Swim went well, I new it was going to be a long day so just took it easy. First couple hundred meters took in a couple mouthfuls of water due to some rollers that I wasn't expecting. Recognized what they felt like and prevent that from happening again. Didn't get any opportunity to open water swim this season so went as well as could be expected. During the half in June the swim was cancelled last minute due to dangerous conditions. It was a comfortable swim, only had a minor contact with other swimmers, but i purposely stayed about 10m to the outside of the tight packs following the buoy's. i enjoyed the rolling start with 10-12 people going every couple seconds. After IMLOU and IMMT rolling starts I don't know that I would sign up for a mass start Ironman. I know how bad small races are with mass starts and i can't imagine it at an Ironman.

Not wear shirt under wet suit top. I thought it was needed to keep warm but in the end I think it might just cause more chaffing under the arms.

Got out of the water, headed to strippers and with my two piece suit top came right off and i had a little trouble getting a hold of the lip of my pants and the nice lady volunteer wanted to help but also didn't want to pull my suit off with my wet suit so she waited until I got it started, then with one pull wet suit was off. I slowly walked at first just to let the blood settle down. I have a tendency to get light headed straight out of the water after long swims.

I made my way to the transition tent did a full change, resting a couple different times.

Just pick up the pace a little, I could have cut a couple minutes off easy but I knew it was going to be a long day and needed to not rush anything.

Also, probably put on sun tan lotion. Weather wasn't suppose to be as nice as it turned out.

I don't know what to say about the bike. I came out of transition, grabbed my bike, clicked on the power button on my computer and the whole mount broke off in my hand. Oh well, put it in my back pocket and off I went. You always expect the unexpected in a race like this and have to adapt and overcome. So I thought this was it and I'd deal with it. I've been riding by feel a lot lately so said just take it easy and ride comfortably.

First hills weren't so bad, hit the highway and hills went up and up and up, not steep but loooong. No big deal settled in and climbed. Hit the turn around and enjoyed the down hill. Then back up another hill, into aid station. I decided to pull over and empty bladder, no wait, which was perfect.

When we entered a small town, I just sat up started coasting taking in the town and the crowd, 90 degree right turn get past by a guy and look up big hill to climb. Out of no where another guy comes flying around the corner and starts yelling in French 'Drafting, 'Drafting' he waves the blue card at the guy in front of me and i think oh that guy must have been following me. Then all of a sudden the official slows down and waves it at me. Now I'm pissed, I'm a back of the pack rider not here to win anything and definitely not cheating and I get a f----ing penalty. So now I'm riding looking for the next penalty box, but now, have to climb all these steep hills first.

Climbing those hills just about killed me, just when you thought it was time to go down, there was a plateau and another climb. I was so overheated by the time i got to the top, i was actually looking forward to the penalty box, so I could cool down for 5mins. Found the penalty box and hydrated, eat, and cooled down. Oh, and being American they could put an English speaking person in the penalty box it would help.

Entered the village, saw my family they gave me a boost and then i started to think about the second loop. Oh crap, I have to do that again. Slow down and save some gas for those hills at the end. Same thing as the first loop, stopped to relive the bladder on the highway, when it was time for the hills the second loop I was cooked. I went about half way and stopped to cool down. I was drastically overheating. I got back on the bike and started climbing again. When I hit the steepest hills I couldn't do it, I had to get off and walk the last little bit of the hill. Did that twice, i know it's a shame, but like i said at the start, my training didn't go as planned. I expected hills but got mountains, my fault for not preparing. (more to come on this later)

From the last turn around it was pretty much all down hill into transition. I hit the gas and was flying down those hills trying to carry all my weight up each little incline there was.

I finished the bike.

More hill training, more biking in general.

Saw my family entering transition. I handed my bike to transition worker and started trotting to the tent. PA announcer yells my name out and I get a cheer and wave my hands to the crowd.

I was cooked.

Full outfit change, got sunscreen sprayed on. OUCH, the chaffing from the wet suit really burns.

Just pick up the pace.

After being so cooked on the bike, I started with a walk. Once the road started heading downhill I started to run, when it headed back up hill I walked again. My plan and training going in was a walk/run, so i just stuck to it.

I kept trying to do the math from swim and bike and couldn't figure out where I lost the time but eventually I said oh well, bike must have been super slow. Nothing i can do about it now. Just finish this thing.

I was had my watch on average pace and tried to keep my number but at the turn around i just gave up and walked way more than i could run.

I got lots of comments about how fast i walk, especially the last few miles. But at this point I knew I was finishing and started soaking up all the congratulations from the spectators and volunteers.

My knees were hurting and I knew i only had a little bit more running left in me. I said I would save it for the last downhill to the finish. The crowd started to get on me to run and there was this last little hill and then I started to run. I was high fiving people, and running fast, my weight was just throwing me down that last hill, if i didn't pick up my feet i was going down hard so it just went with it. I crossed the line and raised my hands. Didn't look to see what the time was and didn't care, I was now a 2 time Ironman. I had validated the first one wasn't a fluke and felt great.

It's hard to say, I wish i could digest more on the bike, I'm sure i'm coming in way under on calories but i get upset stomach and that just makes me want to stop, so it's a fine line i have to balance.

I would love to be one of those athletes that can run the marathon but I'm a bigger guy and not super athletic to begin with. I still think I could cut more time off the run, if I lost more weight and trained even more. But like i said in the preamble, other life priorities came first, which is my family. Ironman is a selfish sport and i try and keep a balanced life.

I'm happy being a finisher.

My finisher shoot volunteer got me my medal, took my race chip, checked me out and pointed me to the finisher picture and food. I said, I'm good, and thanks. Found my family and off I went. No time for sitting around, I still had a hill to climb back to the condo. I was still in race mode and my family was dragging behind me, they couldn't believe I was climbing that hill so fast.


See the preamble, limited training.


This is one of the best races that there is. The village is electric from the time you get there until days after. Course is awesome(if you prepare for it). Can't say enough about it. The only small things I would recommend: On the swim buoy's have the numbers on more than one side. It seemed like all the numbers were turned and I liked counting them down. The other thing would be to have at least one English speaking volunteer at the penalty box.

Mt. Tremblant you are outstanding.