I’ve had a number of people ask me if I have any tips or advice to help them break through and qualify for Kona. I’m not a coach, but there’s a number of lessons I’ve learned that I think are both useful and applicable to a number of people. It’s not always necessarily what they were hoping to hear (I don’t have any special workouts or shortcuts), but these are all things that have helped me become a better athlete.
I’m proud to have partnered with Dare2Tri Wetsuits this year. The Challenge 4Speed Wetsuit I’ll be racing in this year is a big upgrade over what I’ve been wearing in the past, and I want my wetsuit to last. I contacted Alex de Boer, founder of Dare2Tri, for tips on how a wetsuit should be stored for the winter, what to do to a wetsuit after it’s been stored for the winter before you wear it, how to properly dry a wetsuit, what type of damage can be repaired, and if there’s a best way to fold a wetsuit?
My 4Speed Challenge Wetsuit: HERE
My bike was in for repairs all week and I had a big bike focus planned. To pile on, the pool at my condo was closed. It wasn’t the week of training I had planned, but all I could do was make lemonade out of it. I shifted gears to a run focus and reintroduced strength into my plan. I ran every day for a total of 125k, and finished the week with the MEC 15k where I was able to get in a solid tempo effort before a lingering knee/IT band issue flared up over the final couple km’s. Stuff comes up and gets in the way of that perfectly planned training week, all you can do is make the most out of it.
A big thank you to David Levy (https://www.instagram.com/levydl/) for the photos and videos from the MEC 15k.
MEC 15k on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/935583043
This week I once again focus on my bike and focus on my process to Plasti-dip my bike. In Vlog 15 I looked at some of the unique aspects of my bike, this week I give it a makeover. I decided that after 5 years of riding my Pinarello FT1 she needed a new look. I gave Plastidip a try to ‘paint’ my bike. Unlike paint or powder-coat it isn’t permanent. Instead it’s almost like a thin layer of plastic that you can peel off when you don’t want it anymore. It was my first time using Plastidip, and although I made a couple errors I think it turned out pretty well.
Supporters: Dare2Tri, Skechers Performance, Velofix Toronto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danieljclarke/
Blog (and race reports): http://ifnotyouthenwho.ca/
Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/7329576
Email: daniel@krokadero.com
Music by: Bear Twists, “Under The Sun”, Different Heaved & EH!DE, “My Heart”, and Otis McDonals, “Behind Closed Doors”.