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Fitspeek 149: From the ditch to the podium with Martin Caron

This past Victoria Day weekend while many Canadians were camping or travelling, one of Canada’s top age group triathletes, Martin Caron, was sitting… in a ditch collecting his thoughts and brushing off the trauma of a bike crash. After a trip to the hospital, he was told he had a broken collarbone.

Not one to take setbacks lying down, Caron embarked on an ambitious recovery plan that involved rest, nutrition, and patience. The plan worked exceedingly well and in late June he placed 2nd in his age group at the 70.3 race in Couer D’ Alene, Idaho.

He followed that up this past weekend with a trouncing of his competitors at the Salem 70.3 event. His winning margin of almost 20 minutes was a solid indication that his recovery was complete. This week on Fitspeek, we chat with the champ on the ups and downs of the past 18 months leading up to his win in Salem.

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Fitspeek 148: Victoria’s Uber-Biker – Paul Auton

Like most of us, Paul Auton liked to ride around on his bike as a kid. Like some of us, Paul also became fairly sedentary as he got older and took on the responsibilities of life and a career (in his case getting up to 300 pounds.)

Like a few of us, Paul got back on his bike as an adult and really enjoyed it. Like none of us, Paul found himself second only to Canadian tri-legend Jeff Symonds at the Oliver Half-Iron back in June.

How do you get from 300 pounds to being one of the fastest age-group triathletes in the province? The bike, of course! Paul uses his not-so-secret weapon to compensate for a rather average (or worse) swim. A bike is just a hunk of carbon fibre & metal, however, and it takes a human heart and lungs to turn those pedals, and to get Uber Biker status not only takes desire and talent, but it also takes miles and miles.

Thankfully for Paul, he enjoys his time on his bike, or should we say on one of his 5 or 6 or 7 bikes. This week on the podcast we introduce a triathlete who is doing things his way and is enjoying perhaps his best season ever.

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Fitspeek 157: A well-designed debut.

If you were a TV geek back in the 1980s, the quote, “I love it when a plan comes together” is probably quite familiar. And although Danielle Fauteux is not part of the A-Team, she is an A-level triathlete.

Danielle is fairly new to triathlon but she is solid proof that surrounding yourself with the right people, having a solid plan, and sticking to that plan can produce some amazing results.

In her 1st triathlon, Danielle was able to check off a bunch of things from every triathlete’s “must-do” list. Finish a triathlon – check. Finish an Ironman – check. Qualify for Kona – check. Survive a crash with a turkey vulture? Well, maybe that wasn’t on your list… Hear our conversation with this successful business owner and up-and-coming triathlete by pressing that play button below.

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Fitspeek 156: BC Backyard Ultra

This week on the program we take another dive into the world of ultra-running and if you’ve never heard of a Backyard Ultra you are not alone. It turns out that it involves a lot of running. How much running depends on your mind and body. It sort of is a “last person standing sort of affair.”

Our feature guest this week is Agassiz Ultra Runner Marina Striker. She is going to give us a 1st-hand account of what a Backyard Ultra is. She was the top female! Marina is also going to let us in on some of her training and motovational secrets. Giving us the perspective of what it is like to be a crew member for one of these around-the-clock events is Fitspeek and Tri*Joy regular contributor Jamie Imal.

Ending off the show & fresh off his win at the Oliver Sprint Triathlon, Abbotsford Triathlon coach, Mikey Ross returns for another Top 5 List. If you are like most athletes, you’ve suffered a running injury, Mikey will go through a self-checklist to ensure that your return to running & racing isn’t too early. Hear it all now by pressing play below

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Fitspeek 155b: A tale of 2 tri-towns (part 2)

This week the gloves come off as Tri-Warrior Head Coach Kevin Cutjar, representing Penticton and Pinnacle Fitness Head Coach, Paul Regensburg, representing Victoria square off to determine which is BC’s top triathlon town.

Also on the show is Mikey’s Top 5 List. The ATC coach offers advice on improving your swim stroke and efficiency for your next trip to the lake or the pool. Hear it now by pressing play below

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Fitspeek 155: A Tale of 2 Tri-Towns

When it comes to having excellent places to be a triathlete British Columbians are very fortunate. Our combination of geography & climate means not only do we have more months of the year to train outdoors but also we have lakes and trails that are challenging and inspiring.

Many folks consider Penticton to be the triathlon epicentre of the nation. Almost 20 years before Simon Whitfield became the poster boy for Canadian triathlon, this south Okanagan city was synonymous with endurance sports, not only here but around the world. Having a city park that features plaques commemorating all the Ironman’s winners is metal proof that this town takes triathlon very seriously.

