Jacqui's Ironman Canada Race Report - 2012

Jacqui’s Ironman Canada Race Report- 2012


As I sit here, 4 days after Ironman, my legs are feeling great, and the day is moving behind me quickly. (which is why some of us get that Post Iron depression!)

Ironman Canada came as a quick decision for me. I had not intended to do another IM after IMCDA in 2009. But with a move in June of 2011, August came around, and I thought- “well, I have nothing else to do- I have no commitments, a clean slate in a new country”. So I did it, I signed up, with Allen of course, (who sadly had to drop out of the race 7 weeks before race day due to a knee injury), as well as friends from Houston- Shannon and Jay (Jay, sadly would have to pull out of the race too)

I look over this past year, I see how in many ways God provided me with everything I needed to prepare for this day. We moved into Monterra, and the first person I saw, was Carla McPike- who quickly told me I needed to get with Team Tri Life. I don’t think that’s just a coinsadence - I have faith, and believe that when God works in your life, and puts you in new areas, He also provides.

Overall, it was an amazing training year. I battled 5 months of SI joint sprain/strain, but managed to get through it with the help of my awesome friend and massage therapist Mandie McLeary. I don’t know how many hours I spent with her either running, or on her table- but she was key in my recovery and made me stronger that I have ever been. Huge goals were accomplished this training year- breaking a 2 hour 1/2 marathon, and also breaking a 6 hour 1/2 ironman in July by 11 minutes- these goals were HUGE, and I couldn’t believe after many years of trying and failing, I move to Cochrane, train in the hardest conditions I’ve ever seen, and I’ve met those goals- all with the support, help and guidance of Coach Angie Anderson!!!

This brings me to Race day- Canada Ironman. I can’t believe I’m here, in my birth country (yes, I’m actually Canadian, but I do talk funny!!) After a great 4 days with Team Tri Life of pre-race activities and workouts, I am ready to take on this day.

Race morning came with minimal sleep, which I expected, and embraced. I got to the transition with Allen, Ty and Mandie (she had driven up on Saturday, to give me my pre-race massage and cheer me on in my long day- I’m so humbled and touched she did that). Allen had picked up his packet, so he had his IM bracelet on that let him get into all the racers areas- HUGE help and support to me. I was surprised that I was a bit more calm than I was at CDA. No tears yet, or freak outs, just going through the day in my mind. I met my Houston friend Shannon at her bike, and we found TTL and got our wetsuits on. Allen said goodbye, and Shannon and I found our way to the beach. I just happened to hear “MOM” and turned and saw Ty and Mandie behind the spectators fence. I quickly ran over and could only reach their hands, and say goodbye. Ty had gotten up at 4am with me- which meant so much to me- (he is 16- do you know how sacred sleep is to a 16 yr. old?) He also, on Saturday night, gave me something. He had found a really pretty shell on the beach, and it happened to have a hole in the middle- he bought some PINK string (yes- I LOVE my pink) and made it into a necklace- I wore it on the bike and run- so special!!

Ok, so Canadian anthem rings in the air- I LOVE the Canadian anthem. It’s my birth home anthem, it’s always been a part of me, and I love hearing it!

Here we go- gun goes off, I tell Shannon she is going to do great (her first IM) and we head out to swim. I LOVE the swim! I’ve always loved to swim. It’s my happy place, even with almost 3,000 other people. This swim wasn’t as violent as IMCDA. I was in a groove from the get go, and was really enjoying it. The course was 1 loop, and going out, other than a few bumps, it was pretty uneventful. Got to the turn around, smelt the nasty fuel smell from all the boats, and turned for home. Even better return- no one was around me, and I just swam. At one point, I think I fell asleep in my mind- I woke up and had to remind myself I was swimming at Ironman. Got out of the water at 1:18. Awesome I thought, I was happy, and feeling great. I wish I could have swam another loop instead of heading out on the bike.

T1- I think I was in transition for about 7 minutes. Got my gear, grabbed my bike, and headed out for what I knew would be the hardest course I’ve ever ridden.

