Vegas 2014!!

I'm currently on my couch watching the finish line of Florida Ironman. A girl I follow on facebook (A Fat Girl's Ironman Journey) is still out there with 2 minutes left to cross. Its inspiring watching the last few minutes, those last few people coming across that finish line, knowing they've been out there, on their own for almost 17 hours. Can you imagine? 17 hours swim, bike, run. Trying to hit each of the cut offs within time. Amazing!!!

2015 Whistler Ironman is still on my radar. For now, I'm registered for 2014 70.3 Half Ironman in Vegas, and, because so many of my friends have FOMO, I've a group of them coming down to do it as a relay! Woot! Very exciting. Although scary, never been to Vegas, must not wander Vegas while trying to focus on race, will get distracted!

Currently training for my first race of the year, UBC Tri-du (love that race!!). Actually, thinking of a run in West Vancouver the weekend before as my first official race but I guess my first triathlon will be the UBC Tri-du. I might have convinced people to do that one with me as well :) yes, I'm evil!

And yes, my injuries from the summer are starting to heal. I did a metric century last weekend on the bike, slow pace but felt great! I'm currently trying the Bulletproof Executive diet (lifestyle, its' not a diet) to see if this can help with weight loss and improve speed. So far so good but second time around trying it and currently on day six. No sugar, no grains, no dairy (I miss cheese) and no alcohol (I miss dairy more than my scotch and bourbon). Headaches are mostly gone :)  Doing my first brick tomorrow so we'll see how much its helping so far!

My non-athletic experiences of Ironman Whistler (what a fantastically fun day!)

As someone who took up racing two years ago, its amazing to think, I've never watched a race, not even when I tried to run a few years ago, I've never really watched a race from start to finish and since I withdrew from Ironman 2013 I wanted to still experience it. I've watched Ironman on TV since the early 80's and always thought, wow, one day I would need to try this, so it went on my imaginary bucket list. It was a wish but I never thought it would happen. Even watching an Ironman was on my bucket list and I was not disappointed!

I volunteered for beach assistance. I got up at 3am on Sunday morning, you could feel the excitement and nervousness in the air. I'm sure very few people who were doing Ironman slept the night before. I wandered out from my hotel about 4am, to my delight Starbucks was open! Grabbed a coffee and headed to the free shuttles. There were already a lot of athletes there getting marked (marking was happening near the T2 section), a full bus took off to the water and my bus was full when it left, it was barely 430am.

The mood on the bus was mostly up, nervous, the guy beside me was quiet, understandable! Then two Australians got on the bus, with sort of a Fuck yah mother fucker we're doing Ironman today attitude! I got there early and not surprisingly a lot of athletes were there already, I'd say about 1/3 of those participating in the day. When you looked at the lake it was calm like a bath-tub, steam was rising. It looked absolutely perfect for a morning swim!

My assignment that morning was helping the athletes out of the wetsuits as they came out of the water (strippers!) We didn't really have much to do until the athletes starting coming out of the water so we helped them until their wetsuits. I know its hard to get into one on my own so if we saw someone struggling we just went and start helping them. The elite men were to start at 650am, the women at 653am then everyone else in a mass start at 7am, no matter if they were in the water or not. They had to swim out 200 metres and tread water until the start.

One of the best parts of the morning (before the swim started) was the man who just saw his wife and daughter into the water for their first Ironman, then, the announced said broke the surprise, he was going to Ironman with them! This was probably the third time I cried that morning. It was pretty cool, he had secretly checked in his bike, gotten marked, brought his wetsuit. He had his trisuit on under street clothes, quickly changed and got into the water to a rounding applause from those that were on the water watching and all of the volunteers!! So exciting!!!

About 740 the first elite man was out of the water (HOLY SHIT!). The elites don`t want our help, the people that want our help are the newbies! Just before 8am the athletes started out of the water and our job started. Man was it fun! We were told if we hadn`t `stripped` wetsuits before we should watch a couple rounds and then jump it. It`s not overly difficult to do, just need to help them out when they come out of the water. Some were funny. After saying to one guy `don`t worry, we`ll have to stripped out in a matter of seconds` his response was, where have you been all of my life. Another older athlete said as were helping him out `please don`t lose my speedo`. One girl from Manitoba was so bad ass that she swam the entire thing in her bathing suit!!! She got serious props from all of us on the beach! Total badass.

I was mentally cheering on all of the athletes still in the water. They were starting the count down for when everyone had to be out of the water. Probably 20 people didn`t make it. Some because of medical reasons when they got out of the water. most because they were still in the water. At the cut off there were people just right there but weren`t allowed to continue (like, a second or two late). Ron Zalko (founder of Ironman Canada) said that if they wanted to try again next year he would pay for their entry fees!

