Ironman Canada 2010
IMC 2010 is over. Just like that. But what a day. The weekend before the race the temperature was 30. Race day was calling for a high near 20 with thundershowers in the afternoon. The morning looked great. A nice temperature to race and the water was fine and calm. The swim back to shore after the turnaround was a bit choppy but not too bad. Once on the bike we had favourable weather leading to Richters Pass. On the downside is where the winds started. Nice headwind for the rest of the way. Once on yellow the weather changed depending on what time you reached it. The earlier riders found lots of rain, hail and some flooding on the roads. I was told that the rain stopped later but the cool weather stayed. Back into town the winds really picked up. A strong wind blowing from the North which occasionally brought some light rain. This was not pretty and it was hard watching the runners head out in this weather. So the weather continued to change depending on where you were and when. This change in weather really made this IM an incredible challenge for all.
We had some great results:
Kevin finished in 11:22
Doug finished in 11:23 (first time out for Doug)
Elaine finished in 11:24 and was fast enough for a Hawaii spot but turned it down (6th)
Mike finished in 12:44
John finished in 13:19
Tina and Carrie finished their 1st IM together at 14:39
This was a hard fought race for all finishers and I am very proud of everyone’s great effort. Who signed up for 2011?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Good Luck from Brian to all Ironman Racers!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL IMC 2010 RACERS !
I would like to wish everyone the best of luck and have a safe race at IMC . I am sure you all have set personal goals, finishing times, which I hope you all achieve. I will be at IMC encouraging each one of you along the way and I look forward to seeing you all crossing the finish line healthy.
To my good friend John Howey – you have trained hard and are prepared for the race and I am certain you will post a PB but just remember to set the bar high, really high, for next year – good luck buddy!
GOOD LUCK to everyone and enjoy your day!
Brian Ricker
I would like to wish everyone the best of luck and have a safe race at IMC . I am sure you all have set personal goals, finishing times, which I hope you all achieve. I will be at IMC encouraging each one of you along the way and I look forward to seeing you all crossing the finish line healthy.
To my good friend John Howey – you have trained hard and are prepared for the race and I am certain you will post a PB but just remember to set the bar high, really high, for next year – good luck buddy!
GOOD LUCK to everyone and enjoy your day!
Brian Ricker
Apple Triathlon
The Apple triathlon was held over the weekend. This was the National champs and was a qualifing race for the National Team that is going to the 2011 Worlds being held in China.
Ian had his sights on this race all year and was hoping to grab a spot for Team Canada. Well I just checked the results and he finished in 2:11 which was good enough for 45 overall and 6th in his age group and this will guarantee him a spot. Congrats Ian.
Chris was also racing today and he went out and finished in 2:38. This is a great time for Chris.
Nice job guys!!! Next race is IronMan Canada!! :) Then Banff and then Worlds....
Ian had his sights on this race all year and was hoping to grab a spot for Team Canada. Well I just checked the results and he finished in 2:11 which was good enough for 45 overall and 6th in his age group and this will guarantee him a spot. Congrats Ian.
Chris was also racing today and he went out and finished in 2:38. This is a great time for Chris.
Nice job guys!!! Next race is IronMan Canada!! :) Then Banff and then Worlds....
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Shanes Riding Mtn Triathlon race report
Chalk another one up for experience…
The day started off well. It was raining and slightly cool but still good for racing in. I was not scared of the rainy dreary weather as I excel and love running in the rain and as long as I am warm, I like to ride in the rain as well. (I think I like to have a day where it is gross out, as so many people don't like the rainy day.)
The bike warm up was good and my legs were a little sore and tired but I did not think about it. After the hard week I had, I thought I was doing really well. Next, was to get my bike into transition and warm up on the run.
The run warm up was good and My legs once again felt tired but I quickly pushed that out of my mind. I got down a part of the run course and realized that it was going to be a trail run for the 1st 5k and got excited. I was now pumped and looking forward to the run.
I got back to transition with lots of time before the race start. (As transition closed at 8:30am, half hour before swim start, I had to get into the water early as there was a meeting at 8:30 and marshaling at 8:45.) It was good that I got into the water so early, as there was no time after the meeting and marshaling. I was in the water at 8:15 and the only person warming up. It was cold out and I was wondering if I had made the right decision so far before the start of the race and having to stand outside in the rain before the race. Luckily the water was warm and I just kept telling myself that I would be alright. Once the warm up was done I was out of the water at 8:30 and back in transition for the meeting. I was fine as far as body temperature until 10 minutes before the race and then I was shivering. I just kept saying that I will warm up, I will warm up.
Well the gun went off and I quickly got punched in the head by the guy next to me. It came out of nowhere and it hurt. Well that is the last time I got hit during the swim. The swim turned out to be one of the toughest swims I have ever done, because of the high waves and rainy windy weather. The swim quickly turned into a survival test and not totally about the speed. (the swim consisted of 2 laps of a 750m course). The swim tom the first buoy was fast but after that it was very hard to see the next buoy. I had to rely on watching for other swimmers as I could not see the buoys due to the high waves. It was a very hard swim across the waves. I did not see the 2nd buoy until I was approx. 50m from it. Once around the 2nd + 3rd buoy, it was a straight shot to the turnaround (or start-finish area). The waves along this stretch were coming across you (barrel roll like) and were starting to make me feel sea sick. The 2nd lap was better, as I knew what to expect and there was no one around. The spot between the 1st and 2nd buoy was better and I was able to time my spotting at the top of the waves better. I came out of the water in 3rd place overall (1st in my age group) and felt strong coming into transition. Official time: 24:26
Once in transition I put on my no limits jacket (the new one) grabbed my gloves and took off on the bike. Leaving transition I felt great and very light on my feet. I was ready tom tackle the bike. It was drizzling and I was able to get into some what of a rhythm even though there were a lot of hills. My HR on the way out on the bike was around 168 to 175 but I was feeling good. My legs were good and I was pushing as hard as I felt I could. I did not feel like I was overdoing it even though I was 5 to 8 beats over my AT. The bike course was very hilly and would be comparable to Wildflower. The last 5k before the turnaround was all uphill and I felt like I was getting into a rhythm. The way back down the big hill was fun and I was flying. Then at approximately the 25k mark my front tire all of a sudden felt like it had some spring. (Not a good sign). I thought that was odd and pedal up a small incline and then the tire was totally flat. Well the good bike ride was over. (up until this point my IT bands and back were just starting to hurt.). I changed the tier, checked the rim, the tire and then proceeded to get the CO2 out. Well the 1st one failed and no air went in, I thought that is why I have 2 CO2 cartridges. Well I had as much luck with the 2nd one. Well luckily within the next 5 minutes someone with a pump came by and lent it to me. I was back on the bike after 17 minutes of frustration. Once back on the bike I felt like a million bucks and just started hammering. I was passing people like there was no tomorrow. Well just as I started to think about the run, my front tire went flat again. (approx. 35k mark) Once I stopped the bike, I got off and swore again on the side of the rode. (After getting home, later in the day I found a very small piece of wire in my tire.) Bike ride was over....race was over.
