tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63648842869998262612024-02-20T19:29:40.707-08:00Relentless forward motionThis started as a running blog as I began fundraising for Team in Training and training for my first Marathon, originally titled "A newbie's running blog"
Fast forward a few years and a few of my friends have suggested the title newbie is no longer appropriate.
I've also switched my focus from running and some duathlons, to a 5 year plan to complete an Ironman in 2017.
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-69903060264101088732021-09-01T09:28:00.086-07:002021-09-01T10:13:27.184-07:00Xterra Quebec – Xceptional Xperience<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">If you’ve never read one of my race reports, then be warned,
they have a tendency to go LONG, so grab your fav bevvy, put your legs up and
get comfy <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif">😊</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b><u>Background</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I switched to <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra triathlons in 2019, and I instantly
fell in love with the format, and the race organizers proved to be pretty
awesome too! In 2020, when races were being postponed, cancelled or switched to
virtual formats, the <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra Quebec Series organizers truly raised the bar!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it became apparent that <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra Bromont
(June 2020) would not be able to happen, they communicated as soon as they knew
for sure and provided multiple options: Defer to a different <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra Quebec
Series race later in 2020, Defer to Bromont in 2021, Defer to a different <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra Quebec Series race in 2021, or get a refund (minus the processing fees),
WAYYYYYY more options than any other event or organization of any size was
offering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout 2020 and 2021 as
more information became available and as all 2020 events had to be cancelled,
they kept the information and the options flowing. Every communication made it
clear that they were putting athletes first, not only when it came to the
actual event, but in every aspect leading up to or around the events, seriously
CHAPEAU BAS a l’équipe!! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Road Trip<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve made a trip or two to Quebec City, that’s where Gaston
(my father-in-law) lives and so I knew I was going to want some travel time on
either side of the race and I also knew I wanted to volunteer the day before,
so this meant a 4 day weekend with travel on Friday and Monday. I also decided
to sneak in a couple of visits now that we could meet up outdoors with other
Double vaxxed friends and family.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the way up, we stopped in Montreal for lunch with my
friend and <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>co-worker Katrina, we hadn’t seen each other since Feb or March of
2020, so it was awesome to catch up in person on a patio on a beautiful, albeit
HOT, HUMID day <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span> So glad we made time for this visit!<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpJimn3XcvQqC2GXZxySnobrOD2jgS9BeiHKpZQlxvBbFiYpn5AmeC0LK9DFE9Wnt-SuTc6DbHPSG1Yn8pI_RCAjj4A_tSbQ1dtHkZ8t-zVUKYPuETBHH5BSmMCbnde6TBiZRW-BHxeI/s2048/Kat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpJimn3XcvQqC2GXZxySnobrOD2jgS9BeiHKpZQlxvBbFiYpn5AmeC0LK9DFE9Wnt-SuTc6DbHPSG1Yn8pI_RCAjj4A_tSbQ1dtHkZ8t-zVUKYPuETBHH5BSmMCbnde6TBiZRW-BHxeI/w480-h640/Kat.jpg" title="Katching up in Montreal" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KATching up in Montreal 📷 - Julie</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Going through Montreal had 1 disadvantage, the 15 was a mess
and the 20 doubly so due to massive construction, when we finally got rolling
again, we came to an abrupt stop outside Quebec City and found out the bridge
was down to 1 lane each way due to construction…an <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>tra 2 hours tacked onto our
travel time and did I mention my car’s AC was having trouble keeping up with
the heat and humidity, so Julie and I were melting (totally forgot to take pics
of our hot, sweaty, messiness).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we finally got to le Manoir de Lac Delage, we realised
that it was aptly named, a beauty of a spot and clean, bright, modern rooms
with plenty of activities if you have the time and energy.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCBN0YaxFbL3pg7OMPk1w3br0Xdp-weaxvo8ueITC1FIzJGxgaI-jkEcreN2abruli-G1266nh9oVU_pgxIoh7uHCPIByP72yaRTb4jLAnwV6P7Bn_bRZCoY7q0pVQ2t1_4hIzjGYAgQ/s2048/Manoir.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCBN0YaxFbL3pg7OMPk1w3br0Xdp-weaxvo8ueITC1FIzJGxgaI-jkEcreN2abruli-G1266nh9oVU_pgxIoh7uHCPIByP72yaRTb4jLAnwV6P7Bn_bRZCoY7q0pVQ2t1_4hIzjGYAgQ/w575-h432/Manoir.jpg" width="575" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of le Manoir from the shore</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhapM5ioxfJ47cTfSto__JZbllfB9gyXeRusS91bjFDTvggqrGNCIxDv8aPtT5VEEzGCXdaJzFOdTJnDRL8AksLpEhIHyT32R4z6FjxpvgN-PNAo8-oH0YL825bOOnSQRjyQfaVPmEs14/s2016/Lake3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhapM5ioxfJ47cTfSto__JZbllfB9gyXeRusS91bjFDTvggqrGNCIxDv8aPtT5VEEzGCXdaJzFOdTJnDRL8AksLpEhIHyT32R4z6FjxpvgN-PNAo8-oH0YL825bOOnSQRjyQfaVPmEs14/w583-h437/Lake3.jpg" width="583" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the lake from le Manoir</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal">WE decided to eat at the hotel resto and we were not
disappointed, we shared plates (I know, I know, I NEVER share food, but neither
of us could decide on 1 plate and I wasn’t hungry enough for 2) of Venison
Ravioli and a veal cutlet in a wild
mushroom and roast garlic sauce, both were <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>quisite!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After that it was early to bed as we were both going to be
up early volunteering<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Volunteering</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I got to the restaurant for breakfast ahead of my first
bit of volunteering, someone called out my name, I looked up to see Don.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you may remember me recounting how
Don and I played a bit of a cat and mouse game, while racing <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra Tremblant in 2019
finishing with an all out sprint and crossing the line together, turns out Don
was also volunteering and racing this weekend and it was the first of many
opportunities to catch up and hangout.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJzhFp1V2oVelI1hbWpF9tAvmZnRjYeq4-zkRJguKyqTiFpRVbMpJajGaQ_QF75u-VoPb9wJCGICsWl4IkzH4oBk9d8ejYhiRI_cnLY8mH8PrK7JHb4iyDla37Yekr46ne3UC2vt3Nb4/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1944" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJzhFp1V2oVelI1hbWpF9tAvmZnRjYeq4-zkRJguKyqTiFpRVbMpJajGaQ_QF75u-VoPb9wJCGICsWl4IkzH4oBk9d8ejYhiRI_cnLY8mH8PrK7JHb4iyDla37Yekr46ne3UC2vt3Nb4/w400-h266/Xterra-tremblant.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don and I "Sprinting" across the finish line of the 2019 Xterra Tremblant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a quick breakfast, I met up with Sophie who was (among
other things) organizing the small team of volunteers, a combination of Covid
protocols/restrictions and the resulting smaller race fields meant fewer
athletes, spectators and potential volunteers, but Sophie and the team placed
the priority on safety, followed closely by athlete experience, it should also
be noted that Sophie and team placed volunteer experience up there as well as
they constantly checked in on us throughout the day.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPymJS-Y2dMn6TO6RyLjGMOI-Pwb3qSgsr6PLCTPPXI1p5MrZb9bBUdwi-zHxKq4RmzwMh58aD1JtGrsdQhqWZ3qZT-9iU2iZjtdNTuvH5SJu3_QrXJam57jSQFSDo_tkhrSxzyUn0nc/s960/Sophie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPymJS-Y2dMn6TO6RyLjGMOI-Pwb3qSgsr6PLCTPPXI1p5MrZb9bBUdwi-zHxKq4RmzwMh58aD1JtGrsdQhqWZ3qZT-9iU2iZjtdNTuvH5SJu3_QrXJam57jSQFSDo_tkhrSxzyUn0nc/w400-h266/Sophie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie, Volunteer organizer <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>traordinaire</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">With a small team of volunteers, I got to move around a fair
bit, swim setup (dry land portion thankfully), PA system setup with Don and
René the MC, the French title for his position is Animateur and as you can see
from this photo, he is definitely a very Animated guy! I also got the chance to do traffic safety as
the athletes had to cross the road from transition to get to the bike and run
courses on the mountain. We all know I
have the voice for it, so it was a natural fit and thankfully the sun played
nice (in spite of the humidity) and stayed mostly behind the clouds, making it
much more bearable and the icing on the cake, I got to wear my Imerman Angels
gear to spread some awareness and near the very end I got the chance to speak
with a spectator about our mission and the photographer captured a great shot
of the T-shirt. We had to scramble a bit
to move the PA system to the finish line, but Sebastien, René and I managed to
get it all taken apart, moved and re-assembled in plenty of time for the first
finisher and for a good chunk of the folks on their second loop of the bike
course, lesson learned for Sunday. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfVisyaHlfpG1-PzugAUPk01jDXT_L1_54sTFvxFkeU8a7sttSi8Jz6oQ-vRxscMivIgH4rh4baluQhSUkVmf6Wwq0__EYWFMWSNgvVOdDa-xhn8k9bz_UrfFILsYd0lYr2QczXptxRQ/s2000/Rene.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfVisyaHlfpG1-PzugAUPk01jDXT_L1_54sTFvxFkeU8a7sttSi8Jz6oQ-vRxscMivIgH4rh4baluQhSUkVmf6Wwq0__EYWFMWSNgvVOdDa-xhn8k9bz_UrfFILsYd0lYr2QczXptxRQ/w400-h266/Rene.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">René, l'animateur!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-CzqvKMWMfxSmJg-Kei-DWWr6pY1b4LpZ5HIw8BGURjOxDBd8-cZmCM4zEDoP8uKCwcdZwxLYw_uSOtv6jpcTo1k5xLMzYT6-Mdb_ky691uu_0htBDcdbejwoRYmnY1LTokvVhck0po/s2000/Volunteer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-CzqvKMWMfxSmJg-Kei-DWWr6pY1b4LpZ5HIw8BGURjOxDBd8-cZmCM4zEDoP8uKCwcdZwxLYw_uSOtv6jpcTo1k5xLMzYT6-Mdb_ky691uu_0htBDcdbejwoRYmnY1LTokvVhck0po/w400-h266/Volunteer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road Safety and spreading awareness</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">When all the athletes were out on the run course (did I mention they had a