We did some clean up and then I walked back up to the village. I watched some of the bikers pass and, wow, hams! As they passed people they would put their hands to their ears or wave their hand up in the air...wanting us to cheer them on. There were some impressive bikes (its like bike porn to me), amazing riders! I went and joined up with my friends that were there. My friend Erika bought me a cowbell! Woot! Now I could be really loud and annoying while cheering!

We wandered over to T2, watched some runners take off, then wandered over to the farmers market for a break, tea and turnovers then back to watch the action. We were hanging out for a bit watching the runners around the 4 or 5km point. We saw a few people with good sense of humor! A buy in a tuxedo t-shirt (actual bike shirt), one dressed up like a school boy, another as spider man and someone with a plaid shirt (again, an actual bike shirt!).

Then it was finish line time!! We were there early so we got to see the top men and women cross. Trevor Wurtele was the male and  Uli Bromme the top female. I know she spent the last few hours at the finish line as well! So very cool.

I got to watch a couple people finish their very first (don`t know if last) Ironman. Both were over 40, both had sub 12 hour 30 minute Ironman times! Impressive! I spent most of the next 5 hours at the finish line. Yacked to people from all over the world, some were there to cheer on random strangers (like me!) and some were there watch their family or friends come over the finish. Got to mock an American because he was complaining he couldn`t stop saying Eh! I told him it`ll never go away and he`s now officially a Canadian! There were also some French people who seemed to be violently cheering on their friends. Was pretty funny to hear and watch!

The last two hours of the finish line were the most moving, and tons of fun! About 10-1030 the finish line was 4 to 5 deep in spots, one to two deep in others. Runners came down the finisher chute high-fiving on both sides, one runner stopped and proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes). A mom came down and was greeted by her son (about four) dressed as Ironman. Another dad was joined by his five kids (all under the age of 7).

The last runner came across at 11:57 and some seconds. Then the countdown and the course was officially closed.

There are so many emotions that I felt that I haven`t shared, and might not. There are other stories I experienced that I haven`t shared yet. I also have pictures that I`ll share once I download them. It was a long day for me, not NEARLY as long as the athletes. Everyone, whether an 8 hour 40 minute finisher or 16 hour 57 minute finisher deserves as much admiration as possible! I do lean a little more towards the 16 hour 57 minute finisher though. Most were struggling, sweating, hoping to make each cut off. There`s a reason the crowds are bigger from the 14.5 hour marker and on. Random strangers cheering on random strangers. Seems like a perfect way to spend a lovely Whistler evening to me.

I feel so inspired to pick up the training and I`m going to make it to 2015. I`ll be in line Monday, July 28, 2014 to sign up! And PS, my hotel is already booked for 2014 to volunteer again!

Song of the moment

More like song obsessed with right now! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-7lUTFuutU

I know, I do like my house music. This song reminds me of hot summer nights, after hours location so sweaty that the walls and ceilings were dripping, music pumping until 6am. Walking home at 7-8am with a smile on my face from dancing and hanging with my friends.

UBC Triathlon, less training, extra 12lbs

Two weeks after Subaru Triathlon I did the Point Grey UBC Triathlon. What can I say, I'm addicted to racing. Because this one was a qualifier for the 2014 Worlds Sprint and Duathlon there were a lot of Olympic caliber athletes plus it was probably less "snoby" than the Subaru Triathlon. The short triathletes (what I did) were cheering each other on. I think there was about 60-68 in the short. Most were really chatty, gabbing on the pool deck waiting to start. Over half were probably doing their first triathlon, or at least it sounded like that from the nervous discussions happening. The swim was great! 3rd overall in my age group, then 3rd over all in bike, dropped to 5th in run (slow!) dropping me to 4th overall in my age group. I was ecstatic to hear that! I'm getting better but still haven't decided what I might do after I do all of the different lengths, distance or sprint?

I've been doing less training over the last few weeks, which shows when I get my BMI done. Oops, Might have put on a couple (12) pounds. Yes, I probably was eating my kitchen but when I trainer asks, its water weight.

First open water swim completed

Just before my swim

I took part in the Subaru Triathlon mid-July. I was to do the half Ironman distance but with my sore joints and issues with my knee I dropped down to the Sprint. Thank god I did!

