Building Character

It's been a long while since I updated my blog and I was actually scared I had forgotten the pass word to my account.

Here's a quick recap of my fun/frustrating filled summer and fall of racing.

Tartu European Cup:
I decided after Edmonton World Cup to do a low key sprint distance European Cup in Tartu, Estonia at the end of July. It was my first solo trip (without a coach, teammates, parents) so it was a little scary but a fun adventure. The Danish athletes were very accommodating to me and I quickly became good friends with them. Soon we were chanting our moto "We're red white and dynamite!". This event was my first European Cup so I didn't know what to expect. I managed to lead out of the swim (which was a huge surprise) and coming out of T1 I hammered the first 5 minutes of the bike to only look back and see that no one had gone with me. I ended up soloing the 20km ride with a gap of 30 seconds. This really paid off for me as I was only passed by 3 girls and managed to finish 4th. My run split actually fast for the first time in years. I was really proud of my result. The perfect confidence booster that I needed.

The video of the race is below. I get some pretty good camera time:)

Ottawa Provnicials:
Two weeks after Tartu I was racing again at our Provincial Draft Legal Championships in Ottawa. The water quality was not safe for the athletes to swim in so it was changed into a duathlon. I had fun with this race and won it overall.

Karlovy Vary European Cup:
After a string of good racing I decided last minute to give Karlovy Vary European Cup a shot. This race is where my luck turned. After having a good swim that put me in lead pack, on the first loop of the bike my chain dropped and I lost the pack. I managed to get my chain back on and was picked up by the chase pack. I was little frustrated but the race wasn't over and our pack was actually cutting time on the lead pack. On the last loop where the hill was my chain dropped again but this time my derailleur hanger broke and my bike was done. I had 2km left to get to transition, so I decided to run my bike in and finish the race. My legs were feeling great and I didn't want to finish the race like that. As I came into T2 my pack had just finished their first lap so I joined in and ran 3 loops with them. Unfortunately there are no pictures of me racing but if you had seen me, I had bike grease everywhere. On my hands, suit and all over my face from trying to fix my bike. I looked like I had gotten beaten up. Medics were waiting for me at the finish line thinking I had crashed. It gave them a good laugh. I was dissapointed and upset about the race but mechanical issues happen and it was out of my control. (yes I did get a tune up and check over of the bike before I left for the trip)

After my race I decided to stay in Europe for two weeks and visit my grandparents in Slovakia. I took advantage of the beautiful Slovakian Alps and got in some wicked riding. I did a few climbs that were spectacular and had a blast. Unfortunately on the last day of my visit strike 2 of bad luck hit me. I was in bike crash and landed on my elbow. I saw a doctor and he gave me the clear from breaks. I thought it would be healed in time for my double header in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Four weeks leading up to my two races was filled with as much rehab as possible. Training was not consistent and hard, I would take one step forward and then two steps back. I kept getting told that I was going to be okay for races and I really wanted to race. I think I was a little too optimistic but I was mentally eager and hungry to race even if that meant not being at my fittest.

Cozumel World Cup:
Arriving to Mexico I was a little skeptical as to how the race would go, I knew my preparation was not ideal going into the race. I was going off of the fitness I had built from the year. With a weak swim this meant I had to chase on the bike and missed both of the packs. It was a frustrating race for me but I fought all the way to the finish like.

San Juan Pan American Cup:
San Juan was only a week after Cozumel and at this point I hoped that another week of rehab on the arm would help to produce a better result. Although my elbow was feeling much better going into the race my feel for the water was a bit lost. Once again it showed that my normal swimming abilities weren't there. Coming out the water too far back put me in a compromised position and I did as best as I could to ride 40km in the heat solo. Once again not a great result for me. It was an incredible opportunity and a very big learning experience.

Now that I am back at home an ultra sound had confirmed that indeed I have a tiny hairline fracture in the radial head of my radial bone. This was something that was missed in the initial diagnosis and x-rays. I am taking a breather and letting my body heal. The cool thing is that I am taking human anatomy this semester so I am learning along with the doctors about my injury.

It seems at though for the past couple months I have had various strikes of bad luck. It has been a tough time for me but every athlete goes through their struggles and builds to our character.

Roller Coaster Ride

Hello again!

Personally, I am more motivated to write about my successes and happy times. When my roller coaster of a life dips from a peak high steeply down to a low I am less inclined to share. I know a lot of  people would agree and can relate.

