ITU Magog Sprint Triathlon: A Crazy, Beautiful Mess
Well, that's a wrap. Magog ITU CAMTRI American Cup Sprint Triathlon 2019 (seriously why are all the names so long) was a new experience, despite being in the sport for almost 9 years. I've been a student-athlete for all of those years, even the first few years as a pro, I was a full-time student with a relatively open schedule. Now, I'm a working pro which is different for sure even if the races don't change.
With no flights to get me to Magog in a responsible time (or price) from work, I made the last-minute choice to ask my dad (who brought my sister) to drive up with me. We hit the road immediately after I got off work and the hours started ticking by. It was the signature move I've come to adopt. One race a year, drive too many miles, then arrive just in time for a bit of pre-race activity before the meeting. This time, the drive seemed to have more of an effect on me than usual. Maybe it was the extra hours that were added on due to poor driving skills by other travelers. My guess? Added hours of work as a Tactical Quality Engineer on the factory floor leading to a lack of naps in my day. To college athletes: I cannot urge you more to take advantage of the extra time for rest and hard training. Nevertheless, we made it to Magog on Friday after 20 total hours of driving.
With no flights to get me to Magog in a responsible time (or price) from work, I made the last-minute choice to ask my dad (who brought my sister) to drive up with me. We hit the road immediately after I got off work and the hours started ticking by. It was the signature move I've come to adopt. One race a year, drive too many miles, then arrive just in time for a bit of pre-race activity before the meeting. This time, the drive seemed to have more of an effect on me than usual. Maybe it was the extra hours that were added on due to poor driving skills by other travelers. My guess? Added hours of work as a Tactical Quality Engineer on the factory floor leading to a lack of naps in my day. To college athletes: I cannot urge you more to take advantage of the extra time for rest and hard training. Nevertheless, we made it to Magog on Friday after 20 total hours of driving.
The beautiful Quebec landscape greeted us the final hour of the drive. Seeing the lush greenery and rolling terrain, my body recognized it was "go" time. Despite the less than ideal training leading up to the race, I knew the race and was ready to let my instincts kick in.
I knew I only had to get through semi-finals and I would feel better the second day.
We rolled up to the venue with just enough time for me to grab a swim before the pre-race meeting. The water was as clear as ever, and I was ready to be out of the car making for an amazing swim workout. I mean, just look at these views!
We rolled up to the venue with just enough time for me to grab a swim before the pre-race meeting. The water was as clear as ever, and I was ready to be out of the car making for an amazing swim workout. I mean, just look at these views!
The water was much clearer in person...
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Anyway, the meeting broke down the timeline, who was running the show, and the usual, yet inevitable, course modifications (cue triathletes whispering about every course modification listed). We rushed to get our packets, then I headed off on the bike. After 3 years I know almost every crack in the road and feel at home on this course. However, there is one major difference. After a year of competitive cycling on a Des Moines area team, my skills and confidence are eminently better. Corners that used to scare me, I conquered with ease. It was satisfying knowing that I'm making progress and learning still, year after year in the sport. I didn't get much time out there as the night approached and just like that it was dinner time!
| Mont-Orford off in the distance |
| I wonder if these are the same cows as last year... |
I headed to my Airbnb to prepare for the evening. It was a unique one for sure. Neither of my hosts spoke fluent English, but I still felt very welcomed. I made myself look presentable then we headed over to La Pizzaetta for the second year in a row. If that doesn't show how good the pizza was I don't know what will. I decided to keep it classic, "distance athlete style" and grab some delicious pasta with my pizza too. Before we knew it, it was time to head back and prepare for the next day and the early morning ahead. I went through my normal routine of shaving, stretching, cleaning my bike, putting decals on, and practicing putting my helmet and shoes on multiple times before bed (muscle memory is a beautiful thing). After a long day, I was asleep before the light went off, wait that might have been Rocky. Either way, it was lights out pretty fast.
DAY 1: Super Sprint Semi-Finals
Bright and early I took an 11-minute shake out. Yes, it's a bit strange, but I really just gave the body what it wanted. Sometimes a mile, others 2 miles, this time 11 minutes at a nice crawl. I grabbed a shower, duty called, and I ate a breakfast of perfect proportions and maximum deliciousness. Once I was 95% sure I had everything, I headed down to the racecourse (let's be honest, it's never 100% confidence when heading to triathlon in terms of knowing if you have everything). The route to the course was basically all downhill so I floated down to the course with my backpack and a dream. Warm-ups go as planned and I was ready for battle.
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| Tasted even better than it looks. |
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| That beautiful blue carpet. Transition setup. |
We were called down the line with adrenaline taking over the heart rate to get the blood pumping. "On your mark," BOOM and we were off. I got out fast, but not too fast. In the past, I've had problems with running out of air and almost drowning. I think I can attribute that to my anxiety about getting to the lead pack and trying to take too big of a kick to start. So I settled on some feet and focused on rotating under control. This seems to work because I don't run out of air and get into a remarkably solid rhythm.
