IM Canada: Post race

Surprisingly, I slept pretty well on the night of the Ironman. We stayed up until around 11pm as we first watched the last stage of the Tour de France and then watched some of the IM Lake Placid coverage. I have found through experience that the more I push the run, the more damage I feel in my legs - which affects how I sleep and recover post Ironman. Because of so much walking throughout 26.2 miles, I luckily didn't experience the typical extreme tissue/muscle damage that occurs during 26.2 miles in an Ironman. I was still very sore and had some familiar aches in my left leg but overall, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Karel, on the other hand, was having a rough night and apparently I slept through it all. He was sore all over - head to toe.

We kept Monday as a chill day and reserved it for 1) Awards 2) Eating.

The award ceremony was outside in the Olympic Village area (just behind our condo) and we were joined by several of our athletes who were still in town. It was great to catch up with everyone and hear the stories from the race. It was awesome to share the podium with my athlete Ericka, who not only qualified for her first Kona but won overall female amateur. What an exciting day for her. Every time I saw her on the course, she gave me so much positive energy. I somehow managed to place 5th in the 35-39 age group so that was a huge surprise for me. Karel won his age group and received a nice customized jacket (so did all of the AG winners). Gin also placed on the podium for the 70.3 event. We waited for the roll down for a few of our athletes to see if they could get a slot for 70.3 worlds but the slots were quickly taken by other athletes.

After the award ceremony, we went back to our condo to get a little work done throughout the day but overall, it was a chill day. Later in the day we went to Hunter and Gather restaurant for a well-deserved real meal. Of course, Karel got some ice cream afterward.

As for the next few days, we enjoyed our time in Canada by doing a little sight-seeing. Even with a tired body, we were still able to see a lot. Since we didn't do any eating out prior to the race, we looked forward to trying some of the local eats. Before my ART apt on Tuesday in Squamish, we ate lunch at Saha Eatery (Mediterrean food).

We also hit up a local chocolate shop before lunch. We rode the Gondola in the afternoon and took a short hike to a scenic overlook point. It was a packed day but a great one.

On Wednesday we made the hour drive to Joffre Lakes. Although the parking lot was packed, luckily the trails were not overly crowded. The almost 10K (~4 hour) hike was pretty intense and technical but it was well worth it. The views were incredible.

We brought some food to keep us fueled along the way during the hike but had a quick stop in Pemberton at Blackbird bakery. Karel got a cappuccino and quiche and I (finally) got a cinnamon roll - oh how I love cinnamon rolls!

Thursday was our travel day and with a red eye and a lot of driving to do, we kept this day pretty low key. My friend Jennifer Ward suggested a local cafe for us to get some work done. We then ate lunch at Naked Sprout before hitting the road around 2:30pm. It was a cooler/cloudy day and we really lucked out with weather on race week/day.

The drive to Vancouver was absolutely beautiful. Because we drove in the dark when we arrived, we never got to experience the beautiful sights of mountains and water. However, once we got to Vancouver, the traffic was ugh. It took us over an hour to go 12 miles. Luckily we allowed plenty of time before our 10:30pm flight. After returning our rental car, we waited in the airport until we could check in, had some dinner at Freshii and then went to our gate.

We were able to kill some time by getting some work done and by the time we boarded the plane, we were ready to go to sleep. Of course it's a bit hard to sleep on the airplane but we managed to get some on and off sleep for the next 5 hours.

When we arrived to Atlanta at 6:40am, Karel had his first ever experience going through customs as a US Citizen. We were shocked how smooth and easy it was compared to all our struggles and troubles in the past with him as a green card holder. After getting our bikes (which were free again on Delta!) and our luggage, we took the two shuttles to our car and then hit the road. It took us a good 3ish hours to get back (plus a stop at Panera for breakfast) and after picking up our excited pooch from my mom's, we all crashed in bed for a solid 2 hour nap.

As for the rest of the week post race, I didn't do much exercise - just a 1800 yard swim on Friday evening. I wanted to fully heal my body to make sure my body and mind were ready for the next 10 weeks of training in route to IM Kona. Karel and I both felt like we were mostly recovered from the IM (physically) by Saturday - but of course, there was still some deep damage inside (especially for Karel). We were mostly just tired (Sleepy) from the travel.

While I was excited to easy back into training this week, I was hit with a curveball as Campy accidentally stuck his nail in my right eye on Monday evening as we were snuggling in bed.....so I am not able to do anything until it heals. I am in a lot of pain as it feels like I have glass in my eye but it should heal soon. I'm thankful for Voss Vision for seeing me under this emergency situation. I can't help but laugh a little as my dad was an Optometrist and I know he would have loved to have "treated" me with this type of situation. My dad saw everything with eye injuries so this would have been something minor from his point of view (although it feels super traumatic for me! haha)

My coach Cait told me that it's just a sign from the Universe that my body still needs time to heal from the Ironman.

