My rough draft with pictures to follow:
There has been a nagging issue in my life ever since I was 14 years old. I can remember it as if it were yesterday. I remember turning on the tv on a cold fall afternoon and channel surfing. I came across a channel where it appeared as though there were well over a thousand people swimming in the ocean, together, at once!! It looked quite odd so I had to watch. The 2.4 mile swim turned into a 112 mile bike around some island in Hawaii. Then to top it off, they ran a 26.2 mile marathon. Did my eyes deceive me? Did the announcers say this was all done in one day? I couldn’t believe anyone could do such a thing but from that point the seed was planted. The problem was, that seed never received any fertilizer (even though everyone says I am full of crap). There was always an excuse as to why I never tried out triathlons. At first it was fairly simple, I couldn’t swim. By the time I hit my 20’s I was too busy drinking, smoking and clubbing to bother with anything active. It wasn’t until a little after my 31st birthday I took a long look in the mirror and decided something needed to be done. I quit smoking after a couple of relapses and signed myself up for some learn to swim classes and the rest is history.
Swim 2.4 miles (2 loops of 1.2 miles/2km)
Never underestimate the power of the draft…
I thought something was very odd on my walk into town for the start of the race. I wasn’t feeling nervous or fearful of the impending swim which is not like me at all. Over the past three years, I have become accustomed to mass swim starts with anywhere from 50-500 people, but I have never had a swim start with almost 2000 people before. And from talking to IM finishers of the past, the swim can be a fairly intimidating part of the race. Anything can happen from losing your goggles to getting kicked/punched in the face. So that alone should have had my nerves in overdrive, but they weren’t. I chalked it up to knowing I was ready for the day.
The plan was just to survive the swim and take it REALLY easy. I didn’t want to blow up on the first leg of the race and have a miserable day as a result. I figured I would seed myself way in the back of the pack as I figured I would likely swim the course in about 1.5 hours. My 2 hours of swim training a week told me there was no way I would beat that time. ;) I figured that since I was at the back of the pack, I could swim on the inside of the buoys and follow the buoy line all the way down the course and not have to look up to sight my way. I didn’t think it would be that packed since everyone else was a good 50 meters in front of me right from the start. I couldn’t have been more wrong. BOOM, the cannon goes off and we are racing. I get into a comfortable rhythm and before I know it, there are about 200 people surrounding me all jostling for position. My legs were being grabbed, kicked and pulled in every which way. This went on until I saw an opening on the inside of the buoys so I made a beeline for that area and was able to find some relatively clear water for the remainder of the swim. There were still the occasional packs who wandered into my path but they were no big issue and made for a nice comfortable draft. Aside from the first 1000 meters or so, the swim was fairly uneventful. It was a hoot waving and smiling to the underwater divers at the far end of the lake as well. They sort of took me by surprise the first time but I made sure I smiled at them just in case they were actually the underwater camera crew and not there to ensure nobody got pushed under the water and didn’t come up at the turns.
I came out of the water at 1:19:29 with an average HR of 144. I was thrilled with that swim since as I said, I have spent an average of 2 hours in the pool and that started in March. ;) That will change for my next race. :)
At the swim exit the volunteers help to strip off your wetsuit, and then you have to jog from the lake exit down to the Olympic oval where you change into your bike gear with 200 of your closest buddies (at least on that day they are), slop on the sun tan lotion and head out on the bike.
Bike 112 miles (2 loops of 56 miles/90km)
Something ain’t right…
As soon as I got onto my bike, I knew something was off. It wasn’t my bike position, as that felt good. I was comfortable right from the start which is good, it was something else. Something in my stomach. I figured it was just because I had spent the last hour and twenty minutes horizontal and I am now vertical so it may take a while to get settled in. When I was down in Lake Placid in the spring to train on the bike course, I learned two things
1) take the first lap really, REALLY easy.
2) Eat and drink even when you don’t want to.
