Karine Henrie IMC 2010 Race Report

IMC 2010
After a year of hard and consistent training with the support of two great coaches (yes, Tara-Lee and Sean), my friends and my family, Ironman Canada is finally here…
On August 29, 2010 I wake up at 4:30am thankful that I actually slept and thinking “Wow, this is the day! This is really happening!” Quick shower, race gear on, try to eat calmly while my friends take pre-race pictures and then off to the start in the dark… While there are large numbers of people everywhere, the darkness makes it a little even more (if that’s possible) surreal. Has this day finally arrived? Am I really about to start Ironman? I stand in line waiting to get ‘body-marked’ and try to use that time to really ‘take it all in’… As the volunteer marks me with my number, she asks me how I’m feeling and how many times I’ve done Ironman. I say: “Well, I’m excited and a little nervous. This is my first Ironman!!” With a beaming smile she says: “You’ll have a great time! Enjoy it! You look really fit, you’ll be fine!” I laugh and thank her for her words of encouragement and for volunteering! In my head, I also think, “Well, if nothing else, at least I look fit” 
Ready to enter transition, I hug my friends once last time and go in! I check on my transition bags, add water bottles to my bike, get the tires pumped, and then start getting my wet suit on! I make my way to the water with two friends and find a fairly open spot close to the front and in the middle. I usually position myself on the outside where there is usually way less people but that was not the case. The sides were crazy packed!! Change of plan then, I guess I’m staying in the middle… The anthem is playing and I’m thankful that I’m not crying in my goggles (sporting event anthems usually trigger tears)! The gun goes and then we all go!
What is the swim like?
People keep on asking me, “Wow, there were almost 3,000 people! What was the swim like?” The swim start was definitely the most anxiety filled moment of the whole race for me. I had to fight the strongest claustrophobic feeling I have ever felt. I had to fight the thoughts urging me to get out of the water, to escape this mass of flailing arms and kicking feet and go back to bed! Change your thoughts I tell myself so I start repeating “I’m calm, I’m calm, I’m calm…” and slowly I start feeling calmer. I still feel like I have to escape this group I’m trapped in but in a ‘move forward positive kind of way’. I’m stuck and I’m stuck in the ‘wrong’ group. So, I decide to view the swim as a game of Tetris or Frogger where, while staying calm, I find an opening that I can move forward to. This seems to be working!  I’m probably missing out on the benefits of drafting but at least I’m calm, I’m positive and one buoy at a time, I’m starting to enjoy this lake swim and am getting closer and closer to my first transition!
So, what does the swim start feel like? It feels like being in a capacity filled elevator where all the occupants have to move in a synchronized way… Oh yeah, and the elevator is full of water!
Yes, my arm warmers and my bike!
So, I’m out of the water and feeling pretty good. Volunteers get my wet suit off pretty quickly so I grab my swim to bike transition bag and head into the changing tent. I sit and breathe for a moment while another helpful volunteer gets my stuff out of my bag. I put my socks on, my shoes, my new Ironman arm warmers (hey, I need something fun to look forward to in transition), my helmet, my sunglasses and I’m off to get my bike. As I cycle the first few hundred meters I know that this is the closest I’ll ever feel to competing in the Tour de France! There are a ridiculously large number of people on both sides of the road cheering so loudly! I wonder if that’s how Andy Schleck feels when he’s climbing in the Alpes – I can only hope so!
I keep on cycling pretty excited to be out of the water and on my bike when I notice that my Garmin is not working? Seriously?! I cautiously move to the side, avoiding rushing cyclists and notice that my wheel sensor needs to be adjusted – easy enough! Two seconds and I’m back on my bike! I see my friends on the side of the road jumping in excitement and I wave and smile as I jet by thinking: “Wow, I am doing an Ironman! Crazy!!” I am a bit concerned when I notice how ‘heavy’ my legs feel though. Seriously, I just started! My legs can’t be heavy already?! Perhaps, it’s all the excitement and anxiety of the morning… I switch to an ‘easier’ gear and try to spin out my legs for a bit before I settle into my groove. As I’m wondering if my legs will start to feel better anytime soon, two deer jump out from the ditch looking extremely distraught as they notice the sea of cyclists on the road. We all brake, slow down, and hope that the deer will turn around and not cross the road! Luckily for all us around at that time, they jump back into the field and it seems like we all breathe a sigh of relief – phew! As for me, my heart rate is through the roof but my legs finally seem to be awake. I guess I have the deer to thank for that!
So, from then on until Osoyoos, I feel pretty good and am able to keep a speed of over 30km/h which is making me really happy! I know that the climbs are coming and, call me crazy, but I am kind of looking forward to it (what can I say, I enjoy climbing)!  As I go up and down I try to enjoy the scenery and keep on hydrating and eating. I’m 100km into the cycle portion and this is where I start to feel tired and somewhat hungry. I am getting really anxious to reach the ‘special needs’ station so I can grab my bag and eat some ‘real’ food. I finally get there, get my bag and stand in line for the washroom (there’s nothing like standing in line during a race). I’m there for about 10 minutes but decide that this ‘break’ will be good for me: I have time to eat my half bagel with peanut butter, drink my Ensure (no, it’s not only for old people) and get a few other treats in. So, as much as the next portion of the bike course was extremely winding, extremely cold and extremely wet, the little ‘break’ and food intake made it more bearable and I was able to keep a positive attitude. I also saw my friends during this portion which was also a great morale booster!!
“It’s the last climb! You can do it! Keep it up!” tons of spectators are saying encouragingly! YAY! Here comes the descent into Penticton. Wow, the bike portion is almost done! Is this for real? I try to enjoy this descent as much as possible and try to spin out my legs to get them ready to run! 
Here come the pink socks!
I reach transition, give my bike to a volunteer, grab my bike to run transition bag and enter the changing tent for the second time that day. Another great volunteer empties my bag as I take off my socks and biking shoes. My hands are cold and my feet are wet – not the perfect combination to put on tight compression socks super quickly! As excited as I am to put on my fun pink socks, I’m thinking that this is starting to be harder than the bike leg I just finished. Finally, with my socks on, my running shoes on, running belt and running hat I start running out of transition to another extremely loud crowd of people. I feel so light on my feet, it’s incredible! I settle into my groove and remind myself to keep it smooth and consistent. I hear Tara-Lee in my head saying: “Keep it consistent girl, just keep it consistent.” That’s what I aim to do! At about the 5km mark I see my friends and quickly stop for a hug: I feel so good and so happy, I have to stop and share this moment with them. I wave goodbye as I leave feeling even more energized.
So, my plan for the run was to keep a consistent pace, walk the aid stations so I could hydrate properly and go at it, one 15 minute portion at a time. I had decided to ‘dedicate’ every 15 minute portion of the run to special people in my life (which is what I did and one of the things that probably kept me sane during the run)! At the turnaround point I was still feeling pretty good and was still on track with my plan and still keeping a pace of over 10km/h. While my legs felt pretty good, I did start to ‘feel’ my quads around the 25km mark. I decided to take that as a sign to stay focused and stay ‘smart’. Walking a hill or two might ‘cost’ me a few minutes but just might allow me to keep this euphoric feeling a bit longer. I wanted that feeling to last! So, for the last 15kms or so, I kept a pretty consistent pace, was okay with walking up two hills and tried to enjoy all the encouragement from the crowd. I was feeling so good it was hard for me to believe!
I’m almost there now… I’m approaching the last 2kms and the crowd is so thick, it’s crazy! I go through a corridor of people screaming the most wonderful words of encouragement – I start to ‘tear up’ a bit but I’m also thinking that since I can’t sing or play any instrument this is probably the closest I will ever be to feeling like a rock star – I smile! After that, I’m not thinking about anything but the fact that this crazy wonderful euphoric day is coming to an end and I’m about to be an ‘Ironman’. I tell myself to enjoy it, to remember this moment and cherish it. I come down the finishing chute, give high fives to people I don’t know and then to my friends just before I cross the finish line with my arms up in the air, 12 hours 35 minutes and 35 seconds after the gun went off that morning! I am truly ecstatic!
So, for all of you out there wondering if you can do an Ironman (or any other goal or dream you might have), you can do it! If Ironman has taught me anything it is to believe in the unbelievable…
Karine Henrie, Ironman finisher 
(12:35:35 - 1:14:44; 6:35:56; 4:31:02)

