Transrockies Stage 2 - 13.5 miles

Stage 2 of the Transrockies run was the one i was most looking forward to. Not because it was the shortest, even though they changed it from 10 miles up to 13.5miles, but because it went over Hope Pass at 12600 ft in elevation and i had never been that high before. This is the same pass that the runners in the Leadville 100 mile run go over twice. I almost never made it to the sarting line however.

Last night was a difficult night, i over hydrated so i had to get up 3 times throughout the night to use the outhouses. Unfortunately my shin/calf was so sore, it made it very difficult to sleep. Every time i got up, it was a challenge just to walk 100m, how was i ever going to run 22km in the morning. My thoughts that night ranged from there is no way i can run to i will start but might only make the first 3 km before the climb starts, to just see how it goes. At breakfast this morning i ran in to a couple i shared a table with the previous night and they asked me how the shin was and i told them how i felt. Immediately this woman at the next table got up and told me to sit down. She was one of the massage thereapists and she proceeded to give me a 10 minute massage right there at the breakfast table. Talk about service! It was hard to eat as she was digging deep into my flesh, but by the time she was finished i did feel a bit better.

We caught shuttle busses to the start which was about 20 miles from camp up a long dirt road. With 30 minutes to start and nothing to do, i decided to wait in the long outhouse lineup. I fugured i would have to go by the time i got to the front and sure enough the timing was perfect. Being the highest stage of the race, the organizers had a gear check to ensure everyone had a warm hat, jacket, space blanket and gloves. Once this was done we were off. The first 2 km or so was along the flat gravel road. My shin was still sore but i was able to hobble thru. They had an aid station right at the start of the climb, so i filled up on a few gummy bears and some gu and was off. the first few hundred meters or so was nice, through the forest and no climbing whatsoever, but once it hit it was relentless. While i am sure the frontrunners were running most o the way, back where i was we all settled into a long train of power hikers moving up the hill. We had about 4km in total to climb around 3600ft, and the first few kms were all in the forest. While i cold still feel my shin it was actually felling much better than i expected. I figured if it was ok on the climb the downhill would kill me, we shall see.





Once above the tree line the views were amazing. You could see runners way up ahead climbing the switchbacks all the way to the top. I really wanted to shoot a bunch of photos but abut halfway up my camera battery died $#@$#@$! Luckily i met up with 2 girls Beth and Michelle who seemed not too concerned with their time as they were stopped at a switch back shooting photos of each other, i offered to take a few for them and asked if they would take some of me as well which they did. Hopefully once they email them i can post these as well. While i am sure the elevation was a major factor in the climbing speed we were achieving. I never really felt the high altitude in any noticeable way. The climb felt just as tough as the grouse grind did back during the Summer solstice marathon last month. Luckily the weather held off. We were warned about the chance of lighting might cause us to be turned around before reaching the summit. It did get cold however. i had to put in my nice new Goretex windstopper jacket. Finally at the summit, there were a bunch of teams shooting picture of each other, i tried my camera again but no luck so i waited a few minutes for Beth and Michelle to arrive and was able to get a few more shots with them.

Once we started the downhill, i felt pretty good. From the top you could see a bunch of lakes laid out infront of you. The next aid station was by the first lake about 300 ft in elevation below. The trail here was mostly runable, but you didn't want to fall as you would tumble quite a ways. Surprisingly, running down, i could not feel the effects of the altitude at all, and the best part was my shin was not acting up either, the only pain i felt was from the fatigue of 45km of running in the past 24 hrs. They had told us before to only take what we needed at this second aid station as they had bring everything up by packmule. So when i arrived i only took a bit of water, but did not refill my backpack. Unfortunately this would come to haunt me later. As i continued downhill i was still feeling good, and was able to put Munny's downhill run training to good use. I was able to pass a bunch of people and nobody passed me. Once below the tree line, the trail really reminded me of home. The trees and roots were just like Whistler, in fact it felt like a very long descent down something like the flank trail. of all the different types of trail we had run so far this was the most like Whistler trails.

