mytrilife

Prestige 1/2 Ironman

I managed 3rd place at the Prestige 1/2 Ironman this past weekend, earning a whopping $300. To be honest, it was due to a small field of only 85 participants. However, it was probably one of the most messed up races I have ever done and I was happy to hang on to third. Here's how it unfolded.

On thursday night I drove up to Calgary, so that I wouldn't have to do the full drive to Cranbrook the next day. I was unable to stick around long enough to catch Heather coming out of her second surgery at the hospital before I left. I hoped to get a good nights sleep on Thursday in Calgary in case I didn't sleep much on race night.

However, I checked my work email before heading to bed, and due to some emergency issues, ended up working until 4am. Uggh! Stressed about Heather's condition and all my work problems I only managed about 4 hours sleep after that. I felt horrible when I woke up that morning and decided, due to the problems of the previous evening, to quit my contract position of 5 years! Not like I needed any more stress...

I got in quick swim that morning, before connecting with Trev to car pool to the race. I was so under-prepared... my bike and chain was dirty, I had rushed to get my new tubulars on my rims, and my gear was all over my car. I checked into the hostel in Cranbrook and managed to get all of it ready for the race in the morning. My stomach was churning and I was feeling sleep-deprived and stressed. Another 3.5 hours of sleep before my buzzer went off at 4am.

I cooked my usual breakfast of oatmeal, but added more yoghurt than usual. Did a quick stop at Tim Horton's to get my caffeine fix and drove the 30mins to the race site at Wasa Lake. I could tell something wasn't going right with my stomach... my breakfast refused to digest. 15mins to race start I still felt full... uggh..

The swim start was fast and clean. Only 85 participants makes for plenty of room. I let the lead pack go.. I could see they were swinging out wide and not holding a straight line. I had the dilemma... do I sit on feet going off course, or do I hold a straight line on my own? I decided on the straight line.. and I think I made the wrong decision. I tried, but couldn't pick up the pace, I felt like going any harder would make me throw up. 32 and change... acceptable.. but not up to my swim fitness.

I totally screwed up T2, struggled to get my wetsuit off despite the help of a couple of eager volunteers. Since my stomach was shut down I made a decision to switch a bottle of sport drink to a bottle of water on my bike. This was critical.. as the only thing I could get down on the bike was this water. After a speedy barefoot mount, when I tried to get my feet into my shoes, my calves completely seized up. I was swearing and yelling in pain and finally had to dismount, take my bike shoes off my pedals, put on my shoes and remount.

The bike was uneventful, I just got down to business and was moving pretty good. At the first turnaround I found myself in third, but way down on 1 and 2. I could see my pursuers were not far behind though. I put the hammer down and sipped my water. Luckily it was not a hot day... but man.. it was WINDY! As I crossed back over the river, the sharp concrete lip of the bridge launched my sport drink bottle and into the opposing traffic lane. Despite not being able to drink anything but water, I figured I would need that sport drink if my stomach came around. So I stopped, got of my bike and ran across the bridge and retrieved it! Easily lost another minute from that one... thanks to the motorist going the opposite direction who stopped for me!

At the next turnaround I was a further minute or more ahead and decided to push it as hard as I could to transition. Then 10k from the finish, my neck gave out. I couldn't stay in aero position for more than 30seconds. I sucked up the wind sitting on the hoods, finally managed a few sips of sport drink and pushed on to T2.

I took my time in T2, tied my shoes (forgot to put on speed laces), and off I went. As I was still in third place, I had a cyclist following me with a sign that said "3rd place male". COOL! I had enough of my troublesome stomach though and was determined to try and clear it. I stopped at about 4k and tried to make myself vomit. Nada... just couldn't do it. The lady following me on the bike was looking concerned and some guys pulled up in a truck and asked how I was doing. "Uh.. just trying to vomit.. feel great, thanks!"

First lap down, I was was passing the finish line to go around transition and the volunteers told me to go the the finish line. I was thinking.. no... that doesn't seem right.. why? They thought I was the leader (apparently wearing the same color jersey was enough?!!?) and so I walked into transition and had to run back out and around.. losing another 30-40 seconds.

