photo courtesy of Kelowna Girl
Statistics
Overall 490 of 2602 Overall Time: 11:27:47 Age Category 24/236 M50-54 Swim: Age Category 73 Overall Place 905 Swim Time 1:10:50 Pace 1:52 T1 4:31 Bike: Age Category 17 Overall 236 Bike Time 5:35:20 Pace time 20.0 MPH T2 5:08 Run: Age Category 41 Overall 692 Run Time 4:31:59 Pace 10:23
The Real Story
The swim was right on target for me. There were 2600 swimmers in the water so it was super crowded which meant that a lot of effort was spent just staying alive rather than focussing on swimming efficiently. People started spilling into the inside of the buoys so I followed them there on the last leg so that I could at least get some breathing room. Unfortunately there wasn’t anyone to draft off so I ended up pulling in the long train back to shore.
T1 went very smoothly. It was too crowded to use the change tent so I just parked outside and put on my bike gear.
The first 60 km of the bike went by really fast. The temperatures were still quite cool and we were pushed along by a nice tail wind. Things started to heat up on the long climb up Richter Pass however that went by fairly quickly and soon we were flying down the other side and into the rollers outside Keremeos. There was still a nice breeze that was keeping us fairly cool however it was also blowing in a lot of smoke from a nearby forest fire. I was starting to tire a bit as we approached the special needs bag pick-up at the 120 km mark. However I was quite encouraged to see that some of the pro’s were only a couple of miles out in front of us and therefore I couldn’t be doing that poorly. Then we headed off for the long hot climb up to Yellow Lake. This is where the pain really began. The smoke was really getting thick which helped shield us from the intense sun however it also burnt my eyes and irritated my lungs. I got back into Penticton safely and was very happy to hand off my bike to one of the volunteers and head into T2.
The run did not go so well for me. I started off with stomach cramps that forced me to walk on several occasions during the first 10 miles. I was also struggling with the heat and smoke however I seemed to be faring better than many, some of whom were reduced to vomiting on the side of the road. A big thanks to all the people who set out lawn sprinklers for us to run through in an attempt to cool down. I started to feel better at the half-way point into the run and was able to run more consistently. It was encouraging to re-pass some of those folks that went by me on the way out of town. My brother in-law was waiting for me as I turned on to Main Street. He was using one of the traffic cones as a megaphone, calling out “Donald Smith. You are an Ironman!” The crowd went wild. I was moving pretty good when I turned on to Lakeshore Drive for the final km to the finish line. That was when I heard my coach Calvin Gehlen cheering me on which encouraged me to pick up the speed just a little bit more. Then it was all I could do to keep the pace flowing as I headed into the finish chute.
Overall a good day for me. Good swim, solid bike but disappointing time on the run. Not sure what I could have done differently, perhaps I had taken on too much water on the bike because of all the heat and smoke. However I am not complaining because I personal best is something to celebrate.
Race Day Sightings
Amanda Lovato chewing up the bike course with her big pick disc wheel. Amazing
Jasper Blake flying into town (as I was still heading out – sigh) to claim 4th spot.
Doug Giles who led our group training rides this winter. Doug finished in an amazing time of 10:10
Jeremy Hopwood who had a fantastic race and finished at 10:26
Rachel Kiers who braved the conditions and finished strong.
My buddy Sony Gawley who has just returned from racing as an elite athlete in Asia. I surprised Sony by passing him on the bike leg which was pretty funny to both of us. He quickly rectified the situation during the run. Heh heh. Good job Sony!
Miranda Reece finished in a solid 12 hours. Miranda coached me for my first triathlons and later sponsored me for my first Ironman.
Bloggers DC Rainmaker, Rachel from San Diego and Kelowna Girl. Great to see everyone out on the course.
Big Thanks
To my coach Calvin Gehlen who has led me throughout a very successful season.
To my family and friends that supported me and cheered me on. You made it that much more special for me (and thanks for helping me with all my gear after the race!).
To all fellow triathletes that I had the pleasure to train and race with. You are all very inspirational and I could not have made it through the season without you.
To the ladies who sat in their lawn chairs in front of the retirement trailer park who called me “sexy”. You rock girls!
To Catherine who chased me down the street just to “high five”. Sorry to have to make you run so hard.
I think that I will now take a bit of a break from triathlon. Fall is coming up fast and therefore I will soon have to begin training for my first 50 mile X-Country race. Yay!
Nice work Don and a huge congratulations on a new PB!
Thanks Karen
Congratulations Don – you rock! Your bike splits are awesome. And very well done on a personal best – especially in light of the crowded racing year you have had so far.
Thank you Sir. I am very happy with my bike and swim times. Too bad I could not have carried that momentum into the run. Oh well, there is not too much that you can do when your stomach is off. I am already signed up for IMC next year so I guess I another crack at this beast!
You rule!!! Congrats
Thank you Sarah. Sorry to have missed you when you were in town this summer. I suppose you are now heading back to school in Japan. Bon chance mon ami.
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