I am writing this at 3:00 am because I can't sleep. The coffee is on and I'm going to get some work done before swim practice starts at 6:00am. We are trying to fit 4 weeks worth of work into 2 weeks and it looks like we might make it but not without a few sleepless nights. These trips always create a little stress before and after them. That's one of the down sides of working for yourself and working alone. The upside is I only have myself to answer to.
Training is sort of hit and miss for both of us. Tammy has been fighting a mild cold and we are both fighting for motivati0n. I realized this weekend that I didn't have a bike travel box to get my bike to Kona because I lent it to a friend that went to the short course world championships in Australia. We were not planning on going to Hawaii. Thankfully I hang out with triathletes and my friend Adam stepped up and lent me his box as well as a skin suit to swim in so I don't have to buy one.
Today our plan is to do our bike workout on our indoor trainer in the room between the clinic and the house. Its super small and we'll set-up a heater and cook the room as hot as possible. We've done these before and it can simulate some of the heat we will experience in Kona.
We leave Wednesday for the mainland and onto a Thursday 6:00am flight out of Vancouver and arrive in Kona at 11:45am on Thursday. Our plan is to run in the energy lab as soon as we get there. Can't wait!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
In Memory of the O.G.
Danny was the name given to him when he was picked up as a stray on the streets of Richmond. He was old, tired, weak, skinny, dirty and very weary of people. When he came to us he had already been cleaned up but his Spirit was clearly broken. We were told he had maybe a few weeks to live because he was so fragile. He would shake as he stood and a strong wind would have blown him over. We gave him food, shelter, a warm soft bed, and whatever love he would accept. We nicknamed him The Old Guy or O.G. for short.
O.G. was not the most affectionate dog in the world but eventually his trust of us developed and when his strength and confidence came he would show us appreciation in his own way. When we first got him, he was weary and would run from us but over time he would run to us. We delighted in seeing the first time he would do a play-stance, playfully nip at his leash while getting ready for a walk, greet and lick our hands upon returning home, and hearing his 'woo-woo' when he was happy. He made us laugh when he acted like a 'wild horse' when playing (which led to our other nickname: "Horsey!"). It was evident he had been kept in a small cement pad because his instinct was to relieve himself where he ate, which is not normal for any animal, and he would only relieve himself on the cement pad out back. Slowly this habit changed and so did his Spirit. He became part of our pack. He fit like a square peg in a round hole. He disrupted pretty much everything in pretty much every way, but it made us laugh and stirred up the chemistry in an entertaining way as he wedged his way in. He grew to love us, and we grew to love him. At times, he acted so puppy-like that we were convinced he was not as old as they said and were preparing ourselves to have him with us for over a year. Although his Spirit healed and kept him going for a lot longer than anyone would have guessed...it was 7 months...not enough!
Yesterday Sept 18,2009 the O.G went to sleep forever. It was, and is, harder than we thought it would be because we got to be good pack mates. Near the end, his disabilities progressed quick and he had put his best days behind him. We knew this was coming so he got nothing but spoiled in his last days. We let him eat off the coffee table, which is forbidden, and it drove our other dog crazy. We also fed him prime buffalo steak and hamburger cooked just for him. We took him to his 1 mile trail loop in Royal Roads that he loved to walk off leash, which we named 'The O.G. Trail'. He couldn't make it around but we let him sniff around and spend some time in his FAVORITE place.
He will be missed!!
If it wasn't for Big Heart Rescue, Danny would never have gotten another chance to enjoy life. Most other rescues would have put him down the day they found him because the costs are so high and his chance of coming back would have been slim. Big Hearts put a lot of money into Danny (they paid for all the bills including the numerous vet bills). We did the fostering. They are funded by Donation and with volunteer Fosters. It was because of them that Danny got to spend the rest of his days learning to be part of a family...to love and be loved. He often kicked his back legs in his sleep as though he were running in his dreams. Run free, sweet boy, run free....
