The Great White North Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I actually had fun with 673 bodies around me. Felt very comfortable and at home with this course.
I went into this swim with a lot of confidence. I felt strong. I started slowly. Tried to keep my HR down with the 673 other swimmers flailing around me.
Started in the centre - middle of the pack...the whole left side (where I normally start) was packed with people!
I had no problem. I tried drafting a few times, but people either kepts slowing down or bumping and stopping or going off course. I got annoyed. I must have just missed the "fast crowd". I was all by myself for the majority of the swim. I must have passed 20 people on the last 400 (that I saw) I just wound up my speed. I could see a huge wake beside and behind me. I must have been doing about a 1:30 pace.

I alternated between fast reps and steady gliding. last 400 I focused on gliding and the angle of my hand on entry.
I rounded the buoys at right angles - avoided the crowds - swimmers just stopped and waited around the bouys WTF? Couple of bumped heads I saw.
Lots of guys and gals touching and grabbing at me, it never bothered me once, other than it being annoying, so I swam aside or ahead.
My navigation was exceptional. Aimed for middle of lake buoys and beach -airborne zeppelin-shaped yellow balloon.

This was a great swim.

Not much. Time was 10 minutes faster than I expected.
Maybe push a little harder at the start to get in with a faster group and try to get the drafting thing going.

Wetsuit strippers. I was very efficient, but my left hamstring cramped...foreshadow! But I got the suit off and ran to my bike that was in a good spot from the beach. Sat down. Got sand and gooseshit out of my toes. Yuck! Did everything very methodically.
Made sure I didn't forget anything. Also had to place my stuff so that the "helpers" could pack and transport it all to T2 - I didn't want to lose anything, especially not my wetsuit!

Could have done this faster...but I like to focus on not forgetting anything.

Nothing. This was a good transition.

I did everything right on this bike course. I was more than ready for it. I had water (maybe not enough?) a four hour perpetuum bottle (split between two empty gatorade bottles and about 6 e-load pills. I didn't need or want anything else. I did notice I would burp after after every gulp of Perpetuum. (my watch was set for 15 minutes) I gulped at the beep. I also felt a little bloaty - I felt my stomach against my knees in the last 10 k.
I worked hard on this ride. I could have pushed harder, but I was thinking about the run.

Had to pee once...Waited for the turnaround and the porta-toilet was past the turnaround down a gravel road!!! I just held it then stopped and peed right off the highway. That took a about a minute - felt like an hour!
Had to pee again, but waited till I got out of T2.
I tried to pee on the bike. I really tried and squeezed, but it didn't work. I must be pee shy.
Gear changes were frequent and smooth. I stayed in the big chain ring for all but one climb. There were some trouble spots, especially around one bridge and it's two gaping expansion joints. There were Aerobottle sponges and bottles everywhere...I jumped the expansion joints.

My bike computer time had me at 2:50, so that gives a better indication of my time without T1 and T2 in there.
My top speed was 70.9...I've gone faster. The actual computer distance was 88.9, not 90km

Take more e-load pills/salt. Maybe more water...Think about the bloating...
Push a little harder...I know I can.

Had to find my rack...remember T2 was moved and my shoe bag was moved with it....I was quickly directed by volunteers. Dropped dirty girl off. Made a decision to leave my asthma inhaler. Took my hat and gel flask (Hammer) and took off. I should have taken some salt!
This was probably one of my fastest ever T2s. Very efficient. Sat down for the shoes.

Nothing.

Okay.
Got out of the porta toilet. Felt good and ready. Ran about 300 m then both my quads locked up so tight that I thought I had broken something. I immediately stopped and tried to stretch...that's when my hamstring cramped up...
I almost started crying...half pain half thinking that I'm done - I won't be able to finish this.
Started walking...slowly. I couldn't stretch it out, it hurt too much. The pain subsided, I picked it up a bit and started to run. Managed about 2 k, passed the aid station and boom! happened again.
This was the pattern for the whole run. I tried to run up an incline and the pain got so bad I had to walk backwards.

I just struggled through it. Running until the pain would come and then walking.
Had a rock in my left shoe, but couldn't get it out. Stopped emptied my shoe, but it came back.
Paced some people along the way and that helped a little.
Never once looked at my watch. I was too depressed. I knew all the gains I made on the swim and bike were evaporating.
Had gel, coke, water and on the last two aid stations, cookie and gatorade - I was desperate!
John (Starcorp) passed me half way through the run and then on the return from the turnaround he yelled something about 6 hours and that motivated me when I was at my lowest. That was at about 18k. I picked it up there. And must have done about 2k, before the system shut down again. The pain was really unbearable.
Then as I finally got onto the town street (out of the park) and rounded the corner. I could see the finish line.
I did a little jump (like a polevaulter does before he starts his approach) and started running...I mean really running. Holy crap! (I even thought that to myself!) I must have been doing a 4 minute pace. I passed about 8 people.

When I got to the finish line. I was happy. But.
They put my medal on and took off the chip and asked me to move. I couldn't. Both my legs were completely cramped up. Everytime I moved I had searing pain from just above my kneecaps (quads). I finally managed to hobble away from the finish line and had a Margarita and met up with the others that had all passed me on the run...sigh.

This run almost killed me. Many times I thought, how the hell am I going to ever do Ironman.
But I wasn't tired. My muscles just didn't work.





More salt. More salt and more salt. The signs were all there. Cramped calf on the wetsuit, cramped hand on the bike and then, well!

Run faster! If I had managed a 2:15 hour run that I am more than capable of, I would have had a kick-ass race...Mind you, I was thinking that I would finish in 6:15 overall, so I still rocked this race.

Limped around...looked for Godot.
Found the Regina Peeps. Tried to stretch. Had pretzels and Virgin Margaritas and walked around. Went indoors, out of the sun.
Spent 30 minutes taking care of George. George (5:42) (great cyclist and runner) just didn't drink enough. He was pale when I saw him. He seemed to be babbling. Nick, who rocked his race, was having his usual post race GI issues, but suggested I keep an eye on George. I found an Paramedic and he right away took George into the ambulance. Where he measured everything, including blood sugar.
He was a few minutes away from a hospital visit.
So I spent my cooldown in the ambulance.

Then, I suggested to Nick and Jason, that George should probably get the ride home. I was prepared (remember the backpack?) I packed everything and rode the 15 minutes or so back to the motel.
This actually helped my legs.
At the hotel I jumped into the pool, but it was too hot and the whirlpool jets were too feeble to make any decent difference.
I slept with compression socks.


Cramps...did you hear?
I was all ready to go for this. My mind was in the right place, my Cardio Vascular was great. My stupid quads just locked up!

Salt...I have to work on salt. Which is a surprise because I had plenty the week before and I was over hydrated. I actually stopped drinking a little the day before because I was peeing every 20 minutes!


Not much more to say.
Personal Best Half Iron distance race. My swimming rocked, my biking was solid...and so were my cramps.

This was a great race. Another learning experience.

There are some pictures of the race start here: http://signature.smugmug.com/gallery/8828186_M3SnG#584938763_8tjg7