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Monday, December 8, 2008

Ironman Arizona – Race Report…finally!

Ed. Note:

If you’re a tri-geek and looking forward to your typical race report, then you may wish to skip the following.  There will not be any mention of gels, bars, water bottles, feed zones, “hitting the wall”, body-marking, salt sticks, drafting, water buoys, kayaks, chip timing, bonking, getting smacked in the face and gulping water at the same time, nor anything else remotely connected to what eventually will happen on race day.

I will refer you to many of these on my web-site if you so desire…


http://www.mynextrace.com/Article340.htm 


I’m now sitting on the plane heading down (Thursday) for Sunday’s first fall edition of the 2008 Ironman Arizona (Tempe), and I have started to get excited.

Finally.

My story actually goes along way back, to practically the beginning of the Ironman sport roots, 1982 in fact, when I and millions of others around North America and eventually the world watched in a combination of shock, horror and amazement when Julie Moss crawled her way across the finish line at the Hawaii Ironman, presented by ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Only Rosie Ruiz could be equally famous among female sporting heroes of the modern era.

As an avid sports television watcher, I decided that day that maybe, just maybe one day, I could do this race too, which was billed as the World’s Toughest Sporting accomplishment.  The key word here is “watcher”, because at the age of 16, tennis, golf, ball-hockey (did I mention that I was the Wayne Gretzky of ball-hockey?) and some soccer growing filled up my athletic resume.  I loved watching sports, especially the NFL, NHL hockey, the Olympics and just about anything else I could watch to distract me from my biggest nemesis, homework and my three sisters.

I can then recall in University, 4 years later, coming slowly into my own as a sexually interested young adult (interested, but not active mind you!) and entering a “tin man” triathlon at York University., mostly to impress a tall, hot blonde swimmer who lived in residence.  I was recruited to join our Intramural swim team, and while doing some awful laps in a cold, mindless 25-meter pool, I was invited to sign-up for the upcoming triathlon which included an indoor swim.

There it was again, the Ironman crossing my radar screen, and although I don’t have too many memories of the training that I did, I remember once being on an old bike somewhere in North York (we lived in Unionville), in October, cursing as I was under-dressed and ill-prepared for this, after 25 years I guess things haven’t changed!  I finished the tin-man triathlon in 90 minutes I believe (I still have the certificate), which included a 625 meter (25 lap) swim. 

I was dead last out of the pool, and recall vividly sitting on the deck, changing into my cycling clothes and looking outside at the heavy snow falling (it was November after-all).  Funny how my first Ironman is now November, 2008 – and the first heavy snowfall to hit the streets of Toronto greeted me as I packed my suitcase and loaded my bike into the bike box.

The most significant memory however from that race as a 2nd year student at York, was the guy who showed up well-tanned and still bearing his race number markings on his legs and arms.  Holy crap, this guy had just returned from Hawaii, and he’s in THIS small little race…Not only was I excited, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off  “this guy”.  What a specimen of fitness, tall, muscular, lean, ripped abs, as I stopped at just about every turn of the 25 laps, I was looking to see if he would be the first to exit the water, which he was.  As I made my way around the looped road that circled the main campus, I was passed by “the IM guy”, who wizzed around the road on a far superior looking bike.

Then, to my amazement, I saw “the guy” walking on the side of the road, bike over his shoulder, flat tire and pissed off look on his face. HA, now I’m ahead of him….on the run, which even in my pre-marathon days was pretty quick, I was actually caught by “the guy”, who miraculously had to return to his car to repair / replace his tire, and he still caught me!  I actually believe that he and I chatted for a  bit, and I think I even put the hammer down and beat him across the finish line.  Round one to the triathlon virgin….

Fast-forward to 1994, and I recently joined a fitness club with an indoor tennis bubble, my modus operandi to work on my “fitness” and improve a fairly competive game of tennis, which included some provincially ranked success as an “A” men’s tennis player.  What happened to my Ironman dream?  Who knows, I guess when you’ve beaten a Hawaii Ironman finisher what else is there to prove…

Actually, my brief foray into endurance sports truly was brief, as I never “got the girl” after my first triathlon, and my golf and tennis interest intensified during the summer months in-between semesters at York.  I even made the Varsity Golf Team, broke 70 on one occasion, and came a hairs breadth away from making the men’s Tennis team as well-  before an academic ineligibility forced me to sit out.  Who knew that filling out a proper form would come back to bite me in the ass, my dreams of being a two-letterman were indeed spoiled.

