IMC 2012 Race Report: A Lot of Mojo and a Couple Epiphanies!

Jenn’s 2012 Ironman Canada Race Report: 11:35:56

A Lot of Mojo and a Couple Epiphanies!

SWIM: 1:05:55                                                                                                                                                        
And, we’re off… I guess!  I’d lined up faaarrrrr left and up front per Ann F’s good advice.   There wasn’t a cannon that we could hear but as the folks to our right started diving those of us at the end of the line followed suit creating a cascading wave of released nervous energy. Right off the bat I could tell that I’d have a MUCH better swim than the infamous Eggbeater Swim of 2011.

My goal for the first leg was to swim strong but controlled, and, most importantly, avoid the chaos I’d experienced last year.  I couldn’t really swim hard with all the bodies around me but I wasn’t being kicked, swum over, swallowing water or getting panicky and I considered that a huge success.  I hit the first turn buoy feeling antsy to get swimming, but I knew it would be difficult on the second and shortest leg.  During that leg everyone had just come together for the first turn buoy and would be doing so again for the second so I bided my time and swam in the space available without trying to push the issue.  I rounded the second turn buoy and picked up a little mojo with a great view of our boat with Mark and Ann S plus a couple of rescue swimmers marshaling the race.  I certainly didn’t need them but it was AWESOME to see them out there!

Thankfully on the third leg I found a little more open water and started to pass a few folks.  I considered it a good sign that I’d paced myself well. From my splits I can see that that last long leg was my fastest so I’m pleased with the pacing of my effort.  Easy as pie, right?  Nope.  As we approached shore about 200 yards out…  whammo!  I was kicked hard in the face by someone who had inexplicably started doing breast stroke.  And That.Made.Me.MAD.  There is NO reason for someone that can swim this speed to be doing the breast stroke at this point. There are two gigantic flags marking the swim exit and hundreds of people around you going the exact same direction… it’s just not that complicated!  My right front tooth bled a little, the right side of my nose hurt a LOT and my eye socket felt like it would have a permanent goggle print but mostly I was PISSED.  After a moment of contemplating exactly how to strangle someone in an Ironman swim and make it look like an accident I decided I wasn’t going to let Captain Dumb Ass ruin what looked to be a perfectly respectable swim.  I settled for a few swear words and swam harder than ever to shore.  I did LOTS of passing. Officially I was a few seconds slower than 2010 but 2.5’ faster than 2011 and had a helluva a lot more fun!

Epiphanies: Line up far left and always be ready for Captain Dumb Ass to break out the breast stroke!

Garmin File: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/215625677

 

*** That's me on the left - Smartest move of the day! ***

 

T1: 3:13                                                                                                                                                                    

My first transition was super speedy thanks friends Heidi S and Laurie M.  They volunteered ALL DAY but at that moment I considered them my personal volunteers and boy did they deliver!  Helmet, shoes, sunglasses and BOOM - off I went!

BIKE: 5:43:20                                                                                                                                                           

After being spit safely out of the tornado that was T1 I was safely off on the bike.  Having ridden the course according to the Endurance Nation protocol three times (the 2011 race and two rehearsals) I was confident in my execution.  Mentally I broke the bike up into segments: Out to Osoyoos which was relatively flat and fast, the Richter Pass climb, the rollers known as the Seven Bitches, the hot and rough out-and-back, the Yellow Lake climb and finally the decent!  All and all each segment went as planned.  I felt great early on as expected but, also as expected, I started to get mentally and physically fatigued as I finished up the out-and-back.  I was actually glad to approach the Yellow Lake climb just because I knew it meant I was almost done.  There was plenty of Endurance Nation mojo exchanged as I enjoyed seeing Ann F and Teri C on the course.  And lucky me - at the tippy tippy top of Yellow Lake more mojo awaited with Mark and Ann S rockin’ the cowbells.  Mojoriffic!  Then zoom down the hill I went!

In retrospect I think the most notable thing about the bike was simply that there wasn’t anything really notable.  I never got off the bike and I stayed locked into my aero bars on all but the steepest climbs.  I had a concentrated bottle of Infinit for nutrition which meant I didn’t have to get anything other than water at aid stations and I didn’t even need the special needs stop.   I ended up with a 5’ PR with an almost identical effort to the 2011 race – sweet!

Epiphanies: Keep it simple, stupid. 

Garmin File: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/215641847

*** Zoom! ***

 

 

T2: 6:08                                                                                                                                                                    

Ahhhh, after a quick potty break (in a port-a-potty, even!) I was back into the arms of personal volunteers Heidi S. and Laurie M.   Honestly I didn’t really feel like running a marathon but to hear that you look great from two friends at that point is about the BEST feeling ever. Thanks guys!   I didn’t even care if it was true or not - once they were done with me I felt like a million bucks! I even believed I could run a marathon!

RUN: 4:37:21                                                                                                                                                            

Off I went to run a on to the run.  This transition is the part that’s really uncomfortable, right?  Well for whatever reason I felt pretty darn good right away.  Huh.  Well, not gonna complain but I didn’t go too crazy either and I used my heart rate to keep me honest.  I broke the run into 26 1-mile increments and just kept on truckin’.  I was using concentrated Infinit for the run and it was working great.  Mojo was all around me!  I got the best mojo of all in the form of a hug from Mark at mile three. That was followed by even more mojo on the course from Teri C, Ann, F, Al T, Steve S and Jane H rockin’ the biggest smile evah!!!  I was also pleased that I wasn’t peeing my way through the course - a huge improvement over previous races.  I averaged about a 10:00 minute mile to the turnaround and was on track and happy to be headed to the finish line, just 13.1 short miles away! 

