Ironman 70.3 Calgary - Triathlon

I just hated this swim from the get-go. With the one-lap course two years ago, it was helpful to keep a little to the outside and swim a little extra distance for the clear water. The two-lap course was much more crowded and there were just people everywhere--to the inside, the outside, and even running smack into the buoys. I spent the entire race jostled and sandwiched and trying to pass people, especially men. To top things off, started feeling distinctly unwell (sluggish, nauseous) about 500m in. Not really sure why. Pre-race nutrition not sitting well, turbulent water, PMS?

My coach says I should just swim over/through the slow people, especially guys.

There were wetsuit strippers and I used them as my hands were cold. Got the suit off and ran okay to my spot. Once there I was a bit slow and clumsy due to cold hands and nausea/vertigo. I had put out gloves and was trying to put them on, then it occurred to me that it would be really hard to get nutrition that way, so I took them off again and put them in the bag with the wetsuit. Waste of time. Also had trouble fastening helmet as my hands were freezing. It took several tries; the woman next to me was having the same problem. We just stood there staring at each other and trying to get our hands to function!

Just forget about the gloves!

BTW course is short by about 1 to 1.5 miles, according to the race director. My Garmin had it at 53.5 miles, but it tends to consistently lose 500-800m every 30 km and pretty much is always 1 to 1.5 miles short of "official" distances and other people's Garmins for the HIM distance. So calling this 54.5 miles, although the official results say 90 km. Possibly closer to 55 miles. Correcting for the short course, this was equivalent to about a 2:39 split. That would be my best HIM bike split by about nine minutes.

Oddly, I think I needed to push the pace/power a little harder going out with the tailwind. NP was 149; I have been in the low to mid 150's and survived to do an okay run. I think I coasted a bit too much on the way out, despite the crazy-fast split. I think I handled the ride back well, physically and mentally. Saw a lot of athletes really struggling in both respects; I just tried to keep power steady and keep my head down to maximize aero-ness.That really mattered today! Probably need to work on keeping a higher cadence/easier gear when going uphill into the headwinds.

This time I knew where the bike course ended and was able to gear down, slow down, get my shoes off, and get off without coming to a screeching halt at the dismount line! But as soon as I got off the bike, I got serious cramps in both adductors--felt like I'd been riding rough on a horse all morning. Tried my utmost to proceed through T2 in some semblance of a running motion; it was difficult!

Try to get to the bottom of why I cramp off the bike. It has happened in 4 of the 10 HIM I've done, as well as some shorter races. The common denominators seem to be hard effort on the bike and, in most cases, cool conditions on the swim and early in the bike leg. There may also be some bike fit/position issues contributing to the problem.

The cramps really held me back until about five miles. Told myself not to panic, just keep moving and they would gradually work themselves out (they usually do) but it took longer than usual. I was frustrated because my legs otherwise felt good (quads, glutes, hamstrings) and I felt really energetic. But the cramps made it impossible for me to do my normal stride--I had to use really short, choppy steps to keep moving. Stopped 2 or 3 times to stretch for about 5-10 seconds each and that seemed to help a bit. The cramps were "cramping my style" so much I decided it was worth it. They finally went away by about five miles, and I tried to pick up the pace as much as possible and work my way through the people in front of me. No further issues until about 1/4 mile from the end, when the usual lockdown shin and calf cramps started. I just said, "Seriously?!" to my legs and waddled on to the finish.

It wasn't my best run split--about 3 minutes slower than two years ago here (when the run course was slightly easier as T2 was elsewhere and there was less descent/climb to/from the valley path), but considering that my last two HIM have been over two hours owing to injury and then lack of run fitness after layoff from said injury, I'll take it. Especially negative splits.

Get to the bottom of what causes this cramping. My coach and I have looked at a lot of things without much success. My gut feeling is that it has to do with pushing the bike really hard, plus sometimes it is aggravated by muscle tightness due to cold water and/or cold weather early on the bike.

Really none. I pretty much just staggered over the line and dragged my cramping carcass to the post-race food and massage tent. Didn't feel that bad heat or body-wise but there was absolutely nothing left in my legs. Ended up walking quite a bit as the shuttle never materialized (again) and we had to walk (very slowly) about 3/4 mile back to transition and another 3/4 mile back to the car.


Crowded conditions, not dealing well with them, and general feeling of malaise on the swim. Not OWS panic--I just (literally) was feeling a bit sick.

Probably not pushing hard enough with the tailwind on the way out. This may also be a function of my size--at 117 pounds, I probably just don't gain the momentum that a heavier athlete might!

Cramping off the bike. I think without it my run could easily have been 3-5 minutes faster. Grrr.... Need to take a closer look at bike fit/position as well as cadence on the bike when riding uphill and/or into the wind.


This race is very well organized; officials, volunteers, locals, etc.are almost uniformly friendly,enthusiastic, and helpful. My only real complaint is the swim course--the change to a two-lap course and making all the women start after all the men. I really didn't feel like I was swimming, just trying to punch/slither my way through an endless stream of bodies. Like salmon spawning or something. Several other women made the same comment, and we let the RD know our displeasure with this. I think they should go back to the one-lap course, and use self-seeded wave starts.

The new bike course was probably faster and seemed at least as challenging as the previous one. Not quite as scenic, and returning into a strong headwind plus a net uphill was physically and mentally tough. Roads were very rough in sections and there were LOTS of mechanicals. If doing this course, bring study tubes and tires. Disc wheels might be a bad idea for lighter riders due to strong crosswinds, both natural ones and from passing trucks, on some sections.

The run was pleasant, if a bit exposed. I would happily do this race again, but would probably fly up and rent a car. It's a beautiful drive from our home in the Boise area but tons of fires and road repaving en route made the 2-day trip each way an arduous one!