MT-TREMBLANT 70.3 -The Crowd That Carried Me
“Unfinished business, but something changed out there.”
This one felt different from the start.
The week leading in wasn’t ideal , I was sick, sleep was off, and I was a bit all over the place mentally. But honestly, that’s not the story I want to tell. Because since qualifying for Marbella back in Oceanside, the plan has shifted. The goals slightly changed. It wasn’t about chasing a sharp 70.3 result for positions anymore. It was about making another deposit toward something bigger , a full Ironman prep and building the kind of maturity and durability I haven’t yet fully earned in this sport.
This race delivered exactly what I needed: a hard, relentless day, one that required staying in it not for glory, not for splits, but for grit.
The Race
The swim felt pretty off — side stitch early, had to do a bit of backstroke just to breathe properly. I stayed calm though, didn’t panic, and still came out in a good position. Right near the front group. But not without a cost: both calves cramped about 500m from shore. Not ideal. Still my fastest swim here at 29min
T1 was sharp. Clean and quick. The work I’ve put into transitions showed. Only hiccup was hopping on the bike a second too early = a 30-second penalty. My fault I 100% assume the mistake.
The bike was a strange mix of tactical and survival. I had good packs to work with out of the gate, which helped. But about halfway through, both quads started cramping. Standing up wasn’t an option , they’d seize , so I stayed seated and just kept fueling, drinking, staying aero. My hydration and sodium were solid (3.5L, 3000mg sodium, ~115g carbs/hour), but it wasn’t enough for the 98% humidity. That weather hit hard than pure heat. Another PB for tremblant, but not my highest power numbers on a 70.3, quite the contrary.
T2 was again fast and dialed , no mistakes.
The run was where I had to dig the deepest. From the first steps, I felt flat. Legs cramping every minute, side stitch that never left. I was legitimately thirsty the whole time , and that’s not common for me. My fueling was there, but I had to force it. Still, I got better near the end. Oddly, the final 5K felt smoother , like something clicked. Most likely the Ironman legs showed up haha. Slowest half marathon in a year but still a tremblant run PB at 1:49
…But here's my true TOP 3 moments of the weekend
VI
My partner VI raced the Olympic triathlon the day before — her first ever — on a course that is quite honest. Watching her go all-in, completely immersed in the moment, her smile overtime I saw her, reminded me why we do this. I fed off on her energy, because she set the tone.
VI
My partner VI raced the Olympic triathlon the day before — her first ever — on a course that is quite honest. Watching her go all-in, completely immersed in the moment, her smile overtime I saw her, reminded me why we do this. I fed off on her energy, because she set the tone..
The crowd.
I’ve never been someone who races for the crowd. I hear cheers, I appreciate them, but I’ve never been fueled by them. Until this race. I was ready to DNF so many times, Felt nothing in the tank. But the people in Tremblant? They were next level. For the first time in my life, I truly understood why elite athletes thank the fans. Their energy moved something. I finally truly understood why these pro thank the fans.
*photo by @xavbarf
The community
So many friends, familiar faces, athletes I coach — I don’t think I’ve ever shared a course with that many people I care about. It was almost overwhelming in the best way. Usually I’m out of the finish zone within 15 minutes. Not this time. I stayed for 3 hours, cheering, soaking it in, making new connections. The kind of day that reminds you it’s bigger than the clock.
This was my third 70.3 of the year, and maybe the one that gave me the most in terms of perspective. One I’ll remember for what it taught me: that discomfort doesn’t have to mean defeat. That racing isn’t always about chasing a number — sometimes it’s about proving you can keep going when every part of you wants to stop.
I leave Mont-Tremblant with a bit of unfinished business. Not quite sure if I’ll make this a yearly race like I tough I would …or take a break on this one next season. But Ill be back that’s a promise
And now… well…I’m more fired up and cleaned minded for my Ironman than ever, all eyes on PLACID
