Fantabulous Ironman Canada - first IM with lots of fixable errors
Ironman Canada Race Report
August 26, 2012
13:29:15
Swim: 1:36:00
T1: 9:06
Bike: 6:44:00
T2: 7:00
Run: 4:52:00
Placing 40/121 AG; 1400 ish overall (top 50%)
This was a terrific experience. Thanks to Tim Gagne, Jenn Edwards, Ann Frost and Al Truscott for their wonderful support. They, and my family, made this experience for me.
I was very nervous for a number of reasons – first, I don’t swim well – I do all the time in the pool but not the drills. I didn’t have the time to get coaching, so I basically pulled all my workouts – did the distances, but I was not fast! I was also nervous about the run – my bricks have been less than successful. I got the time in but they never felt good. Finally the weather was a concern – I don’t do well in the heat and with a marathon starting in the afternoon, well, I knew I had a hot day in front of me. I had planned for a) finishing, b) anything under 15 hours was going to be a bonus. But finishing was the prime objective.
We arrived in Penticton on Wednesday and checked things out – the town is a little run down, but with beautiful scenery. On Thursday, we had an EN team meet up in the afternoon to recce the run course – the out and back were VERY hilly. I knew I had to walk those. About 5 miles from town, I flatted in the front. This is the third flat on the front tire in 10 days and it was a real concern. Tim Gagne stuck around while I changed it and when I got back to the hotel, Elly took it to the bike barn and got some wider tape for the rim. That night we had a nice meal at the Pasta Factory and met more ENers.
The next day, there was a swim meet up in the morning – it was v windy and I was thinking of ditching (I swam the day before) but then everyone got in, so I thought what the hell. It was 15 mins of no fun. Later that day we took care of getting registered, fooled around at the beach and drove the bike course- Richter Pass and Yellow Lake had huge changes in elevation and the rollers – well, they were very steep and the descent into Penticton looked like 15 miles of hanging on for dear life. After driving the course, I took my bike out for a spin – just an hour to make sure that the wider tape worked. And it did. Phew. But when I got home, I noticed that the shifting cable for my big chain ring derailleur had snapped off. Elly thought it was serious enough to take to Bike Barn and so he rode it down and then joined us at an Italian restaurant for dinner. They replaced the cable and the ball bearings in the head tube in about 2 hours. Awesome. The race instructions were the usual. Lots of nostalgia as this is the last year of IMC – Challenge is taking it over next year.
Saturday was spent packing my transition bags, checking in my bike and bags, and going over my race plan with Jenn Edwards. She was AWESOME. Really calmed me down and made me feel better. We had Mexican take out for dinner and watched School of Rock. I slept like the dead until 4 am.
Race Day
Up at 4 am for a peanut butter and banana sandwich, Gatorade, two bathroom visits. At 5 am Elly and I left the hotel with my special needs bags and headed to the race. I dropped my special needs bag, got body marked and then pumped up my tires, filled up bottles, etc. At around 6:30 I got into my wetsuit and made my way to the middle of the start line – the gun went off and I waited 60 seconds before I started to walk to the start line and stayed to the left of the field. I didn’t find it hard to get open water, and was pretty steady in my strokes. Counted to 50 and sighted over and over again. I purposely didn’t look at my watch or try to adjust my goggles. Things that usually stress me out. At the third leg we were looking into the sun and as the field narrowed to the exit point on the beach. Here, in about the last 500 meters, I got some contact. I came out in 1:36 and was very happy with that time – Sister Madonna Buder beat me by 45 seconds!
Slow and smooth T1 9 mins (fantastic volunteers) and I was onto my bike. The plan was to go “stupid easy” for the first hour – so waay under 140W and then just to do an ABP ride @ 140W thereafter. We were blessed with light cloud cover and no wind at all – so I made Osoyoos, the first leg, 68K or so, in 2 hours!! We must have had a tail wind, but flat and fast. I kept it light and made conversation with people around me. Then came the Richter Pass climb took 37 minutes, for 10K and a gain of 1000ft – my normalized power was 171W! But I passed many many people on the way and I have to say it felt relatively easy. The Rollers were next – very steep ups and screaming downs. Lots of fun. Then onto the out and back – my least favorite part of the course, v hot and dipsy doodly. At some point I took a pee break. I tried to be like Jenn and pee on the bike, but I just couldn’t manage it. The porta potty lines were super long, so at an aid station @ 3:50:00 I found a nice young volunteer and made conversation with her while I peed in place – she kindly fetched me two bottles of water and I rinsed as I let go. Poor dear.
