New- JOIN TEAM MITOCANADA

The Team MitoCanada Project was created to provide a means to raise Awareness for MitoCanada through sport.

Throughout the Ironman Double Double journey I was approached by many people asking how they could join "the Team". Despite the lack of existence of true Team MitoCanada, we had many people race under the MitoCanada name in various running and triathlon races this summer. So why not make it official and create an organized Team MitoCanada.

Joining the TEAM is free. Our hope is that by having our Team Members participate in various sporting events and races we will race the interest in MitoCanada and thus increase the awareness for Mitochondrial Disease.

All we ask is that Team Members fill out the REGISTRATION FORM and consider ordering Team MitoCanada gear for your next event.

By wearing the Green and Black Uniforms at Running, Cycling, Nordic Skiing, Walking and Triathlon Events we will help others to understand the impact that Mitochondrial Disease has on 1 in every 5000 people.

In the next few weeks we will be launching The Team MitoCanada website to provide a hub for Team Members to post race reports, connect with other team members for training, and plan for future MitoCanada events. There will also be links for sponsors, shopping for MitoCanada gear and connect with Facebook and Twitter. Of course, there will also be a link for Donations for MitoCanada.

So if you're interested in helping promote awareness for MitoCanada and Mitochondrial Disease, please complete a REGISTRATION FORM and send to kyle.mclaughlin@mitocanada.org

Link to registration form:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wzLlWw301CCdtPRJH2ZB6XvdaD6o0hn_fZLjhc4TnNU/edit?hl=en_GB

What's Next?

I have had a chance to think about the next steps. In talking with my family and Blaine we have come up with a few ideas for the Next Step for MitoCanada.

1. MitoCanada Cycling Team- I will be submitting an application with Alberta Cycling Assoc for club status in 2012- we are actively recruiting members to race next season. Website to follow.
2. Sponsorship for MitoCanada Cycling Team- I have spoken directly with major bike companies to sponsor our team. More to follow.
3. Mitochondrial Awareness Week- Events include lectures at the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary on Sept 20. I will post a schedule of events closer to the date.
4. 2012 Running on Empty Ultramarathon will be in 3rd week of Sept next year to coincide with Mito Awareness week... so all the Ironman Athletes can now make this run part of their schedule!
5. "Rolling on Empty" Cycling Event- will look at putting together a charity ride in 2012 in support of MitoCanada.
6. Upcoming races in support of MitoCanada- Carrie and I will be racing and representing MitoCanada at the Stinson Beach (California) off-road marathon and half marathon in Nov. and Carrie is doing the Sacramento Marathon in Dec. We are thinking about another marathon in May, the BC Bike Race in June, Canadian Death Race Ultramarathon in July and Xterra Off Road Triathlon Nationals in Sept.
7. Mito Gear- we will be ordering more Mito gear in the fall- please let me know if you are interested.

2011 Ironman Canada Race Report

I just arrived home from Penticton and thought I would give myself a day to think back on the day that was my hardest Ironman ever.

The day started great- woke at 3:45am, had a large breakfast while reading one of Carrie's inspirational cards that she gives me before every race, had minimal lineups (initially) at the Porta-potties, got my bike setup and did some last minute touches to my transition bags. I then headed over to my coaches hotel room to meet the CSR crew. Feeling relaxed and focused I headed to swim start with Myron Tetreault and John White.

I decided to start on the inside of the buoys this year. I had always started on far left but wanted to try to hook onto a faster draft pack this year. As the gun went off I walked in knee high water for about 100ft before diving in, along side CSR teammates Ross and Jules as well as first timer Rob Kelly. The initial 500m was your typical jostling for position but I soon found myself in a pod of 4-5 people cruising at what seemed to be a decent pace. We were sighting well and keeping on track.

At about 1500m in our group fell apart trying to approach the first turn and I followed alongside 1 other guy. Trusting his sighting skills I just followed and soon found myself heading on a 45 degree angle against the long line of swimmers who stayed to the left of the buoys. After a few kicks and punches I was able to make the turn.