O.G. was not the most affectionate dog in the world but eventually his trust of us developed and when his strength and confidence came he would show us appreciation in his own way. When we first got him, he was weary and would run from us but over time he would run to us. We delighted in seeing the first time he would do a play-stance, playfully nip at his leash while getting ready for a walk, greet and lick our hands upon returning home, and hearing his 'woo-woo' when he was happy. He made us laugh when he acted like a 'wild horse' when playing (which led to our other nickname: "Horsey!"). It was evident he had been kept in a small cement pad because his instinct was to relieve himself where he ate, which is not normal for any animal, and he would only relieve himself on the cement pad out back. Slowly this habit changed and so did his Spirit. He became part of our pack. He fit like a square peg in a round hole. He disrupted pretty much everything in pretty much every way, but it made us laugh and stirred up the chemistry in an entertaining way as he wedged his way in. He grew to love us, and we grew to love him. At times, he acted so puppy-like that we were convinced he was not as old as they said and were preparing ourselves to have him with us for over a year. Although his Spirit healed and kept him going for a lot longer than anyone would have guessed...it was 7 months...not enough!
Yesterday Sept 18,2009 the O.G went to sleep forever. It was, and is, harder than we thought it would be because we got to be good pack mates. Near the end, his disabilities progressed quick and he had put his best days behind him. We knew this was coming so he got nothing but spoiled in his last days. We let him eat off the coffee table, which is forbidden, and it drove our other dog crazy. We also fed him prime buffalo steak and hamburger cooked just for him. We took him to his 1 mile trail loop in Royal Roads that he loved to walk off leash, which we named 'The O.G. Trail'. He couldn't make it around but we let him sniff around and spend some time in his FAVORITE place.
He will be missed!!
If it wasn't for Big Heart Rescue, Danny would never have gotten another chance to enjoy life. Most other rescues would have put him down the day they found him because the costs are so high and his chance of coming back would have been slim. Big Hearts put a lot of money into Danny (they paid for all the bills including the numerous vet bills). We did the fostering. They are funded by Donation and with volunteer Fosters. It was because of them that Danny got to spend the rest of his days learning to be part of a family...to love and be loved. He often kicked his back legs in his sleep as though he were running in his dreams. Run free, sweet boy, run free....
Friday, September 18, 2009
Motor pacing
Steve Lund offered to motor pace Tammy and I on one of our workouts. Steve has a motor bike that he has rigged with cruise control for a steady pace and a roll bar over the back wheel. The roll bar is so if you get too close and hit the back end of the bike it has a roller that spins. I don't think Tammy was in any danger of hitting the roll bar judging by the distance she is from the back of the motor bike. Usually the rider behind the motor bike is almost touching the bar but for Tammy this was probably as close as she was going to get. Although she swears she got closer. Steve was kind enough to motor pace me for the last 1/2 of my negative split ride. It started out controlled but I think the cruise control was broken and it didn't help that we finished up a very hilly section of Metchosin road. The eggs I had for breakfast were on their way up. I managed to keep them down but not before tasting them for a second time. It's like having two breakfasts.mmmmmm.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Ironman History.
*
http://humanpoweredracer.blogspot.com/
This is Mike Neill's blog. He is already in Kona preparing for Ironman Kona along with many others. The video in his latest entry is AMAZING. The people who won are amazing and still around coaching and commentating races. But the guys at the end, Rick and Dick Hoyt, are still racing today! They are legends in the Ironman world. Here is a link to there website for a little inspiration. http://www.teamhoyt.com/
http://humanpoweredracer.blogspot.com/
This is Mike Neill's blog. He is already in Kona preparing for Ironman Kona along with many others. The video in his latest entry is AMAZING. The people who won are amazing and still around coaching and commentating races. But the guys at the end, Rick and Dick Hoyt, are still racing today! They are legends in the Ironman world. Here is a link to there website for a little inspiration. http://www.teamhoyt.com/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Blog entry about Hawaii from two athletes in Kona
*
http://www.fyzz.ca/our-blog
Click on this link and read their blog. These are two very cool triathletes that formerly lived in Victoria. They now live wherever they want in an RV. They are in Hawaii right now so that Heather can prepare for the world championships and her husband Trevor is training with her. I read their blog and instantly got butterflies in my stomach. I am much like Trevor with my fear of the water, as rational or irrational as it is. We are staying in the Captain Cook area that they swam at.
Tammy and I are going to have to keep our expectations realistic considering all these athletes are already in Kona preparing for the race on Oct. 10. We are arriving 9-10 days in advance, and we hope that is enough time to get our bodies somewhat ready for the oven we are going to be racing in.
In a way, I wish we could have prepared for this race as a peak race but on the other hand we also don't have any pressure for any time goals. We have to go with a humble respect for the race and try not to end up in the hospital. Much better athletes than us have been destroyed by this race.
