Q and A with Taylor Reid before Super League Triathlon Jersey

Over the September 28-30th weekend, Taylor Reid will be going up against some of the best short course triathletes in the world at Super League Triathlon Jersey. Reid is a top Canadian long course triathlete and is coming off of a second place finish at Barrelman Niagara Falls.

Before the race, Reid took the time to share his thoughts about the big race weekend in Jersey.

TMC: Do you mind sharing a bit of your triathlon/duathlon background and how this will help you in Jersey?

TR: My triathlon background goes fairly far back. I started racing multisport races when I was about 15 years old and did my first draft legal race when I was 16 at the national championships.

Throughout my ITU racing career, I had a few national medals and titles. All of which was made possible because of my biking strength and running speed. At the national championship in 2013, I was third last out the water. I had to ride my way up to the lead group and then ran myself into a second-place finish.

Since then, my swim has seen huge improvements. I think that all of this will add up to help me compete in Jersey and I’m very interested to see where I stack up against the best triathletes in the world.

TMC: Looking at your social media posts, it seems that you’ve been doing lots of criterium style bike workouts. How has that been going?

TR: I’ve been working closely with my coach and training group to make sure I remember what it’s like riding and racing on a tight course. And I just love it. The thrill of screaming into a corner and accelerating out is so much fun.

TMC: How will it be for you racing in a group again? It’s different from the non-draft racing you’ve done in recent years.

TR: It’ll be a huge difference from non-drafting. I’ll be looking for every opportunity to conserve energy in the race, and if there’s an opportunity to get a little gap going into the run, I’ll take it. But first, I’ll need to make sure I’m with the leaders.

TMC: How do you feel about competing against some of the best short course triathletes on the scene right now?

TR: I’m so excited, but also nervous. This will be by far the strongest field I’ve ever raced against, but that also means there’s no pressure on me. I’m just going out there to race.

TMC: Any race formats you’re most looking forward to?

TR: I think I’m most looking forward to the Enduro. That said, it’ll be nail-biting because the last two athletes after each discipline get eliminated. So, I’ll need to get near the front and stay there.