IMC 2012
Honesty, respect, integrity
I think I am finally getting a handle on this Ironman thing, to some degree. To understand something about oneself as to why we do this, why we subject our families to participate with us vicariously, and to have people cheer us on for a short 12 second burst at a time, over a race day that may last up to 16+ hours.
We seek out friendship from like minded people. We look for acceptance from people who just get what we are thinking, without being able to express it. And to find love from family who still may not quite understand it, but realize that it is just a part of us.
I took my inspiration for the day from LA’s race report, and modified it a bit to fit me. I set out to have the best day possible, and knew that then the race would follow. I thought that what good is a great race without a better day. Would I sacrifice the day for a great race? Or would I set out to have a great day, and see where the race took me? I achieved a great day, thereby being able to experience a great race with all of its highs and low points in the day.
This inspiration started for me when training started way back in September. One goal was not to sacrifice family at every training session, but rather make training take a back seat if family came before. Each day and week that I put family first was frustrating, because I knew it would play out on race day. Little did I know I was already being prepared to make sacrifices on race day, and learning how to deal with those frustrations back then? By also sacrificing TTL team workouts so I could be at home, reminded me to keep what is most important in the forefront. Not that I don’t like my friends, but what good are lots of friends if you don’t have family for support? We all come from families of some sort, and in the end family is where we turn to. Our family is what we count on at the end of the day. Family lifts our spirits when they show up unexpectedly halfway thru a marathon. Family is what hugs us when we are sweaty and disgusting, no matter the feeling.
So what is a race report without some highlights of the day?!?!?
Being at the start line in Penticton for the 3rd time, and seeing the pre-race jitters from the newbies, gave a sense of calm that would get me a long ways thru my day. Just being able to get ready in a calm fashion, making sure everything was done early instead of panicking at last minute, kept my head in the game from the start. I saw who I needed to see, and wished them well for a long day of spectating and volunteering. For how can we do a race of this magnitude, without a little help along the way. One day we should try and do this distance without any support whatsoever, and figure out how long it really takes to do an Ironman.
The swim: I can’t believe I came out of the water, and even when still in the water, saying to myself that I had a most enjoyable swim. Somehow I did, but I think it was prepping myself to enjoy the swim, not to be panic scared at the start, but to say it was only a short portion of the day. I came out, looked at the clock and said, “I had a better feeling swim than the clock tells me”. The time didn’t matter; I felt that I swam the best I could for that day. And I did it with no regrets.
The bike: 180km bike ride with so many people around, and no one to talk to. We are all on edge for drafting issues. I would love to have been able to visit more without fear of retribution. Meeting a teammate for the first time on the course, and then not seeing her again. Andrea I hope to see you at some point and say more than, “ Hi, we’re team mates but we can’t talk now”. It doesn’t seem sufficient to ride beside someone and say 6 words of encouragement and then move on. Too scared of getting a penalty. What is 4 minutes in the grand scheme of things? I bet that would be a good rest to visit the loo without pressure, and time well spent out of the saddle. Maybe next time I’ll just stop in the penalty box for a visit to thank those volunteers who are only getting a verbal earful.
The run: Jacqui D thank you for getting me thru. You don’t know how much you did to get me going again, to help me make it to the finish line.
Running a marathon with someone for most of the way can be one of the most enjoyable parts of a day. Normally we would focus on foot in front of the other. With someone beside you, it becomes one word in front of the other, and the feet sort of follow along. I don’t know why I was blessed again to ‘pick up’ another lady on a long run and be able to finish a day that became great again. There may be a trend happening for me, I just don’t know why.
Sometimes it feels wrong to share some of things that happened on a run, because the other person involved may think its too private. I just know for myself it becomes inspirational when I think about it. I cannot put the emotion down properly, but it is there HUGELY!!!
We suffered together. We laughed a lot. We talked about anything that came to mind, and somethings that were pretty mindless. We joked with people along the way, and we even laughed at some others, not always in a good way. We felt the hurt of those running behind us, wondering if they were going to make the cutoff. Would they get to the finish line? Unfortunately some of them wouldn’t. We talked a lot more more. We even cried when family popped up out of nowhere. For you by Ok falls, Allen and the boys weren’t supposed to be there. With Mandie & David too, my spirits were lifted to carry on and see this thing thru, by having your support crew out there. And for me at Cherry Lane mall, there’s Yolanda and the kids still waiting at 9 at night knowing we were on the way. Waiting, waiting.The tears flowed again, as they still do now. Oh ya, we even ran a bit together. And then the final push, knowing TTL was at the final turnaround, but who was going to be there? It didn’t matter so much as who, but that there would be people out there just for us.
And finally at the finish, more tears. But this time for us, they were on the cheeks of family. Exhilaration!!! What a finish to a great day.
Thanks Jacqui for being part of making my day a great one!!! 17:01 is not an option.
Many thanks to all who were a part of this day and this journey. To Yolanda and the kids for putting up with this thing we do. I hope it inspires you in some way to remain active to stay young, at heart and in body. Coach Sarah, for putting up with me hurting myself, too often, and wondering how does one modify training schedules so much for so little. Family, friends, team mates, new friends and old ones. Be real.
So why Honesty, respect, integrity? I hope you have figured out that that is who I am. Those character traits are what I try to live for each day. Without those, I am missing something in my life, and then things get out of control. Create balance.
jb
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
John P's 2012 Ironman Canada Race Report
Thursday, August 30th, 2012
John P.’s 2012 IMC Race Report
Introduction
My Ironman journey started after a particularly painful outing at the 2011 Calgary Half-Iron triathlon which I ran only eight weeks after major knee surgery; an unwise decision that explains why I need a coach. After completing the Calgary race, my fourth triathlon, I could hardly wait to tackle the big race in Penticton. Can you say “impulsive decision” – hey I’m a guy – don’t bore me with the details. I wanted to be that athlete, to experience the mystery of transforming myself into an Ironman athlete. Trying to articulate the reasons why we do this can end up sounding corny and cliché but I really wanted to reach out and find my limits. I wanted my kids to witness what it means to go after a far reaching stretch goal which takes a huge amount of effort to achieve. As Jordan Rapp said last year, “reach for the stars”. I guess the seeds were sown three years ago when I witnessed Wilma, my wife, living strong and “not going down without a fight” in her own battle with cancer – she is the reason I’m an Ironman today – at least the reason I started in the first place. So a year ago I asked my swim coach, Angie, if she would be my triathlon coach and fortunately for me she agreed; I would not have achieved so much without her!
The Journey
When you join Team Tri-Life and become a TTL’er it takes a while to meet everyone. There is no single meeting place where you can meet the group at once. It’s a process that takes time and what a great group of people this is. It is so rewarding to train with this group – Monday night swims with Angie screaming “come on, let’s go!”. Tuesday spins: who can inflict the most pain on themselves. Next year I’m going to fall off my bike onto the floor after a really hard hill-repeat and play dead. Hill climbs at Springbank: don’t try and beat Steve W. You’ll only hurt yourself. I trained all through the ski season running on the hotel treadmill while everyone else enjoyed a après ski hot tub. I learned to follow Angie’s plan and not try and do more, do less, go faster and so on. My journey to IMC was full of running injuries, ups and downs. This is not a straight line to success. This process is full of surprises and requires a consistently applied effort over a long period of time. I learned the hard way that it is a very good idea to follow Angie’s plan. After running over 2000 kms, riding 5000 kms and swimming for hundreds of hours I ended up in Penticton for the TTL IMC training camp in July. Training camp is important especially for Ironman rookies because the experience provides a basis for a race-plan that you can believe in. I came away from camp understanding the need for a detailed nutrition plan which I nailed on race day, I learned to ride easy in the first 60km of the bike race and, in general, to “do it”, not “race it” in terms of how to approach this ultra long course triathlon and learned that Ironman is an exercise in problem-solving.
Pre-Race
The days leading up to race morning I’d describe as going from a state of chaos to order for me personally. My bike broke down and I got a new one the day before leaving Calgary for IMC. “Hey Angie, how do you like my new bike?” “No I haven’t trained on it much”. My swim goggles broke in half during a training swim two days before the race – that would have been interesting during the race swim. My running injury finally healed and I could run pain free for the first time in three months a week before the race. It was so much fun being an athlete in Penticton days before the big race; there is huge energy throughout the town – a party vibe combined with thousands of athletes from all over the world. It felt very good to have earned my place to be part of that group. People on the streets and in the hotel would spot my athlete wrist band and wish me well. The town’s people knew better than I what was in store on race day. My boss, mentor and long time colleague, Lorne, sent me a great email wishing me well for race day. Many of my good friends sent well wishes which meant alot. The Ironman taper and many early nights had me ready to rock and on race morning my feet hit the floor at 4am ready to go. My pre-race routine is always the same: coffee, bagel and a half Km run to get my body to wake up and prepare to race. Then I walked a short block from the Penticton Lakeside to T1 and said hi to Steve G. at Special Needs drop-off and then ran into Tara and Kelly on the way to body marking. We said hi, well wishes, hugs then proceeded on to load nutrition onto my bike and get my wetsuit on. Nervous pee time, back up to the hotel room and back down to T1. Steve G. was asking “what are you doing running back and forth”. I saw Wilma, Angie and Danny against the fences in T1 and we high-fived through the fence. I was all smiles and ready to head out to the beach about 10 minutes before swim start.
The Swim
I spotted myself on the front line and about 15 meters in from the left side for the swim start. Angie and I agreed that my swimming and confidence level are good enough to seed at the front and avoid getting killed too badly in the mass swim start. I love the open water – I grew up on the ocean - and I don’t mind the heavy contact that occurs when 2,700 athletes hit the water at the same time. Trevor and I shared some last minute good lucks and well wishes on the beach. I was surprisingly calm and focused and never really got too emotional about being on that beach and everything it represents for athletes that have come so far in a personal journey. I was totally focused on getting off to a good start and not get run over. The gun sounded and the first minutes of the swim were a complete gong-show. I took a couple mouthfuls of water and incorporated some underwater coughing into my swimming rhythm. There was constant bumping and people competing for open water on the way to the first turn. I found some “fast feet” to draft and got into a very long, smooth rhythm, and a higher-than-normal stroke count which I held for the entire race. After 20minutes I started to relax a little too much. Had to remind myself to keep my game face going and not take anything for granted. The first and second turns were congested forcing me to swim over top of slower swimmers. There was zero open water available – no holes to hit. What a wild swim. Full contact swimming. The alternative would be people swimming over top of me from behind. After the second turn I found open water and was able to draft some fast swimmers and kept about a 1:50 per 100 meter pace the whole way. I hit T1 in 1:10 – the best swim of my life.
Bike
I rolled out onto the bike course loving life and feeling great. I waved at Angie and a loud group of TTL’ers at the first turn. You can’t mistake Angie’s voice on a Triathlon course it gave me a great send-off as I started the world famous 180 km IMC bike course on my new Trek Speed Concept. I’ve ridden the IMC course only once before at training camp and each time out I have the feeling of embarking on an odyssey – a grand adventure unlike any of the multiple lap courses I’ve ridden. This is an epic bike course with tough climbs, high-speed descents, rolling hills, lake scenery, wine vineyard country and tour-deFrance-like spectators on course. This is what makes the Penticton race so special. My game-plan was to ride easy and keep my RPE on the low end for the first 60 km, take the free speed downhill and take in some solid food early in the race. Riding beside Skaha was fast and effortless and I was being passed by a constant stream of the solid-wheel aero boys (and girls). We hit the McLean creek climb and I was surrounded by a group which slowed down to a pedestrian pace so I jumped into the passing lane where I stayed for the rest of the climb trying to avoid getting tangled up with other cyclists who were changing lanes and wobbling all over the road. From the top of McLean to Oliver I managed my effort to make sure my heart rate stayed within a moderate effort zone. I caught up to speedy Tracy and said hi and then on my way to Richter’s. I knew Tracy would say hello passing me on the run later in the day. At the bottom of Richter’s is where the fun began.
I was climbing the second Richter’s bench when my rear tire flatted out. I started what I thought was a routine inner-tube change when I noticed my tire had a one inch cut that was showing daylight through it. Huge bummer. I started filling with air and the tire started to blow apart. Had to be satisfied with only part pressure. This is problem solving right? Back on the bike, started climbing again and saw Trevor which gave me a good opportunity to vent and complain that my race is over if this tire blows out bla, bla. Trevor wisely told me that the Bike-Barn is somewhere on course. After that I brought out the big guns and hammered all the way to T2. Flying down Richter’s my bike was wallowing all over the road so I hit the brakes. There’s a new one for me – riding the brakes down a hill good grief. After riding another 50km I stopped thinking about the tire damage and began enjoying my day once again. I found it strange that most cyclists around me would lose so much momentum up the rollers – the nine bitches. I spent most of my time in the left lane. Off the bike at special needs to hit the portapotty. Sorry but I’m not peeing on my new bike. What if I pee in my shoe – it could mess up my marathon. Someone should give a seminar and a demonstration on how to safely pee on the bike. I climbed Yellow Lake with one hand on the bars and high-fiving spectators all the way up. I had a couple marriage proposals during the bike race from spectators but I suspect they say the same thing to all the triathlete boys so I didn’t fall for it. There were some epic signs “Short cut here, call me at such and such number”. You want to feel like a Rock Star for a day, run IMC.
I flew down Yellow Lake like a kamikaze hitting 78 km per hour aero, then into town past the TTL tent and on the home stretch down Main Street into T2. My quad started to cramp during the final kilometre and I wondered if I pushed a bit too hard on the bike. I hit T2 after a 5:43 bike split. OK marathon time. I’ve never run one before, by the way, so this should be interesting I thought.
T2
The only thing I’ll say about T2 is that the well meaning volunteer, in his effort to help, was actually a distraction which caused me to run out of the tent without wearing any running shorts. I ran back into the tent, put my pants on and then began a very difficult marathon which I ended up negative splitting by a small margin after all was said and done.
The Run
I was determined to have a good run in order to justify the fast bike split. The ends justify the means right? If I don’t blow up on the run, then the bike split is OK, am I right? So I flew out of T2 running a 5:15 pace, my heart rate off the charts, foaming at the mouth Angie told me later at Cherry lane. I knew I was running too fast and tried to slow down. At Cherry Lane I said hi to Matthew my son “good to see you buddy” I said, and Wilma ran with me for a bit. Angie came out on course and ran with me. “I think I bit off more than I can chew” I said. Cherry Lane is about 5km into the marathon. Angie told me to slow down. “You have got to slow it down you have a marathon to run” she said. I guess I was weaving around a bit and my breathing was not good. Things were going to get ugly I think we both knew it. Another athlete told me I had a fast time going. Would I become just another IMC rookie who blew themselves up on the bike?
I slowed down to a 7:00 pace and walked the aid stations taking Pepsi, water and ice. Keep it simple. At the 15km mark things got bad. I was walking and then stopped and my heart rate was so high I couldn’t drink the Pepsi. Then I got dizzy and almost fell down. No problem – I built up an early lead so time to give some back. I sat in a port-a-potty for a few minutes shut my eyes and and let my heart rate drop – just chill for a while I thought. Safe in the port-a-potty I thought – that way if I pass out nobody will take me off the course: death before DNF and all that. That worked and I was able to continue running out of there at a 6:30 - 7:00 pace walking the aid stations only. Tracy went by and Nate said hello on the way by. This run was mental exercise in pure survival as I did not have much in the tank.
I was looking forward to OK Falls because I stashed notes from family in my special needs bag. I told the kids “write and tell me why I should finish this race”. Running into OK Falls was good. I started reading my notes walking up the hill out of OK falls. My wonderful bright eyed son Matthew wrote “If you don’t finish this race you will look like this in my mind forever”...the note opened to a distorted caricature of my face. Good one Matthew – you need to believe in your dad. My wife wrote “It just so happens that you’re only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead”. The Princess Bride. “Keep running I love you and we are waiting for you at the finish line”. Are you kidding, I thought, I’ll see you there for sure. My wonderful niece Kathryn wrote “When you are at the end of your rope tie a knot and hang on”. Way to go Kathryn that helped me. My niece Eryn wrote “You can do it. Even if you don’t cross the finish line you’re already a winner in my mind”. My little girl Juliana wrote “I love you daddy you can do it, keep going.” I read my mom’s note and ran out of OK Falls with my hands covering my face for a bit. What can I say, Ironman is an emotional day.
Tara and I high-fived as I was about 3km from the falls coming home and I saw many people on the way back saying hello to Trevor, Don, and many other TTL athletes from the other side of the road. I have to admit I was mostly zoned out and could only manage a grunt or two when people said hi to me. Sorry – I did the best I could. The run back to town out by the lake was solitary and tough just like Trevor said it would be. Things got better as I managed to run through a few aid stations and walked only one steep hill. It was so good to see that 20 mile sign. Light at the end of the tunnel. By Cherry Lane with 5km to go I was running well and feeling not bad. Angie came out and ran with me. “How do you feel” she said. “Compared to what I replied”. Angie told me to stop and take the Pepsi on the way in because 5km to go is still a long way to go. That was good advice as I had been running through aid stations by then.
The run from Cherry Lane into town and into the finish line area was such a great experience. The streets lined with people, the crowds getting bigger and louder with each kilometre closer to the finish line. It gave me shivers the energy from the crowds being directed at me as I ran by. At the out-and-back turnaround I could see the finishing area and it is tough to describe how sweet it was hitting the blue carpet with the crowds going wild and my family yelling my name. I stopped and shared hugs with my family and then ran through the finish line arms in the air, fists pumping – how sweet is this - my Ironman journey is done and I’ve lived to tell about it. Well not done – hey I’m a triathlete, there are many races to come but, as someone said at training camp, “the first one is the sweetest and you can never get it back so enjoy the moment” which I did to the fullest. My marathon time was 5:08:35 – a tough run. Ironman is about much more than numbers, but numbers tell part of the story and my 12:15:36 race time far exceeded my expectations.
