Leading Edge Triathlon Club

Many of us have epic rides we remember. Ride for Cancer, Whistler GranFondo, Triple Heart, Ride to California etc. How about riding across the USA? At age 21? On a Tandem?  Meet Caitlin Wittreich

Where are you from?

I am from Tenafly, NJ. It is a suburb of New York City. It is hard for people to understand the geography around that area. . Getting into New York from my house is about 7 miles (11k). My hometown is plastered on my favorite bike kit (honorary Tenafly Road Dawg!) so you will get to know the name. New Jersey is a STATE (3rd state into the Union) and where I am from is nothing like the Jersey Shore (never watched it but people comment on it and I can only imagine – please don’t associate New Jersey with that! Please!). We’re classy in Northern New Jersey….Ten-a-so-fly!

What is your profession?

I’m an architect ‘in training’. It is a long and arduous road! It starts with a professional degree, 3-4 years of hours working in specific categories in the field, and writing 7 exams. I am close to being done my hours and have a few more exams to write. Once those are done, you have an oral interview with your state or province of legislation in which you hopefully pass and will then get your license . I am working on being registered in Oregon because I went to graduate school there and have a real connection to the state (University of Oregon is in Track Town USA, large part of the reason I went to school there as well as being one of the top sustainable architecture schools!). Not that I am moving back there, I think Canada is home for an indeterminate amount of time…

I know this may be a long description of the process but many people aren’t aware of it! I like to educate where I can ; ) And we don’t make nearly as much money as doctors and lawyers, just to clarify that common misperception…..

What are your passions?

Outside of work? Anything athletic really. I am always up to something on the weekend, usually in the mountains. I love hiking, snowshoeing and cycling (it used to be running until I got burnt out from it). But it is the Double A – Architecture and Athletics. I’ve found myself designing recreation facilities, which combines my two passions in life and it is so incredible. I never realized in school that this could be a perfect fit for me but it is. Recreation design is one of the largest sectors of work the architecture firm I work for does, which is why I have been there close to 5.5 years. It is my only interview and only job after architecture school (how did I get to Canada though, eh?)

My family is also really important to me and I keep strong connections with them. It is really hard to live far away but I love the west coast. I am constantly torn but I get back to visit every 4-6 months which isn’t bad but I miss them, everyday…i love my niece and nephews SO much. My brother thinks I trying to always infiltrate their wardrobes with Canadian gear, she attached pic. he he.

I love to travel (well who doesn’t? ) and have done quite a bit in my life but it gets hard to do that with work and vacation weeks that I mostly use up to fly home to see family. But I love Europe sooo much, the architecture and urban design…aaaaaaahhh.

Boardgames, lots and lots of boardgames.

How long have you been in Triathlon?

I competed in my first triathlon in 2008 (Iron Mountain – Maple Ridge), I threw up all over the place right before the start in anticipation of the swim because I didn’t know what to expect. I thought I would be dead last out of the water. Well, to my surprise I wasn’t, although I did sustain a nice kick to the face, and I ran out of the water so elated realizing how much fun I was having!!

What sports were you involved in before triathlon?

I have mostly a runner background because that is what took me to university on a full-scholarship so I ran for quite a few years. (Rutgers NCAA Division 1) Other than that, my family was a member of a ‘club’ (named the Englewood Field Club – like a country club w/o golf) where I took lessons and competed in swimming, tennis, hockey (only girl on team), figure skating, paddleball, squash and bowling. But the funny thing is, that despite all those lessons and competitions, I was best at soccer and track and participated in those in high school. I love soccer so much but since moving to Vancouver, I’ve ended up playing ultimate frisbee which I absolutely love! I play in the fall and summer on Team Awesome!

What has been your most memorable sports experience to date and why?

There are a few. The most exciting race I ran was the NJ State Group 3 Championship 800m where I was being chased down by this girl who was tugging on my shirt in the final stretch and then pushed me which caused me to trip across the finish line. I didn’t even know I had won and kept asking the officials and when I found out I did, I was crying because I had just won a state title!

In soccer, it would have been beating the top seed Ramsey in soccer in the County championship in high school. We were the last seed in the tournament and didn’t think we would ever have a chance against these girls!

In college, it was running my best time in the 1500m at UPenn senior year. It was the first race I had felt so strong the entire length clocking a PR.

In triathlon, it was finishing my first Olympic Distance race at the Self Transcendence Race in Victoria. That is my favorite triathlon – so beautiful! Then the next year I went hoping to break my goal of 2:45 and killed it feeling amazing the entire race.

What are your goals for 2012?

To lose 10lbs, get fit again, and get ready for New Zealand!

Who are/were your sports heroes?

I don’t necessarily have any but Steve Prefontaine and Tracktown USA Eugene Oregon made me yearn to live out west and be a part of a historical running community. While in architecture school, I worked the scoreboard for 3 years for all the track meets at Hayward field. That town, that track, is my inspiration….

But my dad has really always been my biggest inspiration. He’s biked across Canada, the USA 2 times, the whole Mississippi River, he has hiked the AT, climbed Mt. Whitney, run 13 marathons…the list goes on. My love for nature, sports, and big ambitions in life stems from my father.

Mom, you know you are my hero in other ways ; )

What do LETC members not know about you?

• I biked across the USA with my father on a tandem bicycle from St. Augustine, Florida to San Diego, California. My dad was 70 and I was 21. It took 50 consecutive days and we average about 60 miles (97kms)/day! The most amazing trip ever!
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• I was 11lbs 11ozs when i was born.

• I’ve had a variety of nicknames in my lifetime including Duck, Moose, Phatcait, Donna, Hattrick Wittreich, Rack, Tit-reich, Boatie, Diggityyo, Gonger…..etc.  lol.

• I hate showering in the morning.

• I almost drowned in cow shit in Ireland when I was 3.

• My uncle made the US Olympic Trials in the late 1940′s in the mile but lost his shoe at the beginning of the race because someone had stepped on it, running the entire distance with one foot shoeless on a CINDER track (ouch!) only to just miss getting 3rd and making the Olympic team. He is turning 86 this year…

• There is a star in the sky named after me (ex-boyfriend, haha)

• I have a bipartite patella in my left knee

• I am very competitive at board games

• I wish I could read more but I don’t have the attention span

• You might not know me yet but this picture pretty much summarizes me : D