The BIG Day!!!

We arrived down in Lake Placid the Tuesday before the race and did some light training as part of our final taper. It was nice to be around other people that had been experiencing the preparation and we enjoyed discussing our training schedules and the little things we had discovered along the way. On Saturday we dropped off our transition bags and bike in the transition area. It felt good having all of that organized with all the little things I would need on race day. The night before the race I had a wonderful spaghetti dinner with all my family and close friends that came down to cheer at the race. At first the week seemed to take sooo long and then finally Sunday was there.

We woke up at 4 a.m. sharp to have breakfast and then walked down to the transition area around 5 a.m. First I pumped up my tires with air, I had let out some the night before to ensure my tubes didn't burst while it sat in the transition area from the heat the day before...the last thing you need on race day is a flat tire to start out. After filling my tires I set out to the area where I would drop off my special need bags. I forgot to get body marked with my race number! Made it back to the body marking area and then went down to the water to see everyone before setting off. Wow, time fly's by...it was 6:30 a.m. and I quickly said my farewell to everyone before getting into the water. I have to admit, it was very emotional for some reason? In the water I decided that since there were so many people (3900 approximately) it really wouldn't matter where I placed myself and figured there was no better place than to get right in the thick of it.

The gun went off at 7 a.m. and it was on! The giant washing machine began and from my perspective everything felt as if it were in slow motion compared to what I had expected. I told myself "you have swam 4 kms before, just not with so many people...you'll be fine". I moved with the herd and dug deep in parts to get past a few and found a solid rhythm in the water. About 5 minutes into the swim I found the line marking the course and navigated around the buoy's with only getting bumped a few times. Two full loops of the course and I was finished the swim in 1 hr 10 minutes. There was a short or long, depending on which way you look at it, up to the transition area.
I located my bike bag and moved into the changing tent, put on all my stuff, loaded up with sunscreen, grabbed my bike and off I went. The bike felt steady and fast, trying to ease into and manage to balance things out that I had learnt in training. I ate either a gel or cliff bar every 1/2 hour along with a salt pill...tried to have a variety and thrown in a peanut butter bagel just for something different and some gummy bears along with my fluids. The first loop went well and it was nice to see everyone coming into town, the crowd really charges you up to go back out again for the final 90 kms. Again, gels, cliff bars, and salt pills with fluids too...I exchanged my eload bottle at my special need bag. I had also packed some twizzlers as an extra treat but didn't end up taking them....everything felt great! The second loop went relatively smooth as well pushing through the different sections and up the rolling hills amongst the Adirondack Mountains. Coming into the last stretch of the bike I tried to let my legs spin gently a bit to prepare for the run. A volunteer took my bike for me and I grabbed my next transition bag for the run and headed back into the changing tent for the final event. Bike time was 6 hrs 50 minutes for 180 kms....much better than I had expected!
As I went out on the run through the crowds there was this amazing feeling of "I can't believe I'm doing this?" with a big smile across my face. Not once during the race did I feel things were unmanageable and I tried to focus on one thing at a time. As I set out of town at the first aid station I stopped to use the washroom which was surprisingly the first time since I got in the water. My fear for the run was that my ongoing hamstring injury would be aggravated the entire run. I had hoped that it wouldn't bother me right at the beginning, I knew at some point it would hurt, the longer I could prolong it the better. Well, the hamstring and my whole left leg cooperated throughout the whole run. I walked for a short period through the aid stations and up a few hills finishing the run in 4 hrs 45 minutes. The spirits were high on the run and I ran on and off with a gentleman that I know through swimming; Gilles. As we rounded the corner of the oval he motioned for me to go first since it was my first Ironman....how sweet! I came in smiling the whole way finishing 13:05:22 truly an amazing day I will never forget!

Fine Tuning

Last weekend I went up to Peterborough for my recovery day to cheer friends who were racing. It was a stinking hot day and I must admit I was a little sad that I wasn't racing for a moment. Everyone pushed so hard and were very glad to see the finish line at the end of the day. The thing I love most about triathlons is there is such a strong community of people who are supportive and proud of each other's accomplishments no matter what. There are so many different types of ages, abilities, and body types in the tri series of races and it amazing to see their test of endurance.

A little more than 2 weeks away....eeekk! I think I've managed to get all my jitters out and after our last big training weekend in Placid I feel ready and prepared for the race. I've done the work and followed the schedule. Things have began to taper this week in preparation for race day. Now I'm making lists of things to bring or of what needs to be done and stocking up on nutritional vices. Last night I went for a deep tissue massage with the famous Cesar who painfully worked out my kinks and knots that have built up from the many hours of training. There were points where I thought as if I would jump off the table and had to take in some deep breathes as he worked through things. He is amazing at what he does and I wouldn't have it any other way as it helps in the recovery of your training, pain is a state of mind.

