TTL Bulletin - Maia Wins 70.3 Oregon!

Maia Wins Ironman 70.3 Oregon!

Following her previous win on home soil in May at Ironman 70.3 Victoria, BC, Maia Watson took her speed to the states and raced 70.3, Salem Oregon. This is a fast race, consisting of a downriver swim, and a relatively flat bike and run course. Winning this race requires athletes to maintain maximum effort throughout the entire race, pushing themselves to the limit from start to finish, and that’s exactly what Maia did.

While Maia exited the swim a bit behind the leader in 13th place, she demonstrated the calm confidence of a professional heading out on the bike course. From there, she built her speed mile after mile, not only surging through the field, but soaring on the asphalt averaging a speed of almost 24 mph! Her powerful performance on the bike set her up for success, but she wasn't done yet. Maia then posted the fastest run split of the day, completing the half marathon in an astonishing 1:26, ultimately crossing the finish line to claim her second victory tape!

"I was expecting to hit the wall at 15k (as I’ve done the past 2 Half’s) but somehow everything clicked and I managed to keep it consistent until the end. I surprised myself with a half marathon PR and finished in 4:12:51!"

Speed like that does not come without intense training and preparations. We are so stoked to see Maia’s efforts translate into success and believe it’s only a matter of time before she joins the professional ranks. Congratulations, Maia, on an incredible performance! You can follow Maia on Instagram @maia.watson

Eric Raced High Cascade 100!

​​This past weekend, Eric raced the High Cascade 100 mile mountain bike race in Bend, Oregon! This was Eric’s second time tackling this long off-road race following his debut last year where he finished in 4th. While race directors cut the route to 90 miles due to the extreme weather that’s been cooking the Pacific Northwest this Summer, Eric was ready to beat the heat.

With Paula in his crew and his SRAM dialed, it was time to send it. This is a popular race in the Oregon MTB scene, and was completely sold out, but thankfully Eric was able to snag an entry spot.

“Special thanks to @squirtcyclingproducts for getting me on the start line at High Cascades 100 this year. Fitness is decent, stoke is high, and @paula_findlay is going to have ice cold beverages for me at aid stations👌”

This type of racing demands a full-body engagement to maneuver the bike, maintain balance, and stay upright… Basically, these events are a fusion of cycling races and obstacle courses, located in the woods and loads of fun! Perfect for adrenaline junkies who are seeking something different from the aerodynamic demands of road cycling.

Eric absolutely crushed it, finishing again in 4th place as a triathlete competing in a field of professional off road cyclists! This course was far from an easy stroll. With almost 8,000 ft (2438m) of elevation gain and a meandering route that resembled a maze, the course required riders to be fully dialed in.

Contrary to road races that emphasize sustained efforts, MTB races involve more varied and intense physical exertion. The terrain consists of loose gravel, mud, tree roots, and rocks, requiring riders to navigate through technical sections and steep climbs with frequent changes in effort. Throw in some extreme heat and you have the High Cascades 100 MTB race!

“Here's why I’m doing it: Dealing with fueling, equipment choice, coordinating aid stations, managing the summer heat, it gets my brain and imagination firing in the same way as when I first started triathlon, first started draft-legal, first started 70.3. Been on the multisport journey since 2001 and this feels like a part of it that needs investigation :)”

Way to send it beyond your comfort zone, Eric! What does training for an event like this entail? Check out the most recent YT show to get a peak of some of Eric's preparation!

PODCAST 🎙️

Last week on the Pod, We Discussed:

🛏️ Shred or Bed?

🏃Running by feel vs running with a watch

🤔 Are carbon cycling shoes worth it?

🏅 What our recovery process looks like following a 70.3

🥵 Cooling down after hot runs

⛰️ The ethics and legality of e-bikes on mountain bike trails

💕 Balancing relationships in and out of triathlon

Shred 'til Bed 2: The Countdown is On!⏰

The wait is over - STB2 is ready! Launching NEXT TUESDAY! You can check our instagram for the latest updates and teasers, and peep the website for the official countdown timer.er

Last StB drop, we had more firey colors. This time, we’ll have the same print but with a cooler color palette originally presented to Nick by @dannydrawls. We’re stoked to be bringing it to life here in Bend, hand-screened by Jordy from @dazeprinting on the best paper, with Eco-friendly inks.

Jordy is a legend and we’re so pumped to be teaming up with him on this drop. Like last time, we’ll also have shirts, and while we did manage to make more of both shirts and posters (150), this is a limited run, and we still expect they’ll go fast 💨

Book Rec!

The Obstacle is the Way

by Ryan Holiday

A DNF, a missed BQ, chronic stress fractures: These can be near catastrophic experiences for dedicated endurance athletes, but they are practically inevitable occurrences in even the longest, most successful careers. More often than not, the factors that elicit these scenarios are far out of our control and simply unpredictable. Blunders happen, but at the end of the day one race, result, or injury, does not matter. What truly matters is how we respond to these challenges, as our reactions can significantly influence our success in not only future races, but our future well being. By adopting a resilient mindset and learning from each experience, we can turn these setbacks into opportunities for growth and improvement… Yes, this is MUCH easier said than done. However, there are some resources out there that can nudge you in the right direction. 

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday explores how setbacks and challenges are not impediments, but opportunities for growth and success. Through a lens of philosophical Stoicism, Holiday proposes that willingly changing our perception of obstacles and adopting a mindset of resilience can transform adversity into advantage. The author presents this process of equating obstacles to opportunity through three disciplines of Stoicism: Perception, action, and will. A common misconception with stoicism is that it devalues over emotion in favor of reason. In reality, Stoics value overcoming self-destructive emotions by replacing them with positive ones - defeat with resilience, anger with ease, frustration with motivation. Throughout the book, Holiday instructs the process of shifting a mindset from ‘how do we reduce adversity and obstacles in our life’ to ‘how can we take advantage and bounce back stronger from the inevitable adversities we encounter’. 

Triathlon is a challenging sport, but the mental obstacles presented often surpass the physical ones. Definitely check out this book if you often get stuck in a self-destructive cycle of emotion when faced with triathlon related adversity!