So I've been off training for 6 weeks. I haven't talked publicly about my injury til now. On my birthday I went to see Dr. Stoddard a fellow triathlete and sports doctor. We chatted quite a bit that day and he diagnosed me with as being "Overtrained" or "Under recovered". His diagnosis was to take the next 6-8 weeks off doing nothing and my 2014 season was in jeopardy.
Looking back at my 2013 season it was a disappointment for me. I was hoping to make huge strides in my results which didn't happen with my "A" races. I had a tremendous race at the Goodlife Half marathon, decent result at the binbrook tri. From there, things went downhill. I went into my A race - Tremblant 70.3 tired, which ultimately resulted in a DNF, followed up by a sub par performance in Calgary.
Following the season I took the plunge to sign up for the full Ironman(whole reason for this blog). I continued to push through things, and by January, I couldn't do any sort of workout without feeling the fatigue for days afterwards.
So looking back I think this whole thing goes back to June of 2013. By realizing that this overtaining could have happened last year it brings up a lot of emotions - anger, blame, sadness, regret.
Being off for 6 weeks I've come to terms that I won't have the 2014 season that I was hoping for. My main goal right is to have fun with this sport and ultimately make it to the starting line. For that reason I'm no longer being coached in triathlon. I met with a pro triathlete who lives in my neighborhood and we've come up with a good game plan for 2014.
I'm glad to be back at it this week...so far things are feeling ok. I'm pretty far behind in the training. I also think my bank account is happy i'm back training! Too much spending when I've got nothing to do after work! Maybe i'll do a post up of some of the new gear i'm trying out... stay tuned!
Monday, 10 March 2014
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Keep Plugging Away...
So I've been a little too relaxed at updating this blog. December/January were really busy months for me with xmas, 2x freelance job, full time job, and family gatherings.
2014 hasn't gone as planned. I'm injured. This is the first time since i picked up endurance activities where i've had a significant injury. I remember reading that one way to look at Ironman or a goal is like climbing a mountain. There is no real direct way to the top. Sometimes, you reach a point where you have to backtrack and take another route, sometimes there are obstacles in the way. I gotta realize by doing what i need to now in a way is preparing for the ironman by getting healthy again. Its all steps in the right direction.
On a side note, my bday was recently, and got spoiled... i'll be rockin' a new swanky helmet for this season, and a neat swim training tool - the roka sim shorts(http://www.rokasports.com/sim-pro-short-mens-neoprene-swimming). Looking forward to giving these a go as soon as i'm able to.
Only thing I can do right now is recoup the best of my abilities and try to get back training as soon as my body allows me to.
2014 hasn't gone as planned. I'm injured. This is the first time since i picked up endurance activities where i've had a significant injury. I remember reading that one way to look at Ironman or a goal is like climbing a mountain. There is no real direct way to the top. Sometimes, you reach a point where you have to backtrack and take another route, sometimes there are obstacles in the way. I gotta realize by doing what i need to now in a way is preparing for the ironman by getting healthy again. Its all steps in the right direction.
On a side note, my bday was recently, and got spoiled... i'll be rockin' a new swanky helmet for this season, and a neat swim training tool - the roka sim shorts(http://www.rokasports.com/sim-pro-short-mens-neoprene-swimming). Looking forward to giving these a go as soon as i'm able to.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
New Look, missed a week, how I train.
So I missed a week. To tell you the truth, I've been so busy with other aspects of my life I didn't have a chance to update or even get any training in last weekend.
I did have a chance to update the look of this blog. I'm still learning lots about how this whole thing works, so I'm sure by the time next summer rolls around, this blog will look very different. its a constant evolution. I've linked to some of the gear I use, some useful sites, as well as my athlete page on the ignition fitness page. It includes my race reports from last year.
The past few weeks have been a little hectic with all the freelance work i'm doing as well as starting the process to unload my CMW position. We also did our annual trip to Niagara falls to stock up on stuff for the year, as well to get most of our xmas shopping done. I found this gem of a shirt..i think it'll look pretty swanky out on my long runs this spring/summer! not a huge fan of 'selfies', but had to show off this gem...