My bike will go in to see Brian at Enduro after next weekend to get Chip all prepared for Placid. The countdown is on!

Lake Placid Training

Annette and I set off with our friends John and Sarah to Lake Placid for our last BIG training weekend. We arrived on Friday afternoon anxious to hit the road and experience one loop of the bike course; 90 kms, followed by a short run off the bike. Coach John set out a good schedule for us over the weekend which he had used in his previous years training for Ironman.

The town was buzzing with fellow triathletes all down to train on the course as well. Saturday our game plan was to swim one loop of the course; 2 kms, and then cycle the full 180 kms on the bike. Down at Mirror lake we suited up for the swim and took a nice pace along a marked course. There were other people we knew down training for the weekend as well and would periodically see them and could chat about training stories. As we were getting ready to set out for the bike and I was checking that I had all my food and supplies I realized that I had left my water bottles with eload and fly back at the hotel. For those of you who do not know what eload or fly are, they are very important calories that are part of the fuel I need to get through the distance. I opted to get bottles of Gatorade instead of going all the way back to the hotel which at the time seemed like a better idea. One of our fellow cyclist Mark very graciously offered me his bottles of eload and took the Gatorade I bought...thanks so much Mark! He was cycling that day out of pure pleasure and insisted since I was prepping for the race that I should take his bottles. Off we went, everyone at their own pace. It was good to break it up into sections so I could anticipate how far everything was....and it was far! The weather was on and off rainy and warm so it was hard to know what to wear, first I had my rain slicker on then I took it off and then I needed to put it back on again. Hopefully I will not waste so much time in the actual race. On the second loop I began to eat one of my cliff bars when I hit a bump and it bounced out of my hand. Bye bye to my cliff bar, I thought about going back and getting but I just wanted to keep my focus ahead. The descent down Keane is very steep however with the rain I held on tight and made many promises to the man upstairs for a safe trip to the bottom. In the next area known as Jay I began to feel sluggish. I had eaten my bagel, gels, and a cliff bar (the one I had not dropped), plus hydrated with water and the eload drink. I never thought it was possible to fall asleep on your bike, although I came very close, my energy level was going down. This must be what I've heard people refer to as "bonking". Luckily there was a gas station up ahead and I had enough money with me to buy some Gatorade and 2 more protein bars. Once I ate a bar I felt much better...phew, that was close! Well, at least I'm learning and I know what NOT to do on race day. Finished the full 180 kms on the bike and went for a little run to get the legs moving. Back at the hotel we had snacks and prepared dinner, the day was pretty much complete. We still had enough energy to hit Ben and Jerry's for some ice cream before heading to bed. What a day!

Sunday we were back at it again with the full swim of 4 kms down at Mirror Lake. The swim is definitely something I feel comfortable with and is doable. What I do wonder, is how do you mentally prepare to swim with 2500 other people??? I contemplated whether I should tread water for 20 minutes and let everyone else battle it out first. On the other hand, maybe I can round up everyone I know over the next 4 weeks to swim with me down at Cherry Beach. My cousin Melanie has graciously offered to paddle along side of me in a boat and beat me every so often with an ore. It is so nice that no matter what, everyone is so helpful...lol! When we finished the swim I managed a long run of an hour and a half. Things are feeling better with my hamstring and I'm managing to run more comfortably. The key is to not aggravate it again and not increase my time too quickly at this point. Homeward bound to Toronto after a nice big lunch at the Tail o Pub.

We accomplished a lot this weekend and thankful to have a recovery week ahead of us. The next month will move into tapering before the big race. Not long now!

Guelph 2010

It was yet again another big training weekend, with a long ride on Saturday north of the city we ventured through Markham, Stouffville, Uxbridge, etc. for a total of 6 hours and 15 minutes followed by a 1/2 hour run off the bike. These long rides seem to wizz by and the fact that I can walk the next day amazes me! The gradual build up in cycling has paid off and my endurance is building. A celebratory meal at Tim Horton's finished off our training day before heading home. Needless to say I was pretty wiped and between doing some laundry and grocery shopping the day was pretty much done. The days are just flying by!

