Mike Vine's Uller Report

Hi all, thought i'd send a report from the 7th Annual Uller's Winter triathlon. Staged on the slopes of Apex Alpine near Penticton, this event( and ski resort too) is a neat one - a hidden gem full of winter fun.

Conditions at Ullers are consistently ideal for racing-including this years with a cloudless, windless day and brisk sunshine. With no new snow in almost a week, the course was primed for record times.

Starting with a 12 km mtb, the course ascends 800'
along the snow and ice covered service road to the Nickel Plate nordic lodge - canada's highest xc ski area - at 6200', then continues w/ a 10 km skate ski which although not overly hilly, is all cornering; your'e either going left or right. the final snowshoe leg is 8km over a narrow track climbing through the woods then finishing the last mile with an 800' drop barrelling down a wide open groomed dh ski run. the snowshoe is pure fitness - a mix of power, cardio, and a bit of balance slogging through the snow. but mainly it comes down to the size of the motor... esp at 6000+ altitude!

In the past i've always been strong on the ride and the run, however my doors would be blown off on the technical ski. This year I came much better prepared with a solid 11 days of hard skiing over the last month to bolster my weakest leg. On race day it showed - after riding in 2nd off the opening mtb leg behind Ironman Canada champ Tom Evans, i pulled out the 2nd fastest skate ski, only 30 seconds off Tom's fastest... a substantial gain over last year when i lost 4+ min to the ace skiiers.

Once on the snowshoe I found my newfound ski form had carried over, leaving me fresher to run. It took 4 km to bridge the gap on Evans and once I moved into the lead the gap quickly grew. By the finish I was 3 min ahead and had set a new course record in 1 hr 33 min, which is a 13 min improvement over my last year's time.

Then, to further add to the turn of events this year at Ullers', my girlfriend Ann also won and set the women's course record.

Post race awards included complimentary tubing at the tube park, ice skating at the 1 km adventure loop, and buffet dinner and pints at the Gunbarrel Saloon. good times!
for now,
Vinezy
mikevine.athletesjournal.com