Well once a race official picked me up and I got back to transition, I dropped off my chip and ended up chatting with one of the lead race officials. I discussed with her what transpired and she convinced me that I should do a run anyways, just to get the confidence for the run. So, I dropped my bike off in transition, put my running shoes on and took off on the run course. Before I knew it I was flying down the course and I had covered 2.5k. Up until this point I was not sure how far I was going to run but decided at this point to do the entire 10k. I felt like I was flying and very powerful and strong. I was passing everyone. It felt really awesome. I turned a potentially crappy day into a great one. I ended the run with a time of 42:40, only 20s from my PB in a 10k during a triathlon. I also felt that I could have pushed a bit harder at the end, during the run.
The day started off well. It was raining and slightly cool but still good for racing in. I was not scared of the rainy dreary weather as I excel and love running in the rain and as long as I am warm, I like to ride in the rain as well. (I think I like to have a day where it is gross out, as so many people don't like the rainy day.)
The bike warm up was good and my legs were a little sore and tired but I did not think about it. After the hard week I had, I thought I was doing really well. Next, was to get my bike into transition and warm up on the run.
The run warm up was good and My legs once again felt tired but I quickly pushed that out of my mind. I got down a part of the run course and realized that it was going to be a trail run for the 1st 5k and got excited. I was now pumped and looking forward to the run.
I got back to transition with lots of time before the race start. (As transition closed at 8:30am, half hour before swim start, I had to get into the water early as there was a meeting at 8:30 and marshaling at 8:45.) It was good that I got into the water so early, as there was no time after the meeting and marshaling. I was in the water at 8:15 and the only person warming up. It was cold out and I was wondering if I had made the right decision so far before the start of the race and having to stand outside in the rain before the race. Luckily the water was warm and I just kept telling myself that I would be alright. Once the warm up was done I was out of the water at 8:30 and back in transition for the meeting. I was fine as far as body temperature until 10 minutes before the race and then I was shivering. I just kept saying that I will warm up, I will warm up.
Well the gun went off and I quickly got punched in the head by the guy next to me. It came out of nowhere and it hurt. Well that is the last time I got hit during the swim. The swim turned out to be one of the toughest swims I have ever done, because of the high waves and rainy windy weather. The swim quickly turned into a survival test and not totally about the speed. (the swim consisted of 2 laps of a 750m course). The swim tom the first buoy was fast but after that it was very hard to see the next buoy. I had to rely on watching for other swimmers as I could not see the buoys due to the high waves. It was a very hard swim across the waves. I did not see the 2nd buoy until I was approx. 50m from it. Once around the 2nd + 3rd buoy, it was a straight shot to the turnaround (or start-finish area). The waves along this stretch were coming across you (barrel roll like) and were starting to make me feel sea sick. The 2nd lap was better, as I knew what to expect and there was no one around. The spot between the 1st and 2nd buoy was better and I was able to time my spotting at the top of the waves better. I came out of the water in 3rd place overall (1st in my age group) and felt strong coming into transition. Official time: 24:26
Once in transition I put on my no limits jacket (the new one) grabbed my gloves and took off on the bike. Leaving transition I felt great and very light on my feet. I was ready tom tackle the bike. It was drizzling and I was able to get into some what of a rhythm even though there were a lot of hills. My HR on the way out on the bike was around 168 to 175 but I was feeling good. My legs were good and I was pushing as hard as I felt I could. I did not feel like I was overdoing it even though I was 5 to 8 beats over my AT. The bike course was very hilly and would be comparable to Wildflower. The last 5k before the turnaround was all uphill and I felt like I was getting into a rhythm. The way back down the big hill was fun and I was flying. Then at approximately the 25k mark my front tire all of a sudden felt like it had some spring. (Not a good sign). I thought that was odd and pedal up a small incline and then the tire was totally flat. Well the good bike ride was over. (up until this point my IT bands and back were just starting to hurt.). I changed the tier, checked the rim, the tire and then proceeded to get the CO2 out. Well the 1st one failed and no air went in, I thought that is why I have 2 CO2 cartridges. Well I had as much luck with the 2nd one. Well luckily within the next 5 minutes someone with a pump came by and lent it to me. I was back on the bike after 17 minutes of frustration. Once back on the bike I felt like a million bucks and just started hammering. I was passing people like there was no tomorrow. Well just as I started to think about the run, my front tire went flat again. (approx. 35k mark) Once I stopped the bike, I got off and swore again on the side of the rode. (After getting home, later in the day I found a very small piece of wire in my tire.) Bike ride was over....race was over.
Well once a race official picked me up and I got back to transition, I dropped off my chip and ended up chatting with one of the lead race officials. I discussed with her what transpired and she convinced me that I should do a run anyways, just to get the confidence for the run. So, I dropped my bike off in transition, put my running shoes on and took off on the run course. Before I knew it I was flying down the course and I had covered 2.5k. Up until this point I was not sure how far I was going to run but decided at this point to do the entire 10k. I felt like I was flying and very powerful and strong. I was passing everyone. It felt really awesome. I turned a potentially crappy day into a great one. I ended the run with a time of 42:40, only 20s from my PB in a 10k during a triathlon. I also felt that I could have pushed a bit harder at the end, during the run.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Women's only Strathmore Sprint triathlon
Sunday was a picture perfect day to race. Sunny and very Little wind. Not your typical Mary race. Perhaps her bad weather luck is over with races. :)
After volunteering all morning she hopped in the water and raced. Mary raced well winning her age group and placing 5th overall. Great job Mary! Maybe you just have to volunteer at every race you do to have good weather. :)
It was great to watch all the racers on Sunday. Especially the ones that were completing their 1st ever triathlon. Congrats to all the ladies that took part in the race!!!!