The way back was relatively uneventful. I didn't have the best draft but I had more open water. I pulled hard the last few hundred metres and came in at ~1h:07 for the 3.8km swim. I was so excited to do a personal best and improve by more then 5 minutes on my Coeur D'Alene swim time.

I smoothly made it through transition in ~2:30 min and headed off on my bike.

The bike started fine but I had never seen so many flats on a bike course. As we went through the Maclean Creek section there must have been 20 riders on the side of the road. My suspicion for sabotage was confirmed when my friend Todd Malcolm told me later that he had to pull a tack from his tire during that stretch of the course.

Unfortunately, about 40 km into the ride, after riding over a small bridge I heard the dreadful woosh of air coming from my rear disc wheel. In 5 years of racing I have never had a flat and here we are in my biggest race, in my fittest form and I have a flat! Even though I tried to suppress the thought at the time, this 10-12 min to change the tube all but eliminated my chance of being amongst those in contention for a Hawaii qualification spot. I took off with the mindset that the race is really long and you never know what can happen. Also, learning from the experiences of my friends in similar situations in the past, I didn't try to "Catch Up" but rather stuck to the plan of maintaining my race wattage. The worry being that if I went too hard on the bike... my run would suffer even more.

The bike course went otherwise quite smoothly. I was moving through the crowd, climbing steady, going hard on the downhills and paying close attention to my hydration/fueling. Knowing it was going to continue to heat up, I was drinking ~1.5L/hour, ate 350-400 calories/hr and took 1 gm of sodium/hr. I climbed Richters Pass in control and to my surprise saw my Family and Scott Edmonds. It was so great to see them out there but the excitement was short lived as I had to get focused to tackle the Rollers and then the Cawston out-and-back.

At the special needs area I got a surprise. Carrie had placed a drawing from my 3 year old Will- it was a "Silly Monster" (Kind of fitting as I was rolling with spandex and an aero helmet...) I got a little choked up thinking about the boys and how supportive my family has been throughout this whole process. As well, it wasn't too far from there that I saw MitoCanda Supporter Linda Pilon and her Mito Car. It was great to see the support and my name chalked on the ground from someone who hasn't ever met me. Very inspiring but once again my focus turned back to the task at hand climbing up to Yellow Lake.

This is the part of the race that is often the toughest. Today was no exception. I was trapped near a group of 40-44 males who were blatantly drafting. I tried on no less then 5 occasions to break away from them but was over taken each time by their peloton. Despite them riding right past a race official nothing was done! Unfortunately 2 of them crashed into eachother when the person drafting was staying in aero position and not paying attention. They were bruised up but able to continue.

With the help of Toby running along side me for 100m, I was able to make it to the top of Yellow only to be faced with a massive head wind all the way to the top of Twin Lakes and then all the way down to Penticton.

I made it into town with no problems and was feeling ready to get off the bike. Despite having to repair my flat I was 5h:23 for the 180km ride. Which actually correlated to ~5:11 actual riding time according to my bike computer. I had another smooth transition and headed out to the run.

This is what Ironman racing is all about- being able to hold it together for the marathon. I knew it was going to be a very hot run so we decided to drop my pace by 10sec/mile and really focus on hydration and cooling.

To me, the first couple of kms are critical to how the rest of the run is going to go. You are transitioning from a relatively stable flexed position on the bike to a very dynamic jostling upright position with a heart rate bump of ~10-15 beats/minute. If you go out too hard during these first few kms you increase the stress on your body and risk your ability to run well for the entire course. So with that in mind I cruised the first bit of the run and waited for my heart rate to drop and get into a nice controlled rhythm. I then started fueling and hydrating.

The first half of the run was kept at around 5:00/km pace during the flats. I drank 4-5 cups of fluid at each aid station, dumped as much water/sponges on my head as possible and poured ice down my shorts/shirt and into baggies to hold in my palms. By this time it was 32-33 degrees with direct sunlight and a tail wind- VERY hot and stale.

