The Road to Ironman Canada

In 2008 I had a very ambitious goal, a goal that would take much time and dedication, a goal I didn't have a clue where or how to begin training for, and one that I wasn't sure if I could even complete. This goal was to learn how to swim in January of 2009 and to then complete Ironman Canada in August.

Being chosen as one of the Driven5 has been my saving grace, and being paired with John Bird has provided me with invaluable knowledge and opportunity. "The DRIVEN5" not only has inspired me on a personal level, but has also inspired me to raise funds and dedicate my training and racing to my mother in law who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. She has since made a full recovery, and through the fund raising efforts of my wife, mother in law, and myself, we were able to raise a total of $7,622 this year for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. I have adopted a pink theme for my races, and sport either a pink jersey or pinks socks at every event.

Back In January I learnt that the other Driven5 athletes had also signed up for the New Calgary Half Ironman, and as luck would have it, shortly after meeting my coach John, he introduced me to Paul Anderson, owner of Speed theory and a fellow triathlete. Paul was responsible for bringing the the half Ironman triathlon to Calgary. It wasn't long after meeting with Paul that he was supporting my initiative, becoming a sponsor of my fund raising efforts, and I would be joining the organizing committee as the Ironman Calgary Marketing Director, creating the overall brand experience for the event. For those of you who completed the event, I hope the course signage was easy to read and follow, and you all like your finishing t-shirt and medal, if not it was all Paul's idea.

As the year progressed John and the other ETS members became extremely patient with me in the pool, either swimming around me, or lending an ear as I would rather chat with them, than swim. It took me a very long time to gain the confidence and the fundamentals needed to complete even a single lap without stopping, but with the collaborative effort (and scoldings) of John, Laurel and Megan, I was able to increase my distance, and speed, even if it was with a pull buoy. With my newly gained confidence I was eager to put my swimming progress to the test at the Calgary Ironman.

The Calgary Ironman swim was staggered, and my age group would be the very last. Once my heat had started and I was around the first buoy marker, the wind picked up and was creating small waves in the water. At this point my motion sickness started to kick in and my chest became tight, my breathing labored, and I found myself slowly breast stroking my way through the course. I was having flash backs of my first half Ironman at, Sylvan Lake where I completed the entire swim on my back, dead last and 10 minutes over the cutoff. I was NOT going to let that happen again, a DNF was out of the question, but time was running out, so after a few colourful words to myself, I painfully completed the swim in 1:06:19, less than 4 minutes from the cutoff, and third last out of the water.

After a very long transition, I easily retrieved my bike and rode out onto the empty highway. The beginning of the ride was quite and beautiful, (on two separate occasions a dear crossed my path) and by mid ride, I felt like I was back in the race. After another long transition I headed into my strongest discipline. The run was more difficult than expected due to hot temperatures, and an aggravated knee from recently replacing my bike cleats so I decided to not over exert myself, to save myself for Ironman Canada. With the support of the volunteers, family and friends, I completed my second Half Ironman with a new personal best, however, it was the most difficult race I’ve ever completed, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. Due to yet another poor swimming performance, self doubt entered my thoughts on the upcoming Ironman Canada, I was tempted to forfeit my entry.

I was quick to turn these thoughts into positive, focused effort, amidst conversations with Jack and John and for the next three weeks, trusted pull buoy strapped around my ankles, I would work my way up to 4000 meters in the pool. Completing 4000 meters on three separate occasions, gave me the confidence I needed before heading out to Penticton.

With my new found swimming confidence, and eagerness to begin our Ironman adventures, I was still yet to overcome one last hurdle. We left Calgary 5 days before the big race, plenty of time to train and acclimatize, however these 5 days were to quickly become the most 5 stressful days of the year. While packing the truck for our journey to Penticton, I threw my back out. When we were finally able to locate a chiropractor, it was 20 hours and 554km later. The adjustment was needed but not enough, as I required another just two days after the first. Thanks to the combination of these adjustment, the healing powers of my mother, and the anti-inflammatories from my mother in law, by Saturday afternoon I was able to walk upright once again. Up until this time I was very doubtful as to whether I would even be able to compete, but having trained all year, I was willing to crawl through the race if I had too!