This past winter has been the wackiest of coaster rides in my life. It helped me find myself as a person and  put everything into perspective. After having a bit of a disappointing result at the U23 World Championships in Auckland, I was fueled with fire and motivated to crush a winter of training. I decided to join the Guelph Gryphons varsity indoor track team to help make a jump in my running. I was running my biggest millage weeks and having a blast at workouts with the team. Unfortunately my body was not yet able to handle such a full load and as a consequence my iron and energy levels hit at an all time low. I was constantly in "hibernation mode" and I would take crazy 4 hour naps in the day to recover between workouts. Eventually I realized it wasn't a fun feeling and I didn't want to continue like that. Once I got my blood results back to confirm my health status, I took some time off to recharge the batteries.

After a little break and building back the load, I was fortunate to head down south to Clermont Florida for a training camp with Kyla Rollinson's group from Montreal. A month in the Florida sunshine was exactly what I  needed. I met a wonderful group of athletes that I bonded with in great training sessions! I was starting to get sparks of my old chippery "Domi" self back. I decided that I would try racing the double ITU races in Florida after a couple of productive weeks at training camp. It was probably too soon to jump back into racing and my body wasn't ready yet to rock and roll. Both races were sub par and left me questioning my ability as a triathlete.

I came back from Florida flustered but settled back in Guelph and focused on my exams and consistent training. I ran a 5k road to test the waters and see where my fitness was at. I was pleasantly surprised and all those miles I put in earlier in the year were starting to shine through. After a  great 5k and solid block of training, Craig and I decided to do a last minute entry in the Bridgetown ITU Sprint Pan Am Cup.

I had a much better performance in Barbados and had my "Domi" racing qualities back. I felt relaxed and happy to race again. The cherry on top was a second place finish, my first ITU podium finish.

Here is a video of the race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTg4GZXQjXw&feature=youtu.be

Next up is my season World Cup debut in Huatulco, Mexico. It's a tough course for a tough girl and I am ready to tackle it!

Dominika

A very much delayed New Zealand Race Report and Update

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the lack of updates over the past couple of months. It has been a whirlwind of midterms, playing a huge game of catch up with school and now preparing for finals. 

I have been avoiding talking about this for a while but I have had time to reflect on my race and my season over all and I am not content with how it finished. I worked hard to prepare as best as I could for U23 Worlds and I just wanted the big pay off to be in New Zealand. On race day I was missing that umff, that extra edge. I felt a little flat and was missing my "Domi" racing qualities. It may have been something to do with nerves or some allergies I developed leading up to the race or some other cause. All I know was that my performance was sub-par and I was hoping to execute a better race. I knew that the caliber of racing was going to be high and I didn't expect to be up there with the leaders because developmentally I am just not there yet. But I was expecting to have a better race execution than I had. I can't go back and change anything but I can learn and use the experiences I had for my future racing and training. It was exciting to be in New Zealand racing the best U23 women in the world and I strive to do it again next season. 

Also if you haven't already seen it here is my wonderful worlds video, made by my amazing coach Craig Taylor. It definitely embodies me as an athlete. If you are feeling down....just watch the video and it will bring a smile :) 

Here are some pictures from the race:

Action shot on the bike:



The Elite, Junior Elite and U23 Elite team plus coaches and staff:



U23 Elite Women after the race:



Pre-Race picture:



U23 Girls with the famous Jonathan Brownlee:






Dive start of the race (I am the first one in the picture):



One thing I am happy about this season, I became more of a consistent athlete. More consistent in training and racing. I put in some great training blocks this year and I believe my development as an elite triathlete is in the right direction.

Another new snip-it of news is that I am running varsity indoor track for the Guelph Gryphon's this winter. It is going to be a great winter with hopefully some speedy running. 

Here is my gryphon head shot: 

Happy winter training :) 

Dominika

Smile from ear to ear

Hey Everyone, Sorry for the lack of updates. The last few weeks of summer were hectic and busy getting ready to get back into a regular school/sport routine. 

I have some great news to share with you all!  Today I was officially put on the start list for the U23 World Championships in Auckland, New Zeland. As soon as I found out I had the biggest smile from ear to ear. We are leaving on October 9th and I race on October 20th. I am very excited for this opportunity best of all I get to travel and prepare with a wonderful Canadian Team, training partners, and awesome coach. All the kind words I have received from friends and family shows me how much support I have from all of you. I appreciate every bit of it. I am ready to do what I do best......RACE LIKE A WARRIOR! 

