uOttawa - Regional Training Centre

PRESS RELEASE

Own the Podium announces Regional Training Centre at uOttawa

Own the Podium, The University of Ottawa and Swim Ontario have joined forces with two local Ottawa sports clubs to increase High Performance training opportunities for triathletes and swimmers in the Ottawa area.

The UOGO-RTC (University of Ottawa – Regional Training Centre) is now home to The uOttawa - RTC Triathlon High Performance Program.

Own the Podium Regional Training Centre (RTC) program provides high quality daily training opportunities for local athletes and to increase high performance capacity in identified sports. 

Local triathlon club The Bytown Storm and it’s High Performance Coaches Sharon Donnelly and Greg Kealey will spearhead the development of the triathlon program at the centre.

The Bytown Storm is in it’s tenth year of operation and has produced some of Canada’s top Junior and U23 Senior triathlete's over the past five years.

 Sharon Donnelly a former Pan American Games Gold Medalist (1999), Olympian (2000) and Olympic Coach (USAT).  Sharon brings a wealth of experience and a perspective of triathlon training and performance that is unmatched in Canada.

Greg Kealey founded the Bytown Storm and is former Triathlon Ontario Coach of the Year (2008) and Triathlon Canada Elite Coach of the Year (2010), Greg has helped develop many of Canada’s most promising young triathletes.  “This is a great opportunity for all developing triathletes.  We have a great location, fantastic support and one of the most experienced and successful coaching staffs in the country.  It’s wonderful that Own the Podium and uOttawa have worked so hard to bring this idea to fruition, it a real boost for High Performance programming not just in Ottawa but in Ontario”.

The uOttawa-RTC will provide year round high performance training for developing and elite athletes aged 16 and over.  For more information on the centre, entrance criteria and programming please contact Greg Kealey at bytowntriathlon@yahoo.ca

                                                                                                    -30 –

The things you know, the things you learn, the things you forget...race report from the athlete-coach

So another XC season closes for us with the OTFA Championships this weekend.   Triathlon is of course our primary sport  but XC season falls in nicely and while  it is not really my priority the athletes are always excited to compete for their schools and look forward to the racing.   This year we had our fair share of obstacles and set backs due to injuries and the general fatigue that comes from a long summer of racing and then the onset of  XC running.    A tough year for some of our most seasoned athletes Matt V was sick during OUA's, Samantha K raced 3 weeks on what is now believed to be hip stress fracture, Alex M twisted a knee and a few others just looked worn out.  

But this weekend it was about a new and exciting twist we put to the OTFA Championships our masters team, way back in April I suggested to the club we enter a Masters team in the XC event, so I asked Steve Livingstone, Brent Jarvis, Gary Maxwell and John Cameron to join me and over the summer we added Scott Irwin, it would be fun and besides it would surely get me out running more over the summer.   If I could I'd  go over my training plan for the past 6 months but I really didn't have one actually I just exercised once in a while....WAIT, WHAT  my athletes don't "exercise" they train I make the distinction between exercising and training at least once a week,  how could I do this to my self, how could I prep for a race with no training plan, no consistency no structure  NO TRAINING?  OK so I  let life get in the way after all it's all about the athletes right....I mean the athletes I coach all have really high goals, expectations of performing at the highest levels and I've done fairly well with them so far so letting my plan slide a bit was no big deal.    I mean really I'm running a 5k XC event and I'm training kids for PATCO, Nationals and Worlds.....you have to set your priorities....right  

                                                                                 Brent Jarvis #1 Storm Masters
So really I can't remember any real training, the last I remember is doing two runs in Mexico  in mid Oct. in sweltering heat, was sick for 2 weeks after I got back and Saoirse asked me to go for a run on Wed morning this week before school.  I know I've done a run here and there but nothing consistent enough for me to actually remember.  But no matter today I toed the line with the finest "Masters Runners" in Ontario( that decided to register for the event.) 

 

John Cameron (in blue) #2 Storm Master

We had about 10 kids running as well as the masters team at least one athlete in every event, by far the largest OTFA XC effort from our club ever.    So at about 12:10pm we were all at the starting gate, it was pretty much decided that John and Brent and Scott would be leading the charge for the team, Gary's main goal was to finish in front of me and my main objective was to not let that happen, Steve was there to prove he could beat both of us.  The gun goes off and away we go, I started right at the back I mean I know I'm not in shape so I figure I'll let everyone else go in front, about 200m in I pass Gary and I'm thinking I'm really not working that hard so this is good, the start is straight and flat and in no time the field strings out but is pretty close, as we pass the mass of tents I'm clearly in the back 40 but the front runner is only 50m or so ahead. 

