Local athlete Dallas Cain out-worked 140 competitors to take top spot at this past weekend’s half-ironman race at Sylvan Lake, Alberta. Racers must complete a circuit that consists of a 2km swim, a 90km bike ride, followed by a run of 21km. Cain demolished the course in two hours and eighteen minutes, a full fifteen minutes faster than the second place finisher.
Cain couldn’t have picked a better triathlon to win; due to a fortunate set of circumstances, a large contingent of relatives from both sides of the family were at Sylvan Lake to cheer him on. “We felt like locals,” Cain states, “It was a great one to win with the whole family there - parents, nieces, nephews... it was super fun.”
Dallas wasn’t the only Cain to get a boost from family support; his brother, Ryan, was his closest competitor, finishing second on the day. “Ryan and I go back and forth,” Cain laughs, “He wins some and I win some. He’s a faster runner, but I’m a better swimmer, biker, skier. We’ve been at it for 30 years!”
With swimming being the weakest of his three disciplines, Dallas knew he had a good chance at the win when he came out of the water in the top ten. “I usually drop a few spots during the swim. I can hold my own during the run, but biking is definitely my strong suit.” Cain ended the biking portion with an 8-minute lead, and managed to increase that lead all the way to the finish line.
Surprisingly, Cain credits his win to the relaxation of his training schedule. For last year’s events, he was training about 25 hours each week. This year, with a new addition to the family, he has been putting in half that time, but knows he has gotten faster.
Dallas is very thankful to Gerald, an ex-triathlete, at Gerrick’s Cycle for his support over the years. “Gerald has been a huge help, he has always supported us with gear and bike maintenance, and has been a mentor and a source of inspiration for me.”
The racing never seems to stop for Cain, who sees it as a great outlet to what he sees as his “overly-competitive” nature, stating, “I can’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t compete once a month or so.” Luckily, the Canadian Ironman is coming up in August in Penticton, and there’s more than a good chance you’ll find him at the starting line.