Paula Findlay - A True Canadian Success Story

In researching this triathlete, I struggled with which headline to use, which newspaper clipping, which image from the world wide web.  This gal certainly gets a lot of press!  I would never want to downplay Paula's accomplishments but I can't help remembering her as an age group swimmer when she was in the lanes with my kid.  Who knew she would go on to be in medal contention for the games in London this summer?  Well, I soon found out interviewing Paula that she knew. . . .

I first met Paula on deck at a swim meet many years ago as I worked along side her mother, Sheila.  I was struck by the tight family unit Sheila has been able to create and it certainly explains why Paula is so grounded.  Paula has a sister and brother who are consistently on the race course somewhere cheering on their older sibling.

As you read my 'virtual' conversation with Paula, you will note I used similar questions as last month.  This is to underline the common experience we all share in this crazy sport.  I hope you enjoy getting to know Paula.  My comments are in italics.

TDN:  What brought you to the sport of triathlon?

Paula:  I started swimming with the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club at age 11, and joined the Edmonton Thunder track club in high school after having some success at local running races. I was coached by Glen Playfair on the track, who was also a triathlon coach, so he encouraged me to get a bike and try a triathlon. My first race was in 2006 at the University of Alberta sprint triathlon (pictured above with Mom, Dad and brother Colin), and I qualified for Junior Worlds my first year. Having this early success encouraged me to stick with the sport.

TDN:  Which, of the three disciplines, would you consider your strength?

Paula:  Although I started as a swimmer, I would consider running my strength. It comes the most naturally to me and it's usually where the race is won.

TDN:  What is your routine when you are training (mileage, frequency and intensity)?

Paula:  As we approach race season the intensity and volume of our training goes up significantly. A typical week will have 6 swims between 5-6km, 5 rides and 5 runs. Some of these are quality workouts and others are used for recovery. We also do a lot of strength, core work and yoga to stay healthy and help with recovery. On average we are training 25-30 hours per week.

TDN:  What do you think about before the race?  And during the race?

Paula:  I get extremely nervous before big races, and sometimes question why I even do the sport! I know it's going to hurt and I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. To get over my nerves I remind myself how hard I've worked and how great it feels to have a successful result. Ladies - that positive self-talk is so important!  Winning races makes it all worth it! When the race starts the nerves disappear and I'm thinking about what's going on around me and how my body is feeling. ITU racing requires 2 hours of complete mental focus and reacting to unpredictable situations, which makes it go by super fast.

TDN:  What was your favourite race so far?  Why?

Paula:  My favorite race is probably Madrid in 2011. (See the video:  Madrid ITU) came together perfectly for me, I had a great swim and was out of the water with the leaders, the bike felt awesome and I was able to win a few of the primes, and my run felt smooth and fast. It's one of the most challenging courses on the ITU circuit because of the heat and hilly bike course, but I really loved it and it suited my strengths well.

TDN:   What has been the high point of your triathlon career so far?  And the low point?

Paula:  The high point of my career was my win at the 2010 London World Championship Series race. (See the video:  London WCS 2010 ) was my first WCS win and was a huge shock to everyone, including myself. My low point would have to be the end of my 2011 season. Watching myself slide from #1 to #6 in the world  because of a hip injury was pretty devastating.

TDN:  What advice would you give a fellow 'sister' with big goals in triathlon?

Paula:  I've discovered over the few years that I've been racing at an elite level how important it is to take recovery days, and to stay on top of things like physio treatment, massage, stretching and yoga. These are things that I would often neglected when I was in school and was always short on time, but they are just as important as the tough workouts. Staying injury free is my priority this year, and these small details cannot be overlooked.

TDN:  What has been your biggest obstacle in achieving your selection to the Olympic team?  How did you overcome it?

Paula:  To be honest I didn't face any major obstacles with my selection to the Olympic team because I didn't think I even had a chance of making the team until late last season. I've wanted to compete in the Olympic games since I started the sport, however I thought that 2016 was a more realistic goal for me. I was never chasing points of trying to get a spot for 2012, things just came together surprisingly quickly and I'm very honoured and excited to be going to London in August.

TDN:  How do your celebrate your successes?