Dominika 

"I feel good, I feel great"- Magog Continental Cup

Last week the RTC-Guelph squad and a few guests road tripped it Magog, QC for the Continental Cup which doubled as U23 Nationals. It was a quite a long drive of 8+ hours but team mate Joanna Brown and I found many ways to amuse ourselves, most of which had our coach Craig Taylor shaking his head laughing. Thanks to Jo were fortunate enough to rent a condo very close to race site and although it was tight at times with a small kitchen and one bathroom between 6 people, we managed to make it work. Cooking communal dinners was a highlight everyday. The relaxed atmosphere in the house put everyone at ease before their race and a joke or two here had everyone in high spirits.

My preparation a few days of the race was not most ideal and I didn't feel like my normal self. Everything felt like grindy. I didn't worry too much and just kept telling myself I would feel better on race day and if not I would just push through it.

Practicing beach starts

Thank goodness when race day rolled around I was my chippery self. I felt confident and ready to rock and roll. Number 4 was my starting number and this was the highest ranking I have had in a race. It was nice to have an early pick on the beach starting line. I knew I was going to have a great start because of the beach and shallow waters. For some reason I seem to be pretty decent at dolphin diving. I think its because of all that time I played on the beach when I was a child pretending to be a mermaid. I had a great start and latched onto the tail end of lead pack. I managed to hold on for roughly 900m and then I lost contact. I swam with a few other girls into the exit and ran like a mad man to T1. Lets just say I was on fire. Blasted in and out of T1 and I think I had the fasted split.

Start of the race

When I got onto my bike I could see the lead pack forming 200m ahead. I got into my aerobars and hammered with Alex Coates. We were on a mission to get that lead pack and managed to catch them 4km into the ride. Once I was in the pack I settled in and took my fair share of pulls. Our pack worked well together. At times it was a bit of an accordion type pack but that's because the course was hilly and rolling.

After a great ride I got onto the run and tried to immediately get a high turnover. I tried to go with the three lead girls and figured I would hold on on for as long as I could. I held on for about 1km before I was dropped into 4th place. From there I felt each lap getting worse. I kept telling my self my mantra "I feel good, I feel great" and that helped me get into a rhythm. The crowds of people cheering for me also helped me get through that run.  I was running in 4th place, I really wanted to stay there and I did!

I was really happy with my performance and finished the same place as my ranking. I hit my goal of running under 40minutes on the run and I had a solid race from start to finish. The more I race these Olympic distance races the more experience I gain and the more I learn. I was happy to have a strong race from start to finish. I had fun! I smiled! and I was happy to be where I was. I need to channel the same energy for the next race. "I feel good, I feel great"!

Next up is Ontario provincials in Ottawa.

FISU World University Triathlon Champs and Edmonton World Cup- A whirl wind of a month

For the past month I have been world wide jet setter and definitely accumulated some major air miles.
In mid June Dorelle and I headed to Vancouver for a week for a staging camp with our FISU team. Alan Carlson was the head coach of the team heading to Taiwan and he did an amazing job of hosting us with his RTC-Vancouver squad.

The Canadian FISU Triathlon Team

After our staging camp we flew off to Yilan County, Taiwan for my first FISU Triathlon Champs. I had a wonderful time in Taiwan at the FISU World University Triathlon Championships and it was one of the best events I have participated in thus far in my triathlon career. People were very hospitable and friendly. The race venue was awesome with a good mix of technical pack splitting sections. The FISU committee and officials took great care of us. I felt like royalty. The whole set up of the event was very much like a mini Olympic games. There was an opening ceremony with all the countries, the triathlon event, and an awesome closing banquet after wards.

The race was another tough one with temperatures into the low 40s but this time I knew how to play the game. I am happy I survived this time in the heat and I finished 18th overall. I wish I could have done better but I need more experiences to learn how to race in the heat. My body just can't handle the heat very well and I need to become acclimatized to race in all conditions.

My race in a short summary:
-Just missed lead pack in the swim
-Was in no mans land for 5k on the bike
-Eventually I was caught by second pack on the bike
-Worked well with the girls in my pack
-Had a good 7.5km run and bonked on the last lap
-The heat really got to me and I got the same dizzy feeling like I did in Dallas.
-Just kept telling my self "I feel good, I feel great" and made it across the finish line.







A week after FISU I was fortunate enough to get into my first World Cup in Edmonton. I had to do everything I could to have a speedy recovery between events and get over a 12 hour time difference jet lag.

