Spain 2026-07

Spain 9,

Sept. 27, 2026,

Hi Everyone,

I was up at 6:30 in order to drive to Pontevedra which is 20 minutes away. I wanted to get a parking spot in the huge free parking lot close to the start. Despite the size of the lot, it fills up rather quickly. Sign in was from 8:00 to 10:00 but I was concerned that there could be a line up. There was no line up and I picked up the race kit for the group.

We are 4 our group, 2 girls and 2 boys averaging over 70 with me being the oldest of course. Our team members, Andrew, Alice, and Janice were great sports and fun to be with. We all came from different places in Canada beginning in NFLD and finishing on the west coast. When introduced, I put on my Newfie accent which impressed the Newfoundlander, explaining to the group that I spent 1 year in St Johns as an intern in 1976.

The group for the relay race was put together by our general manager. The ages are all added together to give a total which gave us our positions for the start. In the relay, each of us does all 3 parts of the race. The different legs of the race are much shorter than a sprint, 250 meter swim, 6 km bike and 1.5 km for the run. Because the race is shorter, people tend to go faster risking to run out of steam for the run.

We stood around for a few hours as our group, being one of the oldest, was starting at the tail end of the race. It was chilly with a slight drizzle on and off. I was already shivering by the time it was my turn to start as being the oldest in the group, I was placed 4th for the start. As each person finished, he/she tagged up with the next member of the team. As I was the last, I didn’t tag up and proceeded straight to the finish line with the cheering crowd waiting for me. I got my medal right away while the others received theirs afterwards.

The water was not too cold, and the swim was only 250 meters so I opted to forgo wearing a wet suit. I waste a lot of time in the transition phase pulling the soaking wet wetsuit off. The swim went well for me and I was happy with my time. The bike part was short but I made the mistake of pushing a little too hard especially on the 1 hill. I was tired for the run, more or less gasping for breath. With 200 meters to go, I was exhausted. An American ran up beside me to give me the encouragement that I needed. ‘Come on Brian, only 200 meters to go.’ It could have been 200 miles for me at that point. ‘I will run next to you. We will do it together.’ My team mates watched me crossing the finish line and cheered me on. They said that I didn’t look too bad, at least not as bad as I felt.

The American, Mike, was way over 6 ft tall and 15 to 20 years younger than me. We spoke for a while afterwards. He is from the west coast of the US and played semi-pro hockey. Wow. I met the 2 girls, Alice and Janice and we went out for beers and a sandwich split 3 ways. By that time I was feeling better and had gotten my usual over confidence back.

I just finished drying my wet clothes and packing. Tomorrow I will drive to Vivo, 1 hour away, to return the rental car and then take a train to Madrid. I have an 8:00 train so I will be up at the crack of dawn. I need the relaxation of a 4 hour train ride.

Love,

Brian

Spain 2026-07

Spain 6,

Sept. 24, 2026,

Hi Everyone,

I am staying in Dena-Meana, about 20 km from Pontevedra. There are very few rooms available in Pontevedra where the Triathon is taking place. Nirvana books up all the rooms 1 year in advance and then sells it back to the public at double the price, Most of the Canadians are staying out of town and taking a bus or a train to the race. I rented a car for the week which was disappointing at first. However, all things considered it gives me the possibility to visit the area.

I woke up early in the morning. Not wanting to make the mistake as last time, being undernourished for the race, I ate a substantial breakfast and drove 20 minutes to Pontevedra. The traffic in the city was horrible and everyone was looking for a parking space. I squeezed into the smallest space in a free lot and walked over to registration where I got my body markings for the race. I dropped off my bike in the transition zone and memorized the spot. There were 4500 bikes present. It was cool with a cool breeze and my race was to start at 4;00 pm with a water start. The water was cool so I wore my wetsuit.

I ate a light lunch and waited patiently for the race to start. I drank the sugary energy drink that I bought yesterday and carried the chocolate bar with me. I also have a recovery pack, a powder to be mixt with water for after the race. My water bottle was filled with a mineral liquid to be drunk during the bicycle part of the race. I was all set.

