From Whistler to Cal and back, no not fine at all. But any long sleeve would have gotten wet, and you'd be in exactly the same boat. My only other option was the waterproof gortex ski shell I brought but it's a sail complete with non-foldable hood. And water underneath, screwed again. My gear above I would ride sub zero (maybe to -10C) no problem. I've done Highwood pass (2200m) dressed in less. But not soaking wet and freezing wind at the same time. :(

I was one of the people that you and your truck helped.

While I thanked you before riding off I want to thank you again for your help and compassion.

Very tough day yesterday. I did Lake Tahoe in 2013 and found this day to be much more challenging. Tahoe was colder due to a snow storm the night before. It was 1-3*C when we got on the bike, but it was dry. The air was moist, but the roads were dry and there was no rain. There was even some sun, but the cold was biting. That being said, I didn't have any real misery. I was lethargic, mentally slow and numb, but there was no misery. I didn't feel sorry for myself.

Yesterday, temps were milder than Tahoe, but the steady downpour in the first couple hours were just bone chilling and added a level of misery I was unfamiliar with. Living in Southern Cal, I have not experienced that kind of sustained wet and cold. The road conditions actually made me really worry. My hands were numb. My feet were numb. I was wearing winter riding gloves, but they were not water proof. As a result, I would make a fist and water would just pour out of them. My neoprene toe covers were swamped and one-time-white-socks, now black with road grit, were useless.

I survived to finish my 4th IM and even PR'ed my marathon, but just barely survived. The misery gave me soooo many excuses to quit. I don't why I didn't. I just hung in there I guess. I take no pride in that. A wiser move would have been to call it. I kind of zoned out in a little frozen hurt locker until I reached the meadow in Pemberton. It wasn't until then that I thought I would likely finish.

Tahoe taught me a couple valuable lessons and I vowed to never be that cold again. As a result, I layered and was prepared to shed and throw it all away, happily, if the weather improved. Even though it got warmer on the way back to Whistler from Pemberton, I still left everything on because my hands and feet were still use cubes. When I got off my bike I actually stumbled and slowly walked thru T2. My feet were still numb. They didn't dry out/ warm-up until about mile 3 with fresh socks and dry shoes.

Here is what I wore in order:
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1. Rapha base layer for wicking
2. Team Singlet
3. Team Jersey
4. Wind vest
5. Rapha winter soft shell jacket
6. Rapha rain jacket
7. Fleece arm warmers
8. Neoprene toe covers
9. Winter riding gloves (water resistant, NOT water proof)

Take away one item, and I would have been dead. I put all this stuff in my T1 bag and actually was not sure I would put it all on. I actually debated it in my head for much of the swim watching the rain begin to bounce on the water. When I got to the changing tent, it was really warm in there due to all the body heat and I almost left the thin rain jacket behind. At the last minute, I put it in my pocket. 200 meters after the mount line, in the pouring rain, I pulled over and put it on. Best decision of the day, but, by Callaghan Valley, I was totally and completely soaked. On the decent I was shivering.

Would I have loved to just raced in a singlet and shorts and tried to crush my goals? Sure! But, race morning presented a different picture. I added more gear, I added my calories to my plan and I changed the focus of my goals. I finished in the day light actually feeling pretty good. I was very fatigued from shivering and fighting to be warm, but body was intact.

This sport is cruel. Not five minutes after I crossed the line it started raining again. First slowly, then pouring. If was on the course when the rain came again, I would have been crushed.

True. But animals do have limited access to suitable outerwear, whereas anyone in Whistler is literally surrounded by it. If you are not adapted to the conditions there is arguably no city on the planet better stocked for purchasing your way out of the situation.

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

Also, I've been sitting on this thread and posts from you and AP for the day (I had a cold day yesterday as well, but didn't want to respond in haste because I'm still shell-shocked), and the comments are coming across to me as condencending and tone-deaf. Might want to let this thread die and come to the discussion in a more positive and constructive way, as was suggested in an earlier post.

Dave,

Thank you.