IM Canada race recap: 26.2 mile run

I had a great team helping me overcome an injury to my back/hip that occurred ~3 weeks before the race. During this time, I was unable to run but with every day, I felt myself improving - oh so very slowly. I am grateful to Scott, my PT for the dry needling and exercises which helped my body go from pain to relief. I am also thankful to Frank, my massage therapist, for his time and energy in helping to fix my twisted body. I would also like to thank Valerie - from Physiofocus for seeing me before and after IM Canada (in Whistler). I also had Chris Johnson, PT do some tests on me on Friday before the race (thank you Chris for your time and help!). With many hands helping my body, I was able to arrive to the race feeling like my body had overcome an injury. While I still wasn't out of the woods yet, I felt relieved that I was no longer in pain. I'd also like to thank Karel who was so supportive during this time. I knew it was hard for him to see me not running but I found energy in seeing him excel in his training, knowing that he was going to put together a solid performance at Ironman Canada.

Over the course of these three weeks, I choose positivity. During this time, I had a choice - be upset and mad or be happy. I choose happy. Sure, I was bummed about the situation I was in but life was still good. I also choose not to feel pressure during the healing process. I knew my body would heal (and it still is) but I couldn't rush the process or predict the future. There was a chance time would run out and I wouldn't be able to run on race day but in the meantime, I made sure never to waste a day. There was still so much to be thankful and grateful for, life was still worth living, and I remained excited for the opportunity to start my 15th Ironman. Part of me was still optimistic that I was going to be able to run a few miles off the bike but I also had to mentally prepare myself for a DNF due to not being able to finish the run. While the situation was not how I envisioned my race going several months ago, I was constantly reminding myself that no one is forcing me to finish. Any pressure that I feel to finish this race is from myself - and I don't need to run through pain or risk a further, more serious injury. Reminding myself of this helped to ease any frustration or worry about the run. My coach Cait told me to assess the situation for 1-2 miles and if I felt pain and my form was altered, the best thing to do is to stop. While I couldn't control the situation - or plan for the future - I could control how I reacted to the situation.

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As I started to run out of the transition area, I assessed my body. I took each step very carefully and remembered the advice from my coach and also all the mental training I did going into this moment to prepare myself for what may happen over the next few miles. I have never been in this situation before so there was a lot going on in my mind during the first mile of the race. Because of the extreme body awareness that I needed to place on my body, I removed any pressure of "needing to perform." Whereas I was racing the swim and the bike (and leading the race as overall female amateur), I was no longer focused on what others were doing as all my energy was on myself.

The first few miles of this run course are a bit technical - up and down and on and off gravel. There were a few turns as well. I actually love this type of running but it was hard for me to settle into a good running stride and to truly assess how I was feeling. After one mile, I didn't feel any pain in my groin - which was the reason why I was unable to run for the past three weeks. I felt a little tugging around my knee/inner thigh but it wasn't painful. After another mile, still no groin pain. I was really happy about this but still a little concerned that things may get worse. After two more miles, I was still without pain. At this point, all I felt was a bit of tugging around my lower leg. While I knew it wasn't normal soreness from an Ironman, I also felt like it was something that I could safely run through - so long as I was smart. Nearing 4-5 miles, I started to take a bit more walk breaks. I wanted to make sure that I could keep restarting the run after I walked as any tightness or flare-ups would likely occur while I was trying to restart the run. I was successful in this approach and I also felt like the walk breaks were helping me avoid anything serious happening. While it didn't feel like my normal Ironman run, I was able to keep good form.

After a few miles, I saw Karel and he gave me the biggest smile as he wasn't sure if I was going to be able to run. He later told me that this made his day and he was able to run more relaxed knowing that I was able to run. Shortly later, my athlete Ericka (who later on went on to win the amateur race and qualify for Kona) passed me and we had a little discussion. I told her to not change what is working - no need to go any harder/faster and to keep doing what's working with walking and nutrition.

As the miles went by, I found myself walking a lot but also running. As I was nearing the first loop of the run (13 miles), I couldn't believe that I went this far - my first true run in 3 weeks. Again, it wasn't the run feeling I am use to in an Ironman but it wasn't painful. Because of all of the energy that I was spending on my body, I failed to do a good job with my nutrition. While I had my flasks (1 flask of NBS carbo hydration and 1 flask of Carborocket hydration) and sipped on them, I wasn't doing a great job being consistent with my intake and listening to my body as it relates to when I took in nutrition. Because of this, I had a few quick bathroom breaks. I didn't get upset or frustrated as my focus was not on racing but just being in the moment. During these times, I accepted it as one of the many things I was going to experience during this Ironman.

As I was nearing the end of the first loop, I saw my athlete Gin who raced the 70.3. I stopped when I saw her as I had just convinced myself that I was only going to run the first loop and it was way more than I thought I would be able to run. I already felt so accomplished! Plus, Karel was getting close to the finish so I thought it would be fun to stop and see him finish. But Gin told me I was looking really good and that I was 2nd overall amateur. I was kinda shocked by this but it also gave me some good energy that even thought I felt like I was no longer competing, I was still having a "good" race. I told Gin that I wasn't sure what I was going to do as I was ready to pull the plus on the race but something inside of me told me to keep going. Gin was great as she was calm and cool about the situation and even as a coach, I appreciated her support and enthusiasm without putting thoughts into my head. She told me she would be at the same place so I told her I'd run a few more miles and then assess the situation once more. During the next few miles, I had a longer walk break as I really needed to think about the situation. Knowing that I was not in pain and I felt confident that I was not doing more damage to my body, I felt like the only thing that was making me want to quit was the uncomfortable soreness in my legs - both legs. It took me several miles to realize that this was Ironman soreness and not injury soreness. Knowing that I had an injury-card to pull out at any time for a good excuse for a DNF was making me feel like it was OK to stop. But when I searched deep inside of my thoughts, I realized that it was not a valid excuse. I needed to work through this discomfort of the Ironman and get myself to the finish line. Although I was still listening closely to my body and walking anytime I felt like my form was suffering, I was using my experience of racing so many Ironmans to mentally stay strong and to work through the low moments that occur during the last 13 miles of racing in a 140.6 mile event.