My goal for the second half of the marathon was to minimize how much I slowed down. In my previous two races I’d been able to continue to run but the differential in pace between the first half and the second half was dramatic.   My pace slowed, but just to a 10:30 or 11:00.  By mile 20 I was thinking it was time to pick up the pace.  This is where I was gonna let ‘er rip and my HR was going to go up.  I was sure I’d be working “so hard”, in fact that I skipped the Infinit scheduled for mile 21 and 24.  I was gonna really be flying!  Except hmmmm… my pace slowed further and my heart rate showed I wasn’t really working that hard at all.  Well hrumph!  My legs sure were hurting but by objective measures, I certainly wasn’t moving along as perceived.  The silver lining is that with each passing mile it became CRYSTAL clear what it really means to “race” an Ironman.  I get that I’ll need to be able to go to a VERY dark place to push the pace at the end.  My relatively lowish heart rate showed me I have capacity, I just need to rally the legs!

I picked up more mojo from Mark, Laurie and Heidi at mile 23. At this point I knew if I could grab another gear and run 10:00 minute miles that an 11:30:xx finish was possible. So, for the first time ever, I didn’t stop for hugs -  I settled for blowing kisses and lots of smiles.  Heidi ran with me for a bit and was a great distraction for what is one of the crappiest miles of the entire race.  The rally to a 10:00 minute mile didn’t happen but I came into the finish thoroughly pleased with my race.  I even had a smile on my face for Mark, Laurie and Heidi who had zipped down from mile 23 to see me finish.  The marathon ended up being a 35’ PR over 2011. Yeah baby, YEAH!!!

Epiphanies: Racing the second half of an Ironman marathon is gonna REALLY hurt.  Embrace the suck.  And don’t skip your nutrition, you aren’t going that hard!

Garmin File: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/215625686

 

*** At mile 25.5. Didn't feel great here, truthfully but glad to almost be done! ***

FINISH: 11:35:56                                                                                                                                                      

Seeing 11:30-something as I crossed the finish line was AMAZING. I grabbed the tape and then, presto-change-o, I was in the arms of Ann S!  How did that happen? As I found out, she’d segued from her swim course volunteerism to catching finishers and had arranged to catch moi!  How awesome is that! Thanks Ann!  She and her fellow catcher took great care of me, made sure I got some food and then handed me off to Mark, Heidi and Laurie who were ready to scoop me up and whisk me away to celebrate my 45' PR with a burger and ice cream!

 

*** Woo Hoo! ***

EPILOUGE                                                                                                                                                                      

I’m really, really pleased with this race.  I know some of my run improvement can be attributed to relatively favorable conditions.  The temps last year approached 100 degrees, and this year it was “only” 90ish but I’m going take every bit of the PR and OWN it!    The fuzzy idea that I may someday be able to qualify for Kona is coming into focus.  I only need to find about 40 more minutes to be close.  I think about 15’ of those could be found on the bike and the balance on the run.  Lighter, faster stronger will be the mantra for 2013!  I've retained perspective, however, and vowed to not define myself by the goal of qualifying, but simply to “Be All I Can Be” and let the chips fall where they may. 

After thirty years Ironman Canada as we have known it has come to a close. The city of Penticton has partnered with the “Challenge” brand to host future races. This means the race will be run the same course but doesn’t offer Kona qualification. The “new” Ironman Canada venue will be announced in October.  Until then, I’m keeping my options open. I may race the Challenge race in Penticton, the new Ironman Canada somewhere else, something completely different or some other crazy combination! 

With that, I’m off to "Be All I Can Be"!   Many, many, thanks to the cowbellers, both virtual and in person. And thanks, of course to Mark who makes it all possible and FUN!

P.S.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

I tried to keep the geek factor to a minimum but rest assured I’m still data to the max!  Below is a snapshot of my three Ironman Canada races for my Endurance Nation (or otherwise data-obsessed) brethren.

 

Perspective, Persistence, PRs and a Paycheck!

Hello from Canada, Eh!

It’s race week!!!  Oh my gosh, how did that happen?  This year has FLOWN by!  What follows is a retrospective of the fun and not-so-fun events that have brought us to the start of my third Ironman Canada on Sunday. 

If you care to follow along, splits will be posted at http://live.ironmanlive.com/.  The race should be listed there by Saturday and you can search by name or bib #2378. Also, there’s a pretty handy smart phone application called “Iron Trac” that has worked well for me.

Thanks for readying and as always, thanks for your support!!!

 

Perspective

I feel like I’ve always had a pretty healthy perspective on the sport.  One of my favorite quotes is “One day you may not be able to do this.  Today is not this day.”    It is after all a huge luxury that I am able to participate at all.  I don’t take it for granted.   In fairness however, it has been pretty easy for me.  I have an amazing and supportive husband and family, loyal friends, great health and a good job.  I’m pretty much left to dream big and go for it! 

