already retiring from triathlon. Apparently it’s too hard.

Because, as we all know, the Tour de France is just a stroll in the park.

The legend, Axel Merckx

Next on the block is the Wine Capital of Canada Triathlon (olympic distance) on June 16th, followed by a two week training block in Penticton.

Happy training everyone, stay safe and enjoy the sun!

Nathan

After an absolute body SMASHING last weekend at the Nimby Fifty Mountain Bike Race, I’ve managed to lick my wounds and take stock of all the damage. Other than an absolute ass-whooping and humbling (yes, the word humbled is being used to it’s full capacity here,) a pile of bruises, and a little bit more bleeding than I’d have liked, the only real lasting damage was a poke to my ego (which completely disappeared about 25minutes into the race.) I was there to have fun, and (for the most part,) that’s what I had. I gained a lot of respect for those downhill maniacs, they made me feel like a small child standing at the top of the DH sections, watching in shock and awe as they seemed to completely defy gravity. What an experience.

top of one of the climbs. Photo courtesy of Jon Anthony.

Next time I sign up for one of these, I’ll actually find out how technical it is BEFORE I do it.

Next up, this sunday I’m in my favourite place to be, Penticton! A very generous friend has let me crash his pad while I prepare to race the Oliver Half Ironman this sunday, an event I did my first two years of triathlon, and one I’m bloody excited to go back to! They always put on a great event, and the weather is looking good. I’m feeling good as I can, and as long as I get my dose of Vitamin D out on the race course, it should be a stellar day. At least sun will warrant smiles all day!

Good luck to ALL my teammates in their upcoming racing, especially all those brave souls heading to the ITU Long Course World Championships in France. Looks like less-than-ideal weather conditions, but that’s never stopped a bunch of Vancouverite BAMF’s from kicking some foreign ass. Go get some!!!

Till next time, happy training and good luck at the races!

Nathan

The climbing front hydration setup

My rear hydration: X-Lab Carbon Wing and Gorilla Cage

The TorHans Aero30 and my 1L Powerbar Bottle Total liquid on board= 2.75L

My tire choice for this camp was a new set of Continental 4000s. I used the Continental Gatorskins before, and they were my preference. Now that I’ve used the 4000s, I’ll never go back. It rides stunningly smooth for a clincher tire, absorbing the bumps in the road really well (refer to the ^^above^^ mentioned bumps on the Tucson roads.) I roll them between 100-105psi, sometimes a hair less on the front as that’s where a lot of weight sits. They grip like glue to the roads; I set a new top-speed record of 92km/hr on Mt Lemmon the other day, and when you’re taking turns at those speeds, you NEED to have some good rubber under you. I consistently and confidently took hard corners over 70km/hr, and the thought of a wash-out never even crossed my mind. You can get these tires at Speed Theory Vancouver as well.

The Full Deal. Rider not included (you must supply your own)

The necessary ‘Giant Cookie Sized’ rear pockets

Testing the CS two-piece tri suit

Compressport saving me AGAIN

I’m also rocking the Compressport socks and compression gear as I always have (wearing my standard double-layer travel system of the full-leg and full sock as I type this,) which are continuously being improved upon (because apparently you can improve on awesome.) They saved my bacon more than once; one memorable experience was with Jesse Vondracek, running through the Sabino Canyon trails. Including some necessary bushwhacking to find the right trails, the Compressport socks and calf-guards saved me from the punishing pounding of a 3hr hard trail run, and the vicious cactus that line the area. Double duty. I find the Compressport socks to be especially resilient and stand up to a lot of miles of running and cycling. The trail sock does the best job, not only standing up to the added abrasion of running in dirt/sand/trail, but also has a double-lip seal at the top of the sock to keep the unwanted out.

Double layering for travel

 

The Grid Roller

The Stick(s)

The food freestyling. Food in = power out.

Took my CS kit to the gun show.

Common interest? The LOVE of Powdered PB. Friends for life.

Jesse being a Paleo Athlete, we made ‘Paleo-Pancakes’ all the time!

Organice Chili anyone?

The three amigos….Beer Can style.

Wanna scoot?

They also have the most kick-ASS scooter that I used to scoot for pretty much any reason I could possibly find (“hey guys, I think we need some Kombucha and soy sauce, I’ll be back in a scoot.”) It was ALMOST as cool as the coffee maker, which sounded like it was working harder while brewing than we did while climbing Mt Lemmon.

