Great White North Triathlon: first half Ironman distance July 1, 2012
I still can’t believe that I did a half Ironman distance… I always thought that OD would be my farthest distance because I just thought you had to be crazy to do a half Ironman and even crazier to do a full. I remember sitting in a meeting one day at my office in Banff and a lady from our marketing department had just finished IMC at that point I thought it was an amazing accomplishment and that I would never do triathlons… I guess I was very wrong
July 1, 2012 came very quickly I know that I had done all my training and Hawaii helped so much in this process and all the training I had been doing all year… It is funny how sometimes you start to doubt yourself just before a race, and then you just have to give yourself a slap in the face! As the training has been done and now it is time to go out and have fun with everything that you have trained for.
I had soooooo much support on race day, before race day, during race day. I think I was going a little crazy 2 weeks prior to the race it was like I could not remember things and my focus on everything was soooo short. The day prior to the race I went out with the team and that helped me mentally in a big way everyone was so patient and Leslie Anne (LA) was so supportive telling me where all the aid stations were and making me laugh
It was now race morning and I was very nervous but I managed to eat and I felt very organized and ready. I have a great second coach, my husband Jaison. I really don’t think I could have done this without him he was so incredibly patient and knew what I needed even if I did not…. It was like he was the other side of my brain that morning and weeks prior…. Also having my dad there meant the world he was supportive in other ways and just knowing that he was there helped. My friend Amber knew how to make me laugh and has been an amazing supporter and she will be very honest with me which I greatly appreciate. I just knew that morning that I had so many friends and family thinking of me that I knew I could do this.
It was time to go to the beach it was quite nerve racking one by one everyone going down to the beach and starting all together. I am a strong swimmer so I knew I could do it just needed to breathe. I found LA as I knew where she was starting it was so nice to see her, and of course I was so nervous the tears started… but LA calmed me down and made me breath thank you for that LA your support will never be forgotten! Then my friend Amber turned up and we were able to start together, now I know she could have gone in the middle where she likes to start but she did not she wanted to start with me and that meant the world, what are friends for!
Off the gun went. I stayed on the far left and stayed calm and to my surprise it did not take me long to get into a good pace. I only had one man try to swim over me and the funny thing was he had all the room in the world! So I just started kicking harder and I think that scared him off Second lap, waved at Jaison and my dad I knew I had this in the bag! Second loop was good back into my pace and then I was done the swim.
Then came the bike…. I had no idea that it was raining but unfortunately it was… thank goodness I left a long sleeve shirt in T1. Left T1 and off I went. Once I was out on the road I was being passed left and right so often and then one person passed me on the right, grrrrr. I struggled on this bike ride mentally, at times I felt like I was going know where and I know this is not a hard course. It was pouring rain and I was entering into a negative space. But I was not going to give up. The one thing that got me through the rain was thinking of my friend that is just a little older than me that is battling cancer for the 3 time, she was with me for this whole ride and yes at times I caught myself talking to myself or imagining that she was with me and would not let me give up, I kept telling myself what I was doing was nothing compared to what she was going through and that is what helped me push. I finally got to the turn around, and had to stop to use the outhouse or else I would not make it back, to my surprise there was a line up!
Off I went I was now on my way home and the rain was tapering. Once I could see the town I knew then I could finish this race. As I came near T2 I saw the TTL tent my dad and Jaison were cheering but I could not make eye contact as the tears were not going to come yet Off my bike I got running shoes one and off I went! I felt happy and ready to finish this. I was thankful to know that I had to do this one part of the run twice, thank you TTL! I decided that I would walk through the aid stations and that worked well for me. I have to say that I loved the oranges! I was smiling throughout the run and it was so great to see other TTL team mates along the route. On my way back I said to one of the volunteers I can’t believe that I am going to finish a half Ironman! The end was near and I was smiling and so excited, the last aid station I grabbed some coke that was the best thing ever at that point. I met up with this one lady at the end that I will never forget she lived in near Stony Plain we chatted the whole way in. I could see the TTL tent and I knew I had done it! I could hear lots of wonderful people yelling my name, my dad whistling and having a proud father moment, now I just had to hold it together, Angie yelled out that Jaison was at the corner when I saw Jaison it was a like this overwhelming feeling of happiness and such a surreal moment, a moment that I thought I would never have, but I did Now I am a half Ironman chick!
My goal for this race was to finish and finish healthy with a smile on my face, and I accomplished that. Thank you Angie for being such a fantastic coach through this process I could not have done it without you, I look forward to many more races Now it is on to my next race Calgary 70.3……
Thanks for reading everyone!
Sarah Van Tine
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Leslie-Anne's GWN Race Report July 1, 2012
GWN 2012 Race Report
For the fourth year in a row, I signed up for this race. I approached this race as prep for Calgary 70.3. I needed to figure out a few things and GWN would be the place to do so.
I headed out of town with fellow TTL’ers, Tara, Nola and Jenny. Roger followed up later with Tara’s bike and mine. It is always a fun ride with “girl talk” race stories and a good sense of camaraderie was established.
Check in to the hotel and headed off to the pre race banquet.
As it was “game day”, I was dressed in my Rider gear; I did have my TTL jacket with me of course. I will say, I was not alone in my green and white; I followed the game via text messages and was very pleased with the end result. A Rider win is always a good thing!
This year the vibe was a bit different to get race packages, no ATA number, no package, no personal i.d., no package. Orange bracelet to wear all weekend, tattoo numbers, wow, GWN has kicked it up a notch. I enjoyed the venues and the apparel that was for sale was varied. I did pick up a nice jacket, not in the orange and black colours as were the jerseys, too much like Halloween!
Good meal, good laughs and cold beer only $4.00 a can. I only had one beer, wanted more but only had one. We did not stay for the meeting, and headed back to the hotel to get some much needed rest.
Saturday morning we met for a pre race ride of the run course. That was a great way to see the course from a different point of view and I believe was beneficial for those that have not done the course before. I enjoyed the nice weather; the sun was warming my pasty white skin, all was good. A quick brick and that was it, we were done. I decided I wasn’t going to do a pre race swim, as we could not get in the water until 2:00pm. I did not want to run the risk of my wet suit still being wet the next day.
Tara and I headed to transition to set up our bikes and soon I was back at the hotel to settle in for the rest of the day. A rare occasion occurred this particular race; Roger and I were “kidless”! We could just hang out, watch some TV that included some CFL football (not the Riders but still CFL).
Prepped my fuel for the race, Infinit, 3 bottles, froze two and had one ready for my front aero-bottle. My run fuel was ready to add water, packed my bags and finally settled down.
My usual GWN pre race dinner of cooked chicken and quinoa salad from Safeway was enjoyed. I also enjoyed my pre race 40 Creek Rye on ice, soooo tasty!
I was just getting into a classic Ingrid Bergman (black and white no less) movie and Roger said, “Ok, that’s it, time for bed” What? “It’s almost 10pm you are up early and you need sleep”. Like a good little girl I went to bed. **Sigh** Roger is a helluva manager I am lucky! I did have a good night’s sleep as a result!
Race Day:
Up and at ‘em around 4:45am with breakfast of 2 pkgs of instant oatmeal. Met the gang downstairs, grabbed a coffee and we were off to the swim start. I didn’t expect Roger to come along but I am always thankful when he does. We gave Trevor and John a lift and getting there in good time allowed for Roger to get a decent parking spot for his escape afterwards.
Mother Nature was good to me and I decided not to take the Imodium, a mad scramble for Angie though and I did find her some and as a result she loves me! HA! J
As much as I was laughing and joking with everyone I still had a moment with Roger where I was nervous and self-doubt was trying to creep in. He got me to dismiss those thoughts and sent me to my bike with a hug and a kiss. At least I remembered to put the zinc on after I kissed him this year!
