Just as important, and much closer to home, in fact in Maple Ridge, the BC Summer Games were held.
One of the sports in the games is triathlon—actually triathlon, duathlon, and aquathlon. I was fortunate enough to be the race announcer at the games and witnessed firsthand just how fast and enthusiastic the up-and-comers in our province are! Despite suffering a spill on the bike during the duathlon, Victoria’s Lucas Pearson still had a great BC Summer Games experience and is already training for the upcoming multisport season. Tune in, as we present the future of BC triathlon!
For your next race or gravel adventure, it’s the Rogue by A2.
Take control of your training and race day nutrition with the Saturday ap.
Fitspeek is always looking to keep our listeners informed about the latest in the world of multisport, whether that’s training technology, fueling strategies, or inspirational athletes. Of course y’all knew our previous guest Lionel Sanders, but this time around we’d like to introduce you to someone a lot more local.
Deb Eckhouse from the White Rock area is somewhat new to multisport but has already some impressive performances including her 1st podium spot as a pro, which was at Ironman Canada in August.
In our conversation, we find out about Deborah’s dad, who was a big factor in her pursuing multisport, especially cycling. We also hear about how her big day in Penticton went, including the nutritional strategies that worked so well for her. Hang out with me…and one of the up and comers in our local multisport community by pressing the play button below.
This guy knows his stuff when it comes to sports nutrition. He’s Dr. Alex Harrison and he was the designer of the Saturday ap that can help you save hundreds of dollars every year on your racing and training fuels. It’s simple and it works. Click on the Dr to learn more.Here’s the Rogue by A2. Why should it be your next bike? Because it’s a combination of comfort, durability, and speed. Oh yeah, as you can see it’s affordable too. Click on the bike to find out more and configure your next best friend.
Mother Nature had the last say on the last day, as Ironman Canada turned into a duathlon.
The water, that was too hot for a wetsuit swim at the Peach Classic, was deemed too cold the morning of the race. Sara True of the USA won the female event. On the male side, it was Canada’s Lionel Sanders who won it.
In our short interview, Lionel tells us about his 1st experience using a heart rate monitor in an Ironman, his take on the Nike supershoes, and his challenges with nutrition.
Ready to get to through the wind & onto the podium it’s the SP by A2 bikes. Click on the bike to configure your next race rocket.We talk a lot about race day nutrition in today’s podcast. Is fading in the latter stages of your events “a thing for you?” Try the Saturday ap and banish the bonk, and save gazillions on your training + race day nutrition.
It’s Ironweek again (for the last time?) in Penticton.
There are no forest fires, pandemics, or comets heading toward the Okanagan to cancel it this year. But there is a pro race, in fact there are both men’s and women’s pro races, something that hasn’t happened here in decades.
On the men’s side, the field is impressive with Canadian pros like Jameson Plewes, Cody Beals, and Lionel Sanders, but without a doubt most of the chalk on the sidewalk and cheers from the fans will be for local Jeff Symonds (known as Mr. Symonds to his students).
There’s been some big changes in his life since he last won the race here back in 2022, he’s now married, a father, and a full-time teacher. Balancing all that with training for Ironman as most of y’all know is incredibly challenging.
In our interview we talk about the changes not only in his life but also about the multiple elephants in the room, namely: his future in triathlon, the future of triathlon in Penticton, supershoes (!), and how much tougher it is today to be a professional triathlete in Canada.
Listen to our no-holds-barred interview below!
Dial in your race day and training fueling with the Saturday app. Click on the link to try it out.Adjustable, aero, and affordable, it’s the SP by A-Squared bikes.
It’s been a great couple of weeks for sports in Canada. Not only did we win both gold medals in the hammer throw at the Paris Olympics, locally we had some big news as well.
Over in the Okanagan, Penticton pro triathlete Jen Annett set the all-time female record for an ultra-distance triathlon. She did the Ultraman Canada in 21 hours and 39 minutes. Just how long is an ultra? Day 1 is a 10k swim and a 160k bike. Day 2 is a 270k bike. Day 3 is a double marathon – that is 84k! On top of all this, the Canada course is one of the toughest there is.
In our finish-line interview, we review her record-setting performance and find out what the future holds for her.
Achieving your best athletic performances means fueling properly. The Saturday ap helps you do that. It also can save you a lot of money. Click on the link to learn more.
One of the keys to a fast bike split is comfort. The SP is a very simple to adjust bike that lets you set things up for comfort and speed. Click on the bike to spec out your new ride.
For the past few episodes of Fitspeek we have been going over last weekend’s Ultraman Canada race in Penticton.
