Evan Pemberton: All you ever wanted to know !

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, the name Evan Pemberton should be familiar to you. The man has been tearing up race courses with reckless abandon on the East Coast this year and is currently riding a huge hot streak of 8(?) consecutive wins. Check out race results on atlanticchip.ca if you need further proof. When he sets his sights on a race you can be sure he comes prepared. Based on his success and status as Tri NB Male Athlete of the Year in 2010, it's safe to say that he has a target on his back when he is at a tri or du.

We thought we'd catch up with EP and spend a bit of time getting to know him, find out what makes him tick, and hopefully shed some light on his secrets to finishing on top.

TriNB: Evan, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became involved with triathlon. Any race highlights or notable accomplsihments you're proud of?

EP: A little about Evan – I’ve got a Masters in Civil Engineering from UNB. I work for the Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council as a Consultant. I grew up all over Canada. My father is a Military man, so I’ve actually lived in many Provinces. I went to High School in Moncton at Harrison Trimble.

If I were to blame someone for my addiction to triathlon/duathlon, it would be Chris Gairns. He and I ran on the UNB team together for several years, and naturally, we developed a pretty solid friendship. If you know us, you can see why we get along well as friends – he’s quiet and reserved, I’m loud and outspoken.

I have one highlight that has always stuck out in my mind – 2007 Duathlon Nationals in Parry Sound Ontario. It was my first victory in a multisport event, and the first time I realized how strong I was on the bike. I still ride the same frame (P2SL) that I won that race with.

Most Notable Accomplishment – the first and only (to date) Student/Athlete to receive the R.H. McLaughlin Scholarship and Academic All-Canadian honours in the same year at the University of New Brunswick.

TriNB: Are you currently sponsored by any companies / bike shops / other?

EP: Pemberton Plumbing is my sponsor. No current affiliation with any bike shops. I have close ties with UNB XC and represent them at every race. I recently joined Southeast Storm.

TriNB: Random unrelated question: ever have time for TV? Any fave shows you watch when you're NOT training?

EP: Southpark or Big Bang Theory.

TriNB: What about sports / cycling on TV? Do you prefer watching the Classics races or the Grand Tours like the Giro and TDF?

EP: I only know about any of these because Gairns is a huge fan and I always get interested through his interest. I don’t follow on my own. (ed. note: BLASPHEMY!)

TriNB: Seriously, no love for cycling on TV? Ok then, moving on then to another ridiculous question: You can have dinner with 4 people (alive or deceased)..who are they and why have dinner with them specifically?

EP: Zombies? No thanks...but seriously...

Ray William Johnson – I would ask him about his rise to stardom.
Avril Lavigne – I would ask her to dinner, in hopes that it would lead to other things....like a chart topping single – I can sing!!!!
Philip Morris – I’ve always wondered how it all started...
Jamie Oliver – he’s just cool.

TriNB: Ha...classic! I can only imagine you warming up with Avril cranked in the ipod...hmmm. What keeps you busy in your spare time apart from racing?

EP: I don’t really have any other hobbies. Triathlon is my main hobby. There is a lot to know, if you really want to use triathlon as a gateway to a healthy and rewarding lifestyle, which I do. Anything I read is usually health or sport related. I don’t watch TV much, or movies.

TriNB: How is the 2011 race season shaping up for you? Obviously extremely well based on your current record. Upcoming races, Ironman’s or anything like that?

EP: The 2011 season has been great. For the first time I had a huge base coming into the season, which started for me in early May. For the summer racing/training schedule, I developed a training program that allowed me to put in two quality workouts a week, and race on weekends.

I had my heart set on the ½ Iron in Mactaquac at the end of the August. I think it is one of the toughest 1/2 IM races and I was looking to put down a good time. Most of my training throughout the summer was setting me up to perform well at the ½ Iron in Mactaquac.

TriNB: Bike set up? Care to share your bike specs, and any tricks for race day set up / hydration etc.?

EP: Bike Set-up:
Frame - Rocking the P2SL from several years ago.
Wheels: Rear: HED Jet Disc, Front: HED H3C
Components: Ultegra
Hydration: Perpetum (bike), eLoad (run), Gu gels
Race Day tricks – I “dance like no one is looking” during my warm-up. Helps me relax.

TriNB: So, now that we know you have "mad love" for Avril, let's keep the fun and harassment going..Evan prefers (a) Justin Bieber, (b) Miley Cyrus or (c) Black Eyed Peas?

EP: Justin who? Miley Cyrus “it’s the climb” gets me every time...BEP, well, I like their music...or should I say Will.i.am’s music?

TriNB: All time favourite workout or ride? When, where?