As i bottomed out on the decent we still had another 7km or so along the lake side to the finish. This was the extra distance they added on to bypass some swampy River crossings. I guess if i was felling better it would have been a nice addition, but by the time i had reached the bottom i was out of water. They really needed an aid station here. It was mostly flat with a few short climbs and went through some spectacular meadows. At one point we went through an old ghost town, that was once a resort on the lakeside. With about 2km left to go i was forced to walk most of the way as i was completely out of water, and feeling very exhausted. I kept looking over my should to see if any solo competitors were gaining on me but i really did not have anything left to give if they did. I was passed by most of the teams i passed on the decent, but made it across the finish line in around 4hrs20min. As soon as i crossed the line i bent over and could barely move. Cynthia from Goretex was there as she is at every finish to welcome the runners and hand you some water but i could not say anything when i took the water and sat down. I don't think i have felt like this after a race in a long time. I gave it all i had that day, and was happy to have finished.

After the race i had to catch a shuttle into leadville where we were camped that night, then find a way back to arrowhead to get my car. All of this took about 2 hours and i just made it back in time for my massage appointment. 30 Minutes with Val and i was feeling much better, but my shin was still quite sore. I was limping much more than the day before but i think i was getting used to the pain. I decided to get dinner on my own that night, and showed up at the awards at atound 6pm, All of the athletes were given a nice blanket from one of the sponsors, but unfortunately by the time i arrived they had ran out. I will make sure i am at dinner at 5pm tomorrow. After the awards i ha found out we had an offer on my house that is for sale so i had to find somewhere to print off the document and sign it and fax back. I spent the next few hours trying to deal this with and was luckily able to get it all completed thanks to the help of a few local businesses in Leadville.

Tommorrow is the longest stage, 24 miles with another 300ft of climbing. We shall see how my leg holds up.

Transrockies Stage 1 - 21 miles

So after about 8 months of dreaming about this race, it is finally here. I camped last night in the same campground that we are returning to tonight, so i did not have to move my tent. We got picked up at the gate at around 6:45 for the 10 minute trip to Buena Vista. They put out a great spread for breakfast but i was pretty happy with my standard race morning bagel and gatorade. The start was right down Main street, and they had closed off the entire street. I am sure for such a small town we were quite the sight. music was blaring and everyone was taking photos in front of the start banner, i took me three tries of getting someone to shoot me before i got a halfway decent photo.

As 9am approached we were given some last minute race instructions and the countdown began. Like i usually do when starting an Ironman i got a little choked up. but once the gun went off, it was go time. We had about a half mile roll out on pavement through town. they wanted to control the speed until we got over the Arkansas River as it had a narrow bridge, but once we crossed it the race was on. However starting near the back of the pack, we quickly got bunched up going up through the single track. This allowed me to catch my breath a bit as we walked many of the first sections of the climb due to the packing. After about 3 km we came out on a wider road and were able to spread out a bit more.

The heat and the elevation were starting to hit me pretty quick so i took a couple short walking breaks as we climbed the road. Just then i hear someone coming up behind me and he comments about my North Face backpack. I look over my shoulder and it is none other than Dean Karnzes. Ultra running legend and author of several books. His book 50 marathons in 50 days was the first book i read after signing up for this event, and here i am running shoulder to shoulder with him. Immediately all sense of fatigue left me. He was running with a different partner every day. His partners chosen via a contest Gortex had put on. From his book, i know he often enjoyed conversing with fellow runners during the race, and this was no exception. for almost 2 miles we ran together talking about racing and running stories. He is a great ambassador to the sport. After those 2 miles i was in need of another break so i thanked him and slowed down. needless to say that gave me a big boost in energy. Throughout the rest of the day i leaped frogged back and forth with him as he ran with his partner of the day.


The route for the first stage consisted of 3 aid stations, the first one at about 12km at the highest elevation for the day. On reaching the aid station, they had a full spread of all you could dream of. i picked up a few gels. grabbed some water and headed out. the next section was mostly downhill and i was surprised by how many people i was able to pass here. Good thing i didn't have Gabi tagging along to slow me down!!! ( Just kidding Gabi) The only downside to this downhill was the trail itself. It was basically an ATV trail so it was nice and wide, but it was very uneven. the sides each curved up and it was very difficult to find some flat footing. Kinda like running down a mini halfpipe. Also, the trail was mostly sand, so you had to constantly look for the firmest footing, at times you were sinking in a couple inches of sand like running on a beach.

