Ironman Canada 2010 Further Thoughts

I have tremendous respect for anyone who finishes one of these races. Actually, that goes for anyone who gets in the water on race morning. Outside of the run, the most difficult part was the two days leading up to the race. I was so wrapped in anxiety that it was difficult to eat without feeling queasy. I owe my most sincere thanks to Brooke who took such excellent care of me in my overwhelming anxiety. She kept me eating and kept me distracted with random stories to ease my mind. I have no doubt she was largely responsible for my successful finish.

This race wasn't actually a secret though it might have seemed that way. When I registered a year ago I had a plan that involved four to six months of diagnosing and addressing two chronic pains and six to eight months of dedicated training. Nine months later, one issue remained intractable and the other had been resolved only to reappear with great force on my bike tour across Oregon in May. So in the six months leading up to the race my "training" had consisted of a total of approximately ten miles of swimming, 450 miles of cycling, and fifteen miles of running. Needless to say, you don't plan to finish an Ironman without preparation. I didn't like the thought of making a big fuss about racing then having to admit to not making it through the bike. Some people knew I had signed up and others found out as the weekend got close but otherwise I didn't mention it.

I never stopped being excited about it though so I made plans to go up by myself and experience all I could. If nothing else it would make me better prepared for 2011 and I'd be there to sign up. Yi convinced me not to rule out finishing then she and her crew gave me the encouragement to start the race with confidence. They were right and I couldn't be more pleased.

I know now this isn't a one-and-out event for me. I had too much fun. I was happy enough with my time that I didn't sign up for 2011 but I also know that, within the Ironman circles at least, sub 14 isn't much. This time it didn't matter, this time it was a personal test. Next time will be for a time. I doubt I'll ever care to get seriously twisted and try to win my age bracket but I will say that in the next few years I'll be preparing to beat the original Ironman winning time of 11 hours 46 minutes. I'm already excited.