I rarely discuss events that are outside our BC borders but my vacation to Colorado this summer afforded me an opportunity to participate in a legendary local race.  The Vail HIll Climb (presented by La Sportiva) has been happening now for 38 years.  This off-road running (crawling) experience is unique to Colorado and Vail locals.  Typical of the Vail faithful; the Hill Climb is a measure of fitness, will, and the ability to process oxygen at a super-human rate.

The ski resort is renowned for being one of the largest in North America.  It is in a constant battle with Whistler Blackcomb for most skiable acres.  Although it is famous for its skiing, it truly is an all-season resort.  The famous saying in Vail is the "you come for the winters and end up living here for the summers."  

When I arrived in Vail I already had checked into the race and felt that I would sign up on race day if I felt my body was acclimated to the altitude.  Naturally, I couldn't check my ego and signed up anyway.  After all, how bad could it be?  Ooops!  The altitude in Vail at the base of the mountain is 8150 feet.  By comparison, Lake Louise is the unofficial title holder in Canada at just over 5000 feet.  The Hill Climb starts in the Village and ascends 7 miles to the top of the gondola which is at about 11,500 feet.  Needless to say, the oxygen is a little thin.

I showed up in the morning and instantly felt out of shape.  Colorado is the US outdoor playground and attracts hard core athletes from everywhere.  There are athletes in and around Eagle County that could easily compete anywhere but choose to live the laid back local lifestyle offered in the Vail Valley.  Over 400 participants were primed for the challenge.  I did a quick calculation of my own capabilities and had to convert the distance into metric.  I figured that the race was about 12 km so I should be able to finish in about 1:30:00 given the elevation and terrain.  Believe it or not, the podium finishers complete this jaunt in about 50 minutes!

The race begins with a short run through the village which serves as a nice little warm-up before the insanity begins.  After about .75 miles, you turn and begin your ascent.  Congratulations...you are now climbing for 7 miles!  The course itself is not spectacular in its terrain.  This is just a grind of epic proportions.  The views at specific areas of the run are spectacular but it is difficult to enjoy the breathtaking vistas when you are suffering from oxygen depravation.  This is essentially a mountain dirt road course that switchbacks up the mountain.  Basically, you run the catwalks.  It is hard to judge where the difficult parts of the course are because it never lets up on you.  The switchbacks are the toughest part of the climb and there are a lot of them.  There is only one short flat section at around the 5 mile water station but it is short lived.

I felt that in order to make my goal, I was really going to have to monitor my heart rate.  Everything was going as planned and I actually felt pretty good until the unforeseen happened.  Cramps!  A combination of lack of oxygen supply to the muscles and severe strain from climbing began to seize up my calves and eventually my hammies.  The last mile was a combination walk/run and I ended up crossing in 1:36:00.  

The medical staff at the top was great and helped me get the muscles to relax, pumped me full of fluid and salts.  I have never been so happy to finish a race.  The swag bag was fantastic and the shirt was solid.  In the end, I can honestly say that it was one of my prouder moments.  This was a true challenge and extremely rewarding.  If you get the chance to visit the area during the summer you should check out the wide spectrum of trail races offered in Colorado.  Competing at that altitude is a unique experience that you will not forget.

I love the sport of triathlon and I am constantly recruiting people to give it a shot.  Whenever I encourage someone to "try a tri", the response is predictable: "I feel ok about the run and the bike but the swim scares the shit out of me."  I almost start mouthing their response before it even happens because it is the most realistic fear a non-swimmer has about jumping into the sport.  Rest assured, when you read what follows, you will feel more confident to give it a shot!

I started training for my first triathlon a few years ago.  I am not a seasoned triathlete by any stretch but I did have a solid athletic background as an NCAA and minor pro hockey player.  Let me be the first to say, however; that trading shoulder pads for a wetsuit was not the smoothest of transitions.  When I hit the pool for my first swim I was greeted with a grim reality: I couldn't swim!  Swimming out to the dock at the beach had not prepared me for being able to cover the necessary distance of a triathlon.  I tested myself on the first day to see how far I could go.  I managed front crawl 1.5 lengths before having to surface and breaststroke my way back to the edge of the pool.  

I was demoralized.

A 750 meter swim at this point seemed unattainable.  How could I possibly manage to finish the swim section when I could even complete 1/10th of the distance?  I splashed around the pool for the next 30 minutes and nearly died of exhaustion.  I am sure that the lifeguards were keeping a close eye on the idiot in lane two who was bound to have a heart attack.  When I dragged my butt out of the pool, I had never felt so tired in my life.  

