Train the Terrain for the Ironman

The Muskoka Ironman 70.3 rolls into town this September. And next September. And probably the one after that. Huntsville has hosted the World Triathlon Championship, and every year hosts the Muskoka Triathlon, so they've got a lot of experience at running these events.

The Ironman 70.3 is a bit different. It is a qualifying race for the full Ironman -- a feat that some would consider cruel and unusual punishment, but those participating might disagree. Several of our guests over the years have completed successfully at the IRONMAN -- Jeff completed without the use of one arm. Paul spent his vacation here training, and he would join us (briefly) on the Island swim. We swam BACK from the Island, 1.6 km away. Paul swam out to and around it. He still beat us home.

If you're participating in these events, it can help to train on the terrain. Muskoka is not flat land. Thanks to the Canadian Shield, we offer great hills along with great vistas.

There are several training camps for the Muskoka Ironman 70.3 in the area this summer, and it is getting very common to spot these cyclists pedaling the roads. The route will take the cyclists all the way around the Lake of Bays.

The smaller resorts in the area, including Bondi, offer great facilities for these training venues, particularly in the last few weeks leading up to the competition.
Once the competition starts, athletes naturally want to be as close to the main venue as possible so they're not wasting energy getting to and fro, but if you're looking to put the last bit of polish on your training program, housekeeping resorts offer a quiet, relaxed base, where you are in complete control of your diet and your training, and you can step out the door and be on the cycling route, hop in the lake to log some miles, and run along roads that are not heavily trafficked.

If you want to train the terrain and drop your stress levels all at the same time, we recommend considering the smaller resorts around Lake of Bays. Like us...

And for the rest of us, those who have no ambition to participate in such an athletic endeavor, just a reminder to share the road. As the event draws closer, we're going to be seeing a lot of athletes out there training. Cyclists, especially those training hard, may be 'zoned' a little bit... and their road bikes don't do well on the gravel of the shoulders, so pull over a little, slow down a little... there's room enough and time enough for all of us out there!