Swim:
Headed to my spot on the beach and saw Sarah Van Tine, who was doing her 1st half. She was nervous and I totally understand where she was coming from. I just looked at her with as much peace and calm that I could muster for her and I hope that she was able to take from me what I was giving her.
I was sad that I missed singing “Oh Canada”, but I was able to watch the clock and when it went off I was ready.
The goo and “odor” of Hubbles Lake has not changed! The water was warm and I found my space very quickly and headed towards the bouy. The one bit of feedback that I would like to give the race director is the colour of the men’s swim caps needs to be changed. Orange caps/orange buoys, kind of confusing at 1st for this old gal!
The Power Bar arch was a HUGE improvement and it was so easy to site the shore for the get-out-and-run-back-in spot. I heard the cheering and was very pleased to hear Roger call my name before I headed back in to the goo and water.
I pressed on for the 2nd loop and still enjoy just being able to swim and not count laps!
As I exited the water I was able to get my suit unzipped much easier than I did at Wasa perhaps it was because I could feel my hands on my suit as they weren’t frozen? Got my suit stripped and found my bike on the 1st try! (I have been known to miss it).
Swim: 35:35 Good enough for 1st in my AG! PB as well!
Transition wasn’t too bad. I had decided to wear my bike jersey, as the weather didn’t look too promising. Speaking of which, the weather forecast stated rain around 2 or 3pm. It ended up backwards.
I was comfortable with my transition execution and I was on the bike ready for the next stage of the race.
Bike:
As I spun up the hill, I was taking in some Infinit right away. For the 1st time it actually tasted decent! Probably due to the fact I was thirsty and needed to rinse out the Hubbles Lake taste. It was great to see Roger as I turned left he said I was right on time! J
I always find the 1st 10-15k of the bike interesting. This time the added attraction of rain made it more challenging. I know I have a decent swim time and what “gets” me is all the athletes, in particular the guys who are hell bent for election right from the get go. So few yelled “on your left”, I may not be the fastest cyclist but their need for speed had me riding a bit more cautious as I did not wish to be hit or called for blocking as they all jockeyed for positions riding past me.
I was glad when I could settle into my pace and aerobars. Once I got going I sipped on my infinit as one of my goals was to ensure I consumed all 3 bottles on the course. I did miss my arm warmers and my toes got cold as well so my toe covers would’ve been a plus. I stayed in my aeros as much as possible as it was WAY warmer there!
“The rain in Spain is mainly on the plain” or in this case, Stony Plain. It didn’t really let up the entire ride and this was a 1st for me, riding in the rain. I didn’t like it but I was ok as my core was warm. I was glad I had my jersey on. There were times where my visibility was challenged with the spray from the vehicles and the bikes that went by. I had a good ride and even managed to make it to 37km before I had to stop and pee. Finally two vehicles on the same side of the road that I could pull over and use as semi cover! As it turned out they were from Saskatoon and Rider Priders, we are everywhere!
As I was getting on my bike, I heard a “Go Leslie-Anne” from the other side; someone in a blue pick up truck was cheering me on. No idea who it was but thanks for the support!
Due to the rain I was a bit hesitant on the hill descents. I stayed as far right as I could to give other cyclists as much space as possible. I was concerned enough for the ones descending in their aerobars (one crossed the yellow line and where were the race marshals?) that I decided that I needed to feel safer and slowed up a bit should they crash I might be able to avoid them. The climbing was good and I was happy with how I executed those climbs. I made sure to yell “on your left” as I went by!
A slight head wind on the return I noticed my legs were getting cold and somewhat stiff. I kept pedalling and as I was on the final stretch into Stony I finished my Infinit. I successfully transferred my fuel without stopping to do so AND consumed it all! J
I was glad to get off the bike, not because I was tired of riding (well a little) but I the fact my legs were cold! As I dismounted I am sure I looked like the little old man from the show Laugh-In as I felt stiff and unable to move out of a crouch position.
Bike: 3:01:09 slightly slower than last year (by 1:09) but due to the weather I am ok with this time. 11th in my AG.
I was a bit un-coordinated in transition due to brain freeze and other parts near frozen, I did ok. The athlete who caught me on the last 1 km of the ride managed to get out of transition just before me! Soooo close!
Run:
The moment I’ve been waiting for, the run. Given my challenges the last few half marathon races I was very focused on execution for this race. I added water to my run fuel in transition, as I didn’t want that fuel to be sitting for hours in the sun. In hindsight what sun but at least it was “fresh” as I began the 21km ahead of me.
A quick pit stop and I was off. The goal was not to start too fast, keep it even, keep focused on moving one foot in front of the other and above all keep pace. It did take almost 2k before I could feel my feet!
A slight deterrent as I came out of the downtown and that was to see Angie on the pathway. I ran over to her to check in. I thought it was odd that she was over there, 1st thing I thought was she was having gut issues. As I got closer I could see she was upset and I learned that she was pulling herself off the course.
I wanted to help but I couldn’t. I checked in with her to ensure she was ok and it wasn’t until she yelled at me to get going I knew she would be. Very challenging to see someone so focused on racing not being able to complete, I had to put it aside and focus on what I needed to do, and that was to finish. Off I went to complete my race.
I was running merrily along but soon felt warm and realized I should’ve taken my jersey off. I was hoping that Roger would be some where along the course and he was. As I approached him I could hear his cousin say, “She’s trying to take her shirt off, if she can!” I went by him and yelled, “Oh look, I dropped my jersey” in case any race marshals were nearby and could not accuse me of getting assistance from a bystander. That helped but soon afterward the familiar cramping began for which I was prepared and made it to the once again, “perfectly placed porta potties”. In I go, in goes the Imodium and I continued on I suspect I lost close to 5 mins but I thought I was going to be ok for the rest of the run.
The weather was holding but my guts were not, the fuel I brought was not going to sit in me so I did not take any in. Water at the aid stations and that was it until towards the end when I took in some oranges. Did that hurt me in the end time wise? Maybe. Next time I will dilute the fuel as it works in training. There was NO way I was going to take in Gatorade, that stuff really makes me gag.
The turn around was there before I knew it and as I headed home those familiar cramps appeared and I hit the loo in perfect timing. Damn! That wasn’t supposed to happen! That being said, I did say this race was to test a few things out and I now know for Calgary 70.3 the Imodium goes in before the race starts and one more before I get off the bike.
I did “drop” my fuel belt and Roger picked it up. Glad he had not moved off the course!
The last 6km were tough as the sun came out and the humidity was challenging for me.
That is when I believe the lack of fuel intake hit me as well. All that did for me though was to focus even harder. I know this wasn’t my “A” race but I was determined to finish strong. Stopped to check in with another TTL’er on the course that wasn’t having a good day. Mike would finish, just wasn’t a good day for him. He wished me well and I accepted those wishes and forged ahead.
As I came up the main street I could see Trevor ahead of me and I did my best to catch him. That last climb I was close but when his girls came out to run with him across the line I knew it wasn’t my time. He did not need anyone going past him like a crazed fool when it was so important to his girls to be there with him. I smiled and enjoyed their moment as a family.
One more thing about that last climb I could hear Angie’s voice from the bottom of the hill. I am not kidding, it was loud and clear! I loved the cheering from all the TTL’ers, other people who were there; it’s always such a rush to come to a finish line!
Roger was at the finish line with my ice cold Pilsner, ahhhhhh, soooo tasty!!!