I was surprisingly calm the morning of the race, and settled into my race day nutritional routine planned out months before with my nutritionist Kelly Drager. With my bike checked, transition bags in hand we were off. I would soon find myself standing on the Okanogan beach staring out towards the endless buoys, listening to U2's beautiful day, when a wave of emotion hit me. It was in fact a glorious day, and as the tears filled my goggles, it dawned on me, the reality setting in that I was about to embark on my first Ironman.

I seeded myself perfectly….at the very back, closer to the markers than anticipated! When the horn blew, I walked into the water and did not have to fight my way through pounding fists and feet, so I concentrated on keeping relaxed and found my rhythm. Around the first turn there were 2 divers at the bottom of the lake that took me by surprise. I gave them a quick smile and wave and set off to the second turning point. Once I reached the second turning buoy I quickly checked my time and realized I was well ahead of my completion goal. I am doing it! I am swimming! When I exited the water after an hour and forty minutes I was near the back of the pack, but I was no wear near being the last to exit, nor close to the cut off time. I was so elated and overwhelmed that I started to sob. It was at this point that I knew I would become an Ironman today.

The bike course was everything I expected it to be, challenging and long. The infamous Richter s, Pass was not as difficult as expected, proving my training had prepared me for this event. The volunteers and cheering spectators made each mile easier as the sun and smoke from the fires that moved in began to take its toll on some of the athletes. My nutrition was perfect, and felt strong, consuming more water than anticipated due to the extreme temperatures. By the end of the 180km, the marathon was a welcoming thought as my back began to ache.

When transitioning to the run, I wasn't aware that my support crew and coach Jon shared in my elation over my swim time until a volunteer whom also trains at the Talisman center, happened to help me transition. He became extremely excited for me, he knew my swimming challenges and commented how well I had swam and how pleased everyone was.

I laced up my shoes with a new found energy and began the marathon. When turning the first corner out of transition I spotted my family and ran over for some muchly needed hugs and kisses. The run was by far the most challenging, and where I had the most difficulties. The familiar faces of friends were a welcoming site, as I would again spot Dorri at the turn around, she also greeted me with a hug out of the water, and was cheering us on, on the bike course. It was at this point that my hips from being out of place for the previous 4 days started giving me grief. For the next 21km I would try to run as much as possible between aid stations. Once back downtown, there was no stopping, feeding off of the cheering spectators, my pace increased and the pain of my back and hips disappeared, and for the last 2 km, I don't think I have ever ran faster or stronger.

The highlight of the race was seeing my wife just beyond the finishing line with a medal in hand, as I stepped over the line, she strung the medal around my neck, gave me a huge hug and congratulated me on becoming and Ironman. I am an IRONMAN!

It has been through the Driven5, ETS program, and from the dedication of the coaches and nutritionist that I was able achieve my goal of completing Ironman Canada. The program has taught me my strengths and weaknesses, and has provided me with the opportunity and confidence I would not have gained on my own. It has given me the life skills required to train properly and effectively, and will continue to help me reach my goals and achieve my full potential.

I would like to thank Jack Van Dyke for creating this opportunity for us and for choosing me as one of the Driven5. Kelly Dragger for her nutritional wisdom (Nutrition is the 4th discipline) , Megan Bird and Laurel Hindle for their support and tips on how not to sink, and especially Jon Bird, for his patience, wisdom, inspiring words, his motivation, for pushing me beyond my limits, and for becoming a mentor and friend. And of course a big thank you to the Talisman Centre. I am privileged to have had this opportunity and support of all these professionals whom I consider friends.

I always feel privileged to race, for my health, and for the amazing support of my family and friends. Anything can happen when you least expect it and one must be prepared to deal with it, mentally and physically.

Lastly I would like to congratulate the other DRIVEN5 members on achieving their goals, its been an amazing year and I look forward to continuing to train with them in the future.