This year that perspective has been solidified.  I’ve watched, helpless, as four souls literally fought for their lives.  It’s a crappy feeling.  In a way, it feels even worse when you’re frolicking around in a sport many consider the epitome of health.  Of these four, two lost their battles and two are still fighting strong.   This race is dedicated to them. 

Conversely, I’ve been motivated watching three triathletes fight their way back from significant bike crashes and the accompanying broken bones, road rash and mental challenges.  Erin E., Josh A. and Steve S.: Your tenacity throughout your respective recoveries is inspiring!  More cowbell, indeed!

*** Nephew Kitties Skinny and Rocket Say "More Cowbell!!!" ***

 

Persistence

With a healthy dose of perspective in place I’ll acknowledge that in a number of ways, this year hasn’t been as easy as the first two.  Again, I’m thankful I’m not fighting for my life or back from a crash, but in my little world there were a few speed bumps.

WORKING GIRL First, a little reality check at work.  I manage one of two teams.  Shortly after IMC 2011 the manager of the other team took another position. This left me to manage two groups for a full six months while we looked for a replacement. And through our performance review period, to boot.   I’m glad to have a good job but at times it was a LOT of work!  I guess that’s why they pay us, after all. 

AGING LESS-THAN-GRACEFULLY Throughout the season I encountered a series of physical maladies.    

• Iron(less) Girl: Over the fall and winter I should have been getting faster and more powerful from short intense workouts.  Instead I started feeling kind of flat and was making progress at a snail’s pace.  I wondered if I’d plateaued, was training wrong, training too hard, not hard enough etc. Then I discovered largely by accident that I am iron deficient. While it was somewhat of a relief that I finally had a “reason” for my struggles, frankly I was irritated that my primary care doctor had missed it for who knows how long.  For a moment I mentally eyed piss poor Seattle Marathon performance skeptically wondered “What if?”  Grrrrr.  Oh well.  I’m learning to balance my iron levels through supplementation and frequent testing.  So far I’m back on track and feeling relatively “normal” – woot!!!    
• Shoulderless Swimming: In the offseason I’d committed to becoming a faster swimmer by joining the wonderful RTB (Raise the Bar) swim training group.  Excellent instruction by proprietor Patty S. and a little healthy competition trying to keep up with Kona finisher Kathy M. couldn’t hurt, right?  Well, about that time my right shoulder decided it was DONE.  In what felt like overnight, suddenly it hurt to swim, hurt to run, hurt to sleep.  What the heck?   The Olympic distance Lavaman triathlon loomed as I made my way between PT appointments, x-rays and an MRI while being unable to even reach up and grab a glass out of our cupboards.  A cortisone shot literally backfired causing a reaction known as “cortisone flare” that left me unable to move my shoulder without excruciating pain AT ALL for a full three days.  Ug. The MRI determined that I have a “significant” amount of arthritis and a small cyst in the joint, however it was inconclusive as to if I have a labral tear. All three of these issues could be addressed surgically but that wasn’t an option for me this year if I wanted to make it to the start of Lavaman OR IMC.     So, for the rest of the season I was kept in action by physical therapist George A. and I’m toeing the line with less than perfect swim training.  After the race I’m scheduled to get a contrast MRI (which will require another needle – ack!) and from there I’ll make some decisions based on the findings.

                *** It Hurts Right THERE ***

• Fembot Reboot: Also over the winter I also had some ***ahem*** female troubles that ended up being addressed adequately by a minor surgery.    Being put under anesthesia was a little scary but honestly the worst part was taking pain meds and not being able to train for a few days.  Actually, I was raring to go after that mandated break! 
• Accidentally in Training: And finally, a series of unfortunate events.  I don’t consider myself accident prone, though my mom wholeheartedly disagrees.    What I know for sure is I spent more time in the Band-Aid aisle this year than I have in the last few years combined.  A montage of the high (low?)lights:

 

*** Toe polished off at a pedicure.  Who does that?!? ***

*** Box jumps on a 24-inch box.  I made 35 of 36, but that missed one was costly to my shin bone.  It also entitled me to a gift package from my mom with the motivational and practical advice: “Jenn: Jump higher!” ***

*** Intersection at the end of one of my long runs. I stopped and waited patiently as the lone pedestrian, the first car approaching the intersection stopped for me but, alas, this convertible did not. ***

 

*** Pinkie toe sliced and toenail nearly removed by garage door.  To date the nail has actually stayed on though it was hanging by a tread like a child’s loose tooth for a while.  ***

ON THE ROAD AGAIN (AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN)  Right at the crux of the build period between mid-July and mid-August I found myself really putting on the miles with six separate trips over a six week period.

 

• Here and There: The travel frenzy kicked off with a road trip to Spokane for the fabulous Valley Girl sprint.  That was followed by dueling business trips as I headed to Chicago while Mark was simultaneously in St. Louis.  We were home for a day then off on an epic trip to Winter Harbour, BC for Mark’s fishing trip.  Just getting there included two days of travel and a ferry ride!  I left the trip early and over the next three days I journeyed solo from Winter Harbour to my hometown of Pullman.  I arrived with just a few hours to spare before for my 20th High School reunion and then enjoyed some scenic training in the Palouse. And finally to Penticton for our IMC race rehearsal.   I haven’t even tried to count the miles. The silver lining is I’m finding travel much less stressful (that huge sigh/hurray/it's about time was from Mark.)  I can pack in a flash and train just about anywhere.  Plus I got to have a good visit with childhood bestie Nichole and her family.

