What an exciting day of racing for Team Triumph! We started the race at 11:20 am in the stinking, hot and humid Montreal heat so the debate was on to wetsuit or not to wetsuit? Two of us decided to go without, which in a 750m swim you can save time by not taking the suit off but how much time do you lose without it on? My choice was to go without to bring down my core temperature which was already high. The swim was lovely; not too wavy and well spread out. The bike was super fun!! It was a 5 x 4 km loop and was very technical with tight turning descents and a descent into a sharp, short steep hill. Each time you could play with how to take the turns a bit faster and tighter. When we hit the run at midday under the hot sun it was like hitting a wall of heat. It was a case of push as hard as you can and hang on for dear life until you get to the finish line. The run times were generally slow but the victory was a sweet reward!
Debi Zaret placed 1st in her age category and Sue Bennett placed 2nd. Coach placed 2nd and we all qualified for the 2020 World Championships in Edmonton. I was so proud to stand on the podium with these two inspiring and strong triathletes!!
It was also nice to see Erin McRae out on the course. Erin swam with us when she was in high school. She came in 5th overall in the women and 2nd in her age group.
I then watched the women's and men's elite races and we cheered loud for Team Canada. Joanna Brown placed 12th after getting a 10-second penalty for dropping her swim cap by the river. Tyler Mislawchuk won the bronze in an incredibly exciting sprint to the finish line. These two are our Olympic Team hopefuls. I look forward to seeing them race again at the World Championships in Lausanne at the end of August.
TUPPER LAKE TINMAN 70.3
Brenda Ross and Cheryl Turpin were out at Tupper Lake on the weekend. They both came back with top 10 finishes! Brenda was 6th and Cheryl was 9th! Congrats gals!! We look forward to your race report.
Suzanne Rivest was out supporting a worthy cause last weekend. Congrats Suzanne for completing your 5km in a faster time than last year after recovering from colon cancer.
A year ago I could only tread water and had not run since childhood. With the amazing Virtual Olympic course, support, guidance, and tips from of all the folks at Team Triumph I've ended the season with my first Olympic distance triathlon under my belt and am hooked! Really looking forward to the 2025 season and even to the hard work over the winter to prepare. Karen Houle
I wanted to let you know that the Perth triathlon was a great experience, I somehow placed third in my age group! What a supportive group of participants (including Team Triumph athletes), cheering bystanders and volunteers.
Thanks to your swim lessons, I learned the technical basics and gained confidence to get back in the pool after decades. And it was really special doing this with Ann Laidlaw, my bestie for many years. We did a couple of additional swims with Kevin and Team Triumph people, also a great way to continue learning and practicing good technical form.
I will continue with lane swimming and who knows, maybe there's another triathlon in my future!
I love the accountability and the structure of the Virtual 70.3 Half Ironman training program. I don't think I would have gotten this far without the program. The accountability is huge for me!
Deborah Jackman