Next race is the Apple this weekend!
After volunteering all morning she hopped in the water and raced. Mary raced well winning her age group and placing 5th overall. Great job Mary! Maybe you just have to volunteer at every race you do to have good weather. :)
It was great to watch all the racers on Sunday. Especially the ones that were completing their 1st ever triathlon. Congrats to all the ladies that took part in the race!!!!
Next race is the Apple this weekend!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Ben's Chaparral race report
Lake Chaparral Race Report
Pre-Race:
Woke up at about 6a.m, got all my stuff together (that pre-race checklist you had sent me last race comes in VERY handy!), mixed together a quick shake in the blender (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, barley seed, chocolate protein powder, yogurt, milk, and granola). Set up my transition area from 6:30 to 7:15. Also stopped to get my bike tuned as my brakes and front derailer needed some adjustment. In regards to selecting a transition area, I chose to put my stuff at the far end of the rack on the rack closest to the run exit. That way I could be sure to remember where my stuff was, as I had some issues going to the wrong rack last race.
After setting up my stuff and attending the pre-race meeting it was only 8:00 and I didn't race until 10:05. I went back home, had an omelette with about 4eggs and veggies. Kept drinking water, filled out my Race Plan form, which helped to keep me focused and get me into "race mode".
Got back to the race site by about 9:30, put on my wetsuit, visited with some friends who were out to watch. Kept drinking water. Got into the Lake ~15mins before start, splashed around, did a quick warm-up. I found being in the lake really helped to calm me down, and get rid of any last minute nervousness.
Swim:
The swim was awesome. As it was my first open-water, I had a lot of fun. I positioned myself about mid pack, as I don't consider myself to be too fast a swimmer. Having to fight for a position is a lot of fun. Adds a whole new dynamic to racing, and it really gets the adrenaline pumping. Managed to fight my way to the front of the middle of the pack. Settled into my stroke and just swam. Got into a rhythm of swimming 3 strokes, breathe, 3 strokes breathe, 2 strokes, sight; then just focused on swimming my own race.
Pre-swimming the course the day before was a major help, as coming out the lake the boat ramp is really slick with algae. They had people there helping to pull you out, and it's not worth it trying to stand up. It's better to just swim right up to the person's hand, then have them pull you the rest of the way.
1st Trans:
Came out of the water running, already had my wetsuit off to my waist. Little bit of an issue trying to get the suit over my timing chip, but managed to eventually get it off. Having a Tri top underneath my wetsuit would've saved me a couple seconds, but I didn't have too much of an issue throwing my jersey on. Had my HR belt with me too, I used it as a race belt and had pre-pinned my number to it when I was setting up my transition earlier. I prefer to carry my bike as I find it easier to run, ran to the mount line, hopped on, and I was off.
Bike:
Bike was fun. Really fun. I had mounted my cadence sensor on my handlebars before the race, tried to keep my cadence >90 the whole bike leg. I was flying past people. There was another guy, race number #113, he was on a tri bike, and for the first half of the course we were racing neck and neck. Eventually I managed to pass him on the inside of the first corner, I find riding on the drops really easy to corner at speed. Got going pretty fast down the hill, and I remembered from riding the course earlier that there were some pot holes to watch out for. Took in some water on the bike. Going up the hill #113 managed to pass me, and I wasn't able to catch him for the rest of the race. Did both laps at about the same pace, made sure cadence was high, glad I had my brakes adjusted before the race as it enabled me to do some good cornering.
2nd Trans:
I slid my feet out of my shoes while still on the bike, although I think I may've done it a bit too early. I should've pushed harder and waited another block before doing it. Hit the dismount line running, easily found my transition zone. Had a tiny issue sliding my feet into my running shoes as I left my elastics a touch too tight, but managed to get them in, cinch the elastic laces and I was off.
Run:
Run off the bike was rough. I had a bit of a stitch in my right side, and after taking in some water from the first aid station it only felt worse. Kept running through it though, as I knew eventually it would fade. Took me awhile to find my legs, and there was a group of about 4 guys who passed me right off the first loop of the park. Then at about 1.5km a girl flew past me, that's the pace I want to run at eventually. She was FAST! Kept going at my own pace waiting for my leg muscles to remember how to run. It wasn't until the next aid station, the stitch was gone, I had another cup of water. Another man passed me but we were going at about the same pace, so I stayed right behind him for the next 400m. Finally my legs returned ~3km? and I was gone. I stepped out to pass the guy in front of me and as I was going past him he must've seen my tri shorts:
Man: "Hey you train with Todd too? Have a good race buddy! Finish strong!"
Me: "Thanks man! You too!"
It's amazing what a little encouragement does...I was really moving after that. Flew through the next 600m to the transistion zone/final park loop, then increased my pace even further as I knew I was almost done. Last loop of the park I burned through and I made sure to finish strong and sprinted the last 100m to the finish line. I ended up catching 3 of the 4 guys who had passed me right at the start (I never caught the girl, she was quick), and finished only about 5m behind the 4th guy. Definitely ran a very strong negative split.
It was a good race! I had a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one!
Pre-Race:
Woke up at about 6a.m, got all my stuff together (that pre-race checklist you had sent me last race comes in VERY handy!), mixed together a quick shake in the blender (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, barley seed, chocolate protein powder, yogurt, milk, and granola). Set up my transition area from 6:30 to 7:15. Also stopped to get my bike tuned as my brakes and front derailer needed some adjustment. In regards to selecting a transition area, I chose to put my stuff at the far end of the rack on the rack closest to the run exit. That way I could be sure to remember where my stuff was, as I had some issues going to the wrong rack last race.
After setting up my stuff and attending the pre-race meeting it was only 8:00 and I didn't race until 10:05. I went back home, had an omelette with about 4eggs and veggies. Kept drinking water, filled out my Race Plan form, which helped to keep me focused and get me into "race mode".