Run: 2:14:04 (7 minutes faster than last year.) 24th in my AG
Overall time: 5:50:47 Good enough for 10th! I MADE THE TOP TEN!!!! OMG!!!
I am SUPER pleased with the overall result. It was a goal to make the top 10 and I did (stated in my race plan) Secret goal was to place 1st in the swim (not stated in my race plan)
Lessons learned for Calgary 70.3 (and any other half ironman for that matter): Take Imodium before the swim start and before I get off the bike. I will gladly pay the price afterwards in order to see that run time better. I KNOW I can do better and if it weren’t for those two stops…
Run fuel will be diluted, in other words less in the bottle before I start. I will have the powder in the bottle before I begin and add water as I start the run. I cannot stand stuff that sits in bottles for too long (part of the challenge I have with taking Infinit).
I had a good race and I am pleased with how things went. I don’t mind the cold, didn’t really like riding in the rain but I did it and survived.
As I started the run, I was ok with the thought of 21kms. Funny how that is as it seems not so long ago that I was terrified to run that distance and now I can approach it with a more relaxed mind. Slowly but surely I will conquer the run and all the demons that I face each time I am out on the course.
I consumed a massive burger, sweet potato fries, veggies and beer before heading home. Drove through the worst hailstorm! My gawd that was loud! No damage, which is a good thing.
I’m looking forward to the challenge of Calgary 70.3; it will be just that, a challenge.
Thanks to all of the support from my coach, Roger as well as family and friends of TTL’ers, we are formidable team and I am very proud to be a part of it!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Toni's GWN Race Report July 1, 2012
GWN 2012!
I think this is the first time I have done a race report, so it feels a bit strange to be writing this! I am not a racer—I like to train with my friends—so every actual race for me is a big deal! This was my second full GWN, but I have been the runner or swimmer a few times in the past 6 years as well. I know the course, the whole thing feels like coming home for me! Been there, done that, got the shirt! (sounds a bit complacent, huh?......)
I worked at my nutrition this year, and Angie really helped me dial it in on Saturday. A wonderful tip from Leslie Anne, and I think I had one of the best-fueled races ever. I had a plan, man!
Sunday morning I woke up crab, crab, crabby! Two nights of crappy sleep and impending rain on race morning!! Grrrr....... I spent all my swim practice time at my transition instead—trying to decide what to wear after the swim! One of the benefits of frequent racing is that you would actually have experience with what clothing works for you!!! Oh well, I decided to swim in my sport bra, pull on my tri top after and add my rain shell to bike in so I would not be cold. Turns out that tri tops don’t go on so well when you are soaking wet!!! Memo to self: just swim in the darn top, you ninny! Swim was accomplished in two parts—first 300m I forgot that I can actually put my face in the water! Yep!! Can be done!! Was all freaked out, panic central!! Tried all of Angie’s best tricks—focus on form, count strokes, find a hole and stay off to the side—my own head was in my way!! And then, like magic! It went away and I had a wonderful swim from then on!! What the heck?? I felt strong, focussed on form, stayed out of the fray and got it done!! (maybe that evil swim devil drowned at the 300m mark??)
One of the longest transitions on record! And I usually rock my transitions! Oh yeah! I guess I should have practiced before the race—hmmm.....complacency??? Then I fell over my bike trying to mount---still not feeling the love!! The rain shell kept me at a very comfortable temperature, but I got a few comments from other cyclists that I looked like I had a parachute!! It was annoying, but at least I had a comfortable temperature! The first 30km of the bike seemed so crowded! I didn’t get much nutrition in because I was trying to dodge the crowds and keep out of the drafting. Still so crabby! Wet and grumpy! Ooooh! A horrible place to race in!! Then I started to see the girls—Tara—who was having the race of her life!! She was a distant memory in no time flat!!! Carla, Kelly—we went back and forth and I got so much energy from seeing them out there!! Carmen went by like I was standing still!! No hope of catching him!! Saw Angie at 45km—she was already on the way back and looked like a pro! I was really excited for her! Mood lifting—hmmmmm....was this going to be an okay race despite myself??? Starting getting some spasms in my back around 55km, took a Robaxacet as planned and powered on! Not loving the rain—the princess not getting her way! Decided at 70km that that was the perfect distance for a half IM bike, but apparently the race director didn’t get my memo!! What the heck—it’s all flat from here! Get ‘er done!! Such an internal struggle—the bike is my favourite thing and I was really trying hard to have fun, and not able to get out of my own head!! Town!! Hallelujah!! And my wonderful Dave, and Mom and lots of cheering as I passed the Tri Life tent! Into T2 I go! Could not wait to get off the bike and start the next race with a better head space!
A long transition again—was so soaked and dirty and gritty—took my time to dry my toesies! No gritty bits allowed into those nice clean shoes!! Off goes the parachute—wow! It’s actually a nice temperature out here—and the rain seems so much less! TTL hat on to cover the really bad hair and away I go! And right out of transition I come across a TTLer I didn’t know, but we wished each other well, and I thought how nice it was that we had our kits on today! Off at a 5:00/km pace—lets be smart out here! Let’s pace the race and do the best we can! Wow! It felt so great to be running! And I thanked all the volunteers! And I could feel the cloud lifting! And the light rain was nice—kept me at a perfect temperature! A quick pottie break, and I was rockin and rollin!! I saw Tanya Solomon being led by the Lead Female cyclist and was so excited!! Tanya is a good friend of Angie’s, and a super gal! I was thrilled for her—she won Wasa this year too!! It’s a good day!! And then I saw Angie walking back! What???? I ran over and she said she was in too much pain to run! She was tearful, and told me to go on, and I got that lump in my throat and was ready to cry. I knew she was really ready for this race—no fair!! No Fair!! Okay—suck it up—get your race over and then find out what happened to Angie—no crying allowed! Happy face—come back to me!! The beauty of GWN is the out-and-backs! I started to see more of our team and it didn’t take long to find my happy! Hand slapping, cheering everyone and anyone I could! That’s the best thing I can do to get myself out of my own head! Hold pace, keep those kms even, get a gel in, some coke, some water—race smart!! Yep! We can do this!! One more porta pottie and good to go! It certainly got harder, but that’s when I started my mantra: “Angie says I’m a natural runner!” Thank you Angie!! My wonderful sister-in-law joined me for the last few km to run me in—she was terrific—so supportive! I have the best team and the best family! Got that run done in the best time I’ve ever had in a half IM!
So, in retrospect, I guess I learned that practice before a race is a good thing—whether it is setting up transition, mounting your bike, or just a lake swim to get used to the wetsuit after a winter in the closet! And that the weather is something I can’t control, but my emotions are—I can choose to be a big crab monster, or I can choose to make the best of it and have some fun with the rest of the racers! Once I got a grip on my head (and pulled it out of my butt!) I had a great day!! And I am so grateful to all of my teammates for their cheers and high-fives and to Coach Angie for giving me the tools—I just needed to remember how to use them!!
Ironman Arizona—look out now—I’m comin’ to getcha!!
Toni
I think this is the first time I have done a race report, so it feels a bit strange to be writing this! I am not a racer—I like to train with my friends—so every actual race for me is a big deal! This was my second full GWN, but I have been the runner or swimmer a few times in the past 6 years as well. I know the course, the whole thing feels like coming home for me! Been there, done that, got the shirt! (sounds a bit complacent, huh?......)
I worked at my nutrition this year, and Angie really helped me dial it in on Saturday. A wonderful tip from Leslie Anne, and I think I had one of the best-fueled races ever. I had a plan, man!