I truly felt I took that first lap so easy. After examining my stats from my watch, however, it appears I could have gone easier. Not sure how or where, but I should have. The first lap was a real challenge to get food into me. I had planned on drinking a mix of Perpetuem and Carbo-Load for the first two hours and then finish up with my ever tasty hammergel. I figured the hammergel should come last as it would be a good way to mix up the nutrition I had planned. The plan WAS:
600 calories of Perpetuem and Carbo-Load for the first 2 hours. (offset that with water).
400+ calories of HammerGel to take me to special needs station
600 calories of Cytomax and Carbo-Load for the next 2 hours
Another flask of HammerGel and Gu to bring me home.
All of this worked quite well in training and had been tested multiple times so I know on a good day it will work.
Here is what actually happened:
• Started drinking the Perpetuem cocktail and quickly discovered my mouth really didn’t want it and my stomach wasn’t too thrilled with it.
• Figured, I would go with my flask of hammergel earlier than anticipated. Couldn’t stomach that either as it also tasted like crap. And the water I had to wash it down with tasted weird as well.
• Started grabbing Gatorade which perked me up for a while. Tried a plain Gu but that has a really bad taste as well despite the fact it is suppose to be “plain”.
• I didn’t even grab the Cytomax from special needs halfway through the bike as I really didn’t think I could stomach it. Should have taken it anyway and forced it down but oh well. I did take my corn chips though.
• Started eating tones of oranges which seemed to perk me up as well. They tasted really good and went down really well. So it was Lemon-Lime Gatorade and oranges for the bike.
I ate the corn chips about halfway through the second lap and by about ¾ of the way through the second lap I started to feel like I was going to be sick. I think that was a mix of too much corn chips and the fact that I was dehydrated. I finally clued into this fact after I had gone an entire 90km and not gone to the washroom once. So I knew I was in trouble. When I finally did end up going, the colour was a fairly dark brown. By this point I had less than 20km on the bike to go and was all up hill. So I backed right off whatever pace I was on and started sucking back the Gatorade and water.
By the time I got back into town I was feeling better and could hardly wait to get off my bike - somewhere around my rear derailler there was a squeak and it was driving me crazy.  I came off the bike in 1421 place with a 7:07:19 bike split. Very slow, even for me.
Run 26.2 miles (2 loops of 13.1 miles/21.1km)
New found respect…
Ahhh…the run. The part I was looking forward to all day, as I love to run. I love to just get out and run around without a care in the world. I came out of the change tent and felt really great for the first 3 miles or so. My legs didn’t hurt at all the way I expected them to after the bike, and I really thought I would have a good run. Not really knowing what to expect from the Ironman marathon having never run one, I figured I would pull off a 4 hour marathon just plugging along slow and steady. Boy was I wrong. The first lap was uneventful aside from the fact I was going to the washroom more which was a really good thing. It appeared as though I was able to pull myself back from my severe dehydration to the point where I was hydrated and feeling ok. The first couple of aid stations I took coke and water, and Gatorade and water. The coke was like an elixir from the gods. It tasted fantastic and I could literally feel the instant boost. I just wish they hadn’t run out of it so soon. Same with the watermelon. That was the best thing to eat on the run for me. The run got rough for me at mile 16. I really tried not to let myself walk at all but the mind took over and I convinced myself I needed to take just a little break between the aid stations. That little break turned into a couple miles. Somewhere at the 21 mile point I decided I was too close to home to walk anymore. I started with a slow shuffle, which lead up to a jog, which lead up to actually running. I ran through every aid station grabbing what I needed as I went, I ran up the first big hill at the ski jump hill, I ran past all the screaming spectators outside the motels and hotels, I ran into town and right up the last hill and I ran as fast as my legs would go for that last mile. I may have looked really strange and as my girlfriend will tell you, my form was not the best she has ever seen, but I was running. I could hear the announcer in the background announcing to people, “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN,” and I couldn’t stop myself from getting teary eyed. All the horrible feelings I had felt all day long, all the times my mind said to quit and pack it in, everything that went wrong all day was about to be washed away. I made the last final turn to run around the Olympic oval and down the finishers chute. I was running as hard as I could and choking back the tears. I really did it, I am an Ironman. I came through in 13:24:23. Good for 1113th place. I had actually passed about 300 people after getting off my bike.