At the mount line, there was the loudspeaker playing music. Ok, so if you know me, you know how cool I thought this was. A BON JOVI song was playing!! I can’t remember what song it was now (it was a long day- I’m sure I lost brain cells). It got me pumped up, and off I went. I was smiling, happy and ready to take on the long day on the bike. Saw some TTL supporters, (but not Allen, Ty and Mandie). Bike course was actually really good. There were a few moments of mental lows, but I got through them, and my main thoughts were “soft pedal and lose Richter's”. These were Coach Angie’s tips for the bike course. The first 40 miles are faster, and you can push too hard at the beginning. So here I was, letting people fly by me, and thinking to myself “see ya later- I’ll catch ya when you are too tired.” Thankfully, we rode the course at camp in July, and I knew after mile 40, you make a turn, and you are now on Richter’s Pass. An 11k (7 mile) ALL uphill climb! The flat Houston girl in me is thinking “who thought is would be fun to put a 40 minute climb in this race”. But I was prepared, and just pedaled up the hill, enjoying the cheers from the crowds that drove out to yell you up the climb. Rest of the bike was great. No issues, stuck to nutrition, and heart rate stayed where it need to stay. Got to Yellow Lake climb, and again, knowing the course- knew that this was it- “get up yellow and you’re golden, home free, you got the hardest part done” (Yellow Lake climb is at around 90 miles into race). After that climb, comes the decent. I HATE this decent. It’s a steep, windy, and usually cross winds decent. Angie made us ride this decent Thursday before the race. I didn’t want to do it, because it scared me to death at camp in July. But, I did it on Thursday to try to break through my fears, and I hated it on Thursday, but did it. So, here we are on race day- here comes the decent. I can do this, I thought, just relax and go. I’m sure everyone else hated this- but there was a headwind. I LOVED this! Ha. It made me feel more steady, and my speeds were faster than the other 2 times I descended. And then, the tears came- I was crying- but they were happy tears. I had a breakthrough on this descent. “I can do this- I’m not scared”. It was awesome!! On the homestretch now, and I got to see Ty, Allen, Lane, Mandie and her fiance David. I waved, smiled, and was so happy the bike was almost done. I finished it in 7:04 I think.

T2- came in, took my time getting my compression socks on (prayed I didn’t cramp getting them on!) And headed out of T2, here comes the run- the “cool down” as us crazy people like to call the marathon in the IM.

Felt pretty good coming out on the run, was happy, ready to tackle this last part of the race. Saw some fellow TTL racers, and was so happy to cheer them on, and be cheered on. I saw Angie around 6k on the course, and told her about my breakthrough on the bike, and was so happy. I then saw Allen, Ty and Lane, Mandie and David. I was doing ok, and going a pretty good pace. Left them, and caught up to John Bosma around 8 or 9k. We said hi, and I started running again, when around 10k, something happened that I wasn’t expecting. Stomach cramps (side stitches on both sides) and my mental state took a huge dive. So here I was walking. Thankfully, John caught up with me, and we walked together for a bit, then started running together. (remember how I said God provides for your needs- John was my running hero!!) We ended up staying together, even though I told him to go on, I didn’t want to ruin his race, but he informed me that I was helping him too (he helped me way more that I could ever have helped him). We run/walked for a while, which helped, and said hi to all the TTL runners who were all looking better than I felt, but mentally I was still ruined. I don’t know why. Got to a mile before the turn around, and surprisingly, there were my boys and Allen sitting on a concrete wall. John said he would walk ahead while I stopped for a minute to say hi. I needed them at this point, and it was then that I bent over the concrete wall and sobbed. “I don’t want to do this anymore” were my words, and “death would be better than this” was my fav. phrase on the run. I just mentally couldn’t break through and it was killing me. I wanted everyone else to join my pity party, but the best thing that John said to me after I calmed down and started moving again was “Suck it up”!! It shocked me at first, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. John- for that I’m grateful!!. So here we go, got to the timing mats at the turn around, and our feet are pointed in the right direction- toward the finish!! (yes, it would still be 3 hrs away, but at least were weren’t running away from it anymore). Off we walked/ran, and actually got some good stretches of running in. John and I had fun playing leap frog with a few people, and we made a fun game of it with them, which passed some time.

