My swimmer said it was really rough when they got out into the open.

My swimmer came out of the Lake and we saw each other very quickly and passed the timing chip between us. I then had a distance to run to my bike and then again to run to the mount line.

I rushed a bit too much and got a bit out of breath so I'd not rush quite so much next time. It took me a few kilometres to catch my breath.

As I mounted the bike and started my ride a friend working as a race official cheered me on. Riding through town went by fast and I was soon riding along Skaha Lake. The winds were pretty light so far and I was just enjoying the experience.
At about 15 kms I turned to climb the first hill of the day. Halfway up my bike computer crapped out and it said I had no speed, no cadence and no heart rate. My clock continued to work and the timer but my speed was "0.0".
Halfway up the climb I passed through the first AID Station and I took a "Heed" water bottle. I couldn't open the spout so I tossed it and just took water from then on.
I stopped in Oliver at the AID Station and basted myself with more Butt'r. So far no butt issues. My ride on to Osoyoos passed really quickly and I turned the corner and headed up the first big climb of the day. In practice I figured I was climbing Richter in about 50 minutes. Today, I was moving pretty well and passing people without pushing myself. I'm not positive but I think I climbed the hill in 42 minutes which was phenomenal for me.
By now the sun was really hot on my back but there was just enough of a breeze to be a bit of relief.
By the top of Richter I was low on water and I drank the last few ounces then crested the top and headed down the back of Richter. I don't know how fast I was going but I was pedaling as fast as I could the whole way. The breeze I was riding into was strong but it helped to keep me feeling refreshed.
At the bottom I found another AID Station and filled my bottles with all the water I could carry and drank all I could then poured cold water over my head and back. It was ice cold and felt really good. I wasn't surprised it took only maybe 10kms before I was completely dry again.
The view through this valley blows me away with how beautiful it is. I just love riding through here. Then I come to the 7 b-b-b-itches. A series of rolling hills. I actually found them not too bad and each subsequent hill was easier than the last. It's a long haul into Keremeos. I was pleased to pass the halfway point and then the 100km marker and soon after I reached the start of the "out & back" portion of the ride.
By the 100km marker my butt was complaining and the basting wasn't helping then just at the 110km marker my right knees started hurting and I started praying for it not to get any worse.
My butt's complaining and my knee is demanding attention so I'm riding out the out & back into a strong headwind while trying to stand to alleviate my butt and rely on my left leg to pedal while I try to baby my right knee.
Then I reach the Special Needs Station and the turn around and at the 120km marker I pass Sister Madonna. She was off her bike but looking well and being well looked after by volunteers.
This out & back was the best place to see many other riders. I passed my friend Martin and a couple people called out to me as we passed.
Just 60km to go.
I reach the end of the out & back at the 130km marker. I've had to unclip my right leg and stretch it out a couple times. Some people must have thought I was crazy. Plus there were a few episodes of lengthy standing out of the saddle. I found I could take 10 spins then coast a short bit then spin again.
I'm now on the Yellow Lake highway. The second big climb of the day. The sun is hot and the wind is picking up. I'm coping fairly well and climbing is going well. But, I know the worst is the last 4km up to Yellow Lake.
Just as the climbing gets tough the wind is picking up and clouds are moving in. Inspite of the strong headwind it was cooling and it felt really good.
The last Km up to Yellow Lake is a real grind. I might be riding at 7kph (about 4mph). All I can think of is the cold water waiting for me at the Yellow Lake AID Station.
I crest the hill and there's the Station. I've got the race beat. I'm at the 150km marker. I've got two more small climbs then almost 30km of downhill to the finish. YeeHaw!!!
So, I stop for the last time and in a couple minutes I've had my fill of water and I have a fresh bottle of water and Perpetuem to take me to the finish. Before I'm ready to ride again Sister Madonna passes me and I think. "Great! I can ride down to Penticton with her."
A minute later I mount up and head out. I feel great and looking forward to the last leg of my ride. I get through the last two climbs and from here there is only a few small uphills and if I ride fast enough on the downhill parts I can pretty much fly over the few climbs. The wind is variably a strong headwind or a strong crosswind as the road twists but I'm moving fast and it is exciting.
I'm also thinking that the wind is blowing north and when I turn onto the Kaleden highway I'll be riding north with a strong tailwind.
I reach the intersection and turn onto the highway and I am disappointed there is no tailwind.
I'm still using my left leg to relieve my right knee. I'm ignoring my butt now and I am using my knee but it is a sharp pain. I find I'm moving pretty fast and as I fly down the hill I look over to Skaha Lake and I can see whitecaps and waves blowing to the north but barely 200m left of the lake I'm riding into a strong headwind. I love riding down this hill when I have a lane to myself and I can move as fast as possible.
I can see the Penticton Airport ahead of me and from there it is 6kms to the finish line. I pass a young lady without really trying hard. I guess it is my "ballast" that carried me past her. Then for a short distance I am riding East and the wind off the lake is now a strong crosswind and I'm thinking I'm finally going to get a tailwind.
Then I turned north and I can't blahdy believe it. No tailwind!
I'm now riding as fast as I can down Main Street. I don't feel any pain now and I'm feeling great. I'm screaming "YeeHaw!!" as I pass my neighbour at an intersection and then I am at Safeway. The last mini-climb and it is all downhill for the last two kms. It passes like nothing and I reach the Lakeshore and turn left with maybe 200' to the dismount line and my greatest fear is, "Can I get off the bike?"
The first person I see is my wife a bike lot volunteer and she's cheering me in while she waves to me to slow down and dismount before the yellow line.
I do slow down and unclip and I manage to dismount gracefully. No falling down. I limp as best as I can across the timing matts and a volunteer takes my bike from me. I hobble across to my team in the relay corral and I remove my chip and pass it over to her my team runner and she is off.
I'm really tired but I feel really great. I can't flex my right knee at all (at 48hrs today I am 90% better).