Ironman Calgary Huge Success!!!

First off, I would like to thank everyone at the Talisman Center, particularly my coach, Jon Bird. He has pushed me to achieve a higher level and has become a great friend, and an inspiration.

I have been anticipating this event for some time now, not only as a participating athlete, but also as the Marketing Director for Ironman Calgary. For months I have been busy during the day designing logos, t-shirts, jerseys, finishing medals, advertisements, course signage, basically the entire brand experience for the Ironman Calgary 70.3 event. In the evening I would be training 3-4 hours riding the bike course or running through the downtown pathways at the dedicated pace set out by coach. Its hard to believe the race is now over.

The expectations I set out before the race was this, Complete the swim in about an hour, bike the course within a heart rate of 135-145, and kick it in high gear for the run!

My nutrition was perfect, (Special thanks to Kelly Drager my Nutritionist & Jack Vandyk for calories per hour) Ive been experimenting with various solids and cocktails over the last few months and found what works best for me.
Breakfast- 3 hours before the race - 2 pieces of toast with all natural peanut butter and jam, 2 hard boiled eggs, one banana, glass of orange juice, water, and coffee.
Swim - 10-15 minutes before the swim, 1 Hammer brand power bar
Bike- One 24oz bottle of concentrated (4 scoops) Hammer brand Perpetuem, one 24 oz bottle of water, 2 Hammer gel packs, 1 Hammer power bar, 1 bag Gu chomps, 8 Hammer Endurolyte tablets. I would eat or drink Perpetuem every 15 minutes ingesting the suggested caloric intake of 380 calories per hour and sip on water whenever required, 1-2 Endurolyte tablets per hour depending on heat. Approximately 5km from Transition 2, I consumed 1 gel pack and 1 Endurolyte tablet gearing up for the run.
Run- 2, 8 oz bottles mixed with NUUN tablets.

The swim was a bit disappointing, and did not go as well as planned. I was the very last division to take to the water at 8:30am, a 1.5 hour anxiety ridden wait. At this time in the morning, the wind started to pick up which created 1-1.5 foot swells by the time I reached the last buoy. I forced myself to crawl despite the seasickness and swam my way up the boat ramp by the skin of my teeth at 1:06:19! Cut off is 1:10:00.
When exiting the water, I had deja vu from my previous Sylvan Lake Half Ironman experience, being the very last out of the water. Dorrie, a friend of mine who I train with at the Talisman Center was there to cheer me on, it was great to see a familiar face, and after that hard swim, she was a muchly needed boost! Transition was a Ghost town, the volunteers had begun dismantling T1, and I had to stop a volunteer to retrieve my transition bag who was packing them up to transfer them to T2. I took my time in transition, re-grouped, and was off on the bike.

The bike course was beautiful, on two different occasions, deer crossed the road not 10 yards in front of me. I kept pace within my allocated heart rate zone of 135-145 and averaged 32.8km/hr, by no means was I pushing my ability. Having all the required nutrition with me, I confidently passed the two aid stations. At KM 50, the side of my right knee (Lateral Collateral Ligaments) started giving me issues. I concluded it was due to the recent change of my bike cleats and were not set properly. A few weeks earlier, I rode out to Canmore and on my return rode over some glass that slashed my rear tire. I had to walk 5km back to Canmore which trashed my cleats, and required replacing. I took the remainder of the ride easy, not wanting to aggravate my knee any more and rode into T2 under three hours (2:51:47).

My cowboy fan club was there to cheer me on (My wife Jaime, mother Elaine, Julie, Tara, Sonia, Tobias, baby Lochlan, Fletcher & Kelly) Another casual transition, I chatting it up with the wife, tied my racing flats, strapped on my fuel belt and was off for the run. At this time, the weather warmed up and the direct sun became hot. I started with a good pace of 4:30 and wanted to hold it for the full duration, but after about 8-10k the knee started flaring up. I decided to back off the pace and finish the run casually as I did not want a looming injury for the upcoming Ironman Canada event. The best part of the event (and any event) is having your friends and family cheering you on for the last 100 meters to the finish, and being able to share the experience with them.

