My sincere thanks to everyone for all the encouragement, the support, and the well wishes as I prepare for an amazing day tomorrow.

Special thanks to Aisling for putting up with me for the last 6 months and my incessant triathlon talk!

That’s it. Just 6 days until I race in my second ever triathlon in Hawaii.

My second year raising more than $6,000 in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

My second year swimming 1.5 km, cycling 40km, and following it up with a run of 10km.

I’ve trained for upwards of 20 weeks, often 5 days per week, and have lost some of the weight I put on after slacking off after last year’s race.  I am once again lighter and very much faster than I was 6 months ago, and am very excited to get to Kona, acclimatize, and wait for the race!

This will be my last post until I complete my race where I have a goal of finishing in about 2 hours and 30 minutes, however, we will see!

Enough Said.

Greg

With less than 3 weeks until I race in the Lavaman Triathlon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada as part of Team in Training, I wanted to give everyone with another update on my training and fundraising successes.

First, I need to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has so generously supported my fundraising efforts for this triathlon.  For the second year in a row, your support has helped me raise more than $6,000 in support of Blood Cancer and Patient Services!

So many people will benefit from this help (including some of my honoured teammates!), and when I’m racing in Hawaii with more than 1,000 other Team in Training team members, the collective efforts of so many people can make a huge difference!

If you did donate, and you want me to write an honoured person’s name on my jersey, please send me a quick message so I can make sure your donation is honoured properly!

If you haven’t donated yet, it isn’t too late (just click HERE), and you’ll just push me higher and higher with every donation – can you help me hit $7,000???

Preparing for the Race:

Compared to this time last year, I did not feel anywhere near as strong as I do this year.  In general, the experience from training last year, meant that this year I kind of knew what to expect and where to push myself harder.  I managed to save my knees from their usual fate (and my usual pain!), and taking the time to get a sweet bike makes things much easier to prepare for that 40km ride through the lava fields.

The 1.5 km swim will start at 7:30am,

With any luck, I’ll be onto the 40km bike before 8am.

About an hour or so on the bike, I take to my feet for a 10km run across the lava, through fields of asphalt, across soft sand, not to mention a few coral trails just for fun.

If all goes according to plan, I will cross the finish line about 2 hours and 30 minutes after I start my swim, and will subsequently suck back a ton of cold water because I am pretty sure its going to be REALLY hot!  35 degrees is the expected temperature by about 10am, and I remember from last year just how hot and roasted I was at the end!

I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support, liking my runs on Facebook, and cheering me on in general, and I hope on April 1st, about 9:30am Vancouver time, you’ll spare a thought for me!

Thanks

Greg

• Donnelly Pub Group
• Earl’s Restaurant
• Erin Ireland and It’s to Die For Banana Bread
• Glowbal Group
• Flip Flop Shops on 4th Avenue
• Helijet
• Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet
• Nine O’Clock Gun T-Shirts
• Van City Buzz
• Hummingbird 604

These companies and individuals generously supported my fundraiser and donated an assortment of amazing prizes, for which I am eternally grateful!

Thanks again!

Enough Said,

Greg

“Fun 2: Cancer 0” is a unique collaboration between Vancouver’s artistic and athletic communities.  Blood cancers kill thousands of Canadians every year. This concert and fundraiser is a great way to raise funds to find a cure for blood cancers while improving the lives of both patients and their families.

Three great local musical acts will take the stage to entertain and celebrate the drive to end blood cancers:

Lexi Thomas: In person she’s sometimes soft spoken, but from behind the microphone Lexi’s voice amplifies her powerful, honest lyrics. Her writing draws strength from adversity without shying away from pain. Lexi has honed her craft for more than a decade, working closely with voice teachers Ellen Churchill, Paula Kremer and Dee Daniels. Most recently, she was lead singer and co-writer of the original rock band Arvilla alongside lead guitarist Paul Summerfeld.

