Last Updated on September 13, 2024 by Cory Kawa
As I count down the days to my fifth Barrelman Niagara Falls half-distance, 70.3 Ironman distance race, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the race, my motivations over the years, and my goals for 2024.
Why Race the Barrelman Niagara Falls (70.3 Triathlon)
🚗 – It’s a local race located not too far from Toronto.
⏩ – It’s a flat and fast point-to-point course, including a fantastic swim at the Welland International Flatwater Centre, a bike to Lake Erie and back to Niagara along the Niagara River, finishing off with a run in Niagara Falls.
🌄 – I am not a morning person. I’ll take the 8:30 Barrelman start over a 7:00 IM start any day.
🏁 – It’s a great way to cap off the end of the triathlon season.
Barrelman Niagara Falls Review 2017 – Just Finish
I started freestyle swimming lessons in early 2016, completed my first tri early that summer, and quickly set my sights on finishing a 70.3-mile event.
I followed no set plan beyond swimming a couple of times a week, biking a couple of times, and running a lot.
As I approached race day, I came in simply wanting to prove that I could do something hard and finish the race.
2017 Core Memories
🚰 – Being 10km into the run, dying of heat exhaustion, feeling absolutely awful, with no idea if I was over/under hydrated. Both desperate for the next aid station and feeling I can’t stomach another sip.
🏁 – The agony of that last 10km as I had to dig to the deepest, darkest places of my mind to will myself to the finish line.
🌳 – I gave it my all to get to the finish line and almost couldn’t make it back to my car, collapsing under every tree and battling to take each step forward.
An hour later, I finished that kilometre-long walk, downed three Gatorades, ate a bunch of melty chocolate bars, and promptly felt like myself again as I realized that I’d finally discovered the joys of the bonk.
Lesson learned. Have a race day nutrition plan.
2017 Results
2017: 🏊 – 42:05 (2,118m) | 🚵 – 2:50:29 (85.9km) | 🏃♂️ – 2:02:59 (21.1) | 🏁 – 5:47:47
Barrelman Niagara Falls 2018 / 2019 Review – Marginal Improvements
As a newer runner/triathlete, gains were easy to come by from year to year. I would increase my training volume and speed with consistent PRs, year in and year out.
I knew I needed to improve my race-day nutrition plan but couldn’t find the secret to success. What worked in the Olympic distance didn’t translate to the half-distance, leading to further struggles in 2018 and 2019.
2018/2019 Core Memories
☀️ – Similar to 2017, the weather in both ’18 and ’19 was relentless: Full sun, little wind, and highs of 28/30, exposing every error in my hydration plan.
💪 – Marginal improvements from year to year.
😀 – Racing without any goals beyond proving to myself I can do something hard.
2018/2019 Results
2018: 🏊 – 42:48 (2,100m) | 🚵 – 2:54:56 (89.5km) | 🏃♂️ – 2:08:11 (21.5) | 🏁 – 5:57:09
2017: 🏊 – 43:13 (2,167m) | 🚵 – 2:57:03 (88.5km) | 🏃♂️ – 1:57:27 (21.1) | 🏁 – 5:47:42
Barrelman Niagara Falls 2022 Review – Coaches Help
Where gains came easy in my early racing days, my performance faltered by 2020, and my best days began to seem further and further behind me.
As the early days of the pandemic stretched into longer weeks and months, my interests shifted from racing to bike packing and other endurance adventures. When racing returned, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t find the secret to reclaiming my past glory.
Then, in the summer of 2022, I hired a coach, and it worked really well with new PRs at Barrelman in 2022, followed by PRs in the marathon and half-marathon.
2022 Core Memories
☀️ – Another hot and sunny day.
💧 – I finally had a nutrition and hydration plan, targeting 750ml and 250 calories per hour, that I fully detailed in 70.3 Nutrition and Hydration Prep.
🥴 – After fainting at Rose City / Welland earlier in the year, I once again felt light-headed after the swim and ended up taking a long rest in T1.
✋ – Holding back on the bike to ensure I could bring out my best run.
🩳 – Both the bike and the run measured quite a bit short, giving me an extra 10 or so unearned minutes on my 70.3 PR.
2022 Results
2022: 🏊 – 40:05 (1,975m) | 🚵 – 2:42:26 (86.7km) | 🏃♂️ – 1:48:10 (20.5) | 🏁 – 5:20:10
Goals for Barrelman Niagara Falls 2024
Chasing PRs through 2022 and 2023 was both rewarding and exhausting. I loved everything that I accomplished, but training began to turn into work, and my life was beginning to feel out of balance.
With that, I took a step back from training and being a coached athlete as I attempted to find new motivations to drive me in 2024. To further complicate the situation, I battled a series of nagging injuries during the offseason, never quite finding my rhythm.
As triathlon season finally approached, I had to drop out of Gravenhurst, had my worst race ever at Rose City, and finally began returning closer to form through TTF, Welland, and Lakeside.
The season itself has been a big bag of meh! I want to end it on a high note by finishing my first 70.3 since 2022 without expectations, taking the time to enjoy the experience. From there, hopefully, I can build on 2024, find the right balance of training and fun, and find new inspiration to carry me into 2025.
Thanks for reading,
Cory
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