Paula:  In the doping control room! haha, I'm only partly kidding. In every single ITU race I've done I've been rushed off to doping control right after the awards, where it usually takes at least 2 hours for me to pee. I get super dehydrated when I race so I end up sitting in doping chugging litres of water with an upset belly. It's the worst! I usually get a chance to talk to my mom right after the race which is always nice. When I finally make it out, we'll usually go out for a team dinner before packing up and traveling home the next day. There's not much time to celebrate successes because the next race is always right around the corner. Although I do find it very motivating and easier to train hard after coming off a successful result.



Wow!  I can't decide what impresses me more: Paula's composure under pressure or the generous offer of her time for this interview.  Thank you Paula for a unique look into your tri-life.  I have included a last image of Paula with a few of her former swim buddies (sisters, of course!).  

Check out Paula on her blog at paulafindlay.blogspot.com or on twitter @paulafindlay

Phases and other Musing from the TriDiva desk

Happy Monday,

Again, as I have mentioned many times, I love Mondays!!!  It is the continual opportunity to renew, recommit, refocus, re-whatever.

I have been tossing around some ideas lately and this post may not have much logic to it but as Lesley Gore put it "It's my party. . . ."

Phases - a novel thought and one that most women do not pause to consider often enough.  As I saunter down my path, I find myself thinking more about how much women are in a hurry.  Grow up, get schooled, get married (or not), get a career, get fit, get fast, get kids (or not), and on and on.  When do we get to take stock, celebrate, change focus or even just breathe!  Are we acknowledging our phases?  Are we learning from each phase of our lives?

Ok, Ok maybe a bit heavy for Monday morning but what about our tri-life?  Does it have phases?  I know that since I started training and racing, I have definitely moved through phases.

My first phase was probably called Belief - can I really do this?  Each race, each new distance during this chapter was a new frontier to conquer.  It was exciting and let's face it, a new PB every time I hit the start line was so motivating!  That lasted a good long time as I kept trying new road races, cycling events, triathlons, relays, swim meets and so on.


At some point, Goals took over as the next phase forcing me to look to making teams and not just showing up for the party.  Top 10 in my age group, national age group member, Boston qualifier. . . .all of these I put in my bag of experience as they forced me to go where no Diva (well this Diva, anyway) had gone before (can you hear the Star Trek theme?).  I learned a lot about myself (the good and the not-so-good).  One of the most important things I learned was I can't do this tri-thing or life, for that matter, in isolation.  I hired a coach, I found a training group and when I couldn't find what I needed, I created it.  It was a busy time. . .full of travel and discovery.


I have landed now in Acceptance which is new for me (kinda like Mondays!).  I don't know what this new phase will bring but all my racing and training has brought me to this place.  I raced over the weekend for the first time in almost 2 years.  It was a blast!  Not because it was fast or because of my placing but for the coffee afterwards and the great stories that came from my posse.  I don't have anything else to prove and all I want to do is lift others up through my experience.


Thank you Divas for sharing this journey with me and I hope you come along as I open up this new box. . . . 

Monthly On-line Chat

Happy Thursday Divas,

Whenever I am looking for the next topic to post, I usually take an extra long shower.  It is either here or on  a long run that I get my best ideas (or what I think is a great idea).  Today's inspiration comes from 5 more minutes in the shower.

I am continually thinking about how to best serve the readership and from all my experience working and training with women, one thing I know absolutely, we love to get together!!!  We love to get together in whatever form with like minded positive women.  So there, under great water pressure and temperature, it hit me. . . .online chat!

I suggest that we meet, virtually, once a month to discuss different topics.  I am going to stick my neck way out there and suggest the first of each month.  We log into Skype (free) and chat either by video or text for 30 minutes.

I am so excited about the thought of the network connecting, I want to start February 1st.  I will let you know the time and how to connect through Skype.

So, let me know if this is something you would like to try . . . . all you have to do is stick your neck out :)

Pick your Poison: Race Selection

Technically we are still near the beginning of 2012 and if you are not totally committing to your race schedule, there still is time.  How do you choose your races?  How do you decide if you are racing this year?

About 2 years ago, I took a hiatus from racing.  I won't lie, it was almost as difficult as when I quit smoking (did you fall off your chair, yes, I used to smoke).  After a few months, I realized I had been training and racing for over 15 years with no break.  Crazy?  Clearly, I earned the monicker, Mad Norma!  I came to the realization that even though I haven't been racing, I still love to train.  I still love to feel fit.

