the Race: Muskoka Triathlon
Though it’s hard to judge this type of thing, I have heard from reliable sources that the Muskoka Chase, or Muskoka Long, is the second largest triathlon in Canada behind Ironman.
I have been training, but not too much, as August and September will be really big months getting ready for Hawaii. For now my main objective is swim improvement, stay fit, and fresh. With that in mind I have dramatically cut back on my training… what does that entail? In the ‘easy’ 6 days before the Muskoka race, I rode my bike once, ran 3x, and got in 7 swims.
I met up with Phil V and here is the correct Sable Goggle web address. As I mentioned before there isn’t a more optically correct, higher quality goggle (check this review). If I wasn’t getting these free I would be buying them! When I felt something nibbling my toes before the swim start, a glance showed me a it was a turtle.
The race itself went well, my swim was solid, and on track. My bike was good, I was hoping for the fastest of the day, but was beat out by 
(pros Ryan Grant) having the 2nd fastest of the day. Somehow the guy who beat me is a pro who I out swam. If someone is quick enough to out bike me, I think it’s funny that I can out swim them. Well I won’t quite the swim training. Despite having grown up riding on these cracked potholed roads with their choppy climbs, it’s not the kind of course that I really prefer.
The silver lining was that the event between the events… the transitions. I was the fastest of everyone there.
And the run. I thought that there was some amateur catching me, so after easing into the first km I started picking up the pace. Which is when the asthma wheasing (knew I should have bit the $120 and filled that advair prescription) started on the uphills. So I ran tempo on the climbs and picked up the flats. I see Sean has just passed Cynthia Wilson to be in the lead and in line for his big pay day he’s been working for. Then at the turn around I saw an 8 min lead to the next amateur… and relaxed a bit. SO I was 4th overall and 1st amateur by 6 something minutes.
At the finish, I find that Sean was just starting to cramp up and lost 2g in the following miles. Huge bummer, as hes done the training and had it in the bag. Not that Wolfgang is a bad guy, but Sean did have him beat, at that point.
I also have a few people tell me that I should be racing pro. Which, well I would have loved to have seen if I could have run 2 min faster and held of Nigel for the 3rd place prize money (bet your fanny I would have). However this year is all about being the top amateur at Kona, and I loose my spot if I do any pro races. So here I am, training, and doing the odd race, and winning plaques. And dreaming of breaking that 9h barrier at Kona and being top amateur.
Muskoka tri results for those who haven’t found them and are interested
