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.
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