2023 Wasaga Triathlon Race Report

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Last Updated on April 13, 2024 by Cory Kawa

With an epic swim through the pounding waves of Georgian Bay, the 2023 edition of the MultiSport Canada Wasaga triathlon was a race to remember.

Fresh off my first podium finish at KTown, I drove into Wasaga, hopeful for a repeat performance and blissfully unaware of the treacherous swim I had in store.

Read on for my review/race report of the 2023 edition of the MultiSport Canada Olympic Triathlon.

Welcome to Wasaga
Arriving in Transition in the Pounding Rain

Why Race Wasaga

🌊 The swim in Georgian Bay was both challenging and fun.

πŸ–οΈ The town was into it, offering great support on the run course.

πŸ›Œ It was a later start. I actually got to sleep in.

πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦ Spectator-friendly two-lap run course, with lots of things to keep friends and family occupied on the strip.

The downside:

πŸ…ΏοΈ – At $35, parking in a municipal lot was not cheap. That said, I didn’t notice later that a motel a bit further down the road appeared to be offering parking for only $5.

Georgian Bay Swim – 10/21 – 32:24 – 2:14/1,500m

The swim was initially designed as a single loop into Georgian Bay. However, with the crazy weather and pounding waves, MSC wisely adjusted the course to a much safer, two-lap loop, keeping us much closer to shore.

I’ll try to keep the experience as simple as possible. I consider myself a decent swimmer. Over the years, I’ve swam in all sorts of different conditions. As I stood on the beach looking out to Georgian Bay, watching the waves, I was excited for the challenge ahead.

At the sound of the horn, I ran into the shallow waters of Wasaga Beach as the waves pounded in. About a hundred meters in, as the water reached my waist, I dove into a never-ending torrent of waves, desperately trying to time my breath to the swell and failing every time. The more I tried to time my breaths, the worse off I was. It was awful, and I still had about two hundred meters to go to the first turn.

Mere minutes that felt like hours later, I made the first turn, found my breath as I swam along the waves, regained my confidence, easily rode the waves back to shore to finish the first lap, then rinse and repeat for lap two.

Swim Notes:

😱 That initial loop was hell.

🌊 There’s a big difference between swimming in the surf and racing in the surf.

πŸ” Lap two felt much easier. Confidence truly is a difference-maker.

πŸ”­ I didn’t plan my landmarks in advance, wasting precious time on the first loop.

πŸ–οΈ A pre-swim in Wasaga is key. Not just for the conditions but also to plan for the long run out.

The Top Male 45-49 Swim Times are David Greenfield (27:06), Freddy Amaya (27:31), Michael Telpner (27:39), Walter de Wet (27:51), and Ivo Ziedins (28:51).

The Shortened Double Lap Swim Course at MSC Wasaga 2023
Running in for the Start of the MSC 2023 Wasaga Triathlon
MSC Wasaga 2023 – Pounding Waves That Felt Much Worse Than They Looked

40km Bike – 6/21- 1:10:52 – 200w / 205w NP

Pedalling Back into Wasaga

MSC Wasaga was offered an excellent bike course. The roads were great, and the police did a fantastic job. The only gripe was the final few kilometres along River Street, where I had to fight for position while navigating traffic.

⛰️ Averaged 202w for 31.2km/h on the false flat out, followed by 198w for 37.8km/h on the return.

πŸ›£οΈ My power dropped by 20w as I navigated traffic on the final stretch back to transition.

πŸ₯… The goal was 210w and a cadence greater than 80, hoping for a sub 1:10. I finished just short at 200w and 78 cadence, coming in at 200w and 78 cadence.

Top Male 45-49 Bike Times: Walter de Wet (1:04:07), Michael Telpner (1:04:15), Norman Ho (1:07:44), Mark Rattenbury (1:09:16), Ivo Ziedens (1:10:34).

2023 Wasaga Bike Course – Elevation Overlay

3/21 – 45:40 – 4:27/km / 10.3km

Another MSC Race, another course that ran slightly long.

πŸ”₯ It was a hot and humid run.

πŸ—ΊοΈ A spectator-friendly, fast and flat, two-lap run course.

⏩ I went out fast, then settled in nicely at a strong 4:30 pace.

🚿 Thank you to the kids, with their hose, on Shore Lane for keeping me cool as I ran by.

The Top Male 45-49 Run Times: Walter de Wet (40:47), David Greenfield (45:19), Cory Kawa (45:40), Mark Rattenbury (47:30), and Nathan Wright (47:31).

Starting the Second Loop at the 2023 Wasaga Triathlon
2023 Wasaga Run Course – Pace Overlay

Transition – 5:46 (T1 4:10, T2 1:36)

T1 is still a work in progress:

🚻 Another bathroom break in T1.

🧦 Struggled to get my wet socks on.

πŸ’ͺ Failed to calibrate my power meter pre-race.

🍌 Struggled to get my gels in my pocket during T1.

My T2 was perfection:

⬆️ I had my shoes facing the right way.

βœ… My laces were loosened so I could easily get my shoes on.

The Result – 4/21 – 2:34:42

I came in with dreams of a podium and finished fourth. Looking at the times below, even if I shaved off a few minutes in T1, third place was probably going to be out of reach today.

Top Male 45-49 Finishing Times: Water de Wet (2:15:29), Michael Telpner (2:22:20), David Greenfield (2:29:46), Cory Kawa (2:34:42), Mark Rattenbury (2:38:37).

Thanks for reading,

Cory

Celebrating a Fourth Place AG Finish at MSC Wasaga 2023

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