Martin's 2010 IMC Report

The week started out kinda interesting as Genevieve our sweet little two year old woke up the monday before the race with a cold...needless to say I quickly packed my gear and escaped to Penticton to quarantine myself...and pass the time focusing on all things important, like how I was going to place my race # on my helmet... alas race morning arrived and the day shawn bright and much warmer and less windy that the previous day, a relief to everyone, I met a few training partners at the entrance to the swim and proceeded to the fence line were my parents and sister had arranged to meet me, they where actually up and left ahead of me in the morning to get to there place! I started in the usual place just left of the markers and awaited the start. not super nervous this time around as I knew I just had to stay calm and hold my position in the water, I cant say I remember how the race started was it the cannon this year? well anyways off we all went, I had a great swim focussing on finding feet to swim on and sighting the markers, the swim went by quickly.. 1:09 on my watch! I was very pleased, I made my way quickly threw transition and to the bike, I had the worst parking spot right at the back of the lot in the grass, well at least all the people in my age group where in the same spot!... out I went onto the bike, up main street, feeling pumped but staying in my zones... man it felt way to easy...fast forward out to osoyoos, I had been issued a penalty for talking to the person next to me! and he rode up beside me! crazy, I had a tough time shaking that one, I was really pissed off, the climb up richter went well as I was focussed on riding relatively easy, threw the rollers and into the out and back I was feeling OK but had difficulty putting the calories in, I just didn't feel like eating or drinking, my stomach was kind of queasy, an all to familiar feeling...at the advice of the nutritionist, AKA karen B. I had planed to pull back on my nutrition and drink water if this happened but it was pretty cold in spots (I wasn't that thirsty)...really cold heading up Yellow lake burrrr.. thankfully I had worn a bike jersey arm warmers and brought news paper to stuff down my shirt, don’t you love it when the weather man gets it right!
poor Tara Lee had to stand there in the freezing cold rain and watch us all go by!!!
dropping down into town from yellow lake I could actually feel the temperature change 10 degrees warmer,I had never felt that before.
I made my way thew transition and headed out on the run feeling pretty great really aside from the fact that my feet where still blocks of ice, I had had what I thought was a very conservative bike, probably 20 min slower than I planed... the 50 km gusting wind in spots didn't help....did anyone happen to notice the draft packs!!!!...I digress.
I probably was running easily 8 min mile pace which I thought I could hold easing off to an 830 pace, yeah that didn't work out so well I ended up easing off to about a 10:30 pace ouch! The hamstrings where really tight as where the hips as I came to the turnaround at OK falls, at this point I was just happy to keep moving forward, I was finally able to get going again at about mile 18 as I was able to get food in , I was actually hungry for the first time!! I tried a orange slice at one of the aid stations and wow heaven! I must have eaten a couple of oranges on my way into town, happy to be running into town now at a decent pace, I focused on seeing my family at the finish line. The run down lakeshore was euphoric...the real reason I do Ironman, a flood of emotion came over me, happiness, pride, relief and a great sense of accomplishment... my 14th Ironman...wow. I felt great at the finish line grabbing my transition bag and even jumping the 7 foot fence to see my family! thats the funny and frustrating thing about Iroman, on paper you may be able to do a 10:30 conservatively but race day is a completely different story, it all really just has to come together.
Thanks to CMS coaching I was well prepared, they provided me with the perfect program for me, I did the work and made the sacrifices, in the end I showed up on race day confident relaxed and perfectly tapered, another great Ironman experience! I’m not sure when or where lucky
#15 will be...!