I was feeling good for this middle section, but it was starting to heat up. I think it reached about 90'C and at 9000ft that can feel quite hot. At this point we were starting to spread out a bit so i put my ipod on and it was a saving grace. i was starting to feel exhausted from the heat and the elevation so my mind was wandering a bit, but on the ipod i had a Robin Williams comedy concert. nothing like a little laughter to cheer you up. the only problem was that when ever nobody heard me laughing out loud, they thought i was delirious or something.

The final 3 miles was along a very slight uphill grade, but with the heat this section was some oh the toughest. at one point i passed a fellow racer lying down on the side of the road, we offered to help but he said he was ok, just resting. but he did not look to good. Shortly after we past a first aid guy and told him about it. about 20 minutes later we saw him get carted away to the finish. The heat will do that.

Finally the finish came into view. i crossed n around 4hrs 40 minutes to place 21st in the mens division of the TR3. i grab some drinks at the finish line then headed down to the creek to soak the legs. I usually hate the cold water but this sure felt good. After a shuttle back to the camp and a quick shower i was able to get a nice massage. they charge $1 per minute which is quite reasonable. Unfortunately my super tight shins were really sore, and the massage therapist said she would like to really loosen in up but i would not be abe to walk the next day, so we made arrangements to do this after my third stage. At the awards ceremony they gave out a pair of Windstopper gloves to every body as well as all the top 3 in each category received a pair of Solomon Shoes and some other prizes. in all i think they gave away about 30 pairs of shoes, along with a bunch of other stuff.

After the awards, they showed a video, part of which is linked here, you can see me crossing the bridge at about 1:18. We all then had to climb the super steep hill up to the tent area when i hit the sack around 9pm. 5AM wake up call tomorrow. WIsh me luck.

Iron Knee Race Report

I was reminded of the start of the 2003 Hawaiian Ironman Race as i began the Run the North Shore's Iron Knee trail race last Sunday. Back in 2003, i happened to be in Hawaii the week of the race, so naturally i had to go watch the race live. Just as they started the countdown to the swim start, a pod of dolphins surfaced about 50 meters in front of the athletes. It was almost as if they were there to lead out the triathletes, appearing as if by magic. It could not have been choreographed any better.
Well, this past weekend, as the 500 athletes began the 22km trail run from Grouse mountain to Deep Cove, we were greeted a chorus of wolf howls as we did a lap of the Grouse Mountain parking lot to help spread out the field. The wolf pack live in captivity at the base of the skyride. I had seen them before but never had i heard them all howling together. The race was barely 15 seconds old and already i wanted to stop to enjoy the moment.

Of course there was no stopping, we had about 2 km of wide trail before we reached the single track. Unfortunately my HR monitor was picking up stray signals, as it was reading 230 bpm. So i just had to go on how i felt. Once we trail narrowed, we had some climbing to do. It was hard to pass in this section, so i just focused on trying to maintain my position. The trail was quite wet but my shoes seemed to provide the necessary traction for all of the bridge crossings and stairs we crossed. After about 5.5 km the first descent began, and for the next 8km it was almost all downhill. I had spent some time on the North shore but had never really traveled these trails much, so i was amazed at how much terrain there is here. After about 3.5 km , we eventually came out at Lynn Canyon and i expected the big hill climb of the day was about to begin, but instead it was another 2.8 km of flat running followed by another few km of descent. Finally at 12.3 km the Big climb began. I normally dread the hill climbs and this one was no different except for the fact that a team of volunteers from the Mountain Madness Running group had decorated the entire climb with inspirational signs. Every 10 feet or so they had a sheet of paper on the side of the trail with a racers name and either a joke or comment, or something funny to take your mind of the climb. I must say it sure helped. as we rounded a bend and saw the aid station i asked a fellow runner and we figured we were maybe half way up. but once we hit the aid station we were at the top. And what an aid station. They had everything you could possibly want. including a chocolate cake. and of course they had to carry it all up the same hill we just climbed.

Once at the top it was almost all downhill. I had run this downhill section back to the finish as part of a club fat ass event i did in December, so i knew my way back from here. But when i ran it in december there was snow patching on it. This time with all of the rain, it was like running down a creek bed. The amount of water flowing down the trail was crazy. there was no point trying anymore to step around the puddles as it was everywhere. THis however did not take away from the fun. As we reached deep cove, you could hear the Race announcer in the distance, so you knew you were near. but apparently sound can travel pretty far. we still had 2km to go, and the last 2 km has a whole bunch of up and down over a bunch of stairs.