Having including this disclaimer, how does one choose which races to do in a season?  I guess the best place to start is determining your goals for racing.  This becomes important when the training gets tough.  I like to go back to my motivation when I am less than happy about the upcoming workouts.  One year I was training for a race in Portugal which happened to be extremely hill (mountainous would be more accurate!).    During that season, each time I did hill repeats, I told myself that I would be better prepared for the race.  It kept me going!!!  Are you looking for a cool location or a nice vacation after the race?  Are you trying to qualify for another race (Ironman, ITU World Champs)?  Is this your first time?  All of these can be important factors.

If you are racing in Canada, keep in mind that our triathlon season is short (stating the obvious is my forte!).  Once I got myself to a reasonable level of fitness, I aimed for one race per month (May, June, July and August) and I chose one of those races to be the focus of the season.  My favourite distance is the half Ironman so I would use shorter distance racing to practice certain portions of the race (swim, bike or run).  If you have a coach or trainer, be sure to include them in your plans (stating the obvious, again).  

My last tip/advice is to work backwards from the races to plan the training.  This may be second nature to most of you but my experience of novice multi-sport racers is that they lack organization and discipline.  Perhaps part of the problem is that they don't know where to start.  Remember my interview with Teann?  She used a book the first time she did a triathlon.  It doesn't matter what research you do but do some!!

My post today is very general and my goal was simply to get you thinking about your race schedule.  For any of you that need more specifics, please send me a question or comment and I will do my best to help/support you.

Cheers :)

Tales from the Funny Side of Triathlon

Happy Thursday,

The alternate title for this post is "What not to do at a Tri".  The result of being in this sport for more than a decade (ok . . . . closer to 2 decades, but who is counting!) is that I have seen it all!  Well, probably not all but enough to not take myself or the sport too seriously.

To be honest, I was really struggling this week to find a topic for the blog and then it hit me. . . don't be so serious!  This post is dedicated to all of us who have had those embarrassing moments.  What I am about to share is well documented in the lore of our sport.  Some of these anecdotes may seem unbelievable but it either happened to me personally or I was there to witness.  You may recognize a few of these gems and if you do, please post a response because as every cop knows, eye witnesses see different things!

My first bedtime story (it almost feels that way) occurred many years ago (in a land far, far away. . . kiddin') at a well known half-iron.  I was volunteering in the transition area when an older guy (I like to call them F.O.G. - fast old guys) approaches me looking a bit confused.  When you come upon the transition area where 700+ athletes are prepping, it can be very intimidating so I felt for the guy.

He said, "I need to rack my bike and I am not sure what to do, can you help?"  "Sure", I said and then I looked at his ride.  I don't want to overstate this but OMG he had a nice enough bike but attached to the seat post he had affixed balloons.. . . yes, you read correctly, balloons.  Now I learned a long time ago to never judge a book, but balloons?  I asked innocently, "Dude, why the balloons?"

"Well", he stated proudly, "I am using them to help me landmark my spot."  I again, I digress. . . you can imagine how difficult it is to find your bike among the 700 other ones but then factor in how you feel when you exit the water after a 2 km swim, running and stripping and trying to find your ride.  It is easy to lose your bearings only to wander around T1  looking like you are having a "senior moment"!!  Many triathletes will trace their fastest path from the water to their bike or count the rows  before the race so they know where to go.  Our friendly F.O.G came up with a cool method of his own.  The only thing he had to focus on was. . "find the balloons . . . find the balloons".

I helped him find his spot and then directed him to body marking.  The one thing he didn't share with me was that this was his first triathlon. . .I figured it out later.

The swim went well as it usually does at this particular race.  I was busy stripping wetsuits and generally trying to be helpful when I realized I hadn't seen 'balloon boy'.  Often, newbies to triathlon will hang back during the swim as it can be very scary.

By the time, he exited the water, there were only two bikes left in transition.  You guessed it. . . one with balloons and one without.  I still smile when I remember the look on his face.  It transitioned from embarrassment to amusement.  There was not one volunteer who wasn't giggling by the time he mounted his bike to start his ride.  I think of him whenever I see balloons floating away :)

Even experienced tri-gals mess up from time to time.  One my good buddies, remaining nameless, decided she was the master multi-tasker and really wanted to share her race with her three kids.  Obviously, the children weren't going to do the race with her so the mom had to figure out a solution.  Walkie-Talkies!!!  Yes, my friend carried one in her bento box on her bike and in a pocket on her back during the run.  We could hear her during the ride, talking to her kids!!  This worked great for most of the race.  I can remember thinking I might try it at my next race until she told me what happened during the run . . . .