Vancouver Triathlon Ramsey's Race report 4th overall

Hi Sean,

Race report:
Swim
I started in the front line with all the eventual top placers: Mike, Facundo, Nathan. The start of the swim was very shallow with some rocky outcroppings. When the gun went I was running behind mike. He dived in so I figured it was shallow enough to dive in. I immediately hit a flat rock on the bottom, scratched my hands and my feet and came to a dead stop. By the time I got going I saw the leaders about 10m ahead of me. On the first lap I couldn’t really see where I was placed. I could see some guys ahead of my but I didn’t know how many. My sighting was good and I felt like I made some good inroads by having better lines. By the time I came to the first lap turnaround I saw that I was in a 3 man group with Facundo and one other guy. I swam with them the rest of the way on the second lap and we came on the water together. 5th out of the water in 21:35.

T1
The transition went very smoothly. I found my bike easily and got my wetsuit off without trouble. I beat the other two guys out of the transition zone pretty handily.

Bike

Things got off to a poor start as I found that I couldn’t really feel my feet and my right foot was bleeding. I had my new shoes set up with elastics holding them horizontal. The right foot went in fine but I managed to pull the strap on the left shoe right out. It took me a while to get the strap back into the loop and by the time I got going Facundo had caught up to me. We rode together to the base of the prospect point climb. He was getting a little bit ahead of me but I was staying with him. Once we got over the top he accelerated away from me and by the time we got to the bottom of the hill I couldn’t see him. The rest of the ride was reasonably uneventful. Nathan (eventual 2nd place) caught and passed me at brockton point on lap three. I ended up using my powertap because I thought it would be useful to see what kind of power I am putting out in a race. The results are interesting and I have attached the file. My normalized power was 290W, significantly lower than my FTP of 315. I managed to break it down into the 4 laps and I really noticed where I had my lowest output (other than the downhill) was out and back to brockton point. I realized in retrospect that I was not pushing hard enough out of the corners, down the small hills and straighaways. I think I can make a lot of improvement by working at this. Tell me what you think. 9th fastest bike in 1:05:26.

T2
No issues here. Feet out of the pedals on the bike. Running shoes on with a bit of trouble thanks to the numb feet. Grabbed my watch and race belt and was off in 4th position.

Run
I didn’t make the same mistake as Kelowna and go out too hard. I settled into a rhythm of around 6 min/miles. I had a bit of a stomach cramp that went away but otherwise felt reasonably good. In fact, I might have felt too good. I found myself with a long gap to 5th place and thought it was a long gap to 3rd. I managed to convince myself that 3rd place was out of my reach and I should just continue at my current pace and I would run faster than I did in Kelowna. I finished where I had started the run, in 4th place with a run split of 37:09. I gained 23 seconds on Facundo but he still was 1:48 ahead of me. That is a long gap but I don’t think I was optimistic enough to think that I could close it. The run was hard, but I think I could have pushed the envelop a bit more to close the gap. If I got him within my sights then who knows what would have happened. Still the fastest I have ever run over 10km but I think I can do more.

Finishing time: 2:04:09

Lee Parsons IMC 2010 race report

Hi Sean,

I was happy with my race. I had a great day and felt positive the entire race. I had some gastric issues on the bike and worked thru them. I got punched/elbowed in the face on the swim and got my goggles pushed into my nose, nice cut and tensed up at the same time and got a bad cramp in my left calf so lost a bit there. The bike was good, nice rain and hail storm, wet and cold from Bears fruit stand to Penticton, lots of wind, felt like I was going up hill when it was flat, temperature drop was a challenge for leg muscles, all in all good. Run was great, slower than I thought, but considering good, hills were a challenge but it sure felt great to get back into Penticton and go down main street. My transitions were longer than I wanted but I needed to regroup after the swim and I had to get my calf muscles to work after the bike, so definitely room there for improvement.