In the end my time was about 2hr 41 min. not the fastest time, but i was not disappointed with it. It is a good eyeopener for the rest of the season as i have a trail marathon in 3 weeks over much of the same trails, and i know i need to really focus on my hill climbing.

Thanks to all the great volunteers and all the athletes out on the course.

Happy News Years!

So after catching up with some old friends in the city on New years eve. I took the starting line to my first ever Ultra Marathon. It was the Club Fat Ass 50km. I had my eye on this race for a few years and thought this would be a good year to give it a shot. I was not really ready to run the whole 50 km's but i thought i would see how far i could get. I have run a total of 9 marathons in my life, my first one was over 20 years ago, and all of the others have been as part of an Ironman race, so it is a bit different. (IE includes alot of walking.) And here i was lining up to run even farther, in the middle of winter no less. And for all of you out there that think i am crazy, one guy decided he wanted to run it twice for a total of 100km.

My plan was to have my Mom meet me at the half way point, and if i felt ok i would keep going. The route Started in Stanley park, basically following the seawall, but on trails up above the cliffs. It was interesting as i had never ran these trails. Once out of the park, it followed the seawall to burrard street bridge, then back down to the ocean, and followed the coast all the way to UBC. Here it followed the trails out to 41st and Camoson, where it turned around and went back the same way. The weather was wet and cold. It was about 6C and rained the entire time. On the way out everyone was trying to dodge the puddles but on the way back in it didn't really matter much. After my first 10km, i pretty much knew i was not going to make the whole 50km, so i thought 30 km would be a good run to bring in the new year. I figured i could turn around at 15km, make it back to the finish, and watch the winners come in. After a quick call to my Mom to let her know i was not going to make it to see her,(Thanks anyways Mom!) I made it all the way to Spanish Banks, and when the course took off into the trails of the endowment lands, i turned around. While on the way out there were a few people to run with, (a total of 106 started the race) but on the way back there was nobody. The rain still poured, the wind picked up at the top of the Bridge, but i was still enjoying my run. I made it back to the start just over 32km in around 3hr 40min. Not the fastest time, but it was the longest i had run outside of an ironman in 20 years, so i was happy. It really made me appreciate how good shape most of these trail runners are in.

The winner of the race was Dave Papineau. he set a new course record of around 3hr 50 mins. Dave and i lived at the old Kappa Sigma Fraternity house together back in our UBC days. I had not seen Dave for quite some time, but back when i knew him, i was the skinny fast guy and he was the big rugby player. My how times have changes. He told me how only a few years ago he got more serious about his running, and now he is winning races.

So maybe there is hope for me after all. 2010 is the year for me to get much more serious with my training. While i don't expect to win any races this year, i hope to do complete and compete in several big races. Next up... the Diez Vista 50km race on April 10th. This time i will be ready for the whole 50km.

It's Official - I am a Fat Ass!

Well I finally did it. After years of procrastinating i finally became a Fat Ass. Yup, i joined the club. I know, many of you have secretly called me a fat ass for years but now it's official. Club Fat Ass is a grassroots sports club that host trailrunning and other active lifestyle events for fellow members. Once a member, all of the events are free to join. I have been thinking about joining for a while now, and thought this would be a good way to meet some fellow runners and get some good training in while during trips to the city.

