Gatineau… This was a race I was really looking forward to. It’s the only race I’m doing this year that departs from classic sprint (750m, 20km, 5km) triathlons. The race format was an Enduro. This format consists of three mini triathlons back to back to back. This means that after your first swim bike run, you take off your shoes, grab your swim cap and goggles and go for it again…twice!
The excitement was high, I felt incredibly comfortable and ready the whole morning. The swim started off incredibly rough. I was not well placed as we ran into the water. I ended up having to pause a few times after being kicked in the face and clawed at by the 65 participants on an incredibly short and tight 250m swim course. Nevertheless, I swam decently and put on a little bit of gas running through transition to get to the front of the group of swimmers that had emerged with me.
That’s when it all went wrong
Mounting the bike in a triathlon is a skill approached in many ways. You have the safe bet: stopping your bike and straddling it like you normally would to get moving. Then you have the flying mount, where you continue running with your bike, all while flinging yourself onto the saddle. This can be graceful but also disastrous! My flying mount was the latter. I missed my seat and somehow stubbed both my toes into the pavement before landing flat on my bike. It was mildly embarrassing, but the excitement of the race was still there. I pulled my bike aside, adjusted the brakes back, made sure it still rolled and jumped back on (the safe way!)
It wasn’t until I had got up to speed and the adrenaline had worn off a bit that I realized both my toes were bloodied and my left was blue. I continued biking the 6.6km loop all while assessing my situation. I couldn’t put my feet into my cycling shoes because of the pain and so I continued riding with my feet on-top of the shoes. It was only then that I realized my left shifter had snapped and was no longer shifting. I decided, as I was ending my second of nine disciplines, that I would abandon the race. This was a tough decision, but I could not imagine running and possibly injuring myself further. That was the end of the Gatineau Enduro for me. I was gutted. This was the second race in a row that didn’t go well.
What now
The next few weeks are uncertain as of now. I will be attempting to run this week and if I feel comfortable enough I will continue as planned and race at the Magog sprint triathlon this coming Saturday. That will be my first draft legal race of the season. If not, we’ll see how fast the healing process goes!
Edit: My body recovered quickly. While the pain is not entirely gone, I am able to run without being hindered by the injury! Great news!
Photos: Emma Halliday