 

*** Nothing will make you nostalgic for your hometown like beautiful Palouse hills!  ***

 

• Ironman in BFEThe Winter Harbour trip was a highlight in many ways, though it did present some training challenges.  Those challenges were fully offset by how pleased Mark was to be taking his dad fishing in such a cool location where we were likely to actually ***gasp*** catch fish!   Since the village (population 5) was at the end 45-miles of dirt road that took four hours to traverse, actually riding my bike while there wasn’t an option. There wasn’t a phone, cell phone coverage or internet access which was actually kind of nice!  My training was at its peak, so there were a few concessions on his part including bringing my bike and trainer and joining me on my long run.

*** Training in the middle of nowhere can be done with your Cycle Ops and a good book! I did a four hour session, a three hour session and two 90-minute sessions looking out this window.  Bald eagles flew back and forth, otters frolicked in the bay and I kept tabs on Mark via marine radio! ***

 

• RCMP – M for Mark!  I enlisted Mark to accompany me on the 18-mile run scheduled for mid-week.  It was bear country after all and it seemed prudent to have an escort.  This led to what seemed like a bit of overkill in preparation. First, the purchase of a shotgun that would be legal to carry into Canada, then a way to mount it to his mountain bike and of course a tune up on said mountain bike. Ultimately we were into this run several hundred dollars by the time we got started - hopefully it would be a good one!  I waited for a break in fishing action (read rainy and too rough to fish) and off we went on muddy logging roads.  About six miles into the run all the preparation paid off.  Yep, there up ahead was clearly a momma bear and her cub grazing on berries by the side of the road.  They didn’t seem interested in us so we just observed them for a moment, then slowly went the OTHER way to avoid a less pleasant encounter.  Mark pointed out that at that moment he could have indeed out run me as he was on a BIKE.  Not funny!

 

*** We survived!  Note relieved smiles from surviving our bear encounter and Mark’s muddy knee.  What a trooper, literally! ***

 

PRs

Throughout the bumpy season there were a few signs that I was, indeed improving.  I recognize that life won’t be a constant stream of PRs and that continued training will result in decreased dividends as time goes.  I’m really making a point to celebrate each one!

LAVAMAN We made it to Lavaman Olympic distance triathlon with that cranky shoulder and I wasn’t very optimistic about the race results.  As it turns out, I did PR, my shoulder didn’t bother me much during the race and my result improved from 2:45 in 2010, 2:34 in 2011 and 2:29 in 2012.  Woot - sub 2:30!   In reality though the big victory that my parents, my brother Kyle and his wife Katie joined us.  Kyle and Katie both did the race and it was AWESOME to have all four of us racing and my parents cheering!     We also enjoyed some downtime on a chartered fishing boat for a day.  TOTALLY relaxing… ahhhhh.

 

*** The whole fam ready to rock Lavaman!  ***

BIG BOYZ VARSITY RIDE In our area there is a triathlon shop that hosts a bike ride every Sunday.  A lot of really strong cyclists show up and Josh had encouraged me to join.  I knew it was literally every man for himself kind of ride where they essentially try to rip each others’ legs off.   It would be hard NOT to improve as long as I survived the ride.    The first interaction went something like this: 

• Me: “Hi, I’m new.”  
• Them (sizing me up skeptically): “Uh, this is a REALLY aggressive ride.  There is one on Saturday that is no drop.” (meaning if you fall behind someone will slow down and ride with you)
• Me (garnering all available moxie): “Thanks, I love aggressive rides and I’ll tell my husband about the Saturday ride!”

At first I just clung to the back of the pack for dear life and tried desperately not to get dropped.  Eventually I found myself in the middle of the pack and by the time I had to give up the rides in favor of Ironman training I was actually taking an occasional pull at the front of the paceline.   I enjoyed getting to know the cool kids AKA, the “Geyser Boys”, a little including rock stars Nick J, David K, Trev D, and hopefully did a good job “representing” as the lone chika.  I fully intend to be back after IMC to reap the benefits of a year’s worth of clinging to this group. 

I was also introduced to “Strava” which enables you to track your results on various segments of rides and challenge yourself to earn PRs, QOMs (Queen of Mountains) and the like.  I uploaded my first race rehearsal and found I was Queen of THE mountain, Mt. Rainier, actually!  That’ll put some fire in your belly!   

*** Queen of THE Mountain – Mt. Rainier! ***

 

FRIDAY NIGHT SWIM RACE After all that shoulder drama and a week in BFE without a pool I was feeling a little less than ideally prepared for the swim.  Mark and I did two 5K swims in Lake Okanagan over the race rehearsal weekend in what amounted to “cramming” at the last minute.  Luckily, the RTB group hosted their second swim race of the year just nine days before IMC which served as a perfect test of my swim fitness.   

It was a gorgeous scorching afternoon with temperatures approaching 100 degrees.  Mark marshaled the course with our boat and our hockey buddy Greg was again chaperoning swimmers in his kayak.  It promised to be a really smooth swim and I couldn’t have felt more Zen-like heading to the start. 

