Gravenhurst Olympic Distance Triathlon: 1'st OA, 1:59:39

I was out racing in Gravenhurst this past weekend, where I raced the Olympic triathlon on Saturday, and my girlfriend Catalina was racing the sprint triathlon on Sunday.  I had been doing a lot of training heading into the race and I was feeling quite tired the week leading up.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel for the race, but with Catalina and her whole family cheering me on, I put together a solid race.

Pre Race

Gravenhurst is a unique race in that the swim starts in the middle of the lake.  In order to get to the race start, you get to ride on one of the two steamships, the Segwun, or Wenonah II.  Both are classic coal burning steamers, and it makes the race all that much more exciting.

Swim

The swim was quite simple, but did present a different set of challenges.  The course had a small sideways section that you had to swim before making a left turn and heading back to shore.  After the left turn, it was a straight line all the way back to shore.  Simple enough, but everyone who has swum in open water knows it can be pretty difficult to swim straight.  I made sure to sight frequently and managed to be the first one out of the water.  It was a long run up to transition, but I had a huge crowd cheering me on, so it didn't seem so bad.

Swimming fast in Nineteen Frequency

Bike

Due to construction on the old Gravenhurst course, Multisport Canada arranged a new course in the opposite direction.  The course was and out and back with rolling hills, which made for a pretty speedy ride.  There was a bit more traffic than on other courses, but there was a decent shoulder for most parts, which helped keep things safe (I did have a nice police escort the whole way).  I rode into T2 with a pretty comfortable lead.

My only bike picture...too fast for the cameras;)

Run

I already knew I had a big enough lead to take the win, so there wasn't a real need to bury myself on the course.  The course was very hilly and was rumoured to be 400-500m long, so it didn't really allow for blistering fast times.  I ran hard, but steady, and made sure to take in the scenery and enjoy the race.  I came into the finish with everyone cheering me on, and I crossed the line just under the 2 hour mark to pick up my second win in a row.

Post Race Interview

Post race

I stayed over Saturday night with Catalina and her family so I could cheer on my lady in her race Sunday morning.  She had a fantastic race, and was the first women to cross the finish line. Two other women in later waves had faster times, so she finished third overall (1'st AG).  Talk about a power couple!

A big thanks goes out to Multisport Canada for putting on a great race, and to eLoad nutrition for keeping me hydrated on a hot humid day.
I'm also happy to announce I'm joining up with Nineteen Wetsuits as a sponsor.  Its great to have another local company on board supporting me, and I have been very happy in their suits for years!
Also a big thanks to the entire Maass family (and relatives) for their support over the weekend, and to my family who was cheering me on from back home.