“You’re going to need to work on your cardio fitness and pump some light weights if you want to improve your tennis game”…was the reply from the Personal Trainer, who put me through a serious of fit tests to gauge my present, overall fitness.  Day One at the Fitness Institute, boy are these guys serious.

“That’s a pretty decent effort, but we have a long way to go to work that heart of yours” replied the trainer, as I lay on the ground, exhausted after pedaling to the max for a few minutes on the stationary bike, wires and tubes connected to my body.  The “fit test” was actually pretty dismal, after-all when you’ve been hanging around the Country Club drinking beers and eating pretzels it’s not exactly the healthiest lifestyle (but it sure is FUN)…

“I want to see you riding the bike and running on the treadmill, 3 times a week, for 20-30 minutes to get your cardio fitness up, then you’ll see dramatic improvements in your tennis game, and you might find yourself with more energy at the end of a tournament.’

“Oh, I can run on a treadmill for 10 minutes, do some weights and then head out to the tennis court”.  So began my quest in the fall of 2004 to take a serious “run” at the ultra-competitive world of Ontario Men’s Class A tennis tournaments, where the previous summer found me actually winning $50 once (quarter-finalist) at one of the biggest tournaments on the schedule.  Golf was over for me, retired you might say, after you shoot 69 yourself you then might agree on this one…

Something interesting then happened, four events combining at the right time, and before you can say “fartlek”, I’m signing up for my first marathon.  Improvements in my diet (www.since1993juiceplus.com), an introduction to a new, life-long friend (Michael Brennan of Marathon Dynamics), and a visit to Orange County, California to spend a weekend immersed in the interesting pursuit of “personal development”.  I found my way to sunny California spending two days at a “Weekend Seminar” with Jim Rohn, and for the first time in my life, I’m actually writing down 1-3-5 year goals, how fun is this!

  1. Own my own Sports Marketing Company one day.  9 years later. Check.
  2. Get married and have kids.  Un-check
  3. Buy a new pair of shoes.  (yes, I wrote that down, we were told to pick some easy, short-term goals to keep our confidence up).  Check.
  4. Run a Marathon. Un-check (7 months later, debut, BIG check).
  5. Travel the world more than I have been.  Iceland, Rome, Paris, London, N.Y., Chicago, 15 states, all Cdn. Provinces.  BIG CHECK…
  6. Finish an Ironman Triathlon.  (ask me in 72 hours)
  7. Achieve financial independence.  (keep asking me this, please, I’m working….)
  8. Spend more time with family.  BIG check.
  9. Get a dog.  (I made that up now).  (:  check.  Jefferson!
  10. Do some writing and maybe get paid for it.   See link.  CHECK.

www.cbcsports.tourdefrance


So, how did this happen….oh, the last of the four happenstance, chance meetings, circumstance…whatever!  I went out partying as usual one Saturday evening, popping out of the subway downtown and taking a shortcut through Metro Hall, to get to the entertainment district.  I started to notice a bunch of tents, barricades and an unusual amount of activity for a Saturday evening, and then I see my Sport York buddy David Marsi, hunched over a sign.  We worked together for the York University Athletic Department, hence the interest in someday choosing this as a career interest. 

“hey Dave, what are you doing here”.  “The Toronto Marathon is tomorrow, you should come out and watch, I work for the Event Company that organizes it”.

“Wow, what a cool job, absolutely I’ll come down, I want to do one of those Ironman Triathlons one day myself.”  “Well, you have to do a marathon first my friend….”

“ %^$%”, there’s that word again, Ironman, I can’t seem to shake it out of my mind.  Despite a very late evening, I dragged myself out of bed at some ungodly, early morning hour, got dressed, then headed outside.  It was pouring rain, ugly, ugly, ugly.  I thought to myself, those poor suckers, having to run in this rain, so I bailed and went back to bed. Not enough motivation for me…..the next morning, I read about the race, which became a controversial subject and point of embarrassment for two of Canada’s top marathon runners, Peter Fonseca and Peter Maher, caught on camera shaking hands during the race, agreeing to split the prize money between first and second place, “saving” their energy for a cash-pursuit soon afterwards.

“Hey I thought, that’s the guy that went to my school, in grade 9.”  Little would I know that Peter would then represent Canada at the upcoming 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but I would be standing along the side of the road,  watching those games in person.  Now that was motivation, and I was truly hooked.   It was yet another reason why running and endurance sports became such a fun pursuit, as I also ended befriending Peter, getting some great advice and wound up being the M/C at the now Minister of Labour’s wedding! 

