IronMan Cozumel : Official Thread (Page 18)

Good luck to all the IMCoz peeps!!  Think I might register for next year if registration stays open long enough for me to raise the dollars for it.

Race report – Cozumel, Mexico – Nov. 28, 2010
Please notice that this report could change in portion or in its entirety by Nov. 29, 2010.

We arrived at the biggest Mexican island of Cozumel directly from Toronto with our friends Liz and Erik on Wed. Nov. 24. You could tell that the Ironman event was keeping this heavenly place captive. The buzz was definitely in the air and it smelled like Orange Gatorade.

We spent 4 great days at the Wyndham hotel enjoying the sun and the light breeze. Breeze that was soon to turn into a nightmare while riding on the east side of the island on race day. 

Race day could not come soon enough and after all preparation and setups were done I found myself in the Caribbean waters of Chankanab Park.
I heard the Mexican national anthem and for those who know its lyrics, it prepares you for battle in each and every verse of its 10 stanzas. (Luckily we only get to sing two), so combat-ready I was as I looked up to see the dolphins leap out of the water in a show-off stance on why they prefer not to ride the 180km and run the 42k’s.
As I am floating in these turquoise waters I look back at the 361 days of commitment after I signed up for this venture and with seconds to spare I list all my lifestyle changes since day one:

- I became a better person by the disciplined obligation of becoming lighter, faster and stronger.

- I lost the 8 pounds that were lingering on me for the last 10 years.

- I gave up on dairy products and found solace in almond and soy milk.

- I gave fruits and vegetables a chance. Now I am as green as the grinch but I do enjoy Xmas a lot.

- I only drank beer while watching Montreal advance to the NHL conference finals last spring.

- I tweaked my aero position at least 20 times on my bike until I found the “one”.

- I never judged a bike by its looks. While racing, I have passed P4’s the same was clunkers have passed me.

- I encouraged competitors to keep on going when they seemed lost.

- I thanked every volunteer who offered me a sip of water.

- I prayed for windy days when on bike training.

- I hoped for flat tires so I could practice a fast change-up.

- I waved at all triathletes. (They always wave back)

- I tried to bonk so I could feel how much I had on the tank.

- I stopped buying Gatorade by the bottle. Now I buy the powder and I have kept 500+ bottles off the landfills/recyclable units.

- I went to bed early. (Even on Monday night football)

- I swam close to 200,000 meters and I enjoyed every single painful lap thanks to Coach Doug. Could you believe his website tag-line is “Swim or Die”?

- As I could not fit in my wetsuit anymore (too big) I challenged the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. You can save up to a minute in transition time.

- While running, I based my training on form rather than speed.

- I ran by the beats of Rossini and Vivaldi the same way I ran with Ministry, Linkin Park and Suicidal Tendencies.

- I waved at all running triathletes. (They always wave back)

- I ran the Toronto “Spit” a hundred times. It is exactly like Cozumel but different.

- I walked the Dane almost every night. He knows I need a 2km stretch-walk every evening to wrap things up for the day.

- I thanked Kim for her support every time I left her alone for the morning, evening, weekend, month and now close to a year. Trust me; she will have me back on Nov.29.

Then I heard a loud blast…

TIME TO GO…TIME TO PAY BACK.