Sunday morning I woke up crab, crab, crabby! Two nights of crappy sleep and impending rain on race morning!! Grrrr....... I spent all my swim practice time at my transition instead—trying to decide what to wear after the swim! One of the benefits of frequent racing is that you would actually have experience with what clothing works for you!!! Oh well, I decided to swim in my sport bra, pull on my tri top after and add my rain shell to bike in so I would not be cold. Turns out that tri tops don’t go on so well when you are soaking wet!!! Memo to self: just swim in the darn top, you ninny! Swim was accomplished in two parts—first 300m I forgot that I can actually put my face in the water! Yep!! Can be done!! Was all freaked out, panic central!! Tried all of Angie’s best tricks—focus on form, count strokes, find a hole and stay off to the side—my own head was in my way!! And then, like magic! It went away and I had a wonderful swim from then on!! What the heck?? I felt strong, focussed on form, stayed out of the fray and got it done!! (maybe that evil swim devil drowned at the 300m mark??)
One of the longest transitions on record! And I usually rock my transitions! Oh yeah! I guess I should have practiced before the race—hmmm.....complacency??? Then I fell over my bike trying to mount---still not feeling the love!! The rain shell kept me at a very comfortable temperature, but I got a few comments from other cyclists that I looked like I had a parachute!! It was annoying, but at least I had a comfortable temperature! The first 30km of the bike seemed so crowded! I didn’t get much nutrition in because I was trying to dodge the crowds and keep out of the drafting. Still so crabby! Wet and grumpy! Ooooh! A horrible place to race in!! Then I started to see the girls—Tara—who was having the race of her life!! She was a distant memory in no time flat!!! Carla, Kelly—we went back and forth and I got so much energy from seeing them out there!! Carmen went by like I was standing still!! No hope of catching him!! Saw Angie at 45km—she was already on the way back and looked like a pro! I was really excited for her! Mood lifting—hmmmmm....was this going to be an okay race despite myself??? Starting getting some spasms in my back around 55km, took a Robaxacet as planned and powered on! Not loving the rain—the princess not getting her way! Decided at 70km that that was the perfect distance for a half IM bike, but apparently the race director didn’t get my memo!! What the heck—it’s all flat from here! Get ‘er done!! Such an internal struggle—the bike is my favourite thing and I was really trying hard to have fun, and not able to get out of my own head!! Town!! Hallelujah!! And my wonderful Dave, and Mom and lots of cheering as I passed the Tri Life tent! Into T2 I go! Could not wait to get off the bike and start the next race with a better head space!
A long transition again—was so soaked and dirty and gritty—took my time to dry my toesies! No gritty bits allowed into those nice clean shoes!! Off goes the parachute—wow! It’s actually a nice temperature out here—and the rain seems so much less! TTL hat on to cover the really bad hair and away I go! And right out of transition I come across a TTLer I didn’t know, but we wished each other well, and I thought how nice it was that we had our kits on today! Off at a 5:00/km pace—lets be smart out here! Let’s pace the race and do the best we can! Wow! It felt so great to be running! And I thanked all the volunteers! And I could feel the cloud lifting! And the light rain was nice—kept me at a perfect temperature! A quick pottie break, and I was rockin and rollin!! I saw Tanya Solomon being led by the Lead Female cyclist and was so excited!! Tanya is a good friend of Angie’s, and a super gal! I was thrilled for her—she won Wasa this year too!! It’s a good day!! And then I saw Angie walking back! What???? I ran over and she said she was in too much pain to run! She was tearful, and told me to go on, and I got that lump in my throat and was ready to cry. I knew she was really ready for this race—no fair!! No Fair!! Okay—suck it up—get your race over and then find out what happened to Angie—no crying allowed! Happy face—come back to me!! The beauty of GWN is the out-and-backs! I started to see more of our team and it didn’t take long to find my happy! Hand slapping, cheering everyone and anyone I could! That’s the best thing I can do to get myself out of my own head! Hold pace, keep those kms even, get a gel in, some coke, some water—race smart!! Yep! We can do this!! One more porta pottie and good to go! It certainly got harder, but that’s when I started my mantra: “Angie says I’m a natural runner!” Thank you Angie!! My wonderful sister-in-law joined me for the last few km to run me in—she was terrific—so supportive! I have the best team and the best family! Got that run done in the best time I’ve ever had in a half IM!
So, in retrospect, I guess I learned that practice before a race is a good thing—whether it is setting up transition, mounting your bike, or just a lake swim to get used to the wetsuit after a winter in the closet! And that the weather is something I can’t control, but my emotions are—I can choose to be a big crab monster, or I can choose to make the best of it and have some fun with the rest of the racers! Once I got a grip on my head (and pulled it out of my butt!) I had a great day!! And I am so grateful to all of my teammates for their cheers and high-fives and to Coach Angie for giving me the tools—I just needed to remember how to use them!!
Ironman Arizona—look out now—I’m comin’ to getcha!!
Toni
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Andrea's GWN race report July 1, 2012
I just wanted to write up my race report for you (and others if they are interested) while it's still fresh in my brain. I'm really still on a high and so happy to have accomplished so much in just 6 short months of training. It's making me feel like anything is possible if I put in the time and effort (and have great people like you in my life to help me out;)
Goals for this race: Focus on technique and relaxing on the swim. Get nutrition in on the bike at set intervals and relax into my aerobars. Try to run the whole run minus the aid stations... this would be dependent on how my legs were feeling. I've been having a lot of calf problems the last few months, but am trying new compression sleeves for this race.
I was excited to be at home for this race... own food, own bed, less distractions. I got lots of rest before and was happy not be driving anywhere the day before the race. I still felt more scattered then I would have liked, but it all came together in the end. I think I was better prepared for the away races because I made lists so I wouldn't forget anything, and I assumed that because I was at my own house, that I wouldn't need lists. Guess I should have known better.
Got up at 430 which was a shock to the system but I had everything set out so I didn't have to think... just do. My nerves were kicking in and this made that peanut butter toast virtually impossible to swallow, but my handy backup plan worked well. I bought some of those Ensure beverages... the ones popular with the 90 year + crowd ;). I chugged one of those and felt much better. I'd used this before the chinook and felt good there too. Think this will become my go to pre race beverage. I dragged all my bags out to my car and was on my way.
Got to Stony around 615 and made my way to the bus with all my bags. After sitting on the shuttle bus for 5 minutes, I watched someone get on the bus with their helmet... Oh crap! Where the heck is my helmet?!? I had it sitting loose next to my bags so I wouldn't forget it, and what do I do? So I grab all my bags and get off the shuttle... dump everything on the ground, and sprint off to my car to get my helmet. Back on a new bus a few minutes later with a sigh of relief, Next time it goes in the bag with the rest of my stuff! I'm listening to everyone talking with nervous anticipation and they are all trading stories of previous experiences with this race. My stomach is turning from being nervous and sitting on a humid bus full of people. But we get there soon enough and I"m in the line for the bathroom asap! (thanks for the tip Sarah!). Feel much better and functional again so I prep all my stuff, drop off my run bag and find Steve to borrow the group bike pump. To my utter dismay, I snap off my valve on my back tire after filling it up! It's not leaking so I run to find steve and the others to ask advice. They assure me that they think it will hold, so I leave it with the knowledge that I may have to change my tire during the race (but I was already prepared to have to do that anyway). I wetsuit up, and feel better after talking to a few girls around me that are also newbies to the sport. I feel much better but not so much better that I can eat the whole banana I'm trying to shovel in my mouth. I get half in and that will have to do. I drop off my dry clothes bag and after some talking with Sarah and my mom, I head down to the water. I'm disappointed that they closed the swim warm up at 730, but Sarah assures me that everyone else is pretty much in the same boat.