Edmonton was a good result for me especially for my first World Cup, I finished 12th and made the cut off to gain some ITU points. I had one of the best swims of my season so far coming out of the water with the main pack and managed to stay in that pack for the ride. The bike course was tough and I enjoyed racing on it. My run on the other hand I struggled with. It may have been fatigue from racing the previous weekend or loading up my legs on the hills. I just never felt good on the run. The cheering from the grand stands and spectators on the sidelines helped me give my best effort. Overall it was an exhilarating experience and my first taste of fast racing against a strong field of girls.


Next up is U23 Nationals in Magog, Quebec.

Lessons Learned in Sedona and Dallas

Hey Everyone,

Just though I would make a little update as to what I have been up to for the past month. I have been putting this post off for a while because It didn't go the way I had planned. I guess that's part of being an athlete it's not always an uphill progression. Everyone at some point and I bet more than once reaches a plateau or even a downward slope.
The month of May for me was one of those downward paths. I was very excited to go to my first altitude camp based in Sedona, Arizona at 4,300 ft. I came into the camp with a bit of a cough and thought nothing of it. I wanted to push and train through the illness. However after the first couple days my cough progressed, still my stubborn head thought it would go away so I kept working out. At about day 6 into the camp that's when I hit the wall. Any sort of intensity would have me hacking up phlegm like an 80 year old smoker, by body was weak and I couldn't do anything. I was forced to stop hard training and decided to see a Doctor. It turned out that I had asthma induced by bronchitis and on top of it I was allergic to high amounts of pollen caused by the wildfires that clogged up my sinuses. So camp for me was a bit of disaster. My new goal was to get healthy for my race in Dallas. 20 days we were at camp and I managed to get 3 days of solid training at the end. If I had gone to the Doctor right away and taken those first few days off it would have been a whole different experience. Oh well I definitely learned my lesson and I won't let my hard headed stubbornness get me next time.
Other than the fact that I got sick I tried to make the camp the best experience I could and I have my awesome team mates, training partners, and coaches to thank for helping me.
Sedona overall is a beautiful little town and it is truly a surreal place to train. The scenery is incredible, the riding is challenging and the whole laid back relaxed feel was just what I needed.

Here are some pics from the camp:
Diving into the beautiful pool in Sedona


Our backyard for 20 days


Practicing our drafting.... I'm in the lead in the white cap


Met world class triathlete and Olympian Lisa Norden


Girl power pace lines.... rocking the awesome RLM kit!


Beautiful riding in Sedona


Track session in Camp Verde


Met up with London Olympic Marathoner Dylan Wykes



After our training camp we flew right to Dallas, TXS to compete in an ITU Continental Cup. Hotshot Laura Bennett was racing so I was excited to line up against some strong girls. The race did not go the way I wanted or expected it to go. It was a learning experience and what danger I put my body through. Race day was roughly 43 degrees Celsius and freaking HOT! The best way I can describe how it felt was racing in a sauna. I had my first DNF in my whole entire career as a triathlete. I was disappointed and felt like my race was incomplete.
I had a good starting spot and got on some fast feet and tried to hold on. My first loop was strong and the second loop was weaker for me and I lost contact. Eventually a gap formed from the pack I was in. I tried to do some blast strokes to catch up but I wasn't strong enough.
I got onto the bike and absolutely drilled the first loop to catch the packs ahead. (Looking at my power file I pb'd my 5 minute power test in the race of 299Watts). Even from the start of the bike I didn't feel like myself. I felt weird like I was cold. I hydrated a lot but that still wasn't enough. Eventually a pack formed for me and we worked really well together. It wasn't until the 6th lap that my chain dropped as I was down shifting. I lost my pack and put it on as fast as I could. I worked really hard to try and catch back up. After going onto the 7th loop I got really dizzy. I got really cold and I was so desperate to cool off that I poured Gatorade from my bottle onto my head. I biked to the side of the road onto a side street and collapsed. That was the end of my race. I had passed out from heat exhaustion. Of the 25 girls who started the race 12 finished. Half the field literally dropped to the ground and out of the race.
I am going to keep my head up high. I work hard and the pay off will come. I do have to remember that it is my first year U23 and I am still at the bottom of the ladder and that it is a process like my Junior years were. I am going to keep climbing that ladder and at some points there will be a couple steps back in order to move forward.

Sorry for such a debbie downer post but on a positive note, I am back home and finally feeling like myself in training. I am having some great session and I have another week here in Guelph before I head out to a staging camp in Vancouver. From there I will travel to Taiwan to compete for Canada in the FISU World University Triathlon Championships. This will be my first time in Asia so I am very excited.

I will be sure post an update after FISU.

Dominika