The Great White North Triathlon - 20th Anniversary Edition
**This was the best race I ever had**
For those who dont know about this race, it is definitely the best sporting event I have participated in! And that is why I decided to return again this year for my 5th running of the race, which also happened to be the 20th anniversary of the race. There is something very energetically magical about this race. It is hard to describe, but all those who have done the race know what I am talking about. EVERY last detail in this race is taken care of, and this is a race which is ALL about the athlete! NO CHEATING AND NO RIP OFFS!!
I have completed this event in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, with my personal best half ironman being on this course in 2009 in a time of 4:39:59.
I arrived in Edmonton Wednesday before the race, fresh off the Pride festivities in San Francisco. Pride is also so great in SF, and so I was just riding a wave of inner energy. I also had done a SOLID 8 months of preparation for this race, and this was my single "A" race for the year. I must admit, that my lead into the race was much less than stellar in terms of cancelled races, equipment issues, and a near melt down and poor performance at the Hawaii 70.3 last month. But, the key for me was the consistency in my training throughout the year, and the fantastic training I was able to complete in Palm Springs and in Hawaii before the GWN.
The GWN has the most excellent pre-race dinner. There are alway's so many friends and familiar faces, and it is electric to simply converse with so many friendly athletes. The food is fantastic, complete with a few Canadian beers :) Steve King, the voice of triathlon, hosts the evening, going thru past history of the race, making all the first time half ironman athletes stand and be reconized, and then making all the athletes stand and counting them out for the number of GWN triathlons they have completed. It is amazing that there is one male athlete who has completed ALL 20 GWN races. WOW! So, I was well fed, well socialized, and DEFINITELY ready for a strong race on Sunday. I am sure we could all say I was due for one!
I slept over at my best friends house the night before the race. This has also sort have become tradition. I love it. We actually bought some ju-jubes and ice cream, and watched a movie the night before the race. Went to bed, and slept really well, until my watch went off just past 5am. I forgot where I was, and then was like, holy sh*t, I am doing a half ironman today. AAAHHHHHH!!!! A little panicked, I ate my usual pre-race meal, and we hit the road to pick up my mom, and get to the race site.
I felt good in the morning. I actually told Lisa that I felt good, which is unusual for me before a race. I was sort of at peace with what lay ahead, and was ready to rock. We got to the lake with plenty of time to spare, got the bike tires inflated, transition set up, fueled up more, and made a couple of stops in the bush to clear everything out - the porta potty lines are always too long!
I was having a good time before the race. My mom had her camera, and we were sorta having a photo session before the swim start, and that helped me relax a bit.
Getting psyched to race!!
Transition set up - adrenaline definitely pumping at this point!
A few last minute sips before the wetsuit goes on and I hit the water
My mom and I - SO great to have here there :) She is my biggest fan!
Wetsuit on and ready to rock it out! YA!
Canadian Anthem played and moments before the race.....
30 seconds to race start....I HATE this part, but love it at the same time :)
Swim - 2km - 33min 41sec
The swim is a mass start of around 800 people, which is a perfect size for open water swimming. I got off to a good start, and was surprised how unagressive it was, until like 2 minutes later. Then I started the usual jossling, kicking, tugging, boxed in stuff. I tried my best to keep a good line, focus on my technique, and keep pushing thru the mess. It felt like I was having a strong swim. The second lap was less congested, but I was feeling a tad sluggish, but nothing to bad. I pushed myself hard the last few hundred meters, and was shocked to see 33:41 on the clock as I crossed the timing mat. This is a few minutes slow for me. But, it is what it is, and the race is not at all about the swim as I have been coming to realize - it is about building into the race, and actually being a runner in this multisport! So, I did my best to get thru transition and onto my bike, which is my strength!
Transition 1 - just about to grab my bike and rip outta there!
Bike - 90km - 2 hours 22min - rocked it!
The bike has alway's been my strength, and I was so happy to have my own time trial bike back this year. Last year I had to race on a borrowed bike from fellow competitor, Jason Britton. Thanks again Jason! However, nothing is quite like having your own equipment to race with. I headed out on the bike, and was saddened to see BF Lisa at the side of the road fixing a flat only 4km into the ride :( That really just lite the fire in me to try to do even better as I knew she was not having the ideal race already. The weather cooperated 100% out there. It was overcast, and it seemed as though there were a tail wind in most directions. I was making my way thru the field of athletes, and was able make big surges at several point during the bike which was exhilerating. The only stumbling block came at about 65km into the ride, when I had to pee. I tried to do this while still cycling, but I just dont have that kind of muscle control. I tried to do the stand and pee on the bike, and that didn't work either. So, I had to stop, get off my bike, pull the pant leg up, and pee. So, I lost 1-2 minutes there. Got back on the bike, and just kept pushing as hard as I could. The last 10km of the bike are the hardest for me on this course as it is slightly uphill, and there was a bit of head wind. But, this is typical, and I have learned this from previous years, and was still able to make up a few positions leading into the second transition. I had a VERY solid bike and enjoyed the Canadian scenery - canola fields, grassy fields, the north saskatchewan river valley, and fams. It is BEAUTIFUL!!!
I was happy to get off my bike, but it is NEVER a fun thought to think about running a half marathon after already swimming and cycling a long way! My legs were slightly crampy, but I was able to manage the second transition with no issues and found myself making my way out on to the run quickly.