I've decided that I started too far back in the group at the Chinook olympic, so I've picked a spot on the far left side about half way back. Again, lots of stories around me and the nervous energy is making that banana stir in my tummy... please don't barf! That would be soooo embarrassing. Before I have time to contemplate that, the horn is blowing and off we go. I fumble with my goggles a bit, and cringe at the "sludge" water at my feet, but dive in with everyone else. I find a little pocket and swim for a good 50 m before a foot comes out of nowhere and knocks my goggles off my face. As i pop up and attempt to readjust, I'm blocking everyone else and suddenly feel like I'm in a washing machine. Elbows and feet everywhere. Someone from a kayak asks me if I"m ok and I get going again. Part of me wants to quit right then, but I reassure myself that I'm perfectly fine, and I'll be very annoyed with myself if I quit for something so silly. The rest of the swim is good. I focus on taking the buoys wide like Sarah and I talked about, and focussing on technique. Before I know it , I'm done and on to a very overzealous wetsuit stripper. I'm thinking I'm lucky my shorts are still on and my feet are still attached to my legs ( he meant business!). Transistion was good. Took the time to put on my arm warmers since it was already raining and the sky didn't look like it was clearing anytime soon.
Bike was good overall. Started off easy and got some nutrition in right away. I realized while I was going through the town that although I had put my Garmin on at transition, I hadn't actually started the thing. Oops. I start is then and move on. Was paranoid for the first 20km that my tire was going to blow, but it seemed to hold up, even over rumble strips and train tracks so I figured I'd be safe. I did feel cold and miserable, but then realized that everyone was in the same boat so decided to hum along to singing in the rain.. yes I'm nerdy, but it actually picked up my spirits. My jaw dropped when I saw the first place guy already sprinting back the other way, but I went back to focussing on what I needed to do. Aerobars felt better than they ever have, and I took in nutrition at all the times I wanted to. My electrolyte beverage was good, but I ran out about 20 km out. I reached back to grab my extra bottle of it from my holders behind my seat, and to my shock, it was gone! It must have flown off behind me... sorry to anyone back there.. I didn't mean to litter or launch electrolyte beverage at you! So I settled for a few more gu chomps and some water from an aid station. I did notice there was an extraordinarily long hill that I was watching everyone work to get up while I was going down the other way, so I wanted to remember to save something in my tank for that. But I kept waiting and waiting to get to it... and then I was suddenly back in town. I guess it wasn't as big as I though, because unless I went way off course, I already did it! Yay! I did feel like I probably could have pushed a bit harder, but I wanted to save something in the tank for the run.
Transition was good. My stuff was wet though... including (boys... ignore the next sentence), my sole girlie product I was saving for the run. Oh well. Such is life. Quick pitstop in the bathroom and a cheer from Sarah and Kelvin, and I'm on my way! Calves feel surprisingly good, and I"m happy to have my electrolyte drink fully stocked again. I've decided to run with my running backpack which has become somewhat of a security blanket for me. But it's lightweight and I can have drink available to me anytime.. along with my gels. I pop one of my gels right before the first aid station and take in water there. I walk the aid station like I'd planned and continue this way throughout the run. I see Steve and Nate already on their way back but give high fives and feel pumped up again. I am so happy I wore the try-life top I bought. So many try-lifers were out there cheering for me, even though no one actually knew who I was. It was a little boost of energy every time I got a smile and a "way to go" and of course I happily reciprocated the cheering! A girl next to me actually commented on how many of us there were and how nice it was to see such great support for one another. There were a few points where I couldn't wait to see another aid station because it meant a short walk, but I managed to keep it up, and my calves only started tightening up for the last 5km or so. I stopped and stretched them for a minute at one of the last aid stations, then took off again. I was so excited to see the 19km sign and got a bit of a kick to bring it in. The team try-life tent was just the boost I needed to push me to the end with a strong finish that I was hoping for.
I was elated, to be done of course, but to have also accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. I realized that I was at this race last year, purely as a spectator who hadn't swam in 17 years (and I"m only 30), and had never been on a road bike, let alone tri bike in my life. I had run before, but never more than a ten mile race, but I had always wanted to do triathlon, but didn't know where to start. Ironman Canada won me over to sign up... and that was that. I was going to be a triathlete. I finally felt like at the end of this race, that I was no longer a wannabe, but was actually becoming a triathlete. It's an amazing feeling and I'm so happy. I had hoped to be finished in around 6:30 so was pleasantly surprised with my 6:23 time. My swim was around 42 minutes, which was 3 minutes faster than I thought I'd be and my bike was 3:17, which again, was faster than I thought I would be. Run was a bit slower, but I"m happy with the way it went. I felt like I accomplished all the goals I set out for myself, and of course met my big goal of just finishing. I feel more prepared for the full Ironman, which is still daunting, but I know that putting in the training will get me there.. and hopefully with a smile on my face.
Goals for this race: Focus on technique and relaxing on the swim. Get nutrition in on the bike at set intervals and relax into my aerobars. Try to run the whole run minus the aid stations... this would be dependent on how my legs were feeling. I've been having a lot of calf problems the last few months, but am trying new compression sleeves for this race.
I was excited to be at home for this race... own food, own bed, less distractions. I got lots of rest before and was happy not be driving anywhere the day before the race. I still felt more scattered then I would have liked, but it all came together in the end. I think I was better prepared for the away races because I made lists so I wouldn't forget anything, and I assumed that because I was at my own house, that I wouldn't need lists. Guess I should have known better.
Got up at 430 which was a shock to the system but I had everything set out so I didn't have to think... just do. My nerves were kicking in and this made that peanut butter toast virtually impossible to swallow, but my handy backup plan worked well. I bought some of those Ensure beverages... the ones popular with the 90 year + crowd ;). I chugged one of those and felt much better. I'd used this before the chinook and felt good there too. Think this will become my go to pre race beverage. I dragged all my bags out to my car and was on my way.
Got to Stony around 615 and made my way to the bus with all my bags. After sitting on the shuttle bus for 5 minutes, I watched someone get on the bus with their helmet... Oh crap! Where the heck is my helmet?!? I had it sitting loose next to my bags so I wouldn't forget it, and what do I do? So I grab all my bags and get off the shuttle... dump everything on the ground, and sprint off to my car to get my helmet. Back on a new bus a few minutes later with a sigh of relief, Next time it goes in the bag with the rest of my stuff! I'm listening to everyone talking with nervous anticipation and they are all trading stories of previous experiences with this race. My stomach is turning from being nervous and sitting on a humid bus full of people. But we get there soon enough and I"m in the line for the bathroom asap! (thanks for the tip Sarah!). Feel much better and functional again so I prep all my stuff, drop off my run bag and find Steve to borrow the group bike pump. To my utter dismay, I snap off my valve on my back tire after filling it up! It's not leaking so I run to find steve and the others to ask advice. They assure me that they think it will hold, so I leave it with the knowledge that I may have to change my tire during the race (but I was already prepared to have to do that anyway). I wetsuit up, and feel better after talking to a few girls around me that are also newbies to the sport. I feel much better but not so much better that I can eat the whole banana I'm trying to shovel in my mouth. I get half in and that will have to do. I drop off my dry clothes bag and after some talking with Sarah and my mom, I head down to the water. I'm disappointed that they closed the swim warm up at 730, but Sarah assures me that everyone else is pretty much in the same boat.
