If you haven't read my swim and bike race report, click here. Read that before starting this post :)
I know you were on pins and needles after that first part ;) Sorry for the delay. I would have had the run section up Tuesday, but it was a long day of travel and no computer time. We left Summerland just after 7 a.m. and arrived in Seattle mid-afternoon, where we spent a few hours exploring and eating before our flight. Space Needle, Salumi's (omg - I ate a sandwich on good ol' fashion white bread; that's like against my religion haha), the Fish Market, and of course the original Starbucks. It was fun to check out the scene, but it wasn't so fun getting home to Laguna Beach at midnight.
Anyway... back to the race...
Run 4:31
My goal was 4:00. After I sort of regrouped in T2, I was "ready" but unsure. The mental battle was beginning. As I ran out, I heard Jordan Rapp's name being announced as the winner, and then I saw him run by me in transition, heading toward the lake to cool off. It was hot as can be out there, and he'd just run a 2:53 marathon. Holy crap. After that quick distraction, I came back to reality and the fact that I had 4, maybe more, hours ahead of me.
Within the first 1/2 mile, I was getting very emotional. Then I saw my family and John. I stopped briefly by them and started crying pretty hard, telling them my bonk situation. They all started tearing up seeing me so emotional. Seeing them emotional made me more emotional, and I knew it was time to make a decision: run away and go for it or give up right then and there. You know me... I could't quit.. it wasn't THAT bad. So I ran.
It wasn't just my family and John that inspired me at that point, it was everyone in my life -- my athletes I coach, friends, co-workers, family, everyone who's sent message on FB and Twitter, my grandma, etc. This Ironman was bigger than just me, lots of other people were involved and I wanted to show them that it's possible to carry on and FINISH even when it seems impossible. Erica, my athlete who was also racing, was especially on my mind. This was her third attempt at IMC, with the first two resulting in DNFs (issues out of her control, but nevertheless she had unfinished business). I was more than confident that she WOULD make it to the finish line on Sunday, and that alone was enough to get me there as well. (I'm crying just thinking about this now haha.) I wasn't dying and my legs were working, so I'd find a way to get through the run no matter what. Done deal.
I got going. It was HOT. I looked at my Garmin and saw I was running on pace (in the 9’s) so that helped boost my mood. However, I knew my nutrition had been severely disrupted, and that the lack of calories on the last part of the bike was probably going to affect my ability to reach my goal effort/intensity on the run -- just not physiologically possible. I'd have to stay in a low-intensity zone while trying to refuel if I wanted to survive and not completely bonk to death. That said, I settled on a goal of maintaining a running pace of 9:00-10:00 miles, and I'd walk the aid stations while trying to choke down any calories. That was realistic and the best idea at the time. In truth, that wasn't far off from my original plan of a 9:09 overall average.
The run course itself wasn't so bad, but the heat was. And when I hit Skaha Lake it seemed to go up another 10-15 degrees. It had to be 90-100 F out there, with little to no shade. I had the EXACT same thoughts as Jordan Rapp, according to what he wrote on his blog, "And on a day when Skaha Lake serves as nothing more than a continual tease, ceaselessly inviting you stop running and take a dip..."
People who lived along the marathon route were outside with hoses to spray down the runners -- what a relief that was! Thankfully that section was fairly flat, and because it was an out and back, it was a good distraction to watch runners going in the opposite direction. I had seen the top pros while still in town, which is always a treat, but watching AGers is something special in itself. I had so much respect for everyone who was so far in front of me and running strong. Like when I saw Rachel Ross whizz by looking like she was as fresh as being on the first mile. Amazing! Can I be like that one day????
I also saw my friend Christian who did the Epic5 this year, Kiet, Matt Q, and many others. I even had a runner, Mary, come up to me and say she reads my blog! That was super special for her to take the time to do that, and meant a lot to me :) Another special moment was running into PunkRockRacing Ron. It was our first time meeting in person -- fitting :) I told him my whole story of the issues on the bike. While talking with him, I think I had willed my way to feeling better on the run and was optimistic that I could stick to my plan.
But after I passed Ron, the reality was, I was still feeling nauseous and queezy. Nutrition-wise I wasn't doing well with calories, and I the exercise physiologist in me knew it was only a matter of time before that'd start really taking its toll. I attempted some pretzels, sips of cola every now and then, water and endurolytes. I tried my hardest to muster down a gel, but it wasn't happening, same thing with banana and sports drink -- wouldn't stay down. So pretty much pretzels and a little cola were the only calories I had on the entire marathon. Even at a low intensity, that was not enough AT ALL.
