Go to the 45″ mark to get an idea of what the weather conditions were like on climb to Yellow Lake. Nasty!
On 09.03.10, In Ironman, by Studio YVR
On 09.02.10, In Races, by Studio YVR
Like a horse heading for the barn
My alarm went off at 4:15 am on race day morning. I quickly shut it off so as to not disturb the other people in my campsite who like myself were feeling pretty shell shocked after enduring an all night party that lasted until 3:30 am. I was sitting in my tent and wondering if it were even possible to do an Ironman race after less than 1 hour of sleep. I wasn’t sure however I knew that it wasn’t the first time that I had been sleep deprived before a race and therefore decided to make the best of it. I made a promise to myself that I would never camp the night before an Ironman race and then jumped in my car and headed off to Penticton.
I managed to score a great parking spot right across from the Bike Barn which meant that I only had to carry my gear a couple of blocks before dropping off my special needs bags and getting body marked. Then it was off to prep my bike. My sister and her hubby were volunteering in the transition area which was very helpful, especially given my state of fatigue. I finished getting my bike ready and then started to pull out my swim gear. It was at this point that I started to notice that I had forgotten a few things, the most important being my swim goggles. I started to panic and even considered if I should attempt to swim the course without goggles however that did not seem like such a good idea since I wear contact lenses. I decided that I would try to run back to my car and get my goggles and see if I could get back into transition before they closed it for the race. It seemed a little crazy but after all, did not the pro’s go for a little pre-race run to warm-up run? I made it back to transition with 15 minutes to spare so I threw on my wetsuit and my brother in-law guided me to shortest line-up for the porta-potties. The pros started the race as I was still standing in line for the bathroom which caused me a little stress. Fortunately I got my business done and got to the starting line with just minutes to spare.
There were over 2800 people in IMC this year so the swim was more than a little crowded. Therefore I went to the far left of the swim course and so that I could avoid most of the mix-master mess. It was a good move for me since it enabled me to swim without interference for the 1st kilometre. Then I drifted back alongside the Schwimmfluegels where things got crowded, nasty and a little more hands on. Other than the crowd, the swim conditions were very good as there was little wind and there was clear sighting. I finished the swim in around 1:13 which is a pretty typical IM swim time for me.
I had finished the swim pretty much mid-pack so the transition area was a total zoo. I did not even bother looking for a chair in the change tent but instead just dropped my bag on the grass and started getting into my my bike gear. I was a little hyperthermic after the swim so I decided to wear my cycling vest on the bike, this would prove to be a very smart move. Off I went on the bike and headed down Main Street, dodging cyclists as we threaded through the crowds. The worst aspect of being mid-pack is that the bike course is crowded and skill level of the cyclists can sometimes be a little lacking. The Triathlon BC officials had their hands full handing out citations to cyclists for blocking, drafting and crossing the yellow line. Many times I would find the cyclists were all riding so far left that the only way to get by them was to pass on the shoulder (which was vacant). It made me crazy. The situation did not improve much when we hit the highway on our way to Osoyoos. The roadway was open to traffic and yet there were many cyclists riding 4 or 5 deep on the busy highway. In fact, it was so crowded that my parents did not even notice me as I cycled by them at Galagher Lake.
I stopped for a pee before beginning the big climb up Richter Pass. I thought about removing my cycling vest because it was becoming quite warm however I decided just to unzip it for the climb. I spun my way up Richter and then headed off down the other side. I tend to get a little uncomfortable when my bike speeds exceed 70 kmh on the long descents so one of my goals was to try and overcome this fear on my way down Richter Pass. I think I did pretty good because these dudes barely passed me on a tandem bike and they said they were going 90 kmh on that hill. Next we hit the Rollers and therefore it was time to start working again. There was a lot of wind in the valley which made the biking a little tricky however fortunately little of it came in the form of a direct headwind.
I was feeling a little bonky when I picked up my Special Needs bag so I took a little extra time to down a couple of bottles of Ensure before getting back on the bike. It was a windy ride back along Barcello Road to the highway. I was trying to stay in the aero-position as much as possible however my back was starting complain so I had to get out of the saddle frequently in order to stretch. The weather changed dramatically once I was back on the highway to Yellow Lake. We went from bright sunny skies to black thunder clouds and rain in a matter of minutes. I was cold, wet and running a calories defecit. It was the lowest point in the day for me. My mood was not helped by the sight of many other cyclists who just stopped riding and were waiting for a SAG wagon. Even more upsetting was seeing several ambulances racing along the route with their sirens wailing.