Once in the water and underway I knew I was poised to have a good race. I stayed well within myself and ended the first loop still feeling strong.  I glanced at my watch and saw 31:30 and knew I would be on track for a PR if I kept the effort up.  Starting the second loop I grabbed another gear in an attempt to negative split the race (meaning going faster in the second lap) and stayed strong, though I did need to stop several times to adjust my leaky goggles.  Note to self: TIGHTEN STRAPS!  As I approached the finish I saw that, as is typical for me, my negative split effort was really an even split effort and I finished in 1:04, a full minute improvement of my previous PR of 1:05 and a solid seven minutes off my time from the exact same race two months earlier in June at 1:11.  Ahhhhh confidence, sweet confidence!

*** Swimmers on the course and Mark in our boat in the backround standing watch en route to my 1:04 PR! ***

 

A Paycheck!

Make way for the Valley Girls!  Our favorite race since 2007 has become quite a tradition with some of our favorite people.  We were hosted by the ever-gracious Websters, well fed by the Sattlers and accompanied by good friends Annette J, Heidi S, Christine S and Laurie M.  Annette’s husband Steve also served as our personal photographer and, as per usual, he got some AWESOME shots while doubling as an UGB (Uber Gear Bitch) with Mark.

 

*** Annual Valley Girl Invasion! ***

I’d qualified to race in the Elite division based on my result from the previous year.  I knew that didn’t really make me “elite”, but was excited to get to race in the front rather than in age group waves.  I also knew they paid the first five finishers in that division and was excited to be racing for an actual paycheck.  The previous year I had come in fifth overall, but because I wasn’t designated as Elite, they actually paid the gal that finished sixth.  So, a little payback (so to speak!) was in order but all I could really control was my finishing time and hope that improved my placing.  

I knew I had to capitalize on my swimming and biking strengths so I went hard right off the bat and came out of the water a distant second to Ms. Speedy Gonzalez.  After struggling in T1 with my wetsuit, I hammered the bike and came into T2 still in second having held my lead over the third and fourth placed participants.  I knew they were both faster than me on the run so I headed out trying to minimize the damage.  About half way through the run I was passed Abs of Steel Girl.  I gave her a high five as she came by and hoped I could hold third place.  Valley Girl has an uphill finish and I was sure I was doomed by the fast, light runner behind me but much to my surprise I held the lead all the way up the hill.  I took a quick look behind me as I headed down the finishing chute and she wasn’t even in sight.  I even had a few moments to high five our cheerleaders as I steamed to the finish line in third overall!

 

*** Valley Girl Paycheck! ***

 

Well that’s the year in review.  On Sunday I’ll toe the line fully satisfied with what I’ve learned and experienced this year with a healthy dose of perspective under my cap.  In general, I’m optimistic for a good race. The recent swim PR is a great benchmark for the swim.  On the bike, I’m a tiny bit lighter and a bit stronger and that should also bode well.  Ultimately, it will come down to the run.  And after running from a bear (huge exaggeration!) in the middle of my 18-miler how could I not nail it?  

Seattle Meltdown

Well ug. This one will require some reflection. I arrived at the start optimistic for a good race. My training had gone to plan, I’d completed every workout as prescribed and I’d continued my five year injury and sick-free streak. My previous PR was 3:57:xx. I felt a good stretch goal was 3:50 and a super stretch goal was 3:45. After a nice pep-talk with fellow triathlete Laurie, I stepped out of the car into the rain and headed to the start.

Sure, it was cold and rainy as forecasted, but I waited ‘till the last minute (literally) to toss an old pair of sweats so I started actually nice and warm. I went out strong and a bit ahead of pace as planned. The Seattle Marathon course is really hilly late, so I knew that even if I negative split the effort, the pace would suffer in those hills. The miles ticked off one by one between at a pace of 7:30 and 8:30s. Perfect!  High-fives to Laurie on the out-and-backs kept my spirits high. I even hit a half-marathon PR at 1:50, woot!

Then, trouble in paradise. I’d planned to take a gel at miles 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 as I’d done in training. I didn’t see any gels by mile six, so I took the lone packet I had carried with me, hopeful to grab another by the time I hit mile 9. No such luck. I didn’t see any GU until mile 14 and by then I was waaaaaayyyy behind on my nutrition and starting to feel it. I started to slow down a little, then I got cold, then I got tight, then I got colder, tighter and progressively spiraled downwards ‘till it was simply GAME OVER. The 3:40 pace group slipped away, suddenly I was running a 9:30 instead of an 8:15 with what felt like the same effort and BOOM, I learned what it was like to hit the wall. I walked a bit which only made matters worse as I was soaking wet, it was raining sideways and did I mention I was reaaaally tight?

The last few miles entailed a bit of running to try to get warm, a bit of walking to ease the tightness, then rinse and repeat ‘till I stumbled across the finish line. My most valiant effort at that point was to make a beeline to my dry clothes bag so I could get dry and to try not to cry. I was successful at the former…

Lessons Learned:

• Yeah, pack more GU Jenn. D’oh. D’oh. D’oh. It’s always the simple things.
• I think I went out too fast. Sure there are hills late, but I should have limited my early efforts to 8:25s, not 8:00. Which leads to the next lesson…
• Run with a pace group. The 3:40 pace group came up from behind me and I ran with them from miles 11 – 15. That was pretty cool! I will certainly look to run with a pace group in the future as there was a lot less energy expended just following the feet in front of me.
• Laurie rocks!  And, by the way she is most pleased with her race. Congrats!!!
• I hate being cold. Actually, I didn’t need this marathon to confirm that. As I type, the temperature in the house is set at 75-degrees and Mark is sweating in his underwear while I’m wrapped in a blanket. I’ve been pretty lucky with the weather in my previous two Seattle Marathons but if finally caught up to me today.
• My Ironman coach, Coach P. advises me that running a standalone marathon isn’t really helping me in my Ironman marathon. So, why this race? I need to either have a GOOD reason to do it or I need to do a marathon where the weather is WARM! Mark suggests Hawaii… hard to argue with him.