We counted down the miles/km’s we had to go, and enjoyed hearing spectators encouraging words. (but if I heard one more “you’re almost there” at mile 20- i was gonna choke someone). The best sentence we heard was “Way to battle it out there”- yes, that’s what the run is, a battle. A battle of wills. A battle of your mind and your body wanting to quit, but your heart and your desire want to finish more than you want to quit. So you battle! You plod, you walk, you run, and you get through it. 1 mile left, and out pop Ty and Lane to run a bit with us. I loved it- it was such a huge high for me. I love that they are proud, and excited to see their mom do something crazy like this. I also came up to Allen, Mandie and David, and knew I was almost done- almost, until you take a left turn, when, if you take a right- the finish line is RIGHT THERE!! WHAT?? Who thought of this?? You have to run a 1/4 mile AWAY from the finish line, on the same dang street! Oh this is cruel! But once you got to the end cone, you turn around, you turn and know what’s ahead. Angie and TTL were at that turn around, and it was such an amazing site. High fives, and cheers from them get you through that. Angie started running with us, and the athlete in me started to tell her how horrible the run was- but the coach in her said “are you going to finish this IM?” I said, “Yes”, she then said “who cares what happened, go finish this”!! Oh I loved those words. John and I ran in together and this time, I took the time at the awesome blue carpet that funnels you into the finish line, to high five any strangers hand that was sticking out. I was thrilled, I was happy, I was touching that awesome shell necklace that Ty made, I was done! I am an Ironman again. I did it. I battled against my mind, and my body that were screaming at me to quit, but I WON, I didn’t quit. And with John’s help, I didn’t walk the whole last half of the marathon.

The finish was amazing, that they have “catchers” to help you once you cross. And I saw Cindy, and Danny from TTL. They caught John and I, and we got our pictures taken with them. It was so cool, to finish and have people you know caring for your physical needs and making sure you don’t collapse. Another surprise was seeing Allen there in the finishers area too. Because he had his IM athlete wrist band on, he was able to get back there. So he was with me right when I finished.

14:45 was my finish time. I know I shouldn’t care, but it was 17 minutes slower than my first IM. After 3 days of feeling a little down about that, I have come to realize many things. (1)it wasn’t the same course, so I can’t compare. (2) No one cares but me about my finish time- I FINISHED an Ironman..again! I haven’t heard anyone say “oh that’s a bad IM time” to me or anyone else- we all do 140.6 miles that day, and we all are winners no matter how long or fast it takes. (3) I am stronger now having battled things on that course that I didn’t plan on battling (4) IM is a day that gives and takes away, it’s all about the journey.

I am so grateful to have done IM Canada, and to be apart of an amazing Triathlon Team in Team Tri Life. I have made new friends, and have enjoyed training with so many of you guys, you have no idea how much it means to me. I had nothing, no one when I moved here 13 months ago. I was longing for tri buddies again, and you guys welcomed Allen and I into your group and let us become part of an amazing group of people- for that I am so grateful. John Bosma- you are my forever IMC running hero and buddy!

To my awesome family and friends, who supported me long distance- who tracked me all day, and posted on FB, I am so thankful for your love and support.

To Mandie- you have a huge part in my IM journey of getting my body ready for this huge task. I love you so much and cherish our friendship.

To Angie- words cannot express my gratitude to you. You have gotten this girl to do amazing things that I NEVER thought I would do. You believed in me, encouraged me, and your approach to coaching is life changing!! I love you bunches!!

And to Allen, and my boys! Boys- I pray that this inspires you to do anything your heart desires. It takes work and dedication, but whatever you choose to do, do it with all your heart. And Allen- I know how hard it was for you to go from competitor, to supporter. You should have been on the course with me, but things didn’t go the way we planned. You are my number one fan, and for that, I am forever grateful. I will happily sit out and support you in your next IM goal, wherever it is. I am so lucky to be your wife.

Ok- I’m done now. Sorry for the book. But for a year long journey, what do you expect :)