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Jan's IMC 2005 Race Report
Posted September 21, 2005 09:18 AM
The following race report was written by Jan Frith
Well it was a tough day at Ironman Canada 2005. I finished in 14:12:59.
The race started with a 3.8km swim with 2248 of my closest triathlete friends. The biggest Ironman start ever!
I completed the swim fairly unscathed, except for some jostling at the start and around some of the buoys. It took me a little longer than expected but that was okay...this was just the warm up for a really long day!
My T1 transition went smoothly onto the bike. I focused on getting into a comfortable pace and letting my body warm up for the first climb on McLean Creek Road. Enroute I noticed many cyclists with flat tires...probably 10 in the first 10km. Then another 25 on McLean Creek Rd...then more and more. It turns out that some *!@*!!#&* person scattered tacks on the bike course! Rumour has it there was over two hundred flats! Luckily I didn't have any!
My back was quite sore (an ailment I've been fighting all season) for the first 50km or so and really didn't settle down until the first big climb at Richter's Pass. After that I started to feel strong and really got into my cycling rhythm. The temperature got up to the mid 30s by the afternoon so the ride was pretty hot. We hit a bit of a headwind on the out and back section at Keremeos but didn't really hit the strong winds until the downhill back into Penticton. We could see whitecaps on Skaha Lake and the cross winds were a little scary on the faster downhill section. I completed the ride 1/2 an hour faster than in 2003...I was on track to meet my goal and I was pumped!
My T2 transition also went smoothly and I was off on the marathon course. I ran my first 10km at my expected pace so felt like I was on track to meeting my goal. There was an incredible headwind for the first half of the run to the turn around point...but I can't really say for certain how it affected me. Evidently the winds were so strong in Penticton, in the afternoon, that some race fencing was knocked down.
I've read several articles which say that the true Ironman Race doesn't start until the 1/2 way point of the marathon. Well, I can now say that I get it 'cause that's when my troubles began.
The first half of the run I stuck to my plan for fueling...carbs every 10 minutes and water at every aid station. I knew I was dehydrated (typical condition at this point in the race) but didn't really get how much the heat must have affected me. Unfortunately, at about the 14 mile marker I started feeling quite nauseous and although I didn't get sick it slowed me down significantly for the rest of the race. I ended up walking the remainder of the way. My hopeful 5 hour marathon turned into 6 hours and 11 minutes.
It's interesting the process your mind goes through during such an endurance race when things aren't going as planned. I started with a couple of goal levels, one if "everything went perfectly" and one that was "realistically attainable". Every few miles of the run I looked at my watch and reevaluated my goals, not to be disappointed but to be positive.
My goal went from a high goal, to a realistic goal, to simply completing the race faster than I had previously, then to finally just completing the race. They say in an Ironman race you have to "dig deep"...well that's what the last 10 miles consisted of. I can honestly say that quitting never entered my mind.
I made it to the finish line, missing a personal best by 2 minutes. But that's what Ironman is all about. Don't take anything for granted and appreciate your accomplishments.
Although I was hurting, seeing my husband Ken and our friends at the finish line felt great. And it was very special to have Coach Carolyn give me my medal as I crossed the finish line.
Well, all that being said, after swapping war stories with many athletes over the next couple of days and hearing the stories from the Pro winners I realized that I was FAR from alone. It was a very tough race for A LOT of people and the medical staff were kept hopping.
You have to laugh at the absurd triathlete mentality though. After going through such a day as I had, within 24 hours I'm analyzing what is needed to strengthen, improve and conquer (my demons, not the world). Well, that's my 2nd Ironman story...will there be a third you ask? We'll have to ask Ken...