I completed my second half ironman distance triathlon with a time of 06:03:18.
Next up, Ironman Canada on August 30th... There is allot of swimming to do until then.

Random Photos from friends and family

Some amazing photos from Jay Prasuhn

New Marathon Personal Best! 3:20:23

I am starting to see the results of my training as I posted a new personal best at the Calgary Marathon beating my previous time by almost 20 minutes! I ran across the finish line at 3:20:23, less than 10 minutes shy of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I could have qualified if I had not worn the new pair of running shoes obtained by my new sponsor Strides Running Room only 2 weeks previous. New Zealand sized blisters appeared at the 21k marker and almost forced me to stop running for the day, but I decided to endure the pain and keep going. If it was not for the blisters, it would be the sore knees that eventually slowed me down to a 5:05 pace for the last 4-6km. My legs were starting to burn with lactate build up, and my Patellar Tendon started to act up due to the non broken in runners.

All in all it was an amazing finish, as I started to tear up, and I know if I had the proper runners, I would have posted a sub 3:20 marathon! I have signed up for the Royal Victoria Marathon in hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

The next few months will test my endurance and perseverance, and I am very much looking forward to all my training, and events in the near future!

For the first couple months of training, my energy levels have been low. Im not sure if this is due to the increased physical activity, or not being able to get enough sleep. Regardless of what it was I decided to put more emphasis on nutrition as I seemed to be run down after the longer training sessions. I set up an appointment with Kelly Drager (my nutritionist) to inquire about some vitamins and supplements specific for training that I recently read about in "Ironstruck... The Ironman Triathlon Journey". Jack vanDyk gave each member of the DRIVEN5 this book as inspiration and a basic guide into the world of Ironman, it is a great read. On my lengthly list for discussion with Kelly was, Coconut oil (many benefits, particularly weight loss, increased immunity and proper digestion -, anti oxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Pantothenic Acid (an energy producer, and used for cold water swims - and some Branch chain amino acids, L'carnatine for energy and recovery.

Based on my conversation with Kelly, she felt that between the vitamin's im taking (Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Multi Vitamin, Glucosamine, 5HTP, Omega 3-6-9) and my current diet, I am getting enough antioxidants and branch chain amino acids. What we did decide to try out was the Coconut oil for a month, and a recovery drink such as Endurox or Accelorade.

It has been a couple months since my inquiries with Kelly and since purchasing the recovery drink, I have noticed increased energy levels and my recovery time has improved immensely. I favor the Endurox brand over Accelorade, as Accelorade doesn't seem to fully dissolve in the water bottle. I also prefer the tropical fruit taste of Endurox. The effects of the coconut oil are more difficult to directly attribute to increased energy levels. It is recommended to be used for a full month before noticing any of its effects.

Calgary Police Half Marathon

My intention for this race was to see how far my training has come over the last couple months by beating my personal best time of 1:40:13. My goal was to run at a 4:15km pace as long as possible with a completion time around 1:30:00. The first 5km were fast, I must have been running on pure adrenaline as my pace averaged around 3:50 - 4:00, I could beat my target time! The adrenaline soon faded, and the nasty cold that was still lingering decided to punch me in the lungs and nasal cavities. I completed the race with a disappointing time of 1:42:08 and lungs that were set on fire! If I had been over the cold, and not missed 4 days of training the week prior, I am confident that I would have beaten my personal best. My next goal is to set a new PB at the Calgary full Marathon (PB - 3:37:29) Photos

My new P3 has arrived!

One of my biggest sponsors, Speed Theory, has sponsored me with a 2009 Cervelo P3. With great anticipation it has finally arrived, Darcy Bell presented the Cervelo P3 to me yesterday in the Speed Theory Triathlon store. Speed Theory is Calgary's leading triathlon and road biking store. At Speed Theory they pride themselves on having the knowledge and expertise to help you with your triathlon and biking needs. The boys at Speed Theory are some of the most knowledgeable people ive met when it comes to anything triathlon, training, gear, and all that goes along with it. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Speed Theory for their sponsorship and to know I will try my best to represent! Now all I need are some zipp racing wheels, 606s, 808s, anyone interested in sponsoring? Presentation Photo gallery

Bittersweet - Part Two of Two

Bittersweet - The finish will never be sweet, without the bitter.
Part Two of Two - Sink or Swim.