Can't wait!!!!
Aloha
http://www.fyzz.ca/our-blog
Click on this link and read their blog. These are two very cool triathletes that formerly lived in Victoria. They now live wherever they want in an RV. They are in Hawaii right now so that Heather can prepare for the world championships and her husband Trevor is training with her. I read their blog and instantly got butterflies in my stomach. I am much like Trevor with my fear of the water, as rational or irrational as it is. We are staying in the Captain Cook area that they swam at.
Tammy and I are going to have to keep our expectations realistic considering all these athletes are already in Kona preparing for the race on Oct. 10. We are arriving 9-10 days in advance, and we hope that is enough time to get our bodies somewhat ready for the oven we are going to be racing in.
In a way, I wish we could have prepared for this race as a peak race but on the other hand we also don't have any pressure for any time goals. We have to go with a humble respect for the race and try not to end up in the hospital. Much better athletes than us have been destroyed by this race.
Can't wait!!!!
Aloha
Friday, September 11, 2009
O.G. (Old Guy) on one of his better days
For those that haven`t met O.G. this is him on his favorite trail in Royal Roads University grounds. It`s the one place he can run free and get a sense of independence. He absolutely loves to run (trot) and if you let him he would be gone without looking back. He has such a strong spirit and we wish we knew him in his prime. He is very strong headed.O .G. is not doing well right now and we are struggling with having to make the decision to let him go. It will likely be this week unless another miracle takes place. He is suffering from a neurological degeneration disease and he can`t use his back legs to get up any more along with many other issues. He`s a good boy.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tortilla chips and Privates.
I think this 6 weeks between races is going to be the biggest test of them all. We are finding it hard to keep our diet clean (well, me more than Tammy). We don't want to gain a bunch of unnecessary weight but we are also suffering from post Ironman depression. Usually after a big race we let loose for a few weeks and indulge ourselves resulting in a few extra pounds of baby fat. However, we have another big day coming up so we have to stay on task. The training probably won't be the high volume we usually do so we won't be burning extra calories. We usually snack on 70% chocolate but tonight I found a stash of tortilla chips that where hidden from me. I couldn't help myself so a broke them open and found an avocado and a jar of salsa. I could have done without the tortilla chips but I call that emotional food. When my emotions are drained I need to re-fill the emotional pit with junk food. It was either that or a stiff drink. I ate them in front of Tammy with almost no guilt. Although I did have to dodge a few jabs at my privates.
I just read the blog of Mike Neill who is already in Kona, and he said during his first swim a resident pod of Dolphins showed up and swam with him. I can't wait to get to Kona. For those not familiar with Ironman stuff...Mike has been our top Canadian in the world championships for few years.
Mom Dad, Tina ......are you sure you don't want to come early with us.Unfortunately we won't be able to take in all the sights before the race because we have to save our energy. But we are staying for 1 week after the race.
Aloha
I just read the blog of Mike Neill who is already in Kona, and he said during his first swim a resident pod of Dolphins showed up and swam with him. I can't wait to get to Kona. For those not familiar with Ironman stuff...Mike has been our top Canadian in the world championships for few years.
Mom Dad, Tina ......are you sure you don't want to come early with us.Unfortunately we won't be able to take in all the sights before the race because we have to save our energy. But we are staying for 1 week after the race.
Aloha
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Analysis of an analyser. (say that 3x fast)
Something Tammy and I do a lot is over analyse. We laugh that it's the Virgo's in us but really we just like to think we're smart.
We are still trying to figure out why Tammy didn't have the power on the bike she had shown in training and why I felt so fresh.
The hypothesis we came up with was this; Tammy's blood test were bad and Allan's where good. Tammy did more training than Allan and she never recovered properly before the race.
About 2.5 weeks out of the race we both had blood work done by our Naturopath and Tammy's white blood cells and red blood cells where not good. A nutritional marker (Phosphorous) was also low. Indicating over training or chronic infection or serious recovery mode. We get our blood checked fairly often so we have a pretty good baseline of normal, including blood cell health, Iron,electrolytes and other fun things the Dr. wants too check. My blood test showed very good white and red cell health but in addition it showed that my electrolyte levels where topped up and almost too high on a few. For me this is good because usually when I train a lot in the heat I have very low electrolyte levels before the race even starts. Hydration can throw all these numbers off so we make sure we are properly hydrated before these tests. The good thing about a Naturopath is that they look for optimal numbers not numbers that would indicate normal ranges. Optimal is better than normal and optimal is a tighter range.
