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 Swim
Comments: Started a bit easy, maybe a bit too easy. The sky was overcast, so we missed having to look into the rising sun on the way back to the beach. Felt good during the whole swim. Got bumped once and brushed a few times. Compared to Ironman CDA, this swim group was extremely civil. Didn't feel at all like I was swimming for my life! The second half of the second lap I started to really increase my stroke rate. What would you do differently?: I need to practice more. I need to go longer distances and incorporate intervals into my swimming, as I have into my running and just started on my biking.  Transition 1
Comments: Time was incorporated into bike split. It was pretty fast for putting socks on. What would you do differently?: Learn to put my shoes on, on the bike.  Bike
Comments: Getting the fastest bike split in my age group still gives me a little thrill! I was a little worried on the bike about going out too hard, so I keep giving myself little pep talks to take it easy. I felt that my pace was not so hard that I wasn't going to be able to run, but I had to catch myself a few times from hammering it when I didn't need to. The group of jerk guys ahead of me who spent nearly half the ride blocking and drafting off of each other, drove me nearly insane. A couple of them kept drafting off me and then pulling in front then dropping back. These guys had zero ability to pace. I was constantly trying to drop back out of their zone because they would slow down drastically after passing. It was really tricky. If I passed them, they seemed to take it as an affront and work really hard to pass me again (hills are always good for me). As I passed another woman who was having the same problems with drafting her then popping in front, I said that these guys should "S#$% or get off the pot. Just RACE already. Then to really burn me, one of these idiots accused me of drafting him when we were climbing a hill. Believe me, I was counting out 20 seconds. A#@hat! They always seemed to be behaving when the marshal were around. Argh. I must say that I got a really great compliment from a rather fit younger man when I passed him seated up a hill. He was like "Holy crap! Look how fast she's flying up the hill!" Thank you. What a boost! One woman passed me as we neared the city (although I gained on her and passed her before the end of the ride), almost got hit by a jerk in a black SUV that turned right in front of her against the signs and signals of several volunteers. It could've been really bad, but was definitely not the fault of the volunteers. They were incensed! The lady had been stunned a bit, but keep on going. What would you do differently?: More intervals on the bike...into wind...up hills. :) Getting a bit more time on the bike would've been nice. I didn't get as many 90-100km bikes in as I wanted due to travel and weather, but it was close. Transition 2
Comments: Incorporated into the bike split. It's funny because as I left T2, my husband shouted 3 hours 11 minutes and I thought: "Aw! That's a cruddy bike time." It wasn't until I saw where the fast guys were that he must've meant that my bike AND swim time were 3 hours 11 minutes!! What would you do differently?: Loosen my right shoe's speed laces. It was too tight, difficult to get on and pulled my right lat muscle pulling it on. Put a protein bar into my race belt pouch ahead of time.  Run
Comments: I am a tinsy bit disappointed with the run because my goal was to run the entire half marathon. I was not able to do this, entirely. I felt pretty fantastic going out, and my husband was telling me that I was gaining on some guys I knew. I thought he was lying until I got to the second turn around and realized he was right! I was gaining. Unfortunately the wheels fell off at between kilometre 16-17km for reasons that we will just describe as acute cramping for those who feel a longer description is too much information. However, the ladies will understand. It was a straight downhill on energy and endurance here. Total survival because I was really hurting suddenly. I had to walk 2 aid stations (fortunately I ran through the last one) and was able to run the last 2ish kilometres straight in. When I saw the time I was getting, however, I was fantastically pleased. What would you do differently?: Not much I could have done in this instance. Nature is what she is. Post race
Warm down: I had to sit for a bit immediately following, but only for a couple of minutes. Then, I got up and had some watermelon, more HEED and a virgin daiquiri. My favourite! My husband helped me pack my gear, drove me to hotel, where I quickly showered. The Tim's was across the parking lot, so I got a drink while he packed our left over gear from the hotel and checked out. We drove back to the race in time for me to watch some very special people cross the finish line. Unfortunately, I missed Carolanne and Crystal's finish, but I did get to see Frankie, Cindy and Michelle finish. Incredible! It was Cindy and Michelle's first Half Iron distance race. What an accomplishment! What limited your ability to perform faster: Nature. Not enough or enough quality swim training. Event comments: This was the best organized Half Iron distance (although I've only been to 2 and only 1 of those was well done), I've ever been to. The atmosphere was fantastic! The city, volunteer and spectator support was fantastic, as did the food. I cannot say enough about this race. It is well worth racing and no wonder that it is internationally known and raced. I would highly recommend it to any and everyone! Even though this last item isn't really about rating the race, I could not have done this race without the kindness and generosity of many people. Many and much thanks: To Frankie and Bruce for kindly taking me to the race when the car broke down. I couldn't have had this personal best without you. To Wade and Catherine for helping to facilitate this pick up and for being your ever wonderful selves. You are both inspirations and fun, to boot! To my husband who did all the heavy lifting both physically, mentally and sacrificially--again!! To Terry for inspiring me to race this race! It wasn't hype, it was simply the truth. Profile Album Last updated: 2011-07-05 12:00 AM
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Canada
The Great White North Triathlon
20C / 68F
Overcast
Overall Rank = 146/655
Age Group = 40-49
Age Group Rank = 6/93
Normally my pre-race routine involves driving to location of race without incident, but not THIS time...
Preamble
My husband and I were driving from Saskatoon to Stony Plain on Friday morning, packed, having secured a cat sitter and feeling rather good that we left even close to our planned departure. I had been keeping in contact with friends from Regina (I belong to the Regina Multisport Club also) Wade and Catherine, who were a hour or so ahead of us.
As we made our way into Maidstone, SK to get some gas, we heard a terrible rhythmic grindy- thunking sound coming from the back of the car. Worriedly, we both checked and saw the bikes on the back carrier were still in place. We stopped the car, got out to take a careful look around the car to see if there was something hanging off dragging or damage of some sort. We saw nothing. We limped to a gas station and checked again. Both feeling that this was coming from the back driver's side wheel, my husband jacked up the car and pulled off the wheel. Sure enough, there was no bolt holding on the caliper. Hmmm. We'd just had a major service to our 1-year old car, so we both figured that someone didn't tighten something properly.
Thinking that this was the end of my race trip and feeling mighty disappointed as I had trained like a maniac for weeks, we phoned roadside assistance and they sent a flatbed truck to tow us back to Saskatoon. I sent a message to my buddies ahead of us. Wade suggested that I try to catch a lift with two of their friends from the Regina Multisport Club who were behind us.
These two lovely people were my saviours, and they gave me my best Half Iron distance race yet...but I get ahead of myself. There are no words sufficient to express my gratitude.
My husband was able to get the car fixed the following day and made it back up to Stony Plain by Saturday night 10:30 p.m. I wasn't able to get to sleep as early that night as I wished (hubby was asleep in seconds), but I'd had very good sleep up to that evening.
I woke up at 4:20 a.m. and walked out to the Tim Horton's in the parking lot of the Travellodge and got my favourite morning wake up: an Iced Cappuccino. When we got to the race start that morning, I had a protein bar about an hour and half before the race start.
A quick swim before walking over the timing mats.