On Saturday, Nov 14th, i took part in the Sweet Go Deep trailrun in Deep Cove. It was a 20km race over some pretty technical terrain. I met up with about 14 other club fat ass members in the parking lot in deep cove, and after some introductions and group photo we were off. Being a grassroots event, there were no trail markings of any kind, just a description you could print out of the course. I realized quite quickly that this would be more challenging than i thought. We began with a steep climb up some steps then what some people were calling the seymour grind. The lead group of 4 runners quickly disappeared in front of me, so at the first intersection i had to take out my directions. Luckily fellow runner Jonathan Weresch was nearby. He quickly helped me with some route directions for the next little bit and we were off. The route followed the Baden powell trail for the most part, home of the infamous Knee Knacker run. It was my first time trail running on the north shore, it has some great terrain, but there is one small problem, it has alot of climbing. My GPS told me i climbed a total of 13000 ft in under 12 miles, and it sure felt like it, but i think that is way off as GPS elevation accuracy really sucks. After about 4km in we stopped to check a map on the trailhead. Jonathan and i both agreed that we we map people and not instruction people, as we were having a hard time following the route instructions. but he had done the race before so he knew where to go. He pointed it out on the map and it all made sense. As we climbed the next hill he slowly pulled away from me, but i figured i was good. unfortunately i apparently can't tell the difference between a right and and left, as i went the wrong way at the next intersection. i went down old buck instead of up. Unfortunately the route descriptions seemed to still make sense as i was on the right trail just going the wrong way. After another mile it started to snow/hail. and at this point i realized i was no longer on the right path. i knew i could find my way back along the route, and with the snow coming down, i thought about turning back, but i found a trail marker for the Old Mushroom Parking area, which i recognized as being part of the course, so i kept going. I was almost up to the My Seymour Parkway road/ picnic area when i ran into Jonathan again. Turns out i was climb the trail the the race went down. i probably missed about 1km of the total route.

I stuck with Jonathan for the rest of the way as we made our way past Mystery falls, then down a Mountain Bike trail called Dirty Diapers. This got pretty slippery, and very technical. At this point we were joined by Philip Waters, and the three of us made our way through the rest of the course. At each trail intersection we had to stop and try to figure out which way to go. If i had one recommendation to the event organizer, it would be to try to include a map of the route. I know this is not very easy, but with more and more people with GPS running computers, maps should be a bit easier to create. I will post mine below, but it will of course show the wrong way. Anyways after a long climb back up to the trail i went took the wrong turn unto, we were on our way back. It was mostly all downhill for the last 6km so i was able to pick up the pace for a few miles.



Kinda interesting but a bit disturbing story on the way back to the finish. I had to take a pit stop at an outhouse, as i was leaving and started to head back down the trail i came across another Fat Ass. Only this one was not a runner. Right in the middle of the trail was a woman squatting with her pants down and her naked butt staring right at me. In fairness it wasn't really a fat ass, but she could have at least done it a few steps off the trail. or perhaps used the outhouse that was 100 ft away. Oh well!

As i came back into Deep Cove the trail started to get a bit more crowded with a lot of hikers etc. i took a side detour to the lookout and realized how high we had climbed. I crossed the finish line in 3 hours 25mins with a total Distance of 11.9 miles. After the race i joined a few other CFA runners for the apres party at Mosquito Grill in North Vancouver. The restaurant provide some free Beer and draw prizes were handed out. I received a free subscription to Trail Running Magazine!

So event though i got lost, i still had a great time and would like to thank the event host Cheryl, for waiting at the finish for us. Sibylle for the great draw prizes and Jonathan for his help out on the trails. Can't wait for my next event coming up on New Years Day where i will try my first 50km Ultra run.

Lumpy's Epic 10k

Today was the final race in the Sea 2 Sky trail running series so i made sure i got back from my trip in time to do this 10km trail run. It is a very grassroots event, all of the $15 entry fee goes to a local charity and the top male and female finishers each get a dozen eggs from the organizer's chickens. I think the rain and the cold kept alot of people away, but at 10am about 40 started the race. After about 100m we started up the hills, after about 20 minutes of climbing we came out on what would have been an amazing view point, but with the low clouds, all we saw was white. We continued on a ridge with a bunch of up and down, before we started the long descent. Once again, my climbing sucked but my downhill running was pretty good. Once down the backside of the climb we had about 2.5k of flat running along a slippery trail. Wet leaves mixed with mud made for an interesting finish lap around One Mile Lake. With about 200m to go, we had to jump out onto a floating dock for about 20m to get around a cliff. Each step splashed water up between the boards. Seamus Frew and Arlene Schieven took home the eggs,(no bacon was given out) and Ben Biswell took second place by 1 second over 3rd. That must have been interesting across the dock. Thaks to all of the volunteers and organizers for putting on a great series of runs.