My first marathon was the 1995 Shopper’s Drug Mart Toronto Marathon, won by Peter Fonseca himself, and though my 3:01 finishing time was 50 minutes behind the winning times, I was not only bound for the 100th running of the Boston Marathon (April, 1996) I could not have realized how my life and good fortunes would change forever after that day…

Here’s a piece of advice, if you’re still reading.  Get involved in a charity.  Better yet, get involved in many, varied, useful charities.  Volunteer your time and service to others, it’s amazing what could happen.  I took the easy way, offering my services as a single guy to the M/S Society in their Bachelor Auction that resulted in my “services” being ponied up to the tune of $3300. My friend Warren called me one day, and said this:

“Peter, how would you like to be a single guy in a room full of 1,000 well-dressed, mostly female and wealthy women, and you might just meet some great people that could change your life forever”.

“Where do I sign up for that and whatever it costs, I’m in!” was my quick reply, could you blame me???

Fast-forward to the post-event gathering, and a handful of the 30-odd (and yes, it was an odd bunch) bachelors are networking and finding out more about each other.  I walk over to this one guy whom I never had a chance to meet in the months leading up to the event (October, 2004), he seemed to be the life of the party at the far end of the table.

“my name is Peter, who are you?”

Michael Brennan, and here’s my brochure, we’re starting a Marathon clinic this January and you look skinny enough to do this kind of thing”  (I made that last part up, but if you know M.B. it’s very probable that he recruited me with this one-liner).  Wow, I thought, that’s what I have to do at the end of the Ironman, run 26.2 miles, I guess I should sign up for this after-all…




Ironman Arizona – Race Report - #2 – The Build Up


So…

I’ve now completed my first marathon, in 1995, running a miraculous on less-than stellar training for a newbie, placing myself #1 among my class of over 100 marathoners.  “Mybe THIS was the sport I should have focused on when I was younger”, I had to start asking myself…Needless to say, I was hooked, and with my time I qualified for the 100th anniversary of the running of the Boston Marathon (1996), how sweet was that!  I also learned from my awesome instructors that to get thru some of the tough days while training, it helps to have another goal on the horizon.

Should have been the <b>Ironman</b> for me, the time was perfect, a steady job, easy hours, reliable and easy going girlfriend at the time….

BUT…

I was enthralled with the idea of the New York Marathon that fall, so I actually applied before I even finished my first marathon, and then I got in!  That was cool, and when I arrived in New York, I saw the “big picture” in the sport.  The Race Expo was massive, there were all these famous, retired runners I read about,  I even met the Finnish sensation, Lasse Viren, considered one of the greatest runners of all time.  That experience solidified my desire to find myself one day working in this industry. 

<b>Ironman??</b>…not even in my mind anymore.  The sport was still for the hard-core, exclusive variety…and I was now a running geek officially.

The problem with running was the carrot that now dangled in front of me. Being competitive, I HAD to break three hours (which I did a year later – ), then was the next milestone (1999) and then I couldn’t stop. Interestingly, people were now saying things to me like, “you should take up triathlons, you’d be good at them”.  Even though I added mountain biking to my repertoire, and I also started my company (All Sports Marketing, 2003) and found myself at all these triathlons with my display, I was still focused on becoming a faster runner.  I even dipped my tow in the water, so to speak, and entered some duathlons on my mtn. bike, with slicks of course.  5 Boston Marathons later, a lot of speedwork, and I still couldn’t get under , so I felt like I was spinning my wheels, or were they looking for another vehicle???

It was always fun when the fast cyclists caught me well-into the course, they’d zoom by and wonder how this guy on a mountain bike was so far ahead of them…(:   I refused to enter a triathlon, as my weak background in swimming didn’t help my confidence when an athlete died at one of the earliest races I attended, Guelph Lake II – the swimming option was that much more of a deterrent for me.  Plus, did I mention that I watched Jaws at least ½ dozen times when it first came out, back in my t.v. watching heydays….I imagined sharks in the various swimming pools when I went for the occasional swim.

Things finally changed however, in the spring of 2005, when I re-visited some of my major life goals, at the same time connected to one of the Triathlon sport’s most well-known last names, Bentley.   Steve Bentley became a new client of our company, and then he became a Juice Plus+ business associate of mine.  What a dynamo Steve was, we got along well immediately, and often when I called him he would answer while on his indoor bike.  He was training once again for another crack at Hawaii, so I constantly peppered him with <b>”Ironman”</b> questions and advice.   I decided to finally write that life-long goal of mine into the book, and added a photo of an <b>Ironman</b> Finisher to my Dream Board.  I believe I even committed to doing one myself before the end of 2007, so excuse me for being a year too late!