sweep for both the bike and run courses to make sure everyone got back
safely?), I moved over to helping with finish line refreshments and got to meet
the 2 Catherine’s (both physios) and when one of them asked about my wing
tattoos, I got a chance to tell them all about the Imerman Angels’ mission, it
was the perfect way to cap off my volunteer <b><span style="color: red;">X</span></b>perience!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>ICE CREAM!!!!</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How <b><span style="color: red;">X</span></b>cellent to get a call from our friends Alain and Karine
asking us to join them for Ice cream when we were done volunteering and doing
our quick Recon of the bike and run courses.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We made plans to meet at Chocolat Harmonie…little did we
know that there were two locations nearby, less than 3km from each other, but
it didn’t take long for us to sort that out and get our ice cream on!! It had
been a while since we had seen Alain and Karine and it was great to catch up
with them while cooling down with a sweet treat, even sweeter was the fact that
they were both going to come and cheer us on…many of the photos in this race
report are from Alain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGV9Cxc9BXEpd6CYdO-bgH-mXMHmKaRzeeUILzE2jQFIKvcOQPnGVE-9YkP7mkcdBKJD7L881IULRzzo_z7qYp8vmISapiFxFnwj0-UgErgyveIr33ddc_gs0teSD6VXXW1u_XDFXV4k/s2048/ICE+CREAM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGV9Cxc9BXEpd6CYdO-bgH-mXMHmKaRzeeUILzE2jQFIKvcOQPnGVE-9YkP7mkcdBKJD7L881IULRzzo_z7qYp8vmISapiFxFnwj0-UgErgyveIr33ddc_gs0teSD6VXXW1u_XDFXV4k/w400-h300/ICE+CREAM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom, Nom, Nom!!!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>RACE PREP</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After ice cream, it was time to get organized for the race,
so we headed back to the room to get our gear ready, which usually means (for
me anyway), laying out Flat Brent so I can go through all the gear and
nutrition I’ll need for race day, doing a mental run through/visualization of
each discipline, transitions and a wee bit of figuring out how to carry
nutrition on the MTB (There would be NO one handed feeding on the bike on this
course….AT ALL!!).<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBFG7FCp24b8i2DMyF9tWwuq3so4H9wZSYOMBjFEPyGmltNgPar1xMXhnK8oMrvwEtv_tcVAeEeunRR-JK_x1YlYAmV_pbf45ZeYY1deeV6m1Ww9Plb2xl6KZWMmeln-ZkudgCMZOQpU/s2048/FlatMe2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBFG7FCp24b8i2DMyF9tWwuq3so4H9wZSYOMBjFEPyGmltNgPar1xMXhnK8oMrvwEtv_tcVAeEeunRR-JK_x1YlYAmV_pbf45ZeYY1deeV6m1Ww9Plb2xl6KZWMmeln-ZkudgCMZOQpU/w480-h640/FlatMe2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat Brent, ready to RACE!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">We decided to order in which made it easier to keep
prepping, verifying everything and get to bed early to try and calm the nerves
and visualize some more.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Spent a wee bit of time catching up on social media before
hitting the sack, and I am glad I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
saw 2 posts from my buddy Garry, 1 was about his longest bike ride post
diagnosis (16k, that will be important later) and the 2<sup>nd</sup> was an
overall health update, which convinced me I NEEDED to dedicate this race to
him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>RACE DAY<o:p></o:p></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="helvetica, sans-serif">By the numbers:</span></b><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 13.0333px;"><br /><br /></span><span face="helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Swim (800m): 18:41.2 <br />T1: 3:16<br />Bike (14km): 1:13:10.9<br />T2: 1:39<br />Run: 56:48.8<br />Total: 2:33:24.6 <br />Overall: 31/67 athletes<br />Gender: 22/44<br />Category (M50-54): 4/7</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The (much longer) narrative:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Race morning started a little later than usual thanks to a
civilized 8:00 a.m. start time and staying on-site. Usual race day brekkie of
Oatmeal, bagel with PB and a banana and then it was all about getting to
transition and getting setup.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Had to clear the cobwebs off here and felt completely
disorganized in spite of the preps done the night before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Didn't think to snap any pics and f</span>orgot to apply body glide to prevent wetsuit
chafing, but thanks to the relaxed approach of the organizers, still had time
to run over to transition and get Julie to help get that sorted, but still
forgot sunscreen, good thing we spent the bulk of the race in the forest <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊 </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With the body glide and wetsuit all taken care of, I was all
done with setup in transition, got a fist bump from Alain and Karine and headed
down to the swim start.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>SWIM (800m)<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once I got to the water, I took a moment to look out on the
lake, reflect on how lucky I was to be standing there in this beautiful lake,
surrounded by the positive and nervous energy of other athletes preparing to
race in real life for the first time in a VERY long time! I KNOW Garry would
have loved the whole vibe (and confirmed as much in with him later in the day).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY9ObTc52VOaNJkRLtc_7ymLnJYdDlpEg1BiWqOiPQVltECVCBruhjBoUpX-ku8-55cV7aXVaXhxaZvUsfDwltwTp0Do6AD63E4N9fv-IH3EtGk5dLntaN_HOt6_yR_Hej4vQpf5onqI/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY9ObTc52VOaNJkRLtc_7ymLnJYdDlpEg1BiWqOiPQVltECVCBruhjBoUpX-ku8-55cV7aXVaXhxaZvUsfDwltwTp0Do6AD63E4N9fv-IH3EtGk5dLntaN_HOt6_yR_Hej4vQpf5onqI/w400-h266/Swimstart.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a moment before the start</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtYonDmWeVpmENPtespJLO2CAg2QuvJP2tf3HzSzPwbwCcjj_IUlGtWgRIlUJ_qVMtYXLISb67Ee8KJmRPguHpjDoiS00eajl9l9zv_suXVtxdYevOoXRcUDLDnK1XGGNYP9Q2_RQ_d0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtYonDmWeVpmENPtespJLO2CAg2QuvJP2tf3HzSzPwbwCcjj_IUlGtWgRIlUJ_qVMtYXLISb67Ee8KJmRPguHpjDoiS00eajl9l9zv_suXVtxdYevOoXRcUDLDnK1XGGNYP9Q2_RQ_d0/w400-h300/Swim-water.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the swim course from the water (day before) 📷 Julie</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Animateur (René) did an awesome job of reminding all of us, how
fortunate we all are to have the health, drive and means to be able to toe the
line at an event like <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra and that no matter what the results, we should all
celebrate this opportunity, there were many cheers from the spectators and
athletes and lots of smiles and banter amongst the men in the water as the countdown
to the start began.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How AWESOME to hear that air horn and to plunge into the mix
feeling totally calm and ready to take on this swim/race!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX7psj87aOZm9-uRhLr9qTQrmIgDwvHfkp1eZLh8rfJlLpt7uniMFWQilFe7vwFuf9-5_KmuyhY92fp2x_-RO3sNfewTRpEMv-YFrVs3kQhx9p0mP3Avm5CgQhd5EV79hItur6s2o0xw/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX7psj87aOZm9-uRhLr9qTQrmIgDwvHfkp1eZLh8rfJlLpt7uniMFWQilFe7vwFuf9-5_KmuyhY92fp2x_-RO3sNfewTRpEMv-YFrVs3kQhx9p0mP3Avm5CgQhd5EV79hItur6s2o0xw/w400-h266/Swim-men.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the MIX - if you zoom in, you can even see my wing tattoo coming out of the water 😇</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra Quebec race organizers like to do this wonderful thing
where they take the swim distance, divide it in 2 and add some sort of an out
of water “jog” in the middle, which meant, swim 400m, jog ~30m across the dock,
swim 400m. more on that in a bit.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was swimming on the feet of a few folks for about the
first 250-300m before they finally pulled away and at one point had to use my
forearm to gently move another swimmer a wee bit left of me so he would stop
crossing in front of me every few meters. Once we turned the last buoy and
headed to shore for the first time, it was clear water ahead and to the side.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then came that “little jog” across the dock, no
biggie…UNTIL, (the cheers from Alain and Karine may have had me running faster
than I should have) charging back into the water and I realised as I dove in,
how I was out of breath and my heart was racing!!! Switched to breast stroke
for a wee bit and once settled, got back into it, just focusing on the tips and
corrections Coach Sharon had been offering up over the last swim session,
really helped keep me in the moment.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Turning that last buoy heading to shore and transition I
kept bumping into another swimmer and then correcting to try and stay out of
his way, no idea which one of us was not keeping a straight line, but I made
sure to fess up and apologize when we both were standing and heading to
transition, his comment “no worries, I’ve had WAY worse contact than that in
most races”, no doubt!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6MXy1gfYZQbjABywHWFDAo74tiVqHScRqzDTOgQZFeU6t2wUBA2fkBxSVQQpoTUztjxE0DdfM-rmb5u2MfPS_cCJqFD3I989PH1F73uwvuLB0zy3pi6mfkt_ASr7ZElwyOvLLNG-OqE/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6MXy1gfYZQbjABywHWFDAo74tiVqHScRqzDTOgQZFeU6t2wUBA2fkBxSVQQpoTUztjxE0DdfM-rmb5u2MfPS_cCJqFD3I989PH1F73uwvuLB0zy3pi6mfkt_ASr7ZElwyOvLLNG-OqE/w400-h268/Swim-exit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a chuckle about the "contact" in the last 200m</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Easy jog to transition to try and get the heart rate under
control again and it was time to strip (the wetsuit) and gear up for the bike.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>BIKE<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not my quickest transition, but not my slowest either,