Yes - perhaps a bit strong worded, but I come from great experience, both personal, from living/training and racing in the Vancouver/Whistler region for 10 years, and from having been at other Ironman races with very similar conditions several times, and standing on the sidelines observing. FWIW - I've ridden a 100 mile ride in Whistler, in July in similar conditions. I've also ridden a 100 mile ride in Whistler in blazing and wilting heat in July. In short, my advice to people who where racing in at Whistler in another thread, on the Whistler weather that came up about a month ago was - take everything, and be ready for anything!


You, Dev and others did as much as you could, you are the experienced vets - but there is a cohort of people in this sport, who seem blythly naive about so many things. That's who my comments are directed at.


If you and the other vets have taken offense, I am sorry.


You see, despite the "Everything is possible" messaging and marketing the Ironman is a onerous a very hard endurance sports event at the best of times - throw in a harder than average course, and extreme weather - and you get what you got on Sunday in Whistler.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Agreed. I think "surviving" had more to do with being physiologically conditioned than simply buying some fabric at the store. I'm on the heavier side weighing 185 lbs (84 kg) and work outside as a delivery driver for a living. During the bike leg of the race, I only had on a windbreaker vest in addition to my normal cycling gear and managed the rain/cold just fine for the most part. Much like the extreme conditions in CDA a few weeks ago -- no "shame" for anyone taking a DNS/DNF in Whistler.

I was there and he was headed out of the tent with just one, I stopped him and said

"Hey Man, that one dry cock won't last the whole race, put on more than one."

I did Tahoe in 2013 (10th overall) Ironman Cd'A this year (9th overall) and Canada this weekend (4th overall). This the most miserable I have been in a race. I did not wear enough, which was my own fault, and paid for it on the bike. It took 8 miles into the run for me to get my feet to have feeling again and my back was really locked up from the cold. The most difficult thing was the descents. The combo of brakes on carbon wheels, ridiculous amounts of water on the road, and such heavy rain, made choosing a line very difficult.

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derekgarcia.com

Based on your race history, I think you're ready for Norseman and Badwater now. Well done!

You should post a list of all your planned races so people can pick other ones. Talk about a knack for picking hard years... Congrats on your performance tho!

2014 Whistler was too hot, 2013 was flawlessly perfect the entire day. If the race had been Monday it would have been again. Luck of the draw.

Chapeau! I'll bet the watts you had to make to bike that course in 4:57 in those conditions certainly helped! Really, bravo.

What did you wear? What should you have worn? How did you get your calories.

Cd'A and Whistler this year? In those conditions? Just wow.

Steve,

I'm confident in saying that 95% of the population wouldn't head outdoors on a 112M bike ride when it's rain and less than 10 degrees. I know I personally wouldn't. I'd either ride a trainer (for safety and comfort) or just plan my ride for another day. On Sunday, we were forced to ride in it or DNF. Therefore, I'd say the vast majority had no idea what it was going to be like until we were well into the thick of things. I didn't enjoy that ride one bit. Not even when I got to Pemberton and it was warmer. By then, the damage was already done in my opinion.

Luke

this was the worst weather I have ever seen in 15 years in Ironman racing. And I am surprised yet very thankful, the discussion isn't about crashes and broken bikes from the descent of Callaghan vs the craziness of some pros leading the bike in a trisuit (Lead male from the swim rode in a trisuit and gloves as an example)

It was freaking insane how cold it got so quickly with the rain.

BIG BIG BIG props to WTC and all the workers there. They sent buses out to bike aid stations as warm up stations. Took the space blankets out for athletes. I mean, they STEPPED UP to try to get everyone to the finish. For all the slamming we do of them, and I am guilty thereof, I was impressed how they managed it.

I live in Penticton .... but I have to say after now going to watch Whistler twice .... the venue is simply spectacular. The amenities are incredible. That bike course is epic (rode it Saturday) and the run is simply stunning (I did a loop Sunday). And the Redbull aid station was a rocking! Oh and the Brewhouse is really a blast with really good beer to boot!!! That said, can we bring IMC home already-:)

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@rhyspencer

And if the weather wasn't bad enough, you throw in a bear chasing you

http://globalnews.ca/...791a7b65da9137ff5eab

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Cervelo R3 and Cannondale Synapse, Argon18 Electron Track Bike

you've gotta be kidding me.

