Tell us a little about yourself
I’m 39 and live in Canmore, Alberta with my wife and two daughters (3months & 3yrs). I work as a data analyst/systems geek for an engineering firm in Calgary, and commute the hour each way most days.
When my first daughter appeared on the scene, I was around 240lbs and knew I needed to get in shape to keep up with her later on in life, so I used a local XTERRA triathlon as the motivation. As the training intensity ramped up, I quickly found myself bonking hard. My then favourite “blue” drink was just not cutting it! I came across a trial pack of HEED, tried it, and haven’t looked back.
My approach to Hammer is all about getting the most out of the limited training time you have available. I am not a top-level athlete (although I am getting close to age-group podiums having finished 4th in every event I entered last season), but I am a dad who prefers to spend time with his family fully-recovered and not tired, stiff and grumpy!
My training and events are based around swimming, mountain biking and trail running, but you will also find me out on the ski-hills with my daughter, and squeezing in the odd late-night XC ski session when the kids are asleep.
The Hammer sponsored Grizzly Mountain event series is right in your/our backyard - tell us a little about what makes Canmore a great race destination?
Firstly, the world class trails: The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park is a fantastic Olympic legacy venue. The trail network is actively maintained year-round, and provides hundreds of kilometers of single and double track for XC skiing, mountain biking, trail running and fat-biking. You can get lost for hours out there, while only being 5mins from your home or hotel.
Secondly, the culture: There is a vibrant off-road community in Canmore and the surrounding area. This rubs off on local events with a very friendly, inclusive atmosphere. Athletes, volunteers and organisers always have a smile, or words of encouragement for everyone.
What are you most looking forward to about the series in 2018?
The Winter Festival will be a lot of fun - Fat Bike Race, XC Loppet and a Winter Triathlon all going off at the same time. There are not many fat-bike races on the local scene, so if the weather is good, you can expect a large field. I raced the triathlon last year and it was tough but so much fun.
XTERRA Canmore - Last year saw the new Odyssey trail added into the bike course, and this year will see even more single-track added to make it one of the best bike courses on the world circuit. The run leg is also likely to see some changes, removing the out-and-back and taking in even more of the great trails. When you throw in Quarry lake as the swim venue, who wouldn’t want to take on this challenge? (OK, so I may be biased…)
Grizzly Ultra – This is the marquee event of the series, and will be bigger than ever. 50km split over 5 legs taking in the best single and double-track the CNCPP has to offer. Over 1200 people on site, with many relay teams makes for a party atmosphere and a great day out on the trails.
What are are you top three Hammer products? And why?
Recoverite – This has been a revelation for me and is my first recommendation to anyone. If you are going to make the most of your limited time, train hard then recover properly. Carbs to replenish your glycogen stores, with a little bit of protein to repair. Get a serving of this down you after a hard set and see how quickly you get your energy back. I now always have a shaker ready on the poolside or back at the car after a ride.
Tissue Rejuvenator – I’m truly in the mid-life crisis zone and definitely starting to feel the effects of years of Rugby and Skiing on my joints. TR has helped reduce any stiffness and swelling I used to get after hard sessions, to the point that I have not opened the Ibuprofen jar for months now! You do need to initially load it to get the full benefits, I took 2 each morning and evening for a week, then dropped down to 2 each night with dinner.
Endurance Amino – I initially started taking these before my big 5km+ swim sets and noticed reduced fatigue towards the end of the sessions. I really do feel the difference if I don’t take them. Additionally, they help with the production of lean muscle mass, which has been very noticeable as I continue to shed fat, but still put on muscle strength.
Where can we follow you online?
On Instagram @canmoremountaindad