I thought i would share how I do my workouts year round..
Swim - I use my garmin 910xt in the pool to track my time/distance. I only use the screen that I set up with "Lap Time/Lap distance/lap pace". after every interval I hit 'lap'. The garmin accelerometer within the watch will automatically determine whether that lap is an actual swim or a rest period. For kicking sets, I let the watch run. The Garmin will read this as a rest period, but when I upload to garmin connect, it'll show my total time in the pool.
Bike - This is a bit of a tricky one... some people may not agree with how i do things. I have a computrainer set up to change the load for my workout, however I go by the power readings from my power tap. Those are the files I upload for coach to see. I go by the power on the power tap, as that the main device I use indoors/outdoors and want to be consistent. I do find a bit of a discrepancy between the 2 devices, but nothing too crazy. For example here is 2 files from my bike ride yesterday:
From Powertap:
From Computrainer
The workout was a 10mins easy warm up, followed by 45mins at 150w-175w/5mins rest/15mins at 215w-230w/5mins rest/20mins at 215w-230w. From the 2 files there is a bit of discrepancy:
Powertap
45mins - 170w
15mins - 230w
20mins - 229w
Computrainer
45min - 165w
15mins - 224w
20mins - 224w
Nothing crazy, and still within the range I should have been. Its just nice to get on computrainer and not worry about changing gears to maintain my effort. Just hop on and maintain a steady cadence. I don't change gears in these types of workouts.
Run - With running, I only go by heart rate/distance. I know with the garmin there are lots of different options to see data on the screen. I only have 2 fields set up - HR and Time. Thats all I really care about for now. When doing intervals and need to hit a specific pace I'll switch it up to pace/time. I try to keep things really simple with the running.
Since things have been so crazy busy, I have no useful links today.. Will hopefully be back on track with some useful stuff that I find on the web next week!
I did have a chance to update the look of this blog. I'm still learning lots about how this whole thing works, so I'm sure by the time next summer rolls around, this blog will look very different. its a constant evolution. I've linked to some of the gear I use, some useful sites, as well as my athlete page on the ignition fitness page. It includes my race reports from last year.
The past few weeks have been a little hectic with all the freelance work i'm doing as well as starting the process to unload my CMW position. We also did our annual trip to Niagara falls to stock up on stuff for the year, as well to get most of our xmas shopping done. I found this gem of a shirt..i think it'll look pretty swanky out on my long runs this spring/summer! not a huge fan of 'selfies', but had to show off this gem...
I thought i would share how I do my workouts year round..
Swim - I use my garmin 910xt in the pool to track my time/distance. I only use the screen that I set up with "Lap Time/Lap distance/lap pace". after every interval I hit 'lap'. The garmin accelerometer within the watch will automatically determine whether that lap is an actual swim or a rest period. For kicking sets, I let the watch run. The Garmin will read this as a rest period, but when I upload to garmin connect, it'll show my total time in the pool.
Bike - This is a bit of a tricky one... some people may not agree with how i do things. I have a computrainer set up to change the load for my workout, however I go by the power readings from my power tap. Those are the files I upload for coach to see. I go by the power on the power tap, as that the main device I use indoors/outdoors and want to be consistent. I do find a bit of a discrepancy between the 2 devices, but nothing too crazy. For example here is 2 files from my bike ride yesterday:
From Powertap:
From Computrainer
The workout was a 10mins easy warm up, followed by 45mins at 150w-175w/5mins rest/15mins at 215w-230w/5mins rest/20mins at 215w-230w. From the 2 files there is a bit of discrepancy:
Powertap
45mins - 170w
15mins - 230w
20mins - 229w
Computrainer
45min - 165w
15mins - 224w
20mins - 224w
Nothing crazy, and still within the range I should have been. Its just nice to get on computrainer and not worry about changing gears to maintain my effort. Just hop on and maintain a steady cadence. I don't change gears in these types of workouts.
