As a pro hockey player in France and Japan, Rob Millar spent a lot of time spinning his wheels on a stationary bike.
It's what hockey players do to get their legs in shape and work out the lactic acid buidup after a game. All that time in the saddle also helped pave Millar's way to victory Sunday in the Pomeroy Inn & Suites Prince George Triathlon at West Lake provincial park.
Seven years of racing triathlons since he retired from hockey has taught Millar how to pace himself and when he needed an extra shot of energy to pass defending Olympic distance champion Mike Buchanan on the run, Millar had the tools he needed to break the tape first after two hours 15 minutes 35 seconds of racing.
"Something I've learned the hard way is to pace myself, you can't go too hard on one thing and that's what's fun about triathlon," said Millar, 37, a native of Smithers and a veteran of 15 Olympic distance races, three half-Ironmans and one Ironman.
"The mental part is really tough You need to not get caught up in what others are doing and just focus on yourself. Biking is my strongest event and I've blown up lots of times in the run just from going too hard. It's such a hilly course and it's tough to run hard after riding 40 kilometres. Your legs don't like it and if you go too hard you pay for it later."
Buchanan, 48, ended up 19 seconds off the winning pace. He was first out of the lake after a 1.5-kilometre swim and Millar caught up to him 28 km into their 40 km bike ride. Buchanan is strong on the run and moved ahead of Millar during the first of two five km laps. But Millar saved an energy gel for his second lap and swallowed it just before making the move on Buchanan.
"That could have been the difference right there,"said Millar. "It's difficult to get your body used taking in nutrients when your heart rate is that high."
Millar works as a French immersion teacher in Prince George, his home for the past three years. Smithers triathletes Peter Krause, Tina Haskins, Larry McCullough and Paralympian Jody Barber inspired him to stick with the sport.
"I just enjoy the contrast after playing hockey for so long," said Millar. "I tried the local triathlon in Smithers and I was hooked. I really enjoy the people in triathlon, they are really hard-workers. There are lots of doctors, lawyers and professionals. You have to be very organized and disciplined to train for it and it's a lifestyle, part of healthy active living."
Bob Simpson of Quesnel was third overall in 2:20:09. The 58-year-old former MLA is back running again after tearing a leg muscle in a relay race in Barkerville in May. Simpson, a national triathlon team member, is training for the age group world triathlon championships, Sept. 1 in Edmonton. He was a bronze medalist at the 2002 age group world event in Cancun, Mexico.
"I really enjoy triathlon because of the balance in the sport," said Simpson. "I tore my calf but I could still swim and still bike. If you're just a straight runner then you're hooped, and it's easy to get down on yourself."
Marika Jurgens won the women's Olympic distance race in 2:28:17, 14 minutes ahead of Lorelei St. Rose (2:41:24 ). Beth Hillhouse (2:43:54) rounded out the medal podium.
It was a disastrous race for Grande Prairie triathlete Darin Hunter. Hunter had a substantial lead over the rest of the field as he approached the turnaround point halfway through the bike course when his wheel collapsed, forcing him to pack it in.
Amy Ballantyne was a repeat champion in the women's sprint, a 750-metre swim, 20 km bike and five km run, competing the course in 1:24:42. Ballantyne, 28, swam for 12 years with the Prince George Barracudas so she wasn't too bothered by the rough water conditions for Sunday's swim.
"I do get a little nervous when it's choppy like that and you can't see what's underneath you, I just try to look for the lead swimmer and follow them," said Ballantyne, a fourth-year triathlete who took two minutes off her 2013 winning time.
"It''s one of the hardest courses I've ever seen, especially on the run. You start out and it's an uphill battle on wobbly legs. I felt the burn in my calf the whole way."
Cheryl Moors, a surgical nurse at UHNBC, finished second in the sprint, coming off a sleepless night, having just finished a 12-hour shift at the hospital two hours before race time Sunday. Moors clocked 1:29:37, while Sierra Williams was third in 1:31:35.
Team winners were -- Olympic distance: Rapid Thigh Movement (Rick Bartell, Nicholas Bartell, Ron Lowe, Tanner Esperson, 2:11:51) and sprint distance: Superfantabulousawesomeness (Cynthia Andal, Terra Joy Young, Kaia Andal, 1:30:57). In the duathlon (two five km runs and a 20 km bike), Dan Bedard won the men's race (1:48:14), while Robin Schmidt was the women's winner (2:07:04).