I have to thank my family, especially Wilma, for hanging in there through all the training, all the ups and downs, a couple bad moods and one temper tantrum (when my running injury just would not heal). Thanks to my coach Angie for being in my corner, letting me do some of it my way, and giving me some extra rope when needed and reeling it in at the right time. You are a great coach Angie. Thanks to my physiotherapist Lisa from Bragg Creek for rebuilding me, several times. Thanks to my incredible team-mates many of whom gave me great advice based on their own Ironman experiences and gave me something to aspire to. I’m looking forward to more great times with TTL. Thank you, it’s been a great journey so far.
John P.’s 2012 IMC Race Report
Introduction
My Ironman journey started after a particularly painful outing at the 2011 Calgary Half-Iron triathlon which I ran only eight weeks after major knee surgery; an unwise decision that explains why I need a coach. After completing the Calgary race, my fourth triathlon, I could hardly wait to tackle the big race in Penticton. Can you say “impulsive decision” – hey I’m a guy – don’t bore me with the details. I wanted to be that athlete, to experience the mystery of transforming myself into an Ironman athlete. Trying to articulate the reasons why we do this can end up sounding corny and cliché but I really wanted to reach out and find my limits. I wanted my kids to witness what it means to go after a far reaching stretch goal which takes a huge amount of effort to achieve. As Jordan Rapp said last year, “reach for the stars”. I guess the seeds were sown three years ago when I witnessed Wilma, my wife, living strong and “not going down without a fight” in her own battle with cancer – she is the reason I’m an Ironman today – at least the reason I started in the first place. So a year ago I asked my swim coach, Angie, if she would be my triathlon coach and fortunately for me she agreed; I would not have achieved so much without her!
The Journey
When you join Team Tri-Life and become a TTL’er it takes a while to meet everyone. There is no single meeting place where you can meet the group at once. It’s a process that takes time and what a great group of people this is. It is so rewarding to train with this group – Monday night swims with Angie screaming “come on, let’s go!”. Tuesday spins: who can inflict the most pain on themselves. Next year I’m going to fall off my bike onto the floor after a really hard hill-repeat and play dead. Hill climbs at Springbank: don’t try and beat Steve W. You’ll only hurt yourself. I trained all through the ski season running on the hotel treadmill while everyone else enjoyed a après ski hot tub. I learned to follow Angie’s plan and not try and do more, do less, go faster and so on. My journey to IMC was full of running injuries, ups and downs. This is not a straight line to success. This process is full of surprises and requires a consistently applied effort over a long period of time. I learned the hard way that it is a very good idea to follow Angie’s plan. After running over 2000 kms, riding 5000 kms and swimming for hundreds of hours I ended up in Penticton for the TTL IMC training camp in July. Training camp is important especially for Ironman rookies because the experience provides a basis for a race-plan that you can believe in. I came away from camp understanding the need for a detailed nutrition plan which I nailed on race day, I learned to ride easy in the first 60km of the bike race and, in general, to “do it”, not “race it” in terms of how to approach this ultra long course triathlon and learned that Ironman is an exercise in problem-solving.
Pre-Race
The days leading up to race morning I’d describe as going from a state of chaos to order for me personally. My bike broke down and I got a new one the day before leaving Calgary for IMC. “Hey Angie, how do you like my new bike?” “No I haven’t trained on it much”. My swim goggles broke in half during a training swim two days before the race – that would have been interesting during the race swim. My running injury finally healed and I could run pain free for the first time in three months a week before the race. It was so much fun being an athlete in Penticton days before the big race; there is huge energy throughout the town – a party vibe combined with thousands of athletes from all over the world. It felt very good to have earned my place to be part of that group. People on the streets and in the hotel would spot my athlete wrist band and wish me well. The town’s people knew better than I what was in store on race day. My boss, mentor and long time colleague, Lorne, sent me a great email wishing me well for race day. Many of my good friends sent well wishes which meant alot. The Ironman taper and many early nights had me ready to rock and on race morning my feet hit the floor at 4am ready to go. My pre-race routine is always the same: coffee, bagel and a half Km run to get my body to wake up and prepare to race. Then I walked a short block from the Penticton Lakeside to T1 and said hi to Steve G. at Special Needs drop-off and then ran into Tara and Kelly on the way to body marking. We said hi, well wishes, hugs then proceeded on to load nutrition onto my bike and get my wetsuit on. Nervous pee time, back up to the hotel room and back down to T1. Steve G. was asking “what are you doing running back and forth”. I saw Wilma, Angie and Danny against the fences in T1 and we high-fived through the fence. I was all smiles and ready to head out to the beach about 10 minutes before swim start.
The Swim
I spotted myself on the front line and about 15 meters in from the left side for the swim start. Angie and I agreed that my swimming and confidence level are good enough to seed at the front and avoid getting killed too badly in the mass swim start. I love the open water – I grew up on the ocean - and I don’t mind the heavy contact that occurs when 2,700 athletes hit the water at the same time. Trevor and I shared some last minute good lucks and well wishes on the beach. I was surprisingly calm and focused and never really got too emotional about being on that beach and everything it represents for athletes that have come so far in a personal journey. I was totally focused on getting off to a good start and not get run over. The gun sounded and the first minutes of the swim were a complete gong-show. I took a couple mouthfuls of water and incorporated some underwater coughing into my swimming rhythm. There was constant bumping and people competing for open water on the way to the first turn. I found some “fast feet” to draft and got into a very long, smooth rhythm, and a higher-than-normal stroke count which I held for the entire race. After 20minutes I started to relax a little too much. Had to remind myself to keep my game face going and not take anything for granted. The first and second turns were congested forcing me to swim over top of slower swimmers. There was zero open water available – no holes to hit. What a wild swim. Full contact swimming. The alternative would be people swimming over top of me from behind. After the second turn I found open water and was able to draft some fast swimmers and kept about a 1:50 per 100 meter pace the whole way. I hit T1 in 1:10 – the best swim of my life.
Bike
I rolled out onto the bike course loving life and feeling great. I waved at Angie and a loud group of TTL’ers at the first turn. You can’t mistake Angie’s voice on a Triathlon course it gave me a great send-off as I started the world famous 180 km IMC bike course on my new Trek Speed Concept. I’ve ridden the IMC course only once before at training camp and each time out I have the feeling of embarking on an odyssey – a grand adventure unlike any of the multiple lap courses I’ve ridden. This is an epic bike course with tough climbs, high-speed descents, rolling hills, lake scenery, wine vineyard country and tour-deFrance-like spectators on course. This is what makes the Penticton race so special. My game-plan was to ride easy and keep my RPE on the low end for the first 60 km, take the free speed downhill and take in some solid food early in the race. Riding beside Skaha was fast and effortless and I was being passed by a constant stream of the solid-wheel aero boys (and girls). We hit the McLean creek climb and I was surrounded by a group which slowed down to a pedestrian pace so I jumped into the passing lane where I stayed for the rest of the climb trying to avoid getting tangled up with other cyclists who were changing lanes and wobbling all over the road. From the top of McLean to Oliver I managed my effort to make sure my heart rate stayed within a moderate effort zone. I caught up to speedy Tracy and said hi and then on my way to Richter’s. I knew Tracy would say hello passing me on the run later in the day. At the bottom of Richter’s is where the fun began.
I was climbing the second Richter’s bench when my rear tire flatted out. I started what I thought was a routine inner-tube change when I noticed my tire had a one inch cut that was showing daylight through it. Huge bummer. I started filling with air and the tire started to blow apart. Had to be satisfied with only part pressure. This is problem solving right? Back on the bike, started climbing again and saw Trevor which gave me a good opportunity to vent and complain that my race is over if this tire blows out bla, bla. Trevor wisely told me that the Bike-Barn is somewhere on course. After that I brought out the big guns and hammered all the way to T2. Flying down Richter’s my bike was wallowing all over the road so I hit the brakes. There’s a new one for me – riding the brakes down a hill good grief. After riding another 50km I stopped thinking about the tire damage and began enjoying my day once again. I found it strange that most cyclists around me would lose so much momentum up the rollers – the nine bitches. I spent most of my time in the left lane. Off the bike at special needs to hit the portapotty. Sorry but I’m not peeing on my new bike. What if I pee in my shoe – it could mess up my marathon. Someone should give a seminar and a demonstration on how to safely pee on the bike. I climbed Yellow Lake with one hand on the bars and high-fiving spectators all the way up. I had a couple marriage proposals during the bike race from spectators but I suspect they say the same thing to all the triathlete boys so I didn’t fall for it. There were some epic signs “Short cut here, call me at such and such number”. You want to feel like a Rock Star for a day, run IMC.
I flew down Yellow Lake like a kamikaze hitting 78 km per hour aero, then into town past the TTL tent and on the home stretch down Main Street into T2. My quad started to cramp during the final kilometre and I wondered if I pushed a bit too hard on the bike. I hit T2 after a 5:43 bike split. OK marathon time. I’ve never run one before, by the way, so this should be interesting I thought.
T2
The only thing I’ll say about T2 is that the well meaning volunteer, in his effort to help, was actually a distraction which caused me to run out of the tent without wearing any running shorts. I ran back into the tent, put my pants on and then began a very difficult marathon which I ended up negative splitting by a small margin after all was said and done.
The Run
I was determined to have a good run in order to justify the fast bike split. The ends justify the means right? If I don’t blow up on the run, then the bike split is OK, am I right? So I flew out of T2 running a 5:15 pace, my heart rate off the charts, foaming at the mouth Angie told me later at Cherry lane. I knew I was running too fast and tried to slow down. At Cherry Lane I said hi to Matthew my son “good to see you buddy” I said, and Wilma ran with me for a bit. Angie came out on course and ran with me. “I think I bit off more than I can chew” I said. Cherry Lane is about 5km into the marathon. Angie told me to slow down. “You have got to slow it down you have a marathon to run” she said. I guess I was weaving around a bit and my breathing was not good. Things were going to get ugly I think we both knew it. Another athlete told me I had a fast time going. Would I become just another IMC rookie who blew themselves up on the bike?
I slowed down to a 7:00 pace and walked the aid stations taking Pepsi, water and ice. Keep it simple. At the 15km mark things got bad. I was walking and then stopped and my heart rate was so high I couldn’t drink the Pepsi. Then I got dizzy and almost fell down. No problem – I built up an early lead so time to give some back. I sat in a port-a-potty for a few minutes shut my eyes and and let my heart rate drop – just chill for a while I thought. Safe in the port-a-potty I thought – that way if I pass out nobody will take me off the course: death before DNF and all that. That worked and I was able to continue running out of there at a 6:30 - 7:00 pace walking the aid stations only. Tracy went by and Nate said hello on the way by. This run was mental exercise in pure survival as I did not have much in the tank.
I was looking forward to OK Falls because I stashed notes from family in my special needs bag. I told the kids “write and tell me why I should finish this race”. Running into OK Falls was good. I started reading my notes walking up the hill out of OK falls. My wonderful bright eyed son Matthew wrote “If you don’t finish this race you will look like this in my mind forever”...the note opened to a distorted caricature of my face. Good one Matthew – you need to believe in your dad. My wife wrote “It just so happens that you’re only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead”. The Princess Bride. “Keep running I love you and we are waiting for you at the finish line”. Are you kidding, I thought, I’ll see you there for sure. My wonderful niece Kathryn wrote “When you are at the end of your rope tie a knot and hang on”. Way to go Kathryn that helped me. My niece Eryn wrote “You can do it. Even if you don’t cross the finish line you’re already a winner in my mind”. My little girl Juliana wrote “I love you daddy you can do it, keep going.” I read my mom’s note and ran out of OK Falls with my hands covering my face for a bit. What can I say, Ironman is an emotional day.
Tara and I high-fived as I was about 3km from the falls coming home and I saw many people on the way back saying hello to Trevor, Don, and many other TTL athletes from the other side of the road. I have to admit I was mostly zoned out and could only manage a grunt or two when people said hi to me. Sorry – I did the best I could. The run back to town out by the lake was solitary and tough just like Trevor said it would be. Things got better as I managed to run through a few aid stations and walked only one steep hill. It was so good to see that 20 mile sign. Light at the end of the tunnel. By Cherry Lane with 5km to go I was running well and feeling not bad. Angie came out and ran with me. “How do you feel” she said. “Compared to what I replied”. Angie told me to stop and take the Pepsi on the way in because 5km to go is still a long way to go. That was good advice as I had been running through aid stations by then.
The run from Cherry Lane into town and into the finish line area was such a great experience. The streets lined with people, the crowds getting bigger and louder with each kilometre closer to the finish line. It gave me shivers the energy from the crowds being directed at me as I ran by. At the out-and-back turnaround I could see the finishing area and it is tough to describe how sweet it was hitting the blue carpet with the crowds going wild and my family yelling my name. I stopped and shared hugs with my family and then ran through the finish line arms in the air, fists pumping – how sweet is this - my Ironman journey is done and I’ve lived to tell about it. Well not done – hey I’m a triathlete, there are many races to come but, as someone said at training camp, “the first one is the sweetest and you can never get it back so enjoy the moment” which I did to the fullest. My marathon time was 5:08:35 – a tough run. Ironman is about much more than numbers, but numbers tell part of the story and my 12:15:36 race time far exceeded my expectations.
I have to thank my family, especially Wilma, for hanging in there through all the training, all the ups and downs, a couple bad moods and one temper tantrum (when my running injury just would not heal). Thanks to my coach Angie for being in my corner, letting me do some of it my way, and giving me some extra rope when needed and reeling it in at the right time. You are a great coach Angie. Thanks to my physiotherapist Lisa from Bragg Creek for rebuilding me, several times. Thanks to my incredible team-mates many of whom gave me great advice based on their own Ironman experiences and gave me something to aspire to. I’m looking forward to more great times with TTL. Thank you, it’s been a great journey so far.
Andrea's Ironman Canada Race Report 2012
Andrea’s IMC Race Report
Goals: To finish with a smile on my face, take in and enjoy the experience
I actually fell asleep quite easily which surprised me, since I fully expected to be up all night thinking about the race. I did start waking up every 20 minutes or so starting around 130 to make sure I hadn’t slept in. I woke up at 330 and chugged an ensure drink and went back to sleep. I started hearing other wake up calls coming in to the rooms around mine... 410, 413, 417, 420.... and finally my alarm went off at 430. I drank another ensure beverage and got ready.
I dragged my mother and Karl out the door at 515am, and could see the masses starting to walk down lakeshore drive. My tummy was lurching a little, but I was trying to stay calm. I was directed with everyone else to get my body marking and drop off my bags. I hugged my supporters and left them behind while I followed everyone else through the assembly line of bag dropping and body marking. I almost started crying because I was feeling overwhelmed, but then I saw Steve Glavac volunteering and he made me laugh. Much better.
I went straight to my bike as planned, pumped my tires and filled my drink bottles for the day. No major crises and I found Karl and my mom to drop off everything with them that I couldn’t keep in the morning clothes bag. I then did the morning ritual of the bathroom lineup with all the other 2600 athletes. They probably could have used a few more bathrooms, but it went quickly enough. The guy behind me was making me laugh as he discussed the fact that there was likely someone in this never ending line, pretty much crapping their pants because they couldn’t get to the bathroom fast enough. Funny, I felt like that might be me for a minute, but made it in time and felt much better after.
I wetsuited up with some others by my bike then realized I left my body glide in the backpack that I’d passed on to Karl for the day. Oops. I’ve never had any issues with my wetsuit in the past, so I assumed I’d be ok. I managed to get 3 bites of my banana in which in that moment seemed pretty good, so I threw the rest out. The pro’s were starting right away, so I headed over to where everyone was dropping off their dry clothes, and ran into Tracy, Lara, and Trevor so I stopped to talk to them for a minute. I started to get more antsy, so I decided to head down to the water with the rest of the masses. My tummy was all gurgly, but I walked over to the far left as planned, but apparently everyone was also planning on the far left, so I ended up more in the middle. I saw Tara and chatted for a minute, got myself wet, and walked back to halfway back for the anthem. I looked around trying to find my mom and Karl, but I couldn’t see them anywhere. Oh well, maybe they could see me so I smiled.
Before I knew it, off we went. I had fully expected the first 500 m or so to be ridiculous but I was actually finding huge spaces and managed to remain calm and stay in good form right away. I felt good and relaxed all the way to the first buoy, although I seriously could not see that wide white corner buoy. Not a great color or shape to select when there are that many people. I thought we had missed our turn, but figured the masses know best so I followed suit. It was a bit dicey making that turn but I remained calm and was able to get back into a nice rhythm right away. I kept reminding myself that I was doing it... the ironman! I was past the halfway point and was feeling really good... way better than I thought I would. The wetsuit was scraping the back of my neck but I was going to be done soon so I tried to ignore it. Darn me forgetting my body glide in my bag! Made the final turn without too many problems. Got whacked a few times in the last hundred meters or so, but managed to swim until I had two handfuls of sand like Sarah said and I was done. Woo hoo! Checked out my time.. 1:23! Yay! I wasn’t expecting to be coming out until around 1:30 so 7 minutes faster! Good start! It was madness around me but I managed to find some available strippers and I was headed for transition in no time. I was shocked with the volunteer service... amazing people were literally dressing people. I didn’t have much to do except put my watch, shoes and helmet on so I didn’t need much assistance... but they were so nice! I made sure to thank everyone and a guy slathered me in sunscreen on the way out.... off to my bike I go!
The kleenex I stuffed in my bento box just before my race had stuck to my chomps, so my first few I shoveled in my mouth had tissue attached to them. Oh well. Extra fibre I guess. I ran my bike down to the mounting line, and appreciated the advice I rec’d from a tri-lifer the day before. She had suggested I push my bike past the mounting line and get away from the dense crowd around that line... so much better. As Angie said, I apparently looked like Mary Poppins and got right down to business. Ha ha.