And now, for my next trick: Five weeks of NO STRUCTURED TRAINING per Coach P. I see lots of Bikram (hot) yoga in my future! After five weeks of sweatin’ and bendin’ I just may be warmed up enough to venture outside again!

All in all, my favorite quote still rings true. “Someday I will not be able to do this. Today is not that day.” ~Unknown.     And for that, I am thankful.

*** Anatomy of a Meltdown  ***

IMC Race Report: Egg Beater, My Efficient Ass and Ice, Ice Baby!

Aloha!

First and foremost a big MAHALO to everyone who gave words of encouragement this year, travelled to Penticton to be part of the Cowbell Crew, took time out of their Sunday on race day to check in on my progress, and to YOU for reading this damn long race report! And last, but not least thanks to Mark who makes this all possible AND fun!


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The Year of the Data Geek

What a Year! After completing my first Ironman in Canada in 2010, 2011 was all about learning, learning, learning and hopefully improving! As such, my goals shifted from simply finishing with a smile and running the marathon to executing smartly according to a “pace and power” protocol. I joined a team called Endurance Nation which was all about intensity and time management. The swim, my strength and consuming barely 10% of an Ironman day was put on the back burner with just two swims a week until a few months before the race. The big bang for my time investment was to be had on the bike. There I acquired a power meter (built into new wheels!) that measured the amount of pressure I put on the pedals, did my training and racing at very specific percentages of my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and slapped some Endurance Nation graphics on my wheel to represent! On the run, I learned all about my “vDot” which is basically one number that correlated to my speed across all distances. That number was applied to races, tests and training paces. I worked hard all year to continue to make that number bigger… even a fraction of an improvement was cause for celebration!

*** Ready to Represent! ***

Life Balance!?! As a result of this training philosophy shift, the amount of time I spent training and prepping for training went down while the overall effort, measured as a Training Stress Score (TSS) went up for a couple of reasons. First of all, I got really comfy riding my bike on the stationary trainer. This eliminated a lot of driving to bike locations, cleaning a dirty bike, dressing for our perma-shitty weather, etc. Instead I just rolled out of bed and into our “Pain Cave” and went to town with a good movie on the TV. 100% simpler and my efforts were rewarded with a continually growing FTP. Secondly , the intensity of the training went up, wayyyyy up. There was no such thing as an “easy” run or ride. Even my long mile runs had segments at tempo pace in them and trust me, four plus hours on a bike trainer at 80% + intensity is no joke either. Consequently, I came into the race mentally fresher, much stronger on the bike, faster on the run and surprisingly even a bit faster in the swim. Most importantly, I made some great “life balance” improvements including playing hockey full time again and conjuring up a bit of a social life!

*** Our Pain Cave ***

Peaking. After a year of absorbing data like a sponge, I was really excited to see the outcome. I felt good about my preparation and knew I had managed my training load well. I had rarely been too tired to complete a training session at the prescribed intensity and logged another full year without so much as a cold or an injury. I credit my strength trainer for a well designed program, luck, and I also suppose there are benefits to being built like a tank after all! The taper went well and, according to the new protocol I had “peaked” exactly the day of the race. Nice! This chart below shows the impact of a taper. The blue line represents the Chronic Training Load (CTL) training load over 42 days, the green represents the Acute Training Load (ATL) over 7 days. When your ATL is negative, you probably don’t need this chart to tell you that you are “in a hole” meaning fatigued due to training. The pink line is the money shot: it represents the Training Stress Balance (TSB) representing the your fatigue relative to training load. Ideally the pink line peaks on race day – when your fatigue has faded but before your fitness follows suit!

*** TSS Graph Peak ***

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Pre Race: Nerves and Lucky #5!

Last Train to Penticton! We travelled with our friend Heidi to Penticton on the Wednesday before the race. It’s always interesting to explain to the custom’s agents why you have a boat along to do Ironman – ha! Thursday was a busy day including an excellent open water swim clinic, checking into the race, 2012 registration (I know!), a bike ride on the run course and launching our boat. Mark was all set to be a swim course marshal again and I considered it a great sign that our boat was assigned my lucky #5!!! Friday included another swim and run, Saturday we checked in our bikes and welcomed our Cowbell Crew including Heidi’s husband Tom, her kids Dagmar and Joe and our friends Annette and Michelle. In an instant, it was 3:30 AM Sunday morning, time to do this thing!

*** Number Five! ***

Morning Jitters. On race day Mark dropped me off at the swim start to be joined by Annette, Michelle and two rescue swimmers on our boat. On my own for the day, I checked the pressure in my bike tires and added a new helmet to my T1 bag. Yes, against conventional wisdom (and common sense) to try NOTHING new on race day, I’d acquired a new helmet the day before. The temptress was on sale, fit better than any helmet I’d ever worn and PERFECTLY matched my bike – I wilted in her beauty! My new helmet safely stowed, I turned my attention to sunscreen. I hadn’t settled on protocol for the day and unfortunately this was the very moment my nerves set in.