One reality of long distance, endurance racing is that normal bodily functions still occur.  Hence, the need for . . . . port - o - potties.  My crazy friend went into the loo, started to do her business only to realize that when she pulled up her tri-suit she lost her gels and the radios down the hole!!!!  I don't know what she was more upset about:  losing fuel or losing contact with loved ones.  I actually felt sorry for the next person to use that bathroom. . . Can you imagine sitting then out of the blue, you hear "Hey Mom are you there?, over"

Ok, last ditty. . . I was racing at a half-iron man and it was early on in my 'career' so my agility on the bike was still in question.  (Note to self:  really practice clipping in and out of shoes)  In most modern triathlons, they now have a mount and dismount line (more about this in future blogs).  It is the place where you must get off your bike in order to walk (or run) to your rack in the transition area.  There is usually an official at this line reminding athletes to mount and/or dismount.  You can be disqualified for not doing it properly.

As I approached the dismount line, I heard the official say, "Dismount here"  I started to unclip but to no avail.  Remember that transition is a prime spectator spot and there had to have been 100 people watching the race as I came in. . . Still couldn't clip out. . . .panic sets in when I realize it is not happening.  I knew that if I crossed the line still on my bike I would not get to finish so I stopped, Charlie Chaplin style and then just fell over.  All I heard was two things: 1)  Oohs from the crowd like they just saw a great punch in a boxing match (or MMA)  and 2)  the official coming over and saying "Oh, never mind, it is just Norma"

Enjoy the day!

New Review for New Year

One thing I like about a new year is the plethora of new training programs for the eager.  I also like that some trainers and fitness companies will give you the chance to try their wares before committing.  I received one such invitation from a fellow Diva (two actually, when I check my email properly!) for a local entrepreneurial endeavour called Aerobic Power Training Systems.

Up until now, I have been fairly cagey as to where I train as I didn't want to appear biased or self-serving. Maybe you readers didn't notice but I have kept most posts fairly 'name-dropping' free and I will continue to do so (except for today!)

Aerobic Power Training Systems (APTS) is the brainchild of Kevin and Kate Masters.  They are Calgarians transplanted to Edmonton where they are raising their family and inspiring athletes.  A great combination!  Kevin is a graduate from the University of Calgary in Kinesiology and Kate is a full-time nurse.  More about the coaches later but let's get to the training part . . .


The bike training session was held in a facility that also housed a full gym complete with weight training machines, treadmills and cross-fit apparatus.  Walking in the studio, I felt at ease and ready to get the sweat on.  One thing I appreciated right away was the wind trainers were available for participants.  It means one less thing for me to schlep around!  I also noticed that each trainer was hooked up (like an IV) to a central computer.  Really High Tech!!!



Kevin arrived quite early before our session started which I, as a teacher, value and tells me that he wants everything "just so" for his athletes.  We chatted informally and I tried to get a sense of him as a coach and mentor.  He has a very easy-going style so if you are looking for a "boot-camp" sergeant-like attitude, better look else where.  I can see why he is popular with triathletes as we tend to be quite self-actualized and don't need someone yelling at us (especially women!).

My fellow training mates started to show up and each of them introduced themselves to me.  I thought that a bid odd and I accused Kevin of setting me up with his best clients to make himself look good (not the case!!).  Given that this was a complementary class, no one knew each other except for the married couple that got a babysitter to come and spin together (Love it!)

Kevin spent about 10 minutes making sure our bikes were set up properly and that the computer was calibrated individually for our workout.  He explained that he uses a software package called CompuTrainer and has for several years.  APTS has just added a multi-rider option so that feedback can be given to several athletes at one time.



He took us through several types of intervals: a nice warm-up, some single leg work, a few hills and then we finished off with sets of 6 minutes of effort.  Each section was highlighted by a large screen which gave each rider a vast amount of data (watts, cadence, speed, average speed and, yikes, placing).  There was enough detail for anyone fascinated by the numbers/splits and effort but if that is not your cup of tea, Kevin also played some good tunes and you could easily zone out :)  I found it visually and physically stimulating as I was able to 'race' my fellow trainers.  Given my penchant for competition it was, in a word, AWESOME!