I was taking full advantage of the aid stations and finding happiness wherever I could. Whereas I am normally a bit more focused when I am racing the run at the end of an Ironman, I made sure to really enjoy this run - plus it was so beautiful! I would high five kids whenever I saw them, I said hi to all the dogs on the course (I do that anyways, even when I am racing the run), I was making the effort to cheer on other athletes and I was even celebrating little milestones like reaching certain points on the course. For example, when I got to mile 20, I said out loud "wahoo!" as I never thought I would make it this far. When I saw Ericka at her mile 23, I told myself, "just 3 more miles until you are there!" I was finding everything possible to give me energy. Karel gave me a ton of energy every time I saw him and I also loved seeing our first timer Reid out on the course. I even celebrated seeing 9-9:30 min/miles on my watch as I felt like I was doing pretty well with all my walking. It was all these small things that kept me smiling and really enjoying the run. Once I committed to finishing the race, I made sure to enjoy every mile and to not wish for the race to be overwith. Yes - I wanted to sit down and rest my legs but I was finding joy in finishing what I didn't think I could start.

As I was nearing the last mile of the race, I was extremely happy. I couldn't wait to share stories with Karel and hear all about his race. I was super pumped to see my athletes at the finish line but they were all there cheering for me with less than 1/4th mile to go. I gave out some high fives and smiled ear to ear as I saw them all there cheering.

As I ran down the finish line chute, I gave away a few more high fives, lifted my arms up and crossed the finish line that I didn't think I would see. After 15 Ironmans, I can honestly say that every race requires something different to go from start to finish but that finish line always feels incredibly good.

Karel, who finished a good 90+ minutes before me, was there to see me finish. He was so happy for me and knew I could do what I didn't think I could do. Thankfully I was able to still walk after the race and I somehow managed to be better off than Karel - who ended up in medical, needing a few cups of chicken broth to bring him back to life.

I'm grateful to my body for what it allows me to do. I really try hard not to take my body/health for granted. I was worried about this race as I didn't want to damage my body on the run, but somehow, my body surprised me. I want to send a huge thank you to all those who cheered me on and I'd like to give a big congrats to all my athletes who raced the 70.3 (and to Ericka for smashing the women's field and to Reid for finishing his first Ironman!)

Karel's run recap:
Wow! I’m speechless and so stoked about this run. How is it possible, I only did one 2hr run in training 😉 Soon as I finished the bike, I stopped thinking about what I did wrong with my pacing and my focus was purely on putting together a good run. From the first step, I felt great! I tried to run with a very controlled effort and the faster paces were coming with ease. I felt great rhythm and was moving pretty good. Everything felt really good until 18.5 miles where I started to feel the typical Ironman toll. I had a few low moments where my mind had to work really hard to keep my legs moving forward, but I was able to bounce back from these low moments. The last 7 km was really hard and last 4 km I was just on autopilot - I was still running OK but I felt like I had no control over the movement of my legs. And the last 1 km was so long! That finish line took forever to come. Crossing the line and seeing 3:04 on my watch was a really great feeling .... and then I collapsed on the grass and went to medical (no IVs, just chicken broth to bring me back to life). Later on I found out the results of the race and I was very happy. During the race, I never knew where I was in my age group or overall so I just had to race my best effort on the day. Overall this Ironman was definitely one of the hardest courses but also one of the most spectacular races.

IMCA Race Recap: 112 mile bike

The first few miles of the Ironman Canada bike were a little technical as there were speed bumps, bumpy roads and a few twists and turns. I didn't want to do anything silly in these early miles so I treated it as a warm-up, especially since my body was still adjusting to the bike position after the swim and I was finding myself a bit cold from being so wet from the swim. Once I got on the main road (Sea to Sky hwy) I started to ride into my Ironman event.

The layout of this course was rather simple as there were four main segments. To Callaghan Climb, Callaghan Climb, to the far turn around, riding back to town and then you repeat. This allowed me to break the course up into small segments so that I could focus on executing each segment to the best of my ability. Although I didn't have any metrics to abide to, I lapped my computer at each segment so that I could check in with my metrics just to see how my numbers (specifically lap normalized power) was correlating to my RPE. I primarily rode the entire bike by feel but checked-in with my metrics every now and then, especially on the first loop.

My strategy was to ride the first loop relatively easy (feeling like I had three more effort gears in me) and to then ride the second loop strong (feeling like I had two more effort gears in me but using a gear or two as needed depending on how I was feeling). I resisted the urge to push hard on the first loop, especially since I was so cold. I found myself shivering at times but climbing the 8 mile climb in Callaghan helped. The descend was extremely cold for me but thankfully, I warmed up after the turn around. This helped me enjoy the second lap a lot more.