Kait's 2010 Race report

Ironman Race Report 2010
I woke up on race morning to the chirp of my alarm, having miraculously slept for five hours. Bleary-eyed, I headed for the kitchen and started downing the oatmeal, bananas and water. I was fortunate enough to spend the previous six days in Penticton, and had started to worry that I hadn’t been feeling particularly anxious about the race. In fact, I think I might have been in a (healthy?) state of denial. Not so on race morning; I woke up feeling happy and excited to finally take on the day. After a last check of my morning to do list, I put on a third layer (including toque and mitts – thanks Aud) and packed myself and several bags into our car. Mikkel dropped me off near Main in the dark and I headed towards body marking and transition.
Pre-race prep went relatively smoothly. Though, I managed to flat my tube trying to get the cap off my extended valves (core came loose). I hope everyone said a big thank you to the bike techs volunteering first thing in the morning. They were so helpful and happy to be there. After a quick fix I was back on my way to setting up. Aside from a nervous stomach, I felt ready to race.
I was lucky to run into friends (Bula, Dalts, Gregg, Karine) getting prepped for the swim and we chatted to kill the time. After finally zipping up the wetsuit I headed for the water, and was happy to find it warm compared to the chilly air. I had planned to seed myself in the thick of things, and was surprised to find that I had plenty of empty water around me on all sides (I was about five rows back lined dead straight up the buoy line??). Everyone else had wandered to the very far left and we could see them packed in like penguins in a documentary. I worried for a minute that maybe I was missing something, but decided to stick with my plan. After the anthem (belted out with a new friend), we made a final check of our goggles, hugged, and got ready. Standing in the water, I felt honored to be part of such an amazing event. Remembering how I had felt the year before watching the swim start, I also imagined how excited (and nervous) my family and friends were likely feeling watching the mass of swimmers begin the race.
I remember worrying that I might feel anxious or even the usual “I hate triathlons and would really prefer to quit right now” grouchiness that I encounter during the first few minutes of a swim. Coach Sean had promised I would feel perfectly calm immediately following the canon fire, and I’ll be damned if he wasn’t right. I consider myself to be a pretty “calm” open water swimmer compared to some of the swim panic I hear friends describe. But, the sense of calm that I felt heading out that morning was unreal. Too bad it only lasted for a few minutes! The initial draft was fabulous – the first group pulled me out and it felt more like surfing than swimming. Unfortunately, the group on the left then started merging with us buoy line folks and things began to get sloppy. I got the usual kicks, punches, and jabs. However, I also got a full on neck grab/drowning pull and really panicked when the guy didn’t let go – enough to make me fully right myself and screech (naturally, no one took notice of the girl screaming in the water). I also found myself stuck in a tight V between big flailing male swimmers a couple of times and ended up using my arms to block elbows vs. stroke. In spite of the “violence,” it was a pretty smooth swim. At the mid point I was pretty sure my watch was wrong because I was at about 34 mins following the second turn. I was aiming for a 1:20 swim, 1:15 tops and was on track for 1:10! All in all, I think the downside to my swim involved me using *way* too much kick. I noticed at the 2/3 mark that my hip flexors were a little sore and hoped it was just some light cramping (this would turn out to be more than some minor cramping…). Out of the water, I was ecstatic when I ran over the mat sub 1:10. Swim: 1:09:42.
The day before the race, I had run through the transition area with another super friendly volunteer (and past competitor). In past races, I have also spent a lot of time using visualization to speed along my transitions. I wish I had done more of that for IMC! My transition to the bike was 6:42. I’m amazed I didn’t unwrap a sandwich or something with that much time! Mental note for next year – don’t let the “helpful” volunteers pull you into a seat in the change tent! Just dump your bag and do your thing.
Off and away onto the bike and I’ll admit all I could think was “I’m doing it! I’m really doing it!!” The crowds out of town were amazing. My family and friends (aka, Kaitlyn’s own personal cheering section) got me so excited I nearly took out a pylon early into the race. Heading out Main I felt great and did well until just shortly after the first climb at McLean Creek. My nagging leg (groin? Hip flexor?) began to feel more like a dull ache and progressed into a burning pain at approximately the 45 minute mark. Turning the wheel over in the aero position (even on the flats) was really hurting and I started to worry (soon followed by panic) that I may not even be able to finish the ride let alone the race. So, what should have been the “pleasant” section of the IMC course was a pretty tough grind for me and I’ll admit to feeling a little hopeless. This was interesting, because I hadn’t anticipated feeling that way until the run (my bike has been a strength for me this year). On top of the leg issue, my stomach was cramped for the first two hours. I eventually figured out that my infinite bike formula, though amazing for training days, was not at all amazing for a race. I guess the old cliff shots and water strategy will be the one I stick with from here on out.
Anyhow – I was feeling pretty demoralized coming up to Richter’s. I decided to take a bathroom break in the hopes of resting my leg for a second and improving my cramped stomach. I was in line for five minutes!!! Terrible timing. Anyhow, I got back on the bike and started the climb wishing for a moment that I was somewhere else. Then, thankfully, I started to feel really great. My legs loosened up and I spun smoothly until the top (great crowds!). From there on out, the pain disappeared and my stomach eased up once I ditched the bottled nutrition. Of course, then I had to stop and shop my special needs bag because I didn’t have enough calories on board which cost me some time. And, even though I rarely ever stopped the bike on training rides and teased training partners mercilessly about their small bladders, I had to make another pit stop on the out and back. All in all, I spent about 10 minutes off the bike during the bike – time to make up next year I guess.
