Ironman Canada - TriathlonFull Ironman

Started about 4 rows back and to the left of the buoy line. Went out at a steady but moderate pace, never got HR up to high and looked to draft as much as possible. Felt like I was going really slow but I kept reminding myself of the long day to come. Amount of contact wasn't too bad, just what you'd expect from a mass IM start. Waved at the frogman on the second turn. The whole swim went by very quickly. Now that I think of it, I loved the swim, the mass start with a huge crowd watching, all the boats, the helicopter, awesome.

Recognize a good draft when you have it and don't let it go as easy as I did on several occasions.

Wetsuit strippers were great. Lucky to have a friend Andrew volunteering and he grabbed me, got my bag, dumped it out and got me going. Skipped the chaos of the change tent and did my whole routine on the grass.

Simplify, less stuff. Being that it was my first IM, I think I over-packed. Too much food, too much bike repair equipment, to much everything.

I had ridden the course several times earlier in the summer, so I knew exactly what to expect (and is now my number one training recommendation). Held back big time going down to Osoyoos, it felt like I got passed by half the race. Gradually increased effort after that but still always holding back. Started seeing family and friends in various places all over the course, which was great and makes a huge difference. Wind wasn't bad this year so the out-and-back was fine. Riding up to Yellow Lakes is awesome. The supporters line the side of the road and you get this great energy from them. Got speed wobbles coming down from YL but that was the only sketchiness on the bike.

Need to get stronger on the bike (doesn't everyone). Compared to AG, my bike time really was a bit slow. Also, too much junk in the SN bag. Seriously, it was like a someone emptied half a 7-11 into my bag. Ended up having to stop and dig through everything for the only thing I wanted (more gels).

I don't know why this was so embarrassingly slow. Well actually I do, it's because I decided to put compression sleeves on my calves and change my pee soaked socks (hey, at least I was well hydrated). I also though it would be good to put so much crap in this bag as well so that it would be like a little mind game to figure out what I actually needed in the middle of a race, you know just to keep me on my toes.

Less junk in bags!!!!! Seriously, who is going to want a melted Snickers bar or a 2 lb. bag of jube jubes before they run a marathon? Apparently I thought I might.

Lucked out with weather, warm but not as hot as previous years. But had a brain fart and left my Garmin attached to my bike. Realized this about 100m out of transition. Thought about going back, but figured that since I just finished reading "Born to Run", I should be good to go without any of this fancy smanchy stuff like pace, heart rate, race time, etc....oh god what have I done (my thoughts at third aid station). Luckily found a great guy named Greg (from Penticton)who was running about the same pace as me and we just chugged along together, he shouted out our pace every km or so for the first 15km. Seriously, what a great guy, thanks buddy, I owe you a beer. At the turn in OK Falls I ran into a good friend Nick who was watching this year. He told me that I could go sub-11 if I ran 6 minute km's for the last half of the run. This is where my entire day of holding back paid off. I knew what that pace generally felt like so I just went for it. No walking hills, no long conversations with other participants about what a great day it was. Just do what you trained all year for. Ended up with a negative split and just slipping in under the 11 hour mark. The last half of the run was as tough a run as I've ever done but coming down the finishing chute at an IM for the first time is a feeling that for me is beyond description. Well worth every single second I spent preparing this year.

Ah, maybe not leave my Garmin on my bike for starters.

Lie...on...ground. Eat...pizza.


My parents' genetics.


This race was the perfect cap to an amazing year of training. Was satisfied with the result considering that a year ago I had never done a triathlon.