Ironman Canada - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Penticton, British Columbia
Canada
Ironman Canada
35C / 95F
Sunny
Total Time = 16h 36m 37s
Overall Rank = 2119/2553
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 292/314
Pre-race routine:

Crazy and I were up at about 420, had coffee and raisin toast, and a water. The ladies and most of my kids were up a little later. We left about 5 and were down at the lake by 530. Checked my bike, pumped up the tires as they told us on Saturday to let some air out as they were popping on the hot tarmack. Then dropped off my special needs which simply included a couple chocolate bars. Long line for the final washroom break, but someone told us to go somewhere else and it was much faster. Gave up my dry cloths bag and was ready. Watched the pros go at 645. Went to the outside of the beach as I was told that although it was a farther swim, it was less congested. Its amazing how many people were just as nervous as I was. We talked alot on the beach until the 1 minute warning went. For some reason I turned around and looked up at the thousands of fans yelling and cheering and saw my wife and Crazy's. It was quite a moment and calmed me down. I know how to swim and I'll be fine!
Event warmup:

Never stretched prior to a swim in training and decided not to do anything more than simply walk around. Nothing was hurting, felt ready!
Swim
  • 1h 18m 2s
  • 3862 meters
  • 02m 01s / 100 meters
Comments:

Started off well but slow. Immediately found my breathing and stroke, well on the outside of the pack. Actually sighted on a house well above the first houseboat, as I couldnt see it anyway. Kept my line and found I was getting closer and closer to the central cone of the pack. This really didnt bother me as much as I thought it would. When I got hit time after time and it didnt phase me, my confidence shot way up. I looked for holes when I could, and at times I had to give ground. The first turn was close and I was inside and comfortable. The short leg wastougher as everyone was congested and trying to make a sharp turn. I had to stop a couple times and noted how m,any people were well on the outside and swimming so much farther.
Thew second turn was nasty, there was kicking and punching (accidental I'm sure). This was mortal combat!
The last leg was the longest and I stayed inside, fighting for space and heading towards each big red buoy, there were 10 I think on this side. About half way I took a blow to the mask which knocked off my cap. I didnt know if I had to finish with it so I made a grab and stuck it back on and adjusted my mask. This was a little stressful and it was a minute or two before I got back in my happy place! As I got closer to the beach, I got more agressive and didnt give was as much. Of course, this forced me to use violence and various pain techniques to hold my line. Just kidding, sort of. It truly was a battle if you were going to swim an insde line. Took some shots but survived.
What would you do differently?:

I would definately start at least half way amongst the swimmers, as opposed to otuside, although this position is not for the faint of heart. Also realized much later that the rear neck of my suit abraded my lovely bald head. Didnt feel it at the time, but iI still have the marks 5 days later.
I would also swim harded from the get go. I'd swam easy and defensive to conserve energy, but I truly found the swim relaxing, although highly combative. Perhaps that's a personality thing. It is important to remember that even a fast swim may only save me 10-15 minutes so its not a big deal.
Transition 1
  • 08m 32s
Comments:

I ran through the time mats and into the arms of the strippers, who were great. Ran to the change tent after grabbing my gear bag and put on my top, socks and shoes, gloves, glasses and helmut. I wore my tri shorts on under my suit and kept them on all day. This worked well for me. Did the strap up, left the tent and a volunteer had my bike ready
What would you do differently?:

Very little as I changed at a relaxed pace, had a water and felt like I was ready for a ride.
Bike
  • 7h 20m 9s
  • 112 miles
  • 15.27 mile/hr
Comments:

I wore my tri chorts and had a bandanna on under my helmet. This kept the sweat off my face and shades. Also bought a band to put on my glasses to keep them up on my head.
The bike ride was a challenge, to say the least. But in a good way. Until Richter's, the first third of the course is pretty smooth. I was told to hold myself back, as the last two thirds are wild, which I found to be true. Let the big bikes motor past me and just kept a nice steady pace, drinking every two miles. At Richters, I climbed well, passing people and felt great. Just when you think you've made it to the top, there's an aid station. Then there is the rest of the climb! Hundreds of cheering people along this and at the top. Its a great party for them, and fun to ride.
At the top, I started to feel the heat( it was freakin hot, riders were passing out, ambulances were everywhere) and changed to drinking every mile. Switched between gatorade and water, had the odd banana and power bar. The rest of the ride was very hilly and my back started to tighten up. A couple times I made poor gear changes and my chain came off twice. Also, my back break kept rubbing and I had to stop several times to adjust the thing.
My descents were sweet as I crouched when my back would allow and coasted. This was were I made my passes. I guess being heavier and having no fear, my momentum was a little faster. Still on any of the flats I held back, as it was still going to be a long day.
What would you do differently?:

