In early 2008, I decided I was ready physically, emotionally, and financially to finally tackle Ironman. In spring 2008, my Dad and I decided to sign up for our first Ironman together.
In June 2008, I received an email telling me of my friend's devastating misfortune which in turn became my good fortune as I was now going to have a training partner for Ironman training.
On August 25th, 2008, my Dad, Kristy and I signed up for Ironman Canada 2009.
In the following twelve months.....
I trained.
I didn't work much.
I swam, biked, and ran thousands of miles.
I laughed.
I cried.
I had giddy fits.
I spent a lot of money.
I made new friends.
I didn't see much of other friends.
I smelled like chlorine.
I showered two or three times a day.
I ate...a lot.
I got cranky if I didn't eat.
I was so sore I could hardly get out of bed.
I was so sore I could hardly sleep.
I learned a lot about myself.
I learned a lot about others.
I travelled.
I sweat.
I drank a lot of water.
I complained.
I went to work with wet ponytails.
I napped...a lot.
I crashed.
I hurt.
I went to massage.
I went to physio.
I went to chiro.
I had injuries.
I had needles put in my arm, neck, back, glute, and leg.
I paid someone to use medieval looking stainless steel tools on my leg.
I counted calories.
I memorized nutrition plans.
I ate too many bananas.
I ate hundreds of gels and powerbars.
I wore out my Ipod.
I finally found goggles that work for me.
I got funny tan lines.
I peed in the bush...a lot.
I was emotional.
I was scared.
I was excited.
I suffered through some crazy workouts.
I ran around the Glenmore reservoir more times than I care to remember.
I memorized every mile of Springbank Road.
I rode to Nepal several times.
I got fit.
I got strong.
I was the healthiest I have ever been.
I prepared.
I trusted my training.
I trusted my coaches.
I trusted myself.
I trusted my fitness.
I had fun.
My dad arrived on the Tuesday before the race and we drove out to Penticton to our beautiful rental house on Wednesday. At my swim that evening, I wrenched my neck while sighting in the water and thought...oh, great. I was also dealing with what seemed like a pulled hamstring from a trainer ride a few weeks back. My body was not enjoying the last week of taper and I desperately booked two half hour massages for Thursday and Friday. But on Friday morning, I was comforted by Sandra who said that every ache and pain would go away on Sunday morning. I was sure hoping she was right!
I had made lists for all my transition and special needs bags for the race the week before so I felt very calm and prepared pre-race. I also stayed in our little rental house, away from the crowds and frenzy of the race expo as much as possible. I think this really helped me relax and not get caught up in the hype (even though I thoroughly enjoy that when I'm not racing!) and I appreciated that there weren't 20 athletes biking by my house every time I looked out the window. I was slightly concerned that twice in the few days before the race I woke from a dream that I did Ironman and couldn't remember doing it. I really didn't want that to happen!!
Race morning came with a 4am wake-up call, however, my body wanted nothing of it and instead I was up at 3:30 making my first bathroom trip. Oh, the joy of nerves! Down at transition by 5:15 and my Dad and I found Kristy pretty quickly in the body marking area. I was so happy to be able to be with these two people who have been such a huge part of this year-long experience! I was very lucky to have Mark and his friend Ray taking awesome photos to capture the moments of each part of the day, starting with these nerve-filled ones!
After securing my nutrition and bento box on my bike, it was time to wait in the port-pottie line up. I am pretty sure that no race venue can ever have enough porta-potties because that line was long! However, while standing in line I drank my Boost and took pictures....might as well use the time wisely! We started getting our wetsuits on and this is when it finally struck me. We are doing Ironman!! I gave my Dad a huge hug and thanked him for this journey...even though we didn't train together we developed a special relationship that only a father-daughter combo doing their first Ironman can truly bring. He is awesome and I love him and his determination and passion for this sport so much! I was more emotional giving Kristy a hug because I know that over a year ago when she made this decision to train for Ironman, it was not to get a time goal...it was a journey she took to overcome a lot of pain. I felt privileged to be able to share that journey with her and God knows we have leaned on each other and pushed and pulled each other more this year than we ever have before. She is my amazing training buddy!