I didn't find this course overly challenging as my training really prepared me to ride my bike well on this course. I don't think I could have executed the bike course any better. The first loop was rather quiet with riders whereas the second loop was a little more busy with the 70.3 athletes. However, with the layout of the course and the long hills/descends, I didn't find it difficult to ride my own race, often not seeing any riders directly in front of me. This is the second Ironman I've done on my Ventum and I am absolutely in love with how it rides. It's not only smooth with how it handles (similar to a road bike) but I feel incredibly in-control while descending, especially in the wind. This not only helps me ride better but I expend less energy as I can ride more relaxed and efficient.

For nutrition, I front-loaded my calories so that I took in a bit more in the first loop of the bike due to the cooler temps. Because I did warm-up, I knew that my calories would digest and absorb a lot better in the first loop - especially with all the climbing. My nutrition was as follows (well-practiced in training):

First loop (on my bike): Skratch PB&J bar (consumed after the Callaghan climb in small bites spread out over an hour), aero bottle (CarboRocket 333 black cherry, 2 1/2 scoops 260 calories), Ventum hydration (1.2 L - 4 scoops + water of INFINIT custom formula Fruit Punch, ~500 calories), rear bottle (Infinit Custom formula Pink Lemonade, ~250 calories).

Second loop (in special needs): Aero bottle (NBS Carbo-hydration, 5 scoops, ~200 calories), Ventum hydration (same as first loop, I used a large plastic water bottle so it was already mixed and filled up my hydration system in special needs), rear bottle (CarboRocket 333 black cherry, 2 scoops 220 calories).

I aimed to drink ~10 minutes (4-5 sips) and always listened to my body before I took in nutrition to assess how I was feeling. Although a hilly course (7500+ feet of elevation gain), there was plenty of time to be aero but also great opportunities to sit up and stand, which helped stretch the legs and hips. I looked for opportunities to gain "free" speed so I made sure to take advantage of the faster sections of the course where speed came easily with little energy expended.

On the first loop, I didn't finish my rear bottle (which was more of a back-up bottle) but on the second loop I finished about 3/4ths of everything. I had one low moment around mile 80 of the bike but it went away in around 20 minutes. These things happen during Ironman racing and after troubleshooting the situation (is it pacing, nutrition, just a low moment?) I realized it was just a low moment and it will pass...and it did. I only grabbed water at the last aid station to cool myself off as I was getting a little warm. I eased up in the last few miles with a slightly higher cadence just to get the legs ready for the run.

I loved seeing my athlete Erick and Karel on the course. I cheered for them both every time I saw them. I also saw a few of our athletes doing the 70.3 which made me happy to see those familiar faces.

Because the run was still a big unknown for me, I put all my mental energy into the swim and bike. I knew that I had great fitness going into the race and even if the run didn't happen, there was still a lot I could gain/experience in this race so I kept my mind in a positive/can-do place.

The course was absolutely beautiful and I loved being surrounded by the mountains. The volunteers were exceptional and it was nice to have two lanes closed for us on the bike course. The course was really well marked and the weather was just perfect for the entire day. I liked the set-up of the course as the climbs were long enough that I could still settle into a good rhythm. The ride back to town was the slowest as it had a bit more elevation gain but there were still segments to gain some speed and shake out the legs.

Although my athlete Ericka rode a few minutes faster than me, I exited the bike as the overall amateur female by 3 minutes. I didn't know this until after the race but this was certainly a high note and a reminder that the Ironman is filled with highs and lows and you need to hold on to whatever positives you can find. It's a long day filled with a lot of uncertainty and just because a race doesn't go as planned, there is always something to be grateful and thankful for.

After I dismounted the bike, I jogged to my run gear bag (a volunteer handed it to me) and went into the changing tent. The tent was filled with other females from the 70.3 but a volunteer came over to me and helped me with my gear. I was a bit nervous as to what would happen on the run since I haven't really ran in 3 weeks but I tried to stay positive and reminded myself that my main focus is on Kona. I made a quick stop in the port-a-john and then headed out on the run by focusing on my form and trying to run as easy as possible.

For the record, the bike was 109 miles (not the full 112 miles)

More to come......

Karel's bike recap: 
OK so I really messed this up 😬I wanted to start and do the first loop a little more conservative to feel strong on the 2nd loop. I felt great and despite seeing a high power I kept on going thinking the powermeter is not working right. Well it was working and I paid for it after 50 miles. I also got distracted by a few Uber bikers who passed me - I made the mistake of thinking I’m failing and the race is not going well. First time up to the Callahan mountain I went up pretty fast but it felt easy. 2nd time around it got real for me. At that point I was in a very low moment and after the descent, I even experienced a few pre-cramp signs and had to really ease up to shake it off. The returning leg back to town was very tough mentally and I had to be careful not to fully cramp. I was also dealing with my typical back pain. During those rough times I focused on riding well in terms of posture and staying aero - not to create any extra drag. I still managed 5th fastest AG time and still hit the T2 in 2nd place AG (I looked these up after the race). During the race I had no updates and had no idea of my position due to the rolling start. I’m glad I was able to overcome the lows and the wrong pacing on the bike to still finish it well. For nutrition, my only source of liquid nutrition was NBS Carbo hydration (5 scoops per bottle). I started with 2 bottles worth in the hydration system in the frame and then another bottle between the aero bars. I had two more bottles in special needs. I also had one water and one base bottle from the aid stations. I also consumed 1 Skratch Bar (lemon raspberry) and 4 Skratch Chews. One Enervitine cheerpack at special needs and 1 SIS gel. Nutrition wise, everything worked well. It was cool so I didn't feel like I needed a lot of liquid but I still took in calories. I never have a specific nutrition plan when I race - I kinda wing it as I go along but have plenty of stuff with me and pick and choose based on how I feel. 