Hey Stewey: Hailing from Vancouver`s lower main land, Hey Stewey offers a unique and refreshing style of Classic, Contemporary Rock, as well as Dance Music. Hey Stewey`s roster is comprised of four solid musicians whose roots stem from across Canada. Their musical influences, as well as their work ethic, combine for a memorable impact.  Hey Stewey strives to deliver quality, danceable music and entertainment to listeners, as well as employers. Due to this work ethic they are continually booked at some of the lower main land`s best live music venues.  Hey Stewey is: Don Courtney, Greg Engel, Paul Fournier, Paul Rodgers

Lando: Hailing from Vancouver, Lando is a veteran house DJ known for his super-funky and upbeat sets. In 2001, he began playing shows all over western Canada while holding down residencies in Whistler, Vancouver and Victoria. Along the way, he has shared the stage with local and international house music legends including Inland Knights, Olav Basowski, Antoine Clamaran, Christan Alvarez, Dave Armstrong and Donald Glaude. After his success in B.C., Lando relocated to the Cayman Islands to take up club residencies at various nightspots and help create the famous 7 Mile Beach Full Moon Parties. Since returning home, Lando has been keeping funky house alive and well in Vancouver and has taken up producing.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s Team in Training fundraising program.  These funds support critical blood cancer research and patient services.  Team in Training trains participants to complete full and half marathons, triathlons, century rides and other endurance events. This is my second time doing the triathlon on the Big Island of Hawaii April 1.

Tickets are $20, and are availabe through me (greg@tri2fight.ca) or are available at the door. Price includes admission, a drink, and entry for a draw for a pair of Canucks tickets.  (Click HERE for the Facebook Event Link)  There will be other prizes available through a fundraising raffle and a silent auction.  This includes Canucks Swag, Concert Tickets, Rounds of Golf, and a possible 2 night stay at the Blackrock Resort in Ucluelet.

Enough Said…

• Days I have been training: 56
• Days until the race: 60
• Days per week training: 5 or 6
• Kilometres Travelled: More than 280 (or the distance between Vancouver and Seattle)
• By Foot: 150km
• By Bike: 100km (plus 8 indoor spin classes – it gets wet here!)
• By Swimming: 30+
• 8:00 am Training Sessions: 12 – (12 times my girlfriend has kicked me out of bed so I’d go train!)
• 1 amazing New and Very Sexy Bike (Thanks Mom and Dad! and Thanks to Caps Bikes in Richmond)!
• Teammates all racing for the same cause: 30 (and over 700 more in Hawaii)
• 33% of the way to my fundraising goal ($2,000 of $6,000) so far…
• Visits to a physio therapist: 6 so far with 6 more scheduled!
• Ice packs: too many to count
• Advil Taken: two bottles and counting
• Injuries: None (unless you count my terrible knees)
• Planned Race Time: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes
• North Americans with Blood Cancer: 1.4 Million, and counting
• Canadians Diagnosed with Blood Cancer since I started training:about 2,500
• Patients with blood cancers who will not survive: Too Many!
• Patients who will survive: More than 10 years ago, but still not enough…

If you can, please help me change that by donating to my campaign to eliminate blood cancers!  www.tinyurl.com/tri2fight

Enough Said

These suction cups trigger my IT band, the source of most of my problems while training. It makes a huge difference in my ability to run, bike, and just generally get around.

If you haven’t yet, you can donate to my campaign to eliminate blood cancers through Team in Training by clicking HERE.

Enough said

No turning back now.

Anyhow, last year when I took on the challenge of completing a triathlon, it was done with Melissa formost on my mind and my thoughts as I did it.  I was one of a few people who got to see and spend time with Melissa during her Chemotherapy treatment and it was humbling to see her drive and her fight.  Indeed, the fight never left her eyes and she was convinced she was going to beat this thing called Cancer, and well, she did – and then some.  She returned to her career, has and continues to travel, and in general thrives.

The amazing thing is that while I will continue to participate in Team in Training because of Melissa, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet so many other people who have been touched by Cancer or by the stories of friends, family, or colleagues to try and do something about it.  For example, one of my teammates this year, Tony, survived a rare form of Leukemia which was fatal 95% of the time only 10 years ago, but because of research and development of new drugs and treatments, it is now 95% curable! Last month he had his last dose of chemo, and he’s now racing in the Lavaman Triathlon in Hawaii with me! This is more than a little exciting, awe-inspiring, and amazing.

We race and train for ourselves, but we also race and train with certain people in mind.  Tony is one of them, Chantal is another, and for me, Melissa is never far from my thoughts.  So, this is why I do what I do, why I fundraise to seek the end of blood cancers, it is why I put myself through minor agony (knee pain), to achieve success, and why come April 1st, I’ll be putting my heart, soul, and body on the line to achieve a personal success in honour of those who might not be able to do it for themselves.

But none of it will carry the same weight without the help of my friends and supporters as I seek to fundraise for Team in Training and the fight against blood cancers.  Please click HERE to help if you can – no amount is too small!

Thanks, and enough said…

Enough Said