I've decided that I started too far back in the group at the Chinook olympic, so I've picked a spot on the far left side about half way back. Again, lots of stories around me and the nervous energy is making that banana stir in my tummy... please don't barf! That would be soooo embarrassing. Before I have time to contemplate that, the horn is blowing and off we go. I fumble with my goggles a bit, and cringe at the "sludge" water at my feet, but dive in with everyone else. I find a little pocket and swim for a good 50 m before a foot comes out of nowhere and knocks my goggles off my face. As i pop up and attempt to readjust, I'm blocking everyone else and suddenly feel like I'm in a washing machine. Elbows and feet everywhere. Someone from a kayak asks me if I"m ok and I get going again. Part of me wants to quit right then, but I reassure myself that I'm perfectly fine, and I'll be very annoyed with myself if I quit for something so silly. The rest of the swim is good. I focus on taking the buoys wide like Sarah and I talked about, and focussing on technique. Before I know it , I'm done and on to a very overzealous wetsuit stripper. I'm thinking I'm lucky my shorts are still on and my feet are still attached to my legs ( he meant business!). Transistion was good. Took the time to put on my arm warmers since it was already raining and the sky didn't look like it was clearing anytime soon.
Bike was good overall. Started off easy and got some nutrition in right away. I realized while I was going through the town that although I had put my Garmin on at transition, I hadn't actually started the thing. Oops. I start is then and move on. Was paranoid for the first 20km that my tire was going to blow, but it seemed to hold up, even over rumble strips and train tracks so I figured I'd be safe. I did feel cold and miserable, but then realized that everyone was in the same boat so decided to hum along to singing in the rain.. yes I'm nerdy, but it actually picked up my spirits. My jaw dropped when I saw the first place guy already sprinting back the other way, but I went back to focussing on what I needed to do. Aerobars felt better than they ever have, and I took in nutrition at all the times I wanted to. My electrolyte beverage was good, but I ran out about 20 km out. I reached back to grab my extra bottle of it from my holders behind my seat, and to my shock, it was gone! It must have flown off behind me... sorry to anyone back there.. I didn't mean to litter or launch electrolyte beverage at you! So I settled for a few more gu chomps and some water from an aid station. I did notice there was an extraordinarily long hill that I was watching everyone work to get up while I was going down the other way, so I wanted to remember to save something in my tank for that. But I kept waiting and waiting to get to it... and then I was suddenly back in town. I guess it wasn't as big as I though, because unless I went way off course, I already did it! Yay! I did feel like I probably could have pushed a bit harder, but I wanted to save something in the tank for the run.
Transition was good. My stuff was wet though... including (boys... ignore the next sentence), my sole girlie product I was saving for the run. Oh well. Such is life. Quick pitstop in the bathroom and a cheer from Sarah and Kelvin, and I'm on my way! Calves feel surprisingly good, and I"m happy to have my electrolyte drink fully stocked again. I've decided to run with my running backpack which has become somewhat of a security blanket for me. But it's lightweight and I can have drink available to me anytime.. along with my gels. I pop one of my gels right before the first aid station and take in water there. I walk the aid station like I'd planned and continue this way throughout the run. I see Steve and Nate already on their way back but give high fives and feel pumped up again. I am so happy I wore the try-life top I bought. So many try-lifers were out there cheering for me, even though no one actually knew who I was. It was a little boost of energy every time I got a smile and a "way to go" and of course I happily reciprocated the cheering! A girl next to me actually commented on how many of us there were and how nice it was to see such great support for one another. There were a few points where I couldn't wait to see another aid station because it meant a short walk, but I managed to keep it up, and my calves only started tightening up for the last 5km or so. I stopped and stretched them for a minute at one of the last aid stations, then took off again. I was so excited to see the 19km sign and got a bit of a kick to bring it in. The team try-life tent was just the boost I needed to push me to the end with a strong finish that I was hoping for.
I was elated, to be done of course, but to have also accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. I realized that I was at this race last year, purely as a spectator who hadn't swam in 17 years (and I"m only 30), and had never been on a road bike, let alone tri bike in my life. I had run before, but never more than a ten mile race, but I had always wanted to do triathlon, but didn't know where to start. Ironman Canada won me over to sign up... and that was that. I was going to be a triathlete. I finally felt like at the end of this race, that I was no longer a wannabe, but was actually becoming a triathlete. It's an amazing feeling and I'm so happy. I had hoped to be finished in around 6:30 so was pleasantly surprised with my 6:23 time. My swim was around 42 minutes, which was 3 minutes faster than I thought I'd be and my bike was 3:17, which again, was faster than I thought I would be. Run was a bit slower, but I"m happy with the way it went. I felt like I accomplished all the goals I set out for myself, and of course met my big goal of just finishing. I feel more prepared for the full Ironman, which is still daunting, but I know that putting in the training will get me there.. and hopefully with a smile on my face.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Cindy's IMCDA race report!
The one thing you can not be going into or during an Ironman is complacent. An Ironman finish is never assured no matter how many times you’ve done the race. It’s never going to be easy no matter how hard you’ve trained. And it’s never going to turn out the way you expect no matter how much you plan. Ironman is fire. Always changing, hard to predict, it can lull you into a false sense of security thinking you have it under control until it escapes and you get burned. I went into IMCDA ready to hammer out the best Ironman of my life. My training was as near to perfect as it could be. I was performing better than I ever had. My nutrition was dialed down to the kilometer. I was injury free and felt strong. My plan was down pat, or so I thought. With 20 kms left in my race Ironman hit me with a punch so hard it knocked me on my ass. I didn’t expect it, I didn’t see it coming, and I had no way to defend against it.
Ironman CDA started throwing its punches right from the start; a ripped wetsuit just before race start, a cold swim that included repeated elbows to the head, choppy water that left me dizzy and slightly nauseous, and a calf cramp that forced me to swim the last 1000ms with one leg. All of this I’ve dealt with before so I was able to deflect the blows and carry on without much disruption.
The bike was good to me but not without its challenges. Comprised of lots of turns, short fast climbs, long slow climbs, and dizzying descents the course kept you on your toes. The lack of flat stretches and multitude of athletes made it hard to find time to take in nutrition. No mental ‘zone out’ breaks on this course. Most of this was expected so it wasn’t a big deal. At this point I was slightly behind where I wanted to be, however I was feeling strong, and was happy with the nutrition I had taken in. I felt I was more than holding my own and was ready to launch an attack on the run.
Never, ever, underestimate Ironman. I was mildly surprised my run started slow and jerky but not concerned. I was running uphill and my training runs always started slow. I was confident my muscles would relax and the pace would come. I can’t remember when I took my first gel, or tried to. It was liquid ooze that stuck in my throat and made me gag. I threw it aside and thought nothing more of it. I thought nothing more of it. I continued to try to push pace taking in water and coke, the aid stations getting shorter and farther apart. I took my run to a walk up the big climb, thinking to myself this was going to be harder than I thought. I started to get concerned that my run wasn’t coming around, I didn’t want to feel this bad this early in the run. At this point I was the frog in the pot of water slowly being heated to a boil unaware of the danger it’s in until it’s too late to jump out.
By the time I hit the 20km turnaround not even the crowds could get me to move faster. All their cheers and positive energy bounced off me like pebbles against an armored truck. I was angry. I was tired. I was losing control. Starting uphill onto my second lap I veered towards Scott and Joz who were cheering for me. They were on the other side of the road. I stopped in front of them put both hands on top of my head and started to collapse into a ball despite the roar of a thousands of voices urging me to keep going. Ironman was hammering me to the ground. I was about to fall. I expected Scott and Joz to offer me hugs, and comfort me with soothing, placating words but they didn’t. They just shouted at me to keep going and dig, dig, dig - dig as deep as I could. I felt hurt and alone in my misery, I would get no comfort from them but I did start running (Thanks guys!).