IMCA Race Recap: Pre race + 2.4 mile Swim

Photo: David McColm

Saturday was a smooth day. I woke up around 5am after a solid 8 hours of sleep. Since arriving to Whistler, I've been going to bed around 7:30pm PST (asleep by 8-8:30pm PST) and waking up without an alarm around 4:45-5am.

After my normal 2 waffles + syrup + peanut butter pre-workout snack, I headed out on my bike around 7:30am for an easy spin on the race course. I used the first 45 minutes to include a few efforts to wake-up the legs and then finished off the ride with a recon of some of the run course (easy spinning). Karel went out shortly after me and did his own thing but we unexpectedly saw each other on the run course (biking). I attempted a jog off the bike but I was still feeling some tugging in my adductor/groin so I didn't try to run through it. It left me a little sad with less than 24 hours before race day but I also reminded myself that I can't waste energy on something out of my control.

After our morning workout, we each had a big carb-rich breakfast at our place and then finalized the packing of our gear bags. I put out all my gear on my bags on Friday so it was easy to stuff the bags. I also pre-portioned my sport nutrition in baggies for the bike and run (and special needs) so it was easy to fill my bottles on Saturday evening (stored in the fridge overnight).

Around 11am, I walked my bike and gear bags to T2 (5 minutes away from where we are staying). I dropped off my run gear bag in T2 (two transition layout) and throughout this time, I sipped on 1 scoop NBS pre-load in a bottle of water. Karel rode his bike to the lake (T1) and I rode the bus. Our bikes were transported behind us on a Uhaul (wrapped in heavy duty blankets).

After arriving to the lake (about 20 min ride), Karel met me inside of the transition area. I had him give my bike one last look over before racking it on my rack. Karel and I were on the same rack, just a few spots down. 

To help clear my mind from the unknowns of the run, I decided to walk the 1.8 miles back to the lodge where we are staying. Whistler is incredible because of all of the walking/biking trails. And the sights are incredible. I really enjoyed this walk. While I knew it would be energy to walk (instead of taking the shuttle) back to our place, I felt like I needed to be in nature - and walking doesn't bother my hip/back - just hopping forward. 

As for the rest of the day, it was pretty low key. We chatted with a few of our athletes, Karel visualized with his music (in bed) and we ate and hydrated throughout the day. I had an early dinner around 5pm (eggs and Basmati rice) and I went to bed around 6pm and fell asleep around 7:15pm. I was really tired throughout the day - I couldn't wait to go to bed - but I know that's a sign that the body is ready to race. It's a weird feeling as it also feels like the body is too tired to perform but I've experienced this many times before and I know that when I am tired on the day before the race, it just means my body is doing it's final touch-ups before race day. 

Race morning came early with a 3:15am alarm. I slept fairly well until 12:30pm and then it was a bit of tossing and turning. Thankfully, I woke up fairly rested. After eating my normal pre-race meal (waffles, PB, banana, syrup) and sipping on NBS pre-load and a cup of coffee, I packed my bags with bottles and extra stuff for the morning and we left our place around 4:40am.

We walked down to T2 to put our run flasks in our bags. Because of the bear population, we were told not to put any nutrition in our bags/bikes until race morning. After getting body marked at the bus line and dropping off our special needs bags, we boarded the buses. Somehow Karel and I got on different buses after I dropped off our special needs bags but we met up at the race venue.

The bus ride was nice as it gave me an opportunity to relax my mind before getting to the transition area. After putting my bottles on my bike and my computer, I double checked my gears, brakes and tires (well, Karel did) and then it was time to get on the wetsuit.

It was in the upper 40's on race morning and I was a bit cold (even dressed in warm gear) so I opted out of a swim warm-up and instead, just stepped in the water and put water down my Roka wetsuit to help adjust it. I wished my athlete Ericka a great race and went over to the swim line-up after dropping off my morning clothes bag. My feet were super cold standing on the grass so I used a plastic bag to stand on before the swim start. I had a throw away bottle of sport nutrition (NBS carbo-hydration) that I sipped on in the morning and also took in an Enervitine cheerpack "gel".

I met up with Karel in the swim line-up as we both lined up near the front. I let Karel stand a few rows ahead of me as I didn't want to swim right next to him but instead, I wanted to be behind him in the case that I swam faster than him, I was hoping I would see him on the bike.