Final thoughts and thanks…
Am I happy with my race? Damn right I am. I finished when I really didn’t think I would. I really thought I was done while on the bike as I knew I was dangerously close to severe dehydration. When did that happen? I really can’t tell as I did exactly what I had done in training countless times. The only thing I haven’t really done in training is swim for close to 1.5 hours in a wetsuit in some fairly warm water. In the future, I have to go into the swim more hydrated. But I was able to overcome it and I am proud of that. I also didn’t end up in the med tent with an IV in my arm so I am pretty happy about that too. I know that made Chantel feel a lot better as well. So overall, I am happy with my first IM race. I know I could have been 2 hours faster on a good day, however, it wasn’t this day. No biggie, I will be back. I also came to the realization that anyone can do this race. I was truly moved at the carbo load dinner when it was announced a gentleman from Ottawa lost 200 pounds and was competing in his first IM race as well. WOW. I thought that was fantastic and it just goes to show that anyone can do it. I saw all body types of every shape and size out on the course (many of them going faster than me ;) ). Anyone can do this.
I have to thank the following people:
• The trirudy.com people on the backside of whiteface. You guys really picked me up when I needed it.
• All the spectators on Papa Bear (the last big hill into town). It really almost felt like I was in the tour de France on that first loop. The hill was covered with people all screaming their heads off. It was a fantastic feeling and really moving.
• The spectators with their megaphones on that hill coming back into town on the run. You guys are AWESOME. They got me to run that hill each time I went through it and I kept on running. Couldn’t disappoint them.
• The volunteers. What can I really say about them. They were out there for a very long day and gave everything they had to ensure I had everything I needed. Every one of them had a smile on their face and something in their hand for me. They were absolutely fantastic.
• IMNA. A lot of people like to talk crap about this organization but in my opinion, they put on a world class event. I know exactly where my money went for this race and feel I got my money’s worth and much more. Great job by all involved.
Finally, the last thanks deserves its own paragraph. There is no way I could have done this without my girlfriend Chantel. She has been a rock beside me through this entire journey. She has massaged sore feet and legs, cooked countless dinners and lunches, been dragged all over Southern Ontario and the U.S. for races, taken too many pictures to count, and has stressed about every race I have done. There is NO way I could have accomplished this without her, and as far as I am concerned, even though she didn’t race, she is an Ironwoman. Thank you Chantel.
I am not sure what is next at this point. I would like to race the Duke Iron Distance next year as my brother lives down there and my family would be able to be there for the race. If not, I may try and qualify for IM Canada. As I sit here and ponder what this race has meant to me, I can’t help but feel as though my goal isn’t yet fulfilled.
Some interesting facts and figures for the day:
My watch said it got up to 32C or 89F
I burned 10811 calories and had an average HR of 135.