EP: 25 x 400m on 1’45 (75 pace w/ 30 sec recovery). I did this workout with Chris Gairns and Cliff W-R when we were getting ready to go to National Long Course Duathlon in Richmond Virginia in 2007. We met at 7am at the UNB track and just did it. It was killer!

TriNB: Based on the number of races you enter, you love to compete…why? What is it that fuels your passion for sport and competition?

EP: If I were to blame someone for my love of the sport and a true passion for competition, it would be Mike Davis. Believe it or not, there was one point in time when Mike and I spent hours each day together. As many people know, it’s hard to say no to Mike’s reasoning for doing/trying things...the guy survived serious illness...if he says you should try something because it’s a great experience, you should.

The reason I’m competing so much more this year in comparison to past years is my want for competition. In December I had moved to Vancouver to live with my girlfriend who is attending UBC Physiotherapy. I knew going out that I would be faced with a short race season, maybe three races, and that made me sad.

I really enjoy racing. There is nothing quite like getting together with a bunch of like-minded people and competing. When I found out that I was coming back to the East Coast I decided that I was going to race as much as I could. I wanted to take advantage of all the events that the East Coast had to offer me. I also wanted to attempt to use the races as training – something that I had always wanted to try, but I was never knew enough about myself to make it happen.

TriNB: Gotcha. Let's get back to training: can you share with us a week in the training life of EP? Key workouts, distances, speed work, swims etc. Any tips for those just getting started in the sport and aspire to cross the finish line ahead of you?

EP: My typical training week includes about 10 workouts. I will train anywhere from 14-18hrs. One of the things about my training week is that I do not have days off. Active recovery works best for me. I get more out of doing two hours of easy training then taking a day completely off. I never train hard during the week. My reasoning for this is simple – I love training, and I want to keep it that way. From a racing perspective, when I race every weekend, which is essentially what happened this year, the races turn out to be the hardest workouts. I wear a heart rate monitor for everything – knowledge is power. I keep all my training simple so I can draw comparisons easily.

TriNB: Favourite pastime to relax and forget about the stresses of the day?

EP: My favourite pastime is training. When I’m stressed, nothing makes me feel better then to go for a jog, or hit the trainer for an hour, or jump in the pool for drills and casual 50’s.

TriNB: Alright, how about your favourite food, drink, country / state / Province visited?

EP: Favourite food – Fresh Pizza w/ artichoke hearts, banana peppers, black olives, feta
Drink – Fresh Carrot Juice
Country – Switzerland
State – Massachusetts
Province – New Brunswick (I’ve been to every Province and NB does it for me)

TriNB: If lady luck shines on you and you strike it rich at the casino or a lottery, what would you do with all the $$$$?

EP: If I won the lottery I would buy a tour bus to travel to all the local races. I would hire a driver and go around picking up all the athletes who wanted to race. I would do this for every race in the Maritimes. It would be awesome to have the ability to travel to these races without having to worry about planning hotels or worrying about food – a tour bus would have everything!

TriNB: So far it sounds like you are a hardcore training fanatic but laid back at the same time? There must be something that gets under your skin? Anything?

EP: My biggest pet peeve in triathlon is not knowing what my position is during a race. Longer races tend to incorporate other distances on the same course. At certain points, there are athletes from many different distances on the same course at the same time. Add then the looped courses and it’s hard for the racers to keep track of who is in their race. This all becomes even more confusing when the spectators and race organizers, and their lack of awareness, attempt to encourage you, but do not know what position you are in.

TriNB: Funniest race moment for you from a past race?

EP: Funny things happen during races?? There have been many races where I have finished the race and no one knows, except chip timing...that is always funny to me.

TriNB: How about transition zone setup: any tricks or special set up details that work well for you?

EP: I put baby powder in my shoes in an attempt to reduce bare foot blistering during races. That's about it..no giving away secrets here!

TriNB: What's the best race you have ever participated in and why?

EP: I have yet to participate in a triathlon that has blown me away. There are a lot of local races that are awesome for local events, but when I want to classify the “best race” it has to have everything from an expo to meeting the pro’s to the Race Directors knowing my name.

TriNB: EP is most proud of.....?

EP: My ability to differentiate between easy, medium and hard.

TriNB: Any role models you look up to, fave athletes or anything like that?

EP: I don’t have a favourite athlete, but I do like to be motivated by the accomplishments of others. I look at the things that others have done and try to imagine what it would take for me to do those things...if any of those things seems reasonable, I give them a try.

TriNB: Sounds fair enough, anything else we have not covered you want to say or comment on?

EP: I can't think of anything right now but I'm sure 5 minutes from now something will come up that I should have mentioned! Apart from that, I'm looking forward to finishing off the 2011 race season with a bang. See you out at the races!