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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.
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 .
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.
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.
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.
One of the things that interests me as a triathlete + podcast host is what makes an athlete fast. Is it talent? Is it training? Is it both? If so, to what extent?
Some folks I’ve interviewed in the almost 200 Fitspeeks I’ve done are examples of talent. No training. They run a 35 minute 10 K. As long as they show up to an event without crutches, they will be a contender. Then there’s the grinders. With persistence over the years and decades, they get better and better. The guy in the picture below personifies both.
Wyatt Kuntz is from Warman. Saskatchewan and has been in multisport for about 15 years. He certainly has done his training and paid his dues. When you run a “bad” 3:12 in your first Ironman you know there’s good genetics going on but before you dismiss him as a gifted genetic freak who can do no wrong, you can look at his swim splits to gain solace =).
In our interview we delve into his not-so-athletic family background, find out what motivated him to get into multisport, learn about his favourite training places in Saskatchewan (yes, we have hills here!!), and examine his prep work as he prepares for the Frank Dunn Triathlon in Prince Albert and the Ironman World Championships that are NOT being held in Prince Albert.
Maia Watson. Luke Tasker. If you are a Canadian triathlon fan you will likely hear these names a lot in the future.
We had Luke on Fitspeek a few months back after winning the half at Cultus Lake but Maia has her first appearance on the show. She’s an enthusiastic guest and our first ever who has done musical theatre!!
This week on the show, we delve into the training that propelled them to victory and break down their race day performances. Tune in by clicking the button below.
Check out the bike that Luke used during his win at the Victoria 70.3. It’s the SP by A2 bikes. Click on the picture below to price out your next tri-bike.
Abbotsford’s Mike Rauch is a successful business owner, family guy, and event organizer. He also happens to be a heck of an athlete. Mike was introduced to endurance sports in university, learned to swim, and did a few triathlons.
When the demands of family life called for more of his time, he decided to forego running and swimming for cycling. Mike has excelled on two wheels, winning rider of the year accolades with Phoenix Velo. He also embarked on organizing a cycling squad with Cahilty Racing.
Recently, Mike was invited to compete in the world’s most prestigious mountain bike stage race – Cape Epic. The problem is the race is in March in South Africa, and it is pretty hot there, certainly a lot warmer than the Fraser Valley. In our interview we learn about Mike’s path to the starting line of Cape Epic and the experiences he had during that 8-day event.
Also in our interview, Mike tells us about a unique 12-hour cycling event he is hosting in the Fraser Valley. Click on the banner above to get details on the race and click on the link below to hear our conversation.
As Western Canadians get ready to start another season of multisport at Westwood Lake on May 12th, it’s time to pay homage to those unsung heroes of our sport – the race directors.
This time on the show we feature the race director for Dynamic Race Events, Angie Woodhead. Angie reckons doing her job is a lot like juggling chainsaws.
As you can imagine there’s endless prep-work before the gun goes off…and then there is managing the unmanageable, the day of the race.
In our interview we get a high-definition behind-the-scenes look at what goes on to put on your local triathlons, plus we hear about some of the crazy things people in “athlete comments.” Just over 30 minutes of insight & inspiration will fill your ears at the click of a button.
Here’s half the story. But what does the cockpit of this rocket look like? Click on the bike above to learn more about the SP. It’s the tri-bike made by A2.
Saturday, it’s many folks’ favourite day of the week. And it’s also the name of an app that can save you crazy bucks on the stuff you put in your body while you train. It comes down to water, sugar, and salt. But how much? That’s where the Saturday app comes in. Click on the links above to get your free trial and more information about fueling for your next training session.
When it comes to endurance sports, how long is long enough? How long is too long? You’ll never know until you try! Penticton’s Tracey McQuair found that it was at the Ultraman Distance that she was able to really shine.
After the usual route of Standard-Distance to Iron-Distance, Tracey’s interest in doing something even longer, was piqued by her boss at Peach City Runners, Steve Brown. After serving a bit of an apprenticeship as a crew member at Ultraman, Tracey decided to give it a go herself. She had an amazing 1st experience and was hooked not only because of the race itself but also because of the very cool people in the small but very tightly knit ultra-triathlon community.
On the podcast, we hear about Tracy’s progression from being a swim club in the Lower Mainland, to bike racer in Edmonton, to Ultra-Champion and beyond.
We are excited to bring on another partner to the Fitspeek fold! Not only is Saturday many folks favourite day of the week, it’s an app that helps guide you through the sometimes murky waters of raceday and training fueling. It comes down to sugar, salt, and water… all in the right amounts. Saturday helps you dial in exactly those amounts with their app. Click on the links below to learn more about the app and sports nutition.
With spring in the air it’s time to dial back that close relationship you have with Zwift. The roads and trails are calling! Tackle them both with the Rogue by A2. Click on the bike to see your build options.