definitely a little rusty from no racing in over a year, but I managed to get a
gel in, grab a quick mouthful of Nuun, and get out on the bike without
forgetting anything (except the sunscreen).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHQkacsEG1HaHFg-HT6BM86RQZ76FxR4B4how8cmSeP-KkvX-17bG6eN_Vs7yhxUHn1QHULRxMthsdCVC6D6CiNK96yQ42jHlXRoBT8e_PmZok0uE4sLpm-ffA8QFt9_gepO5Iy2b-Nw/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHQkacsEG1HaHFg-HT6BM86RQZ76FxR4B4how8cmSeP-KkvX-17bG6eN_Vs7yhxUHn1QHULRxMthsdCVC6D6CiNK96yQ42jHlXRoBT8e_PmZok0uE4sLpm-ffA8QFt9_gepO5Iy2b-Nw/s16000/Bike-out2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out of T1- 📷 - Alain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDXe-DlBj8iBNk8JXhv4nyJkQr0npKa697S6-UsELewvNkNGVq4kt4zjWSFzNzWCvIHEbV0hScHHu2VlUrctHu6oWSAOfQs9le_HNc7FiWuXNCJ5JH7uNGpYI5sK8ZUIH6RYNcrjTPvE/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDXe-DlBj8iBNk8JXhv4nyJkQr0npKa697S6-UsELewvNkNGVq4kt4zjWSFzNzWCvIHEbV0hScHHu2VlUrctHu6oWSAOfQs9le_HNc7FiWuXNCJ5JH7uNGpYI5sK8ZUIH6RYNcrjTPvE/s16000/Bike-out3.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably should have lowered the dropper post - 📷 Alain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYko4rUlQZvPbIEWIMoD96z70jRM36RT3ozptA8Phpe_D4So3-YErkp5SUHe5B0oQNXrKbTRp4xnYUjhENbClW2s9gSABBoV1KD7269KVu4s4UThgrGe86z5octG7x1KxkApsI-VTzx1M/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYko4rUlQZvPbIEWIMoD96z70jRM36RT3ozptA8Phpe_D4So3-YErkp5SUHe5B0oQNXrKbTRp4xnYUjhENbClW2s9gSABBoV1KD7269KVu4s4UThgrGe86z5octG7x1KxkApsI-VTzx1M/s16000/Bike-out.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aaaaaaaannnnnndddd GO!! 📷- Alain</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The bike course was on the trails at Empire 47, if you’re in the Lac Delage area
and you are a mountain biker, GO RIDE THESE TRAILS!!!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA2GYvRVY8S4cCrw3GjvajeuuvOICF1uGcPrH-ZwOCMEdwCYF5MqXwzaqagL6TAaaPzlLg8h1zHObh8IrEpjRJUoP-AOPg9Dww87_jAje4oMAr7tCHvgq47baG5QO4hclPWsKA_6r_eQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA2GYvRVY8S4cCrw3GjvajeuuvOICF1uGcPrH-ZwOCMEdwCYF5MqXwzaqagL6TAaaPzlLg8h1zHObh8IrEpjRJUoP-AOPg9Dww87_jAje4oMAr7tCHvgq47baG5QO4hclPWsKA_6r_eQ/w400-h268/Bike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First climb out of the way, still smiling </td></tr></tbody></table><br />The course was challenging, both in terms of technical
difficulty and the elevation. There was
a first loop of about 2k that brings you to the “pump track”, really glad we
rode that the day before or there may have been an unintended LAUNCH!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Awesome to see Alain and Karine after the first climb near
the pump track and I could hear the cheers while riding through and out of the
pump track area, needed that extra oomph for what lay ahead!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrylyP0SDv8WdZmoyiD8ubvSOuOt1IJUS2h-TCe8atNZCdpRC50W5QOOKZNmp4970DE4ByXDDntEXN7mBOFstL6IfVBDQXTG7L_bprab9_Ny_SrQk-yBGvrgQwFUwsU0oZ8WV_VdBIxQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrylyP0SDv8WdZmoyiD8ubvSOuOt1IJUS2h-TCe8atNZCdpRC50W5QOOKZNmp4970DE4ByXDDntEXN7mBOFstL6IfVBDQXTG7L_bprab9_Ny_SrQk-yBGvrgQwFUwsU0oZ8WV_VdBIxQ/w400-h225/X7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cheers from Alain and Karine sure helped paint that smile on!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The climbs were relentless, so much so that I said to Julie
at one point (she managed to catch me even though she started her swim after
me) that at some point it must START to go down….right, but whenever I felt
like it might be getting to be too much, I reminded myself that Garry had done
16k the day before and that this race was dedicated to him and somehow I found
another gear and pushed on.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We got to a point where there was a first aider stationed
and I told him how awesome it was that he wasn’t busy, clearly distracting
myself and ever so gently laying my bike (and me) down on the soft loam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t take to much to get back going and
trying to catch up to Julie before we hit the last 500m which was on the roads
to the transition area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankful yet
again that we practiced the last section the day before as there was an offset
fence to slow riders down before they pop out on the road and coming into that
at speed would have been dangerous!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coming into transition, I knew this is where I would lose
sight of Julie, she is a far stronger runner and a machine on those trails,
pretty awesome to see her take off though! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>RUN<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another quick swap of gear, a gel to top up the energy
stores, grab my run hat and flask of Nuun and off to the mountain trails to get
this done!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once again, Alain and Karine were there offering up cheers
and encouragement coming out of transition at a time when I really needed a
boost!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWgAzOWqUj8Mc2fkXvtuTbFF3SDJWnTCHdwl2WNIswbRSSG0mMu-uVt-LRc5r5qFznm2uEvnO8NnYzjF_rC2I99oPM6kkfR7imkp1wsMTOT7SooRGCh3L96vtJ9BZP5bAbUUtptwB2Wc/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWgAzOWqUj8Mc2fkXvtuTbFF3SDJWnTCHdwl2WNIswbRSSG0mMu-uVt-LRc5r5qFznm2uEvnO8NnYzjF_rC2I99oPM6kkfR7imkp1wsMTOT7SooRGCh3L96vtJ9BZP5bAbUUtptwB2Wc/s16000/x6.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fake it 'till you make it...feeling the climbs from the bike</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The race director had informed us at the online athlete
briefing that the run trails were new and under development and still more geared
to hiking than running, they even removed a section that the organizers deemed
too challenging for athletes in the sprint and or super sprint…hell, if this
was LESS challenging, I would hate to see the original route!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That said the course demanded constant attention since, due
to the lack of volunteers, a number of signs from the long course the day
before were still up and as we found out later, one of the volunteers didn’t
make it to a crucial split before some of the faster runners got there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That made it part run, part orienteering, but
ALL fun. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that there were a
couple of rock faces that we had to use a rope to get up and over…woohoo!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuv9jGHHX5sYOlceWYuP_hC7L0G_TpsJw0sGd5yTidfPF3lxf7W6lWD6EV3j_j3ssK_TeWRzKo_yE4dGY8SJB_1MNbKn5RBUymp6fdyScmcDdC15y4lYylKP79tB15QVQgA5kNfE2WKu4/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuv9jGHHX5sYOlceWYuP_hC7L0G_TpsJw0sGd5yTidfPF3lxf7W6lWD6EV3j_j3ssK_TeWRzKo_yE4dGY8SJB_1MNbKn5RBUymp6fdyScmcDdC15y4lYylKP79tB15QVQgA5kNfE2WKu4/s16000/x4.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No idea where on the course this was, but somehow Alain found me 📷 Alain</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I spent a good part of the run with a woman who was
participating in her first trail run/race as part of a relay team, she was not
super comfortable with the uncertainty of the trail or her own performance, so
I just kept with her and kept encouraging her until we reached a section where
the course was more well defined and we met another pack from the super sprint
race.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_6Ntw5cnPWfUqNuGc0l6ieQfyIRjn9kNxebngp96QVI4YQkaEk59IYGydTOzxfZruHPeIjQd0Dhy8oQk3j_KunABmoDN-e6iPzukxqW-fDgCe1JBcaQOXk_OBgrFx1ULHf3MRzeDR3o/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_6Ntw5cnPWfUqNuGc0l6ieQfyIRjn9kNxebngp96QVI4YQkaEk59IYGydTOzxfZruHPeIjQd0Dhy8oQk3j_KunABmoDN-e6iPzukxqW-fDgCe1JBcaQOXk_OBgrFx1ULHf3MRzeDR3o/w400-h268/Run.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest Bathing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">At one point on the run, there was a spot where we had to
cross a small creek and I took a moment to pause, look around and really take
in the moment, I knew Garry would love this and tried to send him some vibes
and imagery of the spot.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nearing the 50 min mark, I started to hear the MC at the
finish line and tried to pick up my pace, but the terrain made that quite the
challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally saw a sign “600 m
to the finish” YESSSS, still too technical to sprint, but slowly picking up
speed…ran for what felt like 900m and then saw the 400m to finish
sign…WHAAAAAAA???? Longest 200m in a race EVER!!! BUT so very rewarding when I
finally popped out on a gravel road and could see the finish chute and hear the
MC cheering me on and telling the crowd how I helped get the PA system setup,
he was going on and on and really whipping the small crowd into a frenzy, or at
least doing his bet to get them fired up and in my ears, it worked.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>THE FINISH</u></b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwQHR399Gtao8cZuaPLcrpJyDUoJNUhsf-OrKJOOB2aTnrXikJ9twOTKIQ4Ee1zsrAum7Fs-Qj0-h6-q42Qwg74UwWCBgvMbxYnAlB766HuR_uH5SXiOTtc0DdrcMpOHB82jXiAECoYE/s2436/results.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2436" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwQHR399Gtao8cZuaPLcrpJyDUoJNUhsf-OrKJOOB2aTnrXikJ9twOTKIQ4Ee1zsrAum7Fs-Qj0-h6-q42Qwg74UwWCBgvMbxYnAlB766HuR_uH5SXiOTtc0DdrcMpOHB82jXiAECoYE/w400-h185/results.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Crossed the finish lines with my IA wings spread and a smile
on my face from ear to ear, completely <b><span style="color: red;">X</span></b>hausted, <b><span style="color: red;">X</span></b>hilarated and <b><span style="color: red;">X</span></b>tremely
Grateful to have the fitness, means and support to be able to participate in