Run - With running, I only go by heart rate/distance. I know with the garmin there are lots of different options to see data on the screen. I only have 2 fields set up - HR and Time. Thats all I really care about for now. When doing intervals and need to hit a specific pace I'll switch it up to pace/time. I try to keep things really simple with the running.
Since things have been so crazy busy, I have no useful links today.. Will hopefully be back on track with some useful stuff that I find on the web next week!
Sunday, 24 November 2013
November in the books..
Just finished my first training block. Not a whole lot of intensity for the month of November. Just trying to get back into a routine with consistency.
I joined a masters swim club this month for the first time in a few years. Its a true swim club(focusing on all swim strokes). I've talked to the coach and for those sets with other strokes, I'll continue with freestyle. The workouts are about 3000m of swimming, with 4 swims a week. I think with this plan I can put in anywhere from 9k-12k of swimming per week. It also gives me lots of flexibility with my freelance position with CTV for lots of options to swim.
On the bike front, I'm still looking at options to hide my shifting junction box(see photo). The junction box is the box hanging off the side with 'shimano' on the side. In theory, this box can be trimmed/rejigged to go inside my stem. With this it'll create a much cleaner set up. Much like "crowies' shiv. He's had some modifications down to have the box internal. see photos for comparison:
In addition to looking into this junction box, I received a new crank this week. Last year I rode with a 'standard crank'. A standard crank has 53 teeth on outer ring and 39 teeth on inner ring. In previous years, I've gone with a 'compact crank' which has less teeth on both outer and inner rings.
explanation on standard vs. compact crank: http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/cycling/2011/05/compact-cranks-vs-standard-cranks-gearing-implications/
My running is a little bit of a struggle these days. I'm still working through issues with my stomach. Hopefully will have that resolved for the big training months. still trying to adjust to a constant schedule and training intensities.
In other news, I've been accepted to the "Ignition Fitness Ambassador Team"(www.ignition-fitness.com) once again for 2013. This will be my 2nd year working with head coach Tommy Ferris. I saw great strides in results last year, but still have some unfinished business for 2014! Congrats to the returning members and welcome to the new athletes on the team!
.JPG)
A few things I noticed this week:
-2015 70.3 World Championships heading to Europe:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/European_finalists_for_70.3_Worlds_4052.html
after many years in the US and with 2014 in Mont Tremblant it appears that 2015 will be in Europe(not that i'll qualify! but interesting)
-When should you be taking your supplements/vitamins?
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/11/when-to-take-vitamins/
-Road ID App
http://www.roadid.com/ecrumbs
I've mentioned this a few times... i think this app is beneficial to anyone who's outside doing activities alone - walking the dog, running....better to be safe than sorry!
-100 exercises with no weights
http://imgur.com/gallery/YBQFI
-Multisport Canada takes over Kingston Long Course and releases 2014 schedule
http://www.multisportcanada.com/blog/the-2014-schedule/
I joined a masters swim club this month for the first time in a few years. Its a true swim club(focusing on all swim strokes). I've talked to the coach and for those sets with other strokes, I'll continue with freestyle. The workouts are about 3000m of swimming, with 4 swims a week. I think with this plan I can put in anywhere from 9k-12k of swimming per week. It also gives me lots of flexibility with my freelance position with CTV for lots of options to swim.
On the bike front, I'm still looking at options to hide my shifting junction box(see photo). The junction box is the box hanging off the side with 'shimano' on the side. In theory, this box can be trimmed/rejigged to go inside my stem. With this it'll create a much cleaner set up. Much like "crowies' shiv. He's had some modifications down to have the box internal. see photos for comparison:
.JPG) |
| Mine |
 |
| Craig Alexanders |
In addition to looking into this junction box, I received a new crank this week. Last year I rode with a 'standard crank'. A standard crank has 53 teeth on outer ring and 39 teeth on inner ring. In previous years, I've gone with a 'compact crank' which has less teeth on both outer and inner rings.
explanation on standard vs. compact crank: http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/cycling/2011/05/compact-cranks-vs-standard-cranks-gearing-implications/
My running is a little bit of a struggle these days. I'm still working through issues with my stomach. Hopefully will have that resolved for the big training months. still trying to adjust to a constant schedule and training intensities.