I also started posting various athlete first-time, <b>Ironman</b> race reports to MyNextRace.com, and I had to proof-read a lot of these, so it got my juices flowing.  Then, all these friends and acquaintances from my running circle started beating me to their first <b>Ironman!</b>  Owen, my long-time golf buddy who I ran the 2002 Boston Marathon with, then Kate my ex-girlfriend who went from her first 10km – first marathon – first Boston and then first Ironman within 2 years, go Juice Monkey!

Then I started thinking, what about me?  When is my turn?

Then I turned 40.  yikes, time for some big reflection.

Stay tuned for the final post.









Ironman Race Report – why my Finisher’s Medal is at the bottom of Lake Tempe


Update….if yu missed the first post….and want to know the background to this last story….


And the second….



If you really enjoy reading about what actually happened on race day, I decided against my original plans, due to many requests, to jot down some notes from the 13-hour ordeal.  That info. is here:  

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I will mention now (no point in delaying this) that I threw my finisher’s medal into Lake Tempe the morning after the big event. That’s a decision I made several weeks before, but it’s an idea that has been with me for many years….

So…..am I crazy or what?

Was there more to this 25-year pursuit than meets the eye?  Is it really such a big deal to complete an <b>Ironman</b> anyway?   What did I learn, if anything, from this journey, and did it make me a better person?   Can any of us learn something from these athletic achievements that stretch and force us to go beyond what is expected of us, or where we believe we can go?

I sit here two weeks after-the-fact, looking back on the experience in the short-term, but more importantly it’s the long-term journey that is far more memorable to me than any race medal, finisher’s t-shirt or collection of finisher’s photos.  Yes, I broke down against my prior resolve and bought a limited amount of “swag” at the race, like a coffee mug!  And yesterday, when I went for a swim at the “Y”,  naturally I had to wear my new <b>Ironman Swim Trunks</b>, and I did feel a little bit of bravado when I plunked my portable <b>Ironman Arizona Coffee Thermos</b> down on the counter at Starbuck’s on the weekend,  “can yu fill this up please?”…(:

I think I deserve to show-off a little, even though to the amusement and bewilderment of many friends, I don’t actually think it is such a big deal to finish an <b>Ironman</b>, now that it’s over. Stop and think about how simple all three of the disciplines are, it’s mostly fear that limits many from taking up swimming, or prevents recreational cyclists from road-riding and getting hit by a car.  You want challenging?  How about performing a Triple Axel on skates, or staying awake to complete a 4-day adventure race, or hit a curve ball from a pitcher’s arm, moving 80 mph?  How about getting a Black Belt in Karate, or getting your MBA part-time while working and raising a family…

Should I keep going?

On their own, the 4km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2 km run are really not feats of impossibility.   Think about that for a second.  If you had to do these back-to-back-back without being allowed to stop, re-fuel or even change clothes, then we might have something!  Or,  maybe a 12-hour cut-off instead of 17 hrs….like a friend who did these years ago commented, “anyone can push a bike for an extended period of time and then shuffle through a marathon”.

The <b>Ironman</b> to me represented that so called “big item” on the “to-do” list, and it was on there longer than just about anything else.  I also wrote down years ago that I wanted to get married one day….HA HA.  Funny, though, now with this “in the books” I look forward to even bigger physical challenges, like riding a bike across the country, or entering one of those 5-6-7 day stage races like the B.C. Bike Race, Trans Rockies or the Trans Alp in Europe.  I also still seek one more of  those “perfect days” as an endurance athlete, since my first marathon.  I accomplished this as a tennis and golf player, and truthfully I don’t believe I ran a better marathon than my debut marathon ( with a negative split) or my personal best marathon ().  But what has driven me more than anything after all these races, stories, articles, personal anecdotes and sharing of experiences I encountered over the years, the one that stood out is actually something I cannot find….though I did search for it. 

Many years ago, I read an article about a triathlete and his experience at <b?Kona, the World Championships of Triathlon (Hawaii)</b> – and he aptly described how he “left something behind” on his way to finishing the race.  I know he didn’t win, and I don’t believe he even won his age group, but he found himself taking his effort “somewhere else” and gaining tremendous satisfaction from the accomplishment.  Imagine that, putting forth an effort when it matters most, in the heat of battle, and arriving at the finish line 100% spent.  Isn’t that the goal of every athlete that races competitively?

