The training leading up
to this event really started this past January when for my 30th birthday
present I announced that instead of gifts I would like to challenge the Ironman
course in Quebec. The distance for an Ironman is a 3.8km swim, 180km bike,
followed by a 42km run. One could spend a significant amount of time each week
preparing for the individual distances alone. To be honest, being in the
military and being able to train at lunch was a huge factor in my success. With
a toddler at home, a military spouse, and a career, managing my time
effectively for a work/family/training balance was one of the biggest
challenges. Having the ability to travel to Ottawa to compete at Nationals for
running and triathlon distances also helped me prepare for the Ironman. The
most valuable experience in preparation for the Ironman was attending the Long
Distance Training Camp held at Mont-Tremblant after the Triathlon Nationals in
Ottawa in June. What an advantage to have the most elite triathlon athletes in
the CAF to train with and learn from where the Ironman would take place. This
was absolutely the best training experience I have had to date.
My rendition of the
Ironman Mont-Tremblant race weekend:
Friday was spent getting
settled into the accommodations and picking up our race kits (Race bib etc.).
Because the course is so long keeping hydrated and enough calories in you can
be a challenge. A great deal of time went into organizing what food items, such
as gels and cliff bars would be eaten and in what sequence. I spent Saturday
morning getting all the food prepared and in their respective bags and
locations. Then, after a final bike tune up I had to drop off my bike in the
transition area and drop off two of the four bags (the bike and run transition
bags) in another area. Saturday evening’s activities included trying to consume
slow burning carbs like whole grain peanut butter sandwiches and pasta to fuel
me for the next day’s race; this is known as carb loading. Then it was race
day. After getting up at 4am for coffee and a carb loaded breakfast of two
bagels and two bananas it was time to head down to the transition area to check
the air in my bike tires, fill up my water bottles, and drop off my bike and
run special needs bags. After this was done my training partner Fred Nolin and
I made our way to the swim start. I began to get nervous as time drew nearer
for the race to start. As the first wave of pro males made their way to the
edge of the beach, fireworks went off and an F-18 flew overhead to signal the
start. This didn't help with my nervousness but it was spectacular to watch. As
the next wave of pro females ran into the water there were more fireworks and
the F-18 flew back overhead. Next was my wave, and as I walked up to
the water’s edge the nervousness had built to the point where I was very
nauseous. What calmed me was thinking of what my Barrie Triathlon Club mentor
texted me the night before the race "mind like water". I kept telling
myself, think smooth, calm, cool, and I kept repeating that to myself
throughout the race. Before I knew it the announcer was counting us down...and
then we were off. The swim was a continuous washing machine, bodies, hands and
feet everywhere. Usually, the competitors spread out after the first few hundred
meters, but 2,800 people makes for a crowded course even if it is 3.8km long. I
managed to avoid most of the other competitors feet and only got kicked in the
face once. About half way through the swim the wind must have picked up because
the water became choppy, making swimming more difficult. I took a few mouthfuls
of water but kept on going, pacing myself for the long race. I finished the
swim in 1hr 18min and was pretty happy with this time. I was aiming for somewhere between 1:15 and
1:20, so this was bang on. As I headed to the transition area I spotted my wife
and son cheering me on, so I smiled and waved as I ran by.