In attempt to not to get too wrapped up in how crappy I felt, I started thinking of everyone in my life again. And as I watched runners going in the other direction, heading home, the one person I was thinking of and waiting to see was Mike, my training partner. But no sign even as I got closer to the turnaround. Meanwhile, it was starting to get more hilly. I had to walk some of the hilly sections.
I was nearing the turnaround, and still hadn't seen Mike. Weird. I was praying he was OK. Mike had to get an emergency root canal on Friday before the race, and the procedure went fine, but it was still a "trauma" to the body, so who knew if it'd play into his performance on Sunday. I would later find out, it did take a toll. Then I saw him. He was maaaaybe a mile ahead of me, and walking :( There was a good chance I'd catch him.
At the turnaround I got a BIG surprise. My dad and John were there waiting for me. John ran with me a bit and said some things that not only brought (happy) tears to my eyes, but gave me a big burst of energy. I had reached the halfway point and was ready to head home, happy that I'd seen my boys!
Then ahead in the distance I saw Mike. My other boy! I caught up to him; he was walking. I made him start running again with me, and I told him my whole story of the swim and bike and the flats ughhhh, hoping that help distract him from the pain he was in (root canal aftermath was wreaking havoc). He was in shock to hear my story, and he felt so bad because he knows more than anyone how badly I wanted that 6-hour or faster bike split. While we ran together, it felt like "home" and was comfortable... I imagined it being just one of our regular training runs, and I was at peace.
Unfortunately it wouldn't last for the rest of the race. Mike had to stop and walk again, and I tried to keep running. But at around 18 miles, I was having to walk more than just aid stations and hills. It was during that time that I started walking/running next to random people, and we'd feed off each other's "energy." It's pretty intense to share moments like that with complete strangers. Some tough folks out there. Makes me tear up just reminiscing.
Toward the end, I was starting to fade and felt delirious. I had hit a wall big time, was feeling sick, and I was pretty much running on empty. At times, I felt like I do when I have the flu. The walking segments were increasing, but I refused to only walk. I had to keeping running. I knew my goal of 4:00 was out the door, but I could still make it in before 8 p.m. and definitely keep the marathon sub-5, so that was the new goal.
As I finally reached downtown Penticton, as expected, the energy of the crowd allowed me to find a way to run the last 2 miles at a 9-something pace. John later said I even looked OK at the point, but I don't believe him ;) The final stretch of the marathon was a blur, yet I remember it so well... every sight, sound, smell. I will hold that moment dear to me forever. You can never repeat your first Ironman, and, damn, is the finish a special moment. Despite having no energy to spare, I found a way to smile big down the finishing chute (I think).
I saw 12:45 on the clock, and thought, "Heck, after all I've been through today, and all that time spent on the side of the road during the bike, that ain't so bad. Mission accomplished."
But right after finishing, my body knew I was done, so it was done. I crashed. Headed to medical to chill out, hoping I'd score an IV but no such luck. Shoot! Barely choked down a cup of chicken broth, and then all I wanted to do was leave there to be with my crew at our home. I could barely stand up, but I wanted medical to release me, so I pretended I was feeling "great" again :) I peaced out, and my family took me home. I was still nauseous, but an hour or so later I was able to eat the better part of a couple pizzas, and I shared my story with loved ones, while I listened to the stories they had from the day.
I'll repeat what I said in my last post: In the end, my Ironman wasn't an ideal day "on paper," but to me it was a perfectly un-perfect day and one that I'll cherish forever. I wouldn't change a thing. I think it's the adverse moments that made it even more special for me. It was a challenge like none other, and I came out a stronger person.
I'm ready to do another one....
Showing posts with label Ironman Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ironman Canada. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Ironman Canada RR: Swim & Bike
I started this blog at 4:30 a.m. Monday, but between all the eating, floating down a river and another mini wine tasting, I’m just getting to it again. That early morning wakeup was a result of post-Ironman insomnia and hunger. Yup, started the day with pasta, quinoa, eggs…. and shortly after a burger.
Onto IM Canada. What an amazing day! I loved it, the highs & lows -- all of it! On paper, you might think, “Oh man, that looks like it was a tough one.” But I’m glad everything didn’t go perfectly perfect. I learned a lot of lessons, and I’m definitely a stronger person because of it. No matter what happened, I carried on. I was determined to cross that finish line No. Matter. What. And I did, 12:45 after the gun went off. Man, was I a happy camper at the finish; although, it probably didn’t look like that… but more to come on that.
For now, just the swim and bike, the run portion will follow. And, sorry, no pics yet!