I remembered Sarah saying to take it out easy so I did. I met John on the way out and we said hi and off he went. I was a little uncomfortable since there were sooo many people around me which I wasn’t used to, so it took quite a while before I could get down into aero. It all felt good down to Osoyoos, and I managed to get my drink in as planned and more chomps in on schedule. I was finding it warm, and after a couple of hours, the electrolyte drink and chomps starting tasting way sweeter than it ever has in training, to the point where I was feeling nauseous. I picked up water at the aid station and drank that but I knew I had to get my electrolytes and nutrition in or my day would get really bad, really fast. I forced the chomps and drink down and chased it with as much water as i could get my hands on. Richter’s was long and hard, as expected, but the crowds were amazing. Again, I was not really comfortable on the descents since there were so many people around me. Some of the people were flying by in their aerobars whipping down these hills like they were nothing... I felt scared for them.. but they seemed totally at ease. I was being passed left right and center, which at first was frustrating, but then I started looking at each of them as someone I swam faster than and I reminded myself about my goals for the day. This wasn’t about them passing me, it was about me achieving what I had set out for myself.
I was still feeling like barfing and had slowed down on my nutrition schedule which was worrying me a bit. My quads would twinge like they were about to charlie horse on me anytime I stood to get myself up a hill. I slowed down a bit more, and forced the electrolyte drink in. I was wishing I would have brought the salt tabs with me for this portion, instead of putting them only in my run kits. Tabs and water would have been a lot better at this point. I switched to the gels I had in my bento and these sat better than the chomps. Unfortunately, I only had a few gels since chomps had been my faithful training partner and I hadn’t expected them to sit so poorly. I got to the out and back though, and saw Tara on her way out so waved hi. It’s amazing what seeing a friendly face can do for me, and I knew that I was going to be at my special needs bag in a short while, which had more gels in it.
Special needs went well, and the friendly volunteer sprayed me down really well with someone’s fancy sunscreen that had been left behind. I took off my shoe and fixed my sock that had a minor fold in the toe section, but after 120km, the fold felt like a whole extra sock balled in my shoe! Ah! Much much better. The girl and I that had stopped at the same point laughed with the volunteers about getting back on the bike after stopping. But we did and off we went. I was determined to stay with my nutrition schedule even if it meant slowing down for the last section. I was feeling not fabulous, but knew I was getting close to the big descent and soon it would be all downhill from there. I was seriously ready to get off that seat and started to feel sorry for myself a bit. But then this super nice man with a 74 written on his leg came biking by me and we joked around about our sore butts, and he assured me we would be there soon. 74 years old and he’s pushing through... darnit, if he can do it, so can I. I pushed through that last bit, and was so excited to be back in town. There were the friendly faces and cheers of the team tri-life tent that gave me that last push into transition. When I dismounted my bike, both my quads seized up at the same time... at least they were good enough to wait until after I got off my bike. I hobbled past the volunteers and then some angels came and took away that bike and I was whisked away towards the transition tent again.
I could hear interviews with the pro winners and second place finishers in the background and thought how nice it must be to be done already. Only a marathon left... no biggie! ha ha
I changed my focus to the fact that I had finished the swim and the bike of an ironman and only had to get though that run! I still had almost 8 hours to get through it, so even if I had to walk the majority... I should still make it.
Quick pitstop in the bathrooms and off I went. I saw my mom three times in a few minutes, and managed to joke with her about the fact that she seemed to be running around faster than I was. Only 41 km left!
I was passing the tri-life tent before I knew it and Sarah was running next to me checking in with how I was feeling. I told her about the nausea and she gave me some good advice and reassured me that I would make it in long before midnight. Angie was just ahead as well, having sent Lara off with some advice and she was nothing but supportive. I am so happy that I’m part of this team. Even though most of these people have just met me a few days before, their kind words and support are unbelievably helpful when you are starting to get those creeping feelings of doubt. I had made a pact with myself that as long as I could run, I would. If I had to walk, I would. I still felt ok, so I carried on jogging. One aid station to the next. Karl biked up next to me to check in with me. I still felt nauseous and I dropped my bag for him to pick up and carry back for me. I seriously never wanted to see, let alone taste that electrolyte beverage ever again. I happily took my salt tabs with the water at the aid station and managed to get in pretzels. My gels were still sitting ok, and the nausea started to subside... thank god!
Things started to rumble on the other side of the GI tract though and I had to walk a few times, merely to prevent a bad situation from happening in my pants. Gross. That would not be good for the last 25km. I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other, setting my sights on a jersey or shirt in front of me somewhere, and trying to catch up with them. I saw many a tri-lifer heading back the other way and managed to give most a high five. I saw a lot of walking going the other way and the occasional athlete bent over in pain or with nausea. I felt their pain and this made me realize that I had to get those carbs and lytes in or that was going to be me soon. I forced them down at all the aid stations and wanted to hug the friendly supporters that sprayed me down with their garden hoses. ah! so refreshing!
The turn around was just ahead, and I was happy with my progress. I had really only walked the aid stations, the hills and when I thought my tummy rumblings would end badly. That was more than I thought I would run. I grabbed my special needs and refilled my pockets with gels... but I forgot my salt tabs! They must have blended with the bag and I didn’t see them, or even think about them until I was at the next aid station. Darnit! I was not going back though. The nausea had pretty much subsided at this point and thank goodness, it was cooling down out there. I decided to try the gatorade which surprisingly tasted ok. The pretzels were actually fairly tasty at this point and I even managed to down some coke, which in my head sounded disgusting while running, but yum! Sucking back oranges became my vice for the next few stations, and I paused to talk to Shannon from tri-life as I caught up with her. She was also experiencing the nausea so I told her what Sarah and Angie had told me back at the beginning of the run. I wished her well and hoped she would be feeling better soon. Back to one foot in front of the other.
Everything was starting to hurt... that was expected though. My calves that had been giving me trouble all season were feeling great though. My knees were starting to feel sore though, but I kept telling myself "no matter what it’s gonna hurt, but at least if you are jogging, you are gonna get there faster than walking, so get going". It was starting to get dark out but there were still athletes around me. I was with the same group over and over and we started joking with one another to get us through the pain. This girl commented on my hat, a 70.3 california hat and said that was one of her favorite races. I told her I was just an imposter as I borrowed the hat from a friend since I wanted a breathable white hat. She told me I should do that race, and I said I couldn’t quite imagine wanting to sign up for anything, while I was feeling this way right now. We all started laughing and she insisted that we would all forget about this feeling, have temporary amnesia and sign up for something again. I told her that sounds like having a baby, and agreeing to do it again after giving birth....or so I’m told.
I was taking in how beautiful the sunset was and I actually saw a deer right next to me in the brush at the side of the road. Those speedy day runners didn’t get the full nature experience!
I started checking my watch to see how much time I had to make it in. I knew, unless something went horribly awry, I would finish before the cutoff. I was still jogging and the lights of the city were getting closer. Before long, I was back into town. I loved that there were still people out there cheering in their driveways even though it was dark out. I made sure to give each of them a smile and a thank you for their support. Each cheer gave me a little bit more pep in my step. I could hear the music and the voice of Steve King at the end. I walked for a little bit because I was determined to run that last stretch. I got to the corner where I could see the finish line, but followed the other runners down the final out and back. I don’t ever remember Salty’s being that far down, and I passed our hotel and all I could think about was that bed waiting for me at the end of this. Then I’m at the end of the street and there is team tri-life cheering. Angie came and made me laugh about my mary poppins bike style and then nearly made me cry because she told me I was there... I was gonna be an ironman. She left me halfway down to go back and support the others, and my jog became easier. My shoulders dropped and the pain in all my joints seemed to subside. I could see my mom and Karl, and the sounds of the crowds were deafening. I had planned in my head to do something funny like dance across the finish line, but I couldn’t think. I couldn’t break my stride... I just grabbed that finish tape threw it over my head and phew! I was done!
This lovely lady came over to me, popped a medal over my head and helped me hobble down the carpet. I was met by Kelly, another tri-lifer that had finished a few minutes before me. Danny and Cindy were there too, and Shannon joined us a few minutes later. We got our pictures done and I couldn’t stop smiling, well, amoungst the grimaces. My knee seemed to have shut down on my right side. It finally realized it could stop working now that I was done.
15 hours and 16 minutes. It was slightly slower than I thought I would be, but I didn’t care at all. I had done it. One year before, standing there, watching these amazing fearless people making their dreams come true. It was so inspiring! And now I had done it. I felt on top of the world, like anything was possible.
Have I had the amnesia yet and signed up for anything else... well, it’s only been a few days, but I’m sure I’ll find something. I’m gonna bask in the glow for a moment... you only get that first ironman once!
Goals: To finish with a smile on my face, take in and enjoy the experience
I actually fell asleep quite easily which surprised me, since I fully expected to be up all night thinking about the race. I did start waking up every 20 minutes or so starting around 130 to make sure I hadn’t slept in. I woke up at 330 and chugged an ensure drink and went back to sleep. I started hearing other wake up calls coming in to the rooms around mine... 410, 413, 417, 420.... and finally my alarm went off at 430. I drank another ensure beverage and got ready.
I dragged my mother and Karl out the door at 515am, and could see the masses starting to walk down lakeshore drive. My tummy was lurching a little, but I was trying to stay calm. I was directed with everyone else to get my body marking and drop off my bags. I hugged my supporters and left them behind while I followed everyone else through the assembly line of bag dropping and body marking. I almost started crying because I was feeling overwhelmed, but then I saw Steve Glavac volunteering and he made me laugh. Much better.
I went straight to my bike as planned, pumped my tires and filled my drink bottles for the day. No major crises and I found Karl and my mom to drop off everything with them that I couldn’t keep in the morning clothes bag. I then did the morning ritual of the bathroom lineup with all the other 2600 athletes. They probably could have used a few more bathrooms, but it went quickly enough. The guy behind me was making me laugh as he discussed the fact that there was likely someone in this never ending line, pretty much crapping their pants because they couldn’t get to the bathroom fast enough. Funny, I felt like that might be me for a minute, but made it in time and felt much better after.
I wetsuited up with some others by my bike then realized I left my body glide in the backpack that I’d passed on to Karl for the day. Oops. I’ve never had any issues with my wetsuit in the past, so I assumed I’d be ok. I managed to get 3 bites of my banana in which in that moment seemed pretty good, so I threw the rest out. The pro’s were starting right away, so I headed over to where everyone was dropping off their dry clothes, and ran into Tracy, Lara, and Trevor so I stopped to talk to them for a minute. I started to get more antsy, so I decided to head down to the water with the rest of the masses. My tummy was all gurgly, but I walked over to the far left as planned, but apparently everyone was also planning on the far left, so I ended up more in the middle. I saw Tara and chatted for a minute, got myself wet, and walked back to halfway back for the anthem. I looked around trying to find my mom and Karl, but I couldn’t see them anywhere. Oh well, maybe they could see me so I smiled.
Before I knew it, off we went. I had fully expected the first 500 m or so to be ridiculous but I was actually finding huge spaces and managed to remain calm and stay in good form right away. I felt good and relaxed all the way to the first buoy, although I seriously could not see that wide white corner buoy. Not a great color or shape to select when there are that many people. I thought we had missed our turn, but figured the masses know best so I followed suit. It was a bit dicey making that turn but I remained calm and was able to get back into a nice rhythm right away. I kept reminding myself that I was doing it... the ironman! I was past the halfway point and was feeling really good... way better than I thought I would. The wetsuit was scraping the back of my neck but I was going to be done soon so I tried to ignore it. Darn me forgetting my body glide in my bag! Made the final turn without too many problems. Got whacked a few times in the last hundred meters or so, but managed to swim until I had two handfuls of sand like Sarah said and I was done. Woo hoo! Checked out my time.. 1:23! Yay! I wasn’t expecting to be coming out until around 1:30 so 7 minutes faster! Good start! It was madness around me but I managed to find some available strippers and I was headed for transition in no time. I was shocked with the volunteer service... amazing people were literally dressing people. I didn’t have much to do except put my watch, shoes and helmet on so I didn’t need much assistance... but they were so nice! I made sure to thank everyone and a guy slathered me in sunscreen on the way out.... off to my bike I go!
The kleenex I stuffed in my bento box just before my race had stuck to my chomps, so my first few I shoveled in my mouth had tissue attached to them. Oh well. Extra fibre I guess. I ran my bike down to the mounting line, and appreciated the advice I rec’d from a tri-lifer the day before. She had suggested I push my bike past the mounting line and get away from the dense crowd around that line... so much better. As Angie said, I apparently looked like Mary Poppins and got right down to business. Ha ha.
I remembered Sarah saying to take it out easy so I did. I met John on the way out and we said hi and off he went. I was a little uncomfortable since there were sooo many people around me which I wasn’t used to, so it took quite a while before I could get down into aero. It all felt good down to Osoyoos, and I managed to get my drink in as planned and more chomps in on schedule. I was finding it warm, and after a couple of hours, the electrolyte drink and chomps starting tasting way sweeter than it ever has in training, to the point where I was feeling nauseous. I picked up water at the aid station and drank that but I knew I had to get my electrolytes and nutrition in or my day would get really bad, really fast. I forced the chomps and drink down and chased it with as much water as i could get my hands on. Richter’s was long and hard, as expected, but the crowds were amazing. Again, I was not really comfortable on the descents since there were so many people around me. Some of the people were flying by in their aerobars whipping down these hills like they were nothing... I felt scared for them.. but they seemed totally at ease. I was being passed left right and center, which at first was frustrating, but then I started looking at each of them as someone I swam faster than and I reminded myself about my goals for the day. This wasn’t about them passing me, it was about me achieving what I had set out for myself.
I was still feeling like barfing and had slowed down on my nutrition schedule which was worrying me a bit. My quads would twinge like they were about to charlie horse on me anytime I stood to get myself up a hill. I slowed down a bit more, and forced the electrolyte drink in. I was wishing I would have brought the salt tabs with me for this portion, instead of putting them only in my run kits. Tabs and water would have been a lot better at this point. I switched to the gels I had in my bento and these sat better than the chomps. Unfortunately, I only had a few gels since chomps had been my faithful training partner and I hadn’t expected them to sit so poorly. I got to the out and back though, and saw Tara on her way out so waved hi. It’s amazing what seeing a friendly face can do for me, and I knew that I was going to be at my special needs bag in a short while, which had more gels in it.
Special needs went well, and the friendly volunteer sprayed me down really well with someone’s fancy sunscreen that had been left behind. I took off my shoe and fixed my sock that had a minor fold in the toe section, but after 120km, the fold felt like a whole extra sock balled in my shoe! Ah! Much much better. The girl and I that had stopped at the same point laughed with the volunteers about getting back on the bike after stopping. But we did and off we went. I was determined to stay with my nutrition schedule even if it meant slowing down for the last section. I was feeling not fabulous, but knew I was getting close to the big descent and soon it would be all downhill from there. I was seriously ready to get off that seat and started to feel sorry for myself a bit. But then this super nice man with a 74 written on his leg came biking by me and we joked around about our sore butts, and he assured me we would be there soon. 74 years old and he’s pushing through... darnit, if he can do it, so can I. I pushed through that last bit, and was so excited to be back in town. There were the friendly faces and cheers of the team tri-life tent that gave me that last push into transition. When I dismounted my bike, both my quads seized up at the same time... at least they were good enough to wait until after I got off my bike. I hobbled past the volunteers and then some angels came and took away that bike and I was whisked away towards the transition tent again.
I could hear interviews with the pro winners and second place finishers in the background and thought how nice it must be to be done already. Only a marathon left... no biggie! ha ha
I changed my focus to the fact that I had finished the swim and the bike of an ironman and only had to get though that run! I still had almost 8 hours to get through it, so even if I had to walk the majority... I should still make it.
Quick pitstop in the bathrooms and off I went. I saw my mom three times in a few minutes, and managed to joke with her about the fact that she seemed to be running around faster than I was. Only 41 km left!
I was passing the tri-life tent before I knew it and Sarah was running next to me checking in with how I was feeling. I told her about the nausea and she gave me some good advice and reassured me that I would make it in long before midnight. Angie was just ahead as well, having sent Lara off with some advice and she was nothing but supportive. I am so happy that I’m part of this team. Even though most of these people have just met me a few days before, their kind words and support are unbelievably helpful when you are starting to get those creeping feelings of doubt. I had made a pact with myself that as long as I could run, I would. If I had to walk, I would. I still felt ok, so I carried on jogging. One aid station to the next. Karl biked up next to me to check in with me. I still felt nauseous and I dropped my bag for him to pick up and carry back for me. I seriously never wanted to see, let alone taste that electrolyte beverage ever again. I happily took my salt tabs with the water at the aid station and managed to get in pretzels. My gels were still sitting ok, and the nausea started to subside... thank god!
Things started to rumble on the other side of the GI tract though and I had to walk a few times, merely to prevent a bad situation from happening in my pants. Gross. That would not be good for the last 25km. I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other, setting my sights on a jersey or shirt in front of me somewhere, and trying to catch up with them. I saw many a tri-lifer heading back the other way and managed to give most a high five. I saw a lot of walking going the other way and the occasional athlete bent over in pain or with nausea. I felt their pain and this made me realize that I had to get those carbs and lytes in or that was going to be me soon. I forced them down at all the aid stations and wanted to hug the friendly supporters that sprayed me down with their garden hoses. ah! so refreshing!
The turn around was just ahead, and I was happy with my progress. I had really only walked the aid stations, the hills and when I thought my tummy rumblings would end badly. That was more than I thought I would run. I grabbed my special needs and refilled my pockets with gels... but I forgot my salt tabs! They must have blended with the bag and I didn’t see them, or even think about them until I was at the next aid station. Darnit! I was not going back though. The nausea had pretty much subsided at this point and thank goodness, it was cooling down out there. I decided to try the gatorade which surprisingly tasted ok. The pretzels were actually fairly tasty at this point and I even managed to down some coke, which in my head sounded disgusting while running, but yum! Sucking back oranges became my vice for the next few stations, and I paused to talk to Shannon from tri-life as I caught up with her. She was also experiencing the nausea so I told her what Sarah and Angie had told me back at the beginning of the run. I wished her well and hoped she would be feeling better soon. Back to one foot in front of the other.
