Leslie Sanderson’s 7 seconds
Age grouper Leslie Sanderson from Ottawa was the second fastest age grouper at Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant – by 7 seconds. Now where were those 7 seconds lost? Unlike fellow Canuck Andrew Armstrong who won his age group title in transition, Leslie needed 44 more seconds in transition compared to the overall age group champion. We checked in with this fast 46-year old.
Slowtwitch: Hi there Leslie.
Leslie Sanderson: Hi Herbert! It's an honor to get an opportunity to chat with you. I enjoy reading the age group series on slowtwitch.
ST: Congrats on the nice age group win in Mont Tremblant.
Leslie: Thank you. Tremblant 70.3 was a very well organized event and a great venue. It was a lot of fun. The beer and the poutine at the finish were nice touches.
ST: Could you explain poutine to those not living in Canada, and how much of it and the beer did you enjoy post race?
Leslie: Ah, poutine! The most common variety of poutine is french fries covered in gravy and topped with salty cheese curds. I'm certain it's gluten and sugar-free! I didn't have any poutine, but I did have a few beers post-race. I'll have to make a point of having some poutine after the Ironman.
ST: Even without said poutine, were you pleased with your race effort there?
Leslie: I was very pleased with my effort. Navigating through the prior waves of athletes on swim was a bit chaotic, as is often the case with wave starts. I was fairly conservative on the bike and had a minor mechanical issue that took a minute or two to fix. I was quite relieved that I was able to run well because two weeks prior at Eagleman, I had no response from my legs on the run, which was disappointing since I was having a good day up to that point.
ST: In the end you were just 7 seconds behind the overall age group champion.
Leslie: Yes, 7 seconds…one of the disadvantages of a wave start is that you don't know where you stand in terms of the entire field. There was no doubt a few places in the race in which I could have picked up some time. Lots of things to work on!
ST: Did you even think that the overall age group honors would be within reach?
Leslie: I have been at or near the top of the women's amateur field a number of times, but it wasn't something that crossed my mind during this race. After a number of difficulties with injuries, I was just very happy to be racing well and having fun. I do tend to have better days when I focus on my race and not worry about things I can't control. Plus, I am racing as a 46 year old…
ST: Did you look closer at the numbers from the race?
Leslie: I race completely by perceived effort, so the swim and bike are partial efforts with the run being as hard as I can go on the day. Don't worry Slowtwitchers, I do use a Computrainer throughout the year. One big difference for me is the fit of my new P3, thank you Cervelo and Cyclelogik. I'm small so it has made a big difference to me to get on a bike that fits without sacrificing speed and comfort.
ST: Even though you biked, ran and swam faster, her total time was 7 seconds quicker, thanks to 44 seconds saved in transitions.
Leslie: I thought I was moving pretty quickly in transition, but I don't do many short course races and never really practice transitions. I liked the red carpet.
ST: Are you telling us that the red carpet was so nice you decided to relax on it for a few seconds?
Leslie: Ha ha, no, but the red carpet was much nicer than the pavement.
ST: Do you know her personally? She is also from Ottawa I believe,
Leslie: I do know Juliane from Ottawa. We train together occasionally at the Zone3Sports running/track sessions. She has a bright future ahead of her.
ST: Was 2010 the last year going to Kona?
Leslie: Yes, 2010 was the last time I raced in Kona, although I was there last year to support my spouse – Mike Giles. There were more than a few moments that I wished that I was racing, but I also enjoyed Kona from a different angle.
ST: Did you get a few workouts in while Mike was racing, or did you focus on supporting and saving energy for later day?
Leslie: Spectating at any Ironman is a long, hard day, particularly at Kona, so I saved my energy and was in full support mode. Mike has been a great iron-sherpa for me so it was my turn to help him. I should also add that I very much appreciate how much energy and support the volunteers and the spectators at Tremblant gave to the athletes in the race.
ST: After that 2010 Kona, did you do mostly do shorter stuff for a couple of years?
Leslie: I raced at Rev 3 Quassy the last two years and a few races locally, but unfortunately I struggled with some injuries and other health issues that put a damper on my seasons. I think I have sorted out those issues and looking forward to enjoying training and the rest of the 2013 season.
ST: But you wicked it up this year with entries at Eagleman and Mont Tremblant.
Leslie: I raced at the end of March in Clermont and was a solid 4th overall and first Master. Mont Tremblant was on my schedule early on, and I decided to do Eagleman in an effort to qualify for Kona. Unfortunately, kidney stone surgery towards the end of May threw a curve ball into my plans. I decided to give it a try since I was entered, but my legs weren't there on the run.
ST: What is next?
Leslie: My focus is on Ironman Mont Tremblant, which is in mid-August, so I am going to recover and get into a solid training block for next several weeks. I hope to do some local races to sharpen up for Tremblant, and then we'll see what happens. I know in 2014 I will try to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships at Tremblant. I better work on my transitions…
ST: First things first though. Still trying to get that 2013 Kona spot?
Leslie: It would be very nice to qualify for Kona at Tremblant.
ST: What do you do?
Leslie: By profession, I am a labor lawyer. Currently, I work for a union representing employees who work for the Canadian federal public service.
ST: How much time do you spend training?
Leslie: It varies depending on the time of year and work obligations, but about 10-16 hours per week with volume bumps when the good weather arrives.
ST: Do you have a coach?
Leslie: I have a couple of coaches. I am coached primarily by Greg Kealey of the Bytown Storm Triathlon Club in Ottawa. Greg is currently coaching some of my younger teammates who are representing Canada at the PATCO race in Brazil. My swim coach is John Hawes at Ravens of Carleton swimming. John is a two-time Olympian and currently the head coach of the Canadian Modern Pentathlon team. I have also benefited from swimming with the juniors under the guidance of Sharon Donnelly – Canadian Olympian in triathlon. I also have a lot of fantastic people to train with in Ottawa, the most important of which is my spouse, who talked me into doing triathlons.
ST: Anything else we should know?
Leslie: I went to the University of Arkansas many years ago. I have 4 dogs of varying pedigree and a cat. I am a big Ottawa Senators fan – Go Sens! Slowtwitchers should know that Ottawa is a great place to live and train. We are lucky to have access to excellent venues to swim, bike and run. Every year a number of athletes represent Ottawa in Kona and other championship races around the world. We also benefit from having great community facilities and resources available to us, including TriRudy.com, and of course Ottawa is the home of Sportstats.