Just out of T1

The open swim was terrifying! It was my first one I've done and I should have taken my friend's advice and counted to ten before I started into the water. Something is blocking me from being able to put my head underwater like normal to swim. I had to do this half frightened, half normal swim to make it through! One woman actually stopped to ask me if I was ok. I made it around to the last bend and was passing other swimmers that weren't as strong, not going that straight and swimming on their backs. Since I've done all pool triathlons before this, needless to say I was thrown off a little bit! When I made it out of the water and I start stripping the wetsuit off (it has a fantastic up and tear release instead of pulling the zipper back down to release) and had no desire to run, was pretty exhausted from the swim, not the swim itself but the nerves that overtook me. That's when I saw a number of my friends on the beach, one of which made a sign for me! WHAT?!?! First time someone's every made a sign for me at a race! Yah, I felt kind of awesome and at that point started to run for my bike!

Heading to the finish line!

I'm still pretty slow with T1 but felt pretty good when I got on my bike. It was the first time Spanish Banks hill didn't feel much like a hill! The bike route was nice, easy (ish) and well marked. When I got to the end of Camosun and at the turn around the point  couple of my friends where there cheering me on! The ride felt great, was one of my quickest 20kms I've done even with training. Coming down Spanish Banks I just let go. I knew there'd be no one on the road besides other bikes and it could have been the quickest I've come down that hill! My friends waiting for me at the transition point said I came back in before people who had left before me. My T2 was much quicker, although the joints were getting sore now!

And I'm done!

I didn't  think my run was that fast. The run is what I need to work on the most if I want to place top three in my age group, ok, top ten! Run ended up being one of my quicker 5km runs in general!

I did the race in 1 hour 44 minutes, about 8 minutes faster than my last sprint race! Woot! that's with a very slow swim.

Night before my first open swim!

So, when asked today if I've been in the open water yet with my triathlon, my response was no. my first freak out in my wetsuit will be tomorrow morning, while I'm doing my first open swim DURING AN EVENT! I'm not the smartest person in the world when it comes to these things. Unluckily I'm injured, luckily I was able to switch from the Half Ironman to the Sprint (big drop) but it was that or not do it at all. I contemplated doing the Olympic but the advantage for me of doing the Sprint, much shorter swim! Since this is my first open swim, means much less panic!

My baby is checked in and ready to go. I shined her up a bit before I left today (she's number 1015 and her name is Pearl!)

I'm looking forward to the race, its a tough sprint then I've done before (tough due to the open swim and Spanish Banks hill) but I'm really looking forward to it! I'll take it easy because of my injury (right now I say that, who knows what'll happen tomorrow morning!) and I look forward to attempting a finish of 1 hour 45-50 minutes!

My decision to withdraw from Ironman....for this year only!

I'm withdrawing from Ironman, but I'm not down and out. I'm injured and for once I'm listening to my body because I know how much I could damage it if I continued with the high volume of training you need to do for Ironman. I'm currently trying to go from the Half Ironman to Olympic for what could be my last race of the year (road, bike and triathlons). I'm going to rest for a week and then do light workouts. Will judge how my body feels because there are so many road races I want to do before the end of the year! Three pop to mind right now. Don't want to miss the Whistler 50 especially, such a fun weekend!

I still plan on going up there that weekend with a couple of good friends. I want to volunteer, watch the finish line, cheer on a co-worker who's also going through his mid-life crisis and has decided to do the Ironman this year. Hell, maybe I'll get to be one of the people that either strips off people's wetsuits or lathers them up with lotion...I mean suntan lotion!

I didn't go into Ironman training thinking maybe or that it might be too much for me...I went into it thinking, fuck yah! Even though I have to withdraw I'm stronger than I've ever been, I've done things this year I never thought I would be doing three years ago! Hell, my endurance is at levels I never thought possible for where I was in my life three years ago!!

I don't want anyone thing, awww, poor Jen! You were so close. No, I'm closer, closer than I've been! I did a marathon this year. Holy crap! That in itself is enough for me to think, wow, what an amazing year! A went through hell and back and that took me only 4 months to do. I think an extra year or two to do Ironman, well, its par for the course. Its something I've always wanted to do, ever since I was a kid watching it in the 80's on TV. I thought, what the hell is this crazy thing? I must do it sometime! Yes, I might even go to Kona one year (you can fundraise you way into the race! I know someone else that wants to do and a few of my friends that want me to do it, Mr. Manager(s)!)

And yes, I'm still expecting to trick many of you into training with me, or continuing to train with me. I'm like the borg collective, resistance is futile!! Here's to August 30, 2015! I'll be MORE ready, hopefully less injured and stronger than ever! Not only will I do Ironman, I'll own it!

Fuck yah!