Photo: David McColm

The race started at 6am for the age groupers (5:50am for the pros) and they had us go off 4 at a time in rows, every few seconds (at the beep). The start was a little rocky so I took my time getting in the water and then as soon as the water got to my knees, I started swimming. It took me about 2 minutes to start the race after the official race start.

The water temperature was perfect - in the upper 60's. The only issue was fog on the lake, which made it a little tough to see the buoys at times. The buoys were set up 100 meters apart and the course was set up as 750 meters down the lake, 200 meters across and then 750 meters back and then 200 meters across - Two loops without exiting the water.

Immediately I found myself working well with those around me. I love the rolling start for this reason - so long as athletes seed themselves properly. I stayed close to the buoys without even trying and I felt like I did a good job staying on course. The first loop went by really quickly and I was feeling really good in the water. It took me about 300 meters to get into a good rhythm but when I found it, it never went away. I like to build my effort as the swim goes on so I found myself feeling stronger on the second loop, where I tried to pick up the effort. Somehow, I spotted Karel swimming and then I passed him. Since we do so much of our swimming together, I know his swim stroke really well. I was happy to see him and also happy to pass him :)

The course got really crowded on the second loop which not only made it hard to stay on course at times but also to see the buoys with the fog. I found myself needing to sight a bit extra - I first would sight for the buoy until I saw it and then I had to sight to find clean water/clear path to swim.

I was a little confused as to how we were going to exit the water but once we made the last turn, it was a straight shot to the swim exit. I couldn't believe how fast that swim went and I didn't have any low moments. Because I don't wear a watch when I swim, I didn't know my swim time until I exited the water. Later I learned I swam 57 minutes which made me super happy. Karel swam 58 minutes which was a great swim for him - especially since he just learned how to swim in 2012.

I kinda expected my endorphins to take over but I didn't realize they would be so strong so early in the race. I found myself running to the transition tent and I didn't even think about it - I was running and no pain! I felt a little tugging in my inner thigh but it wasn't painful. Wahoo!

When I got into the women's changing tent, I ran to the far end and had a volunteer help me out. I chose to wear compression socks so I had the volunteer take off my chip as I put on my sock and then put it back on - that was her task for me ;) I put on my shoes and helmet and opted no arm warmers and gloves (even though I had both in my bag). I was warm from the swim but by 10 miles of the bike, I regretted that decision as I was so cold.

As I was running to my bike, we ran by a line of 70.3 athletes getting ready for their swim start at 7:20am. I spotted our athlete Jim and gave him a high five. I grabbed my bike, started my computer and ran my bike to the mount line. I veered to the far left side to make room to mount my bike. Because we had a hill to climb right out of the transition area, I had my bike in an easy gear to make it easy to get momentum up the hill.

The highlight of this moment was hearing Karel's voice behind me as we both started the bike at the same time. I can't recall that ever happening so it put a big smile on my face to see him for a hot second until he rode away from me. I wished him a great race and off he went.

More to come..................

Karel's swim recap:
Super happy with this swim. I think it was my best Ironman swim ( not counting Chattanooga :-) First loop went really great, clear water and I felt very controlled with my effort. As soon as I started swimming, I felt really good in the water. Sighting was a little tricky as there was steam on the top of the lake and you couldn’t really see the buoy until you got closer. I had to clear my goggles twice as they got foggy. 2nd lap was more congested with athletes starting their first loop but nothing too bad. Overall it was a great start to the day. AG 4th place but moved to 2nd at T1.

Ironman Canada - Quick Recap

Ironman Canada has been on our racing bucket-list for the past few years. We were immediately drawn to the challenging bike course. We find that the more difficult the race course, the more satisfaction we feel when crossing the finish line. It's also a lot easier to reflect on the race as a whole when there's more to think about than just a finishing time. Although Karel and I "race" the Ironman distance, the real race is always with ourselves - overcoming physical and mental obstacles, pushing through fatigue and self-doubts, exploring our limits and finding reasons and meaning to get to the finish line. With this being my 15th Ironman, I have a lot of experience knowing what it takes to get to the finish line and a big part of that battle is arriving with a strong and healthy body and a positive attitude.

Whistler exceeded our expectations. The community was exceptional nice, the Ironman volunteers were wonderful, the Ironman staff put on a great race and the course was incredibly beautiful. It was so great to share this course with 13 of our athletes and to see so many familiar faces on and off the course.

I'm so happy that we could check this race off our bucket list, especially since it's the last year of holding the Ironman in Whistler. There was a big question mark if I would be able to finish the race due to a recent hip/back issue that occurred three weeks before the race (which prevented me from running forward without pain/tugging in my adductor/groin - luckily, I could swim and bike just fine and I was able to walk, hop sideways and run backwards without pain :). I kept me run fitness through water jogging and was able to reflect back on my previous training with confidence that I had exceptional swim, bike and run fitness thanks to consistent training. While I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to "race" the run and had to incorporate a lot of walking and stopping to help me get to the finish line so that I did not do more damage to my body, my primary focus was to race the swim and bike and to take the run mile by mile - assessing the situation and stopping the race if I experienced pain or change in my running form. I was not willing to run through pain just to finish my 15th Ironman (especially with Ironman Kona in 10 weeks). 

