Penticton.  My favorite place on the planet earth - which I now call "home."

This mural may be a bit dated, but it speaks volumes about what Penticton really stands for.

 I remember the first time I came to this magical place in the spring of 2008.  I had, only months before, decided to leave "the marathon" behind in search of greener (or at least less injury prone) pastures.  I was still teaching at the time, had never raced a triathlon, but was training to experience my first ever season of triathlon in the coming months.  I had two weeks off for spring break and at the last minute I found myself packing my bags for Penticton to meet up with some training partners I had never before met - The Tribalistic gang from Winnipeg - some of whom have become my dearest friends.  I do believe that I fell madly in love with Penticton during that week of 'riding the course', running through the KVR trails, and I remember driving back to Calgary thinking I now had two "musts" in my life:

  I must move to Penticton some day.

  I must find a way to train and race full-time so that this can be my job.

Interesting how life has a way of making things happen when you truly want something and are willing to do what it takes to make it happen.  Two years later...here I am.  I am no longer chasing a dream, I am simply living it, and I haven't a complaint in the world - not a single one.

Before I go any further, and JUST in case you weren't already aware, Penticton is also the home of Ironman Canada.  IMC is one of the original Ironman races, and has maintained its solidarity among a sea of new Ironman and 70.3 races.  It remains special because of how the community lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes this race.  Ironman Canada is not a 1-2 week event within a community, instead it is a year-round experience which is appreciated and respected in a way that is so very special and rare.  And as a professional triathlete, it's tough to find better stomping grounds than this. This morning were two prime examples.  As I was finishing an easy spin through town I came across a group of young kids were walking along the sidewalk as part of, what looked to be, a summer program.  Several of the young elementary school aged kids started cheering as I passed by them.  Then later, I stumbled upon a couple having coffee out by the beach who asked me if I was "training for the Ironman?"  I told them that I was, and they asked my name and race number so they could cheer for me on race day.  Welcome to Penticton. 

The iconic "Peach" which signifies the start and end of IMC.

The equally iconic "Bike Barn" - one of the best bike shops you'll ever stumble upon.

Beyond that, I swam this morning with my coach and a group of Factor 9 athletes.  The swim has remained so elusive to me, and a majority of that has been based around the fact that I haven't had my coach there with me often enough to keep my stroke on track as it develops and improves.  Living in different places makes this a bit tough!  This morning, however, was spent sighting, working on my stroke, and continuing to feel comfortable in the open water - all the while under the watchful and keen eye of my coach.  Finally.  This is now something we can do several times a week vs. the previous 'few times a year' scenario.  Scott and I both call this the "new chapter" in my swimming.  Bring it - as I'm getting awfully tired of chasing out of the water with deficits much larger than they need to to be;-)

View of Skaha Beach where I will be found navigating these very buoys on a daily basis.

 So, I continue along on the same road I have been travelling for the last year, but definitely on a new and improved pathway.  A pathway which I know with every fibre of my being that I am supposed to be on and couldn't be happier to have finally arrived - another "finally."  Tough to beat that.

PS - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all my super duper moving hands...and especially to Jenny Ayers who has done more than her share in making sure that this moving experience has gone on with as few glitches as possible. I couldn't have done it without you, good buddy.  Thank you.

 Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2010...a 'mentally' much-needed race where finally that coveted finish line was reached.   Some mental demons were finally put to rest on Sunday after a tough 8 months beginning with tendonitis (3 months worth!) in the fall/winterof 2009, an exceptionally challenging time in China where I had my first ever DNF due to becoming ill, and then a mechanical very early in the bike in St. George.  A finish line is a finish line, and in Ironman, it's even more than that.  It's a symbol of months of dedicated hard work for both pros and amateurs alike, and when you can finally see the finish line arches as you run that final mile towards your destination, the feelings and emotions are too complex to put into words.  You're relieved that you can finally stop, but there is also an over-riding sense of accomplishment that you can now sit back and enjoy.  For me, that finish line on Sunday was very sweet indeed.  Goodbye demons...hello fresh start.

IM Coeur d'Alene, for me personally, was not a great race.  Don't get me wrong, one cannot and should not complain with a top 5 finish in these events, but I cannot lie and say that I felt fully satisfied with the day. After a tough swim, I made some pacing errors (which I'll tell you all about) which had me unnecessarily shattered to bits at the finish line.  But I learned so much from it, and the experience was undoubtedly a critical one for me as I continue on in my professional racing career.  However, given my errors, to slowly have inched my way into the top five for that last podium spot was good recognition for me that I know how to fight hard when I need to, and that I have the mental capacity to deal with advertsity without wavering.  As an athlete, it's a nice thing to know about yourself and it is something I will surely have to tap into again in future race experiences.

Going over the Race Plan with Scott at T-24 hours.