such an amazing event, IRL!!!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48trDfjBMOZF98ano77vINqbW4qWjce_-09xECjwB_lGsPOkkEzRN_QJaft4lqV7maOrBwFuInu1wKJwylqivAOsxaQYrbt2TqJv7Fi95nHTTpIBXsIJLLQ-tOCTXymTgH3lF1jNAGHM/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48trDfjBMOZF98ano77vINqbW4qWjce_-09xECjwB_lGsPOkkEzRN_QJaft4lqV7maOrBwFuInu1wKJwylqivAOsxaQYrbt2TqJv7Fi95nHTTpIBXsIJLLQ-tOCTXymTgH3lF1jNAGHM/s16000/x3.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Physically <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>hausted, mentally RECHARGED 📷 Alain</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Alain and Karine cheered us on all through the race and across the finish line and were there to congratulate us and snap some pics as we presented each other with our medals, COVID protocols dictated that the organizers/volunteers could not hang a medal on your neck, so it was self-serve. Alain let me know I finished 4th in my age category and I wondered if there was any part of the race I could have done differently to get a podium spot, but when he let me know the time gap was 13+ minutes, I knew that there was NOTHING I could have done differently and either way, I had done the best I could on the day and was thrilled to have been so comfortable being outside my comfort zone on the trails!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sZKMc3WYQ6L3N685GsTrg1K0JXY2puGm3fa2Jgqk721HE-zcJt01BGst85HGGYzIqYdOh-xtVeEJ4QegixEkpgp5VlrG6rsjEvDsgY3hCDCiwBtn6ApmG9RVu3pTitKSdUKivDs2_iU/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sZKMc3WYQ6L3N685GsTrg1K0JXY2puGm3fa2Jgqk721HE-zcJt01BGst85HGGYzIqYdOh-xtVeEJ4QegixEkpgp5VlrG6rsjEvDsgY3hCDCiwBtn6ApmG9RVu3pTitKSdUKivDs2_iU/w400-h266/Medal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>ceptional medal!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHHnYEPb6x7weOYTqTnPtFp1zaIaixgZs-SRMNXDl_Gs5bf9XXLmJMpdbvaV6CqVq8bnVivBOFfzpQmx6m-XUxYnDZHXtjlrovFV0WDhSXsIh-pIoQY72Aa372uVgURKqbYDHPSU8f2w/s960/X1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHHnYEPb6x7weOYTqTnPtFp1zaIaixgZs-SRMNXDl_Gs5bf9XXLmJMpdbvaV6CqVq8bnVivBOFfzpQmx6m-XUxYnDZHXtjlrovFV0WDhSXsIh-pIoQY72Aa372uVgURKqbYDHPSU8f2w/s16000/X1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Official" medal presentation</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">I will DEFINITELY be back racing <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra in 2022, hopefully
all 3 Quebec events, someday when the world returns to normal, I hope to try
some of the western Canada and USA events and this <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>perience reinforced my
dream of qualifying for and competing in the <span style="color: red;"><b>X</b></span>terra World Championship by the
time I am 60.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>LESSONS LEARNED<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few lessons learned, from the bike and run courses, more
focus needed on strength training, mobility practice and everyday nutrition in
order to be able to perform at my best.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The pictures, don’t always tell the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve gained a bunch of weight during the
pandemic, mostly because I am an impulsive stress eater and (unhealthy snack) food
is closer than it ever has been with my office a mere 10’ from the
kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first looked at these
pictures, I (half) jokingly asked Julie if she could photoshop out my gut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, I’ve been struggling with body image
throughout the pandemic (and for a good chunk of my life if I’m being honest)
and these pics really brought that struggle back front of mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I reflected on this, I realised that I
often overlook the many things this body (and brain) of mine
have allowed me to experience and achieve. This article was a great reminder!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://sarah7106.wixsite.com/sarahsblog/post/talking-to-myself-a-woman-runner-s-gratitude-sarah-bagder?fbclid=IwAR1JaN5VxqBmaUxR8ib8Y9kfEtbAV2UdhoPdi1eBId9YcRtH5bKS-hSFkhw">"Talking
to Myself: A Woman Runner’s Gratitude" - Sarah Bagder (wixsite.com)</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And so I posted these pics BECAUSE they are not flattering
and BECAUSE they remind me that I need to accept and appreciate how awesome
this body and brain of mine are, that I need to learn to love all its perfect
imperfections and celebrate it in the same way I appreciate and celebrate other
athletes in all shapes and sizes without judgement!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So here they are, raw and unedited (with some repeats)....AWESOME!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUtRridJnC389pYYA6F4ieySzfCu7BHQZw4o0kSDVe1_x718hQcTBx1zPCUvjkE5obKJ2J9R-2cgldCAGlC4UuuxLpSmPXyg2_CLDhqpnhDScIBt2t0KPZld9jjUS_zWYRvaAAj_ncO8/s2000/Swimstart.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUtRridJnC389pYYA6F4ieySzfCu7BHQZw4o0kSDVe1_x718hQcTBx1zPCUvjkE5obKJ2J9R-2cgldCAGlC4UuuxLpSmPXyg2_CLDhqpnhDScIBt2t0KPZld9jjUS_zWYRvaAAj_ncO8/w400-h267/Swimstart.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS body, allowed me to have one of the most comfortable swims of my life AND place 2nd in my age category!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlCp6DcnlVg_F06YmhkCtc9CmWjDVBNwNT9oyosfz0PUgXTCGwxSyb6wds8YQeEObbE8zYgvDCLgH9ZfpdTuqstef64CKjMBtVm6fx8Vxmd7dJVhPBNYkT-yLcGGrCmixUj_J9pZN2l0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlCp6DcnlVg_F06YmhkCtc9CmWjDVBNwNT9oyosfz0PUgXTCGwxSyb6wds8YQeEObbE8zYgvDCLgH9ZfpdTuqstef64CKjMBtVm6fx8Vxmd7dJVhPBNYkT-yLcGGrCmixUj_J9pZN2l0/s16000/this-body.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS body, completed a VERY challenging course and my brain is fully recharged!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKZPebA2b4P_YC57bfd1VNxNYYDkVTnLzdf_s_pfgIhgUUuHrYKFIvxuXuZUFbQv0Lc8CuaqSbc5ewapVLCww3d03CXHEmOrsmXlrEYMZeYXTBX0uNpf4KDNqfqhEm-e_K7aqy2EHIP0/s2000/Bike.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKZPebA2b4P_YC57bfd1VNxNYYDkVTnLzdf_s_pfgIhgUUuHrYKFIvxuXuZUFbQv0Lc8CuaqSbc5ewapVLCww3d03CXHEmOrsmXlrEYMZeYXTBX0uNpf4KDNqfqhEm-e_K7aqy2EHIP0/w400-h267/Bike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS body is learning and improving MTB skills and THIS mind is overcoming the challenges!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div><b><u>THANKS</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>So many people have played a part in getting me to the start line once again, I always fear that I'll miss someone and if I do here, please know that it was not intentional and that your support and encouragement are greatly appreciated.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Swim</b></div><div>Coach Sharon, thanks for putting us all through the paces, helping us increase our swim fitness and comfort in the water and for picking up on the specific areas where I can improve, I definitely needed and used all of that in this race!</div><div><br /></div><div>Julie, Natalie, Cheryl, Marc, Angèle and Andrea, thanks for the Meech Lake swims (and lending me gear when I forgot mine at home), for being patient, offering tips and sharing your knowledge, experience and positivity!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bike</b></div><div>Mike, you got me started/interested in MTB to begin with and I have learned so much from riding with you, taking group lessons together and from your willingness to share your knowledge with me, thanks for being so patient in those early days on that "dangerous" bike, and for sharing your enthusiasm of the sport!</div><div>Alain, thanks for nudging out of my comfort zone and getting me to explore trails and features I likely would not have on my own,</div><div>Julie, Gwynn, Erik, Julien, Sharron, Dave, Ian, Karine, Angèle, thanks for bringing joy, laughter and shenanigans to our rides, you certainly made me WANT to ride more, if only to spend time with all of you! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Run</b></div><div>Julie, thanks for hitting the trails with me in Gatineau park, for never getting upset when we'd lose our way and for being a shining example of how to speed through trails, up and down and giving me a rabbit to chase!</div><div>Natalie, thanks for the early morning local trail runs that meant I kept the consistency going, for sharing stories, laughter and maybe a wee bit of commiserating over that first valley/climb on our outings, looking forward to continuing this consistency into the winter (maybe not on the trails though).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Life</b></div><div>A big shoutout to all of you who continually offer your support and encouragement of my athletic, personal, professional and Imerman Angels adventures and challenges, you help me in ways that cannot be expressed in a simple paragraph.</div><div><br /></div><div>And as always, a HUGE thanks to my lovely wife, Sonia, who ALWAYS has my back, pushes me to be a better human and supports all (well most) of my zany ideas 😁</div></div>Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-32266063580473396392020-10-13T16:56:00.001-07:002020-10-13T16:56:30.012-07:00Chicago Marathon - Virtual YOW<p><b><u>BACKGROUND </u></b><br /><br />As many of you know by now, I was NOT supposed to be running a marathon this year, or next year, or for "a few" years. I had intended to make my focus sprint and eventually standard distance Xterra triathlons and focus on trail running and mountain biking, with the occasional 10k road race thrown in for good measure.</p><p>Then COVID struck and Imerman Angels (like many non-profits) found themselves in a bit of a bind. A significant amount of Imerman Angels' funding comes from events, specifically, the Chicago marathon is a MAJOR fundraiser for Imerman Angels and allow us to continue our mission of helping to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone.</p><p>By May, it had become clear that many races were going to look very different, IF they were even able to be held. Imerman Angels launched a campaign called #We'reAllImerman and as the Ottawa Ambassador, of course I was a part of it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y0BtqBJ86YCfkOBGxxOJhVDhWoaLpGzI8-EC46IeeFiFIHXHw9ggcUQBjXhaqu2Ic85I5B3ZRKI0toHngkvd3BmCcp6N6wBOEdoXdifNWkgqZe4_-F2iEgUkoyLFor8LqpDH0Eq7jyQ/s2048/Me.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y0BtqBJ86YCfkOBGxxOJhVDhWoaLpGzI8-EC46IeeFiFIHXHw9ggcUQBjXhaqu2Ic85I5B3ZRKI0toHngkvd3BmCcp6N6wBOEdoXdifNWkgqZe4_-F2iEgUkoyLFor8LqpDH0Eq7jyQ/s320/Me.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>That got me thinking, how else could I help, and I already KNEW the answer, I was going to sign up to fundraise and run the Chicago marathon as part of Team Imerman Angels, even though we had no idea if the race would take place. Most of you know that part of that fundraising involved me running (and cycling a portion) from Ottawa to Chicago, joined by my buddy Erik who cycled from Chicago to Ottawa and back from Ottawa to Chicago, joined a week later by our friend Julie, who walke, hiked and ran from Ottawa to Chicago.