Scott and Joz’s words sustained me for a short time. I was lost and didn’t know what to do. Physical elements I can battle but how do you prepare and fight against yourself? I had never experienced anything like this before. It wasn’t even on my radar that this could happen because I’ve always been able to keep myself going through sheer force of will. Ironman had delivered a powerful blow and I was blindsided. Joz was right, I did need to dig deep but not in the manner one would expect by exerting more energy, and pushing through the pain. I needed to dig deep and let myself go to a place I didn’t want to go. When I have an internal struggle there are two voices in my head; one is driven by emotion and one by logic. At around the 23km mark these two voices were at war. Here’s how it played out:
EMO: I hate this! I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. You’re always pushing! PUSH! PUSH! PUSH! Why do we always have to push? I’m tired of pushing! This is supposed to be fun! It’s not fun! I want to walk! What difference does it make if we finish in 4 hours or 5? It’s just a bunch of numbers we’re going to forget when we’re old anyway. I didn’t spend the last few months too tired to do anything with my girls to chase a bunch a numbers and finish miserable. NOBODY CARES! Take a look around, everyone thinks your doing awesome, you’re a superstar, do you think they care when you finish? No, they don’t. All they see is that you’re taking on the race and they’re happy for you, let’s just be happy! I want to feel what we had in our first Ironman. The awe of what we were doing. The joy of just being in the race. The honour of racing among so many inspirational athletes. I don’t want another Arizona where we finish miserable and crying. We had a PR in Arizona; it didn’t make us happy, it was supposed to make us happy! If you want PRs so bad take all your finisher plaques remove the years from them then hang them up in descending order – voila! Instant PR in every race, that’s how meaningless numbers are. I don’t want a meaningless race. Why do you want a PR anyway? It’s only good until the next race because then you have to beat it again, and again, and again, which means pushing more, and more, and more, WHEN DOES IT END?! If we don’t turn this race around into something enjoyable this could be our LAST Ironman, because I’m not doing this again, I’M NOT!!
LOG: What do you need to be happy?
EMO: I need to walk! I need to relax! I need to take a breather, see what’s going on around me, meet some athletes, enjoy my Coke!
LOG: Okay.
EMO: Okay what?
LOG: We can walk.
EMO: Oh my god! This is worse than I thought. We’re having a seizure aren’t we?! Maybe it’s a stroke? I don’t smell any burnt toast. Check heart rate maybe we’re going into cardiac arrest.
LOG: We’re not having a heart attack.
EMO: Then why? Why are you saying we can walk? This is a race, and not just any race; this is Ironman. An Ironman that we’ve trained the best we ever have for and you’re saying we can walk, just like that without a fight Ms. Who Cares if We’re Sick and Have to Puke We’re Going to Finish This 140km Training Ride?
LOG: You’re having some kind of fit. I don’t know why, and I’m not pleased that it’s happening, especially now, but it has to be addressed if we’re going to salvage this race. If walking will make you happy then we’ll walk.
EMO: Good. It will. Thank you.
LOG: Are you sure this is want you want?
EMO: Positive.
LOG: You aren’t going to beat yourself up with post race regrets?
EMO: Nope. Decisions made during a race are always the right ones at the time.
LOG: Then walk. But not the entire race. And not until the next aid station. Or into an aid station. Or downhill. Or on the flats.
EMO: You are so anal! Why do you have to have so many rules, why can’t you just relax?
LOG: Because if I did we’d be sitting on a couch right now with flabby muscle tone.
EMO: Pphlltt!
(27km)
LOG: Look that guy is running in bare feet.
EMO: Good for him.
LOG: There’s nothing wrong with our feet.
EMO: Nope, there isn’t.
LOG: That old guy is passing us up this hill - walking.
EMO: Yep. Go, old guy, go.
LOG: We need fuel.
EMO: Good idea. I’ll grab some grapes and chips at the next aid station.
LOG: A few grapes and chip crumbs are not adequate fuel for an Ironman run.
EMO: Then it’s a good thing we’re walking.
LOG: Smart ass.
(Run turnaround 32km)
LOG: We have to run to the turnaround. It’s only 200ms.
EMO: No it’s not. They moved it.
LOG: They didn’t move it. And you can’t stop at this aid station again.
EMO: Why not? The deal was I walked the aid stations. It’s not my fault they put it right beside the turnaround.
LOG: We just left it! What could you possibly need?
EMO: More coke and ice. And grapes. The grapes are good.
(Last 7km)
LOG: Are you in a happy place?
EMO: Yes.
LOG: Do you feel strong?
EMO: Yes.
LOG: Are you ready to finish this race?
EMO: YES! And thank you. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for bending enough to turn this race into something positive. I know it wasn’t easy for you to let go. I know this wasn’t the race you wanted. I’m sorry if you regret your decision after the race but I think we did well today, don’t you think?
LOG: We’re happy and feel strong, this IS the race I wanted. I won’t regret my decision. Don’t you know? Decisions made during a race are always the right ones at the time. And we didn’t just do well, we did great. Now let’s run this baby in like it’s the Olympic 100m sprint and bask in all the glory an Ironman finish has to offer!
Sprint I did. I can now truthfully lay claim to the fact that I finished an Ironman race at a 4:30 m/km pace and it felt awesome. I slapped hands with the crowd and let their cheers wash over me cleansing away any lingering negativity I had felt during the race. I heard my name announced and did a little dance. The only thing I didn’t do was look at my finishing time but then it wasn’t very important.
This was the only Ironman finish my mom has ever been to. She refused to come to other ones because she didn’t want to see me ‘wrecked’ (she was a ‘catcher’ at IMC finish line). As chance would have it she was standing at the gate of the finisher chute and was the first family member I saw. She didn’t see her daughter ‘wrecked’ she saw me happy, excited, and moving easily. My daughters were also there. I am so thankful and proud that I finished the way I did. This is the Ironman I remember. This is the Ironman I love.
I underestimated Ironman. I grew so complacent during this race, confident in my ability to overcome any obstacle that I didn’t realize how much I had let my fuel intake decline until days after the race. I let down my guard and took a hit that sent me crawling to the corner for a time out. However, I did what I needed to do to regroup, get back up and deliver a blow of my own.
So thanks for the day Ironman! I enjoyed your challenges, I enjoyed your rewards, I enjoyed the lessons you taught me; you tried your best to defeat me but it wasn’t your day – it was mine! I look forward to meeting you again in 2014 for a rematch (some place with warmer water).
Ironman CDA started throwing its punches right from the start; a ripped wetsuit just before race start, a cold swim that included repeated elbows to the head, choppy water that left me dizzy and slightly nauseous, and a calf cramp that forced me to swim the last 1000ms with one leg. All of this I’ve dealt with before so I was able to deflect the blows and carry on without much disruption.
The bike was good to me but not without its challenges. Comprised of lots of turns, short fast climbs, long slow climbs, and dizzying descents the course kept you on your toes. The lack of flat stretches and multitude of athletes made it hard to find time to take in nutrition. No mental ‘zone out’ breaks on this course. Most of this was expected so it wasn’t a big deal. At this point I was slightly behind where I wanted to be, however I was feeling strong, and was happy with the nutrition I had taken in. I felt I was more than holding my own and was ready to launch an attack on the run.
