A Busy week of social engagements!

Last weekend, I traveled up to Penticton to take part in and present at a coaching seminar aimed at bridging the gap between youth triathlon racing and high performing junior elites. This was a really interesting seminar as most of it was disscusion and brainstorming on how do we get more kids into the world of triathlon and then, how do we develop the talent within the sport to achieve medals in the long term.

What struck me as very cool and somewhat unique, was a room full of coaches from different clubs and teams all sharing training and development techniques, all with the common goal of having a more competitive youth and junior racing enviroment while maintaining the fundimentals of our sport and sportsmanship. I think that in triathlon we have a fairly healthy direction for the future of our sport and I think that if we can continue to colaborate within our coaching community, teams, and governing bodies, we may soon have a model of high performance development that other sport will want to emulate.

Thursday Dec 10th, I went out to one of the local high schools to present an informal talk on goal setting and planning to a grade 12 class. It was an interesting experience. As any parent with teenagers has experience, it was much like asking in depth questions to someone that was just about to end their shift. Yet I did a simple coordination game partway through the talk (impromptu) just to see what the response would be and within seconds the entire class was smiling, laughing and comparing their short experience with this simple coordination game. I thought, fantastic! I have their attention. Then they sat down and returned to a collection of eyes looking straight through me at the clock behind me counting the seconds left in there class. I was not surprised by this response but I am always amazed by it. It reminded me of how glad I am that I am not in high school any more!

On Sunday Dec 14th, LiveFit Coaching is going to be offered another Technical running session. This session focused on body position, activation of core strength, and balance while running. The session was 60' with two coaches providing tips, corrections and input. Keep checking back, in 2010 we will be offering many more of these sessions and the best part is they are not restricted to LiveFit athletes, so if you are interested contact us as space is limited to 12 athlete.

Auctions and Fast food

Last weekend was a busy one! On Saturday night there was an charity silent auction at Trek Pro City bike shop to raise funds for the fight against cancer. This was a super fun and cool event! Pro City came out with their usual class providing enough wine and cheese to a cow lactose intolerance and a headache. The number of people at the event was fantastic, it was standing room only. That may have been because there were no chairs.
One two items near and dear to me were a run with Jasper Blake and the other was a Pub Challenge night with myself. Jasper if you haven't met him read his blog to the right (on the roll), he is the nicest guy you will ever meet! So it was not much of a surprise that two people bid $100 each to go for a run with Jasper. What was a big surprise, was that two people paid $100 each to take me on at pool and darts for bragging rights.
Thanks to everyone that made that such a fun event which I am sure raised a fair bit of cash!

On Sunday, Christine Ridenour (one of the bright young stars of Triathlon that I coach) held the 2nd annual "Fast Food Run" in Duncan. This is a 5km race that Christine founded to raise money and collect food for the Cowichan Valley Basket Society. It was a great event! I used Christine's event as a great chance to get a fast 5km time on a measured course for the young athletes that I coach. The athletes of KKT didn't disappoint bringing food and money donations and some fast running times to the event. We also had a couple of our LiveFit athletes that came out and ran! Thanks Lesley and Cam!

Green Silence!

I just came across this and I think it is the coolest marriage of technology, speed and responsibility that I have seen in a while!

Make an eco-statement with the Green Silence racing flat. Each and every part in this fast, groundbreaking shoe has a sustainable element, including soy-based inks and recycled materials. And in this case, "green" goes hand-in-hand with the great performance you expect from Brooks. The Green Silence helps you take responsibility, and first place—with good karma to spare. Weight: 6.9 oz.

I will get a picture of these cool kicks up asap but until then check out Brooksrunning.com under the competition shoes!

Are you smarter with wisdom teeth or without

Well the rains and early evenings are here which means it is time to build the weaknesses and maintain the strengths for the coming season. For me one of the weaknesses has been the looming pressure of getting my wisdom teeth pulled. This is a topic that has come up with my dentist for many years and I have always said " in the off-season". This year I actually meant it and now I am without wisdom teeth. I have heard that a lot of pro cycling teams schedule regular dentist visits for their top pros as a small infection in your mouth can affect your entire immune system.