Amazing pre-master’s-swim sunrises! Like a present for getting up remarkably early, when you really don’t have to.

Cookie Cabin Cookies. More epic than the climb itself.

Jenn, on her solo ‘Get Nathan a Damn Cookie’ excursion

Our Mt Lemmon climb. Perfect day for it too (not that every day WASN’T!?!?!)

Ski Valley, Mt Lemmon

Yeah, I ate them. Along with ‘Professional Triathlete,’ I am also a self-professed ‘Pro Eater.’

Top of the world!

One of the many, many, many, MANY, outstanding views you get to see coming down the mountain

The perma-smile that never left my face the whole camp

I know I’m pretty reserved, but topping Mt Lemmon 4 times this camp had me a little excited. Just a little.

Some of the oddities on the road; I saw four quads driving around while at camp (on the ROADS,) and a few dune buggies. They roll by different rules in the desert.

7 Falls trail in Sabino Canyon, probably the only water in Tucson.

Chasing Jesse through the Sabino Canyon, 20 miles of trail bliss.

Standard issue ‘Being a Dork’; trying to video and photograph WHILE running. Along a canyon ledge.

The final climb, taking out a pizza along with cookies.

Last day on the bike, suffering like it is going out of style.

My new best friend Addy; wish I could take her home! (I tried, she didn’t fit in the bike bag.)

So, there’s a bit of back story to today’s recipe:

Last sunday was a PERFECTLY beautiful sunny day (albeit a bloody chilly and windy one,) so Jenn and I decided to have a rip on the bikes out to Wycliff Park in North Vancouver. It’s a really great route, one of my favourite roads to ride (it’s a very hilly/rolling ride segment,) and we were joined by a few other teammates (thanks Tamasin, Sarah and Andrea for the fun!) In my typical weekend fashion, I made Jenn and I some gluten free pancakes (that I’ll have to post the recipe up to, they’re apparently SOMEBODY’S new favourite breakfast,) so was incredibly fuelled for the ride. Not taking much food in during the 2.5hr ride, I started to get my bonk on in the last 3 minutes of the ride (good timing eh?)

Finishing our ride at my new favourite gluten free bakery and cafe, Panne Rizo (in Kits,) I was ready to get some calories in. Little did I know, that I was about to walk into GF PARADISE; Panne Rizo was celebrating their 15 year anniversary, as well as winning the “Best GF Bakery 2013” award. AND, they were celebrating in my kind of fashion. With samples.

Lots.

And lots.

Of samples.

Legit. Lots of SAMPLES!

After eating my weight in samples, I was eyeballing a soup on the menu I’ve never even heard of, yet had my favourite ingredient in it: West African Peanut Soup. After digging in, I immediately decided two things:
A. I had to make this soup myself;
B. I could do it better.

I set about researching soup recipes, and found plenty. I decided to take the concept, and put my own spin on it. I hope you like this recipe, I know I do! Jenn takes props for making it before I did, and did a damn fine job. We both used a slow cooker the first time around, but today I made it at the firehall in a standard pot setup; it got two thumbs up from the whole crew, and we took down enough to feed an army! Enjoy!

ps. this looks like a lot of ingredients, but really it’s not! You probably have a lot of this at home, and it’s all easily accessible (and cheap) at the grocery store.

The goodness that goes in (**NOTE** I actually used vegetable broth in my recipe!)

Get Chopping!

Serve it up!!

A pot of guaranteed smiles 🙂

Training and racing in triathlon requires a lot of focus, hard work, determination, dedication, and down-right love of doing all the crazy things we do, day-in, day-out. It also requires a lot of time, equipment, and CALORIES. To keep healthy and on top of our game, there is a large support network behind each and every athlete, ranging from clothing and nutrition companies, our physical therapists (massage, physio, etc,) and even our family and friends, who give us positive encouragement and a good mental balance in life. My support network consists of an absolutely amazing group of people, that make what I do possible. I am incredibly grateful for the help, advice, support, and positive vibe of the people I’ve surrounded myself with. I think of them every day, which helps to motivate me that much more. 

Rocking my Champion System gear in Penticton

Champ System Team O kit during a bike fit

Dave and Meghan Cressman’s store, Distance Runwear

Wicked minimalist shoe selection at Distance Runwear

Nathan