For the Love of Sport - Ironman Mont Tremblant

Two weeks ago I competed in Ironman Mont Tremblant.  As a quick review for those who are not familiar with the Ironman, it is a triathlon consisting of a 3.8km (2.4 mile) swim, 180 km (112 mile) bike, and a marathon 42.2km (26.2 mile) run with a maximum time to complete the event of 17 hours.

Leading up to  Tremblant I was genuinely afraid.  It wasn't fear of not finishing, I knew I would finish unless some horrible accident, a bike mechanical, or illness afflicted me during the event, I have finished 2 Ironman previous to this one which allowed me to know I would make it through.  It was that I didn't feel I was emotionally or physically ready to put the race together that I normally would expect of myself or what I thought others would expect from a Pro Athlete vs a 45 year old, mother of 3 with a full time job and part time athlete.    Actually, the thought of the second loop of the bike course was eating at me as this is not my strong suit and in doing Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant back in June this is where I had struggled.

So far 2019 has been a year of emotional upheaval, change, and growth that began with me not knowing what my future would hold, how my life would look, and having little faith in my own abilities as a parent, friend, and athlete.   With the help of an unbiased outside perspective, I began to make small incremental changes in choices made, learning the word "no", creating new boundaries for what I would or would not tolerate, building stronger friendships, and moving others to the background.   A few weeks before Ironman Mont Tremblant I made the very difficult decision to step away from the club I was with and  the coach I had had since I started in Triathlon. The coach and the club are still great, however no longer the right fit for me.   It was not a simple choice but one that needed to be made and two weeks before the race I began with my new coach, Jeff Scull from Edge Triathlon.    This may not sound like the smartest decision to some people, changing coaches so close to an Ironman,  however it was the choice I had made, not out of obligation to someone else, or because someone might get upset with me, or because someone wanted me to make that decision or I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but because I knew this was the best course of action for where I was in my life and what I wanted to do in sport.   

For  two weeks heading into Tremblant I tapered very differently than what I had done in the past.  I pretty much shut down the training and did very little.  As a 45 year old woman with a full time job, 3 kids, and trying to race as a Pro Triathlete I get very little recovery time, if any, and maybe 6 hours of sleep on a good night.  These two weeks were filled with the aches and pains of taper, healing, sleep, and building realistic goals for the upcoming Ironman, for the first time in a long while I did not feel doubt around what I was doing.  Just as a side note, I also needed a new race kit and Brava Triathlon got me one in time for the race!  I was very thankful and I really love the kit.  

What were these realistic goals I'd set:

1. To finish Tremblant in under 11 hours  however I'd be satisfied with under 11:30.00 

2. An hour or better for the swim

• 4 weeks prior I crashed on my bike and was still recovering from a shoulder injury, with very little swimming during that 4 week period.

 3. Under 6 hours for the bike 

• at the 70.3 Tremblant I went just over 2:49 for the bike leg and was hurting, I was thinking I'd be lucky to squeak under 6 hours on this ride, after the pain of that last ride. 

4. 3:45 marathon 

• my previous two Ironman I bonked hard after 27km into the run, this goal time would be a solid start towards learning how to do a quicker Ironman marathon. 

5. To smile for my friends and for any camera that I saw on course.

• Pro Triathlete Amber Ferreira inspired me to this goal.  She is always smiling regardless of the event whether she's doing amazing or suffering.  
• Usually all my Finisherpix  look like someone just shot my dog, it would be nice to have some decent pictures for once.

Christina, Lisa, Marcel
The Cheer Squad

John, Family friend,
 and fellow Ironman

The original plan for Ironman Mont Tremblant was to take my 2 youngest girls with me, they would hang out on race day with my friends' and their kids, as one of them was racing too.  All the kids are buddies and it was going to make for a good weekend, we were also all staying at the same resort.  Three of my best friends asked if they could come along and be my cheer squad for the race, and of course that was a big Yes!  My husband also asked if he could join us as he was able to get some days off work, and  my partner at work also made the trip so he could better understand what I was doing and to come cheer me on.  To be honest my colleague going to the race originally caused a bit of anxiety as I knew there was no winning going on for me this year and sometimes that pressure can be there when you race in the "pro" category, however he was stealthy and I didn't see him until I was out on the course and already racing and it was great to have him there as another member to the support crew.  

