Lionel Sanders is a talented young Canadian triathlete who has already impressed many with a superb victory in Muskoka where he bested Amdreas Raelert, Tom Davison and Jimmy Sear among others, but at 70.3 Texas his dreams of cash and glory were deflated. This however was just a stumble and not a major road block. Expect more from Lionel Sanders.

Slowtwitch: Thanks for your time Lionel.

Lionel Sanders: It’s my pleasure. Thanks for your interest in doing a piece.

ST: You had been working hard in Arizona to get ready for the season and 70.3 Texas. How much time did you spend there?

Lionel: I have spent the last 7 weeks in Arizona. In that time I put in about 40 solid training days.

ST: Did you enjoy the time in AZ?

Lionel: I love AZ. I have been coming here since 2011. This was the first time I experienced it for longer than a week, and I am now convinced that this is where my winter training base will be.

ST: How big of a group were you with?

Lionel: I am training in conjunction with my coach Barrie Shepley’s Personal Best training camps, so each week we had a new group of athletes come in. In any given week we could have as much as 20 athletes in camp. But I have mostly been training on a day-to-day basis with my good friend John Rasmussen. He is training for the ITU format of racing, so we try and meet in the middle with workouts so that we both receive some benefit.

ST: When and how did you connect with Barrie Shepley?

Lionel: Barrie and I actually grew up in the same small town of about 3000 people. In fact, a landmark in the town is a little restaurant called Sheps. It was run by Barrie’s dad, and Barrie spent much of his youth working the floor. With regards to triathlon, I competed in Ironman Louisville 2010, recreationally. He saw the result, and then also saw that I competed at the Canadian university running national championship a few months later, and so pieced together that I was getting back into sports. He then contacted me, at which point I was quickly engulfed into the Barrie Shepley Vortex.

ST: What kind of food can you get at Sheps?

Lionel: Good ol’ home style cookin’. I remember going in there for breakfast when I was younger, and there wasn’t a seat available. In fact, I believe Ernie (Barrie’s dad) would open it up on Christmas for breakfast, so that the regulars didn’t have to screw up their routine.

ST: Did Barrie not try to talk you into racing ITU events?

Lionel: In the first few years there certainly was a bit of talk of trying to focus massively on improving my swimming to see if I could get it to a point where I could be competitive in that format. I got exposed to triathlon a little over four years ago through Ironman, and so the motivation to race that format was never very strong. For me, Kona is the pinnacle of triathlon.

ST: What kind of goals did you have as you headed to Galveston?

Lionel: After Muskoka 70.3 I felt a bit as if I had been labelled a one hit wonder. I’m not sure if this pressure was real, or entirely internal, but I was going into Galveston with the goal of eliminating that label.

ST: Did you settle in well in Texas?

Lionel: Yes. My dad met me in Houston and we had a great few days together leading into the race. Galveston is a cool little town that I will definitely return to in the future. My favorite places were Island Smoothie and the Ocean Star Oil Rig Museum.

ST: The field was quite strong. Were you at all nervous?

Lionel: This was only my second pro race, but surprisingly I had very little nervousness. I swim, bike and run every single day, so this was just another day, business as usual. I remind myself regularly that it is a massive privilege to be able to do this full-time, and I find this helps to keep the tension low.

ST: Talk about the swim.

Lionel: In the days leading into the race I had the opportunity to get into the ocean and do some swimming in the choppy waters. This certainly improved my confidence. On race morning it was definitely the choppiest conditions I have ever swam in, but I found it quite fun. I was in a pack of about 8 guys the entire way. Being a weak swimmer, it was my first real experience of being in a swim pack. Overall, I had an awesome time and enjoyed every minute of it. When I got out, I heard I was about 4 minutes back from the leader. This was about what I expected, given the conditions.

ST: Did you feel good on the bike?

Lionel: Yes, I felt quite good. I just focused on sticking to my intended wattage output the entire way. I quickly realized that I should have run a disc and 808 (I ran 404s), given the strong winds. Each race I am still learning a lot of lessons.

ST: Word has it that a couple flat tires deflated your time.

Lionel: Yes. At mile 35 I got my first flat. I was prepared with a Co2 and tube. Unfortunately, I thought I packed an 80mm tube, but it was actually a 60mm, so I was unable to air it up. I flagged down a race official, but he didn’t have a tube. We both thought my day was over so he called a vehicle to come pick me up. I was devastated. Suddenly, bike support pulled up and changed my tube for me. I knew I wasn’t going for the win anymore but I thought with a solid bike and run I could get myself into a top 5. Another 5 miles down the road I got another flat. Bike support rolled up again, but this time they switched my rim out. I can’t thank those dudes enough for all that they did to help me. By this time I knew my race was completely over, and I was just finishing to keep my pride intact.

ST: What lessons did you learn from 70.3 Texas?

Lionel: I will run a disc from now on. Additionally, I will run more durable tires. Less rolling resistance is worthless when you are on the side of the road. Additionally, I will check the length of my spare tubes before putting them into my bike bag.

ST: Were you mocked by your friends about your spare tube?

Lionel: I don’t think so. They have all been very empathetic. The fun part about the sport is that there is so much to learn. It just sucks learning lessons when there is money on the line.

ST: You closed out 70.3 Texas with a race best run and that must have felt good.

Lionel: Yes, it was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

ST: So you did not really try to run fast or in anger?

Lionel: I think I went through 5k in a little over 16 minutes. That was in anger. Fortunately, my dad talked some sense into me around the 3-mile point.

ST: How did he talk you off the ledge?

Lionel: He said "save it for Utah."

ST: What is your fastest half marathon time in a standalone running event?

Lionel: I have run 1:06:30. I had been on pace to break 1:06 up until kilometer 18, but unfortunately I had to hit the port-a-john.

ST: Given that number, what would you say is possible for you in a 70.3 race for the run if the conditions are favorable?

Lionel: I will quote Bruce Lee here, “there are no limits, there are only plateaus.”

ST: What is next for you?

Lionel: I will head to Utah, with the intention of eliminating the one hit wonder label once again.

ST: Are you sure that isn’t something that is more so in your head versus on my mind of others?

Lionel: Perhaps, but I am guilty until proven innocent.

ST: What kind of result would make you happy, and stop your mind to think what others might think?

Lionel: I am all about racing myself. If I swim to the best of my ability, hold my intended wattage on the bike, and then run what I am capable of running, I will sleep easy - regardless if that is the top step of the podium, or last place. That being said, I have never went to a triathlon without having visualized myself winning the race.

ST: Do you have sponsors?

Lionel: Yes. Cycle Culture, the bike shop in my hometown has been extremely supportive. Additionally, an optometrist from my home town- Richard Kniaziew- has helped immensely. As well, Louis Garneau, CompuTrainer, eLoad, Nineteen wetsuits, C3-Kinetico and Saucony have all helped give me the opportunity to chase my dreams.

ST: Is there anything else we should know?

Lionel: I have succeeded in cooking a level 3 meal, from the book Anyone Can Cook.

ST: Whom did you impress with that meal?

Lionel: Everyone who has seen me cook, prior to purchasing that cookbook!

ST: Oh my.