The Snow Pentathlon interests you, but you’ve never done one; you’re not sure what to expect, and you wonder how to manage it? Understand that race management begins long before the day of the event. First, immediately after registering, you should set yourself specific and realistic goals. “As a beginner, it is best not to enroll in the longer distances, but rather in the shorter ones,” advises Jean-Charles Ouellet, founder of the Snow Pentathlon.
In a multisport event, the key to success is partly based upon the transitions, where to leave the equipment for the discipline just completed and pick up the one for the next discipline. Transitions can cause participants to lose an incredible amount of time. “Moreover, triathletes often say that the transitions are the fourth sport in the triathlon” jokes Marc-André Bédard, winner of the men’s long distance challenge last year. However, in the case of the Snow Pentathlon, there are four transitions.
Transition zone
The key element: before the start of the race, properly prepare your equipment for each of the disciplines. In the transition zone, each participant has his own space. “We give them a chair where they put on their equipment. They each have a specific space and they know where they are going “explains Mr. Ouellet. However, the participants cannot have the help of another person in the transition zone, “except for people with mild disabilities and participants in the School category.”
Therefore before the race starts, you have to plan every detail that could help save a few seconds: open your skates, so they are ready to be put on, remove the straps on the skis, untie the snowshoes, don’t leave your bike helmet too far away after the first transition, because you will have to wear it again when it is time to skate. In short, you learn through experience. Speaking of first experiences, the Snow Pentathlon’s CEO François Calletta said laughing, “It’s sure that at some point during the day something will happen and you’ll say, ‘Oh darn, I hadn’t thought of that!” Transitions also help you to refuel, get a sip of water, a gel pack, another sip and then start again!”
However, the difficulty with transitions is not limited to the changing of equipment. There is also the fact that you are changing sport. “We must change the muscle group. Cardiovascular effort is truly different from one sport to the next. For example, the first turns around the rink are really difficult!” Mr. Bédard points out. A good strategy might be to take a pace that is convenient for you and not go too hard at the beginning. Another might be to take the greatest possible advantage of the disciplines in which you are most comfortable.” Many people are very strong when it comes to biking and will start extremely fast to get the maximum advance in this discipline because they know they will be slower in other disciplines,” says Claude Godbout, winner of the women’s long distance challenge in 2013.
As in any competition of this kind, training as a group can help many to push themselves beyond their limits. What should you do if, during the event, you “hit a wall”? “In such a situation, we advise people to continue on, keeping their goal in mind and to not give up”, replies Francis Lefebvre, consultant for MEC and head of the training program for the Québec store. “You must above all not try to push even harder, since you are already struggling to finish the race. You simply have to continue and do your best under the circumstances.”
For above all, there is the pleasure of doing a sport and enjoying the winter. “When it’s your first experience, don’t set too many expectations”, advises Mr. Cappella. “Come and have fun and experience something that you have never lived before.” And it seems that we get hooked quickly!