This year I was searching for a worthy challenge and good morale builder before my major race in Switzerland. I didn't make a successful run in our trial trophy shallonge at Sulphur Springs. It isn't easy to find triathlon opponents in my age category (definitely this group is to fast for me
). I discovered that Joe is racing again at Guelph, so i thought that I will try to race Joe again this year. If I am not able to beat Joe I will have to search for opponents in the 60+ age group 
Don't get me wrong here - I am not a match for Joe. He is accomplished athlete with 30+ years of racing. I can't beat Joe on the run despite age difference. Earlier this year he has completed a Winter time 100 miler just one week before Chilly Half at which he did 1:39:09 against my 1:45:40 and this is just one of many examples.
For the whole Winter and Spring I was running with Joe once a week from the Neworld running store in Burlington which Joe manages; for the group (including Joe) it was easy run but I was executing my tempo pace on those runs. While my speed didn't improve my endurance with addition of some cycling training improved a lot.
Going back to my challenge with Joe; last year I was faster on the swim and on the bike, Joe was very fast on the run. We ended the race within 3 seconds of each other. I also suck at transitions - it didn't change this year
We swim routinely at the same pool - this year Joe decided to swim only twice a week against my three times, so I though that I should have some advantage in the water. I did a lot of hard cycling workouts, I was hoping to gain plenty of time on the bike course... 
This time I did it properly and I threw an official challenge to Joe.
After this lengthy introduction time to start the race...
I arrived late to the side, after quickly setting transition area and jumping into wet suit I run to the start of the swim. I made it 50 seconds before the gun shot. I wasn't well positioned in this mass start and I was also worried at this moment that because of the rush I possibly didn't attach my racing wheels correctly or have all my gear not completely unpacked. As I found out later while on the bike I forgot to attach my saddle bag with spare tube and tools
Right now it was tough fight in the water, with relay swimmers, almost 700 hundred people started together. I don't have any visible signs of injuries today, light shoulder pain after somebody's hard kick and a small cut inside my mouth, as of Monday Joe has visible bruise under his eye. The swim is tough sometimes. I didn't see Joe before the race, so I had no clue where he might be positioned in the water. To my surprise while running to the transition I spotted Joe in front of me. I told him that I will pass him at 10 km of bike ride, because my transitions are usually slooooow. I was laying 
- I wanted to pass him at least before 5 km 
We crossed the timing mat together at 30 minutes and 30 second. This was the first surprise in this challenge, Joe was almost four minutes faster than last year 
Swim:
Me 30:30
Joe 30:30
T1:
Me 3:05
Joe 1:53
So with my usual slooooow transition of 3:05 against Joe's 1:53 I started the ride searching for Joe. I was hoping to get him much sooner that 10 km I told him about. This year wind was much stronger and it wasn't easy to pass people. There were large groups together; lonely distances to get to those groups and pass them, it was much harder than passing evenly distanced cyclists. I begun to worry when I couldn't see Joe after 10K mark. My second surprise was that I didn't see Joe at 15 k mark
Finally shortly after 15K mark I passed Joe but I didn't relax. True is I wasn't sure if I was fully recovered from my hill training in Blue Mountains; 500 km for a few days one week before this race. I made mistake last year in Muskoka - I pushed on the bike hard and had nothing left for the run. My plan for this year was to do bike a lot easier.
When I passed Joe I decided to push harder dropping all my pre-race plans, because I knew I will need a lot of cushion on the run. I was lucky to not have any mechanical problems or flats, it would mean not only lost challenge but possibly DNF without any tools or spares.
Bike:
Me 1:09:42
Joe 1:14:25
T2:
Me 2:07
Joe 1:13
I started the run relaxed. I noticed my average speed 34.4 km/h on the bike, faster than last's year 33.9 and I thought that it gives me better position than last year. I started very fast (4:40+) and I wasn't sure for how long I will be able to hold such pace (last year avg 5:15). My pace slowed after 3 km. Shortly after first turn around about 4.5 km into the race came my third surprise Joe was much closer behind me than last year
I was able to hold my slower pace for a moment, but I felt strongly Joe presence behind me, I discovered reserves in me I didn't know existed - I accelerated in the last 3 km crossing the finish lane 1 minute and 15 second before Joe, 6 minutes faster than last year !!!
Run:
Me 47:40
Joe 46:16
Total:
Me 2:33:01
Joe 2:34:16
I won the challenge! Joe didn't lose. He won first place in his age category
Joe has another surprise in this race
He replaced his old road bike with fast modern TT bike, I didn't realize it, during the race which was probably good because it probably would add some doubts to my assessment of the chances of winning this challenge.Race stats:
With Joe after last year Muskoka 70.3 ( I lost):
My run pace:
It always hurts after the races, sometimes it is blister, sometimes muscle; this time my burnt neck hurts much more than my shoulders...
I possibly found another challenge for the next year; this time in my age group
Ronald is improving fast...but it will be his call :