The rain ended after Yellow Lake and the skies partially cleared up by the time I made it back to Penticton. My bike split was 30 minutes slower than last year however I had managed to move up 300 spots which was pretty decent. Even better was that my energy levels had started to pick-up as I headed out on the run and therefore I felt hopeful that I could somehow salvage the day. In many other Ironman races I had allowed myself to walk through the Aid Stations however this time I was determined to run as much of the course as I could. Things went very well until the 10 mile mark at which time my stomach started to go south and I was forced to make 2 porta-pottie stops. I took a Gas-X pill which settled down my stomach enough so that I could start taking in PowerGels again. All systems were coming back online.
I picked up some Ensure at the turn-around point, gulped it back and then high-five’d my parents as I headed back into town. I started running with some dude from Denver who said that he needed someone to run with in order to make it to the finish line by the 12 hour mark. I agreed to this bargain and we ran off together. However our arrangement was short lived as he stopped running at the next Aid Station. I felt bad about leaving him behind however I was also somewhat sure that I could finish in under 12 hours.
The race wore on and a nasty headwind moved in to beat us down as worked our way back to the finish line. With 8 miles to go I felt strong enough to begin to pick up the pace and settled into a routine of sipping PowerGels and picking up only water at the Aid Stations. Perhaps it was just my fatigued brain but it seemed to me that the more I pushed myself, the more enthusiastic the spectators became. So I kept on pushing and they kept on cheering me on. How could I let them down? Soon I was on Lakeshore Drive and doing my best just to try to hang on to the momentum that I had built up. I wasn’t sure how well I was doing but the crowd seemed to like it and I was also passing a lot of other athletes (I had moved up 400 spots). I finally saw the finish line and realized that I could beat my time from last year so I gave it everything I had to try and make that happen. And I did, crossing the finish line at 11:26:08 with just 1 minute to spare.
A big thanks to everyone that supported me throughout the day and made Ironman #10 such a great experience for me.
- My sister and brother in-law who took such good care of me before and after the race (the quinoa cookies were delicious)
- Mom and Dad, it was a long day for you
- Coach Calvin who seemed to be everywhere on the course on race day and tweeted my results.
- Ironman extraordinaire Jeremy Hopwood for taking all those photos of me.
- All my Twitter friends that cheered me on
- All the gang from Pacific Spirit and English Bay Triathlon Clubs who shared the day with me.
Big congrats to Mike Ross, Richele Frank and Nicole Akeroyd who qualified for the Ironman World Championships. As well, great jobs by David, Gregg and Chris who all are no longer Iron Virgins.
Overall I was a minute faster than last year. Not much of a margin for a PR but I am going to take it! As you can see from the stats below, all that training for the Canadian Death Race really helped by dropping my Ironman run time by 35 minutes. However both my swimming and bike times were slower than last year. Obviously there was a trade off in terms of my preparation for Ironman Canada and the swim/bike times paid the price.
| Event | Date | Time | Overall Place | Category/Place | Swim Ovr | Swim Time | Bike Ovr | Bike Time | Run Ovr | Run Time |
| Ironman Canada | 2009 | 11:27:47 | 490/2500 | 24/236 | 905 | 1:10:50 | 366 | 5:35:20 | 692 | 4:31:59 |
| Ironman Canada | 2010 | 11:26:08 | 565/3000 | 47 | 1329 | 1:13:20 | 998 | 6:06:18 | 565 | 3:55:23 |
Still I am very happy that Ironman #10 has now become my fastest IM race to date. At least I am moving things in the right direction (I think).
On 08.24.10, In HIV, by Studio YVR
When I first heard the song “Being Boring” by the Pet Shop Boys my initial thought was that it was written as some kind of rebuttal against suburban life. I embraced that perspective because the song was released just after I had moved from Vancouver’s suburbs into a neighbourhood which eventually would evolve into the trendy mess we call Yaletown. When I finally saw a video produced for the song, the imagery convinced me that the song’s intent was to portray some fictitious life of decadence that many gay men seemed to strive for. This latter point of view really did not appeal to me but I loved the musicality of the song and therefore kept listening to it as the years went by. It was only much later in life when people much more enlightened than I was pointed out to me that the song makes several references to the many gay men who died from HIV/AIDS in the 1990′s.