Test of Metal Race Report

Race went pretty well, Lack of any warm up as bike was in line in the 4:!5-4:30 section, Started with road riding - and up the hills - i was still sore from trail running early in the week, so i could feel it here. Tried to draft As much as possible(it's legal in MTB racing) Once we got to the single track, we got bogged down pretty quick. Stopped n the trail fr minutes at a time - then when we did move- it was easier to walk instead of ride as we didn't go very far. Once moving it felt good though. On the flats in the big ring i was feeling fast. past alice lake we had a climb and another slight uphill. Again i put it in big ring and just pushed it. passed quite a few peeple surprisingly. Once we got to the loop at the top of the course we got bogged down again. Stopped for quite a while then walked in a line for most of the loop. Then another big hill climb. Apparently you can hike up once section or ride the switch backs. and the hike is quicker, but i did not know this and rde the climb. Once on top the flowing downhill was great - not too many people around so i did not have to pass or get passed much. on down to rollercoaster and back out to the pavement. Felt strong through out - the stops and walking bits caused by the congestion helped. Crossed over to the otherside then started to feel it. Through the feed zone - then up 9 mile hill more lik 8 km but it is tough. There were a crew handing our gels just before the top of Bonk hill - had to walk up this steepest part. i am usually getting paassed on these uphills, but i pretty much held my own on most of them, then when they flattened out i hammered in the big ring an passed more people. After thetop of Bonk hill - there is a few kms of downhill double track before another big climb, not as bad as the first but still had to walk up to the watertown. another downhill section - pushing the big ring_ and over the bridge then up the final hill. it narrows down here but is still fairy long. once at the top it is all downhill from here. Pushed pretty good - big ring, but it is quite a long downhill - seems like 10 km i can be fun, but my hands and arms were really sore from breaking - finally made the turn to powerhouse plunge, hands were dead here, and it is quite a ways to the start on this trail. at least a km then once on the plunge, i pretty much walked the whole way down - road a fell short sections, but i didn't feel strong on the hands so i took it safe. Once down back through the feed zone again, i cramped up behind my left knee. Just then Andre showed up on the side and asked if i wanted a push, so i said sure, got a nice little push for 20 m or so, and this allow the cramp to subside. at the top of the feed zone, i was handed a redbull - suger free , so i drank some of that. Off into crumpit woods, tried to ride the uphill switch backs but was getting tired so i did alot of hike a bike. this is a long stretch at the end, and lots of people were walking the uphills. it seems like it is about 10km through here, but probably more like 6km. once at the top there are still a few shorter up hills, but most of it is down. Finally we come out on the road, mostly downhill, with one small hill at the bluffs, but at this point it is nearly over. cross the road at the parking lot and onto the riding trail. wide gravel, tried to push it and stay in front of the guy behind me, but he sprinted past at the last corner, and beat me.


What would you do differently?:

Train more - dont do a hill workout trail run the week before - start closer up to try to get away from the log jams. If i get passed on the road, not a big deal, but once on the trail i can keep up the speed for the first half. Practice the plunge.

05:01:00 | 67 kms | 13.36 km/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Official race time and distance - but my computer read only 62km and 4:43 - I have heard that others only seem to get around 62 km - so i think this is more correct. As for the time. with 1000 entrants, it took about 4 minutes to get over the start line, and there were a few spots where the single track got blocked up so we were stopp on the trail for a few minutes at a time.
Wind: None
Course: Lots of uphill - single track - flowing downhill - some pavement - 9 mile hill which is a grunt, and powerhouse plunge which some say is the most technical riding they have ever done.

Oliver Half Iron Triathlon Race Report

Pre-race routine:

stayed at Lakeside resort - Basically right in the middle of the transition area. highly recommended if doing this race. Camped there. Basically woke up at 6:00am grabbed a bagel and half a bottle of powerade. walked to transition, and dropped off my gear - got numbered then went back to camp. Had a banana and some water. used camp washroom with little line up. put wetsuit on and waded into water. After back from transition, realized i forgot gatorade on bike, but figured i wouldn't drink gatorade for first 15 mins i should be fine - not a problem. Forgot race belt and good sunglasses, but was able to borrow both items -thaks to Greg and Dusan!

Event warmup:

Wetsuit on but felt tight with race jersey on underneath. so went for short swim, go fully wet, then unzipped a bit and pulled suit up higher, did not really notice the jersey again.


Swim

Comments:

Did not do much swim training this year, so my form and endurance were lacking. had a rough start, lots of banging going on. started to the left side in mid pack. Once got into rythem was ok but never really felt strong. Thought about just getting through the swim, not really pushing too hard. so that may have been a mistake. But my time was only off by 2 minutes from last year

What would you do differently?:

with more training, i should be able to swim harder, and not just get through it.