Karel arrived to this race with exceptional fitness. His training was extremely consistent - although there were a few modifications for extra recovery between a few hard sessions. But thankfully, he didn't have any setbacks or injuries throughout this season and has been able to train really hard. He still suffers from back aches while riding but through some PT/breathing work, it's (mostly) manageable for him. Going into the race, Karel was looking forward to racing on this course and giving his best on the day. He uses visualization (with music) to get into the zone and reflects on previous races to help him get into a good head space. We each have our own way of getting excited to race an Ironman but we both felt excited to experience this race course.

I am thrilled with my swim/bike combo and how I was able to pace the bike. I started the run as overall female amateur but at that point, it was less about racing and more about listening to my body and focusing only on myself. Karel had a great swim but suffered a few low moments on the bike due to pacing - but as usual, once his feet touched the ground, he was in his happy place and he ran himself a PR Ironman run. 

While our fitness was great going into this race, it never makes racing any easier. There are always nerves, worries, unpredictable moments, low moments to overcome and the mental games you experience as your body experiences more and more fatigue. But nothing feels as great as crossing that finish line, knowing that you worked through all the tough moments and finished what you started.

More on the inside details from the race but here are the quick stats from the race:

Marni 

2.4 mile swim: 57:48 (2nd AG, 7th female)
T1: 3:30
112 mile bike: 5:39.33 (2nd AG, 16th female)
T2: 3:39
26.2 mile run: 4:22.41 (12th AG, 61st female)

Finish time: 11:07.09, 5th AG (35-39)

Karel
2.4 mile swim: 58:30 (4th AG, 22nd male)
T1: 3:15
112 mile bike: 5:17.06 (5th AG, 27th male)
T2: 2:20

26.2 mile run: 3:04.04 (1st AG, 2nd male, 2nd overall)
Finish time: 9:25.13, 1st AG (40-44), 4th overall male, 5th overall

IM Canada: Day 2

Now that we are officially settled into Whistler, I can honestly say that I've fallen in love with this place. Never have we raced in such a beautiful venue - and we've raced in some beautiful places! The scenery is jaw-dropping and I keep finding myself wowing at every mountain view and scenic river. It's just beautiful here.

While it's always good to adjust to the time zone as soon we arrive, it's actually easier for us to get to bed a bit earlier so that we can wake-up a bit earlier - similar to our schedule at home on the east coast. With a super early race start on Sunday (6am), I am trying to get to bed around 7:30/8pm so that I can get a restful night of sleep and still wake-up feeling rested. This morning I woke-up around 4:45am after a solid night of sleep. The temperature has been very comfortable during the day and drops slightly in the evening.

After a pre-workout snack (waffles + PB and Canadian Maple Syrup for me and oatmeal for Karel), we drove a few miles down the road to Rainbow Park to swim at Alta Lake (swim venue). Today was a packed day of training - which was good since we needed yesterday to fully recharge, unpack and settle after a long day of travel on Tuesday.

Karel and I had a specific OWS workout this morning and it was perfect to have something to focus on for the duration of our swim.

Workout:
10 min warm-up
4 x 30 strokes fast/30 easy
5 min smooth
4 x 60 strokes fast/30 easy
5 min smooth
4 x 30 strokes fast/30 easy
5 min smooth

The water was fresh and clear and the views were incredible. Although a little nippy to get in, the water turned out to be the perfect temperature - not too cold and certainly not too warm. It was around 67 degrees when we swam around 7am. There were small buoys set-up in a line parallel to the shore and each buoy was labeled by 100 meters. I swam to the 1200 meter buoy and then turned around.

After the swim, we drove back to our place, had a quick bite to eat, changed and grabbed our bikes to load in the car. We drove on the bike course (Sea to Sky Hwy) and parked at Brandywine falls park. Our athletes Erick and Gin met us there and we all biked together.

We biked to the Callaghan road climb and did the entire climb to scope out this section of the course. Although a significant part of the course, there is 8000+ feet of elevation gain over 112 miles - with no flat section - so I'd consider every mile significantly important :)

The climb was absolutely beautiful. We rode easy/conversational pace for the 8 miles (1000 feet) to the top. There were a few declines to shake out the legs but overall, it was a nice steady climb - something we are use to living in Greenville (although the roads are much smoother here!).

It took us about 36 minutes to get to the top and a speedy 18 minutes to get to the bottom. The total ride was about 75 minutes with about 1660 feet of elevation gain. Again - we are use to this type of riding living in Greenville but in an Ironman, everything becomes more difficult as you get more fatigued. 

I didn't find any of the segments too difficult on the climb. There were a few windy segments on the way down but nothing technical or scary. I think this is going to be my favorite part of the bike course.

After the drive home, we got our run stuff on for a quick jog on the trails. There are so many running paths here, along with mountain biking trails. My run wasn't the best as I was struggling with some tugging in my hip/inside knee from my hip. I tried not to get discourage so I just walked it out and finished with a jog when it eased up. Although I was making some great progress with my pelvis getting back into alignment before we left, I think all of the travel caused me to get back out of whack.

I'm still trying to stay positive but if anything, I'm going to make the most of the swim and bike - in the case that I can't start or finish the run. 

