Welcome back!

September is here and the UBC Triathlon Club is excited for another year of training and racing!

Our first practice will be an introductory run, happening on Tuesday, September 8, at 5:30 PM. We will be meeting at our club office in room 3301F of the Nest (aka, the new Student Union Building).

To learn more about the club, please visit us at our booth on Imagine Day between 1 PM and 4:30 PM in the 'Having some Fun" zone (Main Mall near University Blvd).

The workout schedule for the year will be:
Swim - Mon/Wed 6-7 PM (meet on pool deck)
Run - Tues/Thurs 5:30-6:30/7 PM (meet at club office: 3301F)
Bike - Sun 10 AM (meet at club office)
Spin - Fri 5 PM (starting Oct 16th)
Stretchy Time - TBD

As a reminder, membership fees at $50/year, and swim fees (each term) are $80 for once per week or $120 for twice per week. The AMS is moving to an online membership system this year. To become a member, follow the steps outlined here: http://ubctriathlon.blogspot.ca/p/membership.html

Looking forward to meeting you all!

One blog, to rule them all..

Hi everyone,

Prepare yourself for one of the most comprehensive, all encompassing blog posts of all times. This blog is 50% science, 25% sweat, 10% fun, and ~35% of that leftover water that you find in your water bottles a week after practice.

So there goes:

1) Storm the Wall

By now you have heard, maybe you were there? Maybe you took part in the epicness that was last week? In case you missed it..head over to the Facebook page and peruse.. Basically, this is what happened..

WE!

KILLED!

IT!

For another year, UBCTRI came out on top, winning just about everything, and breaking so many hearts in the process. There are simply too many epic backstories to recount in one blog, and therefore for the sake of brevity, I must apologize if I do any of our teams an injustice. Many photos were taken, and I am sure there will be epic odes and poems composed of our victories. But for now I will leave you with this:

HOOOAHHH!!

2) Delicious Mile

Despite a smaller than average turnout to this semi-annual/semi-serious event the delicious mile was an epic night of epic fun. Taking a hard fought win, and at his first mile nonetheless, was Jamie "Ima Running Cyborg". Jamie overcame a hard charging Matt in the last 150 M to take the win, however  Matt was unfortunately later disqualified for having spilled over 1/2 of his last beverage. Keith and Spencer both finished strong, clocking a blazing last lap. Trash-talking, rain and episodes of near-vomiting were all there in equal measure.

3) Race Series Wrap Up

Did you think Race Series was over? Huh? The answer is NOOOOOOO! Come on guys! We have 1 event left..this Thursday - the Uphill Run! It promises to be a good one, so come out and lets try and keep the attendance high. REMINDER - you have untill April 1 to make up events. We have a lot of empty spaces on our spreadsheet so get that done!

4)Year End Banquet

WEDNESDAY APRIL 8 - 8 P.M.
Bring some food to share - dress up a little (Spandex is O.K., but strongly discouraged) and come hang out with some of the coolest athletes on campus. Rumor has it that Winston "The Silent Assasain" and Seth "Our Fearless Leader" will be performing a Karaoke rendition of Bryan Adams "Summer of 69" and other great hits. BE THERE!!

5) Ironman Asia Pacific Championships!

TriClubs very own Brendan Naef had a HUGE! showing in Australia last weekend - competing against some of the worlds best triathletes, and finishing sub-9 hours in a time of 8:49:34, and taking 17th overall at the same time. Many of our members had the opportunity to watch the race online - and it was AWESOME! Well done Brendan!

If you have made it this far - well done! That's it for now..don't forget to take in all the great stuff coming over the next 2 weeks.

-TriClub

Iona Beach T.T. Recap - Introducing our future blogger to the fold...

How much road grit must a cyclist swallow before they call her a Vancouverite? The answer, my friends, was blowing in the cold grey winds on Sunday morning as the UBC Triathlon Club set out for Iona Beach to test their mettle.

The men’s leading contender, Matt “Eats-Cassettes-for-Breakfast” Baumeister, was noticeably absent from the morning scrum outside The Boulevard Cafe. Rumours abounded, but credible insider sources mentioned a scheduling conflict with a cooking class involving crockpots… This author will refrain from commenting on the importance of setting priorities.

Seth “Fearless Leader” Bluman led the pack down Southwest Marine in shiny new fluorescent garb and a cephalopod-like helmet. Tri Club veteran Winston “Stylepoints” Guo materialized somewhere along 16th Avenue. We think he may be the “spirit” of the Pacific Spirit Park.

Newcomer Sebastian “The Aviator” Munro was ecstatic to learn that we were going to the airport. So excited that he took flight early, but unfortunately he encountered turbulence at 30,000ft and crash-landed on the luxurious lawns of Southwest Marine. Emphasis on luxurious, though, as the ground was so soft that he walked away with only a scratch.