Now I sit with different faces In rented rooms and foreign places All the people I was kissing Some are here and some are missing In the nineteen-nineties
Now this song took on a new significance in my life. I began to view it as a personal anthem as I strove to define what my life experience would be. I knew that others would see my life as some kind of failure since I had rejected the pursuit of acquiring material possessions. Instead I lived alone in a small flat in a busy urban centre spending whatever money I had on creating a life of experiences and adventure ( and supporting the charities of my choice). This path in life has brought much criticism and created a lot of misunderstanding amongst my friends, family and colleagues. However I believe it to be the best path for myself and one that might help to create a rich life experience and therefore never be one where I might be classified as “Being Boring”.
Happy (upcoming) 20th anniversary to the song Being Boring by the Pet Shop Boys!
On 08.22.10, In Races, Trail Running, by Studio YVR
I like the sound of 99% single track racing through the pines of the southern Appalachian Mountains. October can’t come soon enough.
SingleTrack Goes to Georgia from Sam Thompson on Vimeo.
A visit to the brand new 50 mile course at Pine Mountain, Georgia; this is the latest addition to The North Face Endurance Challenge Series of races. The Southeastern regional will take place October 16-17, 2010. Start training, get registered, and see you out in Georgia soon.
Like these Romanian Drag Racers in their 40 bhp Dacia low riders, I am an ill equipped race poor ghetto triathlete.
Don’t have no Zipp Wheels.
No Power Meter either.
Not even a bike computer.
Or fancy Orbea bike.
I’ve got patches on my wetsuit.
Stains on my kit.
Newtons without tread.
And a Fuel Belt that hangs around my knees.
But as poor and gear challenged as I might be, thanks to Aeroplan and Air Miles, I do have a calendar full of races to round out the year. Today I am very excited to add two new trail running events. They are the Frosty Mountain 27 km in nearby Manning Park and The North Face Challenge 50 Miler which is located in Pine Mountain( near Atlanta Georgia).
So here is what the rest of the year looks like with the addition of the two new races:
- Ironman Canada – August
- Frosty Mountain 27 km – September
- TNFC Atlanta 50 Miler – October
- ING NYC Marathon – November
- TNFC SFO 50 km – December
Looks like a pretty full slate for the rest of the year. Which means I owe big apologies to Coach Calvin since it will be very challenging to put together an appropriate training plan with so little time for build/race/recover periodization. Oh well, who ever said that poor ghetto triathletes were easy to get along with?
Big shout out to my sister & brother in-law (& everyone else) who racing at the Kelowna Apple Triathlon today.
Make your life an adventure! “Cause like the Romanian drag racer said, “You never know when is your time come”.
Happy Racing and Training!
On 08.19.10, In Races, by Studio YVR
Never win first place, I don’t support the team
I can’t take direction, and my socks are never clean
Teachers dated me, my parents hated me
I was always in a fight cuz I can’t do nothin’ right
Don’t Let Me Get Me by Pink
The passing of summer is recognized and marked in various ways depending upon who you are. For some it is the cooling temperatures or the fewer hours of sunlight each day. Perhaps it is the beginning of the back to school frenzy. For many triathletes the end of summer is marked by the closing of the outdoor pools and the end of organized open water swim sessions. For 5 of the last 6 years, it is my participation in Ironman Canada that officially marks the end of my summer. Spending a long hot day out in the Okanagan sunshine at IMC just seems to be the perfect way to transition from summer’s heat to the coolness that comes in Fall. And the process all begins again in 1 week from today when I load up the car with all my gear and make the pilgrimage to Penticton to attempt my 10th Ironman race.
I think that I am the most relaxed that I have ever been heading into an Ironman race. Perhaps that is because I chose to make the Canadian Death Race my key priority race this summer and therefore my training has been has been less focused on triathlon than it should have been. It was my choice, I own that decision and I do not regret it. So if there is no personal best for me at IMC this year then that is ok because I may not have earned that reward. However I will be out there and determined to give it a great effort and do everything I can in order to enjoy the day. The big bonus this year will be that I have so many friends that will be sharing the day with me and many of them are doing Ironman for the first time.