Swim -- 1:21
Surprisingly a highlight of the day! I really enjoyed the swim, honestly! I started middle back with Mike, and I probably started swimming close to a minute after the gun. (The mass start was insane and I had no place being more in the front.) The insanity remained that way until about 1,200 m. My goal was to stay calm and no freak despite getting beat up on in the sea of people. Goal achieved. I was able to keep my cool among the chaos, getting kicked, trampled on, punched, etc., probably because I was swimming with a HR of about 110 and was thinking happy thoughts lol.
About a mile in, I felt cramp potential in my calves. They were like ticking time bombs. I did everything I could to keep them from seizing, but at 1800, the left one cramped seized. It felt like a tennis ball in my calf and was debilitating. I had to stop and work on it. I thought of my grandma at that point, while I was wading out in the middle of the lake, and I felt a calmness. Soon after the cramp was gone. I worked through it, and was fine for the remainder of the swim! A first!!!
Overcoming the cramp was definitely motivating, and I was pumped to keep going. By 2k, I was pretty much alone in my area, and that’s when my shoulder started hurting. But it wasn’t that bad. Totally manageable. I think the trick to it feeling good on race day was lots of rest during taper, good pacing during the swim and positive thoughts.
I got out of the water happy to see 1:19 on my watch. With starting in the back, and lagging when I finally stood up and ran out, official time was 1:21.
T1 3:20
In and out pretty quickly. As I left on my bike I saw my family and John, along with thousands of others and I couldn’t help getting tears in my eyes, what a moment! I was thrilled!
Bike -- 6:39 official (6:05 of actual riding)
If there’s anything that could have killed my mojo for the day, it’s what I dealt with on the bike. That said, if there’s one thing I learned Sunday, it’s that Ironman will throw anything at you. It’s all about how you deal with it. In my case with the bike, I refused to let some bad blows get the best of me.
I actually had a great bike ride overall and enjoyed the course for all it had to offer (heat, hills, scenery, spectators, and all). But unfortunately, I was plagued with a reoccurring flat aka a tire that wouldn’t hold air. Without going into too much detail, I had a valve stem fiasco with my rear tire that caused major issues. Pre-race I had to go to bike tech because I couldn’t get it to fill. They fussed with it, and said they were pretty sure it’d be OK for the day. Unbeknownst to me, I would start the bike with very low pressure. It was flat by mile 10, right in the middle of the first hill. I saw a bike tech car and stopped to have them check it. They refilled it, air was holding, I left.
But then, next thing I know a race official was riding next to me giving me a penalty! Apparently, I didn’t merge back to the right lane quickly enough again. In my defense, I began riding after the tire got filled while still mid-hill (steep hill), so it wasn’t the easiest situation to maneuver, and my adrenaline was high so I wasn't working at my smoothest. Regardless, 4 minutes lost. Bust! That was frustrating, especially because the race official seemed to have an evil smirk on her face when she flashed the card at me, even when I told her my story. I said to myself, “I have two options: 1) whine and be a baby or 2) carry on with a smile.” I chose #2.
After that, the bike was going along fine, and I was pacing myself per everyone’s recommendations, yet still averaging 20 mph. That first part is fast! Around mile 20 I could sense the tire problem returning. Rear was flat again. No!!! That would be the theme for the first half of the ride: Rear tire went flat every 7-10 miles, at which point I’d stop and refill with CO2. I was still riding fast without too much effort in that first 40 or so, so I didn’t feel like I was losing too much time. But I was running low on CO2 (maybe 1/2 a cartridge left).
I served my penalty just before Richter Pass, where I chit-chatted with the officials, not acting like a whiner. Then I started the infamous climb, and it was scorching hot at that point, but no different than a hot day climbing the mountains where I live. Meanwhile, rear tire wasn’t doing well. When I was finally nearing top of Richter I waved down bike tech driving by because I knew I'd never last with the CO2 refill plan, and at that point I was riding on a virtually flat tire up a significant climb. Not good. So bike tech guys decided we had to fix it right or I’d be done for the day — they had to rip off my tubular and put a new one on. Took foreva! Probably over 20 min. I was determined to keep a smile on my face. I borrowed their phone and texted John to tell him my situation and that I was OK and ready to keep having fun. I can’t state it enough: The bike course was legit, and I wanted to enjoy it all.
That was the end of my bike issues. All in all it cost me about 35-40 min of being stopped on the side of the road. All things considered, I’m OK with that because that means I was pretty close to my planned bike split of 6 hours.