In other news, I've been accepted to the "Ignition Fitness Ambassador Team"(www.ignition-fitness.com) once again for 2013. This will be my 2nd year working with head coach Tommy Ferris. I saw great strides in results last year, but still have some unfinished business for 2014! Congrats to the returning members and welcome to the new athletes on the team!
.JPG)
A few things I noticed this week:
-2015 70.3 World Championships heading to Europe:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/European_finalists_for_70.3_Worlds_4052.html
after many years in the US and with 2014 in Mont Tremblant it appears that 2015 will be in Europe(not that i'll qualify! but interesting)
-When should you be taking your supplements/vitamins?
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/11/when-to-take-vitamins/
-Road ID App
http://www.roadid.com/ecrumbs
I've mentioned this a few times... i think this app is beneficial to anyone who's outside doing activities alone - walking the dog, running....better to be safe than sorry!
-100 exercises with no weights
http://imgur.com/gallery/YBQFI
-Multisport Canada takes over Kingston Long Course and releases 2014 schedule
http://www.multisportcanada.com/blog/the-2014-schedule/
Monday, 18 November 2013
About Me..
Ok...so I've got lots of ideas for these types of blogs. The main reason why i'm doing this is so in 10 years I can look back and see exactly what my thoughts were and how I was preparing for this 2nd Ironman.
So about me.. I'm 38 (will be 39 on raceday 2014). I grew up in a small down about 100k east of Toronto called Cobourg. Growing up I was pretty active with Baseball, Hockey, Tennis... When I went to college it was a different story...being out on my own, I gained lots of weight, cut down on the sports, and got introduced to alcohol. These trends continued til about I was 33 when i was pushing about 240lbs. I knew something had to change.. this was me about 10yrs ago...
I remember going watch a bunch of my friends go to toronto island in 2005 and run a 10k. I was the 'fat guy' on the side of the road cheering them on. On that day i vowed that I would be out running with them the following year. I found a 5k plan..started running 1 mins, and walking 1mins. It came so fast, and within months i was running 5ks. In 2006 I ran my first 8k and first 10k and got hooked. In 2008 I bought my first bike, and started sprint duathlons.
In 2008 my friend Stephen was training for Ironman Lake Placid and a few of us decided last minute to go down and cheer him on. I remember watching the Ironman on NBC, but figured that was something that people were 'drafted' into.. much like baseball, or hockey. I didn't realize regular folks did this crazy event. Watching the Ironman that day was much like watching that 10k 2 years earlier. It was something that I had to try. Since I hadn't swam since I was a kid, I wanted to train right and take the right amount of time to tackle that race... I had set a plan to do IMLP in 2011. Spent years learning to swim, build my endurance, then on July 24th, 2011 completed that race. It was a tough tough day(see my race report), but loved every second of it.
For my nutrition I try to stay as close as I can to a Paleo lifestyle... I don't eat grains or dairy. I find that I feel better eating this way rather than a typical food pyramid that we've been told to eat since we were kids.
For 2012 and 2013 I stuck to doing half Ironmans(70.3) and attempting to get stronger at each discipline. I've set some pretty realistic goals for IMMT in 2014... just need to buckle down and get the right training in.
Here are some of my PBs
Running
5k - (no races) 21:30(training) - 2013
8k - 39:13 Harrys Spring Run Off - 2009
10k - 45:07 Sporting Life - 2009
21.1k - 1:35 Goodlife Half Marathon
Triathlon
Sprint(750m swim/20k bike/5k run) - 1:14:42 Chatham YMCA Sprint -2013
Olympic(1.5k swim/40k bike/10k run) - 2:26:55
Half Ironman - 5:15:02 (2k swim/90k bike/21.1k run) - MSC Welland half Iron
Ironman - 12:58 (3.8k/180k/42.2k) - Ironman Lake Placid
I'm still making changes to the way I eat/train... its a constant struggle to find that 'perfect' balance... but i'm doing my best!
