GOOD-BYE 2008/WELCOME 2009

As we get ready to ring in 2009, we would like to say thank-you to all of our 2008 supporters. We both had fantastic seasons, including personal bests in many of our races. We are looking forward to many more successes this coming year, including qualification for both the 2009 World Ironman 70.3 Championships(Clearwater, Florida) and the 2010 ITU World Championship (Budapest, Hungary).

Here is a list of our upcoming 2009 events (revised Feb. 3).

Grimsby 1/2 Marathon - Sunday, February 22 (Evan)
Around the Bay 30km - Sunday, March 29 (Evan and Deanne)
Mississauga Full Marathon - Sunday, May 10 (Evan and Deanne)
Victoria Duathlon - Monday, May 18 (Evan and Deanne)
Milton Triathlon - Sunday, May 31 (Evan and Deanne)
Muskoka Long Course - Sunday, June 14 (Evan and Deanne)
Guelph Lake Triathlon - Sunday, June 21 (Evan and Deanne)
Peterborough Half - Sunday, July 5 (Evan and Deanne??)
Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid - Sunday, July 26 (Deanne pending Qualification)
Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead (Benton harbor, Michigan) - Saturday, August 1 (Evan and Deanne)
Niagara Triathlon - Sunday, August 9 (Evan)
Canadian National Triathlon Championships (Kelowna, BC) - Sunday, August 23 (Evan and Deanne)
Subaru Ironman 70.3 Muskoka - Sunday, September 13 (Evan and Deanne)
Ford Ironman Florida (Panama City Beach, Florida) - Saturday, November 7 (Deanne)
Ironman 70.3 World Championships - Saturday, November 14 (Evan and Deanne)

Thanks again for your support,

Happy New Year!!!!

Evan and Deanne

Amazing memories!

2008 Ends with a blast!
World Championships 70.3
Clearwater, Florida

Deanne's Ironman 70.3 World Championships Race Report

It's amazing how you can spend hour after hour, day after day, month after month preparing for something that seems to end within the blink of an eye. But that is exactly how it felt upon crossing the finish line of the Ironman World Championships 70.3 this past Saturday.

As per usual, we woke at the wonderful hour of 3:45 am to begin our regular race morning routine. Quick showers followed by a coffee and a great breakfast.

We were then off to the race site. Completely focussed, we approached the transition area to be body marked. Standing in line, watching athlete after athlete from across the globe pull down their sleeve to be stamped, with excitement in their eyes. After getting stamped we quickly head off to our bikes to complete a last minute checks; bottles filled, air pressure at 120, shoes attached.

We then headed to the beach, loaded on the sun block (which by the way is hilarious to do when the sun has still not risen), and put on our wet suits. Tension grew as wave after wave of athletes were sent out into the ocean. Finally, it was wave 13. women 18-29. For the first time ever, I approached the water with complete confidence. I was at the World Championships and nothing else mattered. The gun went off...I took a deep breath and took off. My fastest swim ever. The bike was just as great. It was then time for the run, which hurt from the 2nd kilometer right up until the final few seconds of km 21. At that moment I knew that I would not give into any pain. I just had to enjoy the moment. Which is what I did. 5hours and 27 minutes later I crossed that finish line, with a smile on my face. I had completed my first World Championships!

It's weird though. All of that work, 13 months of training, all over.....finished. What happens next? It's time to head back to Ontario for a month of relaxation before we start up the whole cycle again.

My parents and sisters all watched the race that day. Some present in Florida, others home in Newfoundland on their computers. Once sister says she thinks I am crazy. How can I put myself in so much pain just for a race? I know I am crazy, I knew that long before triathlons. But the pain......well pain is only a state of mind.

LIFE

LIFE

Life is a dream!

We dream to be awake only to awake to dream

Life is freedom!

We express our freedom through individuality yet individuality allows us to lose our freedom.

Life is Captivity!

We strive to be let free yet when given freedom we ask for advice.

Life is a mystery!

One never knows where they are truely headed or what obstacles they will meet along the way.

So......

Live in the moment

Believe in your choices,

Be true to yourself.

And when you hold your head up proud and say, "I AM ME!"

