2010 Subaru Ironman Canada Race Report Pt2

***Make sure to read the previous post before tackling this one***

I had no idea how the race would go. The "A" goal when I signed up was to do something similar to what Astrid had done and best my previous time by an 1hr (~11:51). The "B" goal was to match my 2007 performance or do slightly better(~12:51:18). The "C" goal, as always, is to finish before the 17hr cut-off.

I rented my cousin’s house in Penticton and invited 3 of my friends (Todd, Dan, & James) who were also competing to stay with me. It was a great atmosphere in the house as everyone was relaxed and ready. Dan, James, and I were all Ironman veterans. Todd was doing his first, but didn’t show any nervousness. Astrid and Greta flew out a couple of days before the race to show support. It was wonderful having them there, but it was a lot of work for Astrid and caused me a bit of stress too. The main goal of the last week of training before race day is to get as much rest as possible. Astrid knew this so she was, by default, responsible for looking after Greta in the middle of the night (so that the “Ironmen” could sleep). Astrid had been going through a hard transition back into the workforce after her maternity leave and equally needed the rest, but I wasn’t able to provide any help until after the race. It would have been a lot easier on both of us for Astrid to have just stayed back in Calgary, where looking after Greta is an easier task, but she wanted to show her support. Though I worried about her, I was glad she was there.

I actually slept pretty well the night before the race and wasn’t anxious at all going through my morning routine. I grabbed my gear, ate breakfast, used the facilities, kissed Astrid goodbye, and headed off to the race start with my friends just after 5am. In just under 2 hours, I was about to race my 2nd Ironman.

I got through body marking fairly quickly, then did my last minute bike checks, pumped up the tires, set up food and liquids, and was able to get in line early for one of the limited port-o-potties available. I was very relaxed and after finally using the facilities I got zipped up in my wetsuit and headed for the swim start.

I managed to find Todd and Mike Smith (another friend of mine and the husband of Krista from my 2007 blog) and wished them both a good day. The start of Ironman is always the most exciting part of the day and for the athletes it’s filled with incredible tension. It was obvious that Mike and Todd were nervous(this being their 1st Ironman), but they also looked ready and I gave them the usual “Be proud! You’ve made it to the start line!” speech. For myself, I was surprisingly calm. My heart rate was only around 65bpm. I chose to start near Mike and Todd on the right side of the swim course. Technically speaking this will make for a longer swim, but it is usually less crowded. I don’t fear the crowds, but with 2800 people starting (a new Ironman record) I was concerned that it might get a little crazier than I was expecting.

At 7am the horn sounded(No canon this year). We were off. I managed to start swimming fairly quickly and was punch and kicked quite a few times as everyone sorted themselves out, but I managed to stay relaxed and before I knew it I was swimming with a fast pack and getting a good draft. In 2007 I overexerted myself in the swim trying to stay with certain swimmers and was lightheaded getting out of the water. This time around I just focused on myself and tried to stay calm. I managed to stay in a fairly straight line on the way out to the first buoy, and fought my way through the congestion to the second buoy. I had to make a few course corrections on the way back home after the second turn, but I still felt great and crossed the swim finish with a new PB of 1:04:13, 5 minutes faster than my 2007 swim. And I wasn’t light headed at all. I swam faster and with less effort. It was a good start to the day and I was able to get through transition quickly (5min, compared to 6 in 2007). Now it was time to start the bike course.

IMC2010 was forecasted to be cool weather, with a high of 20. There was debate about what to wear on the bike since it was going to be around 10 degrees after exiting the swim. I was fine with my regular gear and avoided putting on anything extra. I was excited about the ride. I was on the same setup that I was in 2007, but I had upgraded to race wheels since then and purchased an aero helmet. I flew down to Osoyoos. I completed the first 65km in under 2hrs. Granted, it’s mostly downhill and with a tailwind, but I was careful not to push too hard and still managed to stay with the lead pack I left the swim with. New purchases justified. Unfortunately, once we started climbing Richter Pass I was dropped like I was standing still. I could hold my own on the flats, but couldn’t stay with them going up the big hills without going anaerobic. In 2007, I got frustrated that I was getting passed in the hills and started pushing harder to prevent much damage. This caused me to have knee issues later in the ride and I debated quitting while sitting in T2 with such sore knees before a marathon. This year, I let them go. I kept reminding myself to think of the bigger picture. There was still a lot of riding to do and then the marathon.