So about me.. I'm 38 (will be 39 on raceday 2014). I grew up in a small down about 100k east of Toronto called Cobourg. Growing up I was pretty active with Baseball, Hockey, Tennis... When I went to college it was a different story...being out on my own, I gained lots of weight, cut down on the sports, and got introduced to alcohol. These trends continued til about I was 33 when i was pushing about 240lbs. I knew something had to change.. this was me about 10yrs ago...
I remember going watch a bunch of my friends go to toronto island in 2005 and run a 10k. I was the 'fat guy' on the side of the road cheering them on. On that day i vowed that I would be out running with them the following year. I found a 5k plan..started running 1 mins, and walking 1mins. It came so fast, and within months i was running 5ks. In 2006 I ran my first 8k and first 10k and got hooked. In 2008 I bought my first bike, and started sprint duathlons.
In 2008 my friend Stephen was training for Ironman Lake Placid and a few of us decided last minute to go down and cheer him on. I remember watching the Ironman on NBC, but figured that was something that people were 'drafted' into.. much like baseball, or hockey. I didn't realize regular folks did this crazy event. Watching the Ironman that day was much like watching that 10k 2 years earlier. It was something that I had to try. Since I hadn't swam since I was a kid, I wanted to train right and take the right amount of time to tackle that race... I had set a plan to do IMLP in 2011. Spent years learning to swim, build my endurance, then on July 24th, 2011 completed that race. It was a tough tough day(see my race report), but loved every second of it.
For my nutrition I try to stay as close as I can to a Paleo lifestyle... I don't eat grains or dairy. I find that I feel better eating this way rather than a typical food pyramid that we've been told to eat since we were kids.
For 2012 and 2013 I stuck to doing half Ironmans(70.3) and attempting to get stronger at each discipline. I've set some pretty realistic goals for IMMT in 2014... just need to buckle down and get the right training in.
Here are some of my PBs
Running
5k - (no races) 21:30(training) - 2013
8k - 39:13 Harrys Spring Run Off - 2009
10k - 45:07 Sporting Life - 2009
21.1k - 1:35 Goodlife Half Marathon
Triathlon
Sprint(750m swim/20k bike/5k run) - 1:14:42 Chatham YMCA Sprint -2013
Olympic(1.5k swim/40k bike/10k run) - 2:26:55
Half Ironman - 5:15:02 (2k swim/90k bike/21.1k run) - MSC Welland half Iron
Ironman - 12:58 (3.8k/180k/42.2k) - Ironman Lake Placid
I'm still making changes to the way I eat/train... its a constant struggle to find that 'perfect' balance... but i'm doing my best!
Ironman Mont Tremblant 2014
Welcome to my page. I figured this would be kind of a fun thing to do as i take that journey towards my 2nd Ironman attempt in Mont Tremlbant in 2014. I'll do weekly updates on sundays recapping my week and anything I might have learned throughout the week.
Why Ironman?
Ironman Lake Placid was an amazing day for me and my family. It was the day that I proposed to my girlfriend, and it was a great time away with the entire family. The race however, I feel that I made a lot of rookie mistakes - went out too fast, nutrition problems, that I've always had the 'what ifs'. Now that i'll be 3 years removed from IMLP I think i've forgotten the pain of training/racing Ironman so time to refine what i learned last time around and give it a shot!
Why Tremblant?
This venue is incredible. The organizers and province really know how to embrace this sport. I've never been to Tremblant for the full Ironman, however with tackling the course in 2012, and 2013 I think that I know what i'm in for with this course. Also, I'm returning for the 70.3 again in 2013, Tremblant is driving distance for me, accommodations are reasonably priced.
Why 2014?
Well I'm not getting any younger! and if I want to tackle this distance now is the time to tackle it. Shawna and I have been married for year, and we'd like to start thinking of a family. If we were to start a family, the next time I would even think of Ironman would be 10years from now, and I don't want to be left with all the "what ifs?". So the time is now... 2014 M35-39 represent!
Friday, 12 August 2011
Ironman Lake Placid
Hi all,
this is long overdue, but i thought i would email everyone to let them know about the Ironman in lake placid. This will probably be long, so grab your favorite bevy, popcorn, etc..