As we have written, local triathlete Jen Annett set the world record for that distance. She of course had a lot of help along the way. In this Fitspeek we introduce you to two of the key members of her team! Listen to their take on the weekend in this podcast interview.
Getting out and enjoying the Pacific Northwest, Okanagan Valley, or Fraser Valley has never been so much fun. The Rogue gives you the ride of your life to take on new challenges. Click on the link to learn more.
Over the weekend I had a chance to interview all the folks who made the top 3 at the Ultraman Canada Triathlon. Placing 2nd overall is a person with an interesting background in ultra-running and as an animal shelter owner, KC Northup.
In doing any endurance sports event, there’s gotta be some adversity to overcome. England’s George Hellyer was dealt MORE than his fair share of that over the weekend.
From losing luggage to flat tyres, George and his crew had to rise to the occasion more than once or thrice. Hear George’s tale of his first Ultraman .
As an endurance athlete, here’s a guy you should really get to know. He is Dr. Alex Harrison and is half of the brains and sweat responsible for the creation of the Saturday ap. It’s an ap that helps you save money on your training and racing fueling. Click on the picture to learn more about the ap and to get a free trial.
One of the thrilling aspects of Ultraman racing is the essential role played by crew members who support the athletes on the race course. Picture this: rising at the crack of dawn, around 4 or 5 AM, and dedicating the next three consecutive days to driving a sweltering vehicle, stopping every ten minutes to hand out food or beverages, and repeating this for six to twelve hours… all without any pay. Such is the exhilarating and demanding life of an Ultra Triathlon Crew Member.
Grace Brannon, hailing all the way from Arlington, Texas, has taken on this adventure in Penticton. She’s here to support Caroline Bloom, the athlete we featured on our podcast yesterday. In our brief interview, we delve into Grace’s athletic background and uncover what she gains from the unique experience of being a crew member.
As you can see in the picture below, “Team Bloom” had a pretty good day 2 out on the course yesterday. Caroline cycled a 10:07 for the 171 mile route, which places her exactly in the middle of the pack.
And there was no change at the top of the leaderboard. Jen Annett continues her domination of this race. Yesterday she broke yet another record and seems to be on her way to not only winning this whole thing but doing a “Simon Cochrane” and setting a world record for the Ultraman.
Now available in more colours, it is the aero + affordable SP. Click the bike. Check the website. Crush the competition.As endurance athletes, we are always looking to perform to our potential. Many folks underfuel while training. Don’t be that chump who gasses out in the last half of that long ride. Use the Saturday ap to dial in exactly what nutrition you need for your next long ride (or run or swim). Click on the icon above to learn more and get your free trial.
A bit of Canadian triathlon history was made yesterday afternoon, as Penticton Triathlete Jen Annett delivered on her notion she may do something “special on the bike.”
She posted the fastest-ever female day 1 bike split at Ultraman Canada. Her time of just under 4 hours and 10 minutes is now in the record books.
To put that in perspective, Jen’s time yesterday was the 3rd fastest day 1 bike split ever at the event. Impressive indeed when Ultraman has been running for 4 decades.
Also having a fine day out on the course yesterday was Caroline Bloom from Texas. We had a chance to chat with her about why she got into ultra triathlon and her favourite (and least favourite) parts about training.
When the weather warms up, salt is your friend. In this short video Dr. Alex Harrison explains why and how much you should put in your bottles. Whether it is spring, summer, or fall, the Rogue by A2 is your all-season/all-road beast to gt you down the road comfortably + quickly. Learn more and spec it out for yourself by clicking on the bike above.
Chances are if you have been reading this blog and listening to the podcast over the past few years you have noticed that many of my guests have a healthy/unhealthy obsession with “doing cardio.”
Nothing personifies this pursuit more than the picture you see above. These are the folks who are doing the Ultraman Canada Triathlon in the South Okanagan this weekend. 515 KM of moving your body under your own energy in a 3 day period. Over the course of the weekend, I’ll be posting interviews with some of the folks connected to the race.
The first person you’ll hear from is Penticton’s own Jen Annett. I first met Jen at the Ironman Awards Ceremony back in 2008. We both had great races that day. She went on to become a pro. I went on to host a podcast. The rest I guess is history. Celebrate episode 200 of Fitspeek with us by clicking the play button below.
From sprint to ultra the aero SP cuts the air and saves you watts. Click on the pic to find out more.Achieving your best race day performance is all about nutrition. Sugar, salt, and water is really all you need but getting the mix right can be tricky. That’s where the Saturday ap comes in. Click on the icon to download your free trial.