Got back to the race site by about 9:30, put on my wetsuit, visited with some friends who were out to watch. Kept drinking water. Got into the Lake ~15mins before start, splashed around, did a quick warm-up. I found being in the lake really helped to calm me down, and get rid of any last minute nervousness.
Swim:
The swim was awesome. As it was my first open-water, I had a lot of fun. I positioned myself about mid pack, as I don't consider myself to be too fast a swimmer. Having to fight for a position is a lot of fun. Adds a whole new dynamic to racing, and it really gets the adrenaline pumping. Managed to fight my way to the front of the middle of the pack. Settled into my stroke and just swam. Got into a rhythm of swimming 3 strokes, breathe, 3 strokes breathe, 2 strokes, sight; then just focused on swimming my own race.
Pre-swimming the course the day before was a major help, as coming out the lake the boat ramp is really slick with algae. They had people there helping to pull you out, and it's not worth it trying to stand up. It's better to just swim right up to the person's hand, then have them pull you the rest of the way.
1st Trans:
Came out of the water running, already had my wetsuit off to my waist. Little bit of an issue trying to get the suit over my timing chip, but managed to eventually get it off. Having a Tri top underneath my wetsuit would've saved me a couple seconds, but I didn't have too much of an issue throwing my jersey on. Had my HR belt with me too, I used it as a race belt and had pre-pinned my number to it when I was setting up my transition earlier. I prefer to carry my bike as I find it easier to run, ran to the mount line, hopped on, and I was off.
Bike:
Bike was fun. Really fun. I had mounted my cadence sensor on my handlebars before the race, tried to keep my cadence >90 the whole bike leg. I was flying past people. There was another guy, race number #113, he was on a tri bike, and for the first half of the course we were racing neck and neck. Eventually I managed to pass him on the inside of the first corner, I find riding on the drops really easy to corner at speed. Got going pretty fast down the hill, and I remembered from riding the course earlier that there were some pot holes to watch out for. Took in some water on the bike. Going up the hill #113 managed to pass me, and I wasn't able to catch him for the rest of the race. Did both laps at about the same pace, made sure cadence was high, glad I had my brakes adjusted before the race as it enabled me to do some good cornering.
2nd Trans:
I slid my feet out of my shoes while still on the bike, although I think I may've done it a bit too early. I should've pushed harder and waited another block before doing it. Hit the dismount line running, easily found my transition zone. Had a tiny issue sliding my feet into my running shoes as I left my elastics a touch too tight, but managed to get them in, cinch the elastic laces and I was off.
Run:
Run off the bike was rough. I had a bit of a stitch in my right side, and after taking in some water from the first aid station it only felt worse. Kept running through it though, as I knew eventually it would fade. Took me awhile to find my legs, and there was a group of about 4 guys who passed me right off the first loop of the park. Then at about 1.5km a girl flew past me, that's the pace I want to run at eventually. She was FAST! Kept going at my own pace waiting for my leg muscles to remember how to run. It wasn't until the next aid station, the stitch was gone, I had another cup of water. Another man passed me but we were going at about the same pace, so I stayed right behind him for the next 400m. Finally my legs returned ~3km? and I was gone. I stepped out to pass the guy in front of me and as I was going past him he must've seen my tri shorts:
Man: "Hey you train with Todd too? Have a good race buddy! Finish strong!"
Me: "Thanks man! You too!"
It's amazing what a little encouragement does...I was really moving after that. Flew through the next 600m to the transistion zone/final park loop, then increased my pace even further as I knew I was almost done. Last loop of the park I burned through and I made sure to finish strong and sprinted the last 100m to the finish line. I ended up catching 3 of the 4 guys who had passed me right at the start (I never caught the girl, she was quick), and finished only about 5m behind the 4th guy. Definitely ran a very strong negative split.
It was a good race! I had a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one!
Need a ride to Ironman?? Lynn can help
I'm traveling to Penticton from Calgary Wednesday, August 25, returning Monday, August 30 if anyone is interested in sharing the fuel and 9 hours in the car with me. Please contact Todd for Lynn's email.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Lake Chaparral triathlon
On Sunday we had Lake Chaparral triathlon. The weather sort of cooperated. A bit drizzly but not cold. We were lucky not to have any thunder or lightning. Johnny and I arrived just in time to watch the men olympic swim start. Watching from the dock with old racing buddy Mark was cool. Rose joined us and we watched Madi have a strong swim leg for her part of a relay.
Then the Sprint race started. We saw Ben back in action for race number 2, Bill taking on another sprint and Teri taking on her 1st triathlon since her hip replacement (Wow).
Well the ladies were 1st off and Johnny and I cheered from the dock again and we watched Teri exit in what seemed top 10. So far so good. Once she was off on the bike we went back to watch the Men exit the water. It was very busy and I ony saw Ben and Bill exiting T1 and hopping on their bikes.
Watching the race was fun as we get to see racers that we have not seen in a while. We saw Pete, Ben, Corey and Mario. They were all looking good.
Once the bike was over we moved over to the grass to watch the finish. Here we saw Teri finsih strong and win her age group. Ben had an incredible sprint to the finish and placed 3rd in his Age group. Bill was also having a good race and he finished 3rd in his Age group.
Nice racing everybody! Next race is the Apple and then it is IronMan Canada! :)
Then the Sprint race started. We saw Ben back in action for race number 2, Bill taking on another sprint and Teri taking on her 1st triathlon since her hip replacement (Wow).
Well the ladies were 1st off and Johnny and I cheered from the dock again and we watched Teri exit in what seemed top 10. So far so good. Once she was off on the bike we went back to watch the Men exit the water. It was very busy and I ony saw Ben and Bill exiting T1 and hopping on their bikes.
Watching the race was fun as we get to see racers that we have not seen in a while. We saw Pete, Ben, Corey and Mario. They were all looking good.
Once the bike was over we moved over to the grass to watch the finish. Here we saw Teri finsih strong and win her age group. Ben had an incredible sprint to the finish and placed 3rd in his Age group. Bill was also having a good race and he finished 3rd in his Age group.