Everything was starting to hurt... that was expected though. My calves that had been giving me trouble all season were feeling great though. My knees were starting to feel sore though, but I kept telling myself "no matter what it’s gonna hurt, but at least if you are jogging, you are gonna get there faster than walking, so get going". It was starting to get dark out but there were still athletes around me. I was with the same group over and over and we started joking with one another to get us through the pain. This girl commented on my hat, a 70.3 california hat and said that was one of her favorite races. I told her I was just an imposter as I borrowed the hat from a friend since I wanted a breathable white hat. She told me I should do that race, and I said I couldn’t quite imagine wanting to sign up for anything, while I was feeling this way right now. We all started laughing and she insisted that we would all forget about this feeling, have temporary amnesia and sign up for something again. I told her that sounds like having a baby, and agreeing to do it again after giving birth....or so I’m told.
I was taking in how beautiful the sunset was and I actually saw a deer right next to me in the brush at the side of the road. Those speedy day runners didn’t get the full nature experience!
I started checking my watch to see how much time I had to make it in. I knew, unless something went horribly awry, I would finish before the cutoff. I was still jogging and the lights of the city were getting closer. Before long, I was back into town. I loved that there were still people out there cheering in their driveways even though it was dark out. I made sure to give each of them a smile and a thank you for their support. Each cheer gave me a little bit more pep in my step. I could hear the music and the voice of Steve King at the end. I walked for a little bit because I was determined to run that last stretch. I got to the corner where I could see the finish line, but followed the other runners down the final out and back. I don’t ever remember Salty’s being that far down, and I passed our hotel and all I could think about was that bed waiting for me at the end of this. Then I’m at the end of the street and there is team tri-life cheering. Angie came and made me laugh about my mary poppins bike style and then nearly made me cry because she told me I was there... I was gonna be an ironman. She left me halfway down to go back and support the others, and my jog became easier. My shoulders dropped and the pain in all my joints seemed to subside. I could see my mom and Karl, and the sounds of the crowds were deafening. I had planned in my head to do something funny like dance across the finish line, but I couldn’t think. I couldn’t break my stride... I just grabbed that finish tape threw it over my head and phew! I was done!
This lovely lady came over to me, popped a medal over my head and helped me hobble down the carpet. I was met by Kelly, another tri-lifer that had finished a few minutes before me. Danny and Cindy were there too, and Shannon joined us a few minutes later. We got our pictures done and I couldn’t stop smiling, well, amoungst the grimaces. My knee seemed to have shut down on my right side. It finally realized it could stop working now that I was done.
15 hours and 16 minutes. It was slightly slower than I thought I would be, but I didn’t care at all. I had done it. One year before, standing there, watching these amazing fearless people making their dreams come true. It was so inspiring! And now I had done it. I felt on top of the world, like anything was possible.
Have I had the amnesia yet and signed up for anything else... well, it’s only been a few days, but I’m sure I’ll find something. I’m gonna bask in the glow for a moment... you only get that first ironman once!
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 :)
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 :)
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tara's 2012 IMC Race Report!!!!
It all began with 1 minute and 53 seconds…..
Tara’s IMC Race Report 2012
For those of you who have trained with me, you know exactly what my obsession is with 1 minute and 53 seconds. For those of you who haven’t you may think I am a bit crazy so let me explain. I did my first Ironman in 2010. I had a great day! I was thrilled with my race. However, my time was 13 hours 1 minute and 52 seconds. I was super excited, but in the back of my mind, there was always “Couldn’t I have found 1 minute and 53 seconds out on the race course to come in under 13 hours”….
Hence my quest for IMC 2012 began.
Last summer I went out to Penticton to volunteer and had a great time. It was the next day that John P, John B, Jacque, Kelly, Lara, Tracy and I signed up. A couple months later Shannon, Trevor, Leana took the plunge with community spots. Sorry Jacqui, Claire, Lawrence and Nate I have no idea…..when/how you decided to do the race!
Fast forward a few months….Training was on! I biked, I swam, I ran. Then I biked and swam, and ran some more. Somewhere, somehow, if the stars all aligned I was going to improve my finishing time by 1 minute and 53 seconds. Now before I continue, I know it is dangerous to put time goals on an Ironman. Anything can happen on race day…Heat, rain, hail, wind, gut issues….they can all affect overall performance and time. I wasn’t naïve, I knew these were all factors, but 1 minute and 53 seconds pushed me to train through rain, cold, heat and the days I just didn’t want to get out of bed.
After months of training with some awesome training partners (thanks to Kelly, Leana, Trevor, Shannon, Megan, Tracy and all the other TTLers who met me at the pool, ran with me and biked with me), it was race week and we were off to Penticton.
Pre-Race jitters were full-blown on the days leading up to IMC. There were some tears, a couple horrible swims a decent descent down Yellow Lake and a great 20-minute run with Tracy. I was staying right across from the Sicamous so it was super convenient, and a lot of fun since Trevor, Jacque and Kelly were staying there as well. Tracy and I drove to Penticton together and we got into town late Wednesday afternoon. We immediately went to the Bike Barn to get someone to look at Tracy’s bike and while we were there I commented that my shifting still wasn’t great. The mechanic told me to go get my bike, and he fiddled with it, and fixed it within about 10 minutes! Thanks!!! That night a bunch of us got together for a casual BBQ at the hotel. A perfectly relaxing evening. On Thursday we did a quick swim, checked in, did some shopping at the merchandise tent, hung out at the hotel and then descended Yellow Lake. Thursday night was the TTL dinner (thanks for organizing Sarah) and then off to bed. Friday morning I got a text from Tracy wanting to know if I was interested in a run. I was jumping out of my skin at that point, so after a quick text to Angie to make sure it was okay, we went for a 20 minute run down Lakeshore and back. After that it was another swim (in really choppy water….really messed with my head). I was lucky enough to get an appointment with Owen’s massage therapist so I headed out quickly after the swim for that. Later that afternoon I took a 2 hour nap – can’t remember the last time that happened – and then headed to the athletes dinner. On Saturday I decided to skip the team swim, but headed out for a short ride, to make sure all my gears were working and a short (and I mean short) 5 minute run. Time to get organized and head to bike check. I ran a couple of errands with Jacque and Kelly and then headed to bike check in with Tracy. After getting all our stuff organized in transition and running through what would happen on race day we headed out for some ART. When I was done and back at the hotel Andrew had arrived in town. Mitch had gone into Kelowna to pick him up at the airport for me (thanks Mitch), so it was feet up and time to relax (HA!). Chilled for the afternoon, had some dinner, went for ice cream with Shannon and Trevor and then it was off to bed. Tomorrow I was going to do an IRONMAN!
Sleep did not come easily that night, but at 3:55 I finally got out of bed. I showered, ate, dressed, and sat around for 15 minutes until it was time to meet the gang. At 5 am, Kelly, Trevor, Jacque and I headed out to the race start. We got to special needs drop off I was shaking to badly I couldn’t even handle my bags. Luckily Steve to the rescue! He organized my bike special needs and dropped it off for me. It was GREAT to see a friendly and supportive face. Next onto body marking. The women didn’t really know what to do since I was going to wear my calf guards, so she just put my age on the back of my leg. Off to my bike to get everything organized. Took it to the Bike Barn tent to get my tires pumped (I was worried about losing pressure in my tubulars overnight). I put my nutrition and computer on my bike and then went to stand in the porta potty line. Went to check my bike again, get some stuff organized in my T1 bag, and then back to the porta potty line. Ran into all the TTLers in transition. It was great to see everyone! Then shortly after it was time to get the wetsuits on. I found Kelly and Leana and started to get ready and then Kelly told me that she had just seen Angie. I went to find her and apparently I looked pretty panicked because she was quick to ask “What do you need”? I replied that I just needed to see her! She gave me some last words of encouragement and then off to put the wetsuit on. Met back up with Kelly, Leana and Shannon, got donned in our swim gear and then it was off to the beach. Shannon and I stuck together which was really great for me since we ended up started the swim together in 2010. Thanks Shannon! We got to the beach and I kept looking for Andrew…Didn’t see him, but I heard him so that would have to do! I ran into Jacque on the beach and I was so excited to see her. She was the one who first got me into triathlons. I am so honoured that I got to share this day with her. The pro’s went out and then I went for quick dunk to make sure my goggles weren’t leaking. Then it was time to wait. I hung with Jacque and Shannon on the beach. O Canada was sung (very emotional) and then we waited for the gun. FINALLY it went off. Jacque and I hung back and walked together for about a minute and then it was time to swim. We wished each other luck and then our IM journey was on. I started swimming – long and strong.
The swim.
I had a decent start to the swim. I found water and didn’t get beat up. Then about ½ way to the first buoy I ran into a mass of people. Wasn’t really expecting that. And then it got choppy, and I felt like I was being pushed to my left. I also swallowed more lake water than usual. There was also this awful diesel smell in the water (which may be an important tidbit later). The white Subaru buoy seemed far away. Getting around the buoy was pretty chaotic but I managed. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast…..I kept swimming easy, bilateral breathing to make sure I wasn’t going too hard. Around the second buoy and then I was heading back to the shore. I was still in the mix of a lot of people. Had to stop and find open water a few times. There was someone drafting off me and kept grabbing my calf. After about 20 strokes of this I turned around and told him to cut it out. Had to stop and make sure my timing strip was secure a couple time due to all the people grabbing my feet. About half way back I accidently hit someone so I stopped to apologize to her. We chuckled together and kept swimming. For most of the time I felt pretty good. I had no idea if I was going fast or slow, but I was feeling decent so I was trying not to think about my time. Finally saw the red TYR buoys and knew I was getting close. Hit the rocks and kept swimming for as long as possible. Saw a lot of people standing up and walking over the rocks, but I was swimming much quicker than they were walking. When the water was too shallow, I got up, out of the water and onto transition……My swim time was 1 ½ minutes slower than 2010, but given the rumours that 2010 was short and that 2012 was bit long, I will take it (I could find my 1 minute and 53 second elsewhere on the course – I hope!).
T1
I ran out of the water and onto the wetsuit strippers. I was yelling my number and got handed my T1 bag and then off to the change tent. I was shocked!!!! It was so crowded. There wasn’t a single place to sit or a single volunteer to help. Last time there were tonnes of seats available and I had a volunteer all to myself. So I found a corner of grass and got ready for a bike ride. I had worn my arm warmers and calf guards under my wetsuit so I didn’t have to worry about putting them on while I was wet. Put on my socks, shoes, bike gloves, helmet, racebelt and sunglasses and then I was off.
The bike
I was now headed out of town. I heard Angie, Andrew and the other TTLers cheering as I left transition. I settled into a nice leisurely pace and got into my aerobars…..and then it started - a horrible stomach pain that lasted throughout the bike and much of the run. I have had stomach issues before on the bike during races but I thought they were due to nutrition as they usually start after I start drinking my Infinit. I have tweaked my nutrition this year and I have had no stomach problems. However here I was on the bike, in pain and I was only 2K in and hadn’t yet taken in any calories, so I had no idea what was causing the discomfort. I kept riding hoping I could manage it. Easy cheesy out of town, letting tonnes of people pass me. Easy cheesy to McLean Creek. McLean creek was incredibly chaotic and crowded with lots of people riding together and drafting. Trying to avoid drafting or blocking, once we got to the top of McLean Creek hill, there was a group of 4 riding together that I wanted to pass. I yelled, “Can you please break it up so I can get through?” One guy yelled “Bitch, you should pass on the left.” My response was “if I pass on the left of you I am across the yellow line and you are blocking me”. They didn’t really move, but I did manage to get by them and jerk guy yelled, “I hope you win the race”. I yelled back “I just want to play fair and not get a penalty”. Then I got rid of them, thankfully. I kept riding and things were feeling good. I felt decent up through Oliver and Osoyoos. Stomach still bugging me, but I was managing. It was time to climb Richter’s. I kept spinning easy watching my power and heart rate. Didn’t want to burn too many matches! Slow and steady wins the race . Saw Neil and Mr. and Mrs. Keto part way up the climb. I threw my arm warmers on the ground by Neil (thanks for picking them up for me) and kept climbing. Finally made it to the top. One of my goals this years was to be faster on the downhills…..let’s Go!. I flew down after Richter’s. I think saw 70km/hr on my Garmin. Wow! But I still felt in control. The rollers were pretty uneventful and I was playing leap-frog with about 5 other girls at this point (all of which I ultimately dropped!). The ride into Cawston wasn’t as bad as I remembered and soon I was at the out and back. I was so excited as I was really anxious to see my teammates! And one by one I did. I saw Owen and John, then Tracy and Trevor before I hit the turnaround (I missed seeing Nate). They all seemed really strong – wow can they ride. Got to the turn around and special needs and fumbled a bit with my stuff, but ultimately got organized and on my way again. On the way back I saw almost everyone else – Jacque and Kelly, Jacqui, Lara, John, Lawrence, and Andrea. I missed Claire and Leana though – sorry guys. What great motivation to see everyone out on the bike course. Made it through the out and back and then it was onto climb yellow lake. Again, easy cheesy up the false flats. About 10K up I saw Andrew, Mitch and Paul….great to see you guys, thanks so much! Then it was the final grind. I put my bike in an easy gear and spun up to the top. I passed a couple of people who wanted to know where the top was. And of course, I knew exactly how much climbing I had left to do so I was happy to provide them with the information. Finally made it to the top. Now for the downhill – now to make up some time………except smack into a headwind! So not as fast as I would like but not too bad. I really had to restrain myself from pushing too hard; after all I still had a marathon to run. I took a gel at the bottom of the descent to make sure I had calories in me for the run. I also should mention that I was having tummy troubles on and off for the entire ride. Tried GasX, salt tabs, gels, infinit, but nothing was really working. I knew I needed to get in enough calories but I wasn’t sure how my tummy was doing. I was hoping the pain would go away on the run like it has in the past. I tried to keep it easy back into town. I passed the TTL tent and got tonnes of cheers then shortly after, I was off to T2 (with a gliding dismount).
T2
I was running in my socks calling my number and was handed my bag. Much less crowed in T2 than T1 and this time I had a volunteer help me. I changed my shorts and socks (actually tried to put on one of my run socks while I still had my bike sock on) put on my shoes and grabbed my arm coolers, ice scarf and gels. A quick sunscreen re-apply from my volunteer and I was off.
The run.
As soon as I started running, my stomach was really hurting. As Angie says…stop and solve the problem. However, I had no idea how to solve this problem. I saw Collette going out on the run course and she suggested that I breathe out slowly through pursed lips. Tried that and it worked a bit. Got to the aid station on Main St. and hit the porta potty to see if that would help – not so much. I kept on running. Finally hit Cherry Lane mall where Andrew and Angie were. Angie told me to smile and I tried to wave at Andrew but I was really worried. I wasn’t sure how I could run a marathon like this. I ran with Angie and told her what was happening. I was going to manage as best I could. I kept walking though the aid stations taking in water and perform. My stomach didn’t hurt when I was walking, so I just kept telling myself I just have to get to the next aid station. I had planned to run the marathon with walking though the aid stations, so I was still following my race plan. Took a gel at mile 5 in the run and that made things worse. Tried GasX. Tried Salt Tabs. My tummy was still hurting. My plan was that most of my calories would come from gels, but it was quite apparent that wasn’t going to work. I kept running. Trying to ignore my discomfort. By about 11Km in, I was contemplating trying to throw up. Tracy told me that in 2009 she felt better after she threw up – maybe that is what I needed. I was still trying to take in water and perform, but I was getting concerned that I wasn’t taking in enough calories. Surprisingly enough, I was still running at my goal pace for the first ½ of the marathon. I remembered watching a replay of the 2010 IMC race and Victor Zyemtsev talking about “patience and suffer” at the end of the race that he eventually won. That is what I kept saying to myself. I also reminded myself that “I can get tougher”. Come on Tara, this is an Ironman, you didn’t think it would be easy did you? Finally at 15Km I had to do something. It was at that point I tried coke. I hate coke. Never thought I would ever use it on a race. Turned out to be my saviour. It settled my stomach enough so I could concentrate on running rather than pain. Somewhere in all of this I saw John and Tracy heading back from the turnaround. I saw Trevor just before the turnaround and he told me that he and Tracy were having gut issues. I said “that makes 3 of us” (turned out to be many more of us with the same issues). Made it to OK falls and the only thing I took from my special needs was more GasX, salt tabs and my container of Advil and Tylenol (just in case). For the entire run I was watching only my HR and the split of the current mile I was running. During training camp I struggled with being a slave to the pace on my garmin and getting upset when it was not what I wanted. I decided that running based on RPE, HR and just keeping track of the time for the mile I was running was going to be much better mentally for me on the run. And that is what I did. I was feeling better and kept taking in water and coke at each aid station. Once the chicken soup was available, I started taking that too. I was watching to make sure my HR didn’t get too high up the hills and I managed to run the entire course, including the hills, except for my planned walk breaks at the aid stations. I was feeling pretty good during the last half and I started picking up my pace just a bit, but still keeping my HR in check. On the way back I saw all my teammates! Jacque and Kelly were looking strong; Jacqui and John were running together; Claire Lawrence, Lara, Andrea, and Leana were all on their way out to OK falls. Saw Shannon who seemed to be struggling. I asked her what she needed (since I had a bunch of stuff in with me) and gave her some GasX and Salt Tabs. Then I started running again back into town. I was still only monitoring my specific mile splits so I had no idea what my run time was. I did check my watch a couple of times to see what my overall time, was but I was really trying not focus on that. I was so relived when I saw the 20-mile mark. I commented to the guy I was passing , we can do 10K! I finally came back into town and saw Angie at Cherry Lane where I ditched my neckerchief. I joked with her before the race that my goal was for her to still be at Cherry Lane when I was coming back on the run. I know she stayed ‘til she saw me (sort of defeated my goal of getting there before she usually left but I really appreciated her waiting!). I think the first thing I said to her is “do you know what time it is”. She said yes and told me at was just under 12 hours, at 11 hours 50 something minutes (don’t remember the exact time), but I do remember thinking if I ran a decent 5K I might come in close to 12 ½ hours. I told Angie that I was going to find 1 minute and 53 seconds if it killed me! She told me I was running at a great pace and joked that she couldn’t keep up to me. 5K til I was done. Picked up the pace just a bit and noticed my HR climbing up to 140 (may sound low, but that is high for me). I figured I could keep that up for 5K. I was checking off the miles. I was heading back and I could hear Steven King announcing the finishers. I saw Andrew just before I hit Lakeshore and he ran with me for a bit. He said he’d see me at the finish line and then I turned the corner for the final out and back. It was still light out. I still had my sunglasses on. I was going to finish before dark. I had a bunch of people in front of me and I started picking them off, one by one. I saw John on his way to the finish while I was on my way to the turn around. Heard all the TTL supporters cheering! I selfishly didn’t want anyone else in my finishers photo so I made sure I passed people so that no one was right in front of me in the last 500m towards the blue carpet. This year I remember the blue carpet. I saw Andrew this time. I heard Steven King announce my name. I grabbed the finishers banner and raised it above my head. I WAS AN IRONMAN!