That is "LIFE"

"This is one of my favorite writings! In a way it explains another reason for competing and training for triathlons. You never know where it will bring you, or what the final result will be. Each and every race brings new and challenging obstacles to face. You just have to believe in yourself and be proud regardless of the outcome."

Why I Tri??? (The other half)

Let me introduce you to the other half of the “WhyWeTri” Blog site. My name is Evan Dietz and I have lived in Hamilton for 8 years after growing up in a small farming community just outside of Mitchell, Ontario.

All throughout elementary school and high school, I was very active in numerous sports such as hockey, soccer, baseball, volleyball, and track & field just to name a few. I had originally been introduced to the sport of triathlon in high school as a teammate and friend of mine was involved with it. It became a desire of mine to do one, however, the chance to experience an event did not happen until much later on. As I began to make the move to continue my education at university, my focus switched from sports to school, and athletics suddenly became less of an influence in my life. Living on my own away from my family allowed me to discover other experiences that life had to offer, both good and bad. Unfortunately, my fitness and overall well-being began to slip as I allowed other influences, such as alcohol, to creep into my life. I dropped out of university, and began to work at a bar to make ends meet. I was in a downward spiral. Fortunately, I made the decision to go back to college. I graduated a few years later, and began working at an engineering firm in downtown Hamilton. Although I was beginning to turn my life around, I was still neglecting my health.

It wasn’t until I saw myself in a photo taken at Wasaga Beach in the summer of 2006 that I truly realized I was overweight and I knew I must do something to change my lifestyle. Remembering how I had a desire to become a triathlete, I began to research local triathlon trainers in the Hamilton area. I got into contact with Mat Reid, a local triathlon coach and athlete, and he laid out a training program for me to do, as well as having me enter a Try-A-Tri event (375m swim, 10km bike, & 2.5km run) 2 weeks into my training to see if I would even enjoy doing a triathlon. As hard as I had found this race to be so early into my training, I loved every second of it. I was hooked!!! I also began training with a newly formed triathlon club at the Hamilton Downtown YMCA. After my first year, I had accomplished the following: lost 50 pounds and was in much better physical shape, completed both a half-marathon and a 30km running race, and competed in numerous sprint and Olympic distance triathlons including the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, Germany. Not bad for my first year in the sport.Since then, I have raced in the World Triathlon Championships in Vancouver, completed 2 Ironman 70.3 races, and am currently training to race in the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida on November 8, 2008. For the past year I have been training with the OREA Racing Team, coached by Lee Hart and Dan McKerrall, and I am now making plans with Dee to determine what our race schedule will look like next year.


WHY I TRI???

REASON #2: It is my passion!!!

Evan

WHY I TRI????

I figure there is no time like the present to take a few minutes and fill you in on a little bit of my background. My name is Deanne Hiscock and I moved to Hamilton about two years ago from the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Back home I was driven with a passion for volleyball as I was a player, referee and coach.
I got into some bad habits, of course like a human would, smoking almost a pack and a half of cigarettes a day and drinking at least 3 times a week. IT WAS CRAZY! It's amazing how addictions can consume your life. So I decided to make the move, I needed a new lifestyle and I wanted to see what else was out there. I quit smoking the day I got on the plane and haven't turned back since. Now don't get me wrong. It wasn't that easy!
Being an addict I quickly realized the need to replace the addiction and so I joined the Hamilton Downtown YMCA. I started swimming with the Masters Swim Team, and though I was weak, I started to feel great. A few people mentioned the YMCA triathlon Team and so I then began to attend a few spin classes and in April I ran my first Kilometer. It's amazing how painful that was. Shortly after, I purchased a bike and began outdoor riding in May. The next month I raced my first Sprint Triathlon at the Binbrook Conservation Area finishing 3rd in the 750m swim, 27kmbike and 6.5km run.
I found my new Addiction. Since that time, I have raced 4 Sprint, 1 Olympic, 1 Long Course, and 2 Half Ironman competitions. I am currently in my 13th month of straight training this season as I prepare for the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Championships that are going to take place November 8th in Clearwater, Florida.

WHY I TRI????

REASON 1: BECAUSE I CAN!!!!!!

DEE