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Thursday, 20 May 2021 00:10

By Cathy Yndestad (instagram)

After a long racing hiatus, I wasn’t sure if this was still my jam. I’ve found great joy from spontaneous sporty adventures this past year (among other things), and was having some internal conflict whether focused training/racing was still for me.

I had a ‘free’ entry to this event from a 2020 Coeur D’Alene deferral, so figured it would be a perfect opportunity to test my love for racing while gaining valuable course insights for my athletes and friends racing the World Championships here in September.

It was indeed satisfying to get back to structured triathlon training after ski season. Well, despite the ~10day break after testing positive for C19 early March. Needless to say, I’m extremely grateful for my health and never take this for...

granted. Although I’m well aware there are NEVER any guarantees, I try to make choices which prioritize my durability and long-term health. Being able to fight this virus (and other ailments) is definitely worth so much.

With that said, I’m proud of my race on Saturday. I LOVE the honest racing that comes from brutally challenging courses (definitely less illegal drafting with 3500ft of climbing on the bike) and happy to have finished as 40-44 North American Champion**. I learned a few things and have identified plenty of opportunities to refine and get faster this summer. So YES, the racing LOVE is still there and I plan to be back in St. George for the World Championships. Here’s hoping for a much more international field come September, because nobody wants an asterisk with their medal, and most importantly, I think we’re all ready for post-pandemic travel life.

** can’t really call this a NA Championship since most Canadian residents are staying far away from the border these days. Praying we can all play together soon!