While I’m used to obsessively checking weather forecasts in the days leading up to triathlons, I’m not usually monitoring things weeks in advance, hoping for days of very cold weather and skateable ice! Unfortunately this winter’s mild weather meant that the Rideau Canal in Ottawa was not going to be open for skating for the 40th year of the Winterlude Triathlon, now run by Somersault Events. Instead, we found out a few days before the February 3 race that the skate, run, ski would be replaced by a run, ski, run, ski. It was really disappointing, because the skate component of the race was a h ..read more

While the Multisport Canada Lakeside triathlon weekend technically occurs in the summer, it’s not unusual for chilly early morning air to be cooler than the water temperature, and that’s what happened again this year. Alasdair and I arrived at the race site super early, so early that we got the prime parking spot at the Northern Star Equestrian Centre 200m down the road. Pro tip: if you’re racing at Lakeside, plan to arrive earlier than you usually do, because parking is done 1 vehicle at a time in a farm field – athletes get stuck in traffic closer to race start time (and no one needs that st ..read more

It’s not often I have my very own Sherpa and photographer for a triathlon, but Alasdair didn’t register for this race, so I was in luck. The original plan was for me to do the Subaru Triathlon Series Milton sprint triathlon as a season-opener, ride 30k to the race site, do the race, and ride home (we’ve done it before). However, for multiple reasons that didn’t happen and instead I deferred to Guelph Lake II. I had still intended to ride the 45k to the race, do the race, and ride 45k home, but given my back isn’t healed yet, I decided not to push it. Next year! It’s been a few years since I co ..read more

Sitting under a picnic shelter during a heavy thunderstorm on race morning at race headquarters, we were doubtful we’d even get to do the paddling portion of this year’s Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race! When Kris and I arrived at Bluewater Park in Wiarton just after 7 AM and stopped at the boat drop we learned that the long course race was delayed due to the incoming weather (the race was supposed to start at 7 AM). We were told by volunteers that our race might start as late as 1 PM (though it was scheduled for a 9:30 start). We opted not to unload my canoe, and instead to park and wait for t ..read more

Always up for something new, Rebecca and I registered for the inaugural Challenge the Shield Adventure Race in Parry Sound at the Georgian Nordic Outdoor Activity Centre. This race combines paddling, mountain biking, trekking and orienteering in the beautiful Canadian Shield. In short, teams of 2 racers have 6 hours to find as many checkpoints as possible using map and compass, losing 100 points per minute over the allotted time. Rebecca and I are in the bright yellow canoe near shore on the right side of Nine Mile Lake. The race starts with a mandatory marked-route segment challenge – trekkin ..read more

Word of advice: don’t do the K-Town long course triathlon while jet-lagged and after having done very few workouts in the 3 weeks leading up to the race (0 swims, 2 bikes, 3 runs). I didn’t really have a choice as I tried to heal my super tight back muscles, and as I spent a week travelling just before the race! While 2022 saw the race move from Confederation Park downtown Kingston to Canadian Forces Base Kingston a little East of downtown, 2023 saw another new run route. More on that later. While Alasdair and I went to the optional Saturday afternoon race kit pick-up, we still arrived at the ..read more

With many forest fires burning in Ontario and Québec in early July 2023, Killarney Provincial Park (and much of Ontario) was under a fire ban. This would be my first backcountry trip with no campfires allowed. Day 1: Bell Lake Access Point to Bell Lake When we arrived at the Bell Lake Access Point at Killarney Provincial Park, Jen got our backcountry permit from Killarney Kanoes, but not before being required to show the alcohol stove that we would be cooking with (no cooking on a campfire this time!). We unloaded everything from my car, ate our lunch in the parking lot, and then loaded the ca ..read more

With a very tight back in the days leading up to the Bracebridge triathlon weekend I wasn’t sure I would even make it to the start line. But I did a 25 m test swim on the Friday and deemed myself ready to race… or at least attempt the swim. Whether I got through the swim, bike and run was to be determined. Saturday Olympic My alarm went off at 4:30 AM, and by 6:15 AM we were at Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge, having seen 2 turkeys, a raccoon and a deer on our way! We headed for transition to rack our bikes before going through registration, but I couldn’t find the rack for bib 163 anywher ..read more

When Alasdair and I set out for Welland at 6 AM on Saturday for this year’s Welland long course triathlon, I had no idea Timbits would feature in my race! We arrived with lots of time to pick up our race bibs, t-shirts, swim caps and timing chips, set our things up in transition, and chat with other athletes. This race also marked the return of body marking for the first time since the 2019 season (due to the Covid 19 pandemic). Now we would know for certain when we were being passed on the bike or run by someone 20 years our senior! With rain in the forecast, and potential thunderstorms in th ..read more

This may be triathlon season #14 for me (and a little more for Alasdair), but we’re still encountering race firsts! We started the 2023 season with Multisport Canada Gravenhurst, where we once again did the Saturday Olympic and Sunday sprint double-header, because why jump off the steamship once when you can jump off twice?! Olympic (Saturday) It was a very early start to the day with my alarm going off at 4:45 AM, but I was rewarded with a gorgeous view of the lake at our friends’ cottage. After tip-toeing around so as not to wake them, we set out for the race site with full bellies. On our ..read more