In the water we went...Kristy, Emilie, my Dad, and I did a few strokes to get wet and make sure the goggles were good. Last hugs were given all around. We found our spots on the right and then I took a few moments to look back at the crowd of spectators that were there to see us start. Never in your life can you imagine this moment until you are there-it was simply unreal! While standing there, the tall dude beside me totally elbowed me in the jaw. I made a comment that he was already getting his elbows out before the swim even started...he apologized profusely. The gun went off and I walked probably 15-20 steps before diving into the water due to some rocks and shallow water. The first few hundred meters of the swim were a bit rough for me...people were swimming up my back and it was pretty busy. But a few minutes in I found myself, a guy on my left, and a girl on my right swimming in a nice line, straight and civil, just the way I like it. We stayed together almost to the sailboat and on the inside of the buoys. I just tried to stay calm and relaxed and strong but that quickly changed when around the sailboat I got totally beat up by a couple of swimmers and thought I was going under. I mean, I could have given the scuba diver a high five, I was that close! And then both of my calves totally cramped up. I'm talking like seized up, Charlie horse type cramps. I just kept kicking to get the hell out of the there and when I found clear water again I was able to stretch them out while swimming and relax again. I was a little worried about getting cramps 1800m into a 12+ hour day-yikes! But the rest of the swim was very comfortable, relaxed, and I felt like I took it easy the rest of the way in. I swam pretty much by myself the whole way back...I have a difficult time drafting off people's feet so I didn't bother stressing out about trying to find feet. Coming out of the water, I was thinking I probably swam around 1hr5min because it felt so easy. But I was really surprised to see I was 1hr1min. After seeing this, I got really anxious for some reason and starting having trouble catching my breath. Once my wetsuit was stripped off, I walked to my swim to bike bag and doubled over with my hands on my knees taking deep breaths...I think I was worried that I swam too hard and that would screw my whole day up. The volunteer in my row was someone I knew and she said something to calm me and then I thought....Jen, you've tapered....that swim was exactly what it was supposed to be! Oh yeah!!!! Methodically got my bike gear on, sunscreened up, and then walked to my bike. I really didn't feel the need to run through transitions on such a long day!
I was soooo excited to get on my bike!!!! (you will probably never hear me say this again!!!). I was pretty sure I would be the first Kronos out of the water so I figured Bart, Sandra, and the rest of our awesome cheering squad would be pretty pumped to see me. They travelled all the way to the Okanagan to watch us race...and I was going to give them a good show! As soon as I was clipped in, my perma-smile for the day developed. I thought I was emotionally ready for the crowds along Main St. but again it was unreal! I seriously felt like I was in the Tour de France with the crowds lining the street! I felt my bottom lip quiver a bit with emotion but I just smiled and enjoyed the support.
I went with my plan to keep light pressure on the pedals at all times. So, I didn't freak out when I saw 40km/hr at some points towards McLean Creek and beyond as long as I knew that I was not pushing hard on the pedals at any point. I could feel my hamstring acting up but Sandra was right...the pain went away 40km into the ride! Screaming down McLean Creek hill towards OK Falls I dropped half of my wrap and then in the shadow I saw something dangling off my bike. I decided to stop and it ended up being my bike bag which was almost all the way off! Kinda weird since my bike bag has never given me issues ever! Funny enough, bike support was right behind me and actually stopped and fixed my bike bag! Sweet! While standing there for 45 seconds, I swear 100 people screamed by me on that crazy fast downhill! I continued my light pressure pedal stroke to Richter's....followed my nutrition plan and made sure to drink a lot (which is never an issue with me anyways!) Turning up Richter's, I could see in the distance a giant tigger...and knew this would be my awesome Kronos training buddies. Oh man, it was soooo good to see them, their outfits were awesome and they were so loud with their cheers! Spun my way up Richter's and finally started to pass people...a nice change from the 1000+ people that passed me on the way there! Going over the first timing mat was cool because I reminded myself of all the friends, family, work colleagues, and training buddies that would be watching my progress and who have supported me through this journey and I was able to draw strength from them. Although I was not getting hot yet, I started dousing myself with water at every aid station and in between. I knew from