Flanked by a large crowd of fellow triathletes, Captains Joel Maley and Claire De Repentigny, from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS) in Edmonton, Alta., lined up to race in the 2010 Great White North Triathlon in Stony Plain, Alta., on July 4. This race is considered a half-Ironman distance – 1.9 kilometre swim, 90 km cycle and a 21.1 km run.
Capt De Repentigny, the 408 THS assistant operations officer, has raced across Canada in long distance running as well as in triathlons. Reflecting back on the Great White North Triathlon this 48 year-old jokingly shared, “After 90 kilometres on the bike, these legs don’t really want to go.” But rest assured Capt De Repentigny is already preparing for future races.
Capt Maley has been running and participating in duathlons for over three years, and has been competing in triathlons for two years now. When asked about what it takes to complete a triathlon he said, “It’s not hard. You just train lots.”
As a matter of fact, Capt Maley spends anywhere from 14 to 18 hours per week training. That is usually broken down into swimming and cycling three to four times per week and running five to six times per week.
The husband and father of two young children receives a lot of support from his wife Claudia. “It becomes a part of what you do. It’s more than just racing, it’s a whole social culture,” said Capt Maley. “Most of my leave is planned around races. My wife is very supportive of what I do and we try to make vacations around a lot of the races.”
Capt Maley has already participated in two triathlons this year, has his “A” race planned in late August in Penticton, B.C., and has qualified for the Half-Ironman World Championships in Clearwater, Florida, this November.
