Official Ironman Canada Race Report, the longest report ever
So, humm, where to start.
I guess we’ll start wherever. So, After a busy summer long of training, back healing, and dealing with other time constraints and (heat related) weather constraints. Here I was, ready to head up to Canada. Used Tri Bike Transport, who picked up my bike about 1.5 weeks before the race to take it up, very nice and convienient. Rented a set of 50mm Aero Blackwell race wheels from the local tri store. Then I was headed up there. A few weeks before the race.
Flew up to Seattle, to deal with some home rental stuff, hang out with my Father, then drove up with my father. Decided not to do the crazy diet things that I have read about, simply because I haven’t really ever tried it. Read about some people, cutting out fiber a week or two before an Ironman, and also cutting out carbs a week before, to help their body not get sluggish. However I decided to keep it simple, my normal diet, with a good short 1.5 week taper, all the while keeping my fitness going as to not get carbo loaded and slugged up. However the real carb loading came a full day and a half before my race. Breads, pastas, breads, more pasta, some lean chicken and some more pasta. Just ask my dad, must have had 6 huge plates, and was eating all day long.
After enjoying some time in canada, race meetings, setting up transition area, going over it time and time again in my head. My father and I had bike ridden the marathon course, and driven the bike course. Enjoyed swimming in the lake, and looking out to the distant bouys, of which you could barely see the turnarounds they were so far away..
Race Morning, ok, up at about 4am, Oatmeal, brown sugar, honey, bagel with peanut butter, Accelerade beverage x3 thickness. Most of my things are already in transition. But arrived at transition, and needed to only get my out of the swim, and before swim gear ready. Also pumped up my tires to 140 psi, checked my bike gears, exchanged my Accelerage water bottles, etc etc, and ohh yeah, good ol’ Body Glide, and Deeez Nutz. hehee Off to the beach.
Watching the professional field leave, was enjoyable, with energy and anticipation, they looked so professional, about 20 or 30 athletes in the pro field took of 10 minutes before everyone else. they looked majestic in the beautiful lake, so natural, so inspirational. I knew my field would not look the same.
In the water and ready for swim start, 5 minutes to start, 2 minutes, one minute, and 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Go. (No more cannon, as the traditional Canada start, not sure why, just a horn) And we were off. I decided to start mid pack in the swim, but the swim was a complete mass start, about 4oo meters wide, and packed 100 deep. I started about center right, with about 20 people in front of me, as I don’t mind to much the water bashing.
However, in the start of the swim, and throughout, it was more brutal than I would have expected. not in a bad way, I was able to start swimming right on time, but throughout the first 600m, never imagined anything like it! After the 400M mark I finally found some swimming privacy, and was able to pace a few people, getting into my swim groove, Rocking my body, reaching and pulling the water, so fluid and complete. We were supposed to stay to the left of the buoys, but not until about 3/4 of the complete swim was I even able to get to the left of the buoys, (except the turnarounds of course) Then past the 1400 meter turn, it was about a 60 degree right hand turn, again, so packed, people swimming on top of people, bashing me with arms in my back, kicking me in the shoulders and chest and head, grabbing my legs. Then I see something unusual. I see a few bodies at the bottom of the lake laying flat. It scared the crap out of me for a split second, I had heard about the scuba divers startling people on the swim, but I didn’t expect them to be laying on the ground, watching from below! A sigh of releif and further onto the swim. At this turn, the 1400 meter turn, is where I had some goggle peoples, someone kicked my goggles off, and they filled with water, after I repositioned them, they seemed to be leaking water until I repositioned them a few more times. Further onto the swim, another turn at about the 2100 meter I think, and this turn was about a 120 degree turn. Again, the bashing and absoloutely crazy in the water. I specifically remember one guy, swimming at this turn about a dozen full swim strokes behind me, where I could feel both of his arms and hands brush past both of my ears! Wow. And onto the home stretch, the last leg of the swim, can’t remember the distance is was, but it was to complete the 2.4 mile swim.
Overall my swim was awesome, after 400 m I got into a groove, so smooth and fluid, maximum swim capicity, with minimal swim energy output. efficiency. I really enjoyed the swim because I expected it to be crazy deep, but about 1/2 the swim I could see the bottom, so clear of water, it gave me something interesting to do, watching the bottom, the rocks and weeds, as I swam, an enjoyable guage that tells you you are actually moving forward, (hard to guage on such a long distance swim because you are out in the middle of the lake for what seems forever.)
So, out of the water, removed the upper portion of my wetsuit as I was exiting, feel the burst of energy coming from the crowd, and the announcer. Travis Stecker, from San Antonio Texas, yay!
Into transition, wetsuit removal people. My wetsuit is one of my favorite things, it fits so good, so tight, an extra body skin, form fitting, with my suit even half off already, it’s very difficult to get off, even with good ol Body glide. So I sit down, and 3 people, grab my suit, and yank it right off! amazing, never done it that way before, Then I head over, grab my cycling gear back, the changing tent is packed full of people, so I simply put on my shoes, my helmet, suck down 2x gu gel packs, and head out. Grab my bike and onto the bike loading zone. See next blog for more on the Bike portion
