Muskoka or Calgary 70.3?

Hi,

I’m not a regular poster, but am a regular reader. I’ve got a question for those who’ve got experience with these courses as I’m trying to make a decision. Calgary or Muskoka 70.3?

Goals: personal best race and possibly WC spot.
Strength: run - I can confidently run sub 1:30 off the bike in a HIM but thinking I might be closer to 1:25 this year. I’m a consistent sub 3 marathon runner.
Bike: I’m working on it; been using a power meter for my indoor training this year and have been seeing an improvement with the limited outdoor riding I’ve been able to do so far. Best bike split for a 70.3 - 2:38
Swim: I suck. Hopefully I can get out of the water in 37 - 38 minutes.

Anyway, wondering which course would play most to my strengths, which one you like the most, and which one might give me my best shot for a possible WC spot.

Thanks for your help

Seeing as you’re looking to possible get a WC spot, I’d suggest racing to your strength and minimizing your weaknesses.

Firstly, swimming is swimming at both locations. Both races are in fresh water, and both likely wetsuit swims. Since your swim is sucky (to quote you not me!), it doesn’t make a difference which race you enter, it’s gonna be sucky at either. The freshwater swims aren’t usually effected by adverse weather such as high winds, etc., so again, either venue doesn’t make a difference. If anything, maybe look at the swim course layout for each. The Calgary swim can be in shallow water as the level can drop in the summer months and can be a bit tighter due to the size of the lake and an irregular layout. The Muskoka swim course is more open as there’s lots more room so lesser chance of congestion, and the course has a more straight forward layout. In saying that, I don’t know if either event this year are doing rolling, wave, or mass starts.

Secondly, your strong suit is running. Calgary is pretty much flat around the lake, Muskoka is hilly. Pick your poison; are you a fast and flat runner, or a strength and hill runner. The run is likely where you’ll make up the most ground so figure out which plays to your strength more.

Thirdly, the bike is where you’ll make or break your race. You appear to have some steady times and training in the bag, so your choice of course will play a big factor. Calgary is a more steady, with a long and gradual climb to the highest point on the course which is at the midway mark, then a long gradual downhill to T2. Muskoka is the queen of tough bike courses, lots of ups and downs. It can be a leg destroyer if you’re not a strong biker. The elevation gain for Calgary is in the region of 600 m, Muskoka is 1265 m, it’s definitely a strong riders race.

So in the end, I think for your goals Calgary is the better choice. The Muskoka run will knock the wind out of the strong bikers, so you stand a good chance of making up lost ground there, but the bike will likely take the wind out of your run ability. I think the Calgary bike course is more in line with you as a biker, leaving you with better legs for a fast run. Calgary is not as scenic as Muskoka but who looks at that during a race! And in the end, both venues will have ample lifeguards so there’s no fear of sinking at either venue.

Good luck with whichever one you pick!

which one might give me my best shot for a possible WC spot.

Calgary. Same number of slots, 600 fewer participants.

Swim course in Calgary will be a bit short this year, that’s less time you lose to your competition
.