the Desert Half that the heat can sneak up on you quickly and I think by starting this step so early I was able to fight off the effects of the heat a bit better for the rest of the day. Getting to the top of Richter's I was so happy to see Mark and his buddies Ray & Curt cheering and taking pics. I had smiles and waves all around! Fast forward to the rollers....pretty uneventful and actually felt like they went by quickly. Switched my nutrition plan around a little so that my favourite riding treat...a Snickers bar!...would be eaten in my least favourite part of this course which is the stretch between the rollers and Keremeos. I was so prepared for nasty headwind or crosswind that I was pleasantly surprised to have very little wind. On the out and back I finally got to see the rest of my training group (Emilie, Byron, Mike, and apparently Peter who I never did see when he passed me). My Eload bottles were nice and cold from freezing them overnight and I was pretty excited to have my normal drink back. It was great to see Kristy catch up to me and we chatted and biked for a few minutes before deciding not to risk the drafting call. We then bounced back and forth for the rest of the ride. My legs were starting to burn (you know, kinda like I just biked 130km) but I knew it was part of the experience. Yellow Lake was so so awesome despite the forest fire smoke that I started to see and smell all of a sudden...I cheered on this section before and knew how amazing the crowds would be. But again, once you are the athlete, it takes on a different meaning. I couldn't believe the crowds, cheers, yells, supporters, people dressed up....it was so awesome! I just soaked in all that energy from the crowds, kept my smile in place, and spun my way past a LOT of people in this section....sweet! And...funny enough the burning leg pain went away...must have been all those good vibes! It was great seeing the Kronos cheering crew again at the Highway Junction because I needed that energy to get that last section done...the usual fast paced rolly section was not so fast since we had a nice headwind, and the last 5 km down Main St. in Penticton was seriously the hardest part of the bike for me. But alas, transition was in sight and I was ready to RUN!
But then I got off my bike and my left butt/hammy was pretty tight. I once again walked through transition and methodically got my run gear on and loaded up with fresh salt tabs and my gel flask. I made sure to dry my feet as good as I could before donning socks and shoes and made a vow to keep them dry at all costs. I was very very excited that Kristy and I were leaving the transition tent at the same time! We high-fived as we got re-sunscreened up and talked about how this was the perfect scenario, two training buddies getting to run this together! We started off at a pretty good pace and being together seemed to make the first couple of miles go by pretty quickly for me. Kristy and I knew that it was possible that even though we run together all the time, that on this day one of us may have to let the other one go. I was feeling pretty strong and my legs felt really fresh so I had to make the hard decision to run my own pace. Kristy was super encouraging about it and this made it a little easier to go, although I did tell her that she may just be seeing me again soon! By the time I got a few miles in, I had to make a pee break in the porta-pottie and unfortunately this set off a streak of multiple diarrheal issues throughout the run. This was the part of Ironman that I was worried about, but I managed not to have a lot of cramping, and actually felt quite good energy-wise and muscle-wise. In my training I have dealt a lot with GI issues, so really this sensation was not a new thing for me...although I did know that it was related to much different things than the usual. Oh well...I continued to smile, smile, smile and very quickly I realized that if you smiled at spectators as they sit there looking bored on the sidelines waiting and watching for their athletes, they will cheer for you. And I'm talking cheer loud, say your name, and comment on your great smile and form. Ha ha...so for all those wondering why I smiled so much....yes, I did have a lot of fun, but the reaction I got from the crowd when I smiled gave me SO much energy that I decided to use it to its full advantage. Made my way out past the coaches near Skaha, and then out to where our awesome Kronos cheering squad was at the bottom of the first not-so-nice hill. So, so , so good to see them, I took in their energy and continued on my way. Saw Byron, Fitzy, and Peter on my way to OK Falls and then saw Emilie near the turn-around. So awesome to see my teammates ripping up the course! The whole way to OK Falls, I continued with my planned nutrition plan even though I knew it was pretty much going right through me...I just wasn't really sure what to do about it (I WILL know what to do about it the next time I do this race!!). I felt steady and strong and my heart rate was low. I managed to keep the heat at bay