About racing with other female athletes

By Jessy Deroneth

I raced my first Wasaga race this past weekend. Not only I finished top female but also top in my age category with a PB.

As much as I am very happy with my results, I wanted to share about sportsmanship between the females I have met through MultiSport Canada races.

I experience such every race but I wanted to use this past race in Wasaga to demonstrate.

We are at the Duathlon start line. The pros (including Andrea Smith who takes first spot) and the men are gone with the first wave and the remainder of AG female are all in the second wave.

I have raced with Nicole Rodaro and Tori Jones enough to know that Tori Jones could easily beat me on the bike and Nicole took me on the run several times before. Storie Serres was right behind me at Gravenhurst so she could easily take the lead as well. We all look at each other trying to figure out who will take the lead for 2nd place. 

And off we go. Well off Nicole goes. Both Tori and I looked at her in dismay of her strength. Tori and I ran together for a very short time but within a kilometer or so, I started to take on Nicole. And soon enough I realize that I could pass her… the question is always for how long? I kept going but I start to realize that I am leading the female race.

At some point on the course, there is a big arrow pointing left.

The only problem with being the lead is that you are suppose to know where you are going. My boyfriend MADE me revisit the run course before I left for Wasaga. I swear. And yet, here I am, puzzled because I don’t remember anything I read a few days ago. And with the men and the pros long gone, I could not see anyone ahead of me to know whether or not to go straight or to turn. So I turn.

It takes me about 100m into that street to realize that was a no go. So I come back only to see the disappointment  in Nicole’s face and a few other male athlete (one who approached me later to confirm) to see that I wasted time on a turn.

For some reason, my legs are cooperating with me and I am despite my extra 200m, I am still leading.

But there is this turn again.  Here goes the magic of triathlon community: on the way back there was the turn again and  I guess one female realize I was doubting myself again… (ok, I was probably shaking my hands up in the air at this point).

“RIGHT!!!” one yells.

“THEN LEFT!!!” 

“THEN LEFT AGAIN!!!”

“GO HOME!!!” (jokingly, of course)

To which I answer at that point: NOT YET! and started laughing to myself. 

As I approach T1, another past racer in the audience looks at me straight in the eyes: she is coaching and cheering me. I have yet to officially met her and yet I met her eyes again close to the finish line as she claps and cheers me on (I forgot her name).

As much as I am very happy with my results, and it is a very individual sport, I am working with a team of women. They are strong and fierce and don’t get me wrong, they will take me on and make my race worthwhile on the course. But we are all in this together and we support each other.

I don’t think I’ve ever had an MSC race where I wasn’t so inspired by all the women.

And this is one of the reason why I du it.