Last updated: 2006-11-30 12:00 AM
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01:19:41
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3800 meters |
02m 06s / 100meters
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8/11
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45/81
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Good
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The water was calm and not too cold (19C I think). Had time for a pretty good warmup. Everyone was very friendly and there was no rough stuff at the start. It was easy to find a wire to follow and settle into my tempo pace. The main pack quickly pulled away so I didn’t have anyone to draft, but was surprised to find some people drafting off me. The swim felt easy and I was thrilled to see the clock showing 36:xx when I exited the water to start my 2nd loop. I was so excited I sprinted past the others jogging back to the start and did a running drive which received applause from the spectators. About halfway around, I started catching and passing half-iron swimmers. This inspired me to pickup my pace a touch just to see how many I could put behind me. Exited the water still feeling strong and without any leg cramps for a change.
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1st time sleeveless
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The 3.8 Km (2.4 mi) swim will be in the Olympic Rowing Basin. The Basin is a 2 km long, 100 m wide and 3 m deep swimming pool. There is no current in the basin. The water has been tested and is superior for swimming. Wind will have zero wave effect. The expected water temperature will be 22°C (around 72°F) and we recommend wet suits. The course is 2 laps of 1900 metres, a down-and-back swim. Spectators can walk along the basin wall on the stands side and watch the swimmers.
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Wade
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9C / 48F
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Low
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Good
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04:45
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Average
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Good
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No
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No
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Yes
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No
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06:38:36
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180 kms |
27.09 km/hr
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8/11
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59/81
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Bad
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About half-km of bumpy road to get to the track entrance and then away you go. Made a conscious effort to calm down and remember to hold it back for the run as Rick had advised me. Didn’t take long to settle and get comfortable in the aerobars. I counted my laps by with the lap button on my watch and the first few laps went by quickly but then my memory gets a bit foggy. It started to rain and I started to get really cold. I lost the feeling in my feet and hands but the worst was the pain in my shoulders. My upper body and arms kept seizing up and it was agony to move between the aeros and hoods. I just focused on counting laps and trying to fuel and I prayed. Thank goodness for my family and Zone3 crew (Nancy, Sheri and Steve) for being there for me each and every lap. There is just something magical about hearing your name being yelled that lifts you out of the pain and fog for just a second. And believe me, no one can yell like Sheri! I also had other riders, from Rick, Ryan, Heather, Ben, to people I didn’t even know who slowed down to ask how I was doing and encourage me to hang on. Bruce and I also appreciated each other's company as we passed each other back and forth the whole way. It is true that only nice people do triathlons!
Just as I was starting to shake uncontrollably and was thinking that I was not going to make it, a blue patch appeared in the sky and the weather started to clear. Thank God the shaking subsided and I could get some fueling. I thought about stopping for a second at the special needs truck but knew that I probably wouldn’t be able to get going again if I did. So I just cranked on and counted laps. I had two people crash right in front of me and I missed getting taken down by centimeters. The adrenalin from that was good for a couple laps.
Somewhere around 30 laps, I started to think about making it to the T-zone and the warm jacket I had in my box. Then the sky opened up and if we weren’t soaked before, we sure were now. Most of the spectators evacuated but my family and Steve were there at the hairpin turn running from side to side cheering me in the pouring rain. I started to slip back into hypothermia and the shaking was wild. It’s a strange feeling having your eyes involuntarily rolling back and having to shake your head to see. Oh what joy when I heard the Sportstats guy confirm my last 5 laps. It was all I could do to talk myself through, “you can do just 4, you can do just 3, you can do just 2”. As I rode in expecting to hear that it was my last lap, the guy says “Richard, you have 2 more laps”! My jaw dropped and I was crushed. How? Why? I couldn’t hold on for 2 more laps. Steve and Gloria asked them to double check. The timing mats were floating around in the water and I had ridden between them on one lap (never do that again). Gloria ran almost half way up the track to catch me and tell me that I was really done and could head to transition. Oh what joy to be finished. Somehow, I got to the dismount line and got off the bike. No flashy, out-of-my-shoes rolling dismount like I had trained for, but at least I got both feet on the ground.