Nice racing everybody! Next race is the Apple and then it is IronMan Canada! :)
Friday, August 06, 2010
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Shane's Regina Beach race report
Well the day was great and the warm up on the bike felt good. There was a little wind but nothing to be concerned about for a round here. While in transition, at the top of the hill, there was a very long line up to get our timing chip and swim cap. (The people running this were not very efficient which in the end, delayed the start of the race by 15 minutes.) Therefore I had allowed for some miscellaneous time during the warm-up but not the 20 minutes we spent in line at the top of the hill. So, by the time we walked down to the bottom of the hill I had to make a decision on whether to complete a run warm up or skip it. Well, I decided to skip the run warm-up, as you know I take a long time to warm up for the swim. It was also 20 minutes to start time with a meeting in there some where. The swim warm-up went very well and just as I was finishing up, the announcer said that we are going to be delayed by 15 minutes. (This would have been nice to know 20 minutes ago, oh well.) Back in the water I went for a little bit more swimming.
Okay now onto the race, when the gun went off I charged into the water and there were people around me but within a 100m I was out front, or so I thought. Out of the corner of my eye at about the 200m mark I could see a couple arms coming in from my right. Anyways, back to my swim. The swim to the first buoy was approx. 325m and for the entire length a guy kept running into me and I kept looking to see if I was off course, but I was not. Then eventually, the person disappeared and I never saw them again. Upon reaching the first buoy, I was feeling pretty good at this point and tried to pick it up to the next buoy as I could see a couple people in front of me approximately 25m. When I turned at the second buoy I could still see the person in front of me and I gained ground. So on the way back to the beach, I pushed it to see if I could catch this person. Still my arms felt pretty good and I told myself to push harder. I actually did not see this person on the way back to the beach but when I got up out of the water and ran around the buoy and was about to dive back in the water for the second lap I saw the person and he was just standing up out of the water. The start of the second lap is always hard as you know with the standing up and running a bit and then diving back in. For probably the first 4 minutes at least I just told myself to breathe and relax. My arms at this point were really sore and almost tight and very sluggish. I was really trying to think about long smooth strokes and forget about the pain I was in. Well about half way to the 1st buoy of the 2nd lap, I did start to feel better. And between the 1st and 2nd buoy, I actually got very relaxed and had to tell myself to push. Then I was off to the races and began to push harder and harder. Finally onto the last leg of the swim, I could see splashes in the distance and said lets go, I feel good for this part of the race. Well, I got to the edge of the beach and someone said that you are 4th out of the water. I felt pretty good at this point. I stood up and run for the swim transition area. Once into this transition, I tried to relax and be methodical in getting my wetsuit off. I was a little light headed. Once the wetsuit was off, I put my one shoe on and almost fell over and then steady myself and put the other on. Once again almost fell over.
Now, it was onto the 650m steep hill to the bike transition. I felt good coming out of transition, but that lasted about 50m, where my lungs and stomach did not feel very good. I thought I was going to puke right there. Well, thank god it past. The hill climb was a grind (and I would say it is similar to the hill on the bike course at Wildflower but not as long and I had to run up it.). I just tried to keep focus on the top of the hill and one foot in front of the other. I can’t imagine how high my HR was at this point but maybe it was better I did not know. There was nothing easy about this hill, except maybe when you got to the top. Well the bike transition, went off without a hitch and I was out of there within 15seconds of getting to my bike. Now onto the bike.
When I first got onto the bike, I was still feeling very tired from the run up the hill and the swim and I tried not to push too hard off the start. I could see the guy in front of me and he was about 400~500m in front. I just kept telling myself to relax and try not to sprint at this time. Just get into your rhythm and then begin to push. (The shoulders on the road that we were biking on were about a 2 feet wide and then gravel and a bit of a drop.) Well, I had taken a few sips of my drink and then I started to calm down and get into a groove. I could still see that guy out front and decided it was time to get into the aero position, as the head wind was a problem at the moment.
Well, I am still not sure what happened next but I remember getting down into the position and then taking a drink and the next thing I know I was on my side sliding of the pavement, with my bike sliding out in front of me. It happened so fast that I had no time to react properly. After I stopped sliding, I remember looking straight up to the sky and thinking did that really happen and damn my leg hurts. I also heard a voice behind me ask if I was alright. I said, “yes, just some scrapes but I feel fine, thank you.” (I bet it looked pretty weird from the lady in the car behind me. I am just glad she wasn’t any closer.) Well, at this point I was a little shocked on what just transpired, and I got up off the ground and began to look at my bike. At first glance, it did not appear to have much wrong other than the seat turned sideways and the brakes off a bit. I fixed both of these things and got back on the bike. (Quitting at this point did cross my mind, but only for a split second and then I said lets go.) So, I got back on my bike and I quickly got going again but realized that I only had the lower chain ring of gears. I got off the bike again and tried to fix it or at least jam it in the top chain ring so I could have my top gears. No such luck. I said to myself I cannot do anything about it and just go with what I got. Not having the upper (big ring) on the way out, did not matter as the head wind was strong enough that I could not shift up to those gears anyways. But on the 2nd half of the lap with a tail wind, I could not go like I wanted. Going down some of the small hills, I had to glide and not pedal as I was cycling at 115 rpms for a long period of time and not getting any grip. (While I was laying at the side of the road and fixing my bike, four people passed me. The crash happened at approximately 4K of the bike.) From this point on, I just tried to push as hard as I could go and see what I could do, even though I crashed. One more person passed me on the bike ride the rest of the time and it happened to be my younger brother and I stayed with him on the way out on the second lap but he dusted me soon after that. In addition, to the crash and the bike trouble something wasn’t agreeing with me as far as nutrition and I puked a couple times on the bike.
Upon arriving in the bike transition, I was feeling not bad, considering what had happened and was looking forward to getting onto the run and hoping that my luck would turn around.
Well the luck did not turn all around but I was able to get through the run with a few problems. One being for about the first 8 minutes, I felt like I could not breath and I actually seriously thought I would abandon. But that ended up passing and I was able to focus more on the run. But the entire length of the run I felt nauseous and wanted to throw up. And so, I just said that I will just keep moving and hopefully get over it. Well, that did not happen and I actually threw up going up the hill just before the turnaround. I felt a little better but the nausea came back and I held it in for the rest of the run. It was hard as my legs felt fine and actually really good but every time I sped up I felt even worse in my gut. At approximately 1K to go, three guys passed me and I tried to stay with them but it felt even worse. So, I just chugged along and eventually got to the finish and had a last burst of speed at the end and finished.