<div><br /></div><div>By the time October came around, we knew that the Chicago marathon had been cancelled and that it would be impossible for me to get to Chicago in person to run with any of the Team Imerman Angels athletes as part of their virtual races and/or runs. BUT, we did know that as Team Imerman Angels athletes #WeStillRun, #SoThatNoOneFacescancerAlone</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOx2T6ln12BkQpMHE3HcYdh9fOejaFf12V-MjaLDoJ_VpQS9hWWoP-Suml3hH5DXHPBBQl40gmJIg-4dsSa6KkPMUYCEIejmkyhceZja-QM98AqmnKAi6wD-q-lsvOZjxrj72fWmWjqA0/s2048/Oct-2020+2003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOx2T6ln12BkQpMHE3HcYdh9fOejaFf12V-MjaLDoJ_VpQS9hWWoP-Suml3hH5DXHPBBQl40gmJIg-4dsSa6KkPMUYCEIejmkyhceZja-QM98AqmnKAi6wD-q-lsvOZjxrj72fWmWjqA0/s320/Oct-2020+2003.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What we didn't realize, was that Ottawa would be experiencing an increase in COVID cases and public health officials would be recommending that we avoid contact with individuals outside those we live with or our immediate family. Which meant, this would be a SOLO marathon attempt.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had been preparing for this mentally for a couple of months, just in case, but hoping that the dozen or so folks who had offered to run all or part of the marathon with me WOULD be able to join me, so it was disappointing, but not totally unexpected.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>RACE DAY:</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>By the numbers:</div><div><br /></div><div>The <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">highlighted</span> rows are where I stopped by the house for a bio break, refueling and change of clothes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZghYP6LYDHhkfZM-meflBezWxy1H-Y6uK6yMoIQVFBmxd6AmBRygNCnPtsMkp_UlyufTiIVOXrjCWpBBBNjJTKMdXH_Y5n2q81JgZwYvB_5CYjleCvC9C4QSEbGz8ZmNYYA3Wew8pI4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="901" data-original-width="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZghYP6LYDHhkfZM-meflBezWxy1H-Y6uK6yMoIQVFBmxd6AmBRygNCnPtsMkp_UlyufTiIVOXrjCWpBBBNjJTKMdXH_Y5n2q81JgZwYvB_5CYjleCvC9C4QSEbGz8ZmNYYA3Wew8pI4/s16000/image.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The alarm went off at 5:00 am normal race prep checklist kicked in, oatmeal, banana, bagel w/PB and some water as pre-race nutrition.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Flat Brent" had been prepped the night before so that I didn't forget any critical pieces of clothing</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpW-vCF8kgJQycH8RJqPecW_z8Sn0jfD3p3d4bD-2jvBubmFAvZc_ngh7Zw_9usQRBM5mCRLZ04Lvwb2cbY_9dEUZjzA5YsHTqzqgGcfFtK03cy3I0SD6p2nkevVR2zeFnhwr1pYzWIM/s2048/Oct-2020+2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpW-vCF8kgJQycH8RJqPecW_z8Sn0jfD3p3d4bD-2jvBubmFAvZc_ngh7Zw_9usQRBM5mCRLZ04Lvwb2cbY_9dEUZjzA5YsHTqzqgGcfFtK03cy3I0SD6p2nkevVR2zeFnhwr1pYzWIM/s320/Oct-2020+2004.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div>and I took the time to prep a table with my race hydration/nutrition and several pieces of clothing as optional layer changes in case the day warmed up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR_mBZgJPsmTy47uU0od8I-FKGYEOBtKNEGQt-l8JDVCJWiTl9RkqlYCvZgU6ctGsNiN4gsnjq6RsLHsHmOeGKfMQ3tQtadlIblFlGHOmrqPwqqr1YGsO13zQ5YLkg_f4VkfUMQHMj_k/s2048/Oct-2020+2005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR_mBZgJPsmTy47uU0od8I-FKGYEOBtKNEGQt-l8JDVCJWiTl9RkqlYCvZgU6ctGsNiN4gsnjq6RsLHsHmOeGKfMQ3tQtadlIblFlGHOmrqPwqqr1YGsO13zQ5YLkg_f4VkfUMQHMj_k/s320/Oct-2020+2005.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div>At 7:00 a.m. with a local temp of 1C (33.8F), I walked over to the start line and "got things started"!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkS8jsu23e_JA5IpAxcqfy6R3DcKn5dp7S-KCWp7sST-l521NIkSeTNIXi9R6M5Wu0TZjp7Q2PIGchyphenhyphenewTv6wYUWk_-TMXrbH0YRnWbd_t1Aa2ZK5rwlQ-hfsq4PCCdafADbwLEywyZ0/s2048/Oct-2020+2006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkS8jsu23e_JA5IpAxcqfy6R3DcKn5dp7S-KCWp7sST-l521NIkSeTNIXi9R6M5Wu0TZjp7Q2PIGchyphenhyphenewTv6wYUWk_-TMXrbH0YRnWbd_t1Aa2ZK5rwlQ-hfsq4PCCdafADbwLEywyZ0/s320/Oct-2020+2006.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The advice from my coach was that the first 1/2 should feel SLOW and controlled, I was chomping at the bit, but I kept my eye on the watch and made sure I hovered around the goal pace. I was feeling pretty good on that first loop ~12.4k.<div><br /></div><div>Made it back to the house for the first refuel and bio break and changed out of a run cap to an ear warmer and swapped to lighter gloves.</div><div><br /></div><div>Loop two was almost identical to loop 1, minus a small detour to make it ~10k, the best part of this loop was my buddy Tracy who drove in from Carp (the other end of town) to cheer me on, right before I had to climb the biggest hill of this loop, he even brought along his new puppy for extra motivation. I definitely had a little more pep in my step up that hill (check km 20 in the chart above, uphill at the same pace = pep).</div><div><br /></div><div>I got to see Tracy (from a distance) again at my house as I stopped for my second refuel, clothing swap and bio break and had a quick chat before heading out on loop 3. Our two visits were short, but they provided just enough energy to keep my brain focused on the whole point of the day and I joked with Tracy, that I might never be able to return to a "normal marathon" after getting these great breaks between loops, flush toilets are a luxury not available on your typical marathon course :-)</div><div><br /></div><div>I was onto 5k loops at this point, planned this was as I knew the second half would likely be more challenging mentally and stopping by the house for a word of encouragement from Sonia or a quick visit from my dog Molly, might just be what I needed to keep me moving, I got both when I came back from my first 5k loop and the timing was perfect as Sonia was heading out to pick up my daughter so that she could finish the marathon with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another 5k loop and my first walk break, up a short steepish hill, normally this would have been a dark spot, not being able to run the whole marathon, but it was a perfect day in terms of weather and I had no goal time in mind, so I just started running again as soon as I got up the hill and kept thinking about sharing the finish line with my daughter.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I got back after this loop, my daughter greeted me at the door and asked if I wanted her to keep me company for the last 2 loops, I decided to stick to the plan and run this one solo (prolly should have taken her up on the offer, the legs were getting cranky and I could have used the distraction), fortunately, as soon as I turned the corner off my street, my friend Sandy and her husband Grant, pulled up honking their car horn, ringing a cowbell and shouting out some words of encouragement. I felt a surge of energy and you can see that translated to at least 1 km at a bit faster pace (lap 35).</div><div><br /></div><div>Coming home for the last refuel stop, felt pretty awesome for a few reasons, I knew I would be running the last loop with my daughter, I knew we were only ~4k from the finish and I knew we would be having Deep Dish pizza after the race :-)</div><div><br /></div><div>My daughter was FANTASTIC at keeping me distracted and very understanding of all the walk breaks I needed, I loved every step, even if my legs and hip flexors did not.</div><div><br /></div><div>My wife Sonia surprised us with some fantastic road chalk signs on the final stretch</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHVlDbFGVBfj3WlQuLXxCxJBQuVDyw5V-eClUIQKiv6FcoRng5xovmakin2UUG5xA9ELWN-asdR1G5pvDLjs-OTO44exdGo8lOjpGN_NuhG3fPJ-FzGtmU2rgODvV9JpJ0Q1IKRFIr1g/s2048/Oct-2020+2042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z_Zbz49owhsslKNuOJ0KdaudZ19FLhaBAHih7QriJE_yQ4lkDoi7zDfqHpKHyL_d5kM61xQlbhaCp6PTQxEV_gxX-pJlTg5XKIlYhMdF5HqKgHjqieiyViz4UWJaPMcPl3XVYmHAaWc/s2048/Oct-2020+2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z_Zbz49owhsslKNuOJ0KdaudZ19FLhaBAHih7QriJE_yQ4lkDoi7zDfqHpKHyL_d5kM61xQlbhaCp6PTQxEV_gxX-pJlTg5XKIlYhMdF5HqKgHjqieiyViz4UWJaPMcPl3XVYmHAaWc/s320/Oct-2020+2040.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMxvfGvk8LCdq3mdywT4gwu7rlPFk5rp4sd9FrPQ-kPLOkUPEZXCL7qM2kQkVghwFsHvnvxP7NCGHFWpX2y73GjtPd-Sp8n89mj6XXSaMGd5jLMtPleygz0SsoVY3XSJ2thOD0AAPSns/s2048/Oct-2020+2039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And she did a much better job with the FINISH line than I did with the START line</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBTGLIv6VK3lImbkCK-bxW8gAo-pZyoZtX9Y-snOC46LT0Z0ti65KaDI0CLyJHp5bmvjqvqJDuFm24pJWc6XsmXTIsq3yTQd7mlSEoZuJSquU_1fq9Y4xi3GKa30LEdT_IMNo9vq0v2o/s2048/Oct-2020+2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBTGLIv6VK3lImbkCK-bxW8gAo-pZyoZtX9Y-snOC46LT0Z0ti65KaDI0CLyJHp5bmvjqvqJDuFm24pJWc6XsmXTIsq3yTQd7mlSEoZuJSquU_1fq9Y4xi3GKa30LEdT_IMNo9vq0v2o/s320/Oct-2020+2037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She also managed to capture a great picture of my daughter and bringing it in</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMHNgX9PwAJ9WnocelxAIfgE-X2jeR5taM4Eg_SHe9JfQyScgMXGUU9Mu1c1v7pD4juaoW_2qh3y6DWT8wvy5CQZBoa8xJzCfWtek7s6bL5dgvK0ug20B5xg3Uopd87t9MgYbhRnAEKM/s2048/Oct-2020+2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMHNgX9PwAJ9WnocelxAIfgE-X2jeR5taM4Eg_SHe9JfQyScgMXGUU9Mu1c1v7pD4juaoW_2qh3y6DWT8wvy5CQZBoa8xJzCfWtek7s6bL5dgvK0ug20B5xg3Uopd87t9MgYbhRnAEKM/s320/Oct-2020+2020.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Molly decided SHE needed to cross the finish line with me</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz26lYdIEiWC2_xxRvZh5Bfiy_7Afc15vokk7RFvsK8yj8q0ePi2PkQV6S0z_eibkd58KKEaatpucwUcyalQDRtmpwy9BxUp42QY5lznb8x9zW2kvqxZJdJLPNCf3BZ7XcQMQmnBnMJI/s2048/Oct-2020+2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz26lYdIEiWC2_xxRvZh5Bfiy_7Afc15vokk7RFvsK8yj8q0ePi2PkQV6S0z_eibkd58KKEaatpucwUcyalQDRtmpwy9BxUp42QY5lznb8x9zW2kvqxZJdJLPNCf3BZ7XcQMQmnBnMJI/s320/Oct-2020+2021.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and join my IA finish pose too</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9If0mNPK4l2pfrMDCPlPv3QUjddKQ7TmEibr2krfEM_Oi_xbd033WWtNWT3jyJt602VryI_8dx0GczLpPtbaSOuLQV24VsGAcIQfQGONFI1WqNLba5GjoGg2VB_WtoUXWTHoocD9T6ao/s2048/Oct-2020+2025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9If0mNPK4l2pfrMDCPlPv3QUjddKQ7TmEibr2krfEM_Oi_xbd033WWtNWT3jyJt602VryI_8dx0GczLpPtbaSOuLQV24VsGAcIQfQGONFI1WqNLba5GjoGg2VB_WtoUXWTHoocD9T6ao/s320/Oct-2020+2025.