Joe Maloy, 2014 USA Triathlon Elite National Champion
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ITU World Triathlon Grand Final
 


The most exciting part of an adventure is that you don't exactly know whats coming next.  You've got to grab hold of the moment and ride it for all it's worth.  

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about competing in the ITU World Triathlon Championships this  Saturday, September 19, in Chicago, Illinois.  My 1500m swim, 40K bike, and 10K run through the heart of Chicago starts at  5pm central time.  If you can't come and cheer your brains out, then follow along with live coverage on  triathlonlive.tv. The chance to watch me swim, bike, and then run around the Windy City in my onesie will cost you about $5-what a bargain!

I can't wait for the chance to compete in a world championship event on home soil, and I hope you're excited to follow along. I appreciate your continued support!

"Only when life is difficult are we challenged to become our greatest selves."

~ Socrates of Sweetbriar

Race Report: Edmonton World Triathlon



Ok, so I get that no one goes to Canada for the weather-but it's early September! I should have been safe. 

No, I should have known better. Race day temperatures were in the low 40s, and a steady rain gained momentum as our 3:36 race start approached. I'm a firm believer in accepting conditions and then dealing with them once the starting horn sounds. On this day, that was too much to ask from myself. 

After a slower-than-normal 750m swim, I transitioned into a very cold 40K bike ride. I felt prepared (as best I could) for the elements with base layers covering my arms and legs, but it was rough. Our group rode conservatively, everyone seemingly thinking ahead to the world championships in two weeks. 

By the time we reached the second transition area and prepared for the run, we'd been wet and riding at 25-35 mph for about 30 minutes. When my fingers went to unclasp the buckle on my helmet strap, they just wouldn't work. It was kind of like trying to open a can of beer after you've been tailgating in 20 degree weather without gloves. My mind could see the task happening, but my body could not follow its simple instructions. I struggled with the task for almost a minute until I heard the buckle click open. 



Boom, I was out for the run...but way back of the field. I could have quit here. It was pretty clear that I'd put myself in a position where I could no longer achieve my race goals, but I chose to continue. Quitting would have destroyed something deeper inside me--something which I can't quite describe but that I can feel with every fiber of my being. I don't quit, and I don't back down. It's what motivates me to perform day in and day out, and it's the ideal I want to represent. I race with a kit where my name, my country, and my sponsors are all prominently displayed. Those people don't quit. Those people know that we endure--we're fighters. 

From way back in the race, I ran a respectable 16:13 5K to finish a still-disappointing 48th place. It was only after I returned to our team hotel and started defrosting in the hot tub that I noticed a piece of asphalt embedded in my right heel! I had apparently run the rock into my numb foot for 16:13! Under normal conditions, I would have noticed the rock in my shoe after a second or two, but we've established these weren't normal conditions. 

As feeling came back to my extremities, my pain worsened and I realized I was going to need to get the rock out ASAP. Neither our USAT team physiotherapist and or my mom (a registered nurse who was there with my dad to watch the race) could remove the rock, so I took a quick trip to the University of Alberta Hospital's emergency room. 


A few hours later, I was sitting at an Italian restaurant looking at the biggest plate of chicken parmesan I'd ever seen. I looked at my parents and the USAT support staff who joined me for a post-race, post-ER meal, and I thought, "I'm a pretty lucky guy." I'll live to fight another day. And that day is coming this week, in Chicago! 
 

2015 Race Schedule & Results

 

DATE

RACE

PLACE

TIME

2/15

Coronado Valentine's Day 10K

1st

30:18

2/21

Tritonman Triathon, San Diego

1st

55:15

3/22

New Plymouth World Cup

10th

53:29

3/29

Auckland WTS

20th

1:59:15

4/26

Cape Town WTS

38th

1:43:00

5/9

Chengdu WTS

30th

1:47:54

5/17

Yokohama WTS

36th

1:50:09

8/2

Rio Test Event

16th

1:50:36

8/23

Stockholm WTS

22nd

1:52:10

9/6

Edmonton WTS

48th

0:56:02

9/19

Chicago WTS


 

10/4

Cozumel World Cup


 


race schedule is subject to change

ITU Rankings
  • 28th: ITU Olympic Points (1st American)
  • 47th: ITU World Series Points
  • 35th: ITU Points (general)
(from  www.triathlon.org/rankings 9.12.15)