Race morning for my first Ironman was just as I had hoped. It was a warm morning with clear skies, perfect! Although there seemed to be still many last minute details to take care of before the race, my time in transition went smoothly (thanks to Fiona for the last minute help!). I was feeling healthy, ready and happy to finally get my reward for all the hard work during the previous months. Having spent a full week in Kelowna and Penticton with Nigel (my coach) and many other experienced Ironman athletes had really helped me feel a bit more “at home” on this new course and distance for me.
The swim I knew was going to be the more challenging leg of the race for me…and it was. Seeing that I am not fast enough to be near the front of the 2200 racers but also not at the back of the group, I found myself fighting for a little room and water to swim in for the vast majority of the 3.8 km swim. I slowly fought my way through the swim course and was relieved to finally reach shore after 1 hour and six minutes of full contact swimming.
Now we get to the fun part. I love the bike segment of triathlons the most and riding in the Okanagan Valley is a treat in itself. The first hour of the ride was unfortunately still fairly congested and I therefore found myself having to spend most of my time and mental energy making sure I was riding away from others as much as is possible in such crowded conditions. I still could not relax and truly enjoy my ride until we reached the climb to Richter’s pass where the field finally spread itself. Nigel had given me a very specific race plan with power numbers to aim for and I finally got to work on the 11 km climb. Proper pacing made my ride up to Richter’s pass comfortable and still with a lot of energy. The following rolling hills were lots of fun with gradual climbs and long fast descents. After this harder section I was surprised to see a big part of the ride already done and still feeling very strong. My nutritional plan was working perfectly for me today and not needing any adjustments at this point. The flat out and back section was easy and it was nice to see friends cheering for us (again thanks to Fiona and company!!). Other than almost falling off my bike (again!) after the turnaround, everything was still going perfectly for me and I started passing some pro women who had left 15 minutes before me. That made what I felt was already a good day even better! The final section of hard work was the climb up to Yellow Lake and as Nigel had predicted this is where my pacing really paid off…I felt strong and passed many more on my way up. I found my way back to transition after a 5 hour and 13 minute ride.
The marathon. This was the part of the race I had worried about the most in my training as I knew it could make or break my race. Never having run a marathon before race day did leave me with many questions and some concerns during my training. Nigel frequently (and patiently!) reassured me that the training was sufficient and I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other and not stop until I was told to! The run started with some minor cramping but I quickly warmed up into the new upright position and made sure to stay focused and aware of how I felt. Visions of a repeat Peterborough ½ IM bonk kept me from becoming lazy with my nutrition when I got tired. My pace was not quite what I had planned for but today it was going to have to do. The first ½ of the run was done in a strong headwind and mostly on my own. I looked for someone going similar pace to run along with by to no avail. A little more than 2 miles before the turnaround point I finally had a look at the female leaders and realized that once the 15 minute head start was accounted for I was not so far behind. That realization gave me my second wind and I stepped up the pace just a little (which is all I could manage!!). I also saw many other NRGPT athletes along the way back with everyone looking happy and strong. The twenty mile mark is where keeping the pace became more and more difficult. Four miles to go and I was working very hard but now slowing down a bit. It is only late on the home stretch on Lakeshore Drive that I realized I had a chance to come home in under 10 hours and my best attempt at a “sprint” allowed me to cross the finish line with only a few seconds to spare…9:59:48.
My first Ironman is one I will never forget. Thanks to Nigel I was very well prepared and felt as ready as one can before their first try at such a big race and had an amazing day. I still have many things to learn and work on and now have only a few more weeks left before my next Ironman!!!!
Thanks to everyone for their moral support and cheers from home!!!
SYlvie