Q: Congratulations on your recent podium finish at Ironman California! Can you walk us through how race day unfolded for you?
A: Thank you! The race went very well, although the course didn’t play to my strengths. I chose IRONMAN California because it fit with my event work schedule. The swim was downriver, which made it fun but produced swim times that weren’t reflective of typical conditions. The bike course was extremely flat—enjoyable during the first lap but more challenging on the second, especially as spending nearly five hours in the aero position wore on my back and hips. The run was tough, but I knew I was on pace to place high enough in my age group to potentially qualify for Kona, which was my main goal going into the race.

Q: What key training methods or strategies contributed to your sub-10 hour finish?
A: A huge part of my success comes from working year-round with an excellent coach and wonderful friend, Liz Cullen. She understands my demanding work and family schedule and has tailored a comprehensive training plan that accommodates my busy weekends and constant travel. During races, I focus on breaking the event down into smaller, manageable sections and pacing myself, rather than worrying about overall time or placement. Breaking down the race into each discipline and racing at my current fitness level has helped me race consistently over the past few years.

Q: What other events have you competed in this year?
A: This year, my racing schedule was limited due to the number of events I was producing. However, I managed to participate in three races:

  • First Half Marathon
  • IRONMAN 70.3 St. George
  • IRONMAN California

Q: You contribute significantly to the triathlon community as a race director. Could you share some of your planned events for next season?
A: On the triathlon side, I’m looking forward to IRONMAN 70.3 Victoria and the Apple Triathlon. Additionally, I organize various cycling events in British Columbia, including the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix, the Tour de Concord, the Cypress Challenge, and the Applewood Valley GranFondo.

Q: Being the Race Director for Ironman Canada must have been an incredible experience. What are some of your standout memories or lessons learned from that event?
A: It was challenging but rewarding to bring IRONMAN Canada back to Penticton after its move from Whistler in 2020. We faced significant obstacles, including COVID-19 cancellations, wildfires, and extreme weather. Despite these setbacks, the resilience of the Penticton community and surrounding areas has been so inspiring. Their unwavering support for endurance events has been exceptional. Even during the 2023 event cancellation due to wildfires, volunteers stepped up to help us redistribute food, drinks, and clothing to first responders and evacuees. It was a true testament to the community’s spirit.

Q: From your perspective as a race director, how do you see the sport evolving to keep events thriving?
A: Innovation is key. Embracing new technologies, improving athlete experiences, and ensuring sustainability will be vital for the future of the sport.

Q: You’re also on the board of directors for Triathlon BC. Could you tell us more about your role and your thoughts on the future of triathlon?
A: I’ve been serving as a Director at Large for several terms. Having a race director on the Board is very helpful because I can assess new ideas and initiatives for their practical feasibility at an event level. It’s important to blend ambition with reality to help the sport grow sustainably.

Q: With so many responsibilities—serving on the board, directing races, raising a family—how do you manage to train for Ironman?
A: Early mornings are my key to getting things done! I try to complete most of my workouts before my kids wake up. On weekends, I coordinate training around family activities, often incorporating my workouts into those moments—running to and from my kids’ soccer games or swimming during their practice times, for example.

Q: What are some of your favorite local training spots or sessions? Do you prefer training solo or with a group?
A: Some of my favorites include:

  • Zwifting in my garage, especially Tuesday night races with my IRLAG team. We aren’t particularly good, but we have a lot of fun racing virtually together.
  • Weekend getaways with my girlfriends for longer training sessions. I am so lucky to have an amazing group of girlfriends who both push and support me in both training and life.
  • Running on familiar local routes.
  • 5 a.m. swims with a North Vancouver masters group at Ron Andrews

Q: Do you have any exciting new business ventures or events coming up? What does next year’s event calendar look like?
A: My first event of the season is organizing the Whistler Cup alongside the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. This will be my second year on board and I am really enjoying dipping my toes in alpine events, especially as both my kids are involved in the sport. We also run the operations and logistics for the Tour Alberta for Cancer and have loved working with that community and raising critical funds for cancer research and patient care. My husband is also the founder of Gibli, a real-time aerodynamic sensor company. This has been a really fun challenge as they developed the technology to test aerodynamic position while riding on the road. I have been fortunate to do testing along the way and its been remarkable to see what a difference my position, helmet or clothing choices make on my bike split times over the course of an IRONMAN distance race. They are just now getting to market and you can check them out at https://giblitech.com/.

Thanks so much Susie, all the best next season!