And then there’s Victoria, the place a lot of Canadians, and almost everyone over 40 would love to call home. With our national triathlon training centre there, an abundance of training venues, and unarguably the best climate in Canada, it has everything a triathlete would want, maybe except an Ironman.

This week on Fitspeek we have a bit of a tri-town smackdown. What is our province’s best place to be a triathlete? Representing Victoria is race director of the Victoria Half and head coach of Pinnacle Fitness, Paul Regensburg. Representing Penticton is Ultraman champion and head coach of Triathlon Warriors, Kevin Cutjar. In this, the 1st part of our 2 part feature, the coaches talk about how their triathlon communities have emerged out of the Covid pandemic as well as the cycling and running opportunities their towns have. And speaking of running, Mikey Ross just bought a pair of carbon soled running shoes. You can hear his revelations in a new Top Five List. Run over and press play below to hear this week’s episode.

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The 3rd time’s the charm: Fitspeek 144 with Susie Ernsting

Back in the spring of 2020 before most of us knew what a Coronavirus was, we were all excited about the Ironman returning to Penticton. After a couple of setbacks it looks like it is all systems go for this August.

Even though Susie Ernsting has been the race director for Ironman Canada since the fall of 2019, this August will be the first time the race will actually be run under her leadership.

On the show we talk about the new race course, the legendary Ironarmy, as well as what input she actually has as a contractor for Ironman. Mikey Ross, the head coach for the Abbotsford Triathlon Club ends off the program with his Top Five List. This week he offers us some advice on how to be gracious and grateful after finishing a race. Hear it now by pressing that play button below.

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As local as the Mission Bridge: Fitspeek 153 with Roy, Mikey, and Kevin

This week on the show we keep it very local. One of the folks who has seen the Mission Bridge in various altered stages resulting from long runs is ATC Coach, Mikey Ross. He’s on the program this week with his Top Five List. As we all know Covid took a big bite out of our personal connections over the past 23 months, Mikey gives us 5 strategies on ways to emerge out of our caves and reconnect with our tribes.

In addition to the list, local F2C Ambassador Roy McBeth joins Kevin with a 15 minute chat on the local as well as international cycling and triathlon scene. We have some results and analysis from the Pacific First Half Marathon and we look forward to the return of the Fraser Valley Granfondo. And this week’s trivia gossip Fitspeeking, Roy seems to have kept the Christmas kilos off but not so much for Kevin. Hear it all right now by pressing play below.

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Anatomy of an Ultra-Athlete: Fitspeek 152 with Lucy Ryan

When compared to the common Canadian Couch Potatoe, the average endurance athlete is far from “normal.” And at the faaaar end of the endurance spectrum, you have the ultra athletes. Vancouver’s Lucy Ryan is one of those!

In this week’s Fitspeek, we chat with the indefatigable Lucy. She is a veteran of The Badwater Ultramarathon, Ultraman Canada, and many other far past the edge of sanity endurance events. She is also a hero (my words not hers).

A few years back Lucy decided to become a kidney donor. She has since gone on to finish many more endurance events, just to show folks what is possible to do with just one kidney. Lucy’s latest adventure is another chapter in her book of philanthropic deeds as she is trekking up Mt. Kilimanjaro in order to raise awareness and funds for Kidney Donor Athletes.

From her Kilamanjaro prep to the depths of Death Valley, to a side order of perogies, we have 20 minutes of inspirational ultra-talk with Lucy. Click on the play button to hear her story. Click on the cute red kidney to help out Lucy with her cause.

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Just Tri it ~ Just Du it: UBC is back. Fitspeek 151 with Craig Premack & Winston Guo.

This March hundreds of provincial multisport athletes will finally get a chance race again for real, as the long-running UBC Triathlon/Duathlon returns. Not only is it a great motivator for some early season intensity, it is also a reason to get that bike checked out and make sure that it is road-ready.

On the show this week, we Fitspeek with some seasoned veterans from the event, Burnaby’s Craig Premack and Vancouver’s Winston Guo. Between the 2 of them, they have almost 40 years of UBC experience. They will be sharing some of their experiences from the race course as well as some tips for folks doing the event for the first time.

Also on the program, ATC Head coach, Mikey Ross returns with his Top Five List . If you have ever had to deal with race anxiety, Coach Mikey has a 5-4-3-2-1 strategy that will keep you focused on the world around you and not the butterflies in your stomach.

30 minutes of family friendly Fitspeek is ready for your consumption by pressing that play button below.