I am finally getting a chance to write my IM CANADA race report. It's been a busy month. After 8+ months of intense Ironman training, I had to catch up on work duties and home duties. In the meantime, I did run Disneyland Half a week after IM Canada and almost PR'd. I am currently in taper mode for Long Beach Marathon. OK, on to the last IM Canada from Penticton, BC.
This was my main event with Team in Training's Ironteam L.A. for 2012. We arrived a few days before the race and I was impressed by the beauty of Penticton. I was worried about heat since IM Canada 2011 was a scorcher. I was also worried about the hills and all the climbing involved. Well, my fears were overblown, the course is excellent and the weather cooperated this year. Unfortunately this is the last IM Canada race in Penticton. It has been sold to the group that puts on the "Challenge" triathlons. A detailed race report will no longer be very useful since the Challenge Penticton race will probably be very different. So I will give a quick summary and then my thoughts on the race experience.
Swim 1:37:59
The Ironteam got on a bus and left our team hotel very early Sunday morning. We arrived with plenty of time to check in our special needs bags and adjust our bikes. I had a nice warmup jog and a quick swim prior to race start.
The swim was very nice. There is the usual contact associated with the mass start of an Ironman. You learn to just ignore the contact and keep swimming. Eventually, the field separates out, you can swim, and it all works out. The water temp was just right and I felt very comfortable in my full wetsuit. IM Canada is a 1 loop lake swim. Fortunately, there was no chop on race morning. ( Unlike the chop during our practice swim a few days prior to race day and unlike my horrible IM CDA swim.) One unique thing about this swim was that the water was so clear that you could see the bottom of the lake! At the turnaround buoys, you can see divers on the lake bottom taking photos of the swimmers! The glare of the morning sun made sighting a little challenging on the return to shore, but one can sight off the tall building by the lakeshore.
Transition 1 9:08
I didn't realize I took so long. Maybe I was busy listening to the conversations of those around me. Also, I didn't have a volunteer to assist me, so I had to complete the transition on my own. I am also a proponent of taking enough time in T1, so that I don't overlook something important that will hurt me on the 112 mile bike ride. I also made sure to apply sunblock.
Bike: 6:07:22
What a great ride! The first part out of town was very pleasant. Maclean Creek Road is when the first climb starts. This is a short steep climb which is then followed by a long down hill stretch into Okanagan Falls. During this climb, there are still a lot of cyclists and there is traffic on the opposite side of the road. I came close to another cyclist as I was climbing and I guess I scared him and he yelled at me. Oops, "Sorry." The next 25 miles from the Falls to Osoyoos is flat. Time to hit the rolling buffet. I ate my Honey Stinger Waffles. Yummy. The weather was still very pleasant that morning. Then you hit Richter Pass. The Big Climb. Actually a series of 4 climbs over 6+ miles. 1300 ft elevation gain. You have a steep climb for a mile or so, than there is a flatter climb, followed by the next steep climb, flatter climb, etc... Eventually you get to the top and the reward is a fast, very fast downhill stretch. I was probably going 30 to 40 mph during the downhill. After that, it's the 7 Bit**es! A series of rollers... I just counted them down 1 by 1 until I did all 7. Believe me towards the end, you're hating these bit**es. I used the momentum I achieved in the downhill stretch to carry me all or part of the way up the next uphill stretch. This allowed me to pass quite a few people. The next section of the bike course is an out and back. This section requires will power, since fatigue is starting to hit and the Bike special needs is at the out part of this section. Now it's getting warm. Somehow, I got stung by a bee on my back. It's probably because I had my bike jersey zipped half-way down to cool off. I also dumped water over my cooling sleeves and over my head and back of jersey to cool off. I ate some salty chips from my special needs bag, reloaded on the Honey Stinger waffles, and it was off to Yellow Lake. Yellow Lake is the last big climb before returning to Penticton. It is 1500 ft of climbing over 12 miles. By this point in the race, the legs are tired, so the climb feels more difficult than Richter Pass. The good news is that the road is lined with fans cheering you on, a la Tour de France. The energy of the spectators will get you over the top. The reward is another long fast downhill stretch into Penticton. Time to prep for the marathon!
T2 10:17
Again I don't recall what took me so long. I changed into my run outfit. I applied sunblock. I used the Port-a Potty briefly.
Run: 4:52:55
This a single out and back to Okanagan Falls. I ran great during the first 13 miles. I caught up with one of my coaches on the run and we kept pace to the turnaround. I hit the special needs and ate another bag of salty chips, a Gu gel, Honey Stinger waffle. Unfortunately Coach decided to stay near this turnaround to run and encourage other Ironteam members as they came by later in the day and night. So I was left to run the remainder of the marathon on my own. At this point, I started to suffer from GI distress. I felt very gassy and eventually had to hit the Port-a Potty. I didn't feel like eating or drinking so that started to impact me as well. Severe fatigue hit and I started to feel dizzy. In analyzing what happened, I think I came off the bike in good shape. I didn't feel like drinking more Ironman Perform, since I had been drinking that on the bike. So I had taken water and Pepsi during the run. I also ate watermelon from the aid stations. ( cleanliness?) So I think I probably suffered from hyponatremia and possibly some sort of GI malabsorption. This led to one of my slower marathon times. I ended up taking longer and longer walk to run ratios. I initially walked the aid stations only. Then I started walking up hills and every aid station. Eventually I walked up hills, sometimes, downhill, and about every half mile. At mile 24 or so, I ran into my head coach, who asked me how I was doing. I said, "Not good." He encouraged me and said it's all downhill to the finish. Unfortunately as I approached the finish line along the lake side, the IM run course takes a left turn and you have to run an out and back. Running away from the finish was psychologically painful. A bystander encouraged me and said if I hurry, I will come in under 13 hours. Eventually I reached the turn-around and ran back and over the finish line! Mission accomplished. I gave a military salute as I crossed the finish line.
Total time: 12:57:39
Final thoughts:
1) Great course. Great fan support. I would have loved to return to Penticton for a future Ironman.
2) I loved my Team in Training Ironteam experience. Great coaches, mentors, and teammates. I raised over $6000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I will return for another season with Ironteam in 2013.
3) I need to fine-tune my nutrition. I probably need to eat more on the bike, because I have a hard time with my digestion during the run. I probably need to force myself to keep drinking the electrolytes / Perform drink and avoid Pepsi. ( I had a similar GI problem during Full Vineman in 2011).
4) Finally, I am now 3 years after ACL reconstruction. My ACL has been fine. I am running well. I still get more soreness in my Right ( repaired) knee. I missed my knee checkup with my Ortho surgeon, since I was so busy over the summer. I still have IM #7 and #8 coming up in November, as well as my Fall and Winter marathons. I will probably check my knees in the Spring.
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