After Richter, we got the seven bitches, which I thought were hard but fun. They reminded me of some hills I do on PCH at home. Plus, at that point, the course had thinned out a lot and I was on my own. I was enjoying moving along through Canada country and my pace was decent. Part of me wanted to go faster to make up for lost time, but I had to stick to my plan to make it through the whole race. I knew Yellow Lake would be a toughie with the climbing.
The wind started to get bad, but that was the least of my worries. My tummy was starting to act up. At mile 80, I literally became ill. Could no longer take in and hold down calories; everything just kept coming up. It was gross. What was I having? Various gels, Clif bars (which I now realize were the culprit for the GI issues) and secret drink mix. I couldn’t stomach anything, not to mention the sweetness and sugary nature of everything I had was freaking terrible! And I was pissed! So I went without nutrition for the last 32 miles of the bike, only having water and endurolytes. That put me in a caloric deficit from which I was never able to fully recover. Bonk town USA. Dang it. *Update* Looking back I did some experimenting and realized I cannot handle many of the ingredients in Clif bars - those things cause me bloating, gas and clearly I don't digest them well. A little Clif bar here and there is fine, but taking them in like I was in Ironman and for that duration/intensity made my tummy a ticking time bomb. Mostly I think it's the soy.... yuck. I practiced/trained with Clif bars, but I was done with them after IMC.
I kept wondering when Yellow Lake was going to come because I knew that meant one more big climb then home free with descents lol. Finally I was nearing it. I think that may have been the hottest part of the day. I wasn’t really that amped to climb because I felt so sick and more depleted by the minute, but I was pretending that I was normal and this was just another training ride. That kinda helped. Then I got a surge of energy when I started Yellow Lake because *surprise* my crew was out there to cheer me on. It was great seeing them, as well as all the other peeps making it for a very Tour-de-France-like climb :) THe spectators at IMC really know how to do a good job throughout the whole course!
After that the rest of the climbing was a blur. I was bonky. Yellow Lake actually looked kind of yellow. Was that just me being crazy? As I approached mile 100, I won’t lie, I was ready to be off the bike so I could find some non-sweet, non-clif calories in T2. That said, it probably was not good that I bombed the downhills in a delirious state lol ;)
Last note on the bike: I wore my Garmin during the ride, which automatically stops at a certain speed. So I know that my real bike ride time was just over 6:00, and I was stoked on that! Officially my split was 6:39.
T2 9:50ish
I had to take my time to try and refuel so I could do a freakin marathon not completely depleted. There were non-sweet snacks in the changing tent, so I had some. Saltiness was good and what I needed. I was hoping that’d help bring me back from being without calories for so long. While I sat in T2, I had the demons in my head challenging my ability to go out and do 26.2, and part of me didn’t think it was possible. I was getting a little teary-eyed and unsure. I didn’t want to go there with my thoughts, but I couldn’t help it. I felt weak and emotional.... but not about to quit. No way.
OK, that's all for now... stay tuned for the run and finish! Thanks for reading :)
Onto IM Canada. What an amazing day! I loved it, the highs & lows -- all of it! On paper, you might think, “Oh man, that looks like it was a tough one.” But I’m glad everything didn’t go perfectly perfect. I learned a lot of lessons, and I’m definitely a stronger person because of it. No matter what happened, I carried on. I was determined to cross that finish line No. Matter. What. And I did, 12:45 after the gun went off. Man, was I a happy camper at the finish; although, it probably didn’t look like that… but more to come on that.
For now, just the swim and bike, the run portion will follow. And, sorry, no pics yet!
Swim -- 1:21
Surprisingly a highlight of the day! I really enjoyed the swim, honestly! I started middle back with Mike, and I probably started swimming close to a minute after the gun. (The mass start was insane and I had no place being more in the front.) The insanity remained that way until about 1,200 m. My goal was to stay calm and no freak despite getting beat up on in the sea of people. Goal achieved. I was able to keep my cool among the chaos, getting kicked, trampled on, punched, etc., probably because I was swimming with a HR of about 110 and was thinking happy thoughts lol.
About a mile in, I felt cramp potential in my calves. They were like ticking time bombs. I did everything I could to keep them from seizing, but at 1800, the left one cramped seized. It felt like a tennis ball in my calf and was debilitating. I had to stop and work on it. I thought of my grandma at that point, while I was wading out in the middle of the lake, and I felt a calmness. Soon after the cramp was gone. I worked through it, and was fine for the remainder of the swim! A first!!!
Overcoming the cramp was definitely motivating, and I was pumped to keep going. By 2k, I was pretty much alone in my area, and that’s when my shoulder started hurting. But it wasn’t that bad. Totally manageable. I think the trick to it feeling good on race day was lots of rest during taper, good pacing during the swim and positive thoughts.