Okay now onto the race, when the gun went off I charged into the water and there were people around me but within a 100m I was out front, or so I thought. Out of the corner of my eye at about the 200m mark I could see a couple arms coming in from my right. Anyways, back to my swim. The swim to the first buoy was approx. 325m and for the entire length a guy kept running into me and I kept looking to see if I was off course, but I was not. Then eventually, the person disappeared and I never saw them again. Upon reaching the first buoy, I was feeling pretty good at this point and tried to pick it up to the next buoy as I could see a couple people in front of me approximately 25m. When I turned at the second buoy I could still see the person in front of me and I gained ground. So on the way back to the beach, I pushed it to see if I could catch this person. Still my arms felt pretty good and I told myself to push harder. I actually did not see this person on the way back to the beach but when I got up out of the water and ran around the buoy and was about to dive back in the water for the second lap I saw the person and he was just standing up out of the water. The start of the second lap is always hard as you know with the standing up and running a bit and then diving back in. For probably the first 4 minutes at least I just told myself to breathe and relax. My arms at this point were really sore and almost tight and very sluggish. I was really trying to think about long smooth strokes and forget about the pain I was in. Well about half way to the 1st buoy of the 2nd lap, I did start to feel better. And between the 1st and 2nd buoy, I actually got very relaxed and had to tell myself to push. Then I was off to the races and began to push harder and harder. Finally onto the last leg of the swim, I could see splashes in the distance and said lets go, I feel good for this part of the race. Well, I got to the edge of the beach and someone said that you are 4th out of the water. I felt pretty good at this point. I stood up and run for the swim transition area. Once into this transition, I tried to relax and be methodical in getting my wetsuit off. I was a little light headed. Once the wetsuit was off, I put my one shoe on and almost fell over and then steady myself and put the other on. Once again almost fell over.
Now, it was onto the 650m steep hill to the bike transition. I felt good coming out of transition, but that lasted about 50m, where my lungs and stomach did not feel very good. I thought I was going to puke right there. Well, thank god it past. The hill climb was a grind (and I would say it is similar to the hill on the bike course at Wildflower but not as long and I had to run up it.). I just tried to keep focus on the top of the hill and one foot in front of the other. I can’t imagine how high my HR was at this point but maybe it was better I did not know. There was nothing easy about this hill, except maybe when you got to the top. Well the bike transition, went off without a hitch and I was out of there within 15seconds of getting to my bike. Now onto the bike.
When I first got onto the bike, I was still feeling very tired from the run up the hill and the swim and I tried not to push too hard off the start. I could see the guy in front of me and he was about 400~500m in front. I just kept telling myself to relax and try not to sprint at this time. Just get into your rhythm and then begin to push. (The shoulders on the road that we were biking on were about a 2 feet wide and then gravel and a bit of a drop.) Well, I had taken a few sips of my drink and then I started to calm down and get into a groove. I could still see that guy out front and decided it was time to get into the aero position, as the head wind was a problem at the moment.
Well, I am still not sure what happened next but I remember getting down into the position and then taking a drink and the next thing I know I was on my side sliding of the pavement, with my bike sliding out in front of me. It happened so fast that I had no time to react properly. After I stopped sliding, I remember looking straight up to the sky and thinking did that really happen and damn my leg hurts. I also heard a voice behind me ask if I was alright. I said, “yes, just some scrapes but I feel fine, thank you.” (I bet it looked pretty weird from the lady in the car behind me. I am just glad she wasn’t any closer.) Well, at this point I was a little shocked on what just transpired, and I got up off the ground and began to look at my bike. At first glance, it did not appear to have much wrong other than the seat turned sideways and the brakes off a bit. I fixed both of these things and got back on the bike. (Quitting at this point did cross my mind, but only for a split second and then I said lets go.) So, I got back on my bike and I quickly got going again but realized that I only had the lower chain ring of gears. I got off the bike again and tried to fix it or at least jam it in the top chain ring so I could have my top gears. No such luck. I said to myself I cannot do anything about it and just go with what I got. Not having the upper (big ring) on the way out, did not matter as the head wind was strong enough that I could not shift up to those gears anyways. But on the 2nd half of the lap with a tail wind, I could not go like I wanted. Going down some of the small hills, I had to glide and not pedal as I was cycling at 115 rpms for a long period of time and not getting any grip. (While I was laying at the side of the road and fixing my bike, four people passed me. The crash happened at approximately 4K of the bike.) From this point on, I just tried to push as hard as I could go and see what I could do, even though I crashed. One more person passed me on the bike ride the rest of the time and it happened to be my younger brother and I stayed with him on the way out on the second lap but he dusted me soon after that. In addition, to the crash and the bike trouble something wasn’t agreeing with me as far as nutrition and I puked a couple times on the bike.
Upon arriving in the bike transition, I was feeling not bad, considering what had happened and was looking forward to getting onto the run and hoping that my luck would turn around.
Well the luck did not turn all around but I was able to get through the run with a few problems. One being for about the first 8 minutes, I felt like I could not breath and I actually seriously thought I would abandon. But that ended up passing and I was able to focus more on the run. But the entire length of the run I felt nauseous and wanted to throw up. And so, I just said that I will just keep moving and hopefully get over it. Well, that did not happen and I actually threw up going up the hill just before the turnaround. I felt a little better but the nausea came back and I held it in for the rest of the run. It was hard as my legs felt fine and actually really good but every time I sped up I felt even worse in my gut. At approximately 1K to go, three guys passed me and I tried to stay with them but it felt even worse. So, I just chugged along and eventually got to the finish and had a last burst of speed at the end and finished.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Mary's 70.3 race report
I haven't written any race reports in a while so here are the details of my Calgary 70.3:
This was my second half Ironman distance race, ever, and I was very excited to be competing on my stopping grounds opposed to in Stoney Plains. I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed although not much sleeping occurred on the evening prior to the race. I went to bed around 10:30 but woke up at 12, 1:30 and 3am to thunder and lightning and when my alarm went off at 3:40 it was pouring. My scheduled bus out to Ghost lake was at 4:15 and I wondered if I should take a later one to avoid standing around in the rain while officials debated whether there would be a delay or possibly the cancellation of the swim portion of the race. I decided to continue on as planned and by the time I got to the lake the rain had stopped and everything was proceeding as scheduled.