Just when I was starting to feel great on the bike, the heavens opened and it hailed so badly I thought my arms were going to be cut open! The headwind leading up to the out and back section had been a challenge, but the 130k – Yellow Lake section was flat out ridiculous. In fact, the weather was so bad (one pro was later quoted as having raced through a monsoon) that I had no choice but to laugh – it was that ridiculous. I found that spinning out the wind was really effective, and I made up some ground compared to the big guys trying to grind it out. Finally, the climb up to Yellow Lake was upon us. On our training ride, I remembered thinking “this isn’t nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be.” Unfortunately for me, on race day it really did feel that bad. It was a very slow climb, but the crowds were absolutely stellar all the way up and it was impossible to stay grouchy with so many happy and supportive people (also freezing to death) on the roadside. FINALLY the descent!! It was a very chilly ride back into down, but frankly I was so relieved to have survived given the early challenges. I had hoped for a bike time for closer to 6 hours before the race, and had been willing to settle for just finishing, so my time of 6:25:54 was good enough for me.
Into T2, I ran into the same wasted time problem in the tent (6:15). Who’s idea was it to have “options” in my transition bag anyhow? (mine, obviously). I opted not to change and have no idea what on earth I was doing for that entire time, but I am going to blame it on being numb everywhere following the Kamikaze ride back into town. Finally, I was forced to confront a thought that I had been banishing from my mind throughout the day: How on earth am I going to run a marathon now?
The race course setup is a bit strange, but the crowds for the first few KM really get you pumped for the run course. I saw family and friends who re-energized me. I was also pretty excited to have a different liquid calorie source and it was tasting delicious (this would also turn out to be a problem though). I found my single-gear post ride race trot-like pace and off I ran out of town. I had a few difficulties during the run. First, I was ingesting too many calories – I started experiencing the same stomach cramping as I had on the bike. Unfortunately, it took me until the three-hour mark to have the good sense to ditch my bottle and switch to water and gels only. Your brain really does go to mush at Ironman! I felt really good until around the 19k mark, and then started to wonder when the day would be over. When I hit the special needs and turn around, I was SO happy to have packed some licorice and snack mix – anything but the damned poisonous liquid nutrition! Of course, with my brain still in a non-functional gear, I downed 350 calories of licorice in a 45-minute period and surprise, surprise, my stomach cramped again. Two pit stops on the second half helped me feel better, and didn’t add too much time to my marathon. Once I realized my mistake, I threw away all my nutrition and started going from aid station to aid station just using water and a tiny bit of soup and Gatorade. Finally, I started to feel a little better. Running is my weakest discipline, and definitely my least favorite of the day. My race pictures certainly reflect this (very grouchy looking). Throughout the day in spite of the ups and downs I had really enjoyed interacting with the crowds, spotting friends, and cheering on other competitors. During the run, I’m apologizing to all those who said hi or had to call my name five times to get my attention. My “survival zone” lasted from about 22k – 38k and included me counting to approximately 19,000. Yes, call me crazy, but counting my steps really helps me to zone out and keep a high cadence when all I want to do is sit down. I saw a lot of walkers on the course, and even though I felt like it at a few points, I was happy to be able to “run” the entire course. I jogged the aid stations and only stopped on two occasions to walk to and from the bathrooms (boy did it hurt to start running again!!). A big thank you to Coach Tara Lee who gave me the advice – just keep running and maintain a consistent cadence. It really did help, even though it meant I couldn’t stop and visit with too many people on the course. After what felt like running up and down hills forever, we finally made the turn back into town. After a fabulous cheering on from the coaches at around the 4k mark, I felt re-energized. I had realized at the turn around that I was on track for a sub-13 hour day and when we hit the CherryLane Mall, I was thrilled. The run down to the lake was blessedly speedy, and soon we had only the out and back left to conquer. I can’ t tell you how long those last two km feel once you’ve been 50 metres from the finish line. Even though everyone is cheering you on like crazy, I was so tired I actually didn’t want to run any harder (another thing that I found surprising). Who would have expected apathy during the most exciting part of the day? Instead of “oh my god I’m about to be an ironman” all I could think was “how many more of these frigging orange cones can there possibly be?”
Arriving down the finish chute, all the negative thoughts and challenging moments of the day were washed away. It was daylight, it was 12-something on the clock, and I didn’t have a glow stick. My wildest dreams were about to come true. Four years ago, I wouldn’t exactly have called myself a couch potato, but I didn’t believe I could run around the block, let alone 5k. When I crossed the finish line, I couldn’t have been more proud. I let the catchers help me into the arms of my beaming husband and family, and celebrated an amazing year. I couldn’t have completed this amazing journey without the patience and constant support of my wonderful husband. I also owe a lot to my amazing coaches who helped plan a schedule and program that really worked for me. To all my friends and family, thank you SO much for being there in person and in other ways to share in this special day.