Rhys: I'm a Penticton "enthusiast" and a Whistler "doubter" and have done IM/Challenge many times.

Went to Whistler to watch for the 1st time on Sunday.

I agree with you - I like it.

Signing up for 2016!

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http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast

I've seriously thought about Norseman. I think I will do it eventually. Growing up in the northwest gave me somewhat of a desire to test myself in crazy conditions and I've had my fair share of those it seems! Thanks for the kind words.

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derekgarcia.com

All I could think was that I should pedal harder if I was cold :-). I averaged 267 normalized and 258 average power for the ride. I wore a one piece short sleeve kit from FUSION. No gloves (dumb) no vest (dumber) and sunglasses with slight tint (dumbest). I did all liquid cals, I mix plain GU with scratch labs lemon/green tea into 800 cal bottles and I comsume 2 of those. I have one small flask with base salt and take that at the halfway (800mg). I should have worn gloves and a waterproof, tight top with a fleece layer underneath. Should have worn wool socks (I did on the run) and I should have done a complete change in the tent. It was SO wet that any extra layers may have made things worse if not very waterproof. Maybe should have just worn the wetsuit ;-). I felt that my Cd'A performance might add to fitness for another race and decided to race again after recovering quite well from Cd'A.

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derekgarcia.com

Well said!

Michael

With your race record, I'm surprised you weren't at Leadman 2013. What a miserable day in the mountains that was. Heavy rain, and even snow/sleet at the top of Mt Bachelor. We had a small group in T2 change tent helping each other take off helmets, because hands were too frozen to do it ourselves. Shame that race is no more. What an amazing venue.

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"The runner-up John Dunbar, a US Navy Seal, led after the second transition and had a chance to win but ran out of water on the marathon course; his support crew resorted to giving him beer instead." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon

Unfortunately my girlfriend got caught up in that. According to her GPS it was a 2minute wait.. normally not a big deal except that she missed out on a Kona spot by 2 seconds
Bear spray on the run next year!

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Team Every Man Jack

Wow. I'm not sure if seeing the bear would lighten me up after such a miserable day, or just make me throw in the towel.

Wow, that makes the performance that much more impressive. Certainly making power and consuming calories seems to be key. Neither of which sounds appealing under those conditions.

Again, congrats on both results.

Thirty years of doing triathlons, six years of Ironmans, and this was my BEST Ironman / triathlon ever.

The best!

Ever.

.

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The bear was crazy...a guy i was passing kept yelling "bear...bear" I looked to my right and tbere was small black bear leass than 10 feet from! It was so cool...and then I thought where is momma bear!!!

The race was totally epic! I loved that my first Ironman was a totally crazy epic day. I do really feel bad for all the people that DNF'd, especially a guy I passed that had just figured he had snapped his rear dereailleur hangar and what looked to be part of the frame. He let out this scream of frustration as I passed. I remember feeling absolutely gutted for him, but I was also personnally motivated to make the best of the day as I was lucky enough to not have something unfortunate like that happen to me.

I was one of the triathletes with not much on, just my trisuit and a skin tight surfer t-shirt rashy. I was also one of the crazy ones bombing the descents, I barely came out of the aero bars and pass a huge number of people, thank goodness for aluminum rimmed aero wheels when i actually used my brakes, but years of racing and riding in the greater Vancouver area--not to mention the really cold areas of Canada--in the pissing rain and occasionally snow finally paid off for me. With that said I still felt bad for all the poorly prepared and/or just not suited to racing in these conditions.

For myself I had a great first Ironman...I beat my goal time by 40 minutes, much to my surprise, especially considering the conditions.

Thanks again to all the volunteers and all the supporters out on course in the crP conditions especially my 8 months pregnant wife; what a trooper she was out all day with not even a chair.