The Numbers: 12:36 and $7800

I'm not very good at these race reports and always find them a bit convoluted and boring to read so this is going to be really simple. I was hoping for anything under 13hrs and I ended up with 12:36. The swim was a bit nasty, but I survived and came in under my goal time of 1:15. Considering when I first started all of this I was afraid of open water swimming and was hoping for anything under 2 hours, I think it went pretty well.


The bike was my favourite part and although I would like to have had a slightly better overall time I think I nailed the nutrition and stuck with my pacing plan well. As promised by our coaches and fellow trainees many people did not stick with their pacing plans and I indeed saw them lying on the side of the road at Yellow Lake. Many of the hot doggers were still vertical and riding, but not nearly as fast and they were pretty easy to pass after the 140km point. BTW, what's with all the scared dudes out there on the descents? I passed lots of men on the downhills, one actually said (as I flew by at 73km/h, hehehe), "you're f%$^&n nuts!" and then he pushed by me on the uphill grunting and struggling - dummies, be sensible yet know when to kamikaze. Also, go get yourself a super duper Future helmet, especially the day before the race cause there's just nothing like trying something new on race day.


I went out onto the run feeling pretty good, but it was hot and I started taking in too much fluid at the aid stations. Stomach sloshing (mmmm, good times) wasn't too far beyond the 10km point and my run/walk-aid-stations plan became a run/walk-whenever-I-felt-like-it-which-was-almost-all-the-time plan. My knees started to hurt pretty badly around 15km and from then out it was survival and calculations....if I run for 5 minutes at this pace and then walk for 10 minutes at this pace, then that will give me a 4:45 run time and will get me in at X time at which point I can enjoy X amount of Strongbows. These calculations consumed me from 21-30km. After 30km I sucked it up and jogged, only walking through the aid stations. I feel good about it all. I have some areas for improvement, but I learned so much this past year that just being able to process it all was an accomplishment unto itself.

I'm starting P90X in 10 days and am really looking forward to the strength it will give me for training next year. This was my first Ironman. It was about finishing, enjoying the moment, having fun, building confidence and learning as much as possible. My second Ironman will also be about finishing, enjoying the moment, having fun, etc., but it will also be about refining the plan, pushing harder and bringing a bit more backbone to the competition side of things.

ALMOST FORGOT - WE RAISED $7800 FOR CANCER!!!! THANKS EVERYONE :)