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and then decided that I needed to strike up some yoga poses to stretch things out</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuFlrNoXMLPDvHpRu-9bHLSZ7Zj3OzSIrn_y1NQXBYyjHfGj0gNx600Fv5TaspG6Prif8vfO10GCFzdIeNgsvFdPemtNmGJIij9zC3in2yW9wXb_7hK9T7Mc7ZqxVhiA8O3_SSSDczds/s2048/Oct-2020+2026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuFlrNoXMLPDvHpRu-9bHLSZ7Zj3OzSIrn_y1NQXBYyjHfGj0gNx600Fv5TaspG6Prif8vfO10GCFzdIeNgsvFdPemtNmGJIij9zC3in2yW9wXb_7hK9T7Mc7ZqxVhiA8O3_SSSDczds/s320/Oct-2020+2026.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Which made for a colourful afternoon for her</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMO6R6A20HbQkGJqU2znZpx_0JlXivWRE3hbkxIiMS0OUDc8etDrmIvAzQLlNoeCcoftF2kKQYUWNwjYQ6sAuvRP3_6A3e4IYYMSmeLI54YS0UnoSpjgEaKYzVgsWvdGfLr19ZRwGrFA/s2048/Oct-2020+2031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMO6R6A20HbQkGJqU2znZpx_0JlXivWRE3hbkxIiMS0OUDc8etDrmIvAzQLlNoeCcoftF2kKQYUWNwjYQ6sAuvRP3_6A3e4IYYMSmeLI54YS0UnoSpjgEaKYzVgsWvdGfLr19ZRwGrFA/s320/Oct-2020+2031.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A word of thanks to my friend Julie for printing out the official Chicago Marathon break tape for me</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZT8r5SIPY6HdR-QkuwjsNgpag0L8wlzuVy0LtuolWkRC5p2v7hWSnwd6Xuti3Xj0V6kw-hK4TpwDsOKVa2TAgeM4bP9WdBE6v_9aw8HbrHs74DBTu3VFp7w6sR0lCE-2_Pjpk7nANkFg/s2048/Oct-2020+2043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZT8r5SIPY6HdR-QkuwjsNgpag0L8wlzuVy0LtuolWkRC5p2v7hWSnwd6Xuti3Xj0V6kw-hK4TpwDsOKVa2TAgeM4bP9WdBE6v_9aw8HbrHs74DBTu3VFp7w6sR0lCE-2_Pjpk7nANkFg/s320/Oct-2020+2043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>This was my 13th marathon and Garmin FINALLY decided that I had EARNED the marathon badge, must be because they hear #WeStillRun<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UFjNUMDSoFI6SA4M15hGOivwnXM3CZCdVs96vn8tZ0c5ckBurAUVFAd2Kffml6Lz4X504fFQ2IRajtHtjD-DGAxVC8F9QruWKATcEL4h4YfI-lx0th1Prv0T_wO0SK-6L4d0trV2UL4/s1075/Oct-2020+2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="1075" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UFjNUMDSoFI6SA4M15hGOivwnXM3CZCdVs96vn8tZ0c5ckBurAUVFAd2Kffml6Lz4X504fFQ2IRajtHtjD-DGAxVC8F9QruWKATcEL4h4YfI-lx0th1Prv0T_wO0SK-6L4d0trV2UL4/s320/Oct-2020+2033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was a fantastic day for running, it was probably the BEST marathon day I have ever had mentally, it was also one of my toughest days physically, there were times when the legs just didn't want to or couldn't move any faster, or needed to walk, but I walked when I needed and got back running as soon as I could without letting that impact how great a day it was and THAT is a VICTORY for me!<div><br /></div><div>I LOVE that the Chicago Marathon always falls on Thanksgiving weekend, it helps to amplify my gratitude to friends and family for their continued support, words of encouragement and understanding.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am extremely grateful to everyone who was able to make a donation to help us ensure that no one has to face cancer alone, running would not have the same meaning for me without this mission and you make it possible!</div><div><br /></div><div>A word of thanks to Sunday Run Club for all the training runs, coffee chats and banter that helps make the hours and kms of training pass so quickly, I truly value your friendship!</div><div><br /></div><div>A special shout out to Erik and Julie for always being willing to follow me into whatever wacky adventure/challenge I come up with and doing so with passion and smiles!</div><div><br /></div><div>And of course to Sonia for her never ending support and Riana for getting me across that finish line BIG LOVE to you both!!</div><div><br /></div><div>And as one of my run club friends noted, this LIKELY is NOT my last marathon, i'll save that for when the legs refuse to go, or we find a cure for cancer, until then, #WeStillRun #SoNoOneFacescancerAlone.<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-61207327869673634872019-03-03T18:29:00.000-08:002019-03-15T20:29:37.135-07:00When your dream of dreams becomes reality (2017 Ironman World Championship Race Report)<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">This is a long overdue race report from my
Dream of a lifetime experience participating in the 2017 Ironman World
Championship as the Subaru Canada Road To Kona winner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Find your favourite comfy chair, curl up with
your favourite hot or cold bevvie and if you’re in for the whole report, be
prepared to spend some time this is gonna’ be a long one, my longest race report
to date!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Before we get to the race report a few things
to set the stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">A
bit of a background:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">In October 2011, I was doing
a trainer ride while watching the Ironman World Championship broadcast. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It was the year that Rick<span class="textexposedshow"> and Dick Hoyt completed the event and I decided at
that moment that I was out of excuses..."I'm afraid of the water" no
longer seemed to hold water.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Inspired by their story and their amazing attitude,
I made up my mind to do an Ironman triathlon.</span><br />
<br />
I chose Ironman Mont-Tremblant (IMMT) after volunteering and spectating there
in the first few years they hosted the event. Right from the beginning, the
community embraced the event and athletes and spectators that flock to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have built something truly special over
the years and I knew I wanted my one and only Ironman to be here where it would
be a truly amazing experience and memory.<br />
<br />
</span>Fast forward to a few days before IMMT (you can read that race report
here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><a href="http://shmittysrunningblog.blogspot.com/">http://shmittysrunningblog.blogspot.com/</a>
</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">) <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">and I start getting some
indications/emails and texts that a couple of friends had nominated me for the
Subaru Road To Kona contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some folks
included the text from their submissions and others just indicated that they
had nominated me and wished me luck, both for Tremblant and in the
contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started reading what some of
you had to say in your submissions, but it was making me too emotional and I
had to keep my composure for the race, so I marked the messages as unread and
put them aside to read later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day
before the race I disconnected from social media to focus on mental prep which
meant I missed a few of the other emails and texts about the contest as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">With IMMT now complete, I could go back to
reading what folks had sent not only about the contest nominations but about my
IMMT race as well, it was an emotional teary eyed few hours and very humbling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">2017 was the year that I and most of my
close-knit group of high school friends turned 50 and we had planned a long
weekend of white-water rafting and outdoor adventuring, just as the weekend was
wrapping up, I got a call from Subaru Canada letting me know I had made it to
the final 5 in their Road to Kona contest, they wanted to know if I would
accept if I was chosen and let me know that they would be informing the winner
by the end of the day…what a way to cap of an amazing weekend with friends, but
it was going to make the 1.5 hour drive home seem like forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">I got the
call around 5:00 p.m. from Joe Felstein from Subaru Canada and it was a tear
fest!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe asked me to keep it quiet
until they could get the official announcement out the next day…LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGEEEEESSSSSTTTTT
day ever!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">When then they broke the news my social
media feeds blew up!! It was awesome, humbling exciting and as the news sank
in…a little nerve wracking…thinking that in just 7 weeks, I would be toeing the
line of another Ironman event, but not just ANY Ironman event, the Ironman
World Championship (a.k.a KONA), something I could never have dreamt of
qualifying for and I was going to get a chance to participate AND not only was
I going to share the course with the pros and the best of the best age group
qualifiers in the world, among those qualifiers, was my coach Dave Harding,
imagine getting to do your dream race…and getting to do it with your coach
there as well, UNBELIEVABLE!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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here in Canada:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">My next call was to my coach to let him know
that I was going to need help (and a plan) to get me ready for this unexpected
chance of a lifetime. He assured me that he could put something together (this
would be his second time going to Kona) and that the goal would be to maintain
fitness and avoid injury, but that I’d get one more week of rest before a 6 week
prep for the race.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As with my entire Ironman journey, the
support of my family and friends was immense, with many offering to train with
me in spite of the fact that their seasons and races were either done for the
year or wrapping up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to
have the company on those long, hot humid training days in the weeks leading up
to our departure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A big shout out to Mother
Nature for cranking up the heat and humidity to allow me to acclimate for
Hawaii.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Subaru Canada arranged for Blair Rossen
(Keystone Studios) and Greg McFadden (Ironworks Productions) to come to Ottawa
to shoot a promotional piece which they allowed me to use to promote awareness
of Imerman Angels and which featured some of my running and triathlon friends,
my coach David Harding and my long time friend, inspiration and the person who
