Thinking About Your First 70.3? Two First-Timers Share Their Experience
Every experienced triathlete was once standing on a start line wondering whether they could really do it.
If you’ve ever thought about signing up for your first Ironman 70.3 but wondered whether you’re ready, you’re certainly not alone.
The distance can feel intimidating: a 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21.1km run. Yet every athlete who crosses that finish line was once standing exactly where you are now, wondering whether they could really do it.
To help make that first step feel a little less daunting, we spoke with two athletes who recently completed their first 70.3: Shannon Briggs (Shan) and Clémence Wassen (Clem). Both had marathon experience, and Shan had already completed sprint- and Olympic-distance triathlons. But neither had tackled the 70.3 distance – and for Clem, it was her very first triathlon, adding another element of courage in taking the leap.
What Inspired Them to Sign Up
Every athlete has their own reason for being drawn to a 70.3.
For Shan, triathlon had always been part of her life. “I’ve always been fascinated by triathlon. Growing up in rural Ontario, I spent most of my summers as a kid volunteering at our local triathlon with my mom while my dad raced. I would hand out water to athletes and then run the last 50m or so with my dad to the finish line. Those are some of my favourite childhood memories.”
Years later, after becoming a runner and watching her partner complete two 70.3 races, she felt ready to take the plunge. While she had once believed longer-distance triathlon wasn’t for her, she’d previously said the same thing about marathon running before slowly discovering that many of the limits she’d placed on herself weren’t true limits at all.
For Clem, her endurance journey began during the pandemic. “I started doing long distance running during COVID and got curious about all endurance sports… [But] doing a triathlon was something that seemed truly out of reach for me at the time,” she said, though she never completely let go of the idea of doing one someday.
Her love of running was soon complemented by a newfound love of cycling after buying her first road bike. Then, when her partner left for a year-long master’s program abroad in the fall of 2025, she decided the timing was right and went all in, signing up for the Victoria 70.3.
“I knew that if I was going to sign up for my first, I wanted it to be something that felt truly ‘huge’ to me – aka a longer distance. Having run multiple marathons, I felt ready to see how far I could push my training and my endurance. At the same time, I was chatting about doing the Victoria 70.3 with one of my friends, and we all know how those conversations tend to go… we both signed up. I remember going for a run after signing up and being both ecstatic and terrified, which reinforced that I was ready to take a big leap like this.”
What Kind of Training Does It Take?
One of the biggest questions prospective 70.3 athletes ask is how much training it really takes to feel ready. While that will vary depending on an athlete’s fitness, race-day goals, and experience, we asked Shan and Clem about the biggest sessions and training weeks that helped them feel ready for race day.
“I got up to 90-100km long rides, and a long run followed by a 2km lake swim,” Shan shared. “But I think consistency matters more than any one workout. You don’t need to nail every session… showing up week after week really builds confidence.”
Clem completed similar sessions (the two are part of the same tri team and often train together), and her comment about the big days was: “I honestly really loved all of them. I would see them as ‘adventures’ – seeing how far I could push, how long I could go for, all while remembering the most important part: having fun!!”
Both also spoke to the value of training with others. “Having a training buddy or community makes a huge difference. Those long sessions are a lot more enjoyable when you have people to share them with,” Shan said, and Clem echoed the sentiment.
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The Approach to Race Day
When race morning finally arrived, Clem described it as “one of the best days of [her] life.”
“A couple of friends came with me to the race, and starting the day at 4:30am blasting our favourite songs while driving to a race is truly good for the soul,” she said.
“I loved the atmosphere at the start,” she added. “I didn’t expect everyone to be so friendly, chatting with each other, helping each other. Even during the race, everyone was so attentive to each other, so kind and helpful – whether that be with mechanical issues, zipping up wetsuits, you name it!”
“I had the best time,” Shan shared. “I came into this race feeling a little burnt out from marathons and knew I wanted to approach the day differently. My mantra going in was, ‘Experience, not performance.’ I wanted to be kind to myself, enjoy the day, and appreciate what my body could do.”
“One of the biggest highlights was the swim. I had been anxious about simply making the swim cutoff, so coming out of the water in 46:13 after having such a lovely swim almost brought me to tears. I felt so proud of myself… People always say that race day is the celebration of all the training, and I truly felt that that day.”
While both athletes expected the physical challenge, neither anticipated just how emotional the day would become.
“Let me preface this by saying, I don’t cry a lot,” Clem said, “but I was just so proud of myself and what I was accomplishing. The last 100m of the swim, when I saw the last buoy, I started tearing up and had to snap myself out of it… I remember telling myself: ‘If you cry, your goggles will fill up, and we can’t have that happen!'”
“I got emotional the last kilometre of the bike because I knew I just had the run left to do,” she continued. “And I started sobbing like a baby the last kilometre of the run – not out of pain, but out of pure joy. That really was the ‘I’m actually going to do this’ moment. I was also much faster in each discipline than I thought I would be, and I had a moment of thinking that I really needed to believe in myself more, because this whole ‘adventure’ really showed me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. Yes, I’m tearing up right now just thinking about it!”
Advice for Anyone Considering Their First 70.3
When asked what advice they would offer someone considering taking on their first 70.3, Shan’s answer was immediate: “Get a coach! Having someone you can ask questions, bounce ideas off of, and trust throughout the process is incredibly valuable. Even better, find a community. I train with Mile2Marathon, and having both a coach and group training sessions made a huge difference. It made the process more fun and gave me confidence when I doubted myself.”
“I would also tell people that 70.3 races are not just for elite or sub-elite athletes,” she continued. “They are for everyone. There are people of all ages, backgrounds, and paces out there. You do not have to be ‘fast’ to belong. You just have to be willing to try your best and work hard.”
When asked why athletes should consider doing a 70.3, Clem’s answer was simple: “To satisfy your sense of adventure, see how far you can push your limits, build confidence, and build community.”
And Shan left us with this thought:
“Because doing hard things is deeply rewarding.
As adults, it’s easy for life to become all about work and responsibilities. Having something outside of work that you genuinely care about and are excited to work toward is such a gift.
Training for a 70.3 challenged me physically and mentally, but it also brought me joy, community, and confidence. There is something incredibly satisfying about working hard toward a big, scary goal and discovering that you’re capable of more than you thought.
And honestly, I think everyone deserves to have something in their life that makes them feel that way.”
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