by soaking my forehead/neck/back/chest with sponges and ice at every aid station which helped in that I never felt that I was getting too hot. I had a major goal for this race and that was to run the whole marathon except for the aid stations. I stuck to this goal faithfully and because of it I passed hundreds and hundreds of people walking. I had heard that this would happen, but truthfully I was very surprised at it and not gonna lie, it made me feel pretty awesome! I had done a lot of mental training for this race and had many tricks up my sleeve to pull out if the going got tough and I felt the need to walk. But luck was on my side and I managed to never hit that line where it gets exponentially more difficult to continue running. I did have a good running friend "run" for me for miles 14 and 15 (she knew about mile 14, but I added the mile 15 in for her too since it was a really yucky one!). This is a way to hand over the mile mentally to someone else (who, by the way, wasn't even at the race site) and sort of pretend that they are running for you. Sounds weird, but hey, it worked! Caught up to Emilie near the Kronos cheering squad and it was fun being there with all of them and again soaking up their energy. Saw Kristy and my dad on my way back to town also, and it was really awesome to see my Dad also having a blast and enjoying the day. My hamstrings and ankle were getting sore but I just acknowledged it and then accepted it by telling myself it was part of the experience. I was pretty happy that my feet did not have the burning sensation that I felt at the Desert Half. Mark biked with me for a bit after Skaha and that was probably the worst section for me physically because I had to go to the washroom so bad and could not see an aid station in sight! I refused to walk though and somehow managed to make it to the next porta-pottie. That last few miles down Main St into Penticton was so awesome. I literally could NOT take the smile off my face. I knew I had so much left in me...I had been running almost the entire run in low Zone 1 and I didn't even care! I was just having so much fun! The crowds in Penticton are so amazing and the stretch from Starbucks to Lakeshore, I swear I was the only one racing because it felt like everyone was saying my name and cheering for me! I felt like a rock star! Okay, so maybe I was getting delusional. I thought it would be torture to see the finish line and then have to turn to run away from it and back again for a mile or so. But honestly, I loved that section! Again, the energy and the crowds just made me float to the finish line. And I actually had a fleeting moment where I didn't want the race to end. As I approached the final few hundred meters I remembered the times when I was the one watching the race and cheering, and I thought, man, it is so freakin' cool to be the one approaching that finish line, to have a final kick, to be finishing strong and happy, and to become an Ironman!
I wandered around the athlete finisher area for a while with my great catcher, and unfortunately continued to make a few trips to the porta-potties. I hung out with Peter while we waited for Emilie and Kristy to come in. And then I was anxiously waiting for my Dad...I figured he would be somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour after me. We were so happy to see each other and there was a pretty giant hug....pretty cool to do an Ironman with your Dad!!! We met up with my very supporting boyfriend to make the trek home with all our gear and despite our best intentions to make it back down for the midnight finishers, it just didn't happen.
Post-Ironman comes with a lot of emotion and feelings, and surprisingly not as much muscle soreness as I thought. However, my lungs were incredibly sore from inhaling all the forest fire smoke on race day. I didn't sleep a lot and was kind of on a high for a few days. I didn't tell a lot of people, but I had a loose time goal of 12:30 if I had a perfect, no mechanicals, no flats, no nutrition problems, nothing-out-of-the-oridinary, feel-good kind of day. But with that goal came a 3 hour window and the necessity to have a truly enjoyable experience. So people ask if I'm happy with my time of 12:38:26...um, yes, I am...but more importantly I am happy with the overall experience of the day and the sheer enjoyment that I had and the fact that I made that a priority in the day.
The day after the race I didn't think I would do another Ironman for quite some time....but something changed after that and now suddenly I have forgotten about the endless hours of training, the sacrifices, the pain, the cost, and the busyness that surrounds Ironman training. If it's a passion and something you love doing, why wouldn't you do it if you're able to? I worry that the experience just simply wouldn't be the same if I did Ironman again, but then talking to a good friend who is an Ironman Canada veteran, she says that the experience gets better every time. That just may be enough to make me consider a repeat....maybe sooner rather than later!!!