He didn’t win of course, but that’s not what this is all about, is it.  He described a moment in his race when he experienced what could be best explained or described as an “out of body experience”, akin to the “runner’s high” we’ve heard about so often.  This athlete wrote about leaving behind a “part” of his soul, and will always cherish and remember this race because of it.  I know for which he speaks, as I think about the many experiences in running races myself, at some of the victories I was able to accomplish like the first Run for the Toad, or the St. Catherines Trail ½ marathon.  Moments that occur when you are forced to dig deeper than you can ever imagine, withstanding the pain and uncomfortable feelings that seem unbearable, and then basking in the achievement after-the-fact.  For this first <b>Ironman</b> race I never really “went there” as it were, and I am disappointed to a degree about this, life got in the way I guess.  As I look back at the many moments throughout the training, there were many swims and long bike rides in the rain or indoors on a trainer where I “gutted” it out and prepared myself mentally for the challenge that is <b>Ironman.</b>, so this is equally as rewarding, “there’s always another day” or so the saying goes.

So…

What I will take with me are the training rides, experiences, and memories through the physical, mental and emotional build-up that is an <b> Ironman Triathlon lifestyle</b>.  The solo bike rides to Stratford, Ontario, from Niagara Falls to Toronto, Toronto-Ancaster-Toronto (same day).  The outdoor riding in Florida and Arizona,  the indoor Compu-Trainer workouts at AETT in Toronto, the long runs (sort of) with Jefferson in the early mornings.  Most importantly for me, the solo swims up in Muskoka, Lake Kelso,the Welland Canal – always with Jefferson at my side (until he figured out I wasn’t drowning and then he would follow me and watch over my strokes along the shore line).  Heck, I even swam (albeit briefly) in Osprey Lake, at my sister’s in Florida, where all the neighbours insist alligators still hang out…


<b>Thank-you Ironman, for:</b>

-         allowing me to continue to dream, and achieve
-         helping me conquer my fear of the open-water
-         giving me something new in sport to feel excited about
-         for pushing me beyond where I previously thought I could go
-         for allowing me to be in the best shape of my life
-         and for continuing to inspire others to do the same




Now, finally, back to the medal in the stunt….I changed my mind in the middle of the marathon run, when all seemed lost!  “No way am I giving this up” I thought to myself, as my muscles tightened and the long-suffering injury I have put up with has now reared it’s ugly head and my run stride has been reduced from a shuffle to a walk.  Things changed though the next morning, as I headed to the post-event breakfast, and the whirlwhind of Race Day was behind me.  I rode my bike back across the Mill Street bridge that we swam under to get to the swim start, rode adjacent to on the bike, and ran across three times on the loop marathon course.

I looked out onto the Lake, and couldn’t believe that I actually, finally did this, seeing the full 2km swim (out and back) and remembering how terrorized I was just a few months ago in my first ½ Iron Distance triathlon.  It seemed impossible that I would get this done, but I did, and so without much fanfare, I decided to “leave something behind” as my unknown friend once did.  I looked to make sure no one was watching me (! – maybe there would be a fine from the local constabulary for littering!), then plopped it over the railing and very near the spot where I swam by.  That’s it, the end of a chapter, and now time to start a new one.


P.D.








I made it a big deal last summer WEEKEND to swim from my friend's Muskoka Cottage out across the lake, around a nearby Island and back, likely 4-5 km's, calling this my "ironman swim prep" - so after we all got ready and the owner rode her boat along-side two of us (for safety), I lasted approx. 150 yards and bailed...how embarrassing!

I also started to talk myself out of this madness, using excuses like I'm too busy, I've never recovered from the two car accidents I suffered in 2002 and 2004, it's not really such a tough distance when you break down the three events individually, and they give you 17 hours to do it!  Is anyone buying this??

Didn't believe so.

Then I turned 40.  yikes, time for some big reflection.

Stay tuned for the final post.


(post #1 is here -    http://mynextrace.com/Article761.htm



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Race Day Race Report!


I didn’t really want to write this, but many of my friends who have yet to complete an Ironman Triathlon have been asking, I think out of some morbid curiosity and also because like myself, they hope and/or plan to do one of these sometime in the future.  I believe now, more than ever, that it’s very “do-able”, easy in fact if you already have 2/3 disciplines under your belt.