The morning started with relative ease, as I was relieved to see that the swells in the lake from the day before had subsided substantially.  My coach, Scott, was there to make sure nothing went amiss on that morning and the days preceeding, and this helped to calm my fears of the DNFs of the last two races.  My parents were at the race cheering, as well as my good friends Jenny and Brian who made the trip to saunter around in grass skirts and coconut bras (yes Brian you looked really good...) to cheer me along the course.  I was also blown away by the number of supporters whom I had not even met before who have been following my racing and were rooting for me, all of which I feel so fortunate for.  This all meant alot to me and put my head in a good place for the morning start. 

                        Dad checking out my bike before racking it.           

    Brian and Jenny in full cheering mode!!!

The swim turned out to be quite a disaster for me.  It truly must appear as though I am not improving with my swim, but I am here to attest that it is.  Slowly.  But it's improving.  My pool times have shown alot of progression but the open water remains enigmatic to me as to how to go about tackling it.  The gun went off and I found myself in a pack of a few pro women...albeit not the front of the race by any means...but it was a solid pace that I felt comfortable with which assuredly would have taken many minutes off my final time had I managed to stay on the feet.  All was going well until the first turn buoy at 1,000 m. where I battled out there with another swimmer who put me under the water repeatedly a few times, then when I went to breathe a swell came along and I choked back a lot of water.  It took me a few seconds to recover, which was a few seconds enough to make me lose the feet.  Then with the building swells, I had lost that beautiful pack of feet.  From there it all went downhill.  I became seasick from the swells, finally having a good puke at about 2,800 m. into the swim.  My navigation was poor and I was zigzagging again.  The sighting caused me to lose my form...and well...it all amounted to a 1:11 swim.  Yuck-foo.  I had intended to swim 8-9 minutes faster than this, which my training showed to be a very realistic goal, but with the conditions and my relative inexperience in the open water in tougher conditions...that plan didn't unfold.  But it's coming - it's there - it's just a matter of time. 

A few final pre-race thoughts before heading to the beach

After coming out of the water with this deficit, I had some feelings of panic.   I am used to chasing out of the swim, but this was pretty bad and I knew there were many strong women in the race who I wasn't going to be able to chase down quickly OR easily.  It was going to be a long, slow process, and that is a big feat to look at when you still have over 8 hours to go.  It's a long day of chasing no matter how you slice it.  But, it was what it was, so I figured I may as well get started.  Here is where I made my next mistake.  I went out too hard.  My heart rate was far too high, I knew it, but I was so full of adrenalin that I tricked myself into thinking that I could handle this pace for the whole bike.  Not smart, but another rookie error.  I learned my limits.  After 2.5 hours of hard pushing on a course that is exceptionally tricky with all the turns and popper hills, I begain to pay the price.  My heart rate dropped substantially and because I knew my fuelling was all right, I knew I had gone out too hard.  But this is Ironman racing.  You live, you learn, and you are forced to deal with the factors of the day - even if they are self-induced...;-) I rolled in at a 5:22 bike time which disappointed me, but at least there had been no mechanical and a large part of me was just glad to have gotten to the run part of the race - FINALLY! 

Heading back out on the run at about mile 16

 The crowds, volunteers, and cheering along the lakeside portion of the race was overwhelming (in a good way!) and it really helped to keep your mind off the pain.  Seeing friends from Washington, Sam Barnes (who showed me around the course weeks earlier) and Kelly Moore, both having a great race boosted my spirits too.  I saw TIMEX teammates, Roger, Phaedra, and Trista cheering along, and Jerzy and Juli out there pushing themselves on the course too.  Jenny and Brian swayed their hips along as though they were on a Hawaiian beach, and although I was unable to acknowledge any of them (too tired) I processed it all and I was definitely smiling inside.

Final Few Miles of IM CdA

With one mile to go, my dad was there cheering and ran beside me for a few seconds.  I remember thinking..."Sheesh, he's keeping up with me, I'd better step on it" but that was all the gearing I had left.  It was all downhill for that 1/2 mile so it didn't matter anyways.  The crowds cheering at the stands were incredible and I was happy to reach the finish line and be able to do the Blazeman roll, which I had wanted to do in St. George after meeting the ALS Warriors at the St. George Expo.  That felt good.

The roll which I hope to do many times in future in recognition of the Blazeman himself.

A much needed stop in the bathroom ...the med tent...2 IVs....pizza....then more pizza.....yes, my typical post-Ironman routine (for now!)  This said, as Scott and I have discussed many times, it is clear that until I am able to race without needing the med tent at the finish line, I will simply be holding myself back from the next 'jump in performance.'  My goal and focus is to continue to put the pieces of this Ironman puzzle together so that I can reach a finish line in good form.  When I do this I will have had a good race.  As Scott has said, I need to stop relying on guts and drive, and to instead race in control.  I'm getting there, and we both recognize some positive progress, but obviously still need to learn a few things:-)  Coeur d'Alene was excellent learning - no doubt!

Discussing some things 'learned' with Scott apres-race.