Of course these are simple explanations to a very complex question. However sometimes things aren't as complicated as we think. We still have so much to learn about ourselves and our limits but one thing we know for sure is that we will analysis things to death. Up next... analysis of why we like Dexter sooooo much!
Cheers
We are still trying to figure out why Tammy didn't have the power on the bike she had shown in training and why I felt so fresh.
The hypothesis we came up with was this; Tammy's blood test were bad and Allan's where good. Tammy did more training than Allan and she never recovered properly before the race.
About 2.5 weeks out of the race we both had blood work done by our Naturopath and Tammy's white blood cells and red blood cells where not good. A nutritional marker (Phosphorous) was also low. Indicating over training or chronic infection or serious recovery mode. We get our blood checked fairly often so we have a pretty good baseline of normal, including blood cell health, Iron,electrolytes and other fun things the Dr. wants too check. My blood test showed very good white and red cell health but in addition it showed that my electrolyte levels where topped up and almost too high on a few. For me this is good because usually when I train a lot in the heat I have very low electrolyte levels before the race even starts. Hydration can throw all these numbers off so we make sure we are properly hydrated before these tests. The good thing about a Naturopath is that they look for optimal numbers not numbers that would indicate normal ranges. Optimal is better than normal and optimal is a tighter range.
Of course these are simple explanations to a very complex question. However sometimes things aren't as complicated as we think. We still have so much to learn about ourselves and our limits but one thing we know for sure is that we will analysis things to death. Up next... analysis of why we like Dexter sooooo much!
Cheers
Sunday, September 6, 2009
IMC Photos
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=45838&BIB=687&S=230&PWD=
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=45838&BIB=2301
These are photos a company takes during the race. You can just have a look and you'll get an idea of what the day looked like.
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=45838&BIB=2301
These are photos a company takes during the race. You can just have a look and you'll get an idea of what the day looked like.
Ironman Canada race reports
Allan's report
I have to thank everyone for coming out to support us at the race in Penticton. Having people there to cheer you on helps beyond words. One side of me thinks....don't waste your time coming to watch us race, you'll only see us for a couple minutes and what if we have a bad day? bla bla bla. The other side thinks... I better not disappoint, they came all this way. At the end of the day I was glad to share my experience with friends and family. Thanks also to those that watch on-line and sent good vibes. At some point in the day I thought about every friend or family member and it brought me good energy. Thank you for making us feel special. Mike Neill and the Human Powered Racing crew are always so supportive and over the years have helped me on many levels. Their tent is perfectly positioned to give you energy at just the right times and gives you a really good short term goal to focus on. "get to the HPR tent", "get back to the HPR tent" It sounds corny but the energy you get at that point is real!
Thank you Achieve Health Eric Purves (massage), Dr.Richard McIllmoyle (Chiro) and Dr. Jamie De Melo (Naturopath). Those guys put humpty dumpty back together again everytime he falls off the wall. I fall off the wall alot.
Steve Lund has been putting our cycling program together and has been an endless source of knowledge. I trust him more than anyone I've met when it comes to cycling. He sticks to what he knows and is quitley confident.
I won't bore you with all the details of my day but in my world it was a break through race. I had a personal best in all three sports on the day and felt fresh and well prepared. I have been working with an elite triathlon coach, Clint Lien, for awhile out of Victoria and I have to say I am enjoying the process. It must say something about me because he has a degree in Psychology and I am a head case.
I put a lot of mental effort into the swim because the mass start scares the hell out of me. My goal is to be a faster swimmer so I stay out of the washing machine effect that occurs for 1/2 the swim. I think I accomplished my goal... I'm pretty sure I came out around the top 10 in the age group race (the pro's start 15min ahead).
I had fresh legs on the bike and went really easy till the 120km mark and then pushed harder to the finish. I caught a lot of guys that had dropped me at the start of the ride. When I hit the run I knew instantly that I had good legs. I had to tell myself to run my own race and hold back to save something for the return trip. I'm glad I did because I started to have gut issues and looking back now I think I would have gotten my self into trouble a lot sooner if I had pushed too hard. As it was I puked my guts out at the finish line, but I did celebrate coming down main street for 2miles knowing that I was close to my goals of running the entire run.