Never, ever, underestimate Ironman. I was mildly surprised my run started slow and jerky but not concerned. I was running uphill and my training runs always started slow. I was confident my muscles would relax and the pace would come. I can’t remember when I took my first gel, or tried to. It was liquid ooze that stuck in my throat and made me gag. I threw it aside and thought nothing more of it. I thought nothing more of it. I continued to try to push pace taking in water and coke, the aid stations getting shorter and farther apart. I took my run to a walk up the big climb, thinking to myself this was going to be harder than I thought. I started to get concerned that my run wasn’t coming around, I didn’t want to feel this bad this early in the run. At this point I was the frog in the pot of water slowly being heated to a boil unaware of the danger it’s in until it’s too late to jump out.
By the time I hit the 20km turnaround not even the crowds could get me to move faster. All their cheers and positive energy bounced off me like pebbles against an armored truck. I was angry. I was tired. I was losing control. Starting uphill onto my second lap I veered towards Scott and Joz who were cheering for me. They were on the other side of the road. I stopped in front of them put both hands on top of my head and started to collapse into a ball despite the roar of a thousands of voices urging me to keep going. Ironman was hammering me to the ground. I was about to fall. I expected Scott and Joz to offer me hugs, and comfort me with soothing, placating words but they didn’t. They just shouted at me to keep going and dig, dig, dig - dig as deep as I could. I felt hurt and alone in my misery, I would get no comfort from them but I did start running (Thanks guys!).
Scott and Joz’s words sustained me for a short time. I was lost and didn’t know what to do. Physical elements I can battle but how do you prepare and fight against yourself? I had never experienced anything like this before. It wasn’t even on my radar that this could happen because I’ve always been able to keep myself going through sheer force of will. Ironman had delivered a powerful blow and I was blindsided. Joz was right, I did need to dig deep but not in the manner one would expect by exerting more energy, and pushing through the pain. I needed to dig deep and let myself go to a place I didn’t want to go. When I have an internal struggle there are two voices in my head; one is driven by emotion and one by logic. At around the 23km mark these two voices were at war. Here’s how it played out:
EMO: I hate this! I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. You’re always pushing! PUSH! PUSH! PUSH! Why do we always have to push? I’m tired of pushing! This is supposed to be fun! It’s not fun! I want to walk! What difference does it make if we finish in 4 hours or 5? It’s just a bunch of numbers we’re going to forget when we’re old anyway. I didn’t spend the last few months too tired to do anything with my girls to chase a bunch a numbers and finish miserable. NOBODY CARES! Take a look around, everyone thinks your doing awesome, you’re a superstar, do you think they care when you finish? No, they don’t. All they see is that you’re taking on the race and they’re happy for you, let’s just be happy! I want to feel what we had in our first Ironman. The awe of what we were doing. The joy of just being in the race. The honour of racing among so many inspirational athletes. I don’t want another Arizona where we finish miserable and crying. We had a PR in Arizona; it didn’t make us happy, it was supposed to make us happy! If you want PRs so bad take all your finisher plaques remove the years from them then hang them up in descending order – voila! Instant PR in every race, that’s how meaningless numbers are. I don’t want a meaningless race. Why do you want a PR anyway? It’s only good until the next race because then you have to beat it again, and again, and again, which means pushing more, and more, and more, WHEN DOES IT END?! If we don’t turn this race around into something enjoyable this could be our LAST Ironman, because I’m not doing this again, I’M NOT!!
LOG: What do you need to be happy?
EMO: I need to walk! I need to relax! I need to take a breather, see what’s going on around me, meet some athletes, enjoy my Coke!
LOG: Okay.
EMO: Okay what?
LOG: We can walk.
EMO: Oh my god! This is worse than I thought. We’re having a seizure aren’t we?! Maybe it’s a stroke? I don’t smell any burnt toast. Check heart rate maybe we’re going into cardiac arrest.
LOG: We’re not having a heart attack.
EMO: Then why? Why are you saying we can walk? This is a race, and not just any race; this is Ironman. An Ironman that we’ve trained the best we ever have for and you’re saying we can walk, just like that without a fight Ms. Who Cares if We’re Sick and Have to Puke We’re Going to Finish This 140km Training Ride?
LOG: You’re having some kind of fit. I don’t know why, and I’m not pleased that it’s happening, especially now, but it has to be addressed if we’re going to salvage this race. If walking will make you happy then we’ll walk.
EMO: Good. It will. Thank you.
LOG: Are you sure this is want you want?
EMO: Positive.
LOG: You aren’t going to beat yourself up with post race regrets?
EMO: Nope. Decisions made during a race are always the right ones at the time.
LOG: Then walk. But not the entire race. And not until the next aid station. Or into an aid station. Or downhill. Or on the flats.
EMO: You are so anal! Why do you have to have so many rules, why can’t you just relax?
LOG: Because if I did we’d be sitting on a couch right now with flabby muscle tone.
EMO: Pphlltt!
(27km)
LOG: Look that guy is running in bare feet.
EMO: Good for him.
LOG: There’s nothing wrong with our feet.
EMO: Nope, there isn’t.
LOG: That old guy is passing us up this hill - walking.
EMO: Yep. Go, old guy, go.
LOG: We need fuel.
EMO: Good idea. I’ll grab some grapes and chips at the next aid station.
LOG: A few grapes and chip crumbs are not adequate fuel for an Ironman run.
EMO: Then it’s a good thing we’re walking.
LOG: Smart ass.
(Run turnaround 32km)
LOG: We have to run to the turnaround. It’s only 200ms.
EMO: No it’s not. They moved it.
LOG: They didn’t move it. And you can’t stop at this aid station again.
EMO: Why not? The deal was I walked the aid stations. It’s not my fault they put it right beside the turnaround.
LOG: We just left it! What could you possibly need?
EMO: More coke and ice. And grapes. The grapes are good.
(Last 7km)
LOG: Are you in a happy place?
EMO: Yes.
LOG: Do you feel strong?
EMO: Yes.
LOG: Are you ready to finish this race?
EMO: YES! And thank you. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for bending enough to turn this race into something positive. I know it wasn’t easy for you to let go. I know this wasn’t the race you wanted. I’m sorry if you regret your decision after the race but I think we did well today, don’t you think?
LOG: We’re happy and feel strong, this IS the race I wanted. I won’t regret my decision. Don’t you know? Decisions made during a race are always the right ones at the time. And we didn’t just do well, we did great. Now let’s run this baby in like it’s the Olympic 100m sprint and bask in all the glory an Ironman finish has to offer!
Sprint I did. I can now truthfully lay claim to the fact that I finished an Ironman race at a 4:30 m/km pace and it felt awesome. I slapped hands with the crowd and let their cheers wash over me cleansing away any lingering negativity I had felt during the race. I heard my name announced and did a little dance. The only thing I didn’t do was look at my finishing time but then it wasn’t very important.
This was the only Ironman finish my mom has ever been to. She refused to come to other ones because she didn’t want to see me ‘wrecked’ (she was a ‘catcher’ at IMC finish line). As chance would have it she was standing at the gate of the finisher chute and was the first family member I saw. She didn’t see her daughter ‘wrecked’ she saw me happy, excited, and moving easily. My daughters were also there. I am so thankful and proud that I finished the way I did. This is the Ironman I remember. This is the Ironman I love.
I underestimated Ironman. I grew so complacent during this race, confident in my ability to overcome any obstacle that I didn’t realize how much I had let my fuel intake decline until days after the race. I let down my guard and took a hit that sent me crawling to the corner for a time out. However, I did what I needed to do to regroup, get back up and deliver a blow of my own.
So thanks for the day Ironman! I enjoyed your challenges, I enjoyed your rewards, I enjoyed the lessons you taught me; you tried your best to defeat me but it wasn’t your day – it was mine! I look forward to meeting you again in 2014 for a rematch (some place with warmer water).
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