Next on the list (after moving to Penticton next week!!!!!!!!) is Calgary 70.3 and then....Ironman Canada.  More experience, more pieces to put together - can't wait!!!!

As a final note a few special thanks to:

-Steve at Vertical Earth (CdA cycling shop) for helping me with that 'tick' in my bike in the days leading up to the race (which was clearly making ME tic - no pun intended) and who also completed his first IM this weekend with a super result to boot!

-My parents for travelling all the way from northern B.C. to watch me race!  As well, as Scott, Jenny, and Brian for trekking down to CdA to support me for this race. 

-Bonnie for putting up with me as her homestay athlete for a full week:-) 

-Doug (TIMEX) for having that bike primed and ready to roll without a hitch.  Gorgeous.

-Amazing med tent volunteers for taking such good care of me when I was only partially coherent!

Although Oliver Half was not in the original plan for the racing season, the 'bad luck' in both China and St. George consequently involved some alternations to the racing schedule.  Boise 70.3 had been the original race for mid June, but after the decision was made to race IM Coeur d'Alene on June 27th Scott determined that this was too close to the big race.  So, Oliver half it was to be!  Nonetheless, I was excited to race Oliver as it is truly in my backyard where I would have the opportunity to race with friends and training partners, but this was also the first triathlon I ever completed in 2008.  This does not count the 50 m. attempt I made at an Oly distance a month prior in May, 2008 where I was rescued by a safety kayak due to completely losing it in the 10 degree Celsius water in the glacier fed lake. Nope, that one doesn't count!  Regardless, there was an element of nostalgia for me in racing on Sunday which made it just that much more fun!

Oliver Half is an interesting race distance wise.  The swim is 2 full km. rather than the 1.9 in your standard 70.3.  The bike is 93 km. vs. 90.  There is also a 500 m. transition run from the swim to bike which also tacks on some time.  The run is the only thing that is standardized but it is partially on trail and over some bridge steps which slow you down a touch.  Regardless, even the fastest racers can expect to tack on about 10 minutes to their time over a regular 70.3 distance comparison.  Details...on with the race report.

I awoke to a beautiful breakfast of oatmeal dotted with dark chocolate M&Ms which Jenny and Brian (my ultimate Penticton homestay!!!) bought while in the States.  Add a banana and a chunk of peanut butter to that mix.  Sheer bliss. Scott has me fuelling on liquid calories only while racing, so my pre-race breakfast has always has a bizarre  'last supper' feel to it!

The swim went pretty well.  I felt smooth and controlled and it was nice to swim in a large group of women, as all the women in the race started together on this morning.  I got to the beach and knew I had put out a solid effort which had me hitting the mat after being stripped of my wetsuit at 33:10.  This was 2 km., however, so had there been 1 less 100 m. to thrash out, this shows a solid improvement for me at an assumed 31:30'ish swim for 1.9 km.  It's coming.  Slowly.  But it's coming.

 The bike felt strong.  I was pleased again with my effort for this.  2:30 for 93 km.  This time would have broken the overall bike course record (as the previous was a 2:32) had Rae Shaw not pulled off an epic 2:24.    Aweseome job, Rae.  That is JUST shy of 40 km/hr. in case any of you were wondering.  Plan on joining the Tour de Feminene any time soon, Rae?  Heck, you may even belong in the Tour itself.  But seriously, although I had a good bike, getting spanked by 6 minutes sort of took the wind out of those sails:-)

I hit T2 with the first realization of what Rae had done on the bike (along with a strong swim) and how hard I was going to have to chase to get her.  So, I just ran.  It hurt, it always does, but it wouldn't be triathlon if this weren't the case.  So, pain tolerance ensued and I entered the 'run off the bike fog.'  I chased and chased but couldn't catch the three in front of me, although I was catching all of them, there just weren't enough miles to do the deed.  Although I had a solid swim (for me), a bike I am pleased with, and an overall course record for the run of 1:25:23 (over Linsey Corbin's previous record of about 30 seconds) this was only enough for 4th with an overall time of 4:35. That's how strong the field was on Sunday.  Thanks Rae, Amy, Gillian, and Annett for making this such a super race!

The men's side was no different.  Paul Tichelaar came out to win the overall with a sub 4 hr. time on this course!  Jeff Symonds also went sub 4 with a blistering men's run course record of 1:15.  Gorgeous.  Scott Curry had a crazy bike split of a 2:09 for 93 km., and Kyle Marcotte (fellow Team TIMEX member) was solid in all areas with a matching 4th place finish to mine.

Honorable mention for this race, however, goes to Brian Schroeder who not only completely dominated his age category of 55-59, but ALSO the age category below him (50-54.)  Brian was using Oliver Half as a tune up race for IMC, and given his showing on Sunday with a 4:49 overall time at the age of 55 (which is still hard for me to believe as he really looks 10 years younger than this) I think he's going to put down something extra special for us all at the end of August.  A name to watch.

 Congrats to all who raced, finished....and had fun while doing it (most importantly!)