On July 20th, My Dad, Shawna and I loaded up the car to head down to lake placid, ny. we left cobourg about 8am and got down to placid about 1pm. We couldn't get into the apartment we rented til about 3pm, so my dad and I thought we'd go out for a bike ride. I had a 60mins bike ride to do, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to show my dad the run course, then take him up the last 3 hills on the bike course. It was a pretty hot day, we got through the bike ride. After the hills back into placid, my dad told me how much more respect he has for us athletes and how we have to do that twice! The 20th was my dads birthday, so we took him out for dinner to a pizza place overlooking Mirror lake. 
Thursday, I had to do 1 lap of the swim, followed by a bike/run. Once I completed the workouts, I met up with my friends Mike, Leanne to get registered. Registration is quite the process. Signing multiple waivers, doing a 'weigh in', then getting all of our goodies. We took the opportunities to get a few good shots in there. After the registration, we headed over to the expo. I knew this would be trouble for me, buying everything in sight. I picked up a new cycling outfit, as well as some other goodies.
On thursday afternoon, Shawna surprised me with one of my books on the ironman with all messages from friends, families back home. There were multiple cards, messages of support. It was pretty overwhelming for all the messages. I'm glad she did it on thursday and not saturday afternoon! Later that day, my brother and mom arrived. My mom showed up with a gift for me for race day. I don't think anyone was going to miss me!
Friday was an offday which i hung out with the family. That evening we headed over to the athletes dinner at the horseshoe grounds. The meal was ok. Just before the festivities began, a man came over and put his hands on my shoulder and wished me luck. It was Mike Reilley.. he's the voice of the Ironman. he's the announcer for all the races arcross the world. I was hoping this was a good omen! the athletes dinner was really powerful with a lot of inspiring speeches, including Matt Long. He was a NY fire fighter who was crushed by a bus back in 2005. He ended up coming back to complete the ironman in 2009. One thing that he said that really stuck with me was "that there is nothing else we can do at this point. come race day we have to have confidence in our training to get us through the day". More on Matt Long can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn2KjO5zrBo&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GpHpF_sg0M&feature=related pretty inspiring stuff!
Saturday I pretty much layed on the couch all day. I took my bike in for the bike/bag check in. You have to deliver your bike the day before the race. Also its mandatory you drop off your "bike" bag, and your "run" bag. Included in these bags is everything you'll need.(bike/run clothes, bike helmet, bike/running shoes, clothes etc..). I met up with my friend Mike again to drop off all of our gear. 
Sunday morning! RACE DAY! I was up at 4:30am, had a bowl of Oatmeal and egg whites, then started to head down to the race at 5am. Although the race didn't start til 7am, there was tonne of stuff that I needed to get done - check bike, get body marked, meet up with friends. Upon arriving down at the water, I realized that I forgot my goggles at the apartment! Shawna said she'd go back and get them for me. Getting down to the water and seeing the whole set up, this race finally sunk in. Wow.. i couldn't believe that after 3 years of watching this race, I was now going to be a part of it. I hopped in the water about 6:30am and swam over to the side where i could see my friend Stephen, and Leanne. I chatted with him a bit. As the start time got nearer I made my way up closer to the starting line. Just before the starting line, the song "Bittersweet Symphony" came on. This is the exact song that was playing 3 years ago when i witnessed my first Ironman. Before I knew it, the gun was off and we were swimming. 
the first 900m was pretty busy with a lot of contact. I just made sure to keep swimming. It wasn't as bad as I thought, I could always find open water. When I reached the the turn buoy I didn't get touched again for the next 3km. As I got out of the water on the first loop I heard Mike Reilley call out my name. It was nice to hear. My goal time for the swim was 1:15-1:20. I got out at 1:14! good start to the day!T1 - its a long run to the oval where you get changed for the run. My dad was working security about 300m from the swim. I ran up and gave him a hug, and said "one down, 2 to go". he seemed really happy to see me. I grabbed my "bike bag" and headed into the change tent. it was absolute chaos in there! I got changed, put on sunscreen and headed out on the bike.