Once on site, I hit the bathrooms first, pumped my tires, organized my bags, and then ran into Elaine and Steph who were also racing. I put on my wetsuit and started heading towards the lake and ran into Tina and Viv. This was a total surprise. My family was away this wkd and I had assumed that I would not have any support on the course. It was so great to see familiar faces and get a last minute pep talk. Ambient temp. was 13C and water temperature around 17C. It didn't feel too cold to me but lots of competitors had on neoprene caps so I decided to double cap and wore ear plugs to prevent the cold water from piercing through my ear canals...I hate that feeling.
Elaine positioned us in an optimal spot amongst all the other female age groupers (about 250) in the front of the pack on the far left. She kept telling me to hug the boats to our left. This worked out really well and although I lost her immediately at the start I was swimming hard (could hear myself breathing)and had a great line to the farthest buoy. The swim course was 1 loop that I was visualizing as a rectangle. Turns out it was more of a wedge shape. I never asked Elaine what to target when heading back to the boat launch. From the farthest point away I could not see any landmarks. I swam straight back not sighting anything and continued to stay to the left. I remembered the official saying stay left in order to not collide with swimmers in subsequent heats. After about 300m, I started observing that I was the farthest person left and about halfway back concluded that I was very wide. Made correction but extra swimming cost me some time. Oh well, lesson learned- know where you are going!
T1- I'm used to having my stuff all set out in transition. Getting changed in a muddy, grassy area, out of a bag, is new to me and I felt very disorganized = slow T1. Temp was about 13C and stormy (although not raining) so I donned only arm warmers but grabbed my light rain/wind resistant jacket just in case. Wind was minimal on the bike and I got excited to ride the familiar course. My core was a little cool and my feet very cold but within minutes they were numb. Glad I decided to take the time to put on socks but also should have had toe warmers on my shoes as well. I underestimated the effect of 17C water on bare feet. Was reasonably comfortable and biking well but then it started to rain around 40k and I was really cold and uncomfortable. I decided to take the time to stop and put on my jacket. Was so thankful I had it- it made a huge difference. I had a decent ride with a really strong last 20k. Course was a wee bit long at 94k but I had done many 90k+ rides (thx Tina, Viv, Kendall) in the weeks prior and unlike last year at GWN, I wasn't wishing I was done with the bike leg at 60k. Transitioned to run and conditions were ideal. Overcast and 15C. Hit the 1km mark and realized I still had 1 arm warmer on. Oops. Better than realizing you are running with your bike helmet. Saw "my crew", now including Kendall, Ian and Lisa, tossed my arm warmer, and headed down into the weaselhead. BTW, it took about 3km for my feet to thaw and along the way I ran into Alex, another No Limits athlete, who commented on her thawing feet. Then she was off- a very speedy runner!
When I don't have earphones in my ear I often struggle with lots of negative thoughts. I picked a mantra and said it to myself the ENTIRE time. There wasn't any room at all for any negative thoughts. Another good distraction was saying something positive to every runner I passed. This technique worked really well.
I watched for and spotted Elaine, Steph, Doug, and Alex running by on their way back. They all looked like they were running strong although I did note that everyone looked fairly uncomfortable. I reminded myself that racing is hard and I tried to run a bit harder myself. Made it to the 10.5k turnaround and was still feeling pretty good although there was definitely tightening in my glutes and hamstrings. Made my way through the undulating course and braced myself running down the steep hill. Everyone always says take advantage of gravity but running down steep hills is hard on the legs. At 16km there was a final uphill (weaslehead) to crest to get back towards the finish for the final 4km out and back portion. This is where I hit the proverbial wall. I got to the top of the hill and my legs were done. Not only were my hamstrings really tight but my quads were now screaming. I slowed a bit and walked the next aid station and found that walking was as painful as running. I continued with my slow jog to the finish feeling like I had to anvils strapped to my feet. I had taken 2 gels on the run...maybe a 3rd would have helped? I'm not sure. Many of the other finishers were also lamenting on how hard the last 4km were even though that was the flattest portion of the course.
I finished in 6:16 missing my overall goal time by 16 min. However, I feel like I had a very successful day. Yes, I had a mistake on the swim, but, I had a great first 900 meters. My goal pace on the bike was slow by 2km/hr but it wasn't exactly ideal biking conditions and I pushed as hard as I could and felt strong for the entire 94km. And, although I also missed my goal time on the run, my pace for the first 16k was bang on and I had no knee or GI issues as I did last year at GWN. Now I have some things to work on and improve for next year. I'm already looking forward to Calgary 70.3 2011.
This was my second half Ironman distance race, ever, and I was very excited to be competing on my stopping grounds opposed to in Stoney Plains. I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed although not much sleeping occurred on the evening prior to the race. I went to bed around 10:30 but woke up at 12, 1:30 and 3am to thunder and lightning and when my alarm went off at 3:40 it was pouring. My scheduled bus out to Ghost lake was at 4:15 and I wondered if I should take a later one to avoid standing around in the rain while officials debated whether there would be a delay or possibly the cancellation of the swim portion of the race. I decided to continue on as planned and by the time I got to the lake the rain had stopped and everything was proceeding as scheduled.
Once on site, I hit the bathrooms first, pumped my tires, organized my bags, and then ran into Elaine and Steph who were also racing. I put on my wetsuit and started heading towards the lake and ran into Tina and Viv. This was a total surprise. My family was away this wkd and I had assumed that I would not have any support on the course. It was so great to see familiar faces and get a last minute pep talk. Ambient temp. was 13C and water temperature around 17C. It didn't feel too cold to me but lots of competitors had on neoprene caps so I decided to double cap and wore ear plugs to prevent the cold water from piercing through my ear canals...I hate that feeling.