For me this race was about being recovered before the race, pacing, nutrition/hydration, staying cool and staying positive NO MATTER WHAT. Trust me when I tell you it doesn't matter how fit you are if you mess up those key elements you will not reach your goals and probably suffer unnecessarily. I think I did a really good job of it but still need to tweak things a bit more if I want to hit my goals. My time at the end of the day may sound fast to some and I place 9th overall in the age group race and 35th overall including the pros but I KNOW I can go faster. I am most proud of myself because on the day I didn't get caught up on who was passing me or how hard this was, I kept repeating "trust yourself, and be proud of yourself no matter what." I KNOW in my heart I trained hard all year, persevered through injury and came with a solid plan. I was proud of myself before the race began. (wow that was cheesy)
At the end of the day both Tammy and I qualified for the world championships in Kona Hawaii. Basically that means we've earned the right to pay a ton of money to go race in the toughest conditions known in the triathlon world against the best of the best. This race is the origin of triathlon and athletes attempt to qualify at various races throughout the world. Ironman Canada is pretty much the last race on the circuit to qualify at. Kona is only 6 weeks after the Ironman we just did. These races take so much out of you that doing 2 races this close can be a disaster.
In the weeks to follow we will post some updates as Clint prepares us for Ironman Hawaii so check back every few days!!
Tammy's Report,
Allan already included many things on behalf of both of us. We sure appreciate everyone out there cheering: HPR and family and friends...The energy from everyone really does help!
I have to put out a few special thanks as well. Steve Lund got me to a new level of fitness and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cycling. He even spent some time helping me be a better rider technically and gave us a crazy core routine that contributed to less injuries and increased bike stability. Achieve Health (chiropractor Dr. McIllmoyle, massage Eric Purves, and naturopath Dr. Jamie deMelo) are all amazing practitioners. I have struggled with a hip issue for the past few years and after seeing everyone under the sun, Dr. McIllmoyle is the only person who has made a difference. Eric and Dr. deMelo are instrumental in keeping me healthy, so that I can train more :) Although I had been getting coached by Steve and putting together the rest of my program, Clint Lien has always been there for me. I really appreciate getting hooked up with elite swim groups and the coffee talks/being there for advice. He didn't have to do this but I am thankful for it. And last but certainly not least, Peninsula Runners!
My swim went pretty well. Because I have had panicky problems in the past after getting the s**t kicked out of me, I started far right and stayed to the right of the buoys. You get swimming space out there. My starts are not great. I am kind of like a diesel engine in the swim, and seem to only feel better as it goes along. Because of that, slower swimmers generally pound over me and then I have to pass people for the duration of the swim. So staying to the right, I had space, and was able to start the day more relaxed. Until I am speedy like Allan, I think this was the right choice. The walk was quite long where I positioned myself, and it was rocky. But I still took almost 3min off my swim. I struggle with gaining time on this discipline so was pleased with that.
On the bike, I hadn't felt good for the past couple of weeks leading up to the race. During race week, running and swimming were coming around but still felt sluggish on the bike. This wasn't anyone's fault but myself. In the past, when feeling tired leading into an Ironman, I would typically panic and would be really conservative and cautious. If I go out for a ride and feel crappy, I would come home. But this time I pushed a couple of sessions that I shouldn't have. I now realized that I should have listened to my body more. Well, back to the Ironman day itself...I was hoping for that smooth, 'no chain' feeling but instead it felt like my brakes were on all day (they weren't). I was hoping to warm into the ride and feel good by Richter's pass but it wasn't to be. It was the first time I felt like I needed an easier gear up Richter's and my legs felt sluggish and heavy. Although I kept smiling for the cameras, after Richter's to the out and back there was a war going on inside my head. I had put a lot of time and effort into riding faster this year and knew I had made good improvements. Watts are higher at same heart rates, repeat climbs are faster....but I knew it would not show today. I always enjoy the ride the most out of the race, but wasn't having too much fun and thought 'either get your head together and get through this race or quit' Hmmm quitting sounded kind of good, but that would be pretty pathetic - this is an Ironman and we are very fortunate just to make it to the start line! So I switched gears here and worked on staying positive, keeping the nutrition coming and didn't worry too much about that low HR. I reminded myself that being fitter means that even on a not-so-great-day, I could still be faster. At the out and back, the focus really came back after I saw Allan. He looked so good! We have a bit of internal competition whereas I like to be within ~50min of him at the end of the race (an hour at the most) so when I saw him I focused on our game and tried to limit time losses.