As for the rest of the day, we attended the athlete briefing at the expo - which is situated right behind our condo at the Marketplace Lodge. We then checked in to get our packet. Even for my 15th Ironman, I still enjoy the entire process of getting my wrist band and all the "stuff" needed to officially be an Ironman participant. We have been seeing more Trimarnis around the venue which makes me super happy to see so many familiar faces.

After the check-in process, Karel and I walked around the village and checked out some of the local shops. The town is super cute with so much to see and to do. Did I mention how much I love it here?

I am fighting with myself as I want to go to bed right now but I'll try to make it to 7:30pm before I call it a day. Excited to experience another beautiful day in Whistler tomorrow!

IM Canada: Travel + Day 1

We finally made it to Whistler and wow, it is breathtakingly beautiful!!

But to get here, it was a long and stressful trip. 

I allowed 7.5 hours to travel to the Atlanta airport from our home so that we wouldn't be rushed for our 7:30pm flight. Our plan was to check in our bags and bikes at the airport, drive to our friends house to drop off our car and then head back to the airport. Again, I planned 7.5 hours for all of this.
After dealing with the unavoidable Atlanta traffic, we arrived to the airport around 3:15pm (3 hours and 15 minutes after we left our house). Check-in was surprisingly smooth and thanks to Delta's new bike policy, our bikes were free!! Wahoo! All we had to do was pay for an extra bag (we each had 1 suitcase and 1 bike bag) so we paid only $100 instead of $300. When we travel, we park in the hourly parking to check in several hours before our flight as it's a lot easier to take our stuff directly from the parking garage across the street vs. dealing with the shuttle (especially when traveling international). After we check-in, we aren't rushed to deal with the car/parking. 

After our bikes were inspected, we went back to the car and left with plenty of time to get to our friends house (~18 miles away) to drop off our car. However, plans quickly changed when it took us about 15 minutes to travel only a few miles - more traffic. So we decided to ditch that plan and park in economy. After driving back to the airport and finding the economy lot, it was completely full. We then had no where to park! Luckily, we found a place at the Park n' Fly and it turned out to be a few bucks cheaper than economy. Although we don't like Atlanta traffic, I weigh my options when we travel for a race and the flight I found was a direct flight (5.5 hours) from Atlanta to Vancouver and I could also use some of our miles on Delta which saved us money. I then used that extra money to upgrade our seats to comfort and to select our seats (we each had an aisle). 

Since we saved some time by parking at the airport, we weren't rushed when taking the shuttle from domestic to international. The security line moved quickly and we had ~2 hours until our plane boarded so that we could get some dinner. We both had a delicious dinner - Karel got chicken and rice and veg and I got two salads and a wrap. 

After enjoying our dinner, we made our way to our gate for our 7:30pm flight, which was to board at 6:30pm. The flight was delayed so instead of a 7:30pm take-off, it was now 8pm. Not too bad. Well, as the minutes ticked away, the departure time kept moving back...8:30, 9pm. It wasn't until it was just after 9pm that we boarded our flight. Luckily, Karel and I could get some work done on our computers which helped pass time by. And we met up with our athlete Reid who is doing his first Ironman at Whistler! 

Although we planned for a long day of travel and late night, we didn't arrive to Vancouver until just after midnight PST - which was 3am EST. Next came customs - which was Karel's first time using his American Passport since becoming a US Citizen in Sept. After that, we waited for our luggage and bikes. We were told to go to a special line with our bikes for questioning so that took a few more minutes. Finally, nearing 1am PST, we arrived at the rental car kiosk. By 1:30am PST, we were in the car, making our 2 hour/85 mile drive to Whistler. Thankfully, there was zero traffic but it was raining - which made it a little sketchy on the windy up and down roads on the Sea to Sky hwy. Karel did the driving and he was really tired but we both made it safely to our rental place at the Olympic Village.

It was just past 3:30am PST/6:30am EST when we crashed in bed but it was a little restless of a night as we were almost too exhausted to fall asleep. We managed a little over 5 hours of on and off sleep and woke up HUNGRY. 

With no shortage of places to eat, we made our way to Purebread for a delicious selection of fresh breads and bakery goods. Now that's how you start the day when you are sleep deprived! We then did a hefty grocery store shop and had a good breakfast meal at 11am PST. 

We ran into more of our athletes at the grocery store. We are excited to see more familiar faces as the days go on as this is one of our 4 team key races of the year where we will have a good showing of athletes (15 Trimarnis racing, including me and Karel).  

After taking our time in the morning, Karel put together our bikes around 1pm and in the mid afternoon, we finally got outside to spin our legs. And wow - what a beautiful place to ride!

 We moved some blood and stretched out on the bike with a nice easy spin (~50 minutes). We rode from the village (where we are staying) to Alta Lake (swim start/T1).

We spent a few minutes at the lake just soaking in all of this beautiful scenery. 

After our spin, it was time to eat! Karel made homemade vegetable noodle soup, which hit the spot. The weather is just perfect (in the mid 60's) and I can't stop smiling because of how amazingly beautiful it is around here! We are looking forward to checking in and getting our packet tomorrow, attending the athlete briefing and fitting in a swim/bike/run workout (I'm hopeful I can do a run tomorrow - crossing my fingers my hip/leg/back is continuing to improve - last update here) and to see more of this incredible race venue.