Elaine positioned us in an optimal spot amongst all the other female age groupers (about 250) in the front of the pack on the far left. She kept telling me to hug the boats to our left. This worked out really well and although I lost her immediately at the start I was swimming hard (could hear myself breathing)and had a great line to the farthest buoy. The swim course was 1 loop that I was visualizing as a rectangle. Turns out it was more of a wedge shape. I never asked Elaine what to target when heading back to the boat launch. From the farthest point away I could not see any landmarks. I swam straight back not sighting anything and continued to stay to the left. I remembered the official saying stay left in order to not collide with swimmers in subsequent heats. After about 300m, I started observing that I was the farthest person left and about halfway back concluded that I was very wide. Made correction but extra swimming cost me some time. Oh well, lesson learned- know where you are going!
T1- I'm used to having my stuff all set out in transition. Getting changed in a muddy, grassy area, out of a bag, is new to me and I felt very disorganized = slow T1. Temp was about 13C and stormy (although not raining) so I donned only arm warmers but grabbed my light rain/wind resistant jacket just in case. Wind was minimal on the bike and I got excited to ride the familiar course. My core was a little cool and my feet very cold but within minutes they were numb. Glad I decided to take the time to put on socks but also should have had toe warmers on my shoes as well. I underestimated the effect of 17C water on bare feet. Was reasonably comfortable and biking well but then it started to rain around 40k and I was really cold and uncomfortable. I decided to take the time to stop and put on my jacket. Was so thankful I had it- it made a huge difference. I had a decent ride with a really strong last 20k. Course was a wee bit long at 94k but I had done many 90k+ rides (thx Tina, Viv, Kendall) in the weeks prior and unlike last year at GWN, I wasn't wishing I was done with the bike leg at 60k. Transitioned to run and conditions were ideal. Overcast and 15C. Hit the 1km mark and realized I still had 1 arm warmer on. Oops. Better than realizing you are running with your bike helmet. Saw "my crew", now including Kendall, Ian and Lisa, tossed my arm warmer, and headed down into the weaselhead. BTW, it took about 3km for my feet to thaw and along the way I ran into Alex, another No Limits athlete, who commented on her thawing feet. Then she was off- a very speedy runner!
When I don't have earphones in my ear I often struggle with lots of negative thoughts. I picked a mantra and said it to myself the ENTIRE time. There wasn't any room at all for any negative thoughts. Another good distraction was saying something positive to every runner I passed. This technique worked really well.
I watched for and spotted Elaine, Steph, Doug, and Alex running by on their way back. They all looked like they were running strong although I did note that everyone looked fairly uncomfortable. I reminded myself that racing is hard and I tried to run a bit harder myself. Made it to the 10.5k turnaround and was still feeling pretty good although there was definitely tightening in my glutes and hamstrings. Made my way through the undulating course and braced myself running down the steep hill. Everyone always says take advantage of gravity but running down steep hills is hard on the legs. At 16km there was a final uphill (weaslehead) to crest to get back towards the finish for the final 4km out and back portion. This is where I hit the proverbial wall. I got to the top of the hill and my legs were done. Not only were my hamstrings really tight but my quads were now screaming. I slowed a bit and walked the next aid station and found that walking was as painful as running. I continued with my slow jog to the finish feeling like I had to anvils strapped to my feet. I had taken 2 gels on the run...maybe a 3rd would have helped? I'm not sure. Many of the other finishers were also lamenting on how hard the last 4km were even though that was the flattest portion of the course.
I finished in 6:16 missing my overall goal time by 16 min. However, I feel like I had a very successful day. Yes, I had a mistake on the swim, but, I had a great first 900 meters. My goal pace on the bike was slow by 2km/hr but it wasn't exactly ideal biking conditions and I pushed as hard as I could and felt strong for the entire 94km. And, although I also missed my goal time on the run, my pace for the first 16k was bang on and I had no knee or GI issues as I did last year at GWN. Now I have some things to work on and improve for next year. I'm already looking forward to Calgary 70.3 2011.
Calgary 70.3 half ironman
Last weekend was Ironman Calgary 70.3. This is a big race for many in Calgary as they have been training all year to see how they do.
Well we had a few racers taking place.
1st off we had Monika taking place in her 1st Half Ironman. She was a bit nervous about the distance and unsure how she would do. After a few pointers regarding her pacing she managed to survive just fine leading the No limits crew to a 5:17 finish and 1st in her age group.
Doug was also racing. Just another stepping stone on his way to IronMan Canada. Doug used this race as a great chance to practice his pacing for IM. He held back on the bike and this enabled him to have a solid run. Doug finished in 6 mins back of Monika in 5:23.
Another IMC racer was Elaine. Just like Doug was using this as a practice day for pacing and racing an Ironman. Elaine did great and finished 2 mins back of Doug in 5:25 and quick enough for 2nd in her age group.
Next up was Alex, and yup you guessed it. Also using this as a training day for IMC. Alex did well by crossing the line in 2:04.
Lastly Mary was up. This was her big race of the year and typical of Mary's races the weather was poor on the bike. I will not say much about Mary's race as there is a race report to read above.
Great racing everyone!!! If anyone has any photos please send some my way so I can show them off.
Well we had a few racers taking place.
1st off we had Monika taking place in her 1st Half Ironman. She was a bit nervous about the distance and unsure how she would do. After a few pointers regarding her pacing she managed to survive just fine leading the No limits crew to a 5:17 finish and 1st in her age group.
Doug was also racing. Just another stepping stone on his way to IronMan Canada. Doug used this race as a great chance to practice his pacing for IM. He held back on the bike and this enabled him to have a solid run. Doug finished in 6 mins back of Monika in 5:23.
Another IMC racer was Elaine. Just like Doug was using this as a practice day for pacing and racing an Ironman. Elaine did great and finished 2 mins back of Doug in 5:25 and quick enough for 2nd in her age group.
Next up was Alex, and yup you guessed it. Also using this as a training day for IMC. Alex did well by crossing the line in 2:04.
Lastly Mary was up. This was her big race of the year and typical of Mary's races the weather was poor on the bike. I will not say much about Mary's race as there is a race report to read above.
Great racing everyone!!! If anyone has any photos please send some my way so I can show them off.
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