I got out of the water happy to see 1:19 on my watch. With starting in the back, and lagging when I finally stood up and ran out, official time was 1:21.
T1 3:20
In and out pretty quickly. As I left on my bike I saw my family and John, along with thousands of others and I couldn’t help getting tears in my eyes, what a moment! I was thrilled!
Bike -- 6:39 official (6:05 of actual riding)
If there’s anything that could have killed my mojo for the day, it’s what I dealt with on the bike. That said, if there’s one thing I learned Sunday, it’s that Ironman will throw anything at you. It’s all about how you deal with it. In my case with the bike, I refused to let some bad blows get the best of me.
I actually had a great bike ride overall and enjoyed the course for all it had to offer (heat, hills, scenery, spectators, and all). But unfortunately, I was plagued with a reoccurring flat aka a tire that wouldn’t hold air. Without going into too much detail, I had a valve stem fiasco with my rear tire that caused major issues. Pre-race I had to go to bike tech because I couldn’t get it to fill. They fussed with it, and said they were pretty sure it’d be OK for the day. Unbeknownst to me, I would start the bike with very low pressure. It was flat by mile 10, right in the middle of the first hill. I saw a bike tech car and stopped to have them check it. They refilled it, air was holding, I left.
But then, next thing I know a race official was riding next to me giving me a penalty! Apparently, I didn’t merge back to the right lane quickly enough again. In my defense, I began riding after the tire got filled while still mid-hill (steep hill), so it wasn’t the easiest situation to maneuver, and my adrenaline was high so I wasn't working at my smoothest. Regardless, 4 minutes lost. Bust! That was frustrating, especially because the race official seemed to have an evil smirk on her face when she flashed the card at me, even when I told her my story. I said to myself, “I have two options: 1) whine and be a baby or 2) carry on with a smile.” I chose #2.
After that, the bike was going along fine, and I was pacing myself per everyone’s recommendations, yet still averaging 20 mph. That first part is fast! Around mile 20 I could sense the tire problem returning. Rear was flat again. No!!! That would be the theme for the first half of the ride: Rear tire went flat every 7-10 miles, at which point I’d stop and refill with CO2. I was still riding fast without too much effort in that first 40 or so, so I didn’t feel like I was losing too much time. But I was running low on CO2 (maybe 1/2 a cartridge left).
I served my penalty just before Richter Pass, where I chit-chatted with the officials, not acting like a whiner. Then I started the infamous climb, and it was scorching hot at that point, but no different than a hot day climbing the mountains where I live. Meanwhile, rear tire wasn’t doing well. When I was finally nearing top of Richter I waved down bike tech driving by because I knew I'd never last with the CO2 refill plan, and at that point I was riding on a virtually flat tire up a significant climb. Not good. So bike tech guys decided we had to fix it right or I’d be done for the day — they had to rip off my tubular and put a new one on. Took foreva! Probably over 20 min. I was determined to keep a smile on my face. I borrowed their phone and texted John to tell him my situation and that I was OK and ready to keep having fun. I can’t state it enough: The bike course was legit, and I wanted to enjoy it all.
That was the end of my bike issues. All in all it cost me about 35-40 min of being stopped on the side of the road. All things considered, I’m OK with that because that means I was pretty close to my planned bike split of 6 hours.
After Richter, we got the seven bitches, which I thought were hard but fun. They reminded me of some hills I do on PCH at home. Plus, at that point, the course had thinned out a lot and I was on my own. I was enjoying moving along through Canada country and my pace was decent. Part of me wanted to go faster to make up for lost time, but I had to stick to my plan to make it through the whole race. I knew Yellow Lake would be a toughie with the climbing.
The wind started to get bad, but that was the least of my worries. My tummy was starting to act up. At mile 80, I literally became ill. Could no longer take in and hold down calories; everything just kept coming up. It was gross. What was I having? Various gels, Clif bars (which I now realize were the culprit for the GI issues) and secret drink mix. I couldn’t stomach anything, not to mention the sweetness and sugary nature of everything I had was freaking terrible! And I was pissed! So I went without nutrition for the last 32 miles of the bike, only having water and endurolytes. That put me in a caloric deficit from which I was never able to fully recover. Bonk town USA. Dang it. *Update* Looking back I did some experimenting and realized I cannot handle many of the ingredients in Clif bars - those things cause me bloating, gas and clearly I don't digest them well. A little Clif bar here and there is fine, but taking them in like I was in Ironman and for that duration/intensity made my tummy a ticking time bomb. Mostly I think it's the soy.... yuck. I practiced/trained with Clif bars, but I was done with them after IMC.