The Finish
A wonderful volunteer caught me and got my hat and T-shirt (thanks whoever you are insisting that a medium shirt would be far too big, the small fits perfectly). She took me to get my timing chip removed and asked if I wanted to get my picture taken. I of course said yes. She got me a bottle of water and a mylar blanket and we headed to the rest area. After that Cindy and Sarah took over. They were angels taking care of my every whim. I met up with John who was thrilled with his day. Cindy got me water, watermelon, grapes, chips and pretzels. I thought I wanted the watermelon until I tried it….my tummy was not so happy. I saw Andrew and then just wanted to get out of there. I was concerned that if I went to medical I would never get out of there, so I wanted to get going. Cindy delivered me to Andrew and we headed out. Hit the porta potty and then I told Andrew the porta potty was spinning. He wanted to take me back but I told him no, I wanted to get back to my hotel and get my own recovery drink. We slowly made it down to the Golden Sands and I saw Angie, Tracy, Mitch, Neil, Mr and Mrs. Keto, Michelle and the girls (and I am sure I am missing people). I asked Angie to check my marathon time, I had no idea what it was, and whether or not I negative split my run. She joked and asked me “can’t you just enjoy this moment”. Yes I could, but I would enjoy it more if I knew what my run time was . Tracy and I then headed to my room for a quick shower, change and my recovery drink and then headed back to the turnaround to cheer everyone else in. I saw most of my teammates come in. What a fantastic day for everyone!
It was an incredible day, but it was not without its challenges. I was happy with my swim, ecstatic about my bike, both the time and how I paced it, and proud of how I dealt with my challenges and executed the run. It turns out you can run ¾ of a marathon on nothing but chicken soup, coke and water – who knew? I exceeded what I thought I was capable of. I stuck to my race plan to the letter for the swim, bike and run and was incredibly pleased with my race execution. And for those of you wondering, I found my 1 minute and 53 seconds.
And now for all the thank you’s. Angie…..you are a wonderful coach and friend and I am so proud that you have let me be part of such a fantastic team. Over the past 3 years I have achieved things that I never imagined I could accomplish. Thanks for everything. To Leana and Kelly….well we did it – again! And again, I have no idea how I would have gotten through all the training and the emotional roller coasters without you. To Jacque – you started my interest in triathlons and I am thrilled that we were able to do this race together! To Trevor and Tracy for the long rides. You guys made definitely made me stronger. And again to Tracy for running at my pace for our long runs. You pushed me harder than I would have on my own and I was faster on race day for it! To Megan, Shannon, John P. for the rides and support all through this crazy journey. And of course to all the IMC TTLers for support on the course….Jacqui, Lawrence, John B., Claire, Lara. To Cindy and Sarah for helping me at the end. To Leslie-Anne for her support and friendship during this past year. And of course to all of TTL – thanks for being such and amazing team.
And last but certainly not least, to my family. You guys have been so supportive and understanding, letting me go on this crazy adventure yet again. I can’t express how grateful I truly am. And don’t worry Andrew, I have no desire to chase 24 minutes and 52 seconds!!!! Yet….
Tara’s IMC Race Report 2012
For those of you who have trained with me, you know exactly what my obsession is with 1 minute and 53 seconds. For those of you who haven’t you may think I am a bit crazy so let me explain. I did my first Ironman in 2010. I had a great day! I was thrilled with my race. However, my time was 13 hours 1 minute and 52 seconds. I was super excited, but in the back of my mind, there was always “Couldn’t I have found 1 minute and 53 seconds out on the race course to come in under 13 hours”….
Hence my quest for IMC 2012 began.
Last summer I went out to Penticton to volunteer and had a great time. It was the next day that John P, John B, Jacque, Kelly, Lara, Tracy and I signed up. A couple months later Shannon, Trevor, Leana took the plunge with community spots. Sorry Jacqui, Claire, Lawrence and Nate I have no idea…..when/how you decided to do the race!
Fast forward a few months….Training was on! I biked, I swam, I ran. Then I biked and swam, and ran some more. Somewhere, somehow, if the stars all aligned I was going to improve my finishing time by 1 minute and 53 seconds. Now before I continue, I know it is dangerous to put time goals on an Ironman. Anything can happen on race day…Heat, rain, hail, wind, gut issues….they can all affect overall performance and time. I wasn’t naïve, I knew these were all factors, but 1 minute and 53 seconds pushed me to train through rain, cold, heat and the days I just didn’t want to get out of bed.
After months of training with some awesome training partners (thanks to Kelly, Leana, Trevor, Shannon, Megan, Tracy and all the other TTLers who met me at the pool, ran with me and biked with me), it was race week and we were off to Penticton.
Pre-Race jitters were full-blown on the days leading up to IMC. There were some tears, a couple horrible swims a decent descent down Yellow Lake and a great 20-minute run with Tracy. I was staying right across from the Sicamous so it was super convenient, and a lot of fun since Trevor, Jacque and Kelly were staying there as well. Tracy and I drove to Penticton together and we got into town late Wednesday afternoon. We immediately went to the Bike Barn to get someone to look at Tracy’s bike and while we were there I commented that my shifting still wasn’t great. The mechanic told me to go get my bike, and he fiddled with it, and fixed it within about 10 minutes! Thanks!!! That night a bunch of us got together for a casual BBQ at the hotel. A perfectly relaxing evening. On Thursday we did a quick swim, checked in, did some shopping at the merchandise tent, hung out at the hotel and then descended Yellow Lake. Thursday night was the TTL dinner (thanks for organizing Sarah) and then off to bed. Friday morning I got a text from Tracy wanting to know if I was interested in a run. I was jumping out of my skin at that point, so after a quick text to Angie to make sure it was okay, we went for a 20 minute run down Lakeshore and back. After that it was another swim (in really choppy water….really messed with my head). I was lucky enough to get an appointment with Owen’s massage therapist so I headed out quickly after the swim for that. Later that afternoon I took a 2 hour nap – can’t remember the last time that happened – and then headed to the athletes dinner. On Saturday I decided to skip the team swim, but headed out for a short ride, to make sure all my gears were working and a short (and I mean short) 5 minute run. Time to get organized and head to bike check. I ran a couple of errands with Jacque and Kelly and then headed to bike check in with Tracy. After getting all our stuff organized in transition and running through what would happen on race day we headed out for some ART. When I was done and back at the hotel Andrew had arrived in town. Mitch had gone into Kelowna to pick him up at the airport for me (thanks Mitch), so it was feet up and time to relax (HA!). Chilled for the afternoon, had some dinner, went for ice cream with Shannon and Trevor and then it was off to bed. Tomorrow I was going to do an IRONMAN!
Sleep did not come easily that night, but at 3:55 I finally got out of bed. I showered, ate, dressed, and sat around for 15 minutes until it was time to meet the gang. At 5 am, Kelly, Trevor, Jacque and I headed out to the race start. We got to special needs drop off I was shaking to badly I couldn’t even handle my bags. Luckily Steve to the rescue! He organized my bike special needs and dropped it off for me. It was GREAT to see a friendly and supportive face. Next onto body marking. The women didn’t really know what to do since I was going to wear my calf guards, so she just put my age on the back of my leg. Off to my bike to get everything organized. Took it to the Bike Barn tent to get my tires pumped (I was worried about losing pressure in my tubulars overnight). I put my nutrition and computer on my bike and then went to stand in the porta potty line. Went to check my bike again, get some stuff organized in my T1 bag, and then back to the porta potty line. Ran into all the TTLers in transition. It was great to see everyone! Then shortly after it was time to get the wetsuits on. I found Kelly and Leana and started to get ready and then Kelly told me that she had just seen Angie. I went to find her and apparently I looked pretty panicked because she was quick to ask “What do you need”? I replied that I just needed to see her! She gave me some last words of encouragement and then off to put the wetsuit on. Met back up with Kelly, Leana and Shannon, got donned in our swim gear and then it was off to the beach. Shannon and I stuck together which was really great for me since we ended up started the swim together in 2010. Thanks Shannon! We got to the beach and I kept looking for Andrew…Didn’t see him, but I heard him so that would have to do! I ran into Jacque on the beach and I was so excited to see her. She was the one who first got me into triathlons. I am so honoured that I got to share this day with her. The pro’s went out and then I went for quick dunk to make sure my goggles weren’t leaking. Then it was time to wait. I hung with Jacque and Shannon on the beach. O Canada was sung (very emotional) and then we waited for the gun. FINALLY it went off. Jacque and I hung back and walked together for about a minute and then it was time to swim. We wished each other luck and then our IM journey was on. I started swimming – long and strong.
The swim.
I had a decent start to the swim. I found water and didn’t get beat up. Then about ½ way to the first buoy I ran into a mass of people. Wasn’t really expecting that. And then it got choppy, and I felt like I was being pushed to my left. I also swallowed more lake water than usual. There was also this awful diesel smell in the water (which may be an important tidbit later). The white Subaru buoy seemed far away. Getting around the buoy was pretty chaotic but I managed. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast…..I kept swimming easy, bilateral breathing to make sure I wasn’t going too hard. Around the second buoy and then I was heading back to the shore. I was still in the mix of a lot of people. Had to stop and find open water a few times. There was someone drafting off me and kept grabbing my calf. After about 20 strokes of this I turned around and told him to cut it out. Had to stop and make sure my timing strip was secure a couple time due to all the people grabbing my feet. About half way back I accidently hit someone so I stopped to apologize to her. We chuckled together and kept swimming. For most of the time I felt pretty good. I had no idea if I was going fast or slow, but I was feeling decent so I was trying not to think about my time. Finally saw the red TYR buoys and knew I was getting close. Hit the rocks and kept swimming for as long as possible. Saw a lot of people standing up and walking over the rocks, but I was swimming much quicker than they were walking. When the water was too shallow, I got up, out of the water and onto transition……My swim time was 1 ½ minutes slower than 2010, but given the rumours that 2010 was short and that 2012 was bit long, I will take it (I could find my 1 minute and 53 second elsewhere on the course – I hope!).
T1
I ran out of the water and onto the wetsuit strippers. I was yelling my number and got handed my T1 bag and then off to the change tent. I was shocked!!!! It was so crowded. There wasn’t a single place to sit or a single volunteer to help. Last time there were tonnes of seats available and I had a volunteer all to myself. So I found a corner of grass and got ready for a bike ride. I had worn my arm warmers and calf guards under my wetsuit so I didn’t have to worry about putting them on while I was wet. Put on my socks, shoes, bike gloves, helmet, racebelt and sunglasses and then I was off.
The bike
I was now headed out of town. I heard Angie, Andrew and the other TTLers cheering as I left transition. I settled into a nice leisurely pace and got into my aerobars…..and then it started - a horrible stomach pain that lasted throughout the bike and much of the run. I have had stomach issues before on the bike during races but I thought they were due to nutrition as they usually start after I start drinking my Infinit. I have tweaked my nutrition this year and I have had no stomach problems. However here I was on the bike, in pain and I was only 2K in and hadn’t yet taken in any calories, so I had no idea what was causing the discomfort. I kept riding hoping I could manage it. Easy cheesy out of town, letting tonnes of people pass me. Easy cheesy to McLean Creek. McLean creek was incredibly chaotic and crowded with lots of people riding together and drafting. Trying to avoid drafting or blocking, once we got to the top of McLean Creek hill, there was a group of 4 riding together that I wanted to pass. I yelled, “Can you please break it up so I can get through?” One guy yelled “Bitch, you should pass on the left.” My response was “if I pass on the left of you I am across the yellow line and you are blocking me”. They didn’t really move, but I did manage to get by them and jerk guy yelled, “I hope you win the race”. I yelled back “I just want to play fair and not get a penalty”. Then I got rid of them, thankfully. I kept riding and things were feeling good. I felt decent up through Oliver and Osoyoos. Stomach still bugging me, but I was managing. It was time to climb Richter’s. I kept spinning easy watching my power and heart rate. Didn’t want to burn too many matches! Slow and steady wins the race . Saw Neil and Mr. and Mrs. Keto part way up the climb. I threw my arm warmers on the ground by Neil (thanks for picking them up for me) and kept climbing. Finally made it to the top. One of my goals this years was to be faster on the downhills…..let’s Go!. I flew down after Richter’s. I think saw 70km/hr on my Garmin. Wow! But I still felt in control. The rollers were pretty uneventful and I was playing leap-frog with about 5 other girls at this point (all of which I ultimately dropped!). The ride into Cawston wasn’t as bad as I remembered and soon I was at the out and back. I was so excited as I was really anxious to see my teammates! And one by one I did. I saw Owen and John, then Tracy and Trevor before I hit the turnaround (I missed seeing Nate). They all seemed really strong – wow can they ride. Got to the turn around and special needs and fumbled a bit with my stuff, but ultimately got organized and on my way again. On the way back I saw almost everyone else – Jacque and Kelly, Jacqui, Lara, John, Lawrence, and Andrea. I missed Claire and Leana though – sorry guys. What great motivation to see everyone out on the bike course. Made it through the out and back and then it was onto climb yellow lake. Again, easy cheesy up the false flats. About 10K up I saw Andrew, Mitch and Paul….great to see you guys, thanks so much! Then it was the final grind. I put my bike in an easy gear and spun up to the top. I passed a couple of people who wanted to know where the top was. And of course, I knew exactly how much climbing I had left to do so I was happy to provide them with the information. Finally made it to the top. Now for the downhill – now to make up some time………except smack into a headwind! So not as fast as I would like but not too bad. I really had to restrain myself from pushing too hard; after all I still had a marathon to run. I took a gel at the bottom of the descent to make sure I had calories in me for the run. I also should mention that I was having tummy troubles on and off for the entire ride. Tried GasX, salt tabs, gels, infinit, but nothing was really working. I knew I needed to get in enough calories but I wasn’t sure how my tummy was doing. I was hoping the pain would go away on the run like it has in the past. I tried to keep it easy back into town. I passed the TTL tent and got tonnes of cheers then shortly after, I was off to T2 (with a gliding dismount).
T2
I was running in my socks calling my number and was handed my bag. Much less crowed in T2 than T1 and this time I had a volunteer help me. I changed my shorts and socks (actually tried to put on one of my run socks while I still had my bike sock on) put on my shoes and grabbed my arm coolers, ice scarf and gels. A quick sunscreen re-apply from my volunteer and I was off.
The run.
As soon as I started running, my stomach was really hurting. As Angie says…stop and solve the problem. However, I had no idea how to solve this problem. I saw Collette going out on the run course and she suggested that I breathe out slowly through pursed lips. Tried that and it worked a bit. Got to the aid station on Main St. and hit the porta potty to see if that would help – not so much. I kept on running. Finally hit Cherry Lane mall where Andrew and Angie were. Angie told me to smile and I tried to wave at Andrew but I was really worried. I wasn’t sure how I could run a marathon like this. I ran with Angie and told her what was happening. I was going to manage as best I could. I kept walking though the aid stations taking in water and perform. My stomach didn’t hurt when I was walking, so I just kept telling myself I just have to get to the next aid station. I had planned to run the marathon with walking though the aid stations, so I was still following my race plan. Took a gel at mile 5 in the run and that made things worse. Tried GasX. Tried Salt Tabs. My tummy was still hurting. My plan was that most of my calories would come from gels, but it was quite apparent that wasn’t going to work. I kept running. Trying to ignore my discomfort. By about 11Km in, I was contemplating trying to throw up. Tracy told me that in 2009 she felt better after she threw up – maybe that is what I needed. I was still trying to take in water and perform, but I was getting concerned that I wasn’t taking in enough calories. Surprisingly enough, I was still running at my goal pace for the first ½ of the marathon. I remembered watching a replay of the 2010 IMC race and Victor Zyemtsev talking about “patience and suffer” at the end of the race that he eventually won. That is what I kept saying to myself. I also reminded myself that “I can get tougher”. Come on Tara, this is an Ironman, you didn’t think it would be easy did you? Finally at 15Km I had to do something. It was at that point I tried coke. I hate coke. Never thought I would ever use it on a race. Turned out to be my saviour. It settled my stomach enough so I could concentrate on running rather than pain. Somewhere in all of this I saw John and Tracy heading back from the turnaround. I saw Trevor just before the turnaround and he told me that he and Tracy were having gut issues. I said “that makes 3 of us” (turned out to be many more of us with the same issues). Made it to OK falls and the only thing I took from my special needs was more GasX, salt tabs and my container of Advil and Tylenol (just in case). For the entire run I was watching only my HR and the split of the current mile I was running. During training camp I struggled with being a slave to the pace on my garmin and getting upset when it was not what I wanted. I decided that running based on RPE, HR and just keeping track of the time for the mile I was running was going to be much better mentally for me on the run. And that is what I did. I was feeling better and kept taking in water and coke at each aid station. Once the chicken soup was available, I started taking that too. I was watching to make sure my HR didn’t get too high up the hills and I managed to run the entire course, including the hills, except for my planned walk breaks at the aid stations. I was feeling pretty good during the last half and I started picking up my pace just a bit, but still keeping my HR in check. On the way back I saw all my teammates! Jacque and Kelly were looking strong; Jacqui and John were running together; Claire Lawrence, Lara, Andrea, and Leana were all on their way out to OK falls. Saw Shannon who seemed to be struggling. I asked her what she needed (since I had a bunch of stuff in with me) and gave her some GasX and Salt Tabs. Then I started running again back into town. I was still only monitoring my specific mile splits so I had no idea what my run time was. I did check my watch a couple of times to see what my overall time, was but I was really trying not focus on that. I was so relived when I saw the 20-mile mark. I commented to the guy I was passing , we can do 10K! I finally came back into town and saw Angie at Cherry Lane where I ditched my neckerchief. I joked with her before the race that my goal was for her to still be at Cherry Lane when I was coming back on the run. I know she stayed ‘til she saw me (sort of defeated my goal of getting there before she usually left but I really appreciated her waiting!). I think the first thing I said to her is “do you know what time it is”. She said yes and told me at was just under 12 hours, at 11 hours 50 something minutes (don’t remember the exact time), but I do remember thinking if I ran a decent 5K I might come in close to 12 ½ hours. I told Angie that I was going to find 1 minute and 53 seconds if it killed me! She told me I was running at a great pace and joked that she couldn’t keep up to me. 5K til I was done. Picked up the pace just a bit and noticed my HR climbing up to 140 (may sound low, but that is high for me). I figured I could keep that up for 5K. I was checking off the miles. I was heading back and I could hear Steven King announcing the finishers. I saw Andrew just before I hit Lakeshore and he ran with me for a bit. He said he’d see me at the finish line and then I turned the corner for the final out and back. It was still light out. I still had my sunglasses on. I was going to finish before dark. I had a bunch of people in front of me and I started picking them off, one by one. I saw John on his way to the finish while I was on my way to the turn around. Heard all the TTL supporters cheering! I selfishly didn’t want anyone else in my finishers photo so I made sure I passed people so that no one was right in front of me in the last 500m towards the blue carpet. This year I remember the blue carpet. I saw Andrew this time. I heard Steven King announce my name. I grabbed the finishers banner and raised it above my head. I WAS AN IRONMAN!