I continued to get passed on the rollers, which were made more difficult by the headwind blowing down the Similkimeen Valley, but I managed to hold my own on the flats to Keremeos. I enjoyed the southern portion of the Out & Back(with a tailwind again) and restocked my perogies (potato, cheese & bacon) at the Special Needs station. Perhaps it was just psychological, but it was at this point that I decided I needed some more energy before heading back into the headwind and the climb to Yellow lake so I stopped using Nuun (my electrolyte drink) and switched to Gatorade. In retrospect, there was no need for this. I wasn’t tired, I just couldn’t keep up without going anaerobic. Drinking Gatorade wasn’t going to solve this, but it might allow me to feel better about going into the sugar burning zones knowing I had excess sugar waiting to be used. This was dumb and was a dangerous situation. Once you commit to using sugar, the body reacts by producing insulin and if you don’t maintain a constant supply, you will eventually bonk. Some athletes do well on sugar, but if you are not used to it, it can hurt you. Sugar is also the number one cause of GI issues (Methane is a by-product of sugar burning). Besides the gas, excess sugar ferments so you need to make sure that you burn every ounce you intake to avoid too much fermentation in your gut. But these are thoughts you have when you are sane. After 120km of cycling and staring at more brutal riding to come, Gatorade seemed like a good idea. I would pay the price later.

I got through the northern part of the O&B without too much difficulty and turned the corner at Keremos to start the long climb to Yellow Lake. It’s not a hard climb, with a gentle grade most of the way, but the winds were blowing VERY HARD and right into your face. On a 2% grade, most people were in their lowest gear and barely staying above 15kph. Then, to add insult to injury, it started raining. Aero wheels really don’t do alot when you can’t get over 20kph, but the aero helmet was actually a great thing to have in the rain as it sheltered my head and neck and allowed for better vision through the visor and not rain soaked glasses. The last section of the yellow lake climb is steeper and the crowds line up to cheer you on. I felt good. No knee problems, and I wasn’t getting passed anymore (perhaps I finally got sorted to where I should be). The descent back to Penticton was fast and I managed to gain back a few spots, but when I finally crossed the line, my split was 6:29:34, almost 17min slower than 2007. Hmmm... Good thing I had those race wheels. On the plus side, I handed off my bike to a volunteer and ran through transition quickly in 6.5min, 4min faster than 2007 (thanks mostly to my knees feeling good).

The net loss at that point was only 7min less than 2007, but it was looking unlikely that I would reach my “A” goal without putting in the run of a lifetime. That said, as long as my running had improved, I should still be able to beat my previous time and meet the “B” goal. I started the run still feeling fresh. My legs were barely affected by the bike, which surprised me given how few brick workouts I had done. Never-the-less, I was running at the pace I wanted to be at and wasn’t about to complain. But after a couple of kilometres into the run the Gatorade came back for revenge and I was forced to stop at the next 6 aid stations to use the facilities. When I was running, I ran at a decent pace, but all the stops were adding up.

To make matters worse, the leg cramps which had plagued me for the past few months flared up and forced me to walk up a few hills, and by the time I reached OK Falls, I knew I was going to be walking most of the distance home. My “B” goal was now out of reach. All that was left to do was to try and enjoy myself and avoid any further injury that might force me to abandon. It was a long walk, made worse after a volunteer accidentally dumped water on my left shoe, but I finally made it back to Lake Shore Drive where I found Astrid and Greta waiting for me. I pushed through the pain for the last couple hundred meters, my left foot aching from the blisters that had developed, and managed to get the crowd cheering as I entered the finishing chute, crossing the line in 13:37:04.

When I crossed the line in 2007, I was tired but relatively pain free. This time around, my legs were dying, but I was barely winded. Grant Molyneux, a former coach, happened to be my finishline catcher and he thought I looked perfectly fine. I wasn’t that interested in hanging out in the finishing area very long. I grabbed my finishing gear, got my picture taken, and left to find Astrid.

What I wanted was to get home and share some beer and pizza with my friends. I didn’t achieve the race results I was looking for when I signed up but I can’t complain about the results given the training I had put in. My friends had all achieved personal bests, finishing well ahead of me, but I still had lots to celebrate. I had managed to complete an Ironman in the same year I had a baby.

