COACHING

I started coaching figure skating, swimming and volleyball many years ago, and have recently broadened my coaching abilities by taking on individual athletes for personal fitness and running.
During the next month, Evan and I will be completing our YMCA Individual Fitness Leader Training as well as our Community Triathlon Coaching Level in March.
Once finished here are some of the qualifications that we will have to offer new clients:

• NCCP Level II Theory Certification (Dee)
• NCCP Community Triathlon Coach (Dee and Evan)
• YMCA Personal TrainerYMCA (Dee and Evan)
• Group Fitness Leader (Dee)
• Red Cross Emergency First Aid and CPR (Dee and Evan)
• NCCP Level II Volleyball Coach (Dee)
• Volleyball Canada Level II Referee (Dee)

Feel free to check out my Coaching website @ http://www.coachdeanne.blogspot.com/

Cheers,

Dee

2009 Update

So far 2009 has brought quite a bit of thought for my future with this sport. After returning from Clearwater in November, I sought out a Sports Medicine Doctor in hopes of finding out what damage has been done to my legs. Immediately he sent me for bone scans resulting in some terrible but manageable news. I had stress fractures in both feet. On top of the stress fractures, I had Plantar Faciitis in both feet and Shin Splints in both legs. Wow. I should have probably stopped training back in March of last year when the pain intially set in. It's amazing....the saying is true. Hind site is 20/20.
I have been seeing a physiotherapist twice a week now for almost 2 months. The pain is going away, though not nearly as fast as I had hoped. I attempted a 30 minute run a couple of weeks ago but the pain returned. I now have made the decision to withdraw from the Grimsby Half and the Around the Bay races, and focus on returning to running slowly. I am running 20 minutes 3 times a week now and plan on continuing that for the entire month of February.
My physiotherapist feels that running is probably just not my sport. I understand that I am most likely not genetically geared to be a runner, but that is not going to stop my dream. I will, I am going to finish that Ironman.

I will post again soon with an update of my progress. Until that time, I guess it is onto the bike.

CHEERS!

Dee

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.