The swim was ok, with my wet suit I was warm enough. Surprisingly I don’t swim as quickly with a wet suit. I came out of the water feeling ok and jogged off to get my bike. My age is written on my calf so I usually get a lot of cheers and encouragement. I mounted the bike and took off. The bike part of the race was very difficult. It consisted of 1 long hill interspaced with curves and then downhill for the 2nd part of the race to the finish line. I didn’t even peddle as I was going too fast.I was exhausted. I stopped twice to catch my breath and 2 motorcycle refs stopped to ask me if I needed help. I waved them on and continued. The girls start their race after the oldest guys so i raced in a pack with the girls. They all shouted encouragement to me.

I dropped off the bike, took a drink and jogged off for the run. The run consisted of 2 lengths through the streets of Pontevedra lined with cheering crowds all yelling ‘go Canada’ for me. I was proud. The run had 1 hill after another. All along the way they give you water in a glass. I drank a bit and spilled the rest over my head to refresh myself. I finally got to the finish line and a pretty young put a finishing medal around my neck.

By the end of the race I was soaking wet. The temperature dropped and I started shivering. I walked into a restaurant and crashed onto a chair. The lady took one look at me and knew exactly what I needed. She gave me a huge bowl of chicken noodle soup followed by a yogourt and a tisane. After an hour I was ready to take on the world.

I took my bike and bag and wandered off to find my car. The ride home seemed long and I went straight to bed on arrival, sleeping of course with my medal around my neck.

Love,

Brian

Spain 2026-07

Spain 5,

Sept. 23, 2026,

Hi Everyone,

I ate breakfast at my usual café and slowly made my way to Pontevedra. I managed to find a tight spot in a free parking lot. Hopefully I will find my way back to it as my iPhone has run out of battery. The super tiny battery bank does not seem to like my iPhone. I may have to buy another one which is always more expensive, bigger and heavier. Oh well those are the trials and tribulations of travelling in a foreign country.

I picked up my rental bike in the parking lot and had the fellow adjust the seat and put on my own pedals. It is super light with semi automatic gears which the fellow had to explain to me how to change gears. Sometimes modern conveniences are above my level of comprehension. I managed to find my way to the registration counter and was able to register without too much difficulty. People here take an extra bit of time to help white haired seniors find their way around.

It was 16 C this morning but has warmed up to 30 C now at 3:00. I race tomorrow at 2;00 pm so the heat should really be fun. There are a lot of stands at the site selling various foods and drinks for the race. Last time I made a mistake and was tired and dehydrated at the end of the race. I found a stand selling foods and beverages and was served by a young knowledgeable young lady. I explained what happened to me last time. She gave be a drink to have just before the race, special energy bars for the bike ride and run and a recuperation drink for afterwards. She also gave me a water bottle with an electrolyte drink which I can fill at will.

I will be off to the assembly area in a few minutes to meet with my team. There are 4500 athletes here from 60 countries. All the countries assemble by continent and in alphabetical order. We take a group country picture and then march in under our respective flags through the cobblestoned streets in front of 10,000 fans cheering us on. Wow!! Everything is filmed for local and close circuit TV.

Continued:

My iPhone was not working as the connection was loose. I found a great telephone shop with a knowledge salesman. He seemed to be happy that Canada will have EU status and would immigrate to Canada if at all possible. He fixed my phone and sold me a new battery pack, somewhat heavier than the one I have but with more memory and much much faster to charge. It took some time for him to set everything up, but it was worth it. I missed the team photo but got several photos of the parade. I marched in with the Canadian team. It was really fun. 4500 athletes and 1000s of spectators with a lot of camera men. The World Championships Triathon is very important all over the world except North American.

looked for the Israeli team but could not find them. I am not sure if they were with Europe, Asia or the Middle East group. I saw one group of individuals with a Free Palestine flag. I walked by, showed them my dog tags and told them I was with the IDF. I was with a large group of Canadians, mostly looking big and strong, so my risk was minimum.

I am eating supper at 10:00 pm, in a restaurant overlooking the water. Life is beautiful. I am looking forward to the race tomorrow.

Love,

Brian