REFLECTIONS:

What worked well...

• I had a great base. I think this, more than anything else, is what was able to get me through Ironman in a decent amount of time and still feel fresh afterwards. I lacked the power to go faster, not the energy. In other words, the machine was working well, I just needed a bigger engine.

• I had a fantastic swim. Swimming is all about technique, and clearly I've improved since 2007. I also didn't lose too much technique training on my own this year and training less frequently.

• My position on the bike was good and I didn't suffer from any aches and pains. The only question I have now is whether I can get more aggressive with my position and still ride pain free.

• My transitions were fast and I felt good starting each event.

• My running started out great and I was able to keep up with those around me. Infact, when I was able to run I was passing a fair number of people. If only I could have avoided the cramping.
What needs improvement...

• Not having a nutritionist this year meant I had no one to be accountable too, and I wasn't able to lose the weight I should have. Endurance racing is all about Power to Weight ratio. Which means you get much more benefit from weight loss than strength training. Unfortunately, though I'm a healthier eater today, I'm still not as healthy as I should be and need that accountability to stay focused

• My bike fitness has declined. I could argue that weather conditions were worse this year, but that wouldn't be enough. The race wheels and aero helmet should have compensated for that. I could also argue that I pushed too hard in 2007, but realistically I just didn't have the power. My weight might have been similar to what it was in 2007, but I wasn't as lean. Which means I was still in better shape back then and had a better P:W ratio.

• Gatorade is terrible. I drank it for the psycological boost and suffered from GI issues as a result. It was during one of my port-o-potty visits that the cramping started. Going from a run to the sitting position without a cool down is a recipe for disaster. I think if I could have avoided the facilities, I wouldn’t have felt leg pains for quite some time. That said...

• My legs were not accustomed to long runs. It was obvious after the half way point that my legs were done. They just weren't used to running that far. I hadn't gone over that distance since 2007.

• I’m not sure I chose the best shoe for the marathon. I bought a pair of Zoot Ultra Racing Flats (aka “Zoonies”) the previous season that I used only in competition. They were great in everything I competed in, and should have been an excellent shoe for “barefoot style” running. The Zoonies are designed to be run in barefeet. For ironman, I threw on a pair of socks. When barefoot, water drains easily out of the shoe. With the socks on, I developed blisters in the shoe that got wet. I’m not certain I wouldn’t have developed blisters without the socks, but if socks were important, I should have stuck with the Newtons I did all my long training runs in, including the Vancouver Half Marathon.

• Lack of rest and recovery. Though both are important to complete a training cycle. Having a newborn meant that rest and recovery were low priorities compared to giving my wife a break and spending time with my daughter and helping out around the house. I learned the hard way that you can't do both properly. I don't regret having a child, I regret having the expectations that I could do everything.

THANKS

There are two people I really want to thank this year. The first is my wife who supported me in going after another Ironman knowing we were going to have a baby. Hopefully I wasn't too much of a burden this year. It was a very tricky balancing act. I love her and can't thank her enough for making sure our daughter was always well looked after while I was out on a long ride or run.

The second is Todd Houston. Todd has been a friend of mine for years and has always been active in cycling among other things. He and his family came out to IMC2007 to watch and Todd obviously got the bug, because he decided he wanted to sign up. He had never done a triathlon before and I tried to take him under my wing and help him out wherever I could. Todd is also the kind of guy who, once he decides to pursue something, he commits fully. Todd immersed himself in Triathlon and it wasn't long before he was more knowledgeable in the sport than I was, and beating me at every race we competed in together. And as much as I wanted to push Todd, he was able to push me as well. He was also incredibly well disciplined, completely changing his diet and lifestyle to become the best performing machine he could be. Some might have called it obsessive, but I feel he was just committed. He never neglected any of his family or friends and became the perfect model of how to live life as an Ironman. It was incredible time management. I can honestly say that I envy his accomplishments this year more than my own and I'm very proud of him. He finished IMC2010 in 11:52 (yes... that was my "A" goal... bastard) I can't wait to see what he's going to do next year. I can only hope that I’ll still be able to keep up with him and help him train.

As for myself, the next Ironman won't be for quite a while until I know that life will allow for the proper training to take place... but that day will come again.