Some stats to look at:
SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL FINISH POSITION
1:19:29 7:07:19 4:41:35 13:24:23 1113
RACE LEG DISTANCE PACE POSITION
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:19:29) 2:05/100m 1413
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT 56 mi. (3:18:20) 16.94 mph
BIKE FINISH 56 mi. (3:48:59) 14.67 mph
TOTAL BIKE 112 mi. (7:07:19) 15.73 mph 1421
FIRST RUN SEGMENT 13.1 mi. (2:08:07) 9:46/mile
RUN FINISH 13.1 mi. (2:33:28) 11:42/mile
TOTAL RUN 26.2 mi. (4:41:35) 10:44/mile 1113
TRANSITION TIME
SWIM - TO - BIKE (T1) 9:22
BIKE - TO - RUN (T2) 6:38
There has been a nagging issue in my life ever since I was 14 years old. I can remember it as if it were yesterday. I remember turning on the tv on a cold fall afternoon and channel surfing. I came across a channel where it appeared as though there were well over a thousand people swimming in the ocean, together, at once!! It looked quite odd so I had to watch. The 2.4 mile swim turned into a 112 mile bike around some island in Hawaii. Then to top it off, they ran a 26.2 mile marathon. Did my eyes deceive me? Did the announcers say this was all done in one day? I couldn’t believe anyone could do such a thing but from that point the seed was planted. The problem was, that seed never received any fertilizer (even though everyone says I am full of crap). There was always an excuse as to why I never tried out triathlons. At first it was fairly simple, I couldn’t swim. By the time I hit my 20’s I was too busy drinking, smoking and clubbing to bother with anything active. It wasn’t until a little after my 31st birthday I took a long look in the mirror and decided something needed to be done. I quit smoking after a couple of relapses and signed myself up for some learn to swim classes and the rest is history.
Swim 2.4 miles (2 loops of 1.2 miles/2km)
Never underestimate the power of the draft…
I thought something was very odd on my walk into town for the start of the race. I wasn’t feeling nervous or fearful of the impending swim which is not like me at all. Over the past three years, I have become accustomed to mass swim starts with anywhere from 50-500 people, but I have never had a swim start with almost 2000 people before. And from talking to IM finishers of the past, the swim can be a fairly intimidating part of the race. Anything can happen from losing your goggles to getting kicked/punched in the face. So that alone should have had my nerves in overdrive, but they weren’t. I chalked it up to knowing I was ready for the day.
The plan was just to survive the swim and take it REALLY easy. I didn’t want to blow up on the first leg of the race and have a miserable day as a result. I figured I would seed myself way in the back of the pack as I figured I would likely swim the course in about 1.5 hours. My 2 hours of swim training a week told me there was no way I would beat that time. ;) I figured that since I was at the back of the pack, I could swim on the inside of the buoys and follow the buoy line all the way down the course and not have to look up to sight my way. I didn’t think it would be that packed since everyone else was a good 50 meters in front of me right from the start. I couldn’t have been more wrong. BOOM, the cannon goes off and we are racing. I get into a comfortable rhythm and before I know it, there are about 200 people surrounding me all jostling for position. My legs were being grabbed, kicked and pulled in every which way. This went on until I saw an opening on the inside of the buoys so I made a beeline for that area and was able to find some relatively clear water for the remainder of the swim. There were still the occasional packs who wandered into my path but they were no big issue and made for a nice comfortable draft. Aside from the first 1000 meters or so, the swim was fairly uneventful. It was a hoot waving and smiling to the underwater divers at the far end of the lake as well. They sort of took me by surprise the first time but I made sure I smiled at them just in case they were actually the underwater camera crew and not there to ensure nobody got pushed under the water and didn’t come up at the turns.
I came out of the water at 1:19:29 with an average HR of 144. I was thrilled with that swim since as I said, I have spent an average of 2 hours in the pool and that started in March. ;) That will change for my next race. :)
At the swim exit the volunteers help to strip off your wetsuit, and then you have to jog from the lake exit down to the Olympic oval where you change into your bike gear with 200 of your closest buddies (at least on that day they are), slop on the sun tan lotion and head out on the bike.
Bike 112 miles (2 loops of 56 miles/90km)
Something ain’t right…
As soon as I got onto my bike, I knew something was off. It wasn’t my bike position, as that felt good. I was comfortable right from the start which is good, it was something else. Something in my stomach. I figured it was just because I had spent the last hour and twenty minutes horizontal and I am now vertical so it may take a while to get settled in. When I was down in Lake Placid in the spring to train on the bike course, I learned two things
1) take the first lap really, REALLY easy.
2) Eat and drink even when you don’t want to.