I kept wondering when Yellow Lake was going to come because I knew that meant one more big climb then home free with descents lol. Finally I was nearing it. I think that may have been the hottest part of the day. I wasn’t really that amped to climb because I felt so sick and more depleted by the minute, but I was pretending that I was normal and this was just another training ride. That kinda helped. Then I got a surge of energy when I started Yellow Lake because *surprise* my crew was out there to cheer me on. It was great seeing them, as well as all the other peeps making it for a very Tour-de-France-like climb :) THe spectators at IMC really know how to do a good job throughout the whole course!
After that the rest of the climbing was a blur. I was bonky. Yellow Lake actually looked kind of yellow. Was that just me being crazy? As I approached mile 100, I won’t lie, I was ready to be off the bike so I could find some non-sweet, non-clif calories in T2. That said, it probably was not good that I bombed the downhills in a delirious state lol ;)
Last note on the bike: I wore my Garmin during the ride, which automatically stops at a certain speed. So I know that my real bike ride time was just over 6:00, and I was stoked on that! Officially my split was 6:39.
T2 9:50ish
I had to take my time to try and refuel so I could do a freakin marathon not completely depleted. There were non-sweet snacks in the changing tent, so I had some. Saltiness was good and what I needed. I was hoping that’d help bring me back from being without calories for so long. While I sat in T2, I had the demons in my head challenging my ability to go out and do 26.2, and part of me didn’t think it was possible. I was getting a little teary-eyed and unsure. I didn’t want to go there with my thoughts, but I couldn’t help it. I felt weak and emotional.... but not about to quit. No way.
~~~
OK, that's all for now... stay tuned for the run and finish! Thanks for reading :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Canada, Day 1 & 2
We're here!
So it's been a whirlwind of events lately -- from a funeral to bridal shower and lots in between -- thus the emotions have been all over the place. That can be energy-zapping as you an imagine. But I can finally sigh with relief. I'm here in Canada with people I love getting ready to do the most epic thing I've ever done. Surprisingly, it's very easy for me to put my feet up and relax right now even with Sunday's 140.6 looming. I'm not nervous yet, and am pretty calm about the whole situation -- one of the reasons why I wanted to get here so early. Actually, I did get a wave of emotion and nerves when I drove by the athlete check-in today in P-town. After being to enough Ironmans as a spectator, it's weird to finally be on the other side as a participant, it feels good :) I like that P-town even has an Ironman wine for us :)
Anyways, Monday was a long day of travel. We left Orange County at 7ish, flew out of LAX at 10 and got to Seattle just after noon. It was raining. Surprise. From Seattle, we picked up a rental mini van, grabbed lunch at an all-you-can-eat salad/soup buffet place with all the fixins. We all stocked up on food as who know when we'd eat again. I even got one of these, which I haven't had in this form for ages....
Then we hit the road for a long drive. Thank goodness John was at the wheel so my mom, sis and I could just chill. The weather was pretty bad for a long time, well into Canada, as you can see.
Btw, my dad was not going to be able to make it out in light of my grandma's death and how much work he's missed. That made me pretty sad, but I understood. Yet, I think when he saw me cry when he told me that news, he knew he'd have to pull some strings, and low and behold, he will still be coming out for the race... he gets into town this weekend :)
Once we crossed the Canadian border, the "eh" jokes began and they have yet to stop. They just don't get old. I picked up a crossword puzzle at a McDOnald's on a pee stop so we'd have something to occupy our time. I vaguely recall us joking about "who would eat at McDonald's." It hink the "Mickey-D" gods were listening on that convo (read on).
On the crossword puzzle, I found something where you say, "what are the freaking odds?!" In this case, it was my grandpa as 23 down....
I'm not gonna lie. It was a long drive, and although it was beautiful, I think I would have preferred to fly into Canada. Way back when we made the itinerary, we determined it'd be cheaper to do the fly/drive combo, but by how much I don't know? Next time, I'd probably dish out a few extra bucks for a more direct flight.
That said, it really wasn't that bad, it was just getting late and we were all tired and ready to eat and chill for the night. We arrived in Summerland (where we're staying, just 10 miles north of P-town) just after 9 p.m. And that was with a race car driver at the wheel so it's not like we were going at a snail's pace ;)
Our main thought at that point: GET FOOD. I had heard rumors that places close early here, and oh my is that true! We got into our house that we rented and immediately started reseraching where we could go. Long story short, EVERYTHING was closed, even grocery stores and our last hope was either Tim Horton's or McDOnald's. We decided to do authentic Canadian so went to Time Horton's, but they were closed too!! Ugh! Mickey D's it was! In truth, McDonald's has a pretty decent menu these days, and we were all fine with our orders of salads and sandwiches. (Although, I think anything would have been better than nothing at that point, which was the next option after MD's).