first introduced me to Imerman Angels, Derek Threinen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can find that video here: </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/236811424?ref=em-share" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://vimeo.com/236811424?ref=em-share</a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Subaru took care of EVERYTHING, they covered
our flights, hotel for the week before the race, some spending cash, Subaru
hats for all the folks who helped out with the promotional video, and a stylin’
new Tri kit for the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also made
sure that my race registration was taken care of and that Sonia, Riana and I
all got VIP passes, no small feat when you’re talking about the World
Championship, and they still had a few surprises up their sleeves, keep reading
to find out what exactly and you’ll see why I speak so highly of this team!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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in Hawaii:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">We had already planned to be in Hawaii for
the Ironman World Championship (IMWC) where I was going to volunteer and cheer
as part of my 50<sup>th</sup> celebrations, so there were a few changes to the
itinerary necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I spent the weekend before the IMWC on the
island of Kauai with Sonia and Riana where we managed to get in a tour of the
botanical gardens, a helicopter tour and some mountain tubing as well as my
first non-wetsuit ocean swim with Riana and a snorkeling session with Sonia
which helped calm me and let me get a little more comfortable with the natural buoyancy
afforded by warm salt water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">After a weekend packed with activities, on
Monday morning, I headed over to the big island for race-week preps and
promotions while Sonia and Riana stuck to the original plan and hungout
together in Kauai to get in some hiking, kayaking and other sightseeing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">From the minute I touched down on the big
island there was a vibe and indescribable energy that just lifted you up and
made you smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The airport on the big island is open air,
and there is a great statue in the “lobby”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">When I stepped out of the airport to meet the
Subaru team (Joe Felstein and Blair Rossen) I got the first of a series of
surprises they had in store for me, there to greet me as I went to pick up my
bags was none other than Canadian Ironman and Ironman 70.3 legend Lisa
Bentley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may have been more tears,
and hugs, just the beginning of a week full of those!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The surprise didn’t end there, Joe informed
me that we’d be going to dinner with Lisa and her husband Dave and then Lisa
and Dave suggested I drive with them so they could give me some pointers about
the course, the race, Hawaii, ALL of it…OMG if my face didn’t show it, I was
giddy as a kid in a candy shop!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Lisa was so approachable and being with her
had a calming effect as my nerves were beginning to build.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa must have picked up on my anxiety, especially
about the swim. I was scheduled to head down to the pier and do a swim with
coach Dave the next day, but his flight delays meant he wouldn’t be there and I
was going to be on my own (well with all the other athletes, coaches and
spectators in town for the event), but Lisa and Dave suggested I join them and
they could give me some more pointers about the swim and getting setup on the
pier on race day…seriously? Pinch me! No wait, if I’m dreaming, I don’t wanna’
wake up!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">And to top it off, we bumped into Craig
Alexander on the way out from dinner, turns out he and Lisa were training
partners once upon a long ago and so we got a chance to chat with him and grab
a pic as well! What a first day!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Tuesday started off with meeting Lisa and
Dave for a swim at Digme beach (the small beach next to the pier in
Kailua-Kona), Lisa walked me through what to expect on race day including some
tips on timing and mental prep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa was
scheduled to swim with her athlete who was competing there, but Dave and
another of Lisa’s athletes swam with me, pointing out buoys as meet up spots to
make sure I was doing ok and to provide some more race day swim tips. The water
was crystal clear, you could see 30ft or more, fishes of all varieties, it was
AMAZING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">We swam out to the coffee boat
and floated around for a bit enjoying a coffee, chatting with other athletes
from around the globe and just letting it sink in, I was in Kailua Bay, sipping
coffee at the coffee boat, 4 days before I would participate in the IMWC!!
OMG!!! No picture proof, but I can guaranteed I had the biggest smile out
there!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Next up was a breakfast for all Canadian
athletes hosted by Subaru Canada and Triathlon Magazine Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fantastic opportunity to chat with some of
the amazing Canadian age group athletes who qualified to be here to race, and
an inspirational speech from Lisa to fire everyone up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Joe and his team had yet another surprise up
their sleeves, they arranged for an interview with Kevin Mackinnon from Triathlon
Magazine Canada where they afforded me yet another opportunity to promote
awareness of Imerman Angels mission, you can see that video here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a href="https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/road-kona-winner-brent-smyth-ready-race/?fbclid=IwAR2-uyZxmAIH9AB2Zl_tKKzh3zOxDGPvj6sOIpHuOwFDtD3A5oqLstrxlkI">https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/road-kona-winner-brent-smyth-ready-race/?fbclid=IwAR2-uyZxmAIH9AB2Zl_tKKzh3zOxDGPvj6sOIpHuOwFDtD3A5oqLstrxlkI</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Then it was onto VIP registration, thanks to
Subaru Canada this meant no line ups, and Blair managed to smooth talk his way
in to snag a few photos too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">After
VIP registration there was some, no, LOTS of shopping in the Ironman World
Championship store for swag </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We headed back to the hotel and I grabbed a
nap so that I would be rested for the parade of nations planned for that
evening.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Joe, Blair and I headed into town again for
the parade of nations where Subaru took it upon themselves to coordinate and
outfit Team Canada in t-shirts as well as hand held and a few large Canadian
flags as well. You can see some of the photos posted by Triathlon magazine
Canada here (includes a few from the breakfast event as well): <a href="https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/canadians-parade-nations-day-two-photo-gallery/?fbclid=IwAR1ljyFESIH8-dBS0rzuiForuIbkr92lzg1gDLBhzSHksNeoCECll02SohY">https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/canadians-parade-nations-day-two-photo-gallery/?fbclid=IwAR1ljyFESIH8-dBS0rzuiForuIbkr92lzg1gDLBhzSHksNeoCECll02SohY</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Then it was over to expo to get meet two Kona
champions and legends Dave “the Man” Scott and Mark “the Grip” Allen and get
them to sign my t-shirt (great idea Joe!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">I headed
over to get my Underpants run race kit (and undies of course) before heading
out to dinner with Joe and Blair to cap-off the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Wednesday’s
schedule had a short easy run as well as some fanboying of past and present
pros down at the race expo and other venues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfo_rO7b_yiHhCLVXaEzxH1vqHbDdFBev8ymyeG_HmQZK6FOu6zMEL6i3u5p7MjcuahUKLDLeYYzgF_msJDF-6gRDwqvNjs5b1TipCPazxUXZ-UVwEw4ICimaJlrX2RnHbBOTX3VhNllg/s1600/Kona+151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfo_rO7b_yiHhCLVXaEzxH1vqHbDdFBev8ymyeG_HmQZK6FOu6zMEL6i3u5p7MjcuahUKLDLeYYzgF_msJDF-6gRDwqvNjs5b1TipCPazxUXZ-UVwEw4ICimaJlrX2RnHbBOTX3VhNllg/s320/Kona+151.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Reilly - The Voice of Ironman</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1P1z-wl_PmXAVmsxo9WFzRrZ25pxiUQ64gCvQieZI43cXmao4k-s8pXMiGL2-NuPggjvPZcYjbkyRUDJag3K4jELKOdqT6EEZjh4a8q_N4gKivcLUSx3ot2ym9K5Mi2hU_dhUDTXQls/s1600/Kona+172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1P1z-wl_PmXAVmsxo9WFzRrZ25pxiUQ64gCvQieZI43cXmao4k-s8pXMiGL2-NuPggjvPZcYjbkyRUDJag3K4jELKOdqT6EEZjh4a8q_N4gKivcLUSx3ot2ym9K5Mi2hU_dhUDTXQls/s320/Kona+172.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirinda Carfrae, some age grouper and Craig Alexander</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2iB8WaF_V2taaT2p3bFlwVNzisz1pcUlRSciaFDvNDmNqvwFe6GLGzgj7k3zE8Ifq9-DtOXqmZEaVvso9rGxFJ0FVq4YoBss7qkg4AkUwjqllzQYjWdAp8ocLlu_evEKeqSEAmk1uwo/s1600/Kona+176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2iB8WaF_V2taaT2p3bFlwVNzisz1pcUlRSciaFDvNDmNqvwFe6GLGzgj7k3zE8Ifq9-DtOXqmZEaVvso9rGxFJ0FVq4YoBss7qkg4AkUwjqllzQYjWdAp8ocLlu_evEKeqSEAmk1uwo/s320/Kona+176.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Age grouper and Chrissie Wellington</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">The
evening was possibly the BEST non-race part of the whole experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe and the Subaru Canada team arranged for
us to be invited to the Aloha Reception at Hulihe’e Palace where Chrissie
Wellington was inducted into the Ironman Hall of fame, Daniela Ryf and Jan
Frodeno were honored as returning champions. Thanks to Lisa Bentley, I got to
meet Karen Smyres and hear them share stories from their IMWC and other racing and
life experiences, fierce competitors, but the friendship and respect was
obvious even to this casual observer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">The icing
on the cake though and a memory that is forever etched in my mind, getting to
meet Rick and Dick Hoyt AND spending time chatting with them about their
racing, Boston Marathon and IMWC experiences, and I got to tell them how they
