This week, it was announced that Ironman Canada, which I had planned to do next year, will not be continuing. Instead the race will be taken over by the Challenge Family and will be known as Challenge Penticton. I felt a great loss when I found out that I will not be able to participate in a race that has become iconic among Canadian triathletes. There will be still an iron distance race in Penticton, the course will not change, some of the same feel will be there, but it will not be an Ironman race anymore. I'm sure that the Challenge people will put on a good race and that the change will suit a lot of people. But for me, the Ironman experience was awesome and I want to experience it again.
I did still struggle a bit with the decision about which race to do next year - Challenge Penticton or another Ironman. Penticton is logistically much easier than any Ironman I would do and I knew that several of my friends would be signing up for Challenge Penticton. Still, I was pulled toward an Ironman race for my second iron distance and I ended up registering for Ironman Mont-Tremblant in Quebec. Mont-Tremblant looks like a spectacularly gorgeous venue and the reviews of the race are stellar.
Mont-Tremblant is a week before the Penticton race so I can still train all year with my friends. And really, that's a very big part of the whole experience. Then we can swap race stories next August.
Let the training begin (again)!