As I watched the pros heading back into town and seeing their suffering I tried to slowly move my way through the group... knowing the worst has yet to come. I had a few distractions- like Jordan Bryden cycling up behind me and asking "Hey Doc, Can I get a prescription for some Get-Fast?", the cheering from friends like Kevin Walsh, Rose and the Tri-It crew, my CSR teammates, getting advice from my coach Cal, seeing the maritimers Amy, Kimberley and Bob and of course seeing my family. As every Ironman racer will tell you, it is the constant cheering and support you get from friends, family, volunteers and strangers that makes that long day go by just a little bit quicker.

As I hit the turn around, I picked up some supplies and got my second note- another drawing but from Finn this time. It gave me that extra energy to get back up the hill and out of Okanagan Falls.

Throughout the day I was getting updates on my good friend and training partner Myron- he swam a remarkable 55min and I was being told was just ahead of me at this point of the run. So as I hit the 14 mile point of the run I could see Myron in the distance. I made it my goal to catch him in the next few miles... not to get ahead of him but to run alongside my friend and maybe help eachother out. So as we approached an Aid Station at 18 miles I caught up with him and gave him the tap on the back to say "great job... Let's Go!" We were able to run 3 miles together before I started cramping in my legs.

By this point I had consumed 9 grams of sodium, eating pretzels and chicken broth. I was drinking as much as I possibly could without throwing up and had gone to the bathroom twice. I was also taking in 200-250 cal/hr. So I had no choice but to slow down a bit, stretch the legs out and try to get my legs to stop cramping. Over the next 2 miles I struggled to get my stride back and was running like the Tin Man, fearful of flexing my knees too much thus causing more spasms.

In my darkest time, I had Rose Serpico from Tri-it come by and give me a little pep talk. It was what I needed as it reminded me why I was doing this in the first place. This was all about MitoCanada and the families affected by mitochondrial Disease. I ended our conversation by telling her I was only thinking about Evan's Smile and that I was going to finish this race with that thought- (thinking back to my phone conversation with Blaine the night before and him telling me Evan was smiling, knowing I was going to do Ironman Canada.)

The next thing I know, I see my family again on the side of the road cheering for me with huge water guns. The boys got me really good and it gave me a little extra fuel to pick it up.

The rest of the run was a blur. Running down Main St. I knew I was going to finish but was far from my goal time. I decided to just run as hard as I could, enjoy the energy of the crowd and soak in that feeling. As I rounded the corner to Lakeshore Drive and the final 2 km I could feel the finish line pulling me in. Just as I hit the turn around to run the final 1 km stretch I heard cheering from right behind me and an older volunteer telling me I may not want to turn around... To my surprise it was my friend and fellow CSR racer Ryan Schellenberg running alongside me with just a speedo on! I laughed my head off and decided to ham it up with him for a few hundred metres, getting the crowd going a bit. I blew Ryan a kiss and headed closer to the finish.

All of a sudden, I see my 5 year old Finn with his shirt off on the side of the road, standing by himself, waiting to run along side me. After running together for a while we came to Will and Carrie. We shared an emotional family hug and Finn ran with me a little further. It was one of the best moments of any race I have had. With the support of my family and friends giving me energy, I was then ready to run through the finishers chute in a time of 10h:20.

I spent an hour in the finishers area resting beside my training partner Myron, talking about the race and our experience. It was another great moment to share with someone I deeply respect.

After 4-5 hours of cramping, nausea and other less pleasant GI issues... I started eating and drinking with more success. We were also following the Athlete Tracker on Ironman.com to look for other friends as they finished.

One person in particular that I wanted to see at the finish was fellow Canmore-ite Earl who swam in our tri-swim group all year. Earl had suffered the loss of his wife Julia only weeks before this race yet courageously made it to the start line and was racing in her honor. I had the privilege of taking care of Julia in the hospital a few times and had them in my mind throughout the race. So at 10:30pm I headed out onto the run course with my bike to find Earl. I found him only a few blocks up Main St wearing a shirt commemorating Julia. For the next 2 kms we walked together and talked about the race, the training and about Julia. I left him with a hug to do the last 2 kms to the finish by himself knowing it would be an emotional and special moment for him and Julia. It was one of the most memorable and emotional Ironman experiences I have been a part of. I can not imagine how he felt crossing that line but I am so proud of what he did in honor of his lovely wife.