The Finish
A wonderful volunteer caught me and got my hat and T-shirt (thanks whoever you are insisting that a medium shirt would be far too big, the small fits perfectly). She took me to get my timing chip removed and asked if I wanted to get my picture taken. I of course said yes. She got me a bottle of water and a mylar blanket and we headed to the rest area. After that Cindy and Sarah took over. They were angels taking care of my every whim. I met up with John who was thrilled with his day. Cindy got me water, watermelon, grapes, chips and pretzels. I thought I wanted the watermelon until I tried it….my tummy was not so happy. I saw Andrew and then just wanted to get out of there. I was concerned that if I went to medical I would never get out of there, so I wanted to get going. Cindy delivered me to Andrew and we headed out. Hit the porta potty and then I told Andrew the porta potty was spinning. He wanted to take me back but I told him no, I wanted to get back to my hotel and get my own recovery drink. We slowly made it down to the Golden Sands and I saw Angie, Tracy, Mitch, Neil, Mr and Mrs. Keto, Michelle and the girls (and I am sure I am missing people). I asked Angie to check my marathon time, I had no idea what it was, and whether or not I negative split my run. She joked and asked me “can’t you just enjoy this moment”. Yes I could, but I would enjoy it more if I knew what my run time was . Tracy and I then headed to my room for a quick shower, change and my recovery drink and then headed back to the turnaround to cheer everyone else in. I saw most of my teammates come in. What a fantastic day for everyone!
It was an incredible day, but it was not without its challenges. I was happy with my swim, ecstatic about my bike, both the time and how I paced it, and proud of how I dealt with my challenges and executed the run. It turns out you can run ¾ of a marathon on nothing but chicken soup, coke and water – who knew? I exceeded what I thought I was capable of. I stuck to my race plan to the letter for the swim, bike and run and was incredibly pleased with my race execution. And for those of you wondering, I found my 1 minute and 53 seconds.
And now for all the thank you’s. Angie…..you are a wonderful coach and friend and I am so proud that you have let me be part of such a fantastic team. Over the past 3 years I have achieved things that I never imagined I could accomplish. Thanks for everything. To Leana and Kelly….well we did it – again! And again, I have no idea how I would have gotten through all the training and the emotional roller coasters without you. To Jacque – you started my interest in triathlons and I am thrilled that we were able to do this race together! To Trevor and Tracy for the long rides. You guys made definitely made me stronger. And again to Tracy for running at my pace for our long runs. You pushed me harder than I would have on my own and I was faster on race day for it! To Megan, Shannon, John P. for the rides and support all through this crazy journey. And of course to all the IMC TTLers for support on the course….Jacqui, Lawrence, John B., Claire, Lara. To Cindy and Sarah for helping me at the end. To Leslie-Anne for her support and friendship during this past year. And of course to all of TTL – thanks for being such and amazing team.
And last but certainly not least, to my family. You guys have been so supportive and understanding, letting me go on this crazy adventure yet again. I can’t express how grateful I truly am. And don’t worry Andrew, I have no desire to chase 24 minutes and 52 seconds!!!! Yet….
Monday, August 20, 2012
Danny's Lake Chestemere Race Report, July 2012
Race Chestermere Triathlon, Sprint distance Race Date July 15, 2012
Name Danny Woo Race Time 08:50 AM
Location Chestermere Report Date July 16, 2012
Distances
Swim:750 m, Bike: 23.2 km, Run: 5 km (measured 4.6 km)
Goals
Swim: Finish well and not panic
Bike: Bike strong
Run: Faster than Vulcan
Overall: Finish my first open water swim race
Result
Swim: Very comfortable, decent pace
Bike: Felt good, pretty steady pace
Run: Ran ok, about the same as Vulcan, but had stomach cramps
Overall: My first open water swim race! Was happy with the race and glad the swim went very well. Did not win a door prize.
Finish Time
Swim: 16:20, Bike: 50:44, Includes transitions, Run: 27:43, Overall: 1:34:46
Transition Time (my watch)
Swim-Bike: 3:56, Bike-Run: 1:11, Total: 5:52
Elevation
Bike: Gain 65 m, Run: Gain 45 m, Overall: flat course
Placing
Swim: 72nd overall
Bike: 44th overall
Run: 80th overall
Total: 61st /117 overall, 15/23 in age group
Race Preparation
Followed training program.
Normal diet. Was a hot week so had trouble sleeping earlier in the week.
I got my bike checked out at Bow Cycle. Luckily I took it in a bit earlier as some adjustments had to be done. Earlier in the week I put the chain into the wheel, causing the wheel to go out of true and the derailleur to get really out of whack. I’m not sure if this was because of me changing the cassette last week, or if it was just getting old. Regardless, Bow was able to adjust the gears and true the wheel that night. One less worry.
Race Day
Weather was Overcast & cloudy, around 20 °C. Moderate wind. Threat of rain but it stayed dry.
Race – Sprint Start @ 8:50, after the Olympic start at 8:20.
Pre-race
I got up at 5:30 was out the door by 6. I packed everything the night before. I was pretty excited for the race, and wasn’t able to get to sleep really early. Took a while before I could fall asleep.
Went to Denny’s for breakfast (maybe not the best choice) before getting to Chestermere at 7:00. I grabbed all of my gear and bike and found a spot in the transition zone. I really should get a gear bag. One of the reusable shopping bags I use as a gear bag developed a hole and I was dropping things along the way: CO2 cartridges, tubes, and who knows what else.
I tried to pick one close to the bike exit/entrance so I wouldn’t have to run as far with the bike. It was pretty full already at that time. Then I went to the very long and slow line-up for timing chips. I don’t know why they didn’t give this out with the race package. This took about 30 mins and then the pre-race meeting so I didn’t really have time to have a decent warm-up. I ran for about 5 mins, and got into the water for another 5 mins. The pre-race meeting was good because that’s where they told us the swim was clockwise, not counter clockwise as the map and website indicated.
I moved my bike in the transition zone after getting my chip as a few other people crowded up my spot. I set it-up in the same way that Angie showed my in Vulcan. I did notice a lot of people used plastic containers. I thought that might come in handy on rainy days, and for wet ground. The transition area here was on a patch of grass and was quite wet from the overnight rain.
I found John B. and Melanie B., who were also racing. They were in good spirits too.
Swim
Mass start, one lap around the buoys. Splits (from my watch) First half – 5:56, Second half – 7:02
476 strokes measured w/ “the watch”. I really like my Garmin 910xt.
Side note and apologies for the ad: best review of this watch: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/10/garmin-forerunner-910xt-in-depth-review.html
The start was pretty straight forward: mass start from the boat launch ramps. I found the spot near the back where I could stay out of the way of the faster people. It was a bit odd to do the mass start and go across the way of the Olympic swimmers. Some of them had to stop to let us go through. That was likely very annoying for them.
My swim goal for this race was to just complete the race in a comfortable pace without getting into any problems.
The graph below shows my speed and route I took. No overly straight on the first half, better on the return.
From the start, I found a “pocket” of space where there weren’t any other swimmers. I was fortunate enough to keep the open pocket for pretty much the whole race. I bumped into people, on maybe five occasions the whole race. I had to slow down a bit or adjust my position so nothing serious. Only once did someone swim right into my right side, but he adjusted quickly. I didn’t have any issues sighting: I was able to see the buoys well, and I could use the other swimmers as well. On the return leg, I thought I was a bit too far left of the “line”, by maybe 20m. But it was a bit hard to tell as there really wasn’t anyone around me until close to the finish.
The swim itself was fine. I thought I had a consistent pace, but it looks like I was about a minute slower. I think there’s a moderate current in the lake or I was just slower. I thought I kept a consistent pace. The water was murky, but had decent visibility around me, say about 5m, with the light shining through. The weeds were close to the surface at the start but cleared up until the return leg. The weeds on the return leg were just below the surface in spots. I got tangled up a few times with the weeds. Nothing too serious, but annoying.
The last 150m or so is where more swimmers bunched up. There was a bit more bumping and I noticed a lot more people doing breast stroke so I would run into them a bit more.
Transition 1
Watch time – 3:56, included with the bike split
I got out with help from the volunteers. Good thing too as my first few steps were a bit wobbly and the boat ramp was slippery. I ran through the timing right after that and took off the top half of the wetsuit myself and then got the wetsuit stripper volunteer the help me with the rest. I thought this went fairly quickly. The run to the transition was short, but I was slow. I thought it went well, but putting on the HR transmitter was slow, especially since I forgot to put it out. I should just wear it while swimming next time. This took about four minutes.
After running to the bike mount spot, I tried to do a quick stop to mount my bike but ended up slipping and almost falling on my bike. I saved it, but that killed a bit of time and would have been very bad.
Bike
Two laps around the community.
As measured on my watch: First lap 23:14, Second lap 22:27, total 45:54. Official time 50:44 w/ both transitions.
Avg speed 30.4 km/h, Avg/Max HR 165/172, Avg/Max Cad 93/115.
My goal here was to maintain steady, fast pace. The course was quite flat and my only concern was riding on the highway as it wasn’t a closed road for the race and road debris. Luckily, traffic was fairly light as it was Sunday morning, and there was very little road debris (a bit of glass on the road). They had lots of volunteers to help direct people and traffic.
There was a bit of head wind going west, and then north, but got a tail wind coming back so that was nice. I think I was around 27 km/h going into the wind, and 33 km/h coming back with the wind. During the bike ride, I really felt bloated. I wasn’t sure if it was my breakfast, or I sucked in a lot of water and air during the swim. Either way, I didn’t drink as much as I should have. I had a decent ride, probably could have gone a little bit faster. I was with one rider had a very similar speed for most of the race and we would alternate leads (no drafting of course). This was my first no-drafting event but that wasn’t an issue as people were either much faster or much slower than me, other than the one fellow.
Attached is the graph and info from my watch. Speed varied quite a bit, but cadence was relatively steady.
Transition 2
Watch measured time of 1:11, but it was longer than that as I didn’t stop the watch until I put the bike on the rack. Included with bike split.
Coming back into transition, I thought I had a decent change. But time wise it was slow as I had to tie-up my laces. Really should look into quick laces.
Run
Two lap course, True distance of 4.6 km, not 5 km as advertised.
First lap 13:56, Second lap 13:46, total 27:43.
My watch “intervals”, for 1.6 km (1 mi) were 9:52 (6:08 pace), 9:37 (5:59 pace), last pace 6:04, average speed 9.96 km/h, 6:02 min/km
Avg/Max HR 163/170
My goal here was to be a bit faster than Vulcan, but with a better pace. I thought I was uneven with pace there.
The course was flat with one small hill. I tried to keep an even pace mixed in with some fast pace every five minutes or so (“strides”). Unfortunately, I felt my bloated stomach a bit more here and had stomach cramps about halfway through my first lap, for about a minute. I kept running, but it felt slow. My cramp mostly went away on the downhill portion of the run, but was there for the rest of the race. I did get in some water along the way. I did pick up my pace on the second lap, though I did feel crappy going back up the hill. I almost ran past the turn for the finish, even though the finish line was quite visible from a long ways back.
Post Race
MY FIRST OPEN WATER TRIATHLON!! Very happy to finish. Everything went pretty smoothly, other than the stomach cramp.
I felt pretty good after the race, and no muscle or joint pains. I felt a bit bloated still.
It was great to finish and to finish fairly well. Considering I really only started to learn how to swim in June 2011, this felt really good.
Thanks to Angie for really teaching me to swim and to get the fitness, training and confidence to finish well.
Two days later, no abnormal aches or pains, from the race. Some muscle fatigue, but nothing more. The soccer game after the race was another matter.
Learnings:
1. On short races, fast transitions are really necessary. It’s hard to make-up time lost there, and should be a good place to save time.
2. Probably should not go to Dennys for breakfast before a race. At least not 2hrs before.
3. Have something to keep the gear dry in the transition area on rainy days.
Prizes
Sadly, no door prizes. Really thought I would have a good shot at something as most people left by the time they started giving out the prizes. It was odd as they just wrote people’s numbers down on a piece of paper.
Everyone got a medal, and it was nice.
Name Danny Woo Race Time 08:50 AM
Location Chestermere Report Date July 16, 2012
Distances
Swim:750 m, Bike: 23.2 km, Run: 5 km (measured 4.6 km)
Goals
Swim: Finish well and not panic
Bike: Bike strong
Run: Faster than Vulcan
Overall: Finish my first open water swim race
Result
Swim: Very comfortable, decent pace
Bike: Felt good, pretty steady pace
Run: Ran ok, about the same as Vulcan, but had stomach cramps
Overall: My first open water swim race! Was happy with the race and glad the swim went very well. Did not win a door prize.
Finish Time
Swim: 16:20, Bike: 50:44, Includes transitions, Run: 27:43, Overall: 1:34:46
Transition Time (my watch)
Swim-Bike: 3:56, Bike-Run: 1:11, Total: 5:52
Elevation
Bike: Gain 65 m, Run: Gain 45 m, Overall: flat course
Placing
Swim: 72nd overall
Bike: 44th overall
Run: 80th overall
Total: 61st /117 overall, 15/23 in age group
Race Preparation
Followed training program.
Normal diet. Was a hot week so had trouble sleeping earlier in the week.
I got my bike checked out at Bow Cycle. Luckily I took it in a bit earlier as some adjustments had to be done. Earlier in the week I put the chain into the wheel, causing the wheel to go out of true and the derailleur to get really out of whack. I’m not sure if this was because of me changing the cassette last week, or if it was just getting old. Regardless, Bow was able to adjust the gears and true the wheel that night. One less worry.
Race Day
Weather was Overcast & cloudy, around 20 °C. Moderate wind. Threat of rain but it stayed dry.
Race – Sprint Start @ 8:50, after the Olympic start at 8:20.
Pre-race
I got up at 5:30 was out the door by 6. I packed everything the night before. I was pretty excited for the race, and wasn’t able to get to sleep really early. Took a while before I could fall asleep.
Went to Denny’s for breakfast (maybe not the best choice) before getting to Chestermere at 7:00. I grabbed all of my gear and bike and found a spot in the transition zone. I really should get a gear bag. One of the reusable shopping bags I use as a gear bag developed a hole and I was dropping things along the way: CO2 cartridges, tubes, and who knows what else.
I tried to pick one close to the bike exit/entrance so I wouldn’t have to run as far with the bike. It was pretty full already at that time. Then I went to the very long and slow line-up for timing chips. I don’t know why they didn’t give this out with the race package. This took about 30 mins and then the pre-race meeting so I didn’t really have time to have a decent warm-up. I ran for about 5 mins, and got into the water for another 5 mins. The pre-race meeting was good because that’s where they told us the swim was clockwise, not counter clockwise as the map and website indicated.
I moved my bike in the transition zone after getting my chip as a few other people crowded up my spot. I set it-up in the same way that Angie showed my in Vulcan. I did notice a lot of people used plastic containers. I thought that might come in handy on rainy days, and for wet ground. The transition area here was on a patch of grass and was quite wet from the overnight rain.
I found John B. and Melanie B., who were also racing. They were in good spirits too.
Swim
Mass start, one lap around the buoys. Splits (from my watch) First half – 5:56, Second half – 7:02
476 strokes measured w/ “the watch”. I really like my Garmin 910xt.
Side note and apologies for the ad: best review of this watch: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/10/garmin-forerunner-910xt-in-depth-review.html
The start was pretty straight forward: mass start from the boat launch ramps. I found the spot near the back where I could stay out of the way of the faster people. It was a bit odd to do the mass start and go across the way of the Olympic swimmers. Some of them had to stop to let us go through. That was likely very annoying for them.
My swim goal for this race was to just complete the race in a comfortable pace without getting into any problems.
The graph below shows my speed and route I took. No overly straight on the first half, better on the return.
From the start, I found a “pocket” of space where there weren’t any other swimmers. I was fortunate enough to keep the open pocket for pretty much the whole race. I bumped into people, on maybe five occasions the whole race. I had to slow down a bit or adjust my position so nothing serious. Only once did someone swim right into my right side, but he adjusted quickly. I didn’t have any issues sighting: I was able to see the buoys well, and I could use the other swimmers as well. On the return leg, I thought I was a bit too far left of the “line”, by maybe 20m. But it was a bit hard to tell as there really wasn’t anyone around me until close to the finish.
The swim itself was fine. I thought I had a consistent pace, but it looks like I was about a minute slower. I think there’s a moderate current in the lake or I was just slower. I thought I kept a consistent pace. The water was murky, but had decent visibility around me, say about 5m, with the light shining through. The weeds were close to the surface at the start but cleared up until the return leg. The weeds on the return leg were just below the surface in spots. I got tangled up a few times with the weeds. Nothing too serious, but annoying.