Sunday was an Olympic triathlon in Guelph. Annette and I set off at 6 am to drive up and prepare to race "tired". Meaning, on top of all our training that week, it was suggested to do a race to practice nutrition and transitions plus tackle an open water swim. It took a bit longer than usual to get out to Guelph and there was a bit of a line to get into the Conservation Area where the race would be starting. We quickly set up in the transition area, collected our race kit, and made one last stop at the washroom before heading down to the water. 1500 meter swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run...piece of cake, right! I made it down to the water with a few minutes to spare, whipped on my goggles and cap just in time to hear GO!!! It was a mass start with over 600 people in the water all part of the giant "washing machine" in the lake. I kicked hard and tried to dig deep to get out of the pack although I was in quite a thick spot with other swimmers. As I arrived at the first buoy I wondered if it was a double loop, I could not remember and figured, oh well, I'll just follow everyone else. It was a double loop, so when we arrived at the shore we jogged along the beach and went back into the water to do it again. By this time it had spread out a bit luckily. On my way up to the transition area Irene came up behind me and gave me a friendly tap on the shoulder and off we went. The bike was steady with a bit of head wind and rolling hills. It was a beautiful day! Coming in after finishing the bike I prepared to dismount at the line and lost my balance falling off my bike yet again, fortunately with no injury. I have become good at bouncing back from the pavement. I nearly took Claire out who came up behind me and lost her balance. In some ways I was thankful it was her and not some stranger, Claire was ok and we moved in and out of the transition area into the run. The day was pretty hot and I had tried to set myself up to take it at an easy pace and not push it with my hamstring still not being 100 %. It felt a bit tight for the first couple kms and then I managed a comfortable pace finishing just over 3 hours. Phew!!!

There is such a strong community of triathletes always cheering and there for the support of others. After hitting the food tent we usually find our groups and congratulate our peers followed by swapping stories about the race. Everyone pretty much agreed that the swim was BRUTAL! Another successful training weekend completed.

Zephyr

Did you know there is a place called Zephyr? A little town in Uxbridge: Uxbridge is a township in south-central Ontario, in the Regional Municipality of Durham in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The main centre in the township is the namesake community of Uxbridge. Other communities within the township include Coppins Corners, Goodwood, Leaskdale, Roseville, Sandford, Sandy Hook, Siloam, Victoria Corners and Zephyr.

Reminds me of the children's book: Oh the places you'll go??? by Dr. Seuss. So close to the city, yet so far on your bicycle. This past Saturday's ride left Leslie and Elgin Mills as usual at 7:30 am. The mission was 5 1/2 hours on the bike followed by a 1/2 hour run. We attempted the Zephyr loop which brought us into the small town that had a gas station and convenience store all in one...and that was it! Happy to see the sign "Welcome to Zephyr" we bought some more water and hit the open road again. That day I went somewhere I had never been before.

Later, a little unsure where we had ended up as we tried to make our way back and discovered we were on Brock Road in Pickering which was a bit farther east than anticipated. Oh well, it was good for the mileage...140 kms later and only a bit of rain, it was a great day to ride!

Ottawa

This past weekend I set off to Ottawa for the Rideau Bike Tour. The 39th anniversary of this event is a cycling tour from Ottawa to Kingston on the Saturday and then cyclist return back to Ottawa on the Sunday; a total of 354 kms over 2 days. This was a good opportunity to ride the distance of Ironman. Saturday was a beautiful day despite the weather reports for rain. The first half was relatively flat with some small inclines. With the warm sun heating up throughout the day it was important to stay well hydrated and ensure you took in enough calories. Nutrition was another reason for doing this event and practice carrying your food to eat along the way. Again with water, eload, bagels bites, gels, gummy bears, and cliff bars I felt well prepared for good energy. There were rest stops roughly every 40 kms that had port-o-potties and water. Some of the stops sold food along the way, my goal was to stop as little as possible. There was a little bit of discomfort in my hip for a bit which seemed to surpass. The last half of the first day had more rolling hills, again good climbing repeats. It was so nice to see the "Welcome to Kingston" sign although it gave me the false impression of being close to the end. There were some nice costing opportunities and it was about another 35 kms till we arrived at Queens University around 4 o'clock that afternoon. I felt pretty strong getting off the bike, no big aches and pains. Throughout part of the ride I was experiencing toe cramps, possibly from the heat. It is a very unusual feeling, kind of hot and tingly. I have never been the fastest in cycling and I have come to accept what I am capable of. At times I have felt like a bit of a lone ranger; never fast enough to keep up with the packs but can keep a steady pace. I like my steady pace, it has improved and there is always room to build upon.