Everything sounds tastier in French
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Per my usual lazy post routine, I sat poolside for a while, took a solid nap, and did a bit of spinout before exploring a new food choice! We originally went to a semi-fancy restaurant before quickly realizing it would be way too long of a wait. So a bar it was! Mam'Zelle to be exact! This was honestly a top-notch choice as the proportions were perfect and the food was amazing. I even gave in and got little mocha for myself as a dessert. I was not disappointed. Neither was my Dad with his fish and chips or my sister who had to copy me (She just wants to be like her big bro someday, I just know it). Luckily the final wasn't until the next afternoon so I went bed knowing I didn't have to beat an alarm.
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| Top-notch Mocha |
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| This was even better than it looks |
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| Gotta love a good pub |
DAY 2: The Final Battle
I woke up to the sunlight in my eyes which happens... just about never with my 5am wake up for training. A change of pace was nice with a race in the afternoon. I walked out to another delicious meal which consisted of three courses of assorted goodies. I mean just look at them!!!
| The goods... |
I took things slow and savored the moments before rolling down to the start area. I cruised down and grabbed a complimentary coffee thanks to Sports Estrie while I waited out the rain. It let up just in time for a warm-up and I grabbed my usual before heading to the start line. With yesterday working out so well I figured why not just relax and find some feet, except this time kick it in a bit more.
The gun went off and it worked. Just mere seconds behind the group I get out and go. This time grabbing the wheels of the front group. Now that I was in it, it was time to roll! I attempted several attacks and a lot them got reeled back, but not at the cost of several people's legs.
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| And they are off! |
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| Putting the hurt on |
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| Off to the races |
We hit the run and I battled my way to a 10th place finish, not too far behind the winners from Mexico. Overall, I'm satisfied with this as I at least tried to make something happen and was a key player in the race. Without much downtime, I rushed off to Toronto to get ready for an early flight home for work on Monday. Another adventure for the books.
Thanks to all who support me, especially my friends, family, and sponsors. This would not be possible without you.
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| Final results |
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Bonus Section:
Training and change can be tough, luckily I've warmed up to the concept of what my adventure is going to be now. However, in depths of some early rough training, I wrote something a bit darker. Below is an excerpt from a blog I was writing, and I'm sharing to give more insight into what goes through my mind. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but in the end, I strive to find that silver lining.
"Defeated. Not the first thing that comes to mind when you nail a job straight out of college. However, in that moment I could only think about how I didn't make it as a full-tiem professional triathlete. Years of work, sacrificing, and doing whatever it takes to make it. It was my plan A. There was no plan B. That is until plan A was no longer possible. I couldn't rationalize it anymore. I had used student loans, maxed out a college credit card, and begged family and sponsors for money to the point it was getting tough to keep coming back. I went in not holding anything back, and accomplished a lot. However, the numbers weren't coming back. A few hundred here and there from racing, while working several coaching, life guarding, and odds and ends jobs wasn't enough to make ends meet. I moved in with my dad in the dead of winter to keep it alive even longer. Maybe I just needed a big early season spring race to turn things around. That was the hope, but it never materialized. I was forced to keep it local and keep postponing races until I could afford them. A tire goes flat here, or a parking ticket puts me back. I barely had enough for gas and food. I never once gave up though. I would turn up every single day. I would have talks with friends about how I was struggling, but i kept composure when discussing my racing and future in the sport.
Finally, with graduation on the horizon I decided I needed to think fast otherwise it would all be over. I needed a well paying job that kept me close to my training partners and support system. Even if it took adjusting I knew if I wanted it bad enough I would find a way to make it work. When I finally did land the job, it was mixed emotion. Friends, family, and people I barely knew congratulated me on landing a job at John Deere. It's one of the best local engineering jobs you can have, so what is the hang up? It felt like I was betraying myself. I had let the little boy who dreamed of making it to the top of my sport down. The questions of can I still make it? Am I done? What will other athletes think of me? All these questions began to flood in. Were they silly? Of course. Did that make them any easier to work through? Not a chance."
Now, this blog isn't all about being a Debby Downer. In fact, it is about the glimmer of hope I hold onto, and opening up about how really hard it is to make it in this sport. When you aren't the best to start or don't have immediate success, it makes things tougher. Which is why I scrapped the other blog and moved on to this one. Positivity and incremental improvement will be key to my successes in the future! Good vibes only.
Take a look at my next block of racing and catch the action! Thanks for tuning in😎
7/22/2019 - Accel Triathlon
7/29/2019 -Sakari RR/ East Village Crit
8/5/2019 -Project Ecelon Omnium
8/12/2019 -Bluff Creek Triathlon
9/2/2019 -IM Santa Cruz 70.3 Triathlon
EDIT: Because I've been pretty busy I've already completed the Accel Triathlon and will have a post up soon! Thanks again!
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