The run started out rough also. I was running slower than I do on training runs off the bike. But I told myself "the best thing I can do is run the whole run if it kills me." I knew that even jogging would be so much faster than stopping, and haven't run the whole run before. Doing that would be a break-through. I stayed focused and kept on the nutrition and electrolytes, and cooling myself down. There were some low-energy moments but for the most part the run went pretty well! In the end, I was close to even-splitting the run (only lost a few minutes on the last half), passed almost 400 people (that's for passing me on the bike!), and had a PB by almost 10min (with a 10:51:57 finish). Not the time I was looking for, but I ended the day proud of myself for staying tough and focused. It led to the spot in Kona and now I get a re-do (yeah!) When crossing the finish line, Allan greeted me and the first thing he said? "You were over an hour behind me!" Oh, it is sooo on. I'll see you in Kona, sucka!
I have to thank everyone for coming out to support us at the race in Penticton. Having people there to cheer you on helps beyond words. One side of me thinks....don't waste your time coming to watch us race, you'll only see us for a couple minutes and what if we have a bad day? bla bla bla. The other side thinks... I better not disappoint, they came all this way. At the end of the day I was glad to share my experience with friends and family. Thanks also to those that watch on-line and sent good vibes. At some point in the day I thought about every friend or family member and it brought me good energy. Thank you for making us feel special. Mike Neill and the Human Powered Racing crew are always so supportive and over the years have helped me on many levels. Their tent is perfectly positioned to give you energy at just the right times and gives you a really good short term goal to focus on. "get to the HPR tent", "get back to the HPR tent" It sounds corny but the energy you get at that point is real!
Thank you Achieve Health Eric Purves (massage), Dr.Richard McIllmoyle (Chiro) and Dr. Jamie De Melo (Naturopath). Those guys put humpty dumpty back together again everytime he falls off the wall. I fall off the wall alot.
Steve Lund has been putting our cycling program together and has been an endless source of knowledge. I trust him more than anyone I've met when it comes to cycling. He sticks to what he knows and is quitley confident.
I won't bore you with all the details of my day but in my world it was a break through race. I had a personal best in all three sports on the day and felt fresh and well prepared. I have been working with an elite triathlon coach, Clint Lien, for awhile out of Victoria and I have to say I am enjoying the process. It must say something about me because he has a degree in Psychology and I am a head case.
I put a lot of mental effort into the swim because the mass start scares the hell out of me. My goal is to be a faster swimmer so I stay out of the washing machine effect that occurs for 1/2 the swim. I think I accomplished my goal... I'm pretty sure I came out around the top 10 in the age group race (the pro's start 15min ahead).
I had fresh legs on the bike and went really easy till the 120km mark and then pushed harder to the finish. I caught a lot of guys that had dropped me at the start of the ride. When I hit the run I knew instantly that I had good legs. I had to tell myself to run my own race and hold back to save something for the return trip. I'm glad I did because I started to have gut issues and looking back now I think I would have gotten my self into trouble a lot sooner if I had pushed too hard. As it was I puked my guts out at the finish line, but I did celebrate coming down main street for 2miles knowing that I was close to my goals of running the entire run.
For me this race was about being recovered before the race, pacing, nutrition/hydration, staying cool and staying positive NO MATTER WHAT. Trust me when I tell you it doesn't matter how fit you are if you mess up those key elements you will not reach your goals and probably suffer unnecessarily. I think I did a really good job of it but still need to tweak things a bit more if I want to hit my goals. My time at the end of the day may sound fast to some and I place 9th overall in the age group race and 35th overall including the pros but I KNOW I can go faster. I am most proud of myself because on the day I didn't get caught up on who was passing me or how hard this was, I kept repeating "trust yourself, and be proud of yourself no matter what." I KNOW in my heart I trained hard all year, persevered through injury and came with a solid plan. I was proud of myself before the race began. (wow that was cheesy)
At the end of the day both Tammy and I qualified for the world championships in Kona Hawaii. Basically that means we've earned the right to pay a ton of money to go race in the toughest conditions known in the triathlon world against the best of the best. This race is the origin of triathlon and athletes attempt to qualify at various races throughout the world. Ironman Canada is pretty much the last race on the circuit to qualify at. Kona is only 6 weeks after the Ironman we just did. These races take so much out of you that doing 2 races this close can be a disaster.