The Race

Rowen

Avery

The Friday prior to Sunday's race was a long day.  We were at the Ironman Village for 8am to register the kids for the IronKid's races.  My 13 year old, Rowen, and her friend Abby ran the 5km, both girls surprising me with their speed to the point where I actually didn't get any good photos!  They were the 1st and 2nd girls to cross the line both finishing under 22 minutes.  My daughter Avery ran the 1 km race which actually turned into more of a 2 km event.  I stayed to watch her group (blue bibs) go off before racing back over to the finish line, hoping I'd get there in time to see her finish as 1 km really doesn't take very long.  When I got over there Mike Reilly was saying that the 11 year olds should be coming in any minute so I got my camera ready and waited and waited.  The green bibs, who left after my daughter, were coming in, but no Avery.  No need to panic, but I did anyway.  Avery suffers with some anxiety and not thinking I would lose her I hadn't made a meeting place in the village if we somehow got separated, so now I was feeling  the anxiety.   I went over to the exit area and didn't see her, asked a volunteer and they said the blue group started last, which I knew didn't happen, I had watched the start.  I looked out to the busy crowd and was wondering how I would find her if she was out looking for me, then another volunteer said that the blue bibs were led off course by the lead bike and they ended up running further.  Panic attack averted I went over to see her cross the line.  Super happy and relieved to see her run through the finish and called an IronKid by Mike.

Me, Sarah, Meredith 

At that point I sent the family back to the condo, I checked in, then went over to the water for my appointment to try out the new Deboer wetsuit which was really a great experience, went for a run,  and then headed over to the mandatory Pro Meeting for 1pm where I made sure to get my superfan photo with Meredith Kessler and Sarah True.  It was around 3 pm when I finally got back and crashed for a nap, dinner, and then took the kids to the pool.

HOT Podcast 5am Saturday

The day prior to the race I started the morning bright and early with a 5am recording for Humans of Triathlon which kept my mind occupied away from the upcoming Ironman. After that was over I began to feel a bit ill, not because I was actually sick but because my nerves were eating at me.  Later that afternoon I went to the race site to drop off my bike, run and bike transition bags, then checked out the transitions and the swim exit; we were told the water level was down 2 feet and it was going to be a fairly long water run to the

Thankful for my friends helping
to keep things light pre-race

swim exit.  It was quite shallow so I had practiced the run out, falling on my face a few times as the soft muddy sand sucked in my feet along the exit path.  Upon returning to the condo I put together my special needs bags, morning gear, ate dinner, and was in bed by 8 pm.   Again for those unfamiliar with the Ironman, a special needs bag is where you can have additional food, drinks, socks, clothes, etc., one bag is on the run course and one on the bike course about half way through.  If you feel you need something from that bag you may stop and grab it at the specific point where they are placed.

The alarm went off at 3:35am, my usual upset stomach shenanigans had begun, and I put down some breakfast and was sipping on my F2C Glycodurance the rest of the morning.  My friends got up at 4:45 am, jumped in the car, and drove me to the bike transition, they waited for me to finish bike set up, then we all walked to the swim start where they reassured me all would be good. I headed into the water for a short dip.

