My day started out at 4:30am as I had read on the website there were only three places in town to drop off your T2 gear. The organizers had decided to bus athletes out to the race start and were encouraging everyone to take these buses from three points in the city. The website said (in bold) do not take your T2 gear to the race start. So I had to get my run gear to McMahon Stadium before 5:30am. Thanks to my brother and Lori who got up (way early) and were SO excited to drive me around the city at 5:00am!! It actually was alot of fun with some good laughs and stories told and kept my mind off what was coming.
We pull into the race start and I knew the parking was going to be tight, but there was a volunteer directing traffic and asked if we were athletes and directed us to the lot straight across the road and Carter and Lori got some great parking. I spent the next while setting up my bike, standing in line for the porta potties, chatting with Keith and Julie, dropping off my T1 bag. I was really enjoying the morning...the sunrise was absolutely gorgeous. I said my goodbyes, posed for some last minute pictures and wandered down to the start line. I was listening to the announcer calling the age group waves and had not heard mine. The sound system kept sputtering and there were periods you couldn't hear the announcer. I had also checked the website and my e-mail before we left in the morning to see of any changes as my start time had already changed once. I ran into a Saskatoon tri-buddy and we made some small talk and then she drops the bomb...I think your wave left several minutes ago...SAY WHAT??? Holy Crap.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you are standing and the world just kind of whizzes around you? I was trying not to get upset and at the same time trying to think of what I should do. I went down to the starters tent and told an official (not a volunteer) there what had happened. He was great. He said not to worry as they will just start me in the next wave. But I should talk to the head timer (Mark) and he would be back in a few minutes. So I stand and I wait and I watch a wave go and watch another wave get set up for the start. Mark finally comes back and is very agitated and tells me the rule is that I just start my race...I am about 20 minutes behind my wave...tough luck...there is nothing he can do for me. The first official is still standing there and he says he has worked these races all over the world and as long as I was not trying to qualify for the world championships, Mark should just let me into the next wave. The two men get in a HUGE argument about what to do with me. Mark was quite annoyed and getting angry (and i don't blame him as he was under alot of pressure making sure the race was fair etc etc...) I am standing there trying to think and I eventually say "May I see a copy of the rule book? Is the rule open to ANY interpretation...? I promise you I am just doing this race and will not be qualifying for Clearwater." I sort of figured they would not have a copy of anything like that right there...which is a bit lame, on my part, but I wanted these guys to decide something!!!
Mark huffs and puffs and goes over to his computer and changes my start time to the 40-49 year old men wave. And that is where and when I started!! I thanked both him and the other official profusely and went on my way to start my swim.
The actual race:
I did not enjoy the swim. It was boring and felt long and the smell of boat gasoline was almost making me puke. I felt like I was out there all by myself, there was literally no one around me, I sure did not feel like I was in a race and I found the bouys really far apart and it was hard to tell which one was which. I then caught some of the swimmers from the wave before me and had to weave through traffic for the rest of the swim. But I had a pretty good swim anyway, it is what it is!!
The run up the boat ramp was fun. So many people cheering and yelling. I had walked through the transition twice the day before so had no issues about where to go or what to do. I told my brother, who was videotaping my entire day, that if he got a shot of me getting my wetsuit stripped...I would never speak to him again... Since I was so far behind my wave, my T1 bag was sitting there all by its lonesome, as was my bike. But it worked out as I had a personal assistant volunteer who carried my wetsuit and dumped my T1 bag for me and handed me my shoes (undone), my socks, he bagged my wetsuit and swim gear for me...he was great!! I thanked and thanked him.
The bike ride was great. The highlights were the hills. As in how good I felt on the hills!! I made my way up them and even passed some guys...remember, I was in the 45-49 year old men wave so these are the guys I was racing with all day...it was actually super fun and I passed alot of people on the bike this race which gave me some super duper confidence. My chain fell off about half way down one of the hills so had to stop and deal with that. I LOVED pedalling in my biggest gear down those hills!! How fun was that!! All those years on my motorcycle taught me how to corner and I LOVED passing people on the downhills!! The first aid station was a gong show...I grabbed water to fill up my aerobottle but then got all fumbly when I was trying to put my nuun tablets into the bottle. My precious cargo!! The second aid station was at the bottom of a hill and I nearly took out a volunteer and ended up stopping completely as I wanted to get my second bottle full of powerade. I felt like we had a long way to go yet and there wasn't another bike aid station...I did not want to start the run dry!! I did not see one porta potty on the bike (had seen them on the drive the day before but looked and looked and could not remember which corner they were at...) so ended up stopping at the side of the road and having a pee while a lady who was cheering held my bike!!! She was awesome and supportive and gave me a push on my bum like they do at the Tour de France...
Heading back into Calgary was a bit crazy. There was lots and lots of traffic and I felt like I needed to be on high alert. Coming into T2, there were 100s people lining the course and all I could think of was I really hope some little kid does not wipe me out!! The dismount line kind came up on me and I almost wiped out as I saw my family and I was waving and the volunteer yelled at me "DISMOUNT!!! NOW!!!" He was funny as he then says, after I was safely on my feet, "I know you have plenty of fans here today but try to pay attention!!"
I felt amazing getting off that bike. Freakishly good. I was so excited to run!! For once, I had nailed my nutrition...my legs and back and neck felt good...I couldn't believe I had just pedalled over 90km and I was going to run a half marathon and it was going to be all good!! PB....here I come!!! The bike ride had been a bit cloudy and I kept thinking, please clouds stay for my run...please. My brother got a picture of me running my bike into transition and I was smiling and waving and was having a great time.
Then the clouds went away and the sun came out. It was hot. It was SO F-ing HOT!!! At about the 5km mark I was in trouble. My legs felt like running but it was so stifling hot I could not breathe. Everytime I started to run, my lungs would say...hmmm...we don't like this heat. It was like I was running into a web or a mesh wall... And the aid stations were kind of goofy on the run. There would be a sign (Aid station ahead) but it wouldn't be for another several 100 meters. And there was very little shade. It looked like a war zone out there...people cramping up, puking, I saw the ambulance come a couple of times...there were aid stations at km 9, 10, 11 and 12 but none the last 6km!! OMG...I wanted to quit so many times. I got discouraged when I realized the heat was going to ruin my run...and wanted to quit. I was kind of let down that I coulda had that PB but the crazy hot day was not going to let me have it. Oh well. I walked probably half the run. I tried to chat with some others but no one was in the mood for talking. The water/powerade at the aid stations was warm and by km 11 or 12...I was literally in survival mode. Just get this thing done. How do you prepare yourself for that heat?? It was over 30 degrees and that hot, heavy air.
Thanks to Susi for catching me at the finish!! Of course I cried. I found the family and my kids were beat from the heat. My 3 year old was wilting and they were not in the greatest of spirits. I felt really bad for putting them through that... Once we got into the truck with the air conditioning, they (and me) perked up a bit.
Thanks to Keith and Linda for the awesome time afterwards!! It was great to see you all and have some post-race laughs!!
