The Journey to the Start of Ironman Canada 2013

 The Journey to the Start of Ironman Canada 2013

My first 1st, an experience with SIPE (Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema) and running all over (our new!) town. 

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Home and Health High off a solid finish and wonderful trip to the Big Island for Lavaman, we returned home to the realities of life in a new house.  A series of fantastic housewarming parties, our first $500 water bill (ouch!) and the sweet satisfaction of enjoying a quiet evening on our new patio gave way to the load of Ironman training.    Although I had learned that my shoulder pain was due to a torn labrum that will require surgery to fix, I started the build with relatively little pain and luckily it remained that way ALL year.  If I knew what kept it from flaring up, I’d bottle it and sell it!     As it turns out, I’d make it all the way to the start line yet again without so much as a cold and completely uninjured.  ***Knocking on wood now… ***

Valley Girls  A highlight of the summer was our annual pilgrimage to Valley Girl where I was lucky enough to experience leading a race from start to finish.  There certainly is something magical about swimming though unfettered water, following the pace motorcycle on the bike and being the first to cross that line! To me though, this race is truly about friends and family.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Annette, Steve, Patrick, Diana, Kathy, Greg, Christine, Heidi, Chris and their families.  The trip was polished off with a road trip home with four girls in Christine’s 1980s Bronco!   What happens in the Bronco, STAYS in the Bronco! 

*** My First 1st!  ***

 

 

*** Valley Girls ***

 

 

 

*** Valley Girls Road Trippin' Home! ***

 

***************************************************************

Swim Training  Introducing SIPE: Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema  (Not so glad to meet ya.)

Seems my luck ran out on the swim this year.  I started the build slower than in previous years and it was clear I was well off the 1:05 pace I’d enjoyed with relative ease in my three previous IMs.  After a poor showing at a Friday Night Swim race, Brad provided some solid advice and suggested I up my yardage.  He even offered to do some “over distance” open water swims of 6,000 – 8,000 yards with me.    I was humbled that (ridiculously fast and experienced) Brad would take the time to swim with me and eagerly accepted.  The first over distance swim went really well.  I swam strong, recovered quickly and was eager to do it again the next week. 

 

 

*** Lake Sawyer Over Distance Swim ***

 

I arrived at the second swim excited to get another over distance workout under my belt.  We were joined by our friend Julie and once assembled we jumped in and were off!   Within the first few hundred yards I knew something was wrong. Brad and Julie swam ahead as they typically did, but they seemed to be pulling away faster than usual.  Hmmmm.  I slowed down and did breaststroke for a bit. They waited.  When I got going again it felt like I was swimming though quicksand and they were pulling away faster than ever.  I couldn’t catch my breath.  My wetsuit felt tight.  I stopped again and tried to catch my breath.  Self quiz: Was I having a panic attack?  No, I wasn’t breathing fast or scared, I just felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen with each breath.  Was I too cold?  Hmmmm, nope – it was the middle of July and I was in a full wetsuit!  Is this what asthma feels like?  Sheesh – I don’t know because I don’t have asthma!  

We had gotten about a third of a mile down the lake when we regrouped again and Brad knew something was wrong.  He could hear my lungs crackling (I thought it was my imagination!) and knew what SIPE was.  After some conversation and a few attempts to get going again, I ended up getting out of the lake and doing the “walk of shame” back to my car. I took this video shortly after getting out so that I could share it with my doctor.  Warning: It’s not pretty.  ;-(

 

*** This SIPE Thing SUCKS! ***

Mark met me at my car and my lungs continued to crackle with fluid, though they did start to improve after I took my wetsuit off.  After a few tears I headed off to work.   I was extremely lucky to have been with Brad who knew what my symptoms meant as that cut my research time down dramatically.  A cursory internet search brought me to Kat Calder-Becker who is the Ultra Distance Triathlon Champion of Canada. She was kind enough to call me and walk me though what SIPE is, how she is managing it and what I can do to mitigate the risks. She helped write an article on Slowtwich that resonated almost precisely with my experience.    Additionally, she put me in touch with Dr. Richard Moon of Duke and he was also kind enough to call me.  It so happens that Dr. Moon is doing a research study that I am being considered for. 