                                                                                Scott Irwin Storm Master #3

We hit a small up hill piece of the course about 400m in and Gary slips past me, no worries I get on his heels and we get past a few people about 500m in I'm getting short of breath, legs are fine just the breathing gets a bit labored...stick to the race plan stick to the race plan  WAIT...I don't have a race plan....I know I have spent the past 2 hrs going over race plans with 8 or 9 different people but...I ...didn't think about one for me....S@#t......OK no worries  Gary is only about 50m ahead I'll drop it down a bit catch my breath then get back to my race pace and I can catch .....WAIT.... whats my race pace.....OK don't panic ...lets see last 5 or 10k I did was ....Ok it's 2011, I didn't do anything this year, how about 2010  yes I did a half iron but that was swim/run Jade biked and it was 21k run so that doesn't help much ...OK 2009?  No same thing just the half IM....2008???2007 OH COME ON the last time I did a 10k was the Fall Colours in 2007 and the last 5k was the Run for Reach same year....man if I coached me I'd have to kill me.  

How can I be so unprepared, I mean I make a large part of my living crossing all those T's and dotting all those i's and here I am 8 minutes into a race and I'm just realizing I'm out of shape (OK that I knew), but  I not have a plan and I have no idea how fast I should be doing any of this at???.  Gary is now about 100m ahead, the guy beside me asks how far in I think we are it's about 10 min so I say "about 2k, we have another 3k left" and he immediately drops off, so HEY I'm starting to  feel pretty good, there' s a group ahead about 40 m so I decide I can bridge up and I do hmmm OK maybe I'm just slow getting into the groove.........ahhh...nope theres no groove...welcome to the hurt locker.  Gary is now.....shit he's out of sight.

                      Gary Maxwell #5 Storm Master (#4 was Steve Livingstone, but we failed to get a picture)

So I'm 2k or so in (10min 11sec) and I'm getting really distracted thinking about all the mistakes I've made, all the things I didn't do...OK  OK  focus...you can't think negative and have a positive result...switch your focus, this guy is setting a decent pace...run with him for a bit....Hey he's 60...seriously I'm letting a 60 year old pace me...Oh christ whats happened to me....I feel like throwing up and it's not because I'm working to hard.  Oh just up there someone with a 45 and someone with 30...OK catch them and stay with them.  Well here I am running with two people who are younger than me so I'm OK (yes they are girls but I know some fast girls so I really don't care)  about 1.7 k left and we drop the 30 year old...... yeah.  We round the far end of the course about 1k left and my run buddy drops right in behind me hmmmmm I know what your doing forget it I'm ready...... about 400m it becomes a race as she tries to pass I pick it up and for about 100m it's alot of fun...she drops off I finish as hard as I can..... now I feel like throwing up ...........and it is because I worked to hard. 

                                                                                   Greg Kealey #6 Storm Master

So yea, I'm happy because it was fun, I didn't realize how much I missed competing (for me), I couldn't believe how unprepared I was and that I didn't catch on to these things until I was knee deep in it.  I won't change what I do for the athletes I coach, we have big goals for a few of them this year and the next 3-4 years to come and they will get all the attention they need from me and our coaching staff.....but I think I'll race more often in local events, just to keep me in it....to have some fun...to get back to the reason I started all this...today was great, not my best result by far but a start back to more balance, more fun.....thanks to my daughter Saoirse who took all of these pictures, and to the athletes and families and coaches who came out to help, cheer and support us.   

Coach Greg

TWO Storm triathletes make 2011 Junior Worlds Team

It's Official both Tristan Woodfine and Joanna Brown will represent Canada in the World Junior Triathlon Championships this Sept in Beijing China.

Eastern Ontario and our small club will be well represented at Worlds, as Joanna and Tristan have shown they can compete with the strongest junior triathletes in the World.

Tristan Woodfine has trained with the Bytown Storm and Coach Greg Kealey for the past 5 years.

Tristan was the 2008 Ontario Summer Games Gold Medalist as well as a member of Team Ontario's 2009 Canada Games Team. 2010 was a disappointing year with Tristan battling through a prolonged series of injuries and set backs.

