Muskoka - Lake of Bays - Ontario Canada or you could also just as easily call it heaven on Earth - if you have not been GO!!! Everything about it is breath taking.
This was my second time to this part of the world - the time before this race was several years ago before I even knew what a triathlon was and I spent is sitting on a dock drinking and smoking - yes I know I gave up that nasty habit January 23rd, 2011 my father’s birthday.
My best friend Scott - who is to blame for me getting into this sport - is from Muskoka - it’s the place he spent his summers growing up in his grandparents cottage - which meant that the support and cheering squad on race day was amazing to say the least.
So this was “THE RACE” for the year - Scott and I had decided over a year ago to do this race together - in the meantime his younger brother Andrew taken up this tri thing so for all of us this was the big goal race for the year.
Well this is how the day ended up playing out....
Date 9/11/11 8:12 start time - temp in the morning was 56 went to about 78 on the run.
Results: swim 0:37:36 T1 4:34 bike 3:04:14 T2 1:06 run 1:47:44 total 5:35:14
Age Group Finish 8/44
Pre-Race:
Didn’t sleep really at all as always the night before a race - I think I just dozed.
Got up at 4am - had some oatmeal and made a PB&J Bagel for the car.
We got to the race site nice and early and had plenty of time to set up - run through everything one last time before we walked down to swim start.
We were not allowed in the water to warm-up until 6 min before our start time - made use of those 6 min to so some quick sprints to warm up and get my swim jitters out.
Swim:
Andrew and I were in the same wave - I had decided not to stick to the back anymore - I was going to try stick to the faster pack which would hopefully make me hold onto them. Swim was great the water could have not been more perfect and I’m not scared of it anymore - Andrew and I were right next to each other almost to the first turn and then I lost him - well I thought I did - he very nicely placed himself on my feet and stayed there to the last turn point where he went ahead and got out of the water one minute before me.
Swim was great until the last turn point to shore where the water got so shallow that I could touch the ground with my fingertips - made for very nasty water and some got up and started walking. All in all I was really happy with my swim - no moments of panic or shortness of breath always a plus.
T1:
The run from the water to T1 set the tone for the whole race - right up a hill on a golf cart path - swear the run was almost 700 yards - I decided on wearing my road shoes for this race - coming into T2 was of a steep climb and I had seen nowhere that I was going to be able to get my feet out of my shoes on the bike - so I opted for the road shoes also hoping they would give me more power on the bike on the hills - the “actual” time spent in T1 was really quick I felt and went super smooth - helmet when on - remembered to open it this time feet were clean socks went on shoes, glasses and off I went - and I managed to catch up to Andrew and we headed on out the bike together.
Bike :
Getting on the bike my HR was up there in zone 4 but I just chilled out and got settled - I let Andrew take off and decided I was just chill out for a couple minutes and get comfy since I feel I didn’t allow myself to do that at Mooseman - I had a 16 oz water bottle with NUUN that I had for the first 20 min - I left my watch to buzz every 5 miles but only to let me know about where I was since the course was marked in Kilometers and even though I of course know them better than miles - I don’t race in them.
After the first 10 miles I was loving the bike - everything about it - loved the course - Andrew and Scott had warned me about the hills but to be honest I didn’t really find them too bad I really was just having the best time and with really trying ( or at least that’s what it felt like ) I was spinning by people - the first half of the bike flew by - there were friends cheering everywhere and going through town was fun - then after mile 40-45 it got tricky there were not many riders left around me no one really cheering and it was time to tackle the shorter steeper hills this is where my legs let me know how hilly the course had already been - but then I looked up and saw what I thought was Andrew - for a split second I thought - oh wow I hope he is ok - and then I said don’t worry about that right now concentrate on your race - it took not to long for me to be right next to Andrew - I quickly asked if he was ok - and snarled at me - “yes, why because you are kicking my arse?” ( He apologized later ) on I went - still feeling good but started to get ready to get off the bike and start running - this is also where a couple women started passing me - older than me but passing me - and we know I don’t do well with that.
The last couple hills were brutal - it hit me like a truck of bricks.
T2:
T2 was great - felt a little odd running in my road shoes - but that lasted for a second - felt like I was in and out in no time and ready to get this day over with and maybe run down some girls along the way.
Run:
So the run I think and I have thought about this more than anything else - this was by far the toughest run I have ever done - not just mentally but physically.
The run course was hilly - very hilly - lonely and just not pretty - it just sucked all around - there was no mental push - everyone around me was walking and complaining - I saw Scott at mile 4 or 5 and he confirmed that I looked as bad as I was feeling - I had stopped with my Infinit 20 min before the end of the bike and switched to water so I would not have to much in my stomach - I had grabbed an extra Gu in T2 in addition to the two I already had in my race belt 10 min into the run I had the first Gu and about 10 min after that I left it on the road side and that is how the run would go on - water at a water station 5-10 min later water would come right back up - so not until the turn around point when I managed to beat myself up enough and decided I would stop trying to put anything in my system but opted for just water over my head - did I switch and think let’s bring this home - this was also the point where I let the one girl in my age group pass me and for the last 6 miles my only goal was catch her again and not to let another one go by - that is when my head got into the race or out of it - whichever way you want to look at it.
The second 70.3 is behind me and the season is almost over - but I’m still left feeling that I love this distance and that I want to master it. Looking forward to Anderson - just hoping my body feels a little less tired by then.