The Swim 3.8KM (2.4miles)

Pro Women's Swim Start

As Pros we were asked to have our swim warm up completed 10 minutes before the start of the race, that way we would be at the swim start during the opening ceremonies and the National anthems. Ironman Mont Tremblant knows how to put on an event, the race director goes all out to make it a fantastic experience for all involved.  Mike Reilly seems to be everywhere and he was at the swim start getting everyone pumped up for the long day ahead.  I ingested my gel, and handed my garbage and water bottle to my friend Lisa and into the corral I went.  Too late to back out, time to forget about my tummy, and remember the goals previously set.  The pro men started 3 minutes before the pro women as a wave start vs the rolling start that has become more popular over the last couple of years in the Age Group ranks.  Thank goodness I watched them go first, the race was sent off with an amazing blast of red fireworks and a huge BANG! which caused a bit of a scare and heart rate spike.  Knowing what to expect made it a bit easier when it happened for us.    

Me in the pink Xterra- on the outside 

The BANG for the women went off and I could smell the fireworks as I ran into the water.  I usually start on the outside of the swim as I do not like getting hit or touched by other swimmers.  A few hundred metres into the swim I was close enough to make a push to grab onto the back of the 3 women up in front, but chose instead to maintain my pace where I was at. My shoulder was still very sore from the bike crash I had a few weeks earlier and I didn't need to wreck it in the first 20min of the swim.   I've also learnt that coming out at the front of the swim means very little when I get onto the bike, so holding my pace and doing my race was what needed to be done that day.    I swam almost the entire swim by myself.  If you know me I often think of the Lake Monsters that may be hiding in the dark water, and a couple times I saw something white close to me, then of course used logic and told myself it was my own bubbles,

no one else is here!   I caught a few of the male pros near the end of the swim and we swam into the swim exit together the last 200-300m and although I did practice the swim exit run in the water, I still found a spot where my foot sank into the mud and I fell on my face.  At that moment I remembered my last goal, SMILE, so I stood up, laughed and actually wished someone had gotten a picture of that slap stick moment.  I ran up the stairs and straight over to the wet suit strippers who were amazing, I would highly recommend using them when you are in a race, and ran down the long carpet to transition.   I was fourth woman out of the water. 

 Turns out GOAL #2 MET,  Swim Split 54:00 minutes.   

THE BIKE

I took my time in transition, the volunteer was very helpful and sprayed me with sunscreen before I hit the road.   Before the race I made the decision to not keep my bike shoes in the peddles of my bike, a choice the pros had for this race, a few of the women pros still choose to run with  shoes  on from transition to our bikes. I heard the cheers of my friends, hopped on my bike and set out on the leg I was most worried about.    My last Ironman was in Louisville, Kentucky where is was only 5℃  and raining the entire event, I was unable to use my hands and lacked nutrition the whole race and my run suffered to no end,  so another goal I had was to try to get in the majority of my nutrition on the bike, even if I needed to slow down and take my time to do it.    This goal was mostly met, I took a bottle through every aid station, and made sure I ate all the food I had packed, I did leave about 300 calories on the bike  in liquid.  Next time I will make sure to take all in.  

Smile! It makes everything better.  

I broke the bike into 3 sections for each loop, a tip I received from a friend before the race.  It's 35 km out on the highway, 35 km back, and 20 km on Duplessis.  This tactic really helped keep the bike in perspective, and it wasn't that bad.  The hardest part I found was not necessarily Duplessis but the highway climb on the return 35 km section.  Climbing is not my strong point but definitely something I am determined to get better at.  I remembered my smile goal, waiving and smiling at a few of the cameras if I saw them making for much better pictures and also a much better attitude overall.  If I felt discouraged or down I would remember the goal, smile, wave, be like Amber, and I actually would feel better.

First few steps
on the red carpet, after a long bike.

It worked for me at Tremblant.   The first 90km was actually faster than my bike split in the 70.3 Tremblant race I'd done 2 months prior.  I held a relatively even pace, mind you I was slower second half, there were some 'needing to go pee' logistics I was trying to work out and I finished the bike feeling better than I had in my previous 2 Ironman even though I still looked like I had pulled my back out the first few steps off the bike onto the red carpet.  And Yes!, with Ironman Tremblant, you ride your bike straight into the transition area onto the Ironman red carpet before you dismount.  It's a cool experience.  