Today we awoke to our beautiful surroundings. Man, this place is gorgeous! Our house is up on a hill in Summerland... it's surrounded by apple trees and wineries, very peaceful, small and quaint with a big yard. We don't need anything more, anything less. Just want to keep it low key. Today we checked out Penticton Fun times. Ended that trip with some grocery shopping... first to Whole Foods, of course, then to a Costco-style place, which was actually really decent! After that I napped and worked. I will continue working this week because it has get done (especially my next article for 3/GO Magazine), but I'll be sure to take full advantage of this place while we're here. And I want to document this trip well, so tune in a lot this week with updates! How about a few pics....
Made brekkie this morning with oats, egg scramble, fruit (not seen) and of course Canadian bacon, eh?
Part of the view from our yard. (Pre-race BBQ on Saturday!!!!)
The breakfast nook. Small and quaint.
Last but not least, I was saving the "bad" news for last. My shoulder is not good. It hasn't been for weeks now. There's nothing much more I can do at this point rather than just tough it out on race day. I'm ok with that and I am confident that I will cross that finish line. That said, I've come to terms with my swim goals, and I'm realistically expecting to do it in 85-90 min. Not ideal, but I'm pretty sure I can pull that off. I'll let you know the rest of my race goals soon....
So it's been a whirlwind of events lately -- from a funeral to bridal shower and lots in between -- thus the emotions have been all over the place. That can be energy-zapping as you an imagine. But I can finally sigh with relief. I'm here in Canada with people I love getting ready to do the most epic thing I've ever done. Surprisingly, it's very easy for me to put my feet up and relax right now even with Sunday's 140.6 looming. I'm not nervous yet, and am pretty calm about the whole situation -- one of the reasons why I wanted to get here so early. Actually, I did get a wave of emotion and nerves when I drove by the athlete check-in today in P-town. After being to enough Ironmans as a spectator, it's weird to finally be on the other side as a participant, it feels good :) I like that P-town even has an Ironman wine for us :)
Anyways, Monday was a long day of travel. We left Orange County at 7ish, flew out of LAX at 10 and got to Seattle just after noon. It was raining. Surprise. From Seattle, we picked up a rental mini van, grabbed lunch at an all-you-can-eat salad/soup buffet place with all the fixins. We all stocked up on food as who know when we'd eat again. I even got one of these, which I haven't had in this form for ages....
Then we hit the road for a long drive. Thank goodness John was at the wheel so my mom, sis and I could just chill. The weather was pretty bad for a long time, well into Canada, as you can see.
Btw, my dad was not going to be able to make it out in light of my grandma's death and how much work he's missed. That made me pretty sad, but I understood. Yet, I think when he saw me cry when he told me that news, he knew he'd have to pull some strings, and low and behold, he will still be coming out for the race... he gets into town this weekend :)
Once we crossed the Canadian border, the "eh" jokes began and they have yet to stop. They just don't get old. I picked up a crossword puzzle at a McDOnald's on a pee stop so we'd have something to occupy our time. I vaguely recall us joking about "who would eat at McDonald's." It hink the "Mickey-D" gods were listening on that convo (read on).
On the crossword puzzle, I found something where you say, "what are the freaking odds?!" In this case, it was my grandpa as 23 down....
I'm not gonna lie. It was a long drive, and although it was beautiful, I think I would have preferred to fly into Canada. Way back when we made the itinerary, we determined it'd be cheaper to do the fly/drive combo, but by how much I don't know? Next time, I'd probably dish out a few extra bucks for a more direct flight.
That said, it really wasn't that bad, it was just getting late and we were all tired and ready to eat and chill for the night. We arrived in Summerland (where we're staying, just 10 miles north of P-town) just after 9 p.m. And that was with a race car driver at the wheel so it's not like we were going at a snail's pace ;)
Our main thought at that point: GET FOOD. I had heard rumors that places close early here, and oh my is that true! We got into our house that we rented and immediately started reseraching where we could go. Long story short, EVERYTHING was closed, even grocery stores and our last hope was either Tim Horton's or McDOnald's. We decided to do authentic Canadian so went to Time Horton's, but they were closed too!! Ugh! Mickey D's it was! In truth, McDonald's has a pretty decent menu these days, and we were all fine with our orders of salads and sandwiches. (Although, I think anything would have been better than nothing at that point, which was the next option after MD's).