Troy Dalton IMC 2010

Well what a day!! Here we go (lots pictures and video at the end of the post):

3:30 am The alarm is set for 4:30am but I am awake…..4:45am Get out of bed, eat, drink, shoot the before video….5:15am Drive to the start, get marked, drop off special needs bags, pump bike tires, relax ….6:15am Put on HR monitor, wetsuit….6:30am Warm up swim, then stay warm….6:45am Watch the pro’s start, fight the nerves…..7:00am START the race with 3000 other swimmers


SWIM: The start of these races is always exciting–adreneline is pumping and it is important to stay calm and focused. Jon started the race on the left side of the group which is the most direct line on the first length and is busier than the right side which is where I started (and our friend Greg). All of us got kicked and hacked for most of the first 1600m when things start to spread out a bit after the first turn. I drafted a massive guy the whole first leg and he cut a path through everyone for us. After the first turn it is 450m to the next one and 1800m home where I drafted another swimmer the whole way. As you see the two towers of the hotel get closer you realize the swim is almost done and it feels good! Swim Time: Jon 1:06 Troy 1:16 Greg 1:13.

BIKE: After a fast transition (Jon) and slow transition (Troy–I ran into a guy I used to play UBC Hockey with!!) we took off on the 180km bike course. Basically Penticton to Oliver to Osoyoos, to Keremeos and back. Jon is a really strong rider and took off hard passing tons of people, Greg and I started more conservatively wanting to manage our bike to have lots in the tank for the run. The bike this year was one of the hardest on record at the Ironman as we experienced a huge headwind after turning at Keremeos. This combined with rain and hail made for a cold end to the ride. I figure the head wind added half an hour to our bike times. It is important to eat and drink properly along the ride–we all had individual plans for this and stuck to them. At the 120km mark you get a special needs bag which can have what ever you want in it. Mine had oranges, chips, water bottle with Boost, and a peanut butter and a jam sandwhich that I did not touch. From here there is another climb up Yellow Lake and then a decent into Penticton. It is hard to describe to someone the number of people on the bike course cheering you on–it is unbelievable. People screaming and yelling for you everywhere. You also where a race number with your name on it so lots of people call you by your name. It means alot when you are tired to have someone call out to you and urge you on. Bike Times: Jon 5:37 Troy 6:34 Greg 6:36

RUN: The run absolutely destroys some people–a marathon 42km! The key is to manage your bike, nutrition, and hydration properly so you have enough in the tank. After arriving downtown on your bike to a massive crowd you head out on the run; again through the crowd. It takes you to the very end of Skaha Lake (OK Falls) and back. My favorite discipline is the run and I always look forward to it–both Jon and I have the ability to get off the bike and hammer the run. Once you get through town there are less people lining the route and you start to see the really fast people running back–some of them in control and some with pain etched on their faces. About two-thirds of the way to the turn around I saw Jon running back–he passed me some Cliff Shots and looked really strong. At times in later parts of the run it is a mental battle to not stop–I repeated many times: just keep your feet moving. The aid stations are set up every 2km or so and I would mix water, gatorate and coke in with power gels and sponges to keep cool. You really feel like a pro when you pass through one–just yell out what you want and they have it for you. My goal was to not stop running once–some people walk the aid stations–and I achieved this. Near the 35km mark is a long slow incline that sets you up for the big crowds to take you down Main Street to the finish. It is a tough part–your pace drops and HR rises but knowing that once you got through this the end was near definitely motivates you. Once I got past that I knew the corner that all our friends and family would be at just before the finish–I was excited to see them all. As I ran past they were screaming so loud–awesome!!! It is a quick out and back to finish–I got some advice from a 10x Ironman finisher he said: fix your gear, look straight ahead, smile, put your arms up and break the tape. Don`t mess it up you only have once shot!! Run Times: Troy 3:46 Jon 3:48 Greg 4:42

Overall Times Jon 10:41 Troy 11:51 Greg 12:45 Official Results at: Ironman Canada

Ray Miller IMC 2010

Ironman Canada 2010
Ray Miller - Race Report

The morning was calm, I had all my stuff together, and a nice person carted my gear to the start for me. A little panic for my friends for forgetting some stuff.

Starting with the swim I went in with a 1:30 expectation, and with no plans to push I started at the back, starting with a large pack. We swam together (more or less) all the way, the buoys came quick, and I just counted the numbers on each one. There was only a little bumping and grinding, following the inside track all the way back to the Peach. I was out of the water as they were calling 1:31 very happy with my time.

The bike started well, my plan was to watch my heart rate, take a sip of calories every 10 minutes, and a electrolyte tab every 30 minutes. Plan went perfect, I had a spin up all of the big hills, 12 minutes up McLean Creek, then Stayed on the big ring with a tailwind all the way to Osoyoos passing slower riders the whole way. I slowed briefly in Oliver to wave at the cheering squad in front of our campsite then picked up the pace again.

In Osoyoos I turned to go over Richter pass, and just took it easy all the way to the top. It took me about 28 minutes from the base of the climb, but I am only guessing cause there were so many people cheering all the was up I really can't be sure. After that there were the "Seven Bitches" as they are called, or the seven rollers that can sap all your strength on that part of the ride. Again nothing fancy, easy spin to the top of each one, then a quick decent to the bottom of the next one. All went to plan out to Karemeos and the out and back. By then I was thinking about my Special needs bag at 121km, I wanted some more Chamois butter, it was worth the wait, but I won't fill you in on the details. Out and back was not too hard, koodos to the yahoos on the side of the road wearing clam shell bikinis, they brought a smile to my face. Then back to Keremeos into a 30km headwind to the base of yellow lake. This was the only part of the bike that I felt like I was suffering at all. They actually block a whole lane of traffic for yellow lake which is really nice. As a climb it took me 17 or 18 minutes then stopped and said hi to my friends volunteering at the top. And back to transition with a nice decent into Penticton. On the way on to Main Street about 10 minutes from the end of the ride I switched to run nutrition, had a Gel and a salt tab an started spinning in an easer gear. I finished the rode with a respectable time of 6:16 which is on pace for my practice rides. Very happy with that performance.