So this is me, raising a bowl of ice cream and saying "cheers to better health". The photo says it all.

News and Updates

Xterra World Championships
Oct 24 & 25, 2009
On Saturday, the Xterra Makena Beach 10k Trail Run took place with 284 finishers. Coach Nick Walker placed 1st overall in the race, winning the grand prize of a flight provided by Hawaiian Airlines from mainland US to Hawaii!
The next day (Sunday) coach Kelly Guest competed as a pro at the Xterra World Off-Road Triathlon championships where he placed a very impressive 16th place amoung a very strong world class field. More information about the race can be found at Xterraplanet.com

Royal Victoria Marathon
Oct 11, 2009

A great weekend for all the participants at this years Royal Victoria Marathon, Half-Marathon and 8km. Full Results at Royal Victoria Marathon.
Half-Marathon
Nick Walker - 10th overall - 1:11:52
Karyn Anderson - 1:54:23
Marathon
Kirsten Dibblee - 4:23:32
8km
Helena Price - 40:58

Subaru Sooke International Triathlon
Sept 13, 2009

TriTraining.ca athletes and coaches had an amazing weekend at this years Subaru Sooke International Triathlon with overall wins in the Half-Iron and Sprint and a 2nd and 3rd place finish in the Olympic. Full Results at TriSeries.ca
Half-Iron Results:
Kelly Guest - 1st overall - 1st age group
Mike Hucal - 45th overall - 6th age group
Kirsten Dibblee - 83rd overall - 7th age group

Olympic Distance Results:
Nick Walker - 2nd overall - 2nd age group
Jeff White - 3rd overall - 1st age group

Sprint Distance Results:
Chris Sundby - 1st overall - 1st age group
Lesley Hartford - 1st overall - 1st age group
Cam McDarmid - 16th overall - 13th age group
Helena Price - 15th overall - 2nd age group
Dale Mackie - 44nd overall - 14th age group

Vancouver International Triathlon
July 12, 2009

Kelly placed 5th overall in a very competitive field in the Half-Iron distance. Full Results at TriSeries.ca

New Balance Victoria International Triathlon
June 21, 2009

Another stellar performance from coach Kelly Guest. Kelly placed 3rd overall in the Half-Iron with an amazing time of 4:04:45. Full Results at TriSeries.ca

New Balance Victoria International Triathlon
May 24, 2009

Congratulations to coach Kelly Guest for WINNING! the Subaru Shawnigan Lake Internation Triathlon Olympic distance. Full Results at TriSeries.ca

LiveFit Athlete Recognition and Post Season Celebration

Athletes are invited to an end of season celebration on Sunday November 15th. Contact Coach Kelly at livefitcoaching@gmail.com

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Tritraining and LiveFit coaching would like to thank our sponsors
Power Bar, Uvex, Wigwam and Frontrunners Westshore!

www.tritraining.ca

Check out www.tritraining.ca for Coach Kelly and Coach Nick’s tips on nutrition, gear, injury prevention and footwear

Meet the Coaches @ LiveFit Coaching

KELLY GUEST
Kelly has been a triathlon coach for over 6 years with more than 15 years of triathlon experience himself.
He has been among the top triathletes in the world including being named to the 2002 Commonwealth Games triathlon team for Canada, named Male 2007 Off-road Elite Triathlete of the year, and the 2007 National Off-road Triathlon Champion. Kelly is also the founder of Kelly's Kids Triathlon (KKT) located in Victoria, B.C.

NICK WALKER

Nick has been a highly competitive runner for the past 14 years competing locally, nationally and even internationally. He was selected to the World Junior Cross Country team in 2001. He is a multiple provincial cross country, track and road running champion. He has helped coach athletes from beginner runners to successful Ironman triathletes. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria in Molecular Genetics and Human Physiology.

AMY MILLS-GUEST

Amy has been involved in triathlon and running as an athlete and coach for over 5 years. She loves to compete in events of all distances and is currently focusing on half marathons. She enjoys coaching athletes of all levels and helping them acheive their goals and reaching their maximum potential. Amy is also currently a Masters in Psychology student.