Fort MacLeod Triathlon

This year was the 7th annual Fort Macleod Triathlon. Don’t go getting any funny ideas, I was not (nor have I ever been) a participant in the triathlon, but this was my 3rd year volunteering.

My Father-in-Law loves training for and taking part in any triathlon he can find, the problem is the majority of them run on Sundays. So 7 years ago he decided that he would organize his own triathlon right in Fort Macleod on a Saturday. He, however, is not alone in his love of Triathlons and after only 2 years realized that when you are the one running the show you can not be running in the event! For any of you who don't know a triathlon consists of...

Swimming

Biking

and Running

Year after year Al and Lorraine spend countless hours planning, organizing, setting up, and taking down the Triathlon. It is a major undertaking but every year has been extremely successful and the numbers just keep getting bigger and bigger. Although we might not be ready to take part in the Triathlon, Aaron and I have always made it a priority to get out each year and volunteer along the course.

We have been sign holders, direction givers, pylon placers, lap counters, people markers, and sandwich passer outers. One day a year, from the crack of dawn until we are told to leave, we are at Al’s beck-and-call, so to speak. This year Aaron was unable to make it home and AJ was a little to much for me to handle while volunteering but Miles and I were up and out the door by 8:15 to get in on all the action.

After a fairly miserable week it was suppose to be scattered clouds and +10 degrees, which is pretty perfect weather for this particular event. Unfortunately the clouds decided to settle right over Fort McLeod making it cold and rainy all morning. Oh well!!! The racers where still out and ready to go with smiles on their faces as well as the, slightly more bundled up, volunteers.




Since everyone is pretty busy with their various jobs I decided that I would take it upon myself to photograph the event and help out anywhere I could. I was especially excited about the race this year since my Dad, Steele, has been training for the past year to do his first ever Olympic length Triathlon. The Olympic consits of 1.5km Swim, 40km Bike, and a 10km Run! All I can say is OUCH! When I think of my Dad I think of many thinks but, no offence, one of them is not fitness. When he first told me he had signed up for the Olympic triathlon I though, "Yeah right!" but he put his mind to it and spent the last year working his butt off (quite literally) to reach his goal. I know it was not an easy raod but he never gave up and in the end it all payed off.




Congrats Dad! I am so proud of you for achiving this goal and makinhg such heathly life style changes.

Another exciting twist this year was Chelsie, Jared, and Anthony decided that they would challenge Jorpo (a triathlon veteran) to a race in the sprint category. Talk about ambitious!

Chelsie was first up in the pool.

How can she not give it her all with such a cute cheering section, that's right Jeff we're talkin' about you!

But Jorpo wasn't far behind!

Here they are looking neck-in-neck! In reality Chelsie was already a lap up!

A flawless switch gets Jared out on the course a good 3 minutes befor Jorpo hits the transition.


But Jorpo wasn't discouraged, honestly I don't know how anyone could feel down it that hat!


On to the run! Jared arrived with Jorpo hot on his heels. Jorpo made up sometime on the bike but could he catch Anthony!?!


In the end Anthony came in about a minute before Jorpo but it all comes down to the overall time, since Jorpo had to do all his own tansitions. And the winner is......


Team JAC! They came in with an overall time of 1:09:58.4 Congrats!!! Jordan's overall time was 1:12:24.5, just 3:26.9 behind his competitors. And he did all three legs of the race himself!!! Good work Jorpo, you almost had them.