Today we awoke to our beautiful surroundings. Man, this place is gorgeous! Our house is up on a hill in Summerland... it's surrounded by apple trees and wineries, very peaceful, small and quaint with a big yard. We don't need anything more, anything less. Just want to keep it low key. Today we checked out Penticton Fun times. Ended that trip with some grocery shopping... first to Whole Foods, of course, then to a Costco-style place, which was actually really decent! After that I napped and worked. I will continue working this week because it has get done (especially my next article for 3/GO Magazine), but I'll be sure to take full advantage of this place while we're here. And I want to document this trip well, so tune in a lot this week with updates! How about a few pics....
Made brekkie this morning with oats, egg scramble, fruit (not seen) and of course Canadian bacon, eh?
Part of the view from our yard. (Pre-race BBQ on Saturday!!!!)
The breakfast nook. Small and quaint.
Last but not least, I was saving the "bad" news for last. My shoulder is not good. It hasn't been for weeks now. There's nothing much more I can do at this point rather than just tough it out on race day. I'm ok with that and I am confident that I will cross that finish line. That said, I've come to terms with my swim goals, and I'm realistically expecting to do it in 85-90 min. Not ideal, but I'm pretty sure I can pull that off. I'll let you know the rest of my race goals soon....
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Have I lost my mind?
I made some big decisions recently. Kona was one of them, and even though that was a no-brainer, it is still a big deal for me. Flight is booked. Tuesday to Monday.
These other two decisions are even more gnarly, I think...
I signed up for Ironman Canada 2011. I decided to go for it. Full Ironman baby. This wasn't part of "my plan" but what the hell. I'll be graduating in May (hopefully!) so I'll have all summer to just train and be a coach/personal trainer/writer. Sounds good to me! My two bosses/friends at SPI and OC Sports & Wellness also signed up, as well as some other OC folks, so I will have some legit training partners with whom I already spend a lot of time. Basically it just feels right. Part of that "rightness" is the desire to do something bold and actually acting on it... I often take the safe/conservative/planned-out route, but sometimes I need to just go for it. Ironman Canada is going for it. So is this next thing...
Next Saturday, I'm going to be part of an outrigger canoe team competing in a race from Newport Beach to Catalina -- that's 27 freakin miles across the ocean!!! Holy crap! Really not sure how my friends convinced me to do this, but, then again I didn't put up much of a fight at all. I said yes immediately. Why not?
I am by no means in top shape for an endurance event of this magnitude, but it's a nine-man team in which you work in shifts of about 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off (six people on, three off resting). It takes a total of 4-6 hours. That said, I think I have enough of a fitness base to get by. Thankfully, I've done some outrigger canoeing in Dana Point, so I know the basics of the sport. Plus I have lots of GU on hand that didn't get used for the races I was supposed to do this year, so fuel won't be an issue. If sh*t hits the fan and I bonk or start to die, thankfully I have friends on my team to save me. I'm excited for a new experience!
Wow. My to-do list just got huge. Love it.
These other two decisions are even more gnarly, I think...
I signed up for Ironman Canada 2011. I decided to go for it. Full Ironman baby. This wasn't part of "my plan" but what the hell. I'll be graduating in May (hopefully!) so I'll have all summer to just train and be a coach/personal trainer/writer. Sounds good to me! My two bosses/friends at SPI and OC Sports & Wellness also signed up, as well as some other OC folks, so I will have some legit training partners with whom I already spend a lot of time. Basically it just feels right. Part of that "rightness" is the desire to do something bold and actually acting on it... I often take the safe/conservative/planned-out route, but sometimes I need to just go for it. Ironman Canada is going for it. So is this next thing...
Next Saturday, I'm going to be part of an outrigger canoe team competing in a race from Newport Beach to Catalina -- that's 27 freakin miles across the ocean!!! Holy crap! Really not sure how my friends convinced me to do this, but, then again I didn't put up much of a fight at all. I said yes immediately. Why not?
I am by no means in top shape for an endurance event of this magnitude, but it's a nine-man team in which you work in shifts of about 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off (six people on, three off resting). It takes a total of 4-6 hours. That said, I think I have enough of a fitness base to get by. Thankfully, I've done some outrigger canoeing in Dana Point, so I know the basics of the sport. Plus I have lots of GU on hand that didn't get used for the races I was supposed to do this year, so fuel won't be an issue. If sh*t hits the fan and I bonk or start to die, thankfully I have friends on my team to save me. I'm excited for a new experience!
Wow. My to-do list just got huge. Love it.
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