Now I had a plan for the run, hold my pace and don't do anything fancy, alternating a Gel and Endurolite every 15 minutes. After walking the Osoyoos Half Iron I planned for a sub 5 hour marathon, I wanted to stay strong for the run and I figured that would give me room to make that happen. I started easy pace and did 10 run walk 1 to keep my pace easy. The plan worked well, I felt good for the whole run, and at 18 miles with 8 to go I picked up the pace. I pushed hard and enjoyed myself holding mid 5 min/km for pacing for the last bit of Skaha Lake and low 5s for the last 3 miles. I visualized Craig Alexander last year at the end of Kona, or Jasper Blake at IMC in 2006, easy stride comfortable cadence. With the kick in the run I managed to pull in a negative split by 2 minutes. I finished the run in 4:33 averaging 10.23 minutes per mile passing people right up to end.

Overall time 12:33:58 which is about an hour faster than I told everyone.

As I write this I feel fully recovered and have since signed up for the Victoria Marathon on 10/10/10, sucker for punishment indeed.

BOO YEAH!
Plan to do this again in 2012...

Bruce Mackenzy 2010 video

Jon Bula IMC

Guys

Thanks for the coaching these past few months. I feel like I had a really successful race. Tara the pre race meeting was great. You pushed me to go faster than I had planned and it paid off. Great advice for the swim and the bike (attacking the rollers was awesome).

IM 2008: Swim – 1:22:49, Bike – 5:49:49, Run – 4:17:59

IM 2010 Swim – 1:06:56, Bike – 5:37:50, Run – 3:48:07


Too bad the conditions were the shits as I really think I could have posted a crazy low bike time. By the way I forgot my heart rate monitor so I had to race ‘by feel’. I was pretty rattled for a while in the morning but then I just pushed it out of my head and told myself that people used to race all the time without monitors so don’t be a pussy.

The decent down from Yellow Lake was some of the scariest shit I’ve ever done on a road bike. I started to have some minor mechanical issues (due to the excessive amount of water I’m sure) and I saw three racers go down on corners. At one point I swore at the sky at the top of my lungs saying “Bring it on M….F….,” crazy stuff.

My quads have been really sore (better today) and I’m wondering if either of you experience this after an IM. My quads were getting really sore during the run and I’m wondering if that was because of something I missed in training, hydration, electrolyte balance, or just me. The same thing happened in 2008, but never in a half IM. I felt like I had the energy to run faster, but it was too painful. I was holding 8 min/mile pace for the first 15 miles or so, but then my quads were killing me every step and my pace suffered.

I will have a few new referrals for you guys for next season so at some point we need to talk a little business. My plan for the next year is to race my mountain bike in Portugal at the end of April (1200km in 12 days/stages) and then tackle a few Olympic tri’s and half IM and really try and get fast (love speed).

allison's race report

Subaru Ironman Canada 2010

August 29th 2010

Time: 11:45:12
Place: 22/77 in W25-29, 741 Overall

Swim: 1:04 (1:42/100m)
Bike: 6:17 (17.8m/hour)
Run: 4:13:15 (9:40/mile)




The morning of the race, was fairly clear, slightly chilly at about 9 degrees as it had been all week. Not the sweltering heat I had been expecting for sure. Breakfast was a bowl of oatmeal and a banana and coffee. We were at the transition just after 5am, although most of my gear and bike had been dropped the day before. I got body marked, checked my bike and transition bags, and went for a quick 10min run and bathroom break in Starbucks. Next, time to get the wetsuit on and swim warm up already – I was sure to get in pretty early around 6:25am! By now the sun was coming up, although the temperatures remained low. As the clock ticked down towards 7am, I had some nervous butterflies that I tried to ignore and just made my way towards the front and centre of the swim, trying to forget that there were 2700 people surrounding me, mostly behind. Soon the bagpipes sent the pro’s on their way, then after an O Canada, it was 3-2-1 go announced by Steve King.

As soon as I started swimming I realized this was going to be like no other swim I had done before, sort of like swimming in a crowded bathtub. With the strategy to go out hard and try to get on the feet, that’s exactly what I did, although I don’t know if I could have avoided being on someone’s feet anyhow with the sheer number of people everywhere! I was kicked, punched, rammed into numerous times, and as I always seem to do when I’m swimming I lost track of time. I tried to count the buoys for a bit, but of course lost count. Eventually I realized I was really sweating inside my wetsuit, which I took as a good sign that I must be swimming hard, because I don’t normally notice that. Finally we got to the houseboat that marked the first turn By this point I was swallowing lots of water too. I did notice it was mostly yellow caps around me (ie. Men,) which I took to be a positive sign. Turning the last houseboat the sun was super bright right into our eyes, making it very difficult to tell what sort of progress I was making towards the swim exit. My only complaint about the course was the big gap between the last marker and the shore that made it very difficult to see if you were swimming in the correct direction. At last I could see the bottom of the lake and knew soon it was time to stand up – and out at last.