As I understand it, the risk factors I can control are getting a thorough warm-up, not being over hydrated and not overexerting myself at the start.  Obviously, these three tips are almost the exact OPPOSITE of what an Ironman start looks like so I’d need to change my plan for race day significantly.  Additionally, if my lungs started to fill with fluid, I'd been advised to scrap the entire day as it takes at least several hours to resolve and additional exertion would only increase the damage to the lung tissue.  Sigh.   I did get back in the water the next week and had a couple more successful (and FUN!) over distance swims.  My yardage topped out at about 16,000 – 18,000 yards with one week at 20,000.  I was feeling strong and back to my usual pace, but my confidence wavered with a mass two-loop swim start at a new venue to face on race morning.    My race plan was to go easy for the outbound leg of the first loop and if my lungs felt good to bump it up to a more typical race pace. 

***************************************************************

Bike Training  The bike continued to be a relative strength for me this year and I improved my functional threshold power from about 200w to 219w.   I did a lot of hard work in our new Pain Cave and although it wasn’t flashy or easy those hours certainly paid off.  On Sundays I enjoyed trying to keep up with the big boys on the Northwest Tri and Bike ride and the accompanying Strava smack talk. Pride can be a painfully effective motivator!      

*** Our New Pain Cave ***

 

I did big ride up Mr. Rainer from Crystal Mountain for my first race rehearsal.  In the end I was on the mountain over seven hours and it took quite a bit of bargaining with myself simply to NOT hitch a ride up the last six mile climb back to Crystal! At one point I got off my bike for a few minutes to regroup and wondered if I looked pitiful enough that someone would stop and offer a ride.  But, alas, NOBODY was going up Crystal that late in the day.  Ultimately I made it and was rewarded with hitting a milestone of over 10,000 feet of climbing on the day.  I felt my bike was well prepared and my race plan was to stick to the prescribed wattage and let the time result fall where it may. 

 

*** Mt. Rainier Mental Toughness Test***

 

 

***************************************************************

 

Run Training Even though it certainly isn’t my strength, my run training also went really well.  The frequency increased on the Endurance Nation “advanced” plan and I was actually surprised at how well I was able to manage the load.  I was running faster and longer than ever and was lucky enough to be escorted by Mark on most of my long runs.  We had lots of great long chats (him talking, me nodding…) and you never know when you’ll need a TP delivery man!  My long runs alternated a mile at my “easy pace” of about 9:55 with a mile at “marathon pace” of about 8:25 up to a couple of 20 milers.  These were by far my longest runs at any accelerated pace and my confidence increased each week.  My race plan was to hold a 10:00 pace for the first half of the marathon and then see what the day had in store. 

 

*** Husband Hero Exhibit: TP Delivery! ***

 

 ***************************************************************

Race Rehearsal  Two weeks prior to the race we headed to Whistler for our scheduled a race rehearsal with our friend Ann.   My oh my, those are some HILLS!  I’d been advised to check my time goals at the border and that proved to be true!   Ann, Mark and I enjoyed the first half of the course together.  For the second half, Mark proved to be our knight in shining (Ford F350) armor delivering high fives and Diet Coke at just the right moments to get us through it. The next day we ran one loop of the run course and I also splashed around in the lake a bit.  We also scouted the boat launch which, frankly, looked a little sketchy as it was a “raw” launch without pavement or dock which could prove challenging launching the boat for race week.  All three of us left Whistler feeling much more prepared and confident for a successful race week!   

 

 

*** Penticton Race and Whistler Rehearsal Comparison ***

 

 

 

***************************************************************

 

 

Soon enough it was race week and with boat in tow and Heidi tucked into the crew cab of the truck we were headed to Whistler!  I felt very prepared although I knew I’d have to temper my excitement on the swim start to ward of another SIPE incident.  Although nowhere near as light as the “fast girls”, I headed into the race lighter, faster and stronger than I had personally been on any year to date.  We were ready! 

 

 

 

*** MOJO Exchange with Ann *** 

Lavaman 2013

 

From “DQ” to “#2” and We Say “Oh YES” to an Ono Recovery Fishing Trip

We arrived on the Big Island for our fourth tri-camp and Lavaman retreat with mixed emotions.  A year ago we had been joined by my entire family including my parents, my brother Kyle and his wife Katie.  In the year that transpired, Katie had passed away and as the plane touched down we found ourselves unusually contemplative.  Kyle would join us along with our friend Kaitlyn, but the family was different and Katie was gone.  Lavaman hosts a 5K run on the Friday before the race.  By sheer coincidence, it was held precisely on the six-month anniversary of Katie’s passing.  Kyle and Kaitlyn ran the race in shirts honoring Katie. 