My training mates were equally impressed with the session with comments such as "I really made myself suffer!", from Paul, "Last but not least" from my fellow Diva, Jess and from the good natured Miles "Whenever it hurts that bad, it must be good!"  It was definitely a very positive space where everyone was supportive and accepted at their own fitness level.  My kind of peeps!

I spent some time asking Kevin about his background and what brought him to triathlon and coaching.  The company masthead gives us great insight into Kevin's philosophy of training and performing:


In all endurance sports, the faster you wish to perform a given amount of work, the more power you will need to produce to do so.


This sort of pragmatic thinking has clearly led Kevin to his personal athletic achievements as well as his success in business.  When I read his athletic resume on the APTS website, I was struck by how humble. and unassuming he is. "Getting to play a high level of hockey I was fortunate to get great strength training coaches which fuelled my interest and passion for it even further. I have been very spoiled, even to this day with the very smart people I have been able to meet and who have shared their valuable time with such a small scale operation compared to what some of them are doing in this area, so I am continually being re-energized and pumped up about what I do because I keep learning new things."  


In considering whether to recommend this program, the quality and experience is certainly one of the apparent strengths of APTS.  They are very organized with the studio and accompanying gym with swim workouts available at various local pools.  APTS also offers on-line coaching and they have a variety of packages (see the link at the beginning of the post for more details about their programs starting in January).  I checked out their staff of coaches on the website and I can see they have been chosen for their qualifications and race experience.

My only reservation (and it is really small) is where are the women?  Clearly, my bias for women-only training programs is justified given the theme of my blog but I am always on the look out for programs tailored to women.  I am a firm believer that our style, need for flexibility and desire to be a dive-unit makes for unique opportunities.  I would also like to see more women in the training staff (only one according to their website).  Don't get me wrong, I think Kevin and crew have put together a fantastic roster of training sessions with many positive comments from current and past clients.  I think it could be time for APTS to branch out and offer something for the ladies.

I am confident and hopeful that Kevin et al will continue to grow and offer the Edmonton community a great service helping multi-sport crazies (that's us!) reach their goals.  Be sure to check out the website under the "Links I Like" at the top of the blog.

Thanks again Kevin!

As an administrative note, I received no renumeration for this post and I participated in a free promotional session.

Jargon for a TriDiva

Happy New Year!

For some of you, the new year means starting fresh on well established goals or creating new ones.   When embarking in a new direction it can be a bit like visiting a new country with a foreign language.  How do I get going if I don't even speak the language?  Should I get a translation dictionary or an interpreter?  These are all viable options but I thought I would get you started with an initial list of some common terms used in multi-sport:

Transition  I start with this because it sets multi-sport apart from others athletic endeavours.  It refers to the part of the race between each segment.  In triathlon, T1 is after the swim and before the ride and T2 is after the ride and before the run.  In most races (those with chip timing), a time will be given for your time spent here.  Take it from me, you can burn a lot of time in transition (look for future blogs on everything you can do wrong at a triathlon)


Split  This is a wide reaching term referring to different aspects of a race or training.  A split is a time attributed to a portion of the distance.  For example, in swim training, your may be asked to swim 400 m but your coach (if you are lucky to have one) may take your time at 200 m and 400m.  A split will give you a good idea about your pacing which is important in any endurance event.

Negative Split  No . . .  this is not when your coach is disappointed with your time!  It is a specific type of split time where you try to go faster in the second half of the distance than you did in the first half.  The idea is to not bust a gut in the beginning so as to have enough in the second half to go as fast or faster.  Sounds easy . . .right?  It is not and, unfortunately, it is a necessary skill in Tri.

Intervals  Another training term referring to either the distance or time required in a set.  Here are a few examples:
       Swimming:  6 x 100 m swim on 2:15  This means you swim 100 m and if that takes you 1:55, you get 20 seconds rest (yippee!)
       Riding: 15 minutes as 5 x [2:45 90 RPM - 15 seconds sprint] Here you simply follow the directions and the "interval" part is the time.
        Run: 20 minutes tempo as 30 second per mile slower than race pace  For this run, you would add 30 seconds per mile onto your race pace (a 8:30 per mile pace means tempo at 9:00 per mile)
Who knew you had to specialize in differential calculus to do triathlon!!!  Don't worry. . . if you are not sure, just don't lead the lane :)

I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you or overwhelm you.  I will include a few terms each month to help you look cool at your next triathlon social event (do we even have social events?).  Please send me any vocabulary terms that caught you off guard and I will do my best to illuminate.