inspired me to conquer my fear of the water and that they were the reason for
me deciding to do an Ironman. There were many tears shed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Thursday’s
itinerary was packed with fun activities, starting with the underpants
run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully coach Dave’s flights
finally got off the ground and we were able to do this fun run together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">We then
headed over to Kailua Bay for a swim together where we headed out to the coffee
boat, grabbed a coffee and Dave got me to jump up on one of the inflatables and
take a look out to Ali’I Drive, where they were starting to setup up for the
finish line chute and arch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
remember his exact words, but it was about reflecting on where we were, what
we’d be doing and just enjoying the moment and just how incredible it was to
get to be a part of this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">After the
swim, we headed back to our hotels to prep for our bike ride (Dave had a
couple of sections he wanted me to see) and then headed out to the Lava
fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we unloaded our bikes,
Karen drove ahead to one of the lookouts to wait for us so she could grab a few
photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say, downhill with a
cross wind in the Hawaiian heat and humidity was a bit of a trial by fire,
whoooo boy that was a scary start, but once we settled in, not too bad and not
nearly as bleak as the videos of the lava fields had made it seem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the fun part, turning around and
climbing, a real quad burner and some mental prep tips from Dave as he reminded
me this would be about 120k into the race on the way back, so settle in, stay
focused and just remember this training, up and over and then it is homeward
bound, list of landmarks which I remembered on the day, but cannot today I
really need to get better at writing race reports soon after the race. </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">The athlete
banquet and briefing were that evening and thanks to Joe and the Subaru Canada
Team, not only did I get to experience it as a VIP, but so too did Dave and his
family. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was truly fantastic to get to
experience this with Dave and his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Friday was a final short ride on the bike to make sure everything was in working order before heading over to bike check-in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">When you
get to the check-in, you have your own volunteer to walk you through getting
your bike racked, understanding the whole layout of the Transition zone on the
pier, from where swim exit, bike out, bike in, run out are to the change tents and
where to hand-off and pick-up your gear bags. Top shelf all the way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Then it
was back to the hotel to get the rental car (Sonia and Riana were arriving
today and we’d needed it for the next week) and prep my special needs (nutrition
and other on-course items) bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">I had no
luck finding baby potatoes and so I had to settle for full sized, but then the
next hurdle was…no way to prep them, no stove at the hotel…the kitchen couldn’t
prep outside food and didn’t have potatoes that they could prep for me…akkk!
Coach Dave and Karen to the rescue, they suggested I head over to their condo
and prep the potatoes, phew!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My schedule
was off with all the running around to find the potatoes, which meant I had to
dash out as soon as I finished prepping the food, I couldn’t even do my own
dishes, but Karen assured me, it was all fine, she would take care of it and
not too worry, quite the team they are!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Headed
over to pickup Sonia and Riana at the airport and caught them up on the week’s
activities, they were thankful to have had a much more relaxing (and
non-triathlon related) week in Kauai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had an early supper at the Kona Beach Club Restaurant and then it was final
preps and early to bed to be rested for the 3:30 wake up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Race
Day<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">By the numbers:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Swim: 1:39:35 (7:05
a.m. Start)<br />
T1: 9:02<br />
Bike: 7:05:54<br />
T2: 13:52<br />
Run: 5:55:31<br />
Total: 15:03:52 (10:09 p.m.)<br />
Overall: 2068/2460 athletes<br />
Gender: 1515/1761<br />
Category (M50-54): 195/225<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">The alarm
sounded at 3:30, normal race prep checklist kicked in, oatmeal, banana, bagel
w/PB and some water to get things started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Then
check and re-check special needs bags, get dressed and go through everything
from top-bottom and bottom-top for all three disciplines and make sure all is
good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Feeling
pretty nervous about the swim and with the predicted times that Dave I have (16:00-16:30
depending on how the swim and run go), not much room for any malfunctions on
the bike, going to have to stay focused and in the moment, execute the plan and
not worry about that fear of a DNF that has been plaguing me all week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time for some reflection on why I am here and
meditation before heading out to check-in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Wake
Sonia and Riana and gather up all the bags, then head out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">A pretty
quiet drive in as Sonia and Riana are a little sleepy and they know I am
nervous and just need to get my head in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find great parking at the Wal-Mart about
1k from the action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Walking
over lots of reassuring </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">words from Sonia and Riana so grateful to have them
both with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Our talk
turns to joking about who will be more tired at the end of the day, I KNOW it
will be them, but I am comforted and grateful for the fact that Subaru Canada
has secured VIP access for them so they can get out of the sun into AC and they
will get fed throughout the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">We get to
the parking lot of the King Kamehameha Kona Beach hotel and I get my last hugs
and kisses before we have to part ways, Riana has the phone for the day so they
can stay in touch with Joe and Blair and meet up for the start and finish at
the very least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLJOFvenndvCAkU7MI57aBg9N7kL7sn0pt4W-WM-L_ans2F-CLPlgB_EoC539ofPC5Xp9ZUXOQtaKObN-FhhHkpkVS_uLxKwEZtAw22hiE7d-bgLmvNu4bOqvaAJt4ITUsrdVLPKvO8Y/s1600/Kona+271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLJOFvenndvCAkU7MI57aBg9N7kL7sn0pt4W-WM-L_ans2F-CLPlgB_EoC539ofPC5Xp9ZUXOQtaKObN-FhhHkpkVS_uLxKwEZtAw22hiE7d-bgLmvNu4bOqvaAJt4ITUsrdVLPKvO8Y/s320/Kona+271.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXV6UAHPZ0gw5Q-f77CkVDDmvCM7epjOAHB0-i0jfVSQ_0soQJtJVr5UhKwiuVq-veuIRkovrWLip6PSWtd16dfwp4xbQgRLxEEJyvwkewHQ7pS65auWDC706vMYw_2ch1YyeW8hnqtQ/s1600/Kona+268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXV6UAHPZ0gw5Q-f77CkVDDmvCM7epjOAHB0-i0jfVSQ_0soQJtJVr5UhKwiuVq-veuIRkovrWLip6PSWtd16dfwp4xbQgRLxEEJyvwkewHQ7pS65auWDC706vMYw_2ch1YyeW8hnqtQ/s320/Kona+268.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">There’s a
fairly large group heading in, but thanks to the timing tips from Lisa, I’ve
got lots of time and so not worried about being able to take my time getting
setup and going through my pre-race routine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">While I
am standing in the crowd a conversation starts up between two of the women, one
of them happens to be Kathleen McCartney Hearst (you can read about her here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_McCartney_Hearst">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_McCartney_Hearst</a>
), she is chatting with the rest of us, letting us know how she is an age
grouper just like us, Ironman has not paid her to be here, she just loves
racing and being here with all of us…WOW!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">The first
stop is for body marking (getting your race number tattoos applied) and then I
head over to line up for sunscreen application by the volunteers (they think of
everything here) before heading over to get things setup at my bike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">I bump
into Sonia and Riana on the way over, apparently VIP access means they can get
out onto the pier, and just about everywhere else that only athletes typically
can go, except for the transition zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That little unexpected encounter and extra hugs put a smile on my face
and kept the nerves at bay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Swim:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">After
getting things setup on the bike, I head over to the swim entrance, they’ve let
the pro men in, but age groupers will have to wait a bit. Coach Dave and I spot
each other and get to have one last chat before swim warm up and the race. As
we’re standing there, Mirinda Carfrae (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirinda_Carfrae">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirinda_Carfrae</a>
) walks by to go help her husband Tim O’Donnell (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_O%27Donnell_(triathlete)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_O%27Donnell_(triathlete)</a>
) get his bike setup, you know, no big deal, just a 3 time Ironman World
Champion an arm’s reach away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">A few
minutes later the announcer is urging all age group men to head down the stairs
and straight into the water, it’s a small beach, so no hanging around there,
just wade out and then tread water (it’s about 5 min to the pro men’s start
another 5 to the pro women and then 25 before the age group men get to go),
uh…I wasn’t counting on that…so I wade sloooowwwly, but end up treading water
for about 15min…thankful for the extra buoyancy of warm salt water (the water
is warmer than air temp at this time of day). I get