I almost quit.

Fortunately, my wife was a competitive swimmer in her youth and eased my frustration.  She explained to me that swimming was a technical sport and that once I learned to swim correctly that the distance would be surprisingly easy.  I was hesitant to believe her at first but I felt that I needed to trust her expertise.  I began going to the pool and setting some attainable goals for each session.  They were a simple as "swim three lengths without stopping" or "use my backstroke to get me a fourth length."  I did this for about 6-8 sessions before I made the most important move of my triathlon journey...I joined a Masters Swim Club.  

It wasn't until I began this practices that I started to improve my swim stroke and my body position in the water.  Suddenly, I was able to extend my range.  I learned how to use different swim tools like pull buoys and flippers to help with my strength and body position.  Moreover, I was placed in a group that had other swimmers who were all at one time in the same boat as I was so they were very encouraging and supportive.  This was huge for me because I was so intimidated being in a lane with swimmers who made me feel like I was standing still. 

After my first night I checked my race calendar.  I had nine more Masters practices before my first race.  Over the next 6 weeks I improved dramatically.  I am not going to lie and say that it was easy but I can honestly say that it did get a lot easier with each session.  With the triathlon rapidly approaching, our coach had us complete an 800 meter time trial to measure our progress.  I hadn't completed this distance yet so I was nervous but determined.  We were given the opportunity to use a pull buoy for assistance but I chose to go without.  This was an important mental barrier that I wanted to overcome while safely in the pool rather than in the middle of a race.  I needed to know that I could finish the distance.  I did.

Overcoming the mental barrier of the swim was the toughest thing I have had to do in triathlon, however; in the greater scheme of things, it really didn't take that long.  Since that time I have completed several triathlons and I am now working to complete my first half-iron event.  Last year, I went out for a swim with our tri-club and completed about 3k in Kalamalka Lake.  I had to stop and afford myself a smile at the thought of my first few sessions in the pool.  I also take a lot of pride that I was able to utilize my learning experience to help my mother get into the sport.  She could not swim an entire length of the pool when she started.  I told her to stay with it and that the first couple of months was "going to suck".  She believed me and toughed it out.  She completed her first triathlon at 59 years old and is now a mainstay at local events.  Furthermore, she now enjoys swimming more than the other two disciplines.

If you are still scared, here are some pointers that may ease your fears.

1. It is ok to be scared.  Only experience will help ease your fears.
2. It is ok to suck at swimming.  You don't yet know how and you WILL get better.
3. The first 2-3 months of swimming is going to suck.  Then suddenly, it will click for you!  Do not get discouraged.
4. Join a swim program and/or get some swim instruction.  You are just learning and need someone to correct your technique.  There are lots of triathlon clubs that will help you get the instruction you need. 
5. Guarantee yourself to attend a minimum of 10 coached practices.  You will see such a big difference that you won't believe how bad you were at the start.
6. Pick a smaller event for your first triathlon or look for an event that offers wave starts.  Fewer people in the water is less intimidating.  A try-a-tri might be helpful but it isn't necessary.  
7. Find out if the event offers "swim buddies".  These are experienced swimmers who volunteer to swim with a nervous first timer.  
8. Get in some open water swims before the race in your wetsuit.  The compression of a wetsuit will feel funny at first and swimming in a straight line in open water is a skill.
9. Make sure you have a wetsuit designed for swimming.  A shorty used for wake-boarding is probably not your best bet.  Many local tri-shops will rent you a suit.  This will also help with your buoyancy and body position in the water.
10. Breathe as much as you have to.  Don't worry about bi-lateral breathing when you are tired.  Oxygen is the first priority. 
11. Avoid the pit.  The pit is the centre of the swim pack and it will feel like a washing machine.  Stay to the back or get over to one side of the pack.  I like to get out to the side because it is less congested and less likely of having swimmers on either side of you.  Furthermore, I don't bi-lateral breathe until the pack thins out.  This way I breathe out the side where I am less likely to get kicked or splashed while taking in air.
12.  Take a wide berth around the swim buoys.  This area gets congested and there is a lot of contact that can cause you to panic.
13.  Don't be afraid to use whatever stroke works for you.  My wife is an experienced swimmer and I have seen her backstroking during an event.
14.  Make sure you have a good warm-up before the race.  Cold water can make it hard to breathe if it shocks you.
15.  Use the boats if you feel panic.  Panic zaps your physical and mental energy.  By using a boat, you can calm yourself down and easily recuperate.  
16. Don't worry.  Completing a triathlon is about mental toughness.  If you are thinking of signing up for a triathlon then you are obviously tough already.  
17. Lastly, once you finish your first race you have to convince a friend that being scared shitless is normal and share your story!