Bike - The bike is a challenging 2 loop bike course. You start off by doing a climb out of placid followed by a 8km descent, followed by a good flat section, then the looooong climb back into placid. many, many people said to go easy on the first loop of the bike. As I was leaving placid, I tried to keep this in mind. Really tried to keep effort low. Today, I was really looking forward to the descent for some reason!? I've always had troubles with the descent, as you can reach really high speeds, and with the combination of turns, it makes for a pretty scary 10mins! However, with the road being closed to traffic, I felt so much better descending. As I was going down i passed my friend Leanne. I didn't want to say anything to throw off her concentration so I just waved and kept going. The first thing I noticed on the bike was that my nutrition wasn't going down too well. My plan was to alternate powerbar/electrolyte and gels/water every hour. I was having troubles keeping the bars down. There was a lot of dry heaving on the bike with the bars. For the 2nd loop I made the decision to go with straight gels. Coming back into town after the first loop was an amazing feeling. The supporters made you feel like a rockstar! I saw my family cheering me on as I flew by them!(I couldn't miss the sign!). The 2nd loop of the bike was much tougher then I anticipated. I struggled pretty much from 160k - 180k. not to mention my nutrition plan had to be changed. People had posted along the bike course which was encouraging to read "Don't Suck - Love Jen", "Chuck Norris is not an Ironman".. there was even a sign saying "hey _____ guess who's pregnant!". if I saw that during a race I think it would throw off my whole day. My goal was 6:00hrs to 6:30hrs. I got off the bike at 6:40. I'll take it. wasn't as fast as I wanted...but oh well. T2 - I handed off my bike to a volunteer, then made the slow walk back to the tent with my run bag. My legs were soo tired from that 2nd loop. I got changed in my run clothes, sat in the change tent and thought about calling it a day at that point. I figured there was no way I could go out and now run a marathon. I thought I'd give it a shot and run really easy, maybe do a shuffle and see how it goes.
Run - This was going to be my FIRST marathon. Who does this? runs their first marathon after working out for 8hrs?! In training I only made it up to 30k once, as I was dealing with a few injuries, so i wasn't sure what was going to happen on this run. I started running and I turned a corner to start heading out of placid for the first loop. I could see my dad waiting for me at the top of the hill.
He ran down with me, then I saw Shawna. I started to walk and talk with them. The first loop was a lot of walking. Heading out of town a group of people were playing "Don't stop Believing" by the Glee cast?! who does that! I wanted to hear that song that day...but the original! The first loop I did a lot of talking/walking with other racers. The 2nd loop of the run went much better. I decided to pick my battles. I would walk on inclines, then run as much as I could on flats. I would take a gel, orange, water, electrolytes at every aid station, as well as 2 sponges to get water over my head. I met a lot of interesting people along the way. I felt really good, and about Mile 22 I thought,"hey, I think I can get under 13hrs". I saw a guy from toronto, I mentioned this to him, and he said "Good luck with that. no way you are getting under 13hrs at this point". Figured I didn't need his negativity so I bailed on him and continued on my way. 
The Finish - When I decided to do this Ironman I knew it would take a lot of commitment on my part, as well as Shawna's. My plan from Day 1 was to propose to Shawna before I crossed the finish line. I had my brother in on the plan, as I needed someone to hold the ring for the day(didnt' want to lose it). As I approached the finish line, I stopped, got the ring from Ian, then went into the finishing chute. What an incredible feeling! The finish line in Lake Placid is the outdoor speedskating oval. There is about 1000 people all cheering you on as you approach. Finishing the Ironman is much different then any other race as the athlets are all spread out, so you have the finish to yourself. I was able to find Shawna just before the finsh and walked over, and got down on one knee and proposed. The crowd went nuts! lots of photos were taken. I ended up crossing the finish line at 12:58:35.
I really want to thank my family - Ron(dad), Joan(mom), Megan(sister), her husband Aaron, and my brother Ian for being there and sharing the day with them. It was such an awesome feeling coming in on every loop and seeing that sign and hearing their cheering! Means a lot that you guys would come down and support!
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