Apple Inspired Athlete: Robert Johnson

Wondering if you have what it takes to do a triathlon?  You may be surprised - people of all ages and from all walks of life register for the Kelowna Apple Triathlon every year. Over the next few weeks, we will learn a little bit about some athletes who race the Kelowna Apple Triathlon - from Age Groupers, Elites, to Kids of Steel, and Try-a-Tri'ers.  Some are serious athletes who have been training and racing for years, others are first timers, and most are somewhere in between.  If you would like to be profiled on the Apple Blog, send an email to appletriathlon@gmail.com and let us know!

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This week's Apple Inspired Athlete is Robert Johnson

City: Vancouver

Current age group? 30

Occupation? Software Engineer for Pointstreak.com

How long have you been a triathlete? 3 years

When was your first Apple?  How many triathlons have you done?

First was in 2009 (my 3rd race).  Have lost count of how many I have done.  30+ would be an estimate

What Apple event will you be registering for in 2012?

Depends on where my swimming is at and what my results are like come August.  Will either enter the Age Group Olympic or the Elite Continental Cup

What got you interested in triathlon?

I had always followed the sport growing up.  I used to watch the Escape from Alcatraz and Ironman World Championship TV specials but had no background in any of the three sports and didn’t really ever think about trying to do one because I couldn’t swim.  The 2008 ITU Age Group World Championships that Vancouver hosted was the eventual catalyst and I joined some co-workers in doing a try a tri.  Got hooked from there!

What positive effects has triathlon had on other aspects of your life?

So very many that I can almost not even count. I have always been interested in health and fitness but always felt like an outsider amongst my peers because of the lifestyle I led.  Triathlon is such a friendly community and I’ve made many friends over the years that share the same passions as me.  I think more than anything it’s given me a lot of confidence that I lacked prior to trying the sport.  It also showed me that I can accomplish great things if I want to accomplish them and am willing to dedicate myself to achieving them.

Do you have any specific triathlon goals for 2012?

Mine are four-fold... First and foremost, stay healthy for an entire season.  I was on the verge of accomplishing my goals last year before some injuries derailed my season right at the end.  Second, to take care of some unfinished business and win the Age Group National Championships in Edmonton.  Followed by finishing an Elite Continental Cup Race (Kelowna?) and finally to win a medal at the Age Group World Championships in Auckland.

What’s your favourite part of the Kelowna Apple Triathlon?

It’s really the perfect way to cap off a season.  The weather is always beautiful and the course is very scenic.  The blue carpet at the finish line. Having everyone converge on the same place to test themselves.  Watching the elite race and just generally hanging out with friends.

Do you use online training resources or have a training blog?

I don’t maintain a blog myself but I love to read them!  As far as training resources… I am a member of the Triathlon Canada Vancouver Regional Training center and have a great coach in Alan Carlsson who oversees my training.  We use Training Peaks to log and schedule workouts and I also use resources like Garmin Connect, Strava and MapMyRun to analyze previous workouts and track progress.

Any other comments you’d like to make?

Just in general to anyone considering trying a triathlon, I would say go for it!  Most people I talk to are a little leery of the swim.  I’m not going to lie, the swim is a bit chaotic and can be nerve wracking for anyone but with that being said, anyone can do it.  I had no swim background coming into this sport 3 years ago (I was a hockey player and I actually walked the swim in my very first race) so it can be done.