I truly felt I took that first lap so easy. After examining my stats from my watch, however, it appears I could have gone easier. Not sure how or where, but I should have. The first lap was a real challenge to get food into me. I had planned on drinking a mix of Perpetuem and Carbo-Load for the first two hours and then finish up with my ever tasty hammergel. I figured the hammergel should come last as it would be a good way to mix up the nutrition I had planned. The plan WAS:
600 calories of Perpetuem and Carbo-Load for the first 2 hours. (offset that with water).
400+ calories of HammerGel to take me to special needs station
600 calories of Cytomax and Carbo-Load for the next 2 hours
Another flask of HammerGel and Gu to bring me home.
All of this worked quite well in training and had been tested multiple times so I know on a good day it will work.
Here is what actually happened:
• Started drinking the Perpetuem cocktail and quickly discovered my mouth really didn’t want it and my stomach wasn’t too thrilled with it.
• Figured, I would go with my flask of hammergel earlier than anticipated. Couldn’t stomach that either as it also tasted like crap. And the water I had to wash it down with tasted weird as well.
• Started grabbing Gatorade which perked me up for a while. Tried a plain Gu but that has a really bad taste as well despite the fact it is suppose to be “plain”.
• I didn’t even grab the Cytomax from special needs halfway through the bike as I really didn’t think I could stomach it. Should have taken it anyway and forced it down but oh well. I did take my corn chips though.
• Started eating tones of oranges which seemed to perk me up as well. They tasted really good and went down really well. So it was Lemon-Lime Gatorade and oranges for the bike.
I ate the corn chips about halfway through the second lap and by about ¾ of the way through the second lap I started to feel like I was going to be sick. I think that was a mix of too much corn chips and the fact that I was dehydrated. I finally clued into this fact after I had gone an entire 90km and not gone to the washroom once. So I knew I was in trouble. When I finally did end up going, the colour was a fairly dark brown. By this point I had less than 20km on the bike to go and was all up hill. So I backed right off whatever pace I was on and started sucking back the Gatorade and water.
By the time I got back into town I was feeling better and could hardly wait to get off my bike - somewhere around my rear derailler there was a squeak and it was driving me crazy.  I came off the bike in 1421 place with a 7:07:19 bike split. Very slow, even for me.
Run 26.2 miles (2 loops of 13.1 miles/21.1km)
New found respect…
Ahhh…the run. The part I was looking forward to all day, as I love to run. I love to just get out and run around without a care in the world. I came out of the change tent and felt really great for the first 3 miles or so. My legs didn’t hurt at all the way I expected them to after the bike, and I really thought I would have a good run. Not really knowing what to expect from the Ironman marathon having never run one, I figured I would pull off a 4 hour marathon just plugging along slow and steady. Boy was I wrong. The first lap was uneventful aside from the fact I was going to the washroom more which was a really good thing. It appeared as though I was able to pull myself back from my severe dehydration to the point where I was hydrated and feeling ok. The first couple of aid stations I took coke and water, and Gatorade and water. The coke was like an elixir from the gods. It tasted fantastic and I could literally feel the instant boost. I just wish they hadn’t run out of it so soon. Same with the watermelon. That was the best thing to eat on the run for me. The run got rough for me at mile 16. I really tried not to let myself walk at all but the mind took over and I convinced myself I needed to take just a little break between the aid stations. That little break turned into a couple miles. Somewhere at the 21 mile point I decided I was too close to home to walk anymore. I started with a slow shuffle, which lead up to a jog, which lead up to actually running. I ran through every aid station grabbing what I needed as I went, I ran up the first big hill at the ski jump hill, I ran past all the screaming spectators outside the motels and hotels, I ran into town and right up the last hill and I ran as fast as my legs would go for that last mile. I may have looked really strange and as my girlfriend will tell you, my form was not the best she has ever seen, but I was running. I could hear the announcer in the background announcing to people, “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN,” and I couldn’t stop myself from getting teary eyed. All the horrible feelings I had felt all day long, all the times my mind said to quit and pack it in, everything that went wrong all day was about to be washed away. I made the last final turn to run around the Olympic oval and down the finishers chute. I was running as hard as I could and choking back the tears. I really did it, I am an Ironman. I came through in 13:24:23. Good for 1113th place. I had actually passed about 300 people after getting off my bike.