First I would grind it out a little harder. Having no first hand knowledge of the route, I stayed conservative. At my current conditioning (read weight 210bs), this would have only saved me 30-45 min, so again, not a big deal. Some smaller issues, because I wanted my kids to have fun as well, the ride Crazy went on while we were in OK Falls I stayed in and took them bridgejumping. Really should have tried a training run and would have smothed out the gear changes (bike was tuned up before I left Dauphin) and identified the brake problem. This may not have saved time, but would have smoothed out the ride a little, lessening my stress. Finally, my back was tight but not painful. I believe the best solution would have been to do this whole thing at at least 185lbs, wg\hich was my one failed goal for the last year.
Transition 2
  • 09m 44s
Comments:

After crossing the timing mat, a volunteer takes the bike and racks it. I was then free to get my t2 bag and change in the tent. This went well as all I really did was change shirt, shoes and socks.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing actually hurt, but I did it in a relaxed manner. I could have been a little quicker, but coming in, I saw everyone walking in the first couple miles of the run. No sense of urgency as It was about 4pm and I had lots of time for the run. Famous last words! Make time when you can!
Run
  • 7h 40m 11s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 17m 34s  min/mile
Comments:

I felt confident I could run/walk the whole way and come in before 11pm, that was the original goal. I was ahead of my personal schedule by about an hour and felt tired but in good spirits. But I noticed immediately the balls of my feet were tender from the bike. I ran to thi\e first couple stations(every mile) and then walked for a few minutes. The cheering was awsome! Saw a few of the pros coming in , walking as well. Out of town, Crazy caught up and we walked together for 5-6 miles. Somewhere in here, I got my feet wet. Very very big mistake. As my feet were tender already, I really started to hurt. At 12mi, I needed a washroom break and Crazy carried on. I never could catch up as I couldnt run any more, my feet hurt so bad. And still I'd go through the water!
At the turnaround, the blister on my left foot popped and I think I almost screamed! It was bad, but there were more people here, then I saw Lisa and Quinn with Glenda cherring us/me on. Made the turn at about 730, so I still had lots of time, though I knew I was going slower. At the 16mi mark, my right foot blister popped and again, I was hurting. Felt like my feet were on fire, swiming around in my shoes and I thought for sure they were bleeding. At each station I took on water, chicken soup and carried a cup of ice chips to suck on as I walked on.
It was very dark as I hit the flats and we were given glow sticks to put around our necks. Maybe I was getting lightheaded, but I was still smilling, being passed by all these green hallos. I saw ambulances screaming by, people litterally passed out on the side of the road and others huling the guts out, then motoring on by me. But my condtioning was good, I still had energy to carry on, but baby my feet hurt. I thought for sure they were bleeding. I made it to the 20mi mark at about 930 and was still pretty confident I would be in on time, if not close to the 17hr mark. I was walking about 3mph and getting slower.
The period between 20-24 was pretty blurry as I got back into town, hearing the people cheering me on, telling me I was gonna make it! Out of the blue came a girl on a bike, chering me on, by my first name, then I looked around and recognized Freezerburn and Pablo on one side and then back to "the girl" realizing it was Weight2go and Smartcicle. They should me where they had chalked mine and Crazy's names on the road and it just felt great to see and talk to them. They took me into the last mile, where I saw a member I used to work with here in Dauphin and he was yelling and screaming at me, gave me the big hand shake as I made the first turn along Lakeshore. Saw Lisa and quinn there too and knew I was gonna make it.
Made the final turn at the end of the beach and the people were going wild with their cheering. There were alot of us in the same boat, coming in just under the wire and it was simply amazing to feel the energy of the crowd. The last stretch all I could think about was I couldnt run over the line but I can walk proud!
Then Lisa and Quinn came out and grabbed on and I somehow managed to run/jog/lope/shuffle across!

