On Sunday September 13 I participated in the Multisport Canada Triathlon Olympic Relay with two other friends of mine. What was great about this race was that each of us had our fortes and we were able to come together and use them as a team.
In the dark we drove the 2hrs from Markham to Lake Sunova which is on the other side of Kitchener and arrived at Lakeside Resort where the race was to be held. As we drove into the country fields there was a thick blanket of fog creating low-visibility, but the day turned out to be sunny 25 degrees.
The race consisted of a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and a 10km run with me competing in the running division of that race. The swim conditions were excellent as it is a spring-fed lake with crystal-clear waters and very minimal waves. The swim portion consisted of two loops of 750m around the lake which were well-guided by floating buoys. The transition zone was easily visible from the waters so by the time we were still looking for our friend in the water, she had already come out and together they ran to the transition zone. Riders headed out onto 40 kilometers of shared rural roads winding through scenic farmlands in Oxford County. There were low-traffic and smooth asphalt conditions that made the ride fairly undisturbed. For the run we sent south of Lakeside Resort for 10 kilometers. Thankfully I only had to do the final stretch so I had fresh legs, but it was still a lot harder than expected. The moment my legs started to burn and I saw another hill coming up it hit me why this part of the course is called the “Happy Hills”. We finished in a good time but what was more important was just being able to do this event together, showcasing our individual strengths together.
It was a smaller event with a great supportive community vibe. From the spectators being able to come in and watch the event (for a fee) to the transition zone being in close proximity to both the lake and the road. Registration, the food transition and the finish were all within 200m of each other making it accessible for everyone. Crossing the finish line together made the early 2-hour drive completely worth it. Doing it as a relay reminded us that while most choose to do the triathlon as an individual sport, there’s nothing quite like it when you can do it together.