Final thoughts and thanks…
Am I happy with my race? Damn right I am. I finished when I really didn’t think I would. I really thought I was done while on the bike as I knew I was dangerously close to severe dehydration. When did that happen? I really can’t tell as I did exactly what I had done in training countless times. The only thing I haven’t really done in training is swim for close to 1.5 hours in a wetsuit in some fairly warm water. In the future, I have to go into the swim more hydrated. But I was able to overcome it and I am proud of that. I also didn’t end up in the med tent with an IV in my arm so I am pretty happy about that too. I know that made Chantel feel a lot better as well. So overall, I am happy with my first IM race. I know I could have been 2 hours faster on a good day, however, it wasn’t this day. No biggie, I will be back. I also came to the realization that anyone can do this race. I was truly moved at the carbo load dinner when it was announced a gentleman from Ottawa lost 200 pounds and was competing in his first IM race as well. WOW. I thought that was fantastic and it just goes to show that anyone can do it. I saw all body types of every shape and size out on the course (many of them going faster than me ;) ). Anyone can do this.
I have to thank the following people:
• The trirudy.com people on the backside of whiteface. You guys really picked me up when I needed it.
• All the spectators on Papa Bear (the last big hill into town). It really almost felt like I was in the tour de France on that first loop. The hill was covered with people all screaming their heads off. It was a fantastic feeling and really moving.
• The spectators with their megaphones on that hill coming back into town on the run. You guys are AWESOME. They got me to run that hill each time I went through it and I kept on running. Couldn’t disappoint them.
• The volunteers. What can I really say about them. They were out there for a very long day and gave everything they had to ensure I had everything I needed. Every one of them had a smile on their face and something in their hand for me. They were absolutely fantastic.
• IMNA. A lot of people like to talk crap about this organization but in my opinion, they put on a world class event. I know exactly where my money went for this race and feel I got my money’s worth and much more. Great job by all involved.
Finally, the last thanks deserves its own paragraph. There is no way I could have done this without my girlfriend Chantel. She has been a rock beside me through this entire journey. She has massaged sore feet and legs, cooked countless dinners and lunches, been dragged all over Southern Ontario and the U.S. for races, taken too many pictures to count, and has stressed about every race I have done. There is NO way I could have accomplished this without her, and as far as I am concerned, even though she didn’t race, she is an Ironwoman. Thank you Chantel.
I am not sure what is next at this point. I would like to race the Duke Iron Distance next year as my brother lives down there and my family would be able to be there for the race. If not, I may try and qualify for IM Canada. As I sit here and ponder what this race has meant to me, I can’t help but feel as though my goal isn’t yet fulfilled.
Some interesting facts and figures for the day:
My watch said it got up to 32C or 89F
I burned 10811 calories and had an average HR of 135.
Some stats to look at:
SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL FINISH POSITION
1:19:29 7:07:19 4:41:35 13:24:23 1113
RACE LEG DISTANCE PACE POSITION
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:19:29) 2:05/100m 1413
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT 56 mi. (3:18:20) 16.94 mph
BIKE FINISH 56 mi. (3:48:59) 14.67 mph
TOTAL BIKE 112 mi. (7:07:19) 15.73 mph 1421
FIRST RUN SEGMENT 13.1 mi. (2:08:07) 9:46/mile
RUN FINISH 13.1 mi. (2:33:28) 11:42/mile
TOTAL RUN 26.2 mi. (4:41:35) 10:44/mile 1113
TRANSITION TIME
SWIM - TO - BIKE (T1) 9:22
BIKE - TO - RUN (T2) 6:38