What would you do differently?:

Never get your feet wet! I knew this but it never dawned on me what happened untill about 1am when I was having a beer with Crazy and the ladies back in OK Falls. I though maybe the change of socks was a bad idea and he said "you got your feet wet didnt you?" I thought about it and he was right. I walked through all the hoses, shile I watched some people walk around them.
Post race
Warm down:

Crossed the line and had my own personal volunteer take me to the aid tent to get my feet looked at. I still thought they were bleeding and didnt want to take off my shoes alone. Turns out my socks were soaked and I had large blisters on the heals and balls of both feet. The Dr. sliced one open and used a needle on the big ones on my heals to drain them. He warned me this was going to hurt. I looked at him and said, "I'm an Ironman, I walked on those for 15 miles, this is a baby's kiss".
Anyhow, 45 min later, everything was shutting down and lisa had my bike ready and I limped to the van. Crazy took Quinn home earlier and he also picked up all my other stuff as well. What a guy!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Very simply, my weight and wet feet. I think the wet feet cost me an hour to an hour and a half. But the weight would have made a huge difference. Very happy with my conditioning and training, knowing that it got me through where others unfortuneatly didnt make it.
Made some good and bad decisions, but the experience gained from same is irreplaceable. The mental effort got me over the pain for 15mi. There was no way I was quitting over blisters! Physically I held back to ensure I would complete the course. It was a good race because I am an Ironman!

Event comments:

Cannot say enough about the organization and volunteers and fans. We were fetted from the time we got to Penticton to the time we left. Never wanting for anything. Officially there were 2531 registered, not sure how many actually lined up, but 2185 officially finshed the race in under 17hrs.
Forgot to mention that it was very important, in order to combat the sun, to have a strong leather- like tan. Sun block will only help so much, especially when your using sponges or walking through the hoses to cool off. Train hard in the heat of the day between 10-1600.

Dont tell Lisa the Lovely as I promised we would not discuss it for awhile, but I intend to be back with Ironcops in 2008.

Pain is temporary, glory lasts forever!


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Last updated: 2005-10-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:18:02 | 3862 meters | 02m 01s / 100meters
Age Group: 194/314
Overall: 1329/2553
Performance: Good
Suit: Orca Predator
Course: Approx 1600m to first houseboat, 400m to next one and back to the beach, about 1800m. The swim begins with the opening and anthem at 6:50 a.m. Competitors hit the water at 7 a.m. The swim will start from Okanagan Lake Beach in Rotary Park. You will swim in a North by Northwest direction and . Elevation at transition is 1125 feet. The swim finishes at Okanagan Lake Beach at Rotary Park.
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 19C / 66F Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 08:32
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
07:20:09 | 112 miles | 15.27 mile/hr
Age Group: 292/314
Overall: 2038/2553
Performance: Average
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: The first 14 km of the bike course (south on Main Street, Lakeside Road and East side Road) is relatively flat. Just past this point, a left turn onto McLean Creek Rd. is the start of a significant climb of approximately 1 km, followed by a scenic winding road that leads through the Okanagan Falls countryside. The route will continue down Peachcliff Estates Hill, where athletes will then turn left on Highway 97 at 10th Avenue in the Township of Okanagan Falls. CAUTION is required on all roads, and avoidance of excessive speeds approaching curves and corners is critical. The next 35 Kms are relatively flat as you ride through Oliver and Osoyoos to the base of Richter Pass. From this point the course becomes more difficult. The long 11 km climb up to Richter Pass (elevation at summit , 2295 feet) and the series of challenging hills beyond the 84 km point complete the most difficult part of the course. From Keremeos (the 132-km point), the ride then follows a gradual uphill climb to the summit at Twin Lakes, and then a fast winding downhill ride to Highway 97 and north to Penticton. Skaha Lake Road to Main Street and the Transition area is also flat.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 09:44
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Bad
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
07:40:11 | 26.2 miles | 17m 34s  min/mile
Age Group: 294/314
Overall: 2162/2553
Performance: Bad
Course: The run course for Subaru Ironman Canada is known for its scenic beauty and the enthusiastic support of the volunteers at aid stations along the way. Aid stations are placed approximately every mile. Leaving Gyro runners go down Lakeshore toward Main. Turn right at Main run South (up) on Main to Westminster and turn right, run along Westminster to Winnipeg. Turn right on Winnipeg and run down Winnipeg towards Lakeshore, towards the Peach. At Lakeshore runners turn left and go out along Lakeshore to the turnaround at Power Street where they loop back and come back to Winnipeg and tun right. Running up Winnipeg runners turn left and are now on Westminster heading towards Main. Once runners hit Main they turn tight and go South out on the run course through town. Turnaround at Christie Beach. Back in town, almost done. Runners come down and turn left on Westminster. Running along Westminster runners turn right on Winnipeg. At Winnipeg runners turn right and head down towards Lakeshore. At Lakeshore runners turn left and run along Lakeshore to the turnaround at Power Street. Once around the turnaround runners now come down Lakeshore back towards the Peach to the finish. The finish is located on Lakeshore halfway between Winnipeg and Martin Street.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5