The last lap was all business. I just tried to get in coke and water at each station and not stop for anything. At the final turnaround 4k from the finish, I went all out to the finish. This was it... I saw the 4th place guy running strong but figured I was up a couple minutes and had 3rd in the bag if I didn't fall apart.

4:44, almost the same time as last year. Considering all the mess-ups in my race, and the slightly harder course... not too bad of a result. I'm feeling like I'm starting to get peak fit... I might just line up at Sylvan Lake 1/2 in 4 weeks and see how it goes. But first.. Regina Beach triathlon!

posted by Greg @ 6/24/2007 1 Comments

I wrote too soon...

Well... not the best news this morning from Heather's surgeon.

In her initial surgery, only two of the three breaks was operated on. The third break was in a more risky location for nerve damage, so it was hoped that just fixing the first two would align things. Well.. it didn't. She is still unable to close her jaw fully, and a scan this morning revealed that it is not aligned properly. So... she's back to the hospital in the next week sometime when they can get an operating room booked and fix it. More drugs, more swelling, more wires.... no fun! This time, they will have to require small incisions below each ear as well... leaving some small scars.

posted by Greg @ 6/19/2007 2 Comments

Focus matters

I'm long overdue for an update to my blog. It's been a crazy month of June.. and it's not even over yet...

After my last update, on May 27, I raced the Coronation triathlon here in Edmonton. The legs were a little flat and heavy from the long rides in BC, but I managed a solid 7th place against a good field for a small sprint race! A couple ITU elite guys, plus some solid veterans of the Edmonton triathlon scene showed up to make it interesting. Racing up and down Groat Road in Edmonton was a lot of fun. Races like this are why I love the sport...

The next weekend, Heather and decided to head east of the city out to Elk Island national park. Our route was about 90-100km only, but we were both quite tired, so we kept the pace easy. Riding through the park was rough... the federally maintained roads are pretty ugly. Plenty of potholes and debris. A couple of flats left us with no spares about 30km from the car. We decided to push on anyways, praying we wouldn't have to hitch back.

After a fuel stop in the small town of Lamont, we went in a big loop around the park to avoid the rough roads back through it. The day was hot, humid, and both of us were suffering. Our build up of training to our big races had left both us a bit shattered. To make things worse.. there are ZERO hills east of Edmonton.. the riding can be monotonous.. and easy to lose focus. We finally made it back to the Yellowhead hwy and started the last 20km section back to the car.

I was riding in front of Heather about 40m and looked back to see her taking a drink. I grabbed my own bottle and slowed down to wait for her. I kind of stared ahead of me, wishing I was back at the car so I could end the ride. All I heard was "Oh shit!" and felt Heather's front wheel hit my bike and knock me forward. I looked back to see her crashing extremely hard right onto her chin and face. Apparently, she had her head down and was in the aerobars, and didn't look up in time to realize that I was moving much slower in front of her.

The next hour was a blur. I flagged down a motorist and I picked up the car and got Heather to the hospital. After some pain meds and an x-ray, the bad news was given.... she had broken her jaw in three places. Just as painful as the broken bones was knowing that her season, the one she had worked so hard for, was now at an end.

So, after a 4.5hr surgery and 6 days in the hospital, a wired jaw, and now elastics to hold her bite together... the scars of surgery are starting to heal. She's able to eat marginally solid food again, but it will be a while before steak is back on her plate. Her big race was supposed to be July 1, but the race director would only give a partial deferral of her race entry to next year. So guess what? She's going to compete! Well.. let's make that participate. As long as the weather is ok, and she feels strong enough.. she's going to complete the race as slow as needed to make it to that finish line!

As for me, my next race is this weekend. I've decided to throw in a 1/2 Ironman this season.... just for fun. The Prestige half is on Saturday at Wasa Lake (about 30min north of Cranbrook). I'm hoping the weather finally clears for some hot, dry racing. I'll make sure to get a post-race report up asap.

And for those that are wondering, we're still in Edmonton, but may end up in Calgary.. or the Kootenays (Castlegar).

posted by Greg @ 6/19/2007 1 Comments