My transition was not stellar –at this point I had no idea what my swim time was, but hoped it was a good as I felt. I threw on my ‘gardening gloves’, and arm warmers and hopped on the bike. I thought I paced myself fairly well – taking it pretty chill along MacLean Creek and along the flats to Oosyos. Big packs of people came by providing me with little spurts of draft. The sun was out fully by this time and I tossed the gloves at an aid station. I took care to eat/drink, as was the plan. I was getting really toasty heading up Richter Pass, which I did in a moderate 35min. Then down the hill and through the rollers, I was feeling good even coming into Keremoes – although that’s when the winds come whirling through and seemed to zap and suck my energy. I was happy to turn on to the out and back and the winds calmed slightly on this section. I saw Susie and Shannon here, and got my fresh Cytomax/Carbopro bottle at the Special needs. I took a quick outhouse stop – and getting back on my bike this is where I never seemed to get my groove back. The winds really picked up so they were gusting and pushing against me in a way I hadn’t experienced at this section of the course on previous rides heading up to Yellow Lake. The temperature had dramatically dropped – later I found out to 10 degrees and then the skies opened and drenched us with an icy cold rain to top it all off. Here I was passed by Jen Howitt and Lindsay Byers, and I think I half heartedly tried to stay with them, but soon they were gone ahead of me. I had been so so looking forward to the energy of Yellow Lake, but I was so water logged and cold by the time I got there, all I could think was when is this bike going to be over and how am I ever going to do a marathon after this. Definitely, one of my lowest points of the day. In all the cold, I had forgotten to drink – of course I had kept eating, but not drinking would come back to haunt me a bit later. Seeing Mom, Dad, Kate, and Ramsey (and the Beavers) with signs in Yellow Lake was great. After a cold descent into Penticton, and a long trip up Main Street finally I arrived in at the transition. Yippy!

So another not too speedy transition and I was off on the run. The sun was back out and the crowds were great. I heard lots of comments about my smile, my comfortable pace, and how great I looked….yeah, yeah I was thinking. Out past Skaha, along the lake towards OK falls I headed – passed a few, was passed by a few and was honestly feeling pretty darn good until about 9miles at McClean Creek road where we hit the first real hill. I think it wasn’t long from there that every muscle in my lower legs started cramping – quads, hamstrings, calves, and I knew I was in a bit of trouble. I walked along for a bit at this point – feeling a bit low, wondering if I was going to have a long, long walk home? So half running/stumbling/limping/falling into OK falls I arrived to a group of cheering NSTCers and my parents. I did not look happy I’m sure, and I hope I didn’t give them too many bad looks, but I was really struggling here. I didn’t care anymore about my time – I was not enjoying the pain! I walked/ran out of OK falls and slowly the running started to be more than the walking until I was running aid station to aid station with just short walks in between. I may have ‘drafted’ a bit behind some taller/bigger men because again the winds really started to pick up and were gusting! Slowly, slowly I checked off the miles and really by mile 19, I was feeling ‘good’ if you can say that again. Coming into Skaha, a man chatted with me confident that we would be under 12 hours. I was feeling a bit more positive about myself and the whole experience. I knew I was going to make it now at least! Ramsey met me about 4 miles out on his bike, he cheered me in – and hopefully I didn’t give him too many evil looks (sorry, Honey!). Inching closer and closer I kept imagining what the finish line was going to feel like. Counting down the aid stations. No more walking. As I turned onto Lakeshore I saw my family on the corner and Mom let out a ‘Whoop, whoop!’ with her arm in the air. I felt like a rock star making my way along that blvd. My legs propelling me as smoothly and gracefully (right!) as I could towards the finish. A big grin on my face, I tried to soak in the atmosphere of that moment. I recall hearing something about physiotherapist… first ironman… pumping music and I hit the banner filled with exhilaration!

IM Canada 2010 Race Reports

Well another IMC and this year was full of weather surprises. Leading up to IMC had been hot and dry..............race day was cold and wet so many people had issues with the cold. Congrats to all finishers:

Dave Willms

OK here is my race report for IMC 2010.

This was my first ironman. I signed up last year in a moment of inspiration having never done a triathlon or marathon or really any kind of competitive endurance race. I did a couple of half irons during the year that gave me a bit of confidence for the IMC.

The swim was crazy with all the people. I didn't get punched in the face or anything but there was a lot of contact. I did a lot more drafting than I had previously and barely sighted at all. I lucked out and followed people who were going in a straight line. I was starving by the end of it so I think I would have a bigger breakfast next time. I ended up with about perfectly double my half iron times. I guess I just have one speed in the water. Too bad it's not super fast.

The bike was pretty rough. I got a flat right away and I think my tire was just slightly low for the rest of the ride. Looking at it after you can see a big hole in it so I'm amazed that it lasted through the rest of the race. Richter pass was no problem and maybe my favorite part of the ride. On the out and back I got stung by a bee who left it's stinger in my knee which was really annoying for about 20 k. There was a little bit of rain and a ridiculous headwind on the flats before yellow lake. I was barely making 19km/hr on the flats. The hill was actually a relief because the wind was less of an issue. I also had to make a few digestive pit stops after the out and back. I definitely should not have eaten a giant cheese cake the night before! it just looked so delicious. A lot of small things added up and became frustrating and my bike time was almost an hour slower that I was gunning for.

The run was what I was most worried about. Coming out of transition was a pretty emotional moment, facing down the prospect of my first marathon. It turned out pretty good though. The weather improved and I just ran it steady. I walked just a few steps each aid station in order to drink smoothly. My stomach was still complaining a bit at the beginning but I started to feel better after about 10 k. My wife Megan and her parents and my parents and a bunch of our friends came out and watched. They made shirts and rude signs a had a great time drinking wine and yelling. Seeing them at the run turnaround was pretty encouraging. Overall my run was about half an hour faster than what I thought I'd do it in. I felt like I was taking it easy for the first half and the last 5 miles or so felt like they were getting steadily harder.

swim 1:14:34, bike 6:38:36, run 4:03:42, total 12:13:14
transitions were about 8 minutes each.

I would have liked to get it done under 12 hours but overall this was a great experience. A challenge met.

-Dave