*** Matched and On Sale - I Had No Choice!!! ***

Sunscreen Drama. Seems to be always one little detail that trips me up.  Typically athletes don’t put sunscreen on before the swim because it smears your race numbers and can cause your goggles to slip. In the transition area there is a sunscreen station where a saintly volunteer will slather you on your way to your bike. At the last minute, I chickened out on that plan and went ahead and slapped on some random SPF 50 they had in the transition tent. My numbers smeared, (no idea why I was surprised) and even then I wasn’t confident I’d gotten all my exposed skin . I headed to the swim start, goggles in hand with the plan to grab some spray sunscreen I’d left in my dry clothes bag on the way to the beach. Goggles in hand I sprayed myself heavily and, finally satisfied, headed over the timing mats certain I’d be adequately protected. What I didn’t realize is that I’d inadvertently spritzed sunscreen all over the inside of my goggles.  Cue ominous music...

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Swim: An Egg Beater’s Delight

2011 - 1:08:33, 14th (8.4%)
2010 - 1:05:50, 16th (9.7%)

Blurry and Bruised! Since I’d had a relatively drama free swim last year by lining up to the far left of the swim line, I intended to do the same this year. Apparently I failed. The gun went off and immediately I knew I was in trouble. Elbows were flying, feet were everywhere and all 3,200 competitors seemed to be a BIG dude that wanted to be in my little piece of Lake Okanagan. I got kicked in the cheek (still have a bruise) but luckily my goggles stayed on. I went from super calm and zen right before the gun went of to “am I even going to survive this thing?” about half way to the first buoy. My goggles were fogging up and I had to stop four or five times to rinse them out. Note to self: goggles + defogging solution + sunscreen + spit = can’t see shit!!!

*** Swim Start: Your Results May Vary ***

Eggbeaten. Somehow I was moving forward, rounded the second turn buoy and headed home. I still couldn’t see where I was going and there were still bodies all around. The most frustrating part at this point was that I didn’t feel like I could really swim. I’d take a couple of hard strokes and be right on some feet in front of me and have to slow down again. Arggggg. I felt like the batter in a egg beater: doing nothing, getting beat by both sides and yet somehow moving forward. On the plus side, thanks to our swim clinic I had my best exit ever - I swam right until my chest hit the sand, popped up and was onto the carpet in two steps while others waded in fumbling over rocks and stubbing their toes. The silver lining of the whole melee was I was not A BIT tired from swimming. Seriously not a tiny bit. I was a little mentally tired from “surviving”, but honestly I thought I’d like to turn around and do the whole thing over if they’d let me. Thankfully I was only a couple of minutes slower than last year and had somehow even improved by a couple of positions in my age group. I ran up the timing mat determined to put it behind me and had already plotted my revenge by the time I left transition.

*** Beaten on Both Sides, Doing Nothing, Somehow Moving Forward ***

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T1: The first transition was no drama-mama. I hadn’t been able to pee in the swim so I lost a few seconds in the port-a-pottie and then I was onto the bike in my schwanky new helmet!

2011 - 0:05:20
2010 - 0:06:48


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Bike – My Efficient Ass

2011 - 5:48:08, 8th (4.8%)
2010 - 6:23:58, 48th (29.1%)

Garmin File: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110654209

Eye on the Prize. I headed off confidently on the bike leg which has somehow become my strength. I felt really prepared with a solid race rehearsal under my belt and a very specific modus operandi to follow based on months of training. I kept my eyeballs on my the readout from my power meter and concentrated on maintaining a very steady effort. Bonus: My new helmet felt GREAT!

*** Eye on the Prize ***

My Efficient Ass. The execution protocol had me push a certain wattage regardless of hills, wind, etc. so it was really funny to see how I moved relative to the field. I’d pull away on the flats and descents and most folks would catch and pass me on the ascents. I felt like I was the only one out there with an ancient Chinese secret: the more steady the effort, the less tired you get even if you finish in the exact same time. I’d been playing this game awhile with another participant and we chatted as we passed and repassed each other. At one point he said “Jennifer, are we gonna do this all day?” I joked “ I can’t help it, I have a big ass!” to which he replied “I’d say you have a very efficient ass!” Ha! My efficient ass. He had no idea what a huge compliment that was!

*** All Smiles as the Alien Approaces the Cowbell Crew! ***

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! I cruised through the bike comfortably with my calories, water and electrolytes right on plan. I peed but, um, didn’t stop to do so – a personal milestone for me. Up and down Richter Pass, through the Seven Bitches and love, Love, LOVED seeing the Cowbell Crew on ascent at Yellow Lake – what a boost! Then zoom downhill back into town where there was an unfortunately timed headwind. Soon enough, I was whisked into transition to start the run. In retrospect I learned I’d had some luck making it through the bike without incident. Someone had thrown tacks on the road causing scores of riders to have flats. Also, my front wheel cracked slightly sometime during the race. Neither impacted me and the wheel is currently being replaced under warranty thanks to the excellent service at Wheelbuilder.com. Whew!

