Conceived during the pandemic, the Thalontri is a swim, bike, run, walk, hike, snack, nap mixed-bag event. Basically, a triathlon-plus, all out of order, with an enormous amount of silliness thrown in.

The first year, Charles Schwartz and I rode our bikes from Mont-Tremblant to Montebello, where we proceeded to swim, run, nap and crash a wedding. Last year, we took on Lake Placid with a similar theme.

In the groove

With a made-up sport, we have made-up rules. Rule number one: have fun. Number two: no idea is too stupid. Three: if there is a giant turtle in the road, stop and save it.

To start our third annual event this summer, we wanted to bike through the Canada – U.S. border, on our way to Stowe, Vermont.

There were seven of us this year; registration is clearly exploding. Guided by Logistics Queen Wendy Allen, we met in a cornfield on a back country road a few kilometres from the Rouses Point border crossing outside Lake Champlain, New York. After Race Director Jacynthe Martin made certain we had our passports in hand, we were off.

Although there were a few raised eyebrows at the border as we rode through, “Are you with them?” was the only question I was asked.

Swim-bike-run-nap

I was paired up with Terence Flanagan, and cycling through the Hero Islands in Vermont was a glorious start of four days of non-stop movement, interspersed with naps and ice-cream.

We biked, we hiked, we ran. We chatted with a few wild goats and strolled through a corn maze. There were push-up intervals and coffee stops. Jennifer Laframboise and I made every effort to not drown while swimming with Peter Venezia and Charles in Vermont’s Waterbury Reservoir.

Make up your own mixed-up sport. Be certain to follow rule number one of Thalontri though: Have Fun.

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