Run - Half marathon (21.1km) - 1 hour 46min
As alway's the first km of the run is dreadful. Your blood is pooling in your legs as you are finally in an upright position, and your legs are fatigued from the lengthy bike. But, there were alot of things that quickly started going right for me during this portion of the race, and made it probably the best race I have ever had!! I remember Geoff, Lisa's husband, saying "that you will never feel good during the first 1-2km, but just find a strong rhythm and it will come together. I had a few people pass me, and then it happened, my running legs found me. I was feeling good at 2km! YES!
I actually had a new nutrition strategy for the run, after discussing with Lisa the nutrition plan of Chris McCormack, the current Ironman World Champ. He is a slightly "larger" athlete, like myself. I am not fat, but have a bit of muscle to carry around. This seems to be frowned upon in endurance sport, but I feel that you need a few pounds to help your body endure HOURS of racing and training. The startegy was to drink cola, water, and salt tabs during the run. No gels or other stuff. There is a whole science behind this, but we will not get into that during this post. So, I took 1 salt tab, and a cup of cola at every aid station, with a bit of water mixed in there.
And I just kept running stronger. I was passing the mile markers, and made a whole game out of sectioning the run course, and trying to stay strong thru each part and to not bonk, get mentally negative or self destruct.
To be honest, I had a song stuck in my head. Lady Gaga - Edge of Glory. It is really motivating, and has a strong fast beat. And I just kept singing it, keeping my running cadence as high as I could without my legs cramping, and saying my positive self talk to myself. I was surprised that when I told myself to run faster, I could! That is a first in a half ironman!
It was amazing. I was working my way thru the run. I was running fast, there were hardly any athletes passing me, and I was just in the best mood out there! I started seeing some familiar faces, and giving high fives to friends as we passed each other in encouragement. And I just kept feeling strong.
Getting late into the run, at around 18km, I was hitting some rough patches. But I knew I was so close to the end. I grabbed more cola from the last aid station, and downed a last salt tab, and was ready to battle the last 3km. This is where the race is. This is the hardest part, and where I am usually fading badly. Not today. I was running good. It was REALLY, I mean REALLY painful, but I kept my pace solid thru the last portion of the run, and only had a select few people pass me.
My mom took this picture about 500m from the finish line - she was cheering so loud for me, and I was able to sprint across the finish line. There was NO walking during this half marathon, only running and racing :)
I was so excited to see 4 hour 42min on the clock, but was a tad frustrated as this was a meer 2 minutes off my personal best from 2009!!! DAMN! There were a few points in the race that would have made up this difference in time - stopping during the bike to pee, etc. But, hindsight is 20/20. Maybe the stop actually helped me out in the end and made me stronger?? Shoulda, coulda, woulda......
I cannot emphasize enough how great of a race I had for myself out there. It was the most fun, and probably the most strong consistent performance I have had during a race. Despite not being a PR, this was my best race! I was just flying high when I was done. I had given everything I had, and left it all on the course. There were no major issues, and I simply was having the time of my life out there. It was such an electric atmosphere.
I was so hungry after I finished - I had an oatmeal cookie pigout - I at at least 12 cookies!
Final Time - 4 hours 42min 36 seconds - 21st Men 30-39, 42 overall out of 800.
Lisa finished the race despite having 2 flats on the bike. I am so pround of her. Se was able to deal with a really bad deck of cards on race day, and still made it work. And as luck would have it, she got an Ironman slot and will be racing in Penticton at the end of August. GO LISA!!!!!! I was able to get a lottery slot for Ironman, but it proved to be too big a decision to make in 5 minutes, and elected not to take it.
The awards dinner is always a highlight as well, and what other race has 2 dinners included??? We were well fed, drank more great beer, and watched the top athletes recieve their awards. That is still something I am working towards, and simply enjoying the entire process regardless of the results. It all of the sudden was very sad in the building as race director Wade Church announced he would be stepping down. This is a huge deal, as it seems as though all the good races around the world are being bought by large corporations, and it is REALLY ruining the sport. So, it was quite concerning to us all that this event may be in jeopardy. We were introduced to the new race director, and were assured the race would continue to flourish, and "would be like polishing an already shiny diamond". Wade announced that he was so confident in the new director, that he would be racing next year. So, in the end, it is exciting to see what will happen with the race, and hopefully it will just get better!
It didn't end there. We were invited over to a friends house for a bbq/drink/hot tub party. All the people there were friends and fellow athletes. It was such a great time, and we all shared our own stories on the events of the day. What a day!!!! :)
I would REALLY like to thank 2 people in this post - my mom and best friend Lisa. My mom has come to every race that she is capable of, and is my biggest supporter. She makes me feel like I can conquer anything I set my mind to, and is the single most reason that I have been successful thus far in my life. I would never be where I am without my mom. My best friend Lisa, who got me into the sport. We were best friends long before triathlon, but we started the sport together. She pretty much took me completely out of my comfort zone and introduced me to something that would change my life forever! Lisa pretty much tought me to swim, and we learned how to race together - learning from each others mistakes - and there were plenty. I would not have done it any other way. It was all about the process.
There would be 1 week of recovery, and then the ITU World Cup Triathlon in Edmonton the following Sunday......I have never done back to back races.......but am up for the challenge. YA!!
1 comment:
Awesome job in your races here! The pics are great! So glad you had such a positive day and experience - it was great to see you in such good spirits and having a strong day.
And OMG - the cookie pig-out! Haha!
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