Welcome to Part 3 of our continuing series where we get to know both our awesome RD's and a bit more about the races on our 2011 calendar. Our focus today will be on RD Garth Millar (who also happens to be the Tri NB ED) and his rapidly growing Hampton Ladies Triathlon / Duathlon taking place on June 12! For those of you who have met Garth, you'll know that he has an "on" switch but no "off" switch..never a dull moment in his life! Let's take a few minutes and hear straight from the man himself about what makes him tick and his plans for 2011.
Tell us a bit about yourself Garth and how you became involved with triathlon and the sporting community?
When I was young, sport was something you watched on television not something you did yourself. I had a very brief unsuccessful career in motorcycle trials, never got picked for anything at school and my drunken boss at my first job kicked my ass at badminton. Truth is, when I was a kid my Mum always said I had no stamina and 35 odd years on my brother still constantly reminds me of that. The defining moment was seeing Julie Moss crawling toward the finish line in Hawaii…it triggered something in me even though I didn’t swim, bike or run at the time.
Luckily I’m a little pigheaded and stubborn and even with my lack of sporting prowess as a kid I was still dumb enough to figure that “I could do that”!
How did you end up in a Race Director role and how have you seen your race grow over the past few years? Care to share any exciting details about the 2011 event?
For 2011at the Hampton Ladies Triathlon we will be having Atlantic Chip timing the event for the first time in its 3 year history and we will be adding a Ladies Only Duathlon. It’s a great relaxed introduction to the sport of triathlon away from some of the other testosterone (sorry guys) fuelled races on the calendar.
What developments do you foresee in the triathlon and sporting community in NB in the coming years? Any trends that you see emerging or key areas of focus you would like sporting orgs like Tri NB to capitalize on?
It seems there is a trend towards the Tri a Tri concept which means that people can enter the sport over shorter distances without the fear of having to undertake a heavy training regime for their first race. Hopefully these folks will enjoy their experience and continue in the sport over longer distances. I keep hearing how we live in the poorest, fattest city (Saint John) in Canada, so anything that can be done to encourage families to become active is good in my eyes. I also see off-road duathlon / triathlon as a way to attract the mountain bike community to our sport. It’s important to be as inclusive as possible and this could be a great way to boost our participation numbers.
We need to focus on developing our KOS program to encourage our kids to get off the computer and be active.
What keeps you busy in your spare time? Racing, mountain biking, family fun, travel, camping, reading, community / charitable involvement, watching movies…anything you’d care to share with us?
Spare time, are you serious? I have an almost fanatical interest in music, just discovering Traffic and idolise Eric Clapton. Quick plug for the greatest radio show anywhere – www.soundsofblue.com – just click on the Playback link!
Any book by Terry Brooks or Carl Hiaasen are sure to be awesome. I love shovelling snow, cutting the grass but loathe racking leaves which I will be re-united with when the snow thaws – sigh.
It’s no secret that I’m getting on in years, so it’s kind of fun to see if I can still race as fast (which is a subjective term) as I did when I was younger. Would like to get my marathon time down to close to 3 hours again later this year and maybe in 2012 I’d like to try for a PR for the Ironman.
How is the 2011 race shaping up for you? Anything in particular you are focusing on? For example, increased participation, sponsorship, volunteers, etc?
The Hampton Ladies Tri/Du is all about participation, I see it as an introduction to our great sport. The top ladies will still be racing but I love to see the folks who turn up and have a go – that’s what the sport us all about.
Where can people find information about your race to sign up or contact info if they have questions?
Atlantic Chip is a great place to find info on our race, just look under the race date of June 12 2011 or e-mail me with questions at garth@seelystreet.com. We will also have a Facebook page for the race.
I’m really excited about our new 10K race at Saint John Airport, it will actually be run on parts of the runway. We are having a 10k, 5k and a Kids 1 mile fun run. I want to attract the running community but also people who are new to running and just fancy trying the event because of the novelty factor.
Tentative plans are also underway to host a mountain bike duathlon in Rockwood Park. I see off-road multi-sport as a growth area for Tri NB.
How does your race appeal to youth and encouraging them to get involved in the sport?
We will host a specific wave start for 14/15 year old females. We have to attract younger people into our sport so to take part in an all-female event is, I think, appealing to them.
Favourite pastime to relax and forget about the stresses of the day?
Guinness with a whiskey chaser! Music helps as well… recently it was the Crossroads Guitar Festival and tonight could be Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton at Madison Square Garden.
Always been a big motorsports fan so closely follow MotoGP, World Superbikes, Nascar & Formula 1. Big fan of Valentino Rossi (the Goat – Greatest Of All Time), 9 time World Champion in the premier class.
Favourite food, drink, country / state visited and dream job?
Cinnamon & Raisin Bagel with Cream Cheese or Nutella. Erdinger Beer. Trying to cut down on chocolate and bread which is proving difficult.
Austria is the most spectacular, picture postcard country in the world, Stockholm the greatest city. Pick a marathon or a major Triathlon and go there to race, it’s a great way to see a city or country from a very unique perspective.
Dream job? Hhmm,.. pro golfer or golf coach.
If I won the lottery I would buy a ????????? bike and spend some time in ??????? for a training / cycling vacation.
I’m easily pleased so a Specialized Roubaix would be nice, I’d fly my brother and sister-in-law over from N.Ireland, rent a massive RV and ride across America. Keith and I would ride while Helena and Flo played support role in the RV. 75- 100 miles a day!
Biggest pet peeve?
At the moment Floyd Landis! Also, idiots who drive with their dog on their lap. Dear Reader, if you happen to be one of these people I make no apologies, cause your dog is on your lap and you are probably texting at the same time – did I mention that these people are idiots.
The one race I would like to complete in my lifetime is ??????
The Tour De France or Giro. It’s never going to happen but wouldn’t it be fun to live the life of a pro cyclist for a while and find out just how hard these races really are. By the way I would prefer to be a Jens Voigt or a Laurent Jalabert rather than a Lance or a Marco Pantani (even though he climbed like an angel!)
The best race I have ever participated in was ????????
Portaferry International Triathlon 1993 – this was a huge race in Northern Ireland, a couple of Americans traveled over for it. We had to cross on a ferry to the start and swim back. The race was timed to start at 12.31pm at slack tide as the crossing of Strangford Lough is one of the strongest currents. An awesome race which came to an end all too soon as the short sighted farmers of Portaferry didn’t want the roads blocked by bikes all day.
The thing I am most proud of is ????????
In no particular order:
My gorgeous Great Dane – Sapphire, who passed away several years ago.
My wonderful wife and Director Sportive extraordinaire – Helena.
Running a profitable Travel Business in England for 12 years.
My 2hr 59min 53sec marathon in Dublin.
The most important thing about my race I would like people to know is ____________________.
That it’s a fun, no-pressure event designed for ladies to come out and take
part in a relaxed environment.
Any words of encouragement for those who may be thinking of racing but have not made the leap yet and are watching from the sidelines?
Just come and have a go, do not feel under any pressure, we are there to make sure you finish the race with as much encouragement as possible. Triathlon can be intimidating but not at our race.
Who is your favourite athlete of all time and why?
Paul Rogers – no-one will know Paul as he is a friend of mine form the UK. Paul is a 2hr 35min marathoner, 9hr 36min Ironman, winner of Tough Guy and the toughest athlete I have ever known. Paul is also the most humble and unassuming person you could ever meet, he will ride and run with anyone of any ability and will never half wheel or try to drop you on a ride or run. I wish there were more Paul’s in the world.
Great stuff Garth. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us and we will see you out at the races!
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