This past year Tristan has been very disciplined and has worked hard to improve and focus on the things that would make him a well rounded athlete.

This season he has returned to form winning the first Junior mens race in St Malo and finishing top 5 ( first Canadian Male) at the PATCO (Junior Pan Am's) in Edmonton which secured his Worlds spot.

With the best of the year yet to come I know Tristan will be ready and able to bring home some hardware from Worlds.

GOOD LUCK Tristan from your coach and Team mates at the Storm.





Joanna Brown has trained with Coach Greg Kealey for over the past 5 years. Joanna's hard work and determination has made her a fierce competitor right from the start.

Jo' has many accomplishments in the sport including 2008 Ontario Summer Games Champion, 2010 Provincial and National Woman's Junior Elite Champion and 2010 World Junior Triathlon Bronze Medalist.

This is Joanna's second trip to Worlds and we hope to improve on her Bronze performance of last year.

Good Luck Jo from your coach and team mates at The Storm.




There is still plenty of work to do before these two head out for Beijing and then out of town for University this fall. It's been a pleasure to coach and mentor them for the past five+ years and to see them embrace the sport and excel.

I'm sure we will cross paths in the future. (Until then I will be working you extremely hard to bring home some hardware)

Good Luck Guys.

Greg

Not How I thought I'd spend this weekend.

2011 Walk for ALS Ottawa

Last Saturday as I planned my week I thought I was going to spend today in Drummondville Quebec. watching Sam, Elyse and Alex race the U17 elite division, (sorry I missed it guys you all had great races thanks for the updates Patti and Michelle).

Instead I spent today and most of the past week (as I knew I would at some point but your never quite ready when it happens) mourning the passing of a life long friend. Monday June 13th saw the passing of Mike Shahen one of my oldest, closest and dearest friends, Mike passed away after a very long and courageous fight with ALS. 3 years ago I could have told you very little about ALS, I knew it was referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, I knew there was no cure and I was aware that it attacked the body and in simple terms "killed" you piece by piece.

Mike was diagnosed with ALS in July 2009, not quite 2 years ago, when he was first diagnosed he only told family and a few close friends, he wanted those closest to him to accept his fate before the news spread. I doubt I participated in any sport or activity growing up without Mike being a part of it, we grew up living next door to each other, shared a rink built every year by my Dad, I taught him how to play lacrosse and he taught me how to play soccer. He was a year older and always a friend and he sometimes filled the role as big brother when he had to. Mike was perhaps the smartest most giving person I have ever known.

Last year on this very weekend after 1 year of living with the disease Mike's mobility had diminished so much he was forced to use a wheel chair. The 2010 Walk for ALS was Mike's first outing confined to a wheel chair, I didn't get to visit Mike much last summer but I did see him at Thanksgiving, although confined to a wheel chair, he still had one good arm to throw the football around with his 2 sons, myself, my daughter and my 2 nephews. His movement was restricted but Mike was still Mike, funny, engaging and full of hope and promise. I visited Mike with my daughter about a month ago and was devastated to see how much of him ALS had taken, he was unable to talk, used a respirator to breathe and had no movement left in him.

Mike and his family were supposed to be the lead family for the Walk for ALS today after Mikes passing, his wife Tanya and sons Mitchell and Spencer still wanted to honour that commitment.

As I have navigated the past week, I realized just how important time really is, not the time I talk about every day, in seconds per metre. But time, time spent with family and friends, time enjoying what we have, where we will end up. I realized today that every single concern or complaint I have had over the past 6 months wouldn't even have registered as a concern with Tanya or Mike. I spent alot of this week in the company of my family and some of my oldest friends, I was able to mourn and celebrate one of the most influential people in my life.

Micheal Edward Shahen passed away on June 13th 2011, he was father to Mitchell (11) and Spencer (9) and husband of Tanya. A great friend and teacher Mike you will be missed but not forgotten.

ONE LAST WORD ABOUT ALS

The Ottawa ALS society has a summer long fund raiser called 42 Canoe.
http://www.42canoe.ca/Home.html

The Worlds Longest Portage. A canoe is to be transported across Canada during the month of July only by people donating their time and vehicles. The canoe will travel on rooftops from campsite to campsite from St Johns to Victoria. PLEASE visit the website (link above) to see if you can help out or better yet tell the local media ( it"s a fundraiser/awareness campagin for ALS Canada).


Thanks
Greg