http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/weblog.php en-us http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/weblog.php http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/index.php?id=P18 I had heard great things about the Valleyfield triathlon. And even though it is just a short drive away from Ottawa, I had never done it before. So it was great to be able to participate in this year's event! The weather forecast called for a day of cool, wet weather (we should be used to this by now). But as luck would have it, the sunshine held out for the duration of the day which made for an absolutely ideal day for racing/spectating. http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/index.php?id=P17 A flat tire just 1.5 km into the bike portion put an end to my day. This now puts me at 3 DNFs in a row for the last 3 ITU races - flats both here and in San Francisco, and Kelowna where I had to pull out with back spasms. It is very disappointing to finish a race this way. I had swum well and was starting the ride in a good position. But on one of the first few corners my back wheel slid on some grit and almost came out from under me. I somehow managed to stay upright and thought... http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/index.php?id=P16 On June 22 I made my first ever trip to Philadelphia to race in the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon. After an easy run on Friday night I drove 4 hrs to Syracuse NY then finished the drive on Saturday morning. It was exciting to see a bit of Philadelphia and I stayed with Tom B. who lives only a couple streets away from the historic Art Gallery (site of the “Rocky steps”). http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/index.php?id=P15 After a disappointing end to the 2007 season – one that was filled with injuries - I was excited to get back to racing. The winter had been filled with some very solid hours of training and I am finally feeling 100% healthy. I had contemplated going back to Ixtapa, but after last year’s misadventures I decided to take a pass. So first up on the schedule: Muskoka! http://jamiestephenson.com/blog/index.php?id=P14 It was great to race in Gatineau this past weekend – it will be my only hometown race of the year. It turned out to be a great event with lots of good competition and it was also nice to come away with a good result!