The last 150m or so is where more swimmers bunched up. There was a bit more bumping and I noticed a lot more people doing breast stroke so I would run into them a bit more.
Transition 1
Watch time – 3:56, included with the bike split
I got out with help from the volunteers. Good thing too as my first few steps were a bit wobbly and the boat ramp was slippery. I ran through the timing right after that and took off the top half of the wetsuit myself and then got the wetsuit stripper volunteer the help me with the rest. I thought this went fairly quickly. The run to the transition was short, but I was slow. I thought it went well, but putting on the HR transmitter was slow, especially since I forgot to put it out. I should just wear it while swimming next time. This took about four minutes.
After running to the bike mount spot, I tried to do a quick stop to mount my bike but ended up slipping and almost falling on my bike. I saved it, but that killed a bit of time and would have been very bad.
Bike
Two laps around the community.
As measured on my watch: First lap 23:14, Second lap 22:27, total 45:54. Official time 50:44 w/ both transitions.
Avg speed 30.4 km/h, Avg/Max HR 165/172, Avg/Max Cad 93/115.
My goal here was to maintain steady, fast pace. The course was quite flat and my only concern was riding on the highway as it wasn’t a closed road for the race and road debris. Luckily, traffic was fairly light as it was Sunday morning, and there was very little road debris (a bit of glass on the road). They had lots of volunteers to help direct people and traffic.
There was a bit of head wind going west, and then north, but got a tail wind coming back so that was nice. I think I was around 27 km/h going into the wind, and 33 km/h coming back with the wind. During the bike ride, I really felt bloated. I wasn’t sure if it was my breakfast, or I sucked in a lot of water and air during the swim. Either way, I didn’t drink as much as I should have. I had a decent ride, probably could have gone a little bit faster. I was with one rider had a very similar speed for most of the race and we would alternate leads (no drafting of course). This was my first no-drafting event but that wasn’t an issue as people were either much faster or much slower than me, other than the one fellow.
Attached is the graph and info from my watch. Speed varied quite a bit, but cadence was relatively steady.
Transition 2
Watch measured time of 1:11, but it was longer than that as I didn’t stop the watch until I put the bike on the rack. Included with bike split.
Coming back into transition, I thought I had a decent change. But time wise it was slow as I had to tie-up my laces. Really should look into quick laces.
Run
Two lap course, True distance of 4.6 km, not 5 km as advertised.
First lap 13:56, Second lap 13:46, total 27:43.
My watch “intervals”, for 1.6 km (1 mi) were 9:52 (6:08 pace), 9:37 (5:59 pace), last pace 6:04, average speed 9.96 km/h, 6:02 min/km
Avg/Max HR 163/170
My goal here was to be a bit faster than Vulcan, but with a better pace. I thought I was uneven with pace there.
The course was flat with one small hill. I tried to keep an even pace mixed in with some fast pace every five minutes or so (“strides”). Unfortunately, I felt my bloated stomach a bit more here and had stomach cramps about halfway through my first lap, for about a minute. I kept running, but it felt slow. My cramp mostly went away on the downhill portion of the run, but was there for the rest of the race. I did get in some water along the way. I did pick up my pace on the second lap, though I did feel crappy going back up the hill. I almost ran past the turn for the finish, even though the finish line was quite visible from a long ways back.
Post Race
MY FIRST OPEN WATER TRIATHLON!! Very happy to finish. Everything went pretty smoothly, other than the stomach cramp.
I felt pretty good after the race, and no muscle or joint pains. I felt a bit bloated still.
It was great to finish and to finish fairly well. Considering I really only started to learn how to swim in June 2011, this felt really good.
Thanks to Angie for really teaching me to swim and to get the fitness, training and confidence to finish well.
Two days later, no abnormal aches or pains, from the race. Some muscle fatigue, but nothing more. The soccer game after the race was another matter.
Learnings:
1. On short races, fast transitions are really necessary. It’s hard to make-up time lost there, and should be a good place to save time.
2. Probably should not go to Dennys for breakfast before a race. At least not 2hrs before.
3. Have something to keep the gear dry in the transition area on rainy days.
Prizes
Sadly, no door prizes. Really thought I would have a good shot at something as most people left by the time they started giving out the prizes. It was odd as they just wrote people’s numbers down on a piece of paper.
Everyone got a medal, and it was nice.
Leslie-Anne's Calgary 70.3 Race Report, July 29, 12
My Best Race Ever
By
Leslie-Anne McKenzie
Once upon a time, there was a triathlete whose dreams and aspirations were to be able to say, “that was my best race ever!”
She trained hard and did everything (well almost) her coach told her to do. She ran, swam and biked hard each week. She even entered in stand-alone runs that even though she really disliked, she did because it was all towards the goal of being able to say one day, “That was my best race ever”
The 5th triathlon for the summer of 2012 was a half ironman, the 2nd one for the summer and within 4 weeks of the 1st one!
The triathlete thought this may be a bit too much to take on but since she had successfully completed IMC the summer previously she figured she’d be able to handle the training.
All the other races this triathlete had done were stepping-stones towards the Calgary 70.3, a qualifier for the World 70.3 championship in Las Vegas.
A sprint in Vulcan that shook out some race cobwebs as well as the thrill of “racing” her new bike!
A very cold Wasa, Olympic Distance taught the triathlete that cold water doesn’t really affect her. Running on what felt like “stumps” for feet was a new experience but encouraged her to press on in the race.
Great White North Half Ironman was the 1st time the triathlete had to bike in the rain.
Another sprint race one week out from GWN reminded the triathlete that it was a very good decision to do the sprint and not the Olympic, her legs would not have been able to “go the distance”. As a surprise at the Regina Beach Sprint, the triathlete was 3rd woman overall! Behind a 16yr old elite athlete and young whippersnapper 28yr old, both these ages do not even add up to 51! HA!
The triathlete really started to focus on the training for the Calgary 70.3, as after all, it was a qualifier for the World 70.3 championship! A dream for the triathlete, is to go to a race saying, “from Canada…”
Lots of training, including a wonderful, amazing weekend helping out at the IMC training camp which meant riding some of the course. The triathlete loved the experience and came away from the camp very ready to take on Calgary 70.3. The triathlete especially enjoyed the swimming sans the wetsuit!
The week leading up to the race the triathlete ensured she got lots of rest, hydrated and ate good food (minding the gluten intake). This was to try and eliminate the on going gut issues that have plagued the triathlete for some time.
During the week leading up to the race a transformation began. The triathlete had checked on some of the athletes who were in her age group. What the heck!? This had never been done before! She checked out a couple of the Americans and decided they may not pose a threat to the goal of getting to Vegas. A few more names to check picked one and the triathlete knew it, she would be given a good run for “her money” from this particular athlete. The athlete had placed 2nd in the same age group at Wasa. Although the triathlete was out of the water and off the bike ahead of her it was the run that determined everything. It’s always the run… (run, not rum…)
The transformation that began was the focus and purpose of the race. The athlete thought that if the soul purpose of the race was to “make Vegas” then what would she do if she didn’t make the cut? How would she be able to see the race as a learning experience or a challenge or simply a good old-fashioned half ironman?
Thinking long and hard about this choice, the goal then became, to do her best, have fun and enjoy the course. The goal became to have her “best race ever”.
The pre-race day meant heading down to infamous Ghost Lake, where the water was “colder than it has been” according to a local. After a relaxed entry, the water was cold but manageable. The triathlete felt strong in the water and knew that she would not have an issue with the swim on race day.
The bike (lovingly cared for by the most awesome staff at Bow Cycle) was cleaned, tuned and ready to go. A quick run through the gears before setting up in transition and handing off the bike to run bag all was good to go.
Before heading back to the city, the triathlete really began to believe that Calgary 70.3 was not a qualifier race for her but rather the race to really see what could happen if she allowed herself to have a race of all races. In other words put it all out onto the course to have her “best race ever”.
This is what she told herself and began to tell others so they would be able to see and hear her vision of the race.
The triathlete arrived home and treated herself to watching the Olympics, “putt zing” around the house, prepped race fuel and even had a small nap! What a treat that was!
A dinner invite to a friends house who had volunteered to be “Sherpa” for race day and off the triathlete went, token Pilsner beer in hand as it was after all “Game Day”. Her team decided to choke in the 4th quarter but that would not deter the triathlete, rather fuel her to show the Riders what it meant to finish something.
The triathlete told her coach (also at the dinner) that the Calgary 70.3 was going to be her “best race EVER”. If Vegas was meant to be it would be, but the race would be her best race EVER.
Race day dawned and the triathlete saw that it was going to be a perfect day. The triathlete was somewhat sad as her husband was not coming this time, a family member birthday that required his presence. The triathlete stayed focus and was able to get ready.
A protein shake, coffee (sans the cream) her Sherpa was on time and they headed to the race start.
The athlete was thrilled to be surrounded by so many like-minded people. Family and friends who come to support the other triathletes, seeing the pros mill about and stand in the loo line like all the others the triathlete was inspired, excited and thrilled to bits about having the best race EVER! This was especially true after “Oh Canada” was sung.
A quick hug/conversations with another triathlete who was nervous about where to start in the water had the triathlete became a wee bit nervous herself but by getting “gobbed” by Leo the dog was wonderful and the triathlete was ok once again. Dogs are great they just share the love!
The triathlete saw the pros start and see the eventual overall winner come out of the water and head to his bike, wow, talk about impressive!
Getting the wetsuit on the triathlete had a moment, a span of a few seconds where the nerves took over and focus was lost momentarily. She regained her focus with the unwavering support of her Sherpa and her Coach’s most awesome Boyfriend who willingly stepped into help in any way possible. Wet suit on, hugs and high fives it was time to head to the water.
The triathlete’s feet and hands were cold from the morning air and as a result the water, dare it be said, felt almost warm against those appendages! Perfect! No shock just complete inner calm as the triathlete did a warm up and found her place in the water. That’s right, in the water, as it was a deep-water start. A first for this triathlete and to be honest it was excellent! Starting on the left (favourite place) the horn went off and the race began!
A lovely swim, relaxed pace, slowly working up to race pace (being mindful of the water temperature of 16c) the athlete simply enjoyed the non counting of laps and focused on the markers in the water ahead. She even passed some of the men who had started 10 minutes prior the women! For a brief moment out there, the triathlete had an odd sensation, one that she had heard of yet never experienced; a brief chill ran through her body. “Aha!” she thought, “This is what it is like to feel cold” Thankfully it was brief.
Next thing she knew, the final buoy was ahead and making the final turn she could see the crowd on the shore, and then could hear Steve King’s voice and the crowd cheering and clapping for all the athletes as they exited.
Approaching the boat ramp, two-hand touch and up stands the triathlete accepting help as she was a wee bit off balance. Wetsuit unzipped by a volunteer (Wow, that is service!) then stripped off by two amazing volunteers (two of many amazing volunteers) and her bike gear was placed in front of her. Wetsuit in the bag, the athlete as she was putting on her socks asked the vollie what other athletes had been doing, shoes on or off to run to the bikes? “50-50” was the reply. “Shoes on it is” and on they went and up to the bike.
A few moments were required to put on the borrowed aero helmet, glasses on, and soon the bike was being guided further up the ramp to the mount line. The triathlete ensured she was past the mount line to the side before getting on her bike; she was off towards the great blue yonder!
The bike ride was a most amazing, breathtaking (for the most part not from pedalling) experience. The sun was shining, few clouds in the sky, clean roads and the most wonderful gift~ wind from the west. That’s right a tail wind a rare event and thoroughly enjoyed by all that day.
The triathlete rode hard and smiled even harder as she rode the course. Passing folks, getting passed, she soon noticed there were few women around. A couple went by that she remembered, younger gals who seemed to stall a bit on the climbs but managed to pull ahead on the flats. Something to be said for the triathletes love of climbing and the method of spin easy and keep the spin going when cresting. As the ride continued it was mostly with “the guys”.
The triathlete “whoo-hooed” each corner and was thanking the local RCMP for stopping traffic on the major thoroughfares Cochrane. Climbing out of Cochrane was actually fun! The training paid off big time!
Precisely at 80km, she slowed to a stop and took another precautionary method, her 2nd Emo. No WAY did she want issues on the run and this was part of the plan, take one more before getting off the bike. Thank goodness for the 80km marker!
She “cat and moused” a few other riders and finally passed “jacket man” (had a light windbreaker on that was billowing behind him) with approximately 2km left.
On the final approach before transition the triathlete began talking to herself, getting mentally prepared for the 3rd stage of the race. The run. The triathlete said out loud, “It’s only a 21km run.” “Last stage of the day” “You’ll be done in 2hrs 15mins or so” “It’s only a 21k”. “This will be your best 21km ever”.
When racking her bike, there were not many around, “How odd” she thought how could that be?” “Never mind, need to focus on the run now” and she was off!
The first few km’s in a run are always the hardest for the triathlete, she tends to go too fast and that is not good as she is unable to keep that pace. For that reason alone, the triathlete wears a simple watch. The 1st kilometre flew by and even though it was fun for a fleeting moment, the triathlete knew she had to slow down, as that pace would not be able to be kept. Slowly she manoeuvred her pace to something that was manageable and continued on. The sun was shining, very little wind, a beautiful but challenging run course, really a perfect day. A perfect day for her “best race ever”.
The triathlete was able to see some of the pros come in and as she headed out, the faster age groupers. “Kudos to them” she thought, I hope they are having their best race ever.
As the run went on, the triathlete started to feel the heat. Not a fan of the sun when running she began to think about what she needed to do in order to stay focused and to keep running. The aid stations were more like an oasis, with water, PowerAde, gels and some with ice all manned by the most awesome human being~ a volunteer.
The triathlete was seeking one aid station in particular, the Team TriLife station; She knew there was a little “sumpin’sumpin” especially for her. The neckerchief that she borrowed from her Sherpa for IMC was waiting for her, soaking wet and cold to cool off her neck. “Ahhhhhh, purrrrfect” as it was applied! Triathletes serving triathletes during a triathlon, it’s amazing! They truly understand what each participant is going through.
A walk break allowed time with her coach to get some inspiration (she was told she was 1st in the swim!) and of course coaching!
The run course is mostly exposed which meant the sun was beating down. The triathlete caught up to and ran with Conrad from Colorado. He was basing his run via a heart monitor that at a certain rate he would slow to a walk and when his heart dropped to a certain rate he continued running. This was perhaps one of the biggest aha moments for the triathlete. She really understood (let’s hear for experiential learning) the purpose and usefulness of a HR monitor. This kind man pulled this triathlete through to and past the turn around. She eventually had to leave him and before she left, turned and faced him, shook his hand and said thank-you.
It was just past the turn around that the triathlete saw a woman go by her, she noticed the age on the calf, 51. That was the 1st time she had seen someone from her age group on the run. Not bad, not bad at all thought the triathlete! She began to think that Vegas was not going to be and was at peace. She continued to focus on her run and do what she needed to keep up a good pace, finish strong and have her best race ever.
The triathlete caught up to “jacket man” (remember she had passed him on the bike and he in turn passed her earlier in the run). They continued for at least 8km together, keeping each other going, respecting the need to walk and pressing each other for support. When they came through the Team TriLife Oasis, the triathlete soaked up all the run mojo, ice, cheering, kudos etc that she could get. She did not take anything but fluid and this seemed to be working, along with the Emo.
The triathlete left the oasis cooled, calmed and pumped up about the rest of the race. Wet shoes and socks did not matter; the blister that was there was ignored (not bad enough to stop) all was good to go. Refreshed and rejuvenated, the remainder of the race didn’t appear to be that bad.
As the triathlete and “jacket-man” (aka Bill) continued a funny “slap-slap-slap” run was heard. The triathlete wondered who that was, “Odd sounding run. Perhaps they are injured,” she thought. It was a member of Team TriLife who caught up to her and told her she was 1st in the bike. “SERIOUSLY? OH MY GAWD!” A huge smile broke out and the triathlete truly believed that this was her best race ever.
The triathlete kept pushing the pace, Bill did the same, respect was given when one needed to back off the pace or even walk if need be.
Weaslehead hill loomed ahead; the triathlete and Bill agreed to walk it. Giving herself permission to walk was huge. Yes it had been done at IMC but that was after all, IMC.
Before she knew it, they were at the top of the hill and another aid station.
At the top of the hill, it was only a few kilometres to the end. Once again the triathlete had to “avert her eyes and ears” (said with a southern belle accent) of the finish line and Steve King’s voice. Once past it seemed an eternity before they came to the turn around. Bill was asked for a story and the triathlete said she could run with him but wasn’t good at talking and running at the same time (she can chew gum walk at the same time if that is any consolation!). The only story she could muster was the fact she holds season tickets for the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Taylor Field in Regina. Bill liked that!
The last aid station, last bit of water and liquid fuel the triathlete and Bill were ready to press on. She even got some of the volunteers to sing Bill “Happy Birthday” as it was indeed his birthday! That elevated our moods and we continued. With 2 km’s left, Bill needed to stop and walk, the triathlete didn’t want to or more along the lines didn’t need to, so she went on.
The finish line could be heard, she could hear the cheering, the cowbells, the clapping. She heard Steve King’s voice urging the pace to be quickened. The triathlete did just that, she increased her pace, used her arms to pull herself forward and she was crossing the finish line! She was done!
In recovery the triathlete leaned on Lynn, another stellar volunteer who assisted her to get water, some post race food and finisher t-shirt. The triathlete thanked Lynn for her support and got her legs up against a fence, took in some water and got her heart rate down to a comfortable place. She enjoyed the camaraderie of other competitors, volunteers as she reflected on her race. To her delight realized not one stop was due to a gut issue! She will certainly use the double Emo again!
The suspense of her overall placing eventually took over and she strolled over to the listings that were posted. She found her name and to her utter joy and through watering eyes she saw something that she thought was never possible, 2/13. 2nd in her age group! In a half ironman! She cried tears of joy with another triathlete friend, as she couldn’t believe what she had read. She had to go back several times to ensure she hadn’t made a mistake.