Since the race, I have been replying to everyone who has sent me messages, playing with the boys, sharing beers with friends and having long conversations with Carrie. It always amazes me how the pain of the day fades so quickly in your memory. It was the hardest Ironman I have done because of the conditions yet I had some of my most profound moments in all sport. Although I will not be doing Ironman Hawaii nor another Ironman in the next few years, I will be involved in other races and will definitely continue to raise awareness for MitoCanada through these events.

It has been an unbelievable journey for me and the MitoCanada Ironman Double Double. From what started from a local 10k race in Canmore to the hardest Ironman of my life, from Grand Round lectures to raising close to $17,000 it has truly been a defining moment in my life. I will always remember the amazing support I received and will continue to strive to increase the number of racers wearing the Green and Black.

A little Inspiration for the Ironman Canada Athletes, Running on Empty Ultramarathoners and Everyone who has supported The Ironman Double Double

This is a Kipling Poem that I put next to my desk and have read frequently throughout this year of training. It has been a source of inspiration and perseverance. I hope it carries you all through the tough times in your races and everyday life. Thank you all for your support.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;


If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;

If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;


If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

Final Thoughts

Today was spent preparing, relaxing and chatting with friends.

I started the day with a quick swim in the ever warming water of Lake Okanagan and then cleaned up my bike before a short spin around the block. After meeting up with some friends - Janelle Morrison, Rose Serpico, Rob Kelly, Myron Tetreault, Dan Smith, Dave and Elaine Lowery, I dropped off our bikes and transition bags. Followed it up with a meeting with Cal and the CSR team. Ended the day with a big dinner with the Family and adopted member Scott Edmonds. Perfect.

I enjoy the night before a big race because it gives me time to reflect on the training and effort it took to get to this point. I also took a look back at everyone who donated to the Ironman Double Double and read their comments- We had over 100 people donate to this challenge, totaling $16565.28! Amazing!

This time has also allowed me time to read the emails and messages from friends and family. One of the comments that touched me deeply is:

"3 years ago when we initiated the MitoMoms, there were 5 of us. 5 parents engaged and ready to fight for our children, unfortunately out of the 5 families I am the only parent left with a child still living- this is why I continue. Too many of us have felt the sting of the disease, but we will continue to make this dream a reality.
WE WILL FIND A CURE TOGETHER !
o.k enough melodrama, tie up your laces and run your asses off on Sunday."

So I want to wish everyone racing at Ironman Canada and the Running on Empty Ultra- a great day filled with unparalleled effort and overflowing pride.

I would also really want everyone to know how appreciative I am of their support. It really means alot. I have been inspired to be a better father, friend and husband because of you. Lastly, I want to thank Carrie and my boys for supporting my training and time away from them. Being away from them has been the toughest challenge of all.

And as the message says above...

Enough Melodrama, I'm going tie up my laces and run my ass of tomorrow!

2 Days to go! Excitement and Reflection

Alright, time to get excited.

I have been finding this week a little different then at Ironman Coeur D'Alene. With the familiarity of the location, previous routines, favorite sites and lots of friends it has been tough to sit back, relax and take in the Ironman week.

So today I tried to remove myself from all the emotions and excitement and go train by myself. I had a great early morning swim for 1000m in the lake followed by breakfast with my boys and a massage.

I then rode my bike to the Bench coffee shop to meet my friend and fellow Emergency Medicine doc Jeff Plant. After a great conversation and convincing him to join the 2012 MitoCanada Cycling Team (More info to come after Ironman) I finished my ride with a buzz through the vineyards on the way to Naramata.


After watching Finn's final day at Hockey Camp, I went for a run in 33 degree heat for 30 min doing 3 x 2min sprints to get the legs firing.

It was during these workouts that I had a moment to reflect on where we have come over the last 6 months. The Ironman journey started over a year ago with the goal of doing a personal best in either Ironman Coeur D'Alene or Canada- "Which ever I felt healthiest for". However, after hearing Blaine Penny and the other MitoCanada families speak at the MitoCanada 10km run in Canmore in April my goals changed.