T1

Comments:

Very long transition - at least a 500m run once wetsuit was off. carrying it well running barefoot to the transition. got to bike, put helmet on, sunglasses on, realized there was nothing else to do but noticed the portapottie right there and i really had to pee, so i ducked in quickly, came out and grabbed my bike and went. Except for the long distance, it seemed really fast, i looked at my watch and was surprised. almost like i was missing something. but because, i was wearing my jersey and shorts on underneath, and did not need to put on anything else, it was fast. Got to the start line barefoot, mounted my bike, but had problems getting my shoes on.
Tried to stay in the aero position lots but felt really tight in my right hamstring, adn my achilles heel was tightening up - shooting pain if i tried to strech it. it hurt less when i sat upright, so i di more upright riding, especially with the tail wind.

What would you do differently?:

putting the shoes on was an issue. the velcro tabs were not inserted so i had to do that well riding. so i would make sure they are inserted. perhaps add a safety pin at the end to ensure they don't slip out.
Train more in the areo position, work on stretching the legs and geting more comfortable in that position.


Bike

Comments:

Once again i was undertrained for the bike. my goal was 30kmh and was pretty close.very slow on up hills. need more hill work and lose some weight. Used new areo water botle on handle bars for water. Worked pretty good. i filled it with 1L i think, and emptyed it pretty quick. Started with only water no gatorade thinking i would pick some up at first ade station(since i forgot race morning) but forgot the ade station was after about 30minutes. and right at start of big hill. So i would have rather had a half empty bottle for the hill.
with the head wind, it was hard to take any nutrition in. i tried but realized i should have waited until the tailwind section. did this on second lap. much easier. I took 1 bottle of gatorade 250cal 1 gel at 100cal and 1 package of shot blocks at 200 cal for a total of 550 cals. not what i planned

What would you do differently?:

While i set my alarm for 30 min intervals for eating - it seemed to go off at bad time so i didn't really follow it. perhaps identifying feed zones based on the wind would work. i took the bloks 2 at a time to spread them out. and having them in my jersey pocket worked well. Should have ate more, if i had anothe bottle of powerade, that would have brought my total up to 800cal.


T2

Comments:

transition was fine, except i was not really racing. i decided to sit down to put on my shoes and socks, nd probably could have gone a bit faster. i spent some time cleaning up a bit withsome water etc.

What would you do differently?:

clean up while moving out. save some time.


Run

Comments:

going in i felt strongest about my run, but had my worst split of the day. i never really hurt like last year, i just didn't feel like i had as much energy or endurance. i think i settled for just a finish rather than a race. At one point after 5km i felt pain around my ankle and started to get worried i was causeing some damage. it went away when i walked so i walked abit then felt better but it would come back once i ran. after about 2km of this, i stopped and bent over to massage it a bit, and as i reached for the area hat hurt, my hand came across the timing chip. i removed it and immediately felt better. it was rubbing and causing the pain. i put it on the other leg, higher up and was good to go.
The first few kms i was feeling cramping come on a bit so i tried a salt tablet? from the ade station. it seemed to help as i didn't get the cramps after that.

What would you do differently?:

more endurance to allow me to run father with fewer walking breaks.


Post race

Warm down:

after race i grabbed some food and drink - then wnet and stood in the lake to cool down - felt good.cafter a while i made my way over to the pool for a shower and hot tub. everyone was comparing tan/burn lines, ad i had some bad ones. i put sunscreen on, but once again missed the backs of my shoulders blades, and for the first time i had a bad g string type burn line between my shorts and jersey on the back. no sunscreen at all here. also a bit of a burn on my chest as i unzipped my jersey for most of he run to cool down. zipped it up for most of the photos though!!!


What limited your ability to perform faster:

lack of training and the mind set that i just wanted to finish - just get through it rather than race it.


Event comments:

another great race - a few comments soch as the aid stations ran out of coke and gave me soggy pretzels. but otherwise the stations were great. Awards ceremony was late and dragged on, but this was mostly due to the Race Directors wife being taken to the hospital during the race, so he was concerned with her as well as she does most of the awards stuff. so it was all understandable. I hope she is felling better, as otherwise it is a great team they make and some great races they put on. The community involvement is great, and the fundraising efforts they do to give back to the volunteers are amazing.