I'm not big on race reports, but I'm bored.
Pre race:
Penticton was noticeably busier this year. I’ve been the last 4 years and the crowds were huge this year. One thing a few others have noted also, its getting really expensive now. The GF and I were in Salty’s having a few beers and a so-so dinner. The Bill? $95… ouch. The other place we noticed the cost was the expo. It’s a bummer that Inside Out wasn’t there this year. And I didn’t buy a damn thing in the merchandise tent. Not sure where they get off charging $40 for a T shirt. I guess if people are willing to pay it….
The weather forecast for Sunday was looking awesome. I was pretty excited to get going this year. After a very windy IMAZ, I was hoping for slightly more calm winds.. pfffttt. If we had had wind from the South, it would have been a really really fast day. I guess cool temps and wind from the south aren’t likely.
Swim:
Pretty uneventful, I started wide to the left and didn’t think it was too bad. It did take a little longer to thin out than usual, but that’s to be expected with the bigger crowds. I heard a few people say they thought the swim was long, if it was, probably not by much. I was within a minute of where I usually come in. 1:07 for the swim
T1.
Crazy. I couldn’t even get close to the tent. I just did my thing on the grass and headed over to the bike. I liked the transition better when it was on the other side of the hotel. It seemed like there was more room to move around.
Bike.
I love this bike course. As usual it was fast on the way down to Osoyoos. I made the turn at the Husky (40 miles) at about 26mph and then right into a frikkin head wind that didn’t really let up until the out-and-back. I felt good on the bike so I just kept cranking. The wind was tough. I hit the bottom of Yellow Lake at about 22mph. The wind on the way back into town wasn’t quite as friendly as it usually is, but it was still pretty fast through there. I ended up with 5:11 on the bike. Training in Colorado's Front Range is perfect for the IMC course. I was hoping for 5 hrs and had it in me, but that wind slowed everyone down a little. At the top of Yellow Lake I caught Heather Fuhr, that was kinda fun to be up there with the pros. I was in 54th overall coming off the bike which meant I was way outa my league for the run.
T2.
Don’t think, just get moving.
Run.
I started out running my usual pedestrian pace of 8:30s and was on track to do a 4 hr marathon. That was until about mile 9. As soon as the run course started to roll, I started to fade pretty badly. The rest of the run was just trying to keep the time close to what I wanted. I ended up with a 4:14 on the run for a 10:41 finish.
Finish
It was rockin’ this year. We always have a few wobbly pops and go back to watch the later finishers and it was an awesome atmosphere. It was nice to see Sr. Madonna and Steve King come in together. I took some pics of the finish line but they didn’t come out very well. If you’ve never experienced the finish at IMC, its one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Final Thoughts
* I know we say it every year, but I really don't think they can cram too many more people on this course.
* The volunteers were awesome again this year.
* Allowing current athletes to sign up for next year on Saturday is a good idea (for us ;)
* I wish the Penticton PD would ticket the packs of "look-at-me" triathletes riding up and down main st. pre-race. There's absolutely no reason to be riding that busy road in a pack. Its dangerous and holds up traffic. Regardless of its legality, its not exactly doing much for our image. Despite what we might like, not all the locals want to have to deal with self-centered triathletes.
* I'm looking forward to going next year already
Pre race:
Penticton was noticeably busier this year. I’ve been the last 4 years and the crowds were huge this year. One thing a few others have noted also, its getting really expensive now. The GF and I were in Salty’s having a few beers and a so-so dinner. The Bill? $95… ouch. The other place we noticed the cost was the expo. It’s a bummer that Inside Out wasn’t there this year. And I didn’t buy a damn thing in the merchandise tent. Not sure where they get off charging $40 for a T shirt. I guess if people are willing to pay it….
The weather forecast for Sunday was looking awesome. I was pretty excited to get going this year. After a very windy IMAZ, I was hoping for slightly more calm winds.. pfffttt. If we had had wind from the South, it would have been a really really fast day. I guess cool temps and wind from the south aren’t likely.
Swim:
Pretty uneventful, I started wide to the left and didn’t think it was too bad. It did take a little longer to thin out than usual, but that’s to be expected with the bigger crowds. I heard a few people say they thought the swim was long, if it was, probably not by much. I was within a minute of where I usually come in. 1:07 for the swim
T1.
Crazy. I couldn’t even get close to the tent. I just did my thing on the grass and headed over to the bike. I liked the transition better when it was on the other side of the hotel. It seemed like there was more room to move around.
Bike.
I love this bike course. As usual it was fast on the way down to Osoyoos. I made the turn at the Husky (40 miles) at about 26mph and then right into a frikkin head wind that didn’t really let up until the out-and-back. I felt good on the bike so I just kept cranking. The wind was tough. I hit the bottom of Yellow Lake at about 22mph. The wind on the way back into town wasn’t quite as friendly as it usually is, but it was still pretty fast through there. I ended up with 5:11 on the bike. Training in Colorado's Front Range is perfect for the IMC course. I was hoping for 5 hrs and had it in me, but that wind slowed everyone down a little. At the top of Yellow Lake I caught Heather Fuhr, that was kinda fun to be up there with the pros. I was in 54th overall coming off the bike which meant I was way outa my league for the run.
T2.
Don’t think, just get moving.
Run.
I started out running my usual pedestrian pace of 8:30s and was on track to do a 4 hr marathon. That was until about mile 9. As soon as the run course started to roll, I started to fade pretty badly. The rest of the run was just trying to keep the time close to what I wanted. I ended up with a 4:14 on the run for a 10:41 finish.
Finish
It was rockin’ this year. We always have a few wobbly pops and go back to watch the later finishers and it was an awesome atmosphere. It was nice to see Sr. Madonna and Steve King come in together. I took some pics of the finish line but they didn’t come out very well. If you’ve never experienced the finish at IMC, its one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Final Thoughts
* I know we say it every year, but I really don't think they can cram too many more people on this course.
* The volunteers were awesome again this year.
* Allowing current athletes to sign up for next year on Saturday is a good idea (for us ;)
* I wish the Penticton PD would ticket the packs of "look-at-me" triathletes riding up and down main st. pre-race. There's absolutely no reason to be riding that busy road in a pack. Its dangerous and holds up traffic. Regardless of its legality, its not exactly doing much for our image. Despite what we might like, not all the locals want to have to deal with self-centered triathletes.
* I'm looking forward to going next year already