Once on the course, Keith “Slavedriver” Bystrom had no time for excuses and pushed us to do a warmup lap. Unfortunately, I think he was sleeping during his heat transfer lectures because, given the wind velocity, ambient temperature, and typical body surface areas of a triathlete, it was physically impossible to stay warm.

Jen “Jackrabbit” Moroz volunteered lead the pack and time the finish. Vanessa “Highest-Power-to-Weight-Ratio” Tilson followed. This author suspects she’s got turbochargers somewhere in her thighs. Definitely not a naturally aspirated engine. Katrina “Wears-all-the-Pants” Dutkiewicz came straight from a night of saving babies’ lives. No sleep, no problem.

Sweet day all in all! If you’re sad you missed it, worry not, for we have more Spring Race Series events ahead! Next up is the [Denim] Mile!

UBC TRI/DU Race Recap!

Hi everyone,

First of all my apologies for this post coming out a little late, but here goes!

So here is the bottom line - UBC TRI crushed it this past weekend. We had a number of participants tackling both the Sprint and Olympic distances, from some first time participants to some of our more seasoned competitors.






This is how it went! P.S. If we missed your race results in the blog - we're sorry! Send us a message and we will correct that!


THE OLYMPIC!
Florian: For his first Tri - Florian came out with FULL FORCE! A top 75 overall placement is a huge accomplishment! And did I mention he swam just a shade over 30 minutes? Right on Florian - keep it up!

Brendan: Club strongman Brendan had a battle on his hands for the overall Olympic distance supremacy - and finished a very strong 2nd overall and a hair over 2 hours.

Winston (The Silent Assassin): Despite getting bumped around a bit on the swim, Winston managed a strong swim (Sub-30!) and finished a very handy 15th overall - not to mention a sub 45 minute run!

Nima (The Dark Horse): Nima confessed to being a little "distracted" on the course last weekend, but still managed a blazing fast bike - finishing just spot ahead of Winston, making 2 it TriClubbers in a row!

Jen B (The Bhatlinator): With a 26 minute swim and a sub 45 minute run, there was no stopping the Bhatlinator on her way to winning her Age Group and finishing 25th overall! Way to go Jen!

Janis: In the weeks leading up to the race, Janis was seen putting in some big miles - and it seemed to have paid off. A strong overall performance on the day saw Janis squeaking in under the 2:30 standard. Nicely done.

Lawrence: Although still relatively new to Tri's, Lawrence did not disappoint! Putting in a solid effort to finish a very respectable sub-3:00! Awesome job Lawrence!

THE SPRINT!
Maddie: First female, wins her age group and comes in 11th overall! What more can be said about a stellar performance like that? Did I mention she biked just over 36 min? Wheeeeeelllssssss!

Zoe: Second overall in her age group, Zoe was seen pushing the pace right to the finish line. Zoe had a strong run en route to a top 50 finish! Coooool as a cucumber!

Megan: Hard work pays off - this was the case with Megan who absolutely crushed the SWIM and the RUN! All smiles right to the line - making the UBCTri Club proud!

Matt: Club member and quasi-exec Matt looked good out on the course - turning in a strong swim and bike to finish 3rd overall!

Eric: Eric gained mad style points for use of a stylish trucker hat during the run - which we now believe contributed to his sub 21 minute run off the bike. Craaaaaaazy! Well done Eric.

Katrina: Who wins their age group and puts in a nearly sub-15 minute swim?!? Katrina does! I had a chance to see her out on the course - she looked rock solid right to the finish.

So that's it! We crushed it. Great job to everyone who raced!

But now, on to other business!
1. Elections - this Thursday ! Come out and vote for your future TriClub Exec!
2. RACE SEREIS - it's not over! Oh no, not by a long shot. This Sunday - IONA BEACH T.T.


Above: Captain America comes to all the race series events - so should YOU!
(Captain America has not officially endorsed this message)

Run Day - Fun Day

Hi everyone,

If you were out for our 5 K.M. run last night, then you know just how epic it was. If you weren't able to make, then read on to find out more!

Early on, there was a buzz in the air when the TriClubbers gathered at the club office for the mandatory re-race pump up and obligatory trash talking. Winston (Aka the Silent Assassin) and Eric showed up wearing matching Garmin watches, and as an added bonus Winston chose a sporty headband that would prove later to give him running powers similar to Sonic the Hedgehog...but more on that later.

Once the race had begun, the first to take off were Mike, Eric, Jamie and Winston. They soon set off, setting a blistering pace that tore up the road just like in that Ghostrider movie...errm..or something like that.


Juno, Matt, Seth, Nima, Janis and Keith made up the second pack of men on the road, with Nima sporting an aerodynamic haircut which he assured us would save him 15 seconds/km. As the race began to unfold, Juno ran harder and harder, with only Matt able to keep up. And keep up he did, hanging so close to Juno that some observers would later suggest he had employed an incredibly large elastic band to hold them together. In the end, Mike would prove to be too strong, taking the hard fought overall win. Rounding out the top three were Eric and Jamie. Jamie's disappointment at not having done a best time was evident, and on that day he swore his revenge on running, hinting that a juice cleanse was in his near future. Keith appeared to look slightly lost during most of the run - perhaps he was wondering where the snowshoes were..likely a product of his time spent up North snowshoe running with Siberian huskies.



