June 26, 2008

Linsey Corbin wins New Balance Half Ironman

Linsey Corbin won the New Balance Half Ironman in Victoria, Canada June 22. Here is the race report in her own words.

Congratulations Linsey!

Victoria is like Disneyland for triathletes… it has everything! I was treated to a great week on the island with swimming in Elk and Thetis lakes, cycling around town, and exploring some awesome running trails. This was the third event of the Subaru West Coast triathlon series that I have attended and race director John Bothelo has it dialed in. Besides putting on a great event, I had a great homestay with Steve Young and Vanessa Keeler. I got two great massages from Gibson Brown. I also got a brand new Subaru to drive around for the week. Lucky me!





To be honest, I wasn’t my usual self in that I wasn’t anticipating race day with much excitement. I wasn’t convinced my body was ready for a hard effort after racing Kansas 70.3 only a week earlier. Two half-ironman events back to back, could I do it?!

Once the cannon went off, I was fired up! Afew strokes into the swim,a sense of relief overcame me to be racing a no-pressure and “have-fun” event. I was quickly reminded of my amateur racing days competing alongside so many amateur athletes. The New Balance Half is very much a grassroots triathlon event where the entire Canadian triathlon community comes out to participate. It was great to be passing and cheering on athletes all day long. Racing yesterday was a good reminder of why I started to race and how much fun there is to be had. A big thank you to the triathlon community for making me feel right at home!





I exited the water with a stellar swim time of 28 minutes. Thank you, Xterra Wetsuits. Coach Lance has been telling me about all this “fitness” I was going to gain from all the racing I have been doing. I didn’t believe him until yesterday! Thanks, Lance! My legs finally felt strong on the bike and I was able to put forth a solid effort coming off the bike with a 20 minute lead. Thank you, Scott Bikes, Zipp Wheels, and FSA. The run course was great, taking us around Elk Lake twice on a great tree- lined path. Thank you Saucony for keeping me running fast and dressed to impress! The volunteers, aid stations, and crowd support were amazing. It was great to cross the line in first place with a stellar time of 4 hours, 21 minutes! Finally, thanks to Clif Bar and Base Performance for keeping me fueled and hydrated.

Two more big races to go: Lake Stevens 70.3 and Vineman 70.3; then my focus will be all about Kona!

Here’s to a good week!

Linsey Corbin