 *** Honoring Katie: The stencil is in Katie’s handwriting. ***

On a happier front, the six weeks prior to the race had been a flurry of decidedly NON-triathlon house buying activities. We made an offer on our dream house January 28^th, closed February 15^th and moved in on March 3^rd. Zoom! We were immersed in an entirely different kind of chaos that included completely repainting, re-flooring, furnishing and moving into the new house in addition to renting our old house. For the first time in several years I missed planned workouts and arrived at the race feeling much less prepared than usual. But, with a healthy dose of perspective firmly in place, I was mindful that these are good problems to have and vowed to simply enjoy my time and to do my best.

 

 *** Training Cliff: Not exactly an ideal build for Lavaman.  Or maybe a double-top-secret taper? ***

Lavaman!

We had a glorious week of swimming, biking, running and pupu-ing (Hawaiian appetizers!) with our first coaches Julie & Duncan, and our motley crew of like-minded tri geeks. Soon enough, the morning of Lavaman was upon us! 

*** Pre-Lavaman Group Ride: Fun in the sun! *** 

Swim: 29:16

After a minor meltdown over my (lack of) swimming progress over the winter, superhero Mark had swooped in to save the day. He enlisted the help of local tri-stud Erin E. and I’d spent ten weeks working with (the ridiculously patient) Erin at zero-dark-thirty on Friday mornings. He helped improve my stroke significantly and if 1,000 yard time trials were any indication, I was swimming faster than ever. Logic would dictate that my Lavaman swim time would be improved as well but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I got a good start and felt I swam well but still came out of the water almost three minutes slower than last year.

  *** Out of the Water: Not thrilled with my time but perspective firmly in place! ***

 

I heard from a lot of other racers that it was a “slow swim”with the current working against us. While the results seem to validate their sentiments, it certainly would have helped if I’d swum a straight line! D’oh, d’oh, d’oh! I reminded myself that in the grand scheme of things all that mattered was that I do my best and headed up the beach to T-1.

 *** Swimming Straight: It’s an art I haven’t mastered, apparently. Mark offered that perhaps I was trying to swim the outline of the Stanley Cup? Thanks Mark. Superhero status revoked, for now. *** 

 

T-1: 2:24

T-1 was no drama mama. There were still a lot of bikes on the racks which gave me hope that I wasn’t DFL coming out of the water, but I was pretty sure the fasties were well in front of me.

 

Bike: 1:06:34 (22.4 MPH)

Here’s where it got (and stayed) interesting. Right off the bat I launched my water on a speed bump coming out of the Hilton. A helpful volunteer picked it up for me but I couldn’t bear the thought of the time lost (and potential crash caused) by turning around to retrieve it so I elected to push on without. Luckily, it was an overcast day and I didn’t feel thirsty until I approached the turnaround where I grabbed a bottle at the aid station.

 

 

*** Feeling Groovy: Pushing the targeted watts outbound and considering turning it up on the return! ***

 

I was able to Jennerate (ha!) the targeted 180 – 185 watts comfortably and felt pleased with the effort. I hadn’t been passed by a single woman but again, figured the fast gals were in front of me and guessed based on the swim time I was still sitting at around 15^th place.

 

Then, without warning coming out of the turnaround, the shizz hit the fan. As I got back up to speed on the turn, I came upon two cyclists who were camped out on the shoulder. My options were: 1 – run into them, 2 – stop suddenly and have someone run into me or 3 – pass them on their left and (slightly!!!!) cross the (one of FOUR!!!) white fog line. I passed safely and got back underway only to be swooped upon by a referee from behind who announced like an umpire: “You’re out!” Um… “Excuse me?” I asked. “You’re over the white line and disqualified!” and he zoomed off. WTF? 

 

*** Scene of the Crime: I’d crossed a white fog line and been declared disqualified while maneuvering around a couple of camped out cyclists. Never mind that it was one of FOUR fog lines at that point and that I was avoiding a collision. Sigh. ***  

 

 

Here’s where my mental toughness was tested. What I really wanted to do is pull over and cry. Crying, as we will see later, seemed to be my default reaction to any strong emotion on the day. What I did instead was push on at those targeted watts. Would they pull me off the course as I headed out onto the run? Would I be banned for life from any future triathlon? Oh geeze – stop with the drama I told myself. And remember, in the grand scheme of things what really matters is you do your best and the bike was my strength. So, I stayed strong (ish), pedaled on and headed back towards T-2.