The Women's race was no less competitive or intense. Maddie and Zoe ran virtually neck and neck the entire race - but in the end Maddie would go on to edge out Zoe by a mere 3 seconds!!!



Christie, Katelyn and Katrina were the next to come in, each totally exhausted by their awesome efforts. Megan and Jenny rounded out the leaderboard, with Jenny clocking in at a very respectable sub 26 minuate and PB to boot! Unfortunately though, it was club-legend-in-the-making Jen M who would go on to take the women's win with the wicked fast sub 18 minute run she had done earlier. Way to go girls!

  

Overall, the 5 K.M. was a huge success! Prizes were had, and many PB's were achieved! Thanks to everyone for an awesome turnout!

But its not over yet.........

.............
.............

This Sunday - at 10 A.M.

THE BRICK is ON! And it's gonna prove to be another nail biter..

Come out and all your questions will be answered:
-Will Jamie have succeeded in his juice cleanse?
-Will Eric and Winston be coordinating outfits again?
-Will all the Men (and Women) be sporting Nima-esque haircuts to improve their aerodynamic capabilities?

Come this Sunday and find out!

Let's Get HYPED for RACE SERIES!

Race Series Is BACK!

Hi everyone,

First of all, welcome back to UBC after what I hope was awesome Reading Break. I hope everyone is fit, primed and super ready for another week of TriClub workouts, and of course the continuation of our Spring Fling Race Series!

............................

............................

(Pauses for effect)

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............................

And we're back...

This week we have 2 (that's right) two events planned. Thursday - the 5 K.M. Run and Sunday - the Brick! Could there be a better way to celebrate the return to classes than with some fun and friendly competition?

If you've read this far your probably wondering 2 things.
1. Why do I care about the race series?
2. Are there going to be a lot of sweet Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings  memes used in the following blogs?

Of course the answer both of those is YES! But more specifically, come out to the race series to have some fun, challenge yourself, and meet a ton of great people who love to do what you do. And, if your into that sort of thing you can participate in a MORTAL CHALLENGE OF EPIC TOUGHNESS for the OVERALL MEN'S/WOMEN'S SERIES POINTS LEADER (Did I mention each years winner is immortalized, and receives a super awesome trophy?)




There are so many epic back stories from our club members - too many to recount....too many questions to be answered....i.e.

1. Will Jamie/Eric break 18 minutes for the 5 K.M. on Thursday?
2. Will Sean get lost again?
3. Will Winston aka the "Silent Assassin" make an appearance?
4. Who will rise to challenge Jen M for the womens title? Jen B is looking strong this year, but Mads and Christie are hungry for blood (Well not actually, more of just a metaphor).
5. What kind of run will Juno produce?
6. What is Keith capable of after so much time spent up north? Has he maintained his fitness by wrestling polar bears?

 

So this Thursday, come out for a Run with us! All club members welcome!

-Your Exec...

Uphill Bike Recap

And so it begins...

This race series is more on than DONKEY KONG..

Despite a smaller than usual turnout this morning, several intrepid TriClubers made it out for the first event of the season - the uphill bike at Spanish Banks Hill.

The weather was a bit cool, but not even the light rain that was falling could quell Keith's enthusiasm and fiery passion for the event. Meanwhile, while waiting for the event to begin, Jenn B played it cool as a cucumber, riding at the back as to scope out the competition. Nowhere to be seen: the dominating players in last years Mens Race Series: Nima and Jamie.. Jamie was kind enough to send a text telling me he had a pedicure and couldn't make it.

Nowhere to be seen: TriClub legend Winston...who was likely crushing some mountain top climb on his bike. Nowhere to be seen...well you get the picture..now pick it up people this is the RACE SERIES after all.

Back to the race...

First to start was the ever brave Jen M - she took off up the hill fast..I mean really fast. Jen B was next, followed by Keith, Sebastian and finally Seth and Matt. Sebastian, the self professed hard man was seen gamely trying to ride up the hill with only one foot clipped into the pedal. Keith, known to many as the "Silent Assassin" was doing just that..riding his way so silently up the hill you could have sworn he had ran his bike up the hill wearing a pair of those cloth ninja slippers..

To no ones surprise, Seth arrived sporting his new bike, which he assured us was "full carbon" and completely "tricked out". Seth put his new ride to good use today, putting in an awesome effort on the 2 K.M. climb.

In the end though, it was Jen M on the Women's side and Matt for the Men taking the early season win. What will this mean for the overall Race Series? Is it too early to place bets? Come join us this coming Wednesday for our next event - the 500 M SWIM at the UBC AQUATIC CENTER. All members welcome!

-Your Exec...








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