I never saw Sister Madonna after Yellow Lake - not even a glimpse off in the distance. I was moving fast, I thought, but not only was she faster than me but she opened up her lead on me by another 8 minutes in the 30km from Yellow Lake.

I mainly relied on Perpetuem for nutrition. I also ate one Clif Bar, one Honey Stinger Waffle and one HS Chews. I tried to drink as much as I could but not less than 24oz per hour and I calculate I ate 240cal/hour. I had no GI issues and felt great all day.



I'm still very slow so I still need more T.I.T.S. At 63 it is improving but only very slowly. Otherwise, I felt great and even my butt and knee were just nuisance factors that won't stop me.

Transition was over for me once I passed off the timing chip. Then I was left tired but really happy.

I felt pretty good. I guess I could've hobbled over faster but it wouldn't make much difference.

The run route is out along Skaha Lake and turning around in Okanagan Falls then back again to the Finish. The weather was deteriorating and trying to rain. It even rained pretty heavily but not for long.

Our runner just hunkered down and kept moving.

I'm not yet a runner so I'll stay with relay teams for now.

I went to the food tent and I picked up some cookies but found I couldn't eat them without milk to dunk them in. I got some recoverite from the Hammer guys and then more water. I had a Pepsi and grabbed the last precious bag of Salt n Vinegar potato chips. They were salty and tart and so good. Awhile later I had some pizza when I got more hungry. I sure would have loved some cold chocolate milk though.

Once I felt pretty comfortable I went over to the Finish Line Captain and asked if he needed an extra volunteer until midnight. I figured I could help out while I was waiting for my runner to return so we could run across the finish line together (and my wife had moved to the finish line as well after the bike lot closed). He didn't need me so I went and sat in the bleachers still moving very carefully and watched athletes cross the finish line with their families. It was awesome watching the young kids run across the finish line with their Mom or Dad or both. The kids were really into it and as they ran down the chute they were all smiling and high-fiving spectators.

One young fellow got the whole crowd to their feet cheering and clapping when he stopped at a woman in a wheelchair and helped her stand up and then walked with her carefully across the finish line - no dry eyes here I don't mind saying. Later another fellow running in with his girlfriend stopped suddenly before the finish line and got down on his knee and proposed to her. Totally caught her by surprise and she did say yes.

I can't wait for next year.


I'm still a newby and I'm slow at everything but I'll keep working on it.


Some kinks to work out but pretty good for a first run. I really appreciated the relay option as a way to participate in a race I'm not yet ready to fully participate in.