 

 

T-2: 1:34

I arrived in T-2 a bit discombobulated. Half surprised there was no referee waiting with handcuffs, I found myself free to continue onto the run. Simple enough, you’d think. Take off left bike shoe, put on left run shoe. Take off right bike shoe, put (back!) on right bike shoe. Start to run. D’oh! Turn around. Take of right bike shoe AGAIN, put on right RUN shoe and yes, now I was off on the run!
 

Run: 50:41 (8:10 mm)

Other than the mental challenge of knowing I’d likely been disqualified, I felt good on the run. And there was a silver lining: For the first time at Lavaman I wasn’t passed by a parade of fleet footed women. In fact, I was only passed by a few other ladies and they didn’t appear to be in my age group. Figuring I was simply holding my position within the race and that I wouldn’t record an official finish anyway, I ran strong to the finish. I repeated the mantra to simply DO MY BEST!

 

*** Lavafield Run: Tricky footing along the coastline but FUN! ***

 At the finish line I was cheered in by Kyle and Katilyn. Shortly thereafter (with a PR finish!) Mark joined us. I hadn’t said much other than I’d had a good race, not wanting to sour the atmosphere. The organizers had flyers posted all around the finish area where you could use your smartphone to look up your finish time. I scanned, plugged in my number and my result popped up: Second in my age group – what would be my highest finish ever. At that moment, I began to consider that it just might matter after all. 

 

 

*** Lavaman Results: Second of a hundred finishers in my age group! It also appeared I’d had the fastest bike split and a not-quite-horrible swim.   ***

 

We headed out to pick up our bikes and I still hadn’t said much, though the peeps were already encouraging me to challenge the ruling. I didn’t want everyone to have to wait for me to talk it over with a referee and it had been a long day already. I intended to just head back to home, but as I rolled out of transition I noticed it had a little strip of red duct tape tagged on my shifter, like a scarlet letter. Yep, IT MATTERED. I handed my bike off to Kyle and promised to just have a quick chat with a referee to validate the decision so we could get out of there. 

Back at the finish line I rounded up a nice referee easily enough and explained the scenario with my lower lip trembling. He seemed interested and even drew out a diagram (while I cried, apologetically) of the course and what happened to make sure he understood. Mark, Kyle and Kaitlyn joined me while the referee called the most senior referee to talk it over. More tears. More waiting. Finally the referee came over and let me know that the ruling had been overturned, and I was no longer disqualified. He was rewarded with even MORE tears. Classy, I know. 

 



 *** Overturned! ***

What a relief! My finish would hold and I’d be back on the podium! Unfortunately, that meant more waiting for the ever-patient peeps, but they were glad to do so and soon enough I was collecting some hardware!     Thanks again for hanging out Julie, Duncan, Mark, Kyle, Katilyn, Andy, Jenn, Gene, Stacey and our own paparazzi Cris! 

 

 

*** Team Chillin': Post race beers help keep the peeps happy while we wait! ***

The awards included a mug, a custom Lavaman bracelet, a gift certificate to the local bike shop and the requisite lei!

 

*** Women’s 35 – 39 Age Group Winners! Yes, I cried. Go figure. ***

 

 

 

 

 

*** Julie and Jenn: Double Hardware! ***

 

Race Recovery Fishing Trip: We say “Oh Yes” to Ono!

After a long day at the races, we’ve begun to somewhat regularly reward ourselves with a nice relaxing day of fishing.  This year we were invited by Julie and Duncan’s Kona neighbor, Ernie, to spend the day on his boat fishing off the Kona coast.    Ernie proved to be an extremely gracious host who clearly revels in sharing his love of fishing with others.  With that, first thing Monday morning we were on the water enjoying the sunshine with our feet up. 

 

*** Fish On! Hey now, so much for relaxing - this is hard work!  ***

 

 

*** Fish in the Boat! No getting out of here now, Mr. Ono. ***

 

 

*** Weighty! Kyle gaffed it and after Mark beat it with a stick we were eager to get an unofficial weight. ***

*** Big ‘Un: Let me try to lift this myself… ***

 

 

*** Mark to the Rescue: Much easier to just cheer him on.  Superhero status reinstated! ***

 

 

 *** Official Weigh In: Go Team! ***

 

***Ernie: Our gracious host was quite pleased with our catch and this fillet! ***

 

 

*** Just Add Wasabi: No cooking necessary!  ****

 

A big Mahalo to all who enjoyed this trip with us and those who cheered us on from afar.  We may not be back next year, but will always treasure our time on the Big Island! 

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.