Queens University has a beautiful campus that seems to hold a lot of history. My room assignment was in Victoria Hall. Funny enough, I had a conversation with some girlfriends earlier that week about university. Since I never went away to school I had wondered if I missed out on anything and the whole dorm room experience. As I opened the door of my room and looked at my accommodations for the night I instantly realized I did not miss anything, although, the room did resembled something much like I had stayed in Hong Kong...he he he!

That evening there was a massive buffet dinner put on with a variety of food after a long days ride. Having burnt close to 5,000 calories that day I ate as much as I could, then Annette and I went to Starbuck's and had a cookie with our tea before turning in for the night. It was an early night in preparation for an early morning to get a head start on the long ride back to Ottawa.

The next morning we were not so fortunate for nice weather and it rained all day. At first a lot, then a little, then it teemed down, and then it would back off a bit. As if that wasn't bad enough, we had cool temperatures and a strong North East wind coming straight at us. All those nice coasting hills on the way into Kingston were not appreciated enough the day before. We had some pretty hefty hills to conquer that day and it became harder and harder with the weather conditions. I'm sure by now most people are reading saying, what the heck! There were times were I said "WIND, you are not my friend" but somehow you manage to push through. It was a good mental challenge because part of endurance training is mind over matter, you need to get into a bit of a zone and block out those distractions. Realistically the weather is a gamble at any time and you never know what you will face on race day. Again, I practiced nutrition battling the attempts to feed myself with one hand. At one of the washroom stops I utilized my time in line for the port-o-pottie by eating my banana with 2 hands. Suddenly it came my turn and I quickly entered the toilet and sat down continuing to eat my banana. Ewwwww, somehow this did not seem sanitary, although I did not seem to care so much vs. balancing on my bike. There are some things that are probably best unsaid. I really took a lot away from this weekend and feel like my cycling has come along and on track for the Ironman ahead of me. The legs feel good and I feel mentally prepared for the challenge.

My friend Jenn who was waiting for us in Ottawa and driving us back to T.O. was nice enough to take us to her parents house close by for a hot shower and something to warm our belly at the end of it all. We are forever grateful for the hospitality and generosity given by the Tapper family opening their home!

Training Camp

For the weekend of May 28th I signed up for a training camp put on by the Toronto Triathlon Club in Collingwood. We stayed in some great little chalets close to the Blue Mountain Village that seemed oddly familiar. Once inside to unpack I realized these same chalets where ones that I had rented with a large group of friends many winters ago for a ski weekend. Recalling the fun turn of events so long ago I figured that this time would be a much different experience from partying with friends in your college years.

Saturday morning was a bit of a late early morning wake up at 6 am...lol! We started with a nutritious breakfast to start off the day before we set off on our bikes, while others participated in a yoga class. On long training days I try to get the most out of a good breakfast because I know it will be the last REAL food I will be eating for many hours. The 5-6 hr bike rides are usually gels, cliff bars, eload, water, and as a treat gummy bears. I recently discovered from a fellow triathlete that peanut butter on bagels cut up into bite size pieces is a good carb loader, anything to mix it up a bit. A few of us set off at 8 am to get a head start from the others schedule and then looped around to meet them at 9 am. Collingwood is beautiful in the Spring too, I had only been up there for skiing before. There were many rolling hills to practice climbing and I am feeling more and more confident on my bike as the rides get longer and longer. We covered around 120 kms on Saturday and then went for a run off the bike almost immediately after. Poof, there goes the day! The hamstring issue is still lingering unfortunately although I'm trying to do what I can without pushing it too much in the running area.

Later that Saturday afternoon we had 2 clinic discussions with guest speakers. First we had a registered nutritionist talk about balancing your diet and eating during training. It was great to hear all the suggestions she had and I really felt on track with eating properly. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I love food and have a very healthy appetite. I began to get involved with the triathlons cause I was tired of the regular gym routine and wanting to stay in shape. I pretty much work out so I can eat what I want.

The other guest speakers where Louise and Dave who are long time triathelete's with many years of racing under their belt. Louise 67 years old and Dave at 71 years have traveled to many places and competed in several distances and just returned from Ironman Utah. Louise has completed 21 Ironman distances....unbelievable! Listening to them speak so passionately about the sport and training made me really realize why I started doing this; a healthy lifestyle and personal strength....and of course let's not forget the food :) She reflected at the end of our discussion to the first gold medal won at the Olympics when Alexandre Bilodeau stated....how lucky are we to be able to participate in such events...well said!

The large group of us went into the village that night and enjoyed a nice hearty meal surrounded by good friends and exchanged training stories. Some of us headed for the hot tub to soak our muscles after. Ben enjoyed being in the mix of all the ladies...big surprise!