Of course, I entered the pre-race taper very much behind the proverbial 8-ball and a long way from being race-ready.  The only thing that saved me was a lot of experience at the starting line and a strong desire to do whatever it took to get me healthy and ready to finish this race, at last.  I finished enough training on the bike and in the water to feel sufficiently confident enough to get though the 4km open water swim and through the 180km bike ride, and with 15 marathons under my belt I knew that if I could get healthy enough by race day, I would manage somehow to finish.

Two weeks before, I decided to enter a 25km “adventure run”, hoping that this last, long trail run would be the confidence builder I needed to mentally prepare me for the run portion of the Ironman.   I ended a 7-week absence from the water (my last swim was a 40-minute open water session at Lake Kelso) by swimming a couple of times, albeit briefly, at the YMCA in Toronto and Markham, and then on both the Friday and Saturday morning practice swim sessions in Tempe, race site.  Yes, I quite likely had the worst taper imaginable!  In fact, when I had to drop out after less than ½ of the Adventure Relay trail run, the reality of my situation was like a slap in the face.  My old injuries and tightness in my hip flexor muscles might very well be the ultimate Achilles heel of my life-long Ironman pursuit.

My focus really was now all about survival, and doing whatever it took to get to the starting line in a position just to finish, let alone compete.  Seeing my massage therapist on the Tuesday before the race, I realized how far I had was behind, and the deep-rooted pain not only in my abductors but in my soas muscles made me start to wonder if I wasn’t heading into a no-win situation.  The look on ’s face told me more than anything I could


Race Morning

It really is an exciting experience, Ironman Race Day, so much planning and preparation involved, and we’re not talking the training!  The logistics involved are sometimes overwhelming, five bags alone are needed to be prepared – morning dry bag, swim-bike, bike-run, special needs bike and special needs run.  The time spent getting these ready and preparing yourself on race day adds to the build up and ratched-up the emotions, words like survival and

The logistics involved from the standpoint of the organizers is truly amazing, but even with these details, ushering 2200 swimmers into the water is no easy task.  My strategy was simple and clear, wait as long as possible to get into the water, and then hang out in the back, why rush into something you have absolutely no interest in doing in the first place!  I had yet to swim in any race, even small triathlons, without experiencing some nervous moments in the water (hyperventilation, shortness of breath, the fear of drowning)  - why would this swim on such a massive scale be any different!  Much to my surprise, I managed to cover almost the entire distance without any contact with other swimmers, what a pleasant surprise!  Hanging back and slowly picking your way through the crowd was a strategy that worked to a “T”, and I got out of the water in , very satisfactory to me.

I did have to pee so badly, starting at around the 2km mark of the swim, that I raced like a madman out of transition and into the bike area, getting much applause and attention for my break-neck speed, little did anyone know the real reason…after what seemed like an Ironman type amount of time in the washroom, I entered the men’s change tent to discover a lot of shivering bodies.  The water was pretty cold, but here was my competitive advantage as a Canadian shining through, the poor Californian triathletes (500) were miserable and ill-prepared.  I sped thru transition and got am immediate jump start onto the bike course, I felt like I was flying…

Two miles later, my first speed bump arrived in the form of a full-on tire failure, the “pop” I heard from my back wheel was unlike anything I had heard or experienced before.  Turns out my tires were pumped up way beyond the 90 psi that was intended (big rookie mistake, never trust anyone with your equipment) and I found myself feeling like a lost tourist on the side of the road.  Initial support vehicles

-         all the garbage and road-side crap
-         chasing down a pro..Donna Phelan
-         time actually flies by…

Run course – I’ll never forget the feeling as I came upon mile #1 – only here did it dawn on me what a monumentous challenge that lay ahead.  Despite my fast pace off the bike, I knew I was up for a shocking reality check anytime soon….my first few miles at 7:44 pace would not last, even I knew that.

I also came to another realization in that first mile, I still had my bike shorts on!  Rats…I hate running in these clunkers, should I turn back now?  Can you believe this, in all the excitement thru transition, I forgot to change into my fast and fashionable run shorts, this will certainly cost me precious seconds on my overall time….

The marathon run in an Ironman is more accurately described as a walk, and in our case, a walk thru parks!  I think for most of us back-end finishers (anything over 11 hours), it’s really just about finishing, and I know myself that I no longer cared about my time.  My focus was just staying upright, eating and drinking throughout, and enjoying the moment.  It was also at this time that I felt like no matter what, I was going to keep this dam medal upon finishing…

I bumped into


…but I will share with you the quick lists of “do not do” if you end up doing your first Ironman Triathlon and want to avoid what I went through myself, so consider this a free coaching session:

- it is possible to swim the entire distance, without much bumping or colliding, but don’t expect to have a fast time, I didn’t even come close to anyone until 2km…and only as we exited the water was there congestion not much unlike rush hour on the DVP in Toronto…

- don’t wait until race weekend to figure out the best seat height and aero bar positioning for your personal enjoyment, do this the first time you decide to start training, 180km’s is a long way to be uncomfortable..