In the weeks to follow we will post some updates as Clint prepares us for Ironman Hawaii so check back every few days!!
Tammy's Report,
Allan already included many things on behalf of both of us. We sure appreciate everyone out there cheering: HPR and family and friends...The energy from everyone really does help!
I have to put out a few special thanks as well. Steve Lund got me to a new level of fitness and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cycling. He even spent some time helping me be a better rider technically and gave us a crazy core routine that contributed to less injuries and increased bike stability. Achieve Health (chiropractor Dr. McIllmoyle, massage Eric Purves, and naturopath Dr. Jamie deMelo) are all amazing practitioners. I have struggled with a hip issue for the past few years and after seeing everyone under the sun, Dr. McIllmoyle is the only person who has made a difference. Eric and Dr. deMelo are instrumental in keeping me healthy, so that I can train more :) Although I had been getting coached by Steve and putting together the rest of my program, Clint Lien has always been there for me. I really appreciate getting hooked up with elite swim groups and the coffee talks/being there for advice. He didn't have to do this but I am thankful for it. And last but certainly not least, Peninsula Runners!
My swim went pretty well. Because I have had panicky problems in the past after getting the s**t kicked out of me, I started far right and stayed to the right of the buoys. You get swimming space out there. My starts are not great. I am kind of like a diesel engine in the swim, and seem to only feel better as it goes along. Because of that, slower swimmers generally pound over me and then I have to pass people for the duration of the swim. So staying to the right, I had space, and was able to start the day more relaxed. Until I am speedy like Allan, I think this was the right choice. The walk was quite long where I positioned myself, and it was rocky. But I still took almost 3min off my swim. I struggle with gaining time on this discipline so was pleased with that.
On the bike, I hadn't felt good for the past couple of weeks leading up to the race. During race week, running and swimming were coming around but still felt sluggish on the bike. This wasn't anyone's fault but myself. In the past, when feeling tired leading into an Ironman, I would typically panic and would be really conservative and cautious. If I go out for a ride and feel crappy, I would come home. But this time I pushed a couple of sessions that I shouldn't have. I now realized that I should have listened to my body more. Well, back to the Ironman day itself...I was hoping for that smooth, 'no chain' feeling but instead it felt like my brakes were on all day (they weren't). I was hoping to warm into the ride and feel good by Richter's pass but it wasn't to be. It was the first time I felt like I needed an easier gear up Richter's and my legs felt sluggish and heavy. Although I kept smiling for the cameras, after Richter's to the out and back there was a war going on inside my head. I had put a lot of time and effort into riding faster this year and knew I had made good improvements. Watts are higher at same heart rates, repeat climbs are faster....but I knew it would not show today. I always enjoy the ride the most out of the race, but wasn't having too much fun and thought 'either get your head together and get through this race or quit' Hmmm quitting sounded kind of good, but that would be pretty pathetic - this is an Ironman and we are very fortunate just to make it to the start line! So I switched gears here and worked on staying positive, keeping the nutrition coming and didn't worry too much about that low HR. I reminded myself that being fitter means that even on a not-so-great-day, I could still be faster. At the out and back, the focus really came back after I saw Allan. He looked so good! We have a bit of internal competition whereas I like to be within ~50min of him at the end of the race (an hour at the most) so when I saw him I focused on our game and tried to limit time losses.
The run started out rough also. I was running slower than I do on training runs off the bike. But I told myself "the best thing I can do is run the whole run if it kills me." I knew that even jogging would be so much faster than stopping, and haven't run the whole run before. Doing that would be a break-through. I stayed focused and kept on the nutrition and electrolytes, and cooling myself down. There were some low-energy moments but for the most part the run went pretty well! In the end, I was close to even-splitting the run (only lost a few minutes on the last half), passed almost 400 people (that's for passing me on the bike!), and had a PB by almost 10min (with a 10:51:57 finish). Not the time I was looking for, but I ended the day proud of myself for staying tough and focused. It led to the spot in Kona and now I get a re-do (yeah!) When crossing the finish line, Allan greeted me and the first thing he said? "You were over an hour behind me!" Oh, it is sooo on. I'll see you in Kona, sucka!
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