At special needs I ate ½ a PB and Banana sandwich, loaded up with another red bull, and then it was off to climb up to Yellow Lake. This is where the ride got hard. I was yo-yoing with Eric Smith, another ENer and his wife, but honestly, 45 minutes of climbing, 750 feet of gain, with my normalized watts now at 140, it was super touch, and super hot – 32*F. I was swearing a blue streak at the crest when a kind gent pushed me up with the palm of his hand, and after a quick pit stop, it was onto the descent. 1200 ft., 25K in 45 mins, hitting speeds of 59K! Yahoo.
I was very very happy with my bike split – 6:44!! I was convinced given my pace in RR that I was looking at 7:30 on the bike. I kept it in the box and I think there are only two things to really improve (apart from getting faster) – I need to get my bike fit properly – I changed to a split saddle a month ago, but didn’t get refit and I had numbness in my left toes at 5 hours. The second is to drink 50-75% more. I suffered on the run from lack of sodium I think, no cramping, but I felt lousy after about 13 miles. Which isn’t unusual I guess.
Onto the run. Smooth transition with another fabulous volunteer – more sunscreen (I had no sun burn at all!), body glide, shoes socks and off I went. 7 minutes. Saw Elly and he took a fabulous picture of me! And the marathon, where I have the most experience is where everything went to hell in a hand cart.
With a smorgasbord every mile, I didn’t pay any attention at all to my nutrition and disastrously ignored the Perform and power gels for coke and water. Ice down my pants was good and my arm coolers soaked with water from sponges was brilliant, but I basically blew it in nutrition land. By the time I figured this out at the ½ way point it was too late.
Second, I didn’t Vaseline my toes in transition – traditionally a problem for me in marathons – as we only did 2:30 runs in training, I never got blisters – but at 18 miles I took off my right shoe to correct a sock seam problem, only to see blood and squeeze a spongy toenail. After 25 marathons, this was a total amateur move. I didn’t dare take off the other shoe.
I tried very hard at the start to keep my pace to 11 min miles, but could barely keep them at 10s. After 6 miles, I figured I was done going slow and sped up to 9:15s and walked through all the aid stations. But after hitting special needs and having very warm and gross food and fluid, I hit a mental wall.
There are hills in the out and back on this course, and it was my plan to walk all the hills. But with the toe pain and the fact that I had buggered up my nutrition, I was unable to run for any length, so I pulled out an old trick, and started running 100 steps and walking 100 steps and running 100 and walking 100. I met up with a v nice fellow and we ran tog from 18 – 20 miles and then after I dropped him, I came across Al Truscott, who was having a tough day. I passed him, but then he caught me up. He couldn’t run as fast as me, so he trudged along and I did my run walk and at the end of the race, he said “I am going to hold back so you can have your moment, so they can call your name.” what a gentleman! 20 years ago, when I ran my first marathon, the older man I trained with got me through the last 5 miles, and just like Al did, he pushed me in front of him and said “You finish first, dear”.
Run analysis – Vaseline toes, salt tabs, have a nutrition plan – duh!
13:29:15 – I am an Ironman! Top 1/3rd in my age group and top 50% in the field. IM Canada was fantastic, start to finish. Great course, great support. Of course, my husband and Iron Sherpa, Elly, was the best. I couldn’t have done this, and started a new job and moved across the country if it wasn’t for him.
I can’t wait for the O/S to start – IMCDA – bring it!
Comments
You are an Ironman!
BTW, I liked your report as well
And feeling lousy after 13 miles on the run is kind of the point of an Ironman... Way to push through and really finish smart and strong! Top 1/3 of your AG in your first one is also very cool. Look out IMCDA...
Very nice. Overall a great success.
Jane - Congrats. A good race and a few lessons learned too. You'll be even smarter and faster next time..
Had to laugh at your Sister Madonna moment! I hope I'm half the athlete she is at that age!
---Ann.
Congratulations.
Jane - super race. You have a secret weapon, your run. Watching you @ the end of an IM, you were still running VERY efficiently, no wasted energy, good turnover. Awesome Once you figure out how to keep it going the whole way, you'll actually be unbeatable.
And thanks for the pull at the end.
Thanks for the company - it was good to have someone who knew what they were doing with me!
Atta Girl Jane!
The most exciting line to me in this RR is “I can’t wait for the OS to start…”!!! There’s your sign that you had a successful race – you want to do it again!
I’m thinking beating Sister Madonna’s swim time would make an excellent goal though I’m not sure if that will net you karma points! And yep, on the bike a good fit and the right saddle will make all the difference. It is all about lady bit harmony when you’re in the saddle 5, 6, 7 hours…
Personally I got a big boost from your ginormous smile on the run and glad Elly got a good picture. Congratulations on a positive first experience and best wishes for many more to come!!!
…xoxox… - J