Breath - one - two - three.
Breath - one - two - three, GAAAAASP.
Its a torturous ten seconds face down staring at the moss green floral stickers randomly placed within the tub. Its Sunday night and I’m practicing my breathing for tomorrow mornings forth grade swim class. I notice the look of terror on my face from the reflection of the tap as I slowly regain consciousness of my surroundings. Water is streaming on the floor from my hands as I find myself on my knees white knuckling the sides of the tub. The water is still warm, I reach through a mountain of bubbles searching for Donald, my yellow duck who's beak had worn down to the yellow rubber over the years. I sink calmly back into the tub listening to the millions of bubbles exploding, stoking Donalds head thinking to myself, tomorrow will be a better day.


Anxiety fills my chest, my ears are snugly tucked under the swimming cap, my breaths become short and more frequent, the goggles blur the brown tiles a mere 4 feet from
the surface. Its been 26 years since my 4th grade swim class and the memory of fear once again rushes through my mind and body. Its my second visit to the pool since submitting my application online to my first Triathlon, the Sylvan Lake Half Ironman. The panic hits the back of my throat like a pound of burning tar, slowly working its way down until it fills every crevice of my gut only to push its way back up. The open lanes are a blessing, and a curse, a blessing as there is no one to witness my pathetic five meter sprints followed by hacking and sputtering of chlorine. And a curse, to have all lifeguards on deck eagle eying my every stroke anticipating an imminent rescue.
I have a long way to go.

Five... Four... Three... Two... One... BANG!!!
Its race day and the washing machine had begun. I’d heard stories of flailing arms and feet battering people and breaking noses only to have someones race finish before it even began. I made sure to be well out of arms reach of everyone and was now making my way to what seemed like an endless string of buoys.“OK Morin, this is it, just finish the swim” I was trying to reassure myself. As I took my first deep breath to begin the torturous swim, panic set in. My mind was freaking out and my body quickly followed suit. “Get a grip, THIS IS IT, Its time to sink, or swim!!!” I butterflied my way to the first of what seemed to be a thousand small buoys. I took another deep breath, put my face down and started to swim, one, two, three, four, GAASSSSP. I feel as though I’m 8 years old again in the bathtub but this time there is no ledge to hold onto so I flip on to my back to calm my nerves and refocus. Needless to say I did not face the water again until my feet were firmly planted in the sand chest deep with my finger down my throat. Fighting the urge to quit all throughout the swim and despite finishing dead last (1:20), I achieved the goal I set out for myself that day, which was to complete the swim. The remainder of the day was bliss, constantly having chills of becoming a half Ironman! I thanked all the volunteers and danced with the hoola girls at the run turnaround point, soaking up every second. I crossed the finish line at 6:30:12.1 ahead of 94 people. I felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment. My next goal would be to complete an Ironman!

In December The Talisman Center searched for five individuals who would receive once in a lifetime training opportunity courtesy of their ETS Endurance Training Systems program. The initiative sought out candidates who were ambitious and driven with compelling stories; stories of people with a specific goal and focus and stories that inspired others to better themselves, their families, friends or community. I am privileged to have been selected as one of the Talisman Centers DRIVEN5 athletes and have since been paired up with a personal coach that will spend the year working with me on my particular goal, which is to complete the Penticton Ironman in August. Most importantly my personal coach is enabling me to focus my efforts on learning how to swim properly and efficiently given they don’t allow water wings for the swim portion of the Ironman!

Along with my personal training goals, I am working towards raising awareness and money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and am dedicating all of my training and races to my mother in law who was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
To find out more information about the ETS program and the DRIVEN5 or to support my cause, please visit www.DRIVEN5.com

Marc Morin