Shortly after starting
the bike portion I realized that my heart rate monitor and cadence sensors were
not working. I use the heart rate monitor to measure my level of exertion and
my plan was to hold an effort of 68% to 70% heart rate reserve. During an
Ironman the level of exertion on the bike must be carefully controlled to
prevent elevating my heart rate out of the fat burning zone to the endurance
zone. If I spent too much time in the endurance zone I would tire my legs and I
would consume too much of the glucose stored in my body. The human body can
only store about 4 hours’ worth of glucose in its muscles and I needed to save
that for the marathon at the end. As a result of not having my heart rate monitor
I had to go by feel and wing it. Not having my cadence sensor was also a disappointment
because I wanted to maintain 85 to 90 rpm which helps me to rely more on my cardiovascular
system for my speed instead of muscular strength. This is another form of
controlling my exertion and trying to save my legs for the run portion of the
race. After about 30km into the bike portion the weather took a turn for the
worse as it started rain and continued to do so for the rest of the bike
portion. I stuck to my nutrition plan for the bike segment which was to consume
one cliff bar and at least one bottle of Gatorade every 30km. At around the
70km point I could hear the back of my bike tire rubbing on the brake so I
hopped off to quickly made and an adjustment. At the end of the first 90km loop
I decided to take the Ensure Calories Plus (360 liquid calories) I had put in
my bike special
needs bag. I thought that the Ensure would be a great way to get calories into
me but I made the biggest rookie mistake possible. Every triathlete knows;
"never try anything new on race day". The Ensure did not sit well
with me, I felt sluggish and tired. About 30 minutes later I felt like I would
be sick. I remembered what the CAF Long course coordinator Joel Maley had told
me during the training camp, "if you are feeling off, ease back and take a
few minutes to get back into it". I took it easy for a few minutes,
letting some riders pass me. After some deep breaths I was able to settle back
into a rhythm. About 15 minutes later it was time to eat another cliff bar. The
thought of eating was the last thing I wanted to do on an uneasy stomach but I
need to keep putting calories down or I would fade out. After the first bite I
felt sick and there was no holding it back this time. Without stopping and
while going 60km/hr downhill, I emptied out the entire contents of my stomach
all over myself. I felt a lot better after this and was glad for the rain
because it washed me clean. After this experience I had to increase my calorie
intake in order to keep my energy up and was glad I taped a couple of extra
gels to my bike. I continued to try and pace myself for the rest of the bike
segment but when checking the splits afterwards my pace did slide a bit. During
the last 10km climb up Duplessis Hill my legs were starting to feel tired. I
finished the bike a little slower than I had hoped with a time of 5hr 33min and
average speed of 32.3 km/hr. Considering the rain, wind and illness this was
pretty good.
I started the marathon
only to realize I had forgotten my GPS watch on my bike. I moved it from my
wrist to the handle bars so it was easier to see my speed and distance while
biking and forgot to move it back to my wrist. I was planning on using my watch
to maintain a 5 min/km pace during the run. It is easy to push too hard in the
first half of the run and burn out during the second half. Without my watch I had
to again go by feel. As I entered the run course I saw my wife and son again
cheering for me. It was amazing to see them and encouraged me to push on. The
first loop around the 21.1km course went well, I was feeling pretty good and
still strong, considering everything I had put my body through to this point.
The only other disappointment I experienced during the run was that I could not
eat the gels they were giving out on the course. The Cliff Gels were thick, slimy
and sticky. I started to gag on the first one I tried and had to spit it out. I
had tried this brand of gel before but never in these cool conditions which
made them thicker. I stuck to Gatorade, coke and red bull for the rest of the
run. I made sure to mix in water to keep my glycemic index from getting to high
which can cause stomach cramps and bloating. The Long Course coach Dave Hardju
had warned of this during the training camp. As I finished the first loop I ran
past my wife and son cheering for me again. It gave me the last little bit of
encouragement I needed push on and finish strong. Leading up to the 30km mark I
was still feeling good and thought I could pick up the pace for the last 10km.
But as I hit the 32km mark I ran out of speed and energy. The pain in my
muscles seemed to increase exponentially and from this point on I had to focus
on just finishing. I kept telling myself “don't stop running” and mentally broke the last 10km into two 5kms. I told
myself, “its only 5km, that’s nothing”. I finished the last 10km at 6min/km pace. Crossing the finish line
felt amazing; I could not stop smiling as I headed down the chute to the
roaring crowd. As I crossed the finish line I pumped my arms in the air and
roared in success and happiness. My total marathon time was 3hr 40min and my
total race time was 10hr 41min. I finished 181th of 2,800. Not too bad for my
first Ironman.
I was overjoyed to meet up with my wife and son just outside of the finisher’s tent. They covered me in hugs and kisses as we headed back to the room for some much needed rest.