Since then, I have learned alot about mitochondrial disease and have had the privilege to represent MitoCanada for lectures on mitochondrial disease to Emergency and Family Medicine physicians, nurses and paramedics- including a recording for a public podcast that has been shared across Canada. I have also been able to educate others through this blog with it's links to websites and literature.

Through this blog we have also increased the awareness for Mitochondrial disease and helped inspire others to race for MitoCanada at races like Xterra triathlon, Apple Triathlon, Strathmore Triathlon, Trans Rockies run. We have also created athletic wear for triathletes, cyclists and runners to help promote the charity.

We have raised close to $17,000 for research into mitochondrial disease which will bring us that much closer to a cure.

But it wasn't until I spoke with Blaine Penny on the phone today that I got choked up and realized what the real impact of this challenge is all about. I called Blaine to wish him good luck for the Running on Empty Ultramarathon this weekend and to tell him that I will be thinking about them running those 100kms.

During the conversation, I told him how after the 1 km fun run yesterday, Finn told me he liked running for Evan (Blaine's son) and his friends. Blaine then held the phone to Evan, told him it was me on the phone. He continued to tell him that I was going to do a "ridiculously long race on Sunday" and that I would be working really hard- and in hearing Evan respond and Blaine telling me he was smiling... it just hit me so hard. All the training, all the early mornings and all the suffering at Ironman Coeur D'Alene and on this Sunday just seem so insignificant in comparison to seeing Evan's smile. It is in doing something to help someone else that I found greater meaning in triathlon and in life.

I am so thankful and proud for being a part of the MitoCanada Movement. So, taking inspiration from Evan's smile and Blaine's advice- I WILL be racing with a smile on Sunday, no matter how bad it hurts.

Riding with the Boys

Had a great ride on Wed with Myron Tetreault, John White and Kevin Walsh. All Ironman veterans and Calgary Tri superstars. We did the standard mid-Ironman-week ride of the run course. It was great to catch up with the fellas but I had an annoying grinding sound coming from my drive train.

Having serviced my bike 2 weeks earlier I wasn't expecting any issues this close to the race. On quick inspection there didn't seem to be any structural damage or risk so I kept riding. After chatting with Carrie about at night, she convinced me to see the Bike Barn guys the next day. After 10 years of marriage I have learned to do what Carrie says... she's always right.

So today I was at Bike Barn as they opened the door and talked to the mechanic who helped me out earlier in the week. Long story short- after 3 hours of inspecting, trialing, cleaning, tweaking we replaced the rear derailleur, cleaned the front bearings, tightened the cranks, and found that my front chain ring was placed incorrectly causing increased stress to one of the bolts that I ultimately cracked pedaling. All said and done- a few bucks poorer but a quiet smooth ride and peace of mind. Priceless.

The rest of the day was spent walking around with John White, running into friends, hanging out with my coach Cal, registering for the race and checking out the expo. I was able to catch Finn's hockey practice and then get him ready for the IronKid's 1 km run in the evening.






Finn was super excited to do this race again- in true McLaughlin fashion he wanted to be there nice and early. After 30 min of warming up, stretching and generally standing around at the race start. When the race started, Finn snuck up to the 7-9 year old wave and tore off. The race course was an out and back along Lakeshore Dr. right along the beach and was lined with excited parents the whole way. About 7 minutes later Finn raced to the finish, down 2 cups of gatorade and admired his medal.








I have to say it was really nice having John White hang out with me for the 3 hours at Bike Barn and expo, come to Finn's race and then join the Maritimers for dinner. As many people know, he has had a difficult month and will be racing with a higher purpose. He is an amazing triathlete having been to Kona twice and recently qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships but what I realized today was how thoughtful, considerate and inspiring he is to all those that he talks to. He has amazing strength both in character and in sport. I am also extremely grateful for John's support of MitoCanada and the Ironman Double Double. Watch for him on Sunday- he will be leading the charge in the 35-39 age group.