Aside from the fact that his swimming history has reflected that of a rock, he has been battling a shoulder injury that has limited any improvement in his metamorphosis from a rock to a buoy. Most of his attempts at triathlon have not been without struggle. That’s not to say he hasn’t had some success, it’s that, that success has been below his level of expectation. That all changed on Sunday, August 8^th at the Subaru Series’ Niagara Triathlon in Grimsby.

With his damaged shoulder finally approaching a point where he could attempt a triathlon this season, Graham joined 358 other triathletes on the shore of Lake Ontario for the 375 meter swim, 10 kilometer bike, and two and a half kilometer run of the Tri-A-Tri.

When the dust had settled, Graham had asserted himself as one the eagles in the sky, even though it was an eagle with a slightly stiff shoulder. He had mastered the course in convincing style. He put to rest any doubts that he had that he couldn’t be a great triathlete. A surprise appearance at the race by his Mom and Dad on their way home to Ottawa only served to sweeten the moment as he mounted the podium before his wife and daughters to claim 5^th place out of 42 in the very competitive men’s 30 to 39 age group. In stopping the clock at 45:00 minutes flat, he had an awesome race finishing 29^th out of 358 overall.

Speaking of outstanding STC duathletes, Doug Wiseman was also in Grimsby tackling the challenges of the escarpment with 136 other duathletes. Based on his history of dominating age group finishes, he was penciled in for a podium finish pre-race. Like Ann Lyddon’s recent experience in Muskoka, the fickle finger of faith would cast an ominus shadow over Wiseman’s race outcome. Ignoring course markers, a small group of duathletes messed up the race results of the first run of the duathlon when they went the wrong direction and added almost a kilometer to their race. They blamed poor course marking instead of themselves for the faux pas. It seems that 75 per cent of the racer got it right, but to the seemingly blind racers ignoring the proper course markings, a grave injustice had been committed. In the end, race organizers took the high road and eliminated the results of the first run from the final results.

While that choice benefited the complainers, it may have hindered some of the smart racers and Wiseman was one of them. He stopped the clock at 1:29:09, on the results from his 25 kilometer bike and seven kilometer final run. He claimed a respectable 8^th place out of 13 in the men’s 50 to 59 age group, and 50^th place overall.

In the Sprint Triathlon, the STC sent two members to the start line, only one made it to the finish line. Sandra MacDonald continued her march toward a date with the Muskoka 70.3 on September 12^th.  She booked a time of 2:11:57 in finish in 26^th place in the women’s 25 to 29 age group, and 379^th place out of 439 overall in the 750 meter swim, 25 kilometer bike and seven kilometer run. After an awesome swim in Lake Ontario, yours’ truly barely made it out on the bike before a flat tire ended my chance to complete a great race start. For the record, the first place finisher in my age group booked a time three minutes slower than my worst time on this course in four past attempts. Foiled by a flat - I guess the universe was trying to teach me something. Oh well! On to the next race!

JE

A member of Team Canada at the 2008 World Triathlon Championships in Vancouver at sprint distance, McCracken used the Bracebridge Half Iron Distance Triathlon on Sunday, August 8^th to prove that a world-class age grouper on the short course can leg-it-out on the long course.

Following the disappointment prior to the Muskoka 70.3 Half Ironman in Huntsville last September when she had to withdraw courtesy of stress fracture in her foot, McCracken set to work preparing for her date with the challenging two kilometer swim, 90 kilometer bike and 21.1 kilometer run of the endurance testing event in Bracebridge. Along with 152 entrants, she hit the course with her usual determination.

On behalf of the STC, I’m proud to report that she turned in an excellent performance in mastering one the toughest distances in triathlon. Outstanding job Kristi!

She broke the tape at 6:21:22 on the clock to grab 5^th place in the women’s 30 to 34 age group, and 108^th spot overall. She turned in the 68^th fastest swim time at 39:15 using a 1:58 minute per 100 meters stroke. She completed the bike in 3:18:28 to record an average speed of 27.2 KPH for the 113^th fastest bike overall. She booked the 115^th fastest run time at 2:20:09 for the ½ marathon at a paced of a little over six minutes per kilometer.

Bravo Kristi!

JE

With almost 280 runners, walkers and stroller jockeys taking part and scads of volunteers, this little run has grown into a huge local event. Well organized and supporting the South Grey Bruce Youth Literacy Council, this event is must-do for many local athletes and families.

Click Here To See All The Awesome Results From The 2010 Run 4 Youth!

NOTE - Hanover’s walk/run clinic location is the Kinsman Baseball Diamonds

In benefit to the Wiarton and District Family Literacy Association, the annual road race used 2010 to restart the historical event after a short hiatus. Over 215 runners and walkers made the start line for the 2010 Shore To Shore.

Stevenson missed the gold by less than a minute, stopping the clock at 46:32, finishing third overall and claiming first in the male 30 to 39 age group.

One of the STC’s top female runners, Anne McCutcheon booked a time of 1:04:14 to finish in 62^nd place overall and 8^th among females 30 to 39 years old.

STC master duathlete Doug Wiseman was close behind McCutcheon as he grabbed 66^th place overall, and 7^th spot among males 50 to 59 with a time of 1:04:58.

Budding STC triathlete, preparing for the Muskoka 70.3 Half Ironman in mid-September, David Crawford claimed 101^st place overall and 25^th spot in the male 40 to 49 age group with a time of 1:09:27.

Rookie STC member Angie McCurdy was next across the finish line for the club as she stopped the clock at 1:12:51, claiming 123^rd place overall and 9^th spot among females 40 to 49.

STC sophomore Dave Benninger continued to improve his running by booking a time of 1:14:47 to finish 139^th overall and 31^st among males 40 to 49 years old.

Veteran triathlete and rookie STC member Scott Luce went in to the books just behind Benninger at 1:15:44 to place 145^th overall and 32^nd in the males 40 to 49 age group.

The final STC member to record a time at the 2010 Shore To Shore was the incredible Paula Luce. A veteran multisport athlete and runner, she finished in 213^th place overall and 15^th among females 50 to 59 years old.

JE

Over Hill….. And, Over more Hills In Muskoka With Irwin!

Check Out All The Hot Times With Irwin At Creemore!

Wilder’s Lake Club Workouts - End of Summer Schedule

Click on the slideshow for bigger pictures…