Ironman Canada - TriathlonFull Ironman

This swim for me was fantastic!!! I started to the left on the beach hoping to avoid contact. I waited at the back to try to miss the washing machine and just took my time. I think I pulled too much to the left because I was actually alone for quite a while. I saw a kayaker and asked if I was going off course but he said to keep going I was doing fine. At the first turn (houseboat) I decided to get into the thick of things and headed right to the buoys. Here I took more contact, but I also handed it out. I felt very comfortable being in the middle of things and concentrated on long comfortable strokes. The swim went so fast and I popped out the water beaming! I was hoping for 1:30 at the fastest, so when I saw my watch I was smiling!!!

I was happy with my start but maybe if I had gone to the right just a little earlier I would have been even faster?

I had initially thought this was going to be 10 minutes! I knew I was going to be on the bike a long time, so I wanted to be comfortable and decided that I would swim in my bathing suit, then change into biking shorts and a jersey. It was also a cool day so I had to put on arm warmers. The lady in the changing test was wonderful and basically dressed me. I credit this time all to her! She did slip and punch me in the face while putting on my arm warmers, but I just laughed and told her that I hadn't taken any abuse in the water, and it wouldn't be Ironman without a punch in the face!

nothing.

This was a hard bike ride. It started off great and I made some really good time to Richter. McLean Creek hill was no big deal, just up and over. I got passed quite a bit but that is normal and I loved knowing I had beaten them all out of the water! ha ha Also saw a guy puking on the top of this hill!

Richter was fine, and I managed to pass a few people. Started to rain a bit but it didn't seem like a big deal. The line up for the porta potties was unreal at the bottom of Richter; I thought they were all crazy for waiting in line IN A RACE!!! Screamed down the backside of Richter, and dug in for the rollers, which were good too, but I was happy to see the last one finished.

Then the winds started coming coming into Keremeos. Heading to the out and back was BRUTAL! There was a nasty crosswind that was practically blowing over my bike. My brother was at the special needs station, so that was nice to see him there. Got my extra bottles of EFS, stopped at the next aid station, and was off for the final challenge... from the Bear to the top of Yellow Lake. It really started to rain here, but I just tried to stay in aero and keep pedalling. Getting up Yellow was good, and then it was nice to get some downhill. Climbed the final hill near the golf course and my friend Kathie was there with a sign, which was so nice to see. The rest of the course to the highway was wonderful and fast. Still windy but manageable.

Crossing onto the highway again though totally sucked as again the winds were heavy. Felt like I was slugging through to get into Penticton and as I came down the last hill and rounded the corner around Skaha lake the winds were so heavy that things were blowing across the road and I again almost got blown over. Then rounding onto Main St. totally sucked as now it was just a pure head wind, so that was a hard time. Especially as there were runners finishing their day and I wasn't even off the bike yet.

I am disappointed in this ride as I knew I could do better. I was hoping for about 30 minutes faster. The wind did not help.

More biking practice, and continuing to work on being lighter will help.

Full outfit change again, and a quick stop at the porta-potties.

nothing. It was nice to get into new clothes. Probably not wear my fuel belt.

I was worried on the bike about running; I just kept thinking "now I have to run a marathon?" But when I came out of transition I just concentrated on my plan; run 4 walk 1. The first bit of the course takes you on the out and back and then onto main street, which is a light uphill. I just kept thinking how nice it would be to come back.

I did 4 and 1's for about the first 18k or so, coming into OK falls. At about 10k I was sick of having my fuel belt around my waist, so I asked a volunteer if she would take it for me and then return it to me at my hotel (pretty please), and she actually brought it back! What a girl! I was also so sick of gu's, so I dumped everything and started with the pepsi. I immediately felt better. So I kept taking a pepsi and a water at every aid station, and made my way to the 1/2 point in 2:45. I was so happy to turn that corner and head home. I actually got weepy at this point because I knew for sure that I was going to finish and that I actually had a shot at finishing with my time.

After walking up the hill out of OK Falls, I found I couldn't run for 4 anymore, so cut this back to 2 and 1's, which worked for a while, and eventually changed to 1 and 1's, but continued to run if flat or downhill. I really power walked while walking, and passed people continually, which is so not like me and felt absolutely wonderful. I was so happy to see that 30k marker... only 12k left! By now I was approaching Skaha, and knew I was almost back in town. At Skaha my coach was waiting for me, and walked with me a bit, encouraging me, which was very nice.

Turning back onto Main street was nice as the crowds were getting bigger and I was encouraged continually. Once I got to the lights near the end and knew the end was in near I was able to run a bit more, and then there was Mike waiting for me! So he ran me in and broke off when we got to Lakeshore Drive. There Jackson was waiting and ran the last k with me until I was about 300m from the finish line, which I ran by myself. The amount of cheering and clapping was so wonderful and a moment I will never forget. I was absolutely beaming. I knew it would be wonderful, but the cheering and clapping by the spectators made it overwhelming!!!

Not sure. Not take my belt from the beginning. I was hoping for 5:30-6:00, so I was pretty happy with this time.

Got right into the massage tent and nibbled cookies in here. Walked back to the hotel.


I am happy with my first IMC. I definitely want to do another one, but there are other things (like my master`s degree) that have to be looked after first though.

I had a wonderful day, spent the entire day smiling and talking to people, and other than some rough parts on the bike, can say I enjoyed every minute of it. I am an Ironman and that is pretty awesome!