Virtual Tri and OTiS Ideas

[Team OTC]

Hey Team,

Todd is looking into holding an OTC virtual triathlon and perhaps even coming up with a way to complete the OTiS for 2020! This thread is for your ideas on how to make that happen. Have you done a virtual tri? What did you like/not like? How can we do the OTiS? Please share your ideas.

G

[Allan Norris]

I've tried the Ironman VR races twice with no success (sprint and Olympic distances).

I did the runs on a treadmill and my Garmin app uploaded to the Ironman app successfully, however, my bike stats did not upload at all.

No worth doing them in my opinion.

Al.

[Andrew Weston]

Al,

yeah, i've been doing the Ironman VC challenges and races, with middling success, their online app has issues synching data.  but i am being persistant - and filling their HelpDesk inbox with emails - and i have had SOME success completing Challanges and VR races. i agree, not recommend we try to base our races on theirs.

we could base off SportStats Virtual Triathlons/Duathlons

we could do our own thing - ie, "do a triathlon in a day" and make it verifiable in Strava.  we need a common platform, as many people don't have smart trainers or even treadmills or GPS watches.  i think the honour system is fine for us, eg, a manual entry into Strava is fine.

Andrew

[tkibb...@gmail.com]

I agree Andrew: an honor system is fine.
Duo/tri/run activity in a day would be great (with tri a try/sprint/oly/ half distances all acceptable). Otis type activites would be neat. We might even make attending a SaM as one of the activities!

[Andrew Weston]

I agree completely, attendance at one/each of the club's virtual offerings included - we aren't trying to make this "qualify-for-the-Olympics" hard, OTiS is participation-based.  So what kind of a list can we draw up right now:

triathlon-in-a-day

duathlon-in-a-day

swim (assumed to be open water at some point this summer)

run

bike ride

aquathon-on-a-day

for the above, all distances are up to the participant

online SAM with Geordie

online spin with either Geordie, Steve, Andrew/Julie

Webinar with Geordie

anything else?  lets keep the ideas coming

have fun

Andrew

[Michael Snook]

Great ideas so far. Strava is probably the cheapest and easiest way to track, maybe leveraging the OTC Strava Club, since one can record activities with different devices.

How about SAM-bike-run instead of swim-bike-run? Maybe do some that are time-based instead of distance-based, say, 20'-60'-30'
Could also leverage the different challenges on Strava, such as the 5km/10km/21.1km and total distance run challenges, same for cycling.
Like Andrew noted, hopefully we'll be able to do open water swims this summer.

Assuming we can ride in Gatineau Park eventually, maybe completing a Gatineau Park Loop.
Also, as a multi-leg challenge that could be completed on a single day or on multiple days, riding all of the NCC Sunday Bike Day routes: Colonel-By, SJAM, SGEC, Gatineau Park

[Dave King]

All are great ideas.  My only 1 cent worth would be to promote at least one Virtual portion for the OTiS award.  It's been mentioned before: The award is more for group participation rather than competition.

[Christine Bogie]

This is an interesting list and a good start.

 

However making certain scheduled events part of the list assumes that everyone has the ability to do them. A good example are the SAMs. Most are during the work day. If you’re doing shift work/working at home/home schooling/working longer hours or a combination thereof, they’re next to impossible to do.

 

Requiring a spin class also assumes that everyone has that specific technology at home. It’s a similar situation with Strava. People shouldn’t be forced to sign up for an account to participate. It was never a requirement in the past nor should it be now. Besides, it’s either on the honour system or it’s not.  Manual entry won’t change that.

 

If the goal is to drive group participation in the virtual classes, this is fine and require both the SAM and spin. However, if the goal is to allow personal participation, then it automatically limits participation to those with the schedule flexibility and technology.

 

In previous years, the OTIS had only required generic events as opposed to specific ones e.g. a bike event vs. a Gatineau loop. That allowed for more flexibility for personal schedules/budgets and preferences.

 

My suggestion is to require volunteering at two charities. After all, OTC brands itself as a “social enterprise”. Members who volunteer (i.e. do social good) would actually make that a reality.

[Team OTC]

Christine, I was going to email this reply to you but feel it is best shared openly partly as a response to your public post. 

My question to you is if we're not already a social enterprise, what is the OTC? I just checked the Wikipedia definition and it is almost exactly what we are except for one important difference. "A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being—this may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners." Those last four words can be deleted since Todd, Steve and I volunteer our time to run the club, just like all the coaches volunteer their time. 

Whether you appreciate the OTC and our contribution to it or not is of no importance to me. What does matter is your inference that we are misrepresenting ourselves.

Also, if you have questions for us I would encourage you to email us directly instead of Tweeting or posting on the public forum.

Geordie

[Christine Bogie]

My apologies if your feelings have been hurt. While I agree that there is no legal definition and the term is used for marketing purposes. Please take a look at HIgh Jinx and Cycle Salvation.

 

These are social enterprises, doing good in our community. By comparison OTC is a private club serving only its members. 

[Lisa Rosenkrantz]

May I humbly suggest that email is too flat to express, different points of view.  If this is important perhaps a zoom call for those interested might be a better way of gaining some understanding of where everyone is coming from, and also allow the opportunity to ask questions.

LIsa

[Team OTC]

Sure, Christine - a private club it is. I'm very proud of our private club as it is run by volunteers on a cost-recovery basis and anyone can join to benefit from the supportive, community atmosphere. I'm glad I've had the chance to clarify for you. 

With this topic complete, I will lock this thread and ask anyone with input on the virtual tri and otis to please email ottawa.triathlon at google.com and I'll forward the ideas to Todd.