GOAL #3 Met:  Bike split 5:45:36

THE RUN

Historically in a triathlon I tend to go out too hard on the run and then there is a whole lot of suffering happening in the last 10 km.  My friend Kevin, sent me a text the day before the race to remind me  of this and not to go out fast on the first lap, so I kept that in mind and tried to stay even the entire run.  Although I had a hand held bottle for parts of both laps,  I never felt like I was without an aid station on the run, they were frequent and long, filled with lots of drinks, fruit, ice, pretzels, etc. and probably didn't need to carry one of my own.  Having done this race a few years previous I knew what was coming on the run after leaving transition.  Parts of the course consist of some pretty decent hill climbs. Last time I did this race my self-talk was very negative coming through to the second lap and it definitely had a detrimental effect on my performance and recovery afterwards.   In Tremblant, to get to the second loop you go through the village and come to a fork in the road, one side says to the Finish the other says to the Second Loop.  For many that pass that sign they can hear Mike Reilly calling out the finishers as they come in and if you are in a poor mindset it can make going out for the next loop a very difficult endeavour, especially knowing you have close to 4 km of climbing straight out of the gate. In 2016 I was almost in tears knowing that climb was coming, this time along with practicing hills I practiced staying positive,  I used little sayings,  thought about my cheer squad and family waiting to see me out on the course and encouraged friends and fellow athletes along the way and even complimented the guys wearing the hula skirts cheering on the sideline of the course.    I think the hardest part of the run was the last 3 km.  You run down a parallel path to the main road and you think you are on the downward slope back to town until you get off the path and realize that there are still a few big climbs left, including a couple in the last kilometre that lead you to the final downward run into the finish shoot.   I found keeping it positive the hardest at this part when I was saying to myself, "bloody Hell, how can 3km take this long!" That's when practicing the positive attitude and smiles at home came in handy on the course. The body will work, it will get you to the finish with a smile if your mind tells it to do so.   

GOAL #4 Met: Run Split 3:41.49 (actually would be Boston Qualifying time for my age group if it was an official qualifying event)

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Best Support Crew and Cheer Squad
Jeff, Avery, Rowen, Christina, me, Marcel, Lisa, John

The Iceberg

This was my best race for many reasons.   Once the fire works went off I let the pressure melt away and focused on my own race.  My friends were there to cheer and support me just because we are friends.  My family was at the event and we stayed and had fun for a couple of days afterwards even though I was walking like the Tin Man. On the Tuesday we even went out to the iceberg (an in water climbing wall) and my friend John, fellow ironman, and I climbed that Iceberg with our families despite what we had accomplished just 2 days earlier.   I made some hard choices, and after a trying year I had  great success which included having the strength to make those difficult decisions, setting new boundaries, creating new and stronger friendships, having my family be part of the race experience, and pushing expectations of others aside to start building the foundation for a boundless life.  I was happy with my overall time and my overall ability to maintain a positive attitude or at least bring myself back to a positive space if the negative started seeping in.  I finished 11th in my category top 3% of all women, and top 6% of all 2,230 competitors.  During this season I was no longer sure I liked training, racing, or doing this sport.  After Tremblant I was reminded why I went into triathlon and how important it is in my life.  I was reminded why I love sport and racing.  

GOAL #1 Met: Overall time 10:30.45   Yes that's 10 and a half hours.  For my non-Ironman friends, it is a bit crazy.

GOAL# 5 Met:  I smiled.  

WHAT's UP NEXT

1. Swim in a relay at Barrelman Triathlon

2. Road and or Trail Race Oct/November

3. Masters Swimming- Canadian Record attempts for relays

4. Christmas!

5. Ironman 70.3 Florida

6. Ironman  (to be announced)

Thank you to all my sponsors for for their support,
I am looking forward to racing a variety of events and having awesome results in the upcoming years for the love of sport and the pursuit of a boundless life.

Skechers Canada
Rudy Project North America
Vorgee Canada
County Cycle
F2C Nutrition
Atmospheric Management
Xterra Wetsuits