Looking at 5 lap intervals show that I was amazingly consistent. Even though I felt worse and thought I was slowing down, I hardly dropped any speed at all from start to finish.
5-10 = 46:25
11-15 = 46:59
16-20 = 47:12
21-25 = 49:49
26-30 = 48:16
31-35 = 49:31
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Strong
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The 180 km (112 mi) cycle will consist of 41 laps of the Circuit Gilles- Villeneuve which is the site of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand-Prix. The 4.4 km loop has the best road surface in North America. Our computer timing system will count the laps for the triathletes. On each lap you will have access to the aid station or "PITS" (see info on aid stations). The distance on your bike computer will give you a good idea of where you are on the course and you can check this against our count which is shown on a large screen video monitor coming out of the hair pin turn. This monitor indicates your bib number and the number of laps which you have completed.
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Smooth Wet
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80
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Average
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Average
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Average
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Comfortable
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Not enough
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09:06
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Bad
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Bad
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Bad
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Bad
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Bad
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Bad
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04:35:35
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42.2 kms |
06m 32s min/km
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3/11
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33/81
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Good
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My legs were stiff but felt pretty good. It took about 2km to feel my feet and pickup my pace. By 5km, I was almost back to normal and just zipping along. I think my family was relieved to see I was still alive. Each lap my family had a row of high-5's waiting for me and the run over the bridge past the Zone3 cheerleaders added spring to my step. I really started to have fun on the run. It was easy to forget that my family had been there in the cold and rain for at least 5hrs. My nutrition plan was working perfectly and my stomach was good (unlike many other poor fellows, Bruce included). Then about 25km, it started to get hard and I wondered what would happen after the dreaded 3hrs. So I turned my attention to encouraging the other struggling on the run. I could get most running again by jogging beside them and talking. It was easy to make friends and so many had great stories. Like 63yr old Richard who had a terrible race at the Canadian 2wks earlier and the Esprit was his redo and his 14th ironman. And there was 55+yr John Wragg, for whom the Esprit was his 16th ironman THIS YEAR and 96th in TOTAL. I was in awe. Triathlon is amazing. Where else could a Joe like me train with superstars like Zone3 folks and jog with ironman legends. Sure those last 10km hurt, but it went by easier when my girls would run down to meet me and escort me back to the bridge, as they had done for several laps. The last lap was filled with volunteers to hug, hands to shake, pictures to pose for and spectators to cheer with. It was done when Gloria and my girls joined me for the run to the finish.
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The 42.2 Km (26.2 mi) marathon starts at the back of the Transition Area. You will run directly onto the basin wall and circle the Olympic Rowing Basin 4.6 Km route 9 times. The course will have you pass to the right of the Finish Line on the water side and through the Triathlete Village 9 times. In the AV you wil go over any swimmers exiting the basin on our run bridge. This is the only hill on the course! The run course is flat and fast. On your 9th lap you will be given a wristband. This will signify to the course marshals that you have now completed the marathon and may enter the "home stretch" to the finish line.
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Average
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Just right
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Just right
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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Good
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5
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Canada
MONTRÉAL FESTIVAL DU TRIATHLON
11C / 52F
Precipitation
Overall Rank = 44/81
Age Group = M45-49
Age Group Rank = 5/11
I drove to Montreal Thurs evening and had a great night’s rest. I was surprised how relaxed I felt, given how much this 1st ironman meant to me. I rode the F1-track on Fri morning and swam the Olympic rowing basin before picking up my race kit in the afternoon. The Esprit has an amazing venue. Not only the course, but the T-zone, parking, bleachers and showers were outstanding. Picked up Gloria and my girls at the VIA train after supper. Everyone got to bed early and I asked for a 4:30 wake-up call. Again I slept like a log until 3am when my eyes popped open like it was Christmas morning. Quietly, had my pre-race breakfast, got dressed and was out to the race site by 5:20 for the 6:30 start. Let my fans sleep in at bit because it would be a long day.