I am also pretty sure that I will not be marking the end of next summer at Ironman Canada. Instead, I am hoping to qualify for one of the big trail races by using my finish times at the Canadian Death Race and the North Face Challenge 50 miler (Madison 2009). Not sure which race I will be able to get into as they are almost all entry by lottery these days. I would like to try for the Western States 100 or the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc in France however both of those events are pretty hard to get into. If I don’t manage to get into either of those then there are plenty of summer trail races that are closer to home, like the Fat Dog 100. Which isn’t to say that I won’t be doing any Ironman races next year, that is not the case as I have already registered for Ironman Texas however it is much earlier in the season. It would be great to do 2 Ironman races next year however that would not fit into my poor ghetto triathlete budget (and did I not learn anything from this seasons busy race schedule?).
So best of luck to everyone heading up to Penticton next week for IMC. Hope you enjoy your Ironman experience and I am looking forward to seeing you all up there.
On 08.14.10, In Training, by Studio YVR
What is it about Thai food? You take the very simplest basic ingredients and when combined they become the most amazing taste sensation. Perhaps it’s the craftsmanship in the kitchen that brings it all together? Not sure. Tonight I had a green curry chicken that was cooked inside a coconut. The flavour and texture was amazing and I devoured very molecule.
Yesterday I completed my recovery period from the Canadian Death Race. Therefore today I headed out for a 180 km ride, my last one before Ironman Canada which is only 2 weeks away. So I guess that means that I will be starting my 2 week taper for IMC tomorrow. This seems to be my cycle of life lately. Taper – race – recover – taper – race – recover. Not that I am complaining or anything but it does seem an odd way to live sometimes. I’ll bet that I am very tough person to coach (sorry Calvin).
Last night I watched a movie that took place during the ethnic cleansing that occurred during the religious wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The two main characters were a Muslim man and his Serbian partner. The story opens with a scene where troops were going through the city and forcing the men to drop their pants. If you were circumcised then you were assumed to be Muslim and therefore were shot on the spot. To escape this persecution, the Serbian guy dressed his Muslim partner as a woman and they escaped to a rural village. Their plan was to travel to the Netherlands however the Serbian was drafted into the army leaving his partner to fend for himself in the village. Man did that poor Muslim dude have a tough time trying to survive life in the village while trying to keep his religion and his sex a secret. The Serb was eventually killed in battle and the Muslim dude somehow managed to escape to France. It was a fascinating story of survival, it left me wondering how I would have survived in a similar situation where everyone hated you and was willing to kill you on the spot.
We are currently having a heat wave here. Well, a heat wave by Canadian standards anyway. Frankly I am loving it. It got up to 30 degrees today when I was out biking. It was tough to keep hydrated throughout the day and my tri-suit was caked in sweat and salt. I love that feeling, it is so cleansing to sweat like that. Besides, today’s cycling goal was distance and not time based which meant that I would stop for a swim whenever it got too hot.
I have been thinking a lot about my experiences at the Death Race. Here is one of the funniest things that happened along the way. I was running alone in the dark for about 30 minutes around the 110 km mark on leg 5 of the race. I was really enjoying running this section of the race however I was tired which made it tough to keep focused on variable trail conditions. At one point I stubbed my toe on a rock which sent an excruciating pain through my swollen foot. Without thinking, I yelled out “Motherf@*ker”. I was totally shocked to hear I a women’s voice respond through the darkness, “I heard that”. Seems I was not so alone in the forest. I called out a “sorry!” and ran off laughing into the night.
I have a new one piece tri-suit which I am hoping to wear at Ironman Canada. I have never had one before so I am finding it to be a whole new experience. The first thing I noticed was that the legs tend to ride up my legs which is something that I have not encountered with bike shorts. The other thing that was new was that the cycling pad is a mini-pad so there is not too much padding. I will certainly have to use some Body Glide on race day or I could end up with a nasty case of manstruation. You also have to learn how to pee by hiking up the pant leg which takes a bit of finesse in order to avoid making a mess. Jeez, I better at least look good after all of this adaptation.
On 08.07.10, In Races, by Studio YVR
Several people have asked me what is like to run through the forest at night. This video by Øyvind Hammer gives you a sense of what it is like to come in out of the dark at the end of Leg 4 of the Canadian Death Race.
I actually enjoy night running with my headlamp. It can be tricky though because I find that my depth perception is not as accurate when I wear a headlamp. Perhaps that is because the pupils in my eyes are overly dilated for the darkness and do not properly adjust to the bright light from the headlamp. Not sure. I do know that I tend to change my running technique so that I am picking up my feet a bit higher and using a faster cadence so that I can better adjust to any unseen obstacles on the trail.
Øyvind came all the way from Norway to do this race and finished successfully about and 1 hour after myself. Congratulations Øyvind!