*** Annette Takes her Cowbelling Seriously! ***

Tale of the Tape. There are two things I was most pleased to see when I reviewed my power file. There is a metric that measures essentially how steady (or efficient your ass) is throughout the day called a Variability Index (VI). The closer to 1.00 the better and I ended up with a 1.03 which is spot on. Secondly I was aiming for a certain average wattage of 151w and I finished the bike at 152w indicating I executed almost exactly to plan did didn’t “overcook” myself on the bike.

*** My Power File. It’s Pretty, Trust Me. ***

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T2: The second transition was also no drama-mama. A change of shorts (ha!), pee break, more sunscreen and off onto the run!

2011 - 0:07:24
2010 - 0:08:00

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Run – Ice Ice Baby

2011 - 5:11:57, 88th (52.7%)
2010 - 5:25:43, 117th (70.9%)

Garmin File: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110655696


Hotness! Our team has a resource called “Temperature Impacted Race Predictor” whereby you input your vDot and it spits out what your Ironman paces should be based on the temperature and humidity on any given day. For me, it predicted a 4:17 marathon without heat impact, but predicted a 5:20 on our ninety-four degree day. Although it was disappointing to know I was aiming for a much slower time than I’d hoped for, I knew it was simply the nature of physiology. The pacing tool made sure I didn’t head out too hard only to blow up later. So, off I went, attempting to keep may pace around a twelve-minute mile and stopping to pee probably more than I should have to the tune of about fourteen minutes – ack! Nope, I haven’t gotten up the gumption to pee on the run yet, maybe next year.

*** Predicted Heat Impact on my Ironman Marathon ***

Ice Ice Baby. Initially, my tummy wasn’t thrilled with all the sweetness of the nutrition I’d taken on the bike so I switched to pretzels for the first three miles which thankfully settled it right down. At each aid station I’d grab two cups of ice. One was dumped down my front (bras make handy ice pockets!) and one down my back. I also grabbed two sponges and put one in my top and one at the base of my neck. The ice would be melted and the sponges dry by the next aid station where I’d repeat the process. All in all, I never felt like I was really “overheating”, but I could feel the impact of the temperature slowing me down.

*** Not Feeling that Hot (Ha!) - Sponges are Fashionable! ***

Tears. I felt fine all the way to the half-marathon point and it got progressively harder from there. I was pretty close to maintaining my pace (it had been hard to go that slow early on and got hard to go that fast later!) and physically I wasn’t in near as much discomfort as last year but mentally I did hit a rough patch. I never stopped running, though, and chugged along in anticipation of seeing the Cowbell crew at mile 20. Their reward for waiting for me in the heat? I cried. WTF? Yep, I ran right over to Mark, got a big hug, shed a few tears, high fived the rest of the crew as bravely as I could and then took off again. Not one of my finer moments.

*** The Best Hug EVER. ***

What Ifs. My marathon time was slightly improved from the previous year, but I knew my run fitness was MUCH improved so I took a look at my results compared to last year’s ranking. I knew I would come in about ten minutes faster than the race predictor had indicated and that figure was closer to twenty minutes if you took out the pee breaks. One way to try to compare apples-to-apples when conditions are different is to do some math based on the percentile I ranked in my age group. Since my age group is pretty big and my run results are in the middle we can get a fairly good estimate. I finished in the 53rd percentile in 2011 (improved from the 71st percentile in 2010!) so I checked out what the finishers in the 53 percentile ran in 2010. Turns out they ran about 4:29 giving us a rough estimate that the conditions on the run were about 40 - 50 minutes slower than in 2010! Yowza!



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Finish This!

2011 - 12:21:19, 35TH (20.9%)
2010 - 13:10:18, 74th (44.8%)


Finished! The last few miles into town were a blur. That last mile, in particular is a total mind-f*** as you come within a few feet of the finish line and still have to do a half a mile out and a half a mile back on the lakefront. Whoever designed this course is cruel! In any event, I crossed the finish line THRILLED with my day. I knew I’d PRd by a significant margin, had executed well and learned a TON! I got scooped up by Mark, Annette and Michelle and they shepherded me back to the hotel for a quick shower. Then we went back out to mile 20 to watch Heidi come through (looking GREAT!!!), then back town to watch her finish and then at last back to the hotel and to bed with a thud. What a day!

*** Yay!!! ***

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Recovery!

Nemo and Bendy! The next day I felt 10,000% better than I had in 2010 and considered that a sign I was better prepared. We packed up the boat, headed home and turned around in time to be in Hawaii for our fifteenth Anniversary on September 1st. I finally got that hard swim effort I’d been craving in the form of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim with Mark. The rest of the vacation has entailed lots of Bikram yoga and beachside with Bubba the turtle!

*** Waikiki Roughwater Swim Route (Garmin Struggles Underwater)  ***

Lessons Learned

Swim – Figure out your silly sunscreen plan. And start left. No really LEFT!
Bike – Keep the rubber side down and power on!
Run – Get lighter, figure out a pee plan and keep doing Bikram yoga for heat acclimatization and continued bendiness!

Signing off 'till next year...

Mahalo! 

*** Bubba ***

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More Info:

Enhanced Race Results: http://www.slowtwitch.com/enhancedresults/
Power Terminology: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/power411.aspx
Endurance Nation: http://members.endurancenation.us/


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