Polson ready for triathlon

Polson’s Sixth Annual Triathlon will include a loaded lineup in the female portion of the competition Saturday at Riverside Park.

Event organizer Matt Seeley said the course will include a 0.93 mile swim, a 24.9 mile bike ride and a 6.2 mile run on the southeast corner of the Highway 93 bridge.

“Competition is going to be really strong for the women’s bracket,” event organizer Matt Seeley said. “We will have three or four competitors that set record paces and two contestants that have won the race in past years will also be up there.”

Some noteworthy female contestants include Erika Ackerslund and multi-winner of the Polson Triathlon Sue Huse.

“Erika had some amazing numbers and some fast races and may win the race and set a course record,” Seeley said. “This year we will start the women ahead of the men and I decided to decrease the start time (this year) to 10 minutes. The women will start ten minutes ahead of the men so that it will give the men a better chance to catch the fast women in the front of the race.”

As with any Triathlon one variable that can dictate a marathon is weather.

“Conditions can vary based on the wind and water levels,” Seeley said. “The water can be a little rough or smooth. Obviously, this year the wind will affect the bike course depending on what direction it blows. There are other environmental factors including how hot it is and now we also have smoky conditions to worry about.”

Seeley anticipates this year’s triathlon will draw around the same amount of contestants it did in 2016.

“I would say (our numbers) are close to about the same as last year,” Seeley said. “Last year was a successful race. We had about 80 to 100 racers show up and that is the amount (of contestants) it looks like we will have this year. One of the parts that is most rewarding about the triathlon is how the community comes together to support the event. There are good racers and we even get some people who have never done a triathlon before. That is one of the most rewarding experiences is when a community comes together to support the event.”

Seeley stated the event couldn’t be successfully executed without all of the help of the local sponsors.

“There are many local businesses and financial support that we’ve gotten to contribute their time,” Seeley said. “The athletes and racing is a big part of the community. That is part of the pride that Polson takes in that event.”

Seeley, a successful multi-purpose athlete himself, stated the process of training for a triathlon is “rigorous.”

“Training for a triathlon is something that you can improve on at any age,” Seeley said. “It depends on how long you’ve been doing it. There are people in their 70s that are still doing it and competing pretty well.”

Training for a marathon is not only rigorous but also takes several years to get your body acclimated before a contestant is ready for the rigors of a triathlon, Seeley said.

“The training affects your endurance over multiple years,” Seeley said. “You’ll go faster as you change your physiology. Often they say you don’t hit your peak until your late 20s and early 30s because someone that is 18, 19 or 20 years old most likely hasn’t had the time to adapt their bodies for a long event. That is why usually later in life you hit your peak. It is a very slow process and gaining all of these skills in fitness can be a multi-year process.”