“This calls for a post race beer!” the triathlete shouted. “Who can lend me $5.00?!” The beer was cold, the triathlete over the moon with joy and more so when she saw her Coach, Sherpa and Coach’s Boyfriend. More hugs, more tears of joy!
The race continued on and upon completion the awards were given out. It was really great to see the professional triathletes on stage. These folks work hard at what they do and they appeared to have genuine admiration and respect for each other’s accomplishments that day.
When the age group awards were given, the triathlete was somewhat nervous with excited anticipation to hear her name called.
When it was called she leapt up onto the stage and smiled from ear to ear!
Once the awards were over, the names of the people who qualified for the World 70.3 Championships in Vegas were stated. Somehow the triathlete knew she would not be going to Vegas and in someway was almost relieved. The training would now be over, no more long rides; weekends could be focused on other things. She knew that the 1st place finisher was going to take the Vegas spot and rightly so, she had earned it.
The triathlete waited until all the spots were taken and was okay with not getting one. It was odd to see her Coach and others seem more saddened by this. The triathlete simply stated that all she wanted from this race was to put it all out on the course, to leave nothing behind, to swim, bike and run as hard as she could. In the end, she did all of that and was rewarded a placing in her age group in a distance that she thought she never would.
She proudly stated to all that day and has been ever since:
“I HAD MY BEST RACE EVER!”
Conclusion:
Swim: 33:41, 1st in Age Group, 30th Female, 116 Overall
T1: 3:11
Bike: 2:53:19, 1st in Age Group, 34th Female, 212 Overall
T2: 1:58
Run: 2:18:01 5th in Age Group, 55th Female, 282 Overall
Final Time: 5:50:08
Age Group Place: 2/13 Overall place 256/545
PB’d Swim from GWN (35:35) and Bike (3:01:09). The run was slower than GWN (2:14:04) but this was a more challenging course. GWN also had two pit stops that did not occur during Calgary 70.3. GWN overall 5:50:47, wow!
The triathlete in this story would like to thank all those that helped, inspired, and cajoled her along the course. Her Husband, Coach, all TTL’ers at the best aid station (aka oasis), and the other amazing volunteers who set up, spent time during and cleaned up after the race was over. Without your support this triathlete would be forever thirsty, hot and lost.
By
Leslie-Anne McKenzie
Once upon a time, there was a triathlete whose dreams and aspirations were to be able to say, “that was my best race ever!”
She trained hard and did everything (well almost) her coach told her to do. She ran, swam and biked hard each week. She even entered in stand-alone runs that even though she really disliked, she did because it was all towards the goal of being able to say one day, “That was my best race ever”
The 5th triathlon for the summer of 2012 was a half ironman, the 2nd one for the summer and within 4 weeks of the 1st one!
The triathlete thought this may be a bit too much to take on but since she had successfully completed IMC the summer previously she figured she’d be able to handle the training.
All the other races this triathlete had done were stepping-stones towards the Calgary 70.3, a qualifier for the World 70.3 championship in Las Vegas.
A sprint in Vulcan that shook out some race cobwebs as well as the thrill of “racing” her new bike!
A very cold Wasa, Olympic Distance taught the triathlete that cold water doesn’t really affect her. Running on what felt like “stumps” for feet was a new experience but encouraged her to press on in the race.
Great White North Half Ironman was the 1st time the triathlete had to bike in the rain.
Another sprint race one week out from GWN reminded the triathlete that it was a very good decision to do the sprint and not the Olympic, her legs would not have been able to “go the distance”. As a surprise at the Regina Beach Sprint, the triathlete was 3rd woman overall! Behind a 16yr old elite athlete and young whippersnapper 28yr old, both these ages do not even add up to 51! HA!
The triathlete really started to focus on the training for the Calgary 70.3, as after all, it was a qualifier for the World 70.3 championship! A dream for the triathlete, is to go to a race saying, “from Canada…”
Lots of training, including a wonderful, amazing weekend helping out at the IMC training camp which meant riding some of the course. The triathlete loved the experience and came away from the camp very ready to take on Calgary 70.3. The triathlete especially enjoyed the swimming sans the wetsuit!
The week leading up to the race the triathlete ensured she got lots of rest, hydrated and ate good food (minding the gluten intake). This was to try and eliminate the on going gut issues that have plagued the triathlete for some time.
During the week leading up to the race a transformation began. The triathlete had checked on some of the athletes who were in her age group. What the heck!? This had never been done before! She checked out a couple of the Americans and decided they may not pose a threat to the goal of getting to Vegas. A few more names to check picked one and the triathlete knew it, she would be given a good run for “her money” from this particular athlete. The athlete had placed 2nd in the same age group at Wasa. Although the triathlete was out of the water and off the bike ahead of her it was the run that determined everything. It’s always the run… (run, not rum…)
The transformation that began was the focus and purpose of the race. The athlete thought that if the soul purpose of the race was to “make Vegas” then what would she do if she didn’t make the cut? How would she be able to see the race as a learning experience or a challenge or simply a good old-fashioned half ironman?
Thinking long and hard about this choice, the goal then became, to do her best, have fun and enjoy the course. The goal became to have her “best race ever”.
The pre-race day meant heading down to infamous Ghost Lake, where the water was “colder than it has been” according to a local. After a relaxed entry, the water was cold but manageable. The triathlete felt strong in the water and knew that she would not have an issue with the swim on race day.
The bike (lovingly cared for by the most awesome staff at Bow Cycle) was cleaned, tuned and ready to go. A quick run through the gears before setting up in transition and handing off the bike to run bag all was good to go.
Before heading back to the city, the triathlete really began to believe that Calgary 70.3 was not a qualifier race for her but rather the race to really see what could happen if she allowed herself to have a race of all races. In other words put it all out onto the course to have her “best race ever”.
This is what she told herself and began to tell others so they would be able to see and hear her vision of the race.
The triathlete arrived home and treated herself to watching the Olympics, “putt zing” around the house, prepped race fuel and even had a small nap! What a treat that was!
A dinner invite to a friends house who had volunteered to be “Sherpa” for race day and off the triathlete went, token Pilsner beer in hand as it was after all “Game Day”. Her team decided to choke in the 4th quarter but that would not deter the triathlete, rather fuel her to show the Riders what it meant to finish something.
The triathlete told her coach (also at the dinner) that the Calgary 70.3 was going to be her “best race EVER”. If Vegas was meant to be it would be, but the race would be her best race EVER.
Race day dawned and the triathlete saw that it was going to be a perfect day. The triathlete was somewhat sad as her husband was not coming this time, a family member birthday that required his presence. The triathlete stayed focus and was able to get ready.
A protein shake, coffee (sans the cream) her Sherpa was on time and they headed to the race start.
The athlete was thrilled to be surrounded by so many like-minded people. Family and friends who come to support the other triathletes, seeing the pros mill about and stand in the loo line like all the others the triathlete was inspired, excited and thrilled to bits about having the best race EVER! This was especially true after “Oh Canada” was sung.
A quick hug/conversations with another triathlete who was nervous about where to start in the water had the triathlete became a wee bit nervous herself but by getting “gobbed” by Leo the dog was wonderful and the triathlete was ok once again. Dogs are great they just share the love!
The triathlete saw the pros start and see the eventual overall winner come out of the water and head to his bike, wow, talk about impressive!
Getting the wetsuit on the triathlete had a moment, a span of a few seconds where the nerves took over and focus was lost momentarily. She regained her focus with the unwavering support of her Sherpa and her Coach’s most awesome Boyfriend who willingly stepped into help in any way possible. Wet suit on, hugs and high fives it was time to head to the water.
The triathlete’s feet and hands were cold from the morning air and as a result the water, dare it be said, felt almost warm against those appendages! Perfect! No shock just complete inner calm as the triathlete did a warm up and found her place in the water. That’s right, in the water, as it was a deep-water start. A first for this triathlete and to be honest it was excellent! Starting on the left (favourite place) the horn went off and the race began!
A lovely swim, relaxed pace, slowly working up to race pace (being mindful of the water temperature of 16c) the athlete simply enjoyed the non counting of laps and focused on the markers in the water ahead. She even passed some of the men who had started 10 minutes prior the women! For a brief moment out there, the triathlete had an odd sensation, one that she had heard of yet never experienced; a brief chill ran through her body. “Aha!” she thought, “This is what it is like to feel cold” Thankfully it was brief.
Next thing she knew, the final buoy was ahead and making the final turn she could see the crowd on the shore, and then could hear Steve King’s voice and the crowd cheering and clapping for all the athletes as they exited.
Approaching the boat ramp, two-hand touch and up stands the triathlete accepting help as she was a wee bit off balance. Wetsuit unzipped by a volunteer (Wow, that is service!) then stripped off by two amazing volunteers (two of many amazing volunteers) and her bike gear was placed in front of her. Wetsuit in the bag, the athlete as she was putting on her socks asked the vollie what other athletes had been doing, shoes on or off to run to the bikes? “50-50” was the reply. “Shoes on it is” and on they went and up to the bike.
A few moments were required to put on the borrowed aero helmet, glasses on, and soon the bike was being guided further up the ramp to the mount line. The triathlete ensured she was past the mount line to the side before getting on her bike; she was off towards the great blue yonder!
The bike ride was a most amazing, breathtaking (for the most part not from pedalling) experience. The sun was shining, few clouds in the sky, clean roads and the most wonderful gift~ wind from the west. That’s right a tail wind a rare event and thoroughly enjoyed by all that day.
The triathlete rode hard and smiled even harder as she rode the course. Passing folks, getting passed, she soon noticed there were few women around. A couple went by that she remembered, younger gals who seemed to stall a bit on the climbs but managed to pull ahead on the flats. Something to be said for the triathletes love of climbing and the method of spin easy and keep the spin going when cresting. As the ride continued it was mostly with “the guys”.
The triathlete “whoo-hooed” each corner and was thanking the local RCMP for stopping traffic on the major thoroughfares Cochrane. Climbing out of Cochrane was actually fun! The training paid off big time!
Precisely at 80km, she slowed to a stop and took another precautionary method, her 2nd Emo. No WAY did she want issues on the run and this was part of the plan, take one more before getting off the bike. Thank goodness for the 80km marker!
She “cat and moused” a few other riders and finally passed “jacket man” (had a light windbreaker on that was billowing behind him) with approximately 2km left.
On the final approach before transition the triathlete began talking to herself, getting mentally prepared for the 3rd stage of the race. The run. The triathlete said out loud, “It’s only a 21km run.” “Last stage of the day” “You’ll be done in 2hrs 15mins or so” “It’s only a 21k”. “This will be your best 21km ever”.
When racking her bike, there were not many around, “How odd” she thought how could that be?” “Never mind, need to focus on the run now” and she was off!
The first few km’s in a run are always the hardest for the triathlete, she tends to go too fast and that is not good as she is unable to keep that pace. For that reason alone, the triathlete wears a simple watch. The 1st kilometre flew by and even though it was fun for a fleeting moment, the triathlete knew she had to slow down, as that pace would not be able to be kept. Slowly she manoeuvred her pace to something that was manageable and continued on. The sun was shining, very little wind, a beautiful but challenging run course, really a perfect day. A perfect day for her “best race ever”.
The triathlete was able to see some of the pros come in and as she headed out, the faster age groupers. “Kudos to them” she thought, I hope they are having their best race ever.
As the run went on, the triathlete started to feel the heat. Not a fan of the sun when running she began to think about what she needed to do in order to stay focused and to keep running. The aid stations were more like an oasis, with water, PowerAde, gels and some with ice all manned by the most awesome human being~ a volunteer.
The triathlete was seeking one aid station in particular, the Team TriLife station; She knew there was a little “sumpin’sumpin” especially for her. The neckerchief that she borrowed from her Sherpa for IMC was waiting for her, soaking wet and cold to cool off her neck. “Ahhhhhh, purrrrfect” as it was applied! Triathletes serving triathletes during a triathlon, it’s amazing! They truly understand what each participant is going through.
A walk break allowed time with her coach to get some inspiration (she was told she was 1st in the swim!) and of course coaching!
The run course is mostly exposed which meant the sun was beating down. The triathlete caught up to and ran with Conrad from Colorado. He was basing his run via a heart monitor that at a certain rate he would slow to a walk and when his heart dropped to a certain rate he continued running. This was perhaps one of the biggest aha moments for the triathlete. She really understood (let’s hear for experiential learning) the purpose and usefulness of a HR monitor. This kind man pulled this triathlete through to and past the turn around. She eventually had to leave him and before she left, turned and faced him, shook his hand and said thank-you.
It was just past the turn around that the triathlete saw a woman go by her, she noticed the age on the calf, 51. That was the 1st time she had seen someone from her age group on the run. Not bad, not bad at all thought the triathlete! She began to think that Vegas was not going to be and was at peace. She continued to focus on her run and do what she needed to keep up a good pace, finish strong and have her best race ever.
The triathlete caught up to “jacket man” (remember she had passed him on the bike and he in turn passed her earlier in the run). They continued for at least 8km together, keeping each other going, respecting the need to walk and pressing each other for support. When they came through the Team TriLife Oasis, the triathlete soaked up all the run mojo, ice, cheering, kudos etc that she could get. She did not take anything but fluid and this seemed to be working, along with the Emo.
The triathlete left the oasis cooled, calmed and pumped up about the rest of the race. Wet shoes and socks did not matter; the blister that was there was ignored (not bad enough to stop) all was good to go. Refreshed and rejuvenated, the remainder of the race didn’t appear to be that bad.
As the triathlete and “jacket-man” (aka Bill) continued a funny “slap-slap-slap” run was heard. The triathlete wondered who that was, “Odd sounding run. Perhaps they are injured,” she thought. It was a member of Team TriLife who caught up to her and told her she was 1st in the bike. “SERIOUSLY? OH MY GAWD!” A huge smile broke out and the triathlete truly believed that this was her best race ever.
The triathlete kept pushing the pace, Bill did the same, respect was given when one needed to back off the pace or even walk if need be.
Weaslehead hill loomed ahead; the triathlete and Bill agreed to walk it. Giving herself permission to walk was huge. Yes it had been done at IMC but that was after all, IMC.
Before she knew it, they were at the top of the hill and another aid station.
At the top of the hill, it was only a few kilometres to the end. Once again the triathlete had to “avert her eyes and ears” (said with a southern belle accent) of the finish line and Steve King’s voice. Once past it seemed an eternity before they came to the turn around. Bill was asked for a story and the triathlete said she could run with him but wasn’t good at talking and running at the same time (she can chew gum walk at the same time if that is any consolation!). The only story she could muster was the fact she holds season tickets for the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Taylor Field in Regina. Bill liked that!
The last aid station, last bit of water and liquid fuel the triathlete and Bill were ready to press on. She even got some of the volunteers to sing Bill “Happy Birthday” as it was indeed his birthday! That elevated our moods and we continued. With 2 km’s left, Bill needed to stop and walk, the triathlete didn’t want to or more along the lines didn’t need to, so she went on.
The finish line could be heard, she could hear the cheering, the cowbells, the clapping. She heard Steve King’s voice urging the pace to be quickened. The triathlete did just that, she increased her pace, used her arms to pull herself forward and she was crossing the finish line! She was done!
In recovery the triathlete leaned on Lynn, another stellar volunteer who assisted her to get water, some post race food and finisher t-shirt. The triathlete thanked Lynn for her support and got her legs up against a fence, took in some water and got her heart rate down to a comfortable place. She enjoyed the camaraderie of other competitors, volunteers as she reflected on her race. To her delight realized not one stop was due to a gut issue! She will certainly use the double Emo again!
The suspense of her overall placing eventually took over and she strolled over to the listings that were posted. She found her name and to her utter joy and through watering eyes she saw something that she thought was never possible, 2/13. 2nd in her age group! In a half ironman! She cried tears of joy with another triathlete friend, as she couldn’t believe what she had read. She had to go back several times to ensure she hadn’t made a mistake.
“This calls for a post race beer!” the triathlete shouted. “Who can lend me $5.00?!” The beer was cold, the triathlete over the moon with joy and more so when she saw her Coach, Sherpa and Coach’s Boyfriend. More hugs, more tears of joy!
The race continued on and upon completion the awards were given out. It was really great to see the professional triathletes on stage. These folks work hard at what they do and they appeared to have genuine admiration and respect for each other’s accomplishments that day.
When the age group awards were given, the triathlete was somewhat nervous with excited anticipation to hear her name called.
When it was called she leapt up onto the stage and smiled from ear to ear!
Once the awards were over, the names of the people who qualified for the World 70.3 Championships in Vegas were stated. Somehow the triathlete knew she would not be going to Vegas and in someway was almost relieved. The training would now be over, no more long rides; weekends could be focused on other things. She knew that the 1st place finisher was going to take the Vegas spot and rightly so, she had earned it.
The triathlete waited until all the spots were taken and was okay with not getting one. It was odd to see her Coach and others seem more saddened by this. The triathlete simply stated that all she wanted from this race was to put it all out on the course, to leave nothing behind, to swim, bike and run as hard as she could. In the end, she did all of that and was rewarded a placing in her age group in a distance that she thought she never would.
She proudly stated to all that day and has been ever since:
“I HAD MY BEST RACE EVER!”
Conclusion:
Swim: 33:41, 1st in Age Group, 30th Female, 116 Overall
T1: 3:11
Bike: 2:53:19, 1st in Age Group, 34th Female, 212 Overall
T2: 1:58
Run: 2:18:01 5th in Age Group, 55th Female, 282 Overall
Final Time: 5:50:08
Age Group Place: 2/13 Overall place 256/545
PB’d Swim from GWN (35:35) and Bike (3:01:09). The run was slower than GWN (2:14:04) but this was a more challenging course. GWN also had two pit stops that did not occur during Calgary 70.3. GWN overall 5:50:47, wow!
The triathlete in this story would like to thank all those that helped, inspired, and cajoled her along the course. Her Husband, Coach, all TTL’ers at the best aid station (aka oasis), and the other amazing volunteers who set up, spent time during and cleaned up after the race was over. Without your support this triathlete would be forever thirsty, hot and lost.
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