Clermont Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Some races turn out better than expected; some just different.  The Clermont ITU Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup was my very first pro race last year, and at the last minute, I decided to add this well-run race to my schedule to get the rust off and get ready for Abu Dhabi triathlon...

Since I was training straight through this race, I got up early race morning for an intensive swim session with Coach Alec (or as I call him, "The Crazy Russian") and the Fast Lane swim team at the National Training Center. 4k later, I was off to get ready for the race.

Race prep included eating breakfast, putting on the race numbers, filling up my water bottles with PowerBar "perform" (and of course "recover" for post race), pumping up my tires, taping some strawberry banana PowerBar gels to my bike, etc....!  (gels - a must for olympic distance and above, for emergency in the sprint distance).  Then with tunes blasting, I was off to the race with my training partner Sean Jefferson and Steve Sexton.

I was very relaxed at the start line and was especially excited that I would be racing for the first time in front of my coach - Tim Crowley.  Pressure on. ;)

The run out was almost to the first buoy - long legs would definitely help! The start was incredible. Dolphin diving, running, swimming... An exhausting mix. 73 bodies making the first left turn looked like salmon swimming upstream and certainly felt like it.



The swim exit made the swim entrance seem like a leisurely stroll in the park. My heart rate was through the roof, and I was breathing like a donkey...More dolphin dives, thrashing, running, etc., all the way back to the beach.  Though it definitely didn't feel like a smooth, fast swim for me, I was surprised and excited that I was still connected to the rest of the athletes - within striking distance of the main pack with a powerful bike split. And I was ready.

Road Rash...  

I was so aggressive about getting where I needed to be that I violated one of the cycling 101 rules of the road -- pedaling through a sharp turn at 24+ mph....

Oops.

My pedal struck pavement, and in a second, i was flying through the air...then skidding on pavement...  As quick as I fell, I was back up and struggling with my bike to get going again.  A little road rash but nothing else to deter me from getting back in the game...  And almost as fast as it happened, I was back at it - power output soaring and rounding the next corner. And then, a last remnant of the crash and the finishing blow for my race:  my tire literally exploded.  I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

So, this year's Clermont race was my first DNF (did not finish) but leaves me all the more hungry for Abu Dhabi - and excited for another shot at Clermont next year!

I want to especially thank Jarrod Shoemaker for his efforts in putting on the race -- making history with a draft legal age group race in addition to the pro race.  Also, special thanks to the medical crew out there who patched me up and all the volunteers - all your support and help somehow managed to make crashing fun! I feel great and ready to rock! Abu Dhabi here I come!

Omar Nour
Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

Transformation

As the world's eyes have turned to Egypt these last few weeks, I've been blown away by the outpouring of concern, well wishes and congratulations many of you have shared with me on behalf of my home country.  And I sincerely thank each of you for your support, your thoughts and your prayers.

January 25, 2011, is a day that will go down in Egypt's history - a day that most thought impossible, but the strength and tenacity of Egyptians have proven them wrong.  That same character and drive is what has made Egypt the truly great nation that it is today -- with a rich history and story that has inspired the world.

At a time when Egypt is undergoing this critical transition, I'm all the more determined - and proud - to be representing my country in the sport of triathlon, and all the more dedicated to doing what it takes to be Egypt's first triathlete to compete at the Olympic Games.

Never before have I trained so hard and been so singularly focused on the goal at hand, and like any Egyptian, I know that nothing is impossible.

Thanks again for your continued support, and stay tuned for more updates o.n. the road to the Olympics...

Omar Nour

Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

Vlog #4: o.n. holiday in Switzerland

Hey gang,

Here's a new Vlog for you, just in time for the gloom and mid-winter drear of February! I had the opportunity to sneak away for a few days for some much needed R+R with some friends. I am totally recharged, and completely refocused for the season ahead. I hope you enjoy the Vlog and I think you might even recognize where I am, based on the landmark behind me.

More Vlogs to come and some exciting news in the next couple days about my training and racing in 2011.

The road to the Olympics is o.n.


Omar Nour
Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

Vlog #3: Cold holidays for a warm weather athlete

Hey Gang!

Here is a new installment in what I promise will be a regular feature on both my blog site, as well as my Facebook fan page and the forthcoming omarnour.com website.

Today I'm talking about taking a break at the end of the season, how to do what I like to call "mental cross-training" meaning, taking time away from the watch, the monitor, or the data and doing something different and diverse to give both your body and your brain a break. I close with some pointers for avoiding the holiday bulge we all dread during these cold winter months.

Thanks for checking this out. I hope to see you guys soon, but in the meantime, you can always follow me o.n. the road to the Olympics.

Omar Nour
Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

New Year, New Resolutions, New Vlog...Same Goal

Hello friends and happy new year from a very cold, somewhat icy, Washington, DC. 

As I type this, we are now 13 days into the new year, which in and of itself is totally unbelievable. If you're like me, 2010 absolutely flew by and if each year only goes by faster as you get older, then you know what that'll mean for 2011. 

For me personally, that has even deeper implications; I am rapidly moving closer and closer to the biggest goal of my career: qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. In so doing, I would be the first Egyptian triathlete in Olympic history. The mere thought of that is both daunting and inspiring at the same time. 

Suffice it to say, I am excited. Perhaps equally if not more important, is the fact that I am now just as rested and focused, as I am excited. The holiday break gave me the opportunity to sit down with Coach Tim, my family, my friends, and my business team and really focus on the next 18 months. I believe goal-setting is incredibly important for any undertaking, as it gives us a platform and framework, by which to meter and measure our efforts. 

On the same token, I also believe in balance. This is the time of year when many pro endurance athletes are gradually easing back into training. A time when the emphasis is not on the clock, the monitor, or the read-out. It's about breaking the rust off and rediscovering the shiny machine waiting beneath it. 

So as we gradually get deeper into the new year, I encourage you to stop and take some time to sit down and write out your own goals and resolutions. I know I have, and as my agent always says, "a goal is just a dream with a deadline."

On that note, check out my newest Vlog (which will post to Facebook, YouTube and here on my Blog) and look out for new blog and vlog entries to be posted on a regular basis in the new year. (Yes...that's another one of my goals.)

Omar Nour

Egyptian Professional Triathlete

2012 Olympic Hopeful

From sand, to sea, to...mud

Last weekend, I joined some friends at the MABRA Cyclo-Cross Champs. In predictable fashion, I talked a good game, but when the gun went off, I put the pedal to the metal. As you watch the clip, you'll realize a couple things: 1) I truly am Egyptian. I come from a lot of sand, not a lot of mud. 2) As a pro triathlete, I am great on the pavement, traveling in a straight line. Put me in mud, with turns, and run-ups and, well, it's anybody's game. 3) There simply aren't enough layers for me when it comes to the cold. My friends said I wanted to win and win by a lot. Sure, I wanted to win, but the truth is that I was riding in circles, looking for the car and a warm ride home.

A lot of pro road racers will race cyclo-cross in the off-season both for a mental break as well as for the natural anaerobic cross-over benefits that the training and racing provides for their year-end workouts. While I'm not sure I'm there yet--can't we do these races in 85 and sun and not 24 and mud--I did stumble across a new hobby, and perhaps yet another facet to the Omar Nour story.

I hope you enjoy this race vid and all of the various falls, crashes, tumbles, and assorted slip-ups. I promise to be more regular in my Blog and Vlog postings, so please continue to check back and by all means, tell your friends and family about my site. I hope to offer you a front-row seat on my bumpy ride to the London Olympics.

OMAR NOUR

Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

My First Vlog (Jamaican Style)