There are a million tips that triathletes can give you as you tackle that first swim.  I am sure there will be people that offer their recipe for success on the blog.  If you are interested in doing your first triathlon and don't know where to start, drop us a line and we can help you get on the right path!

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Wasa Lake is located about 30 minutes north of Cranbrook.  Every year in June, the small community of Wasa has their town invaded by multi-sport enthusiasts.   The Gerick Sports Wasa Triathlon has grown into an early season behemoth.  Albertans invade the BC border and they bring their kids too.  The triathlon features a Saturday KOS event followed on Sunday by a sprint and Olympic distance race.  Typically, the water at Wasa is quick to warm which makes this event popular for Albertans looking for an event that they can take a weekend trip to.  This year; however, the weather was not cooperative leading up to the race and the water temperature was frigid.  The swim portion had to be cancelled for the under 9 year olds and the Olympic swim was shortened to 750 meters.  Although the water temperature was unusually cold, the event did go off as planned and had approximately 800 competitors between the kids and adult races.  The following is a run down of the course and the organization of the day.

THE SWIM
Wasa Lake is typically one of the warmest lakes in the Kootenays.  That is why this location is selected as the first race in the area of the season.  However, this is still the mountains and if the spring weather has been late to arrive, the water can still be frigid.  Wasa is a smaller lake which helps keep the waters relatively calm in comparison should the wind pick up.  The swim course is set up in a standard 750 meter triangle formation.  The offer 2 wave starts; one for the sprint and one for the Olympic distance racers.  This does help ease the congestion but it will still be a bit of a washing machine for the newer competitors.  Athletes exit the water onto a mat and into transition.  A nice touch for this race is that they had wet-suit strippers available.  This was important this year as hands were pretty cold and not always functional immediately after coming out of the water.  Kayakers and boats were present to insure that swimmers were safe.  

THE BIKE
The Wasa Tri is renowned for being fast.  The community is located in an extremely flat section of the Columbia Valley.  Recent changes to the bike course have added some small rollers but the course is still very quick.  Moreover, the section that the bike course was on is freshly paved and provided a smooth and comfortable ride for the competitors.  The course is open to traffic as you will be riding on highway but plenty of volunteers lined the course to direct traffic and the newly paved road provides a nice shoulder for riding.  
 
THE RUN
The run is a combination of small paths and trails but it is pancake flat and super-fast.  The run course is mostly the same for both the sprinters and Olympic distance athletes (Olympic racers run past the Sprinters turn-around point and head for their own).  Aid stations are set up and the course is well marked and occupied with volunteers.

ORGANIZATION
This race has been going on for a long time and the organizers know what they are doing.  Besides, they must be doing something right to get this kind of turn-out for an early season event.  This event also serves as one of the Provincial Race Series races so valuable points are up for grabs.  The transition area was one issue that received some complaints.  There was no assigned spots and some felt that in a race of this size that assigned transition spots would be nice.  This is a chip timed event and the TriBC officials are on site to insure that rules are being followed.  There was plenty of sponsorship for this event and the participants commented on the great prizes and buffet.  Cash prizes are awarded for Sprint and Olympic winners for men and women.  The organizers did keep everything moving and kept a solid schedule.  Here are a couple of comments from an athlete who participated: 

"Great set ups, food after for athletes was well set up with several buffet lines so you moved through quickly and lots of fresh fruit for snacking right after you were done."


"Closing ceremonies started right on time as did everything, loads of door prizes that you had to be there to win including a complete running out fit, 8 pairs of shoes and a wet suit. If you weren't there they just tossed them to the crowd so lots of fun."


"Kicking Horse Coffee wagon was there both days and on Saturday it was a real hit serving loads of coffee and hot chocolate to the freezing parents and kids." - Joanne K. 60-64 Age Cat.


WHO IS THIS RACE GOOD FOR?
This race will service a lot of needs.  If you are a speed demon and looking for a PR; this course gives you a shot.  If you are a newby or looking to challenge your first Olympic, then this event provides a friendly course to get you through the day.  If you want to do a race but you are dragging three kids with you, then this event provides something for you too.  The KOS event has become a major draw and now has nearly as many participants as the adult races.  NOTE:  Sign up early for this event as it sells out quickly.