- don’t start your taper 7 weeks out, regardless of how “busy” you become, you’ll pay for it on race day..

- If you have any tightness, sore spots, aching muscles – they’ll be magnified after the event, so spend more time getting 100% healthy than cramming in some last-minute workouts…

- set-aside $5000 as your Ironman fund, because when all is said and done, you’ll probably spend that much at minimum to get through one of these in proper fashion, “stuff” just adds up!

-         don’t trust anyone to your equipment, take the time to know the ins and outs of your bike, how to take it apart, and how much tire pressure you’ll need, having a full tire blow-out at mile #2 for a stupid reason like over-inflating your tires is STUPID!
-        

-         “Do” attend the pre-event dinner and post-event breakfast if it’s your first race, they are well-organized and provide for a perfect pre and post event celebration..


Sunday, December 7, 2008

Mr. "Ironman" edit

...So I am checking in at the airport on the eve of my first Ironman, and the fun part is seeing other athletes with their bike boxes, so you not only can easily pick-out your fellow travelers, but you don’t feel like such a lone idiot lugging so much “stuff” around a busy airport full mostly of light-weight carrying business travelers.

I notice this one “old guy”, who looks like he just woke up from 1985….as I sit munching my muffin, drinking a much-needed coffee (it’s 6:30 am I had 3 hours sleep), this same guy sees me and sits down next to me.

Old Guy: “Hey, looks like you’re headed the same place I am”

Newbie (me): “Yes, it’s my first Ironman, I’m pretty excited, how about you?”

Old Guy: (laughing) “Wow, your first one, now that is exciting, are you expecting anything like a specific time?”

Newbie: My goal is to get out of the water alive, have fun and finish, and you?”

Old Guy: It’s my 106th Ironman, so I want to just finish as I just did Hawaii and the ½ ironman world championships in Florida..

Newbie: “106! OH MY GOSH….that must be a record” “what is your name btw?”

Old Guy: John Wragg. (go ahead, look him up)…
.
.
.
(Of course my mind is racing as I try to do the math on how much this must cost)…

So that’s how my first Ironman Race Weekend starts out, meeting exactly the type of person I don’t want to become, the ultimate Tri-Geek! No offence to any who read this, but….read on.

Even better, as we walk down the corridor upon arriving in Phoenix, I see Mr. Ironman limping along, so my first thought is he developed a cramp or something from the flight, maybe he fell asleep in the wrong position.

Newbie: “John, are you okay, you sem to be struggling just walking along here…”

John Wragg: “Oh, this is how I move now, since my car accident (hit while cycling) and hip surgery this spring…

Newbie: “So how are yu going to run the marathon Sunday then?”

John: “Oh, I am not running, I have to walk the marathon now…”

Newbie: “You can’t even run? Then why are you bothering to enter, and when will yu decide to hang ‘em up?”

John: “I will stop when I can’t finish under hours (the cut-off time for all Ironman Triathlons…”

Newbie: “Oh, well then, Good Luck!”

(:

PD
peter@mynextrace.com 

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Guess who I met...

..On the plane to my first Ironman.

Mr. Ironman himself.

John Wragg. Quite possibly the world's most prolific IM athlete...from Canada no less!

Normal looking guy actually, bit of a hip problem, knew right away he was an IM athlete, thanks to the bike box, even at a groggy yu can figure this out.

We ended up sitting together before the flight, and turns out he was one of my Juice Plus+ customers a few years back, under coach Steve Bentley.

So of course I had to ask....

"Is this your first Arizona Ironman?"

"No, I've done this a few times."

'Oh, how many altogether?"

"105 so far..."

(This is where I dropped my coffee).

yikes....

Of course, when he found out I was a virgin, he kinda took me under his wing....

That's an average of 4.5 per year since 1986, the year of his first IM....

So, Arizona is #106, and then two weeks later in Australia, #107....

As we wound our way thru the Phoenix Airport, to grab our luggage, I noticed that John was limping along the corridor. I thought maybe he slept awkward on the plane, or had a muscle cramp.

"You okay there John?"

"Yeah, hip surgery this summer, haven't been able to run, just swim and bike".

"And so you're going to still race Sunday"....

"Yes, but I will walk the marathon".

"When will you stop racing"..I now had to ask, like I was afraid of the answer...

"When I don't finish before the cut-off at midnite" was the reply...

yikes.

Now I really feel behind this group....

(:

Go John Go!

PD
peter@mynextrace.com 

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Ironman update - another one!

I believe this is the 3rd one...

It's such a long freaking preparation, you could write a novel during the build-up!

I just booked my flight and hotel, which is one step closer to the finish line...now I have the following "to do" still before getting away, it's like a marathon just getting ready for this damm thing:

- Pick-up some fast Zipp wheels so I can stay a little closer to the fast people on bikes worth more than my 4-year old minivan

- Clean my bike and then pack it for the plane ride..

- Figure out my nutritional needs and load my sherpa to carry all this stuff

- Get all these achy, sore, tight muscles loose and limber in the next 9 days

- Get one more swim in seeing as I have not been in the water (except the shower) for 6 weeks...):

- Find a dog-sitter for the mascot..

- Prepare some meetings for while I am in Phoenix, Juice Plus+ and MyNextRace.com of course...have lap-top, will travel...

- Pack all my needs, light enough now or else the airlines will charge me a small fortune for excess baggage...

- Start a daily prayer ritual so I survive the swim and escape the water in one piece!

- Write my will just in case...

(:

Onwards Arizona!


PD
peter@mynextrace.com 

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

ATHLETE INTERVENTION!!!

I believe you may know where I am going with this, possibly you are reading this and we're talking about you.

I meet alot of people in the course of my day-to-day travels, conversations and communications with athletes.  I have also "been there", "done that" when I look back on my running career and found myself avoiding social situations and once doing a track work-out at on a saturday nite...

(:

Fortunately, I didn't go full tilt and abandon all sense of reason, I always took time off (average of one day/week) and I still managed to squeeze some tennis, golf and other activities into my training.  And, I still pursued a normal social life, for the most part, whatever that means!

Lately though....

As I embark on this Ironman mission, I have started to notice that there are way too many un-balanced folks out there, especially among the triathlon crowd.  To be fair, cyclists and adventure racers can be pretty intense too, so let's just throw everyone into the same category:

"endurance junkies".

Are you one?

Here are some examples, see if you fit.

- one guy I know thru a friend is running a marathon every week for six straight weeks, all driving distance and within Ontario (Scotia Waterfront, P.E.C., Ottawa Fall Colours, Toronto Goodlife Marathon, Niagara, Hamilton)

Is this normal?  Is it healthy?  Certainly not environmentally friendly....(:


- a local, well-known Dentist in Toronto has run consecutively for 30 years, no days off, we've referred to these athletes in prior blogs, streakers...and this same Dentist will run his 200th marathon this month

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Reward yourself..

Yes, life these days is chock-full of "rewards" and "member benefits".

But we're talking sweets and indulgences here folks, mostly..

I read an article from a long-ago friend, who only eats french fries after she runs a marathon. never again throughout the year, how crazy is that!

Advice to friend...run more than one marathon, how can you deprive yourself of french fries!

It got me thinking though....

I always used to lecture runners in clinics on the creation of a reward system to look forward to after a special occasion such as the marathon. it could be easy as double-servings of dessert all week, or a special nite out with the loved one(s) you have neglected for so many weeks and months!

It could be sleeping in on a Sunday morning, or not going to the gym, exercise class or doing anything fitness related for a few weeks.

Two of my friends who were dating at the time and running their first marathon decided to take a holiday to Italy in the afternoon of their race, talk about pressure to get to the finish line. imagine How long that flight would be if you had to bail at 30km...

As for me....

What do i do?

To inspire, motivate and help in some small way possible to reach that finish line?

A few things, for those still reading:

- I usually plan another race or adventure after, sometimes it's much later, like months or years, but it keeps me going and doesn't allow complete atrophy after the goal race is finished

- I take a full week off from running, not sure what i will do after the Ironman, something tells me my body will want to do something, maybe tennis...

- I always go to a mid-week movie, and stay up super-late within a few days of the race, usually alcohol is involved

- I like to meet my "downtown" friends on the thursday or friday at , for cocktails, sightseeing and basically ding something that I never get time to do, usually because I train after work mostly

- I eat and drink whatever, wherever and how-many-ever I choose, for at least 2-3 weeks after-the-fact.

Wait.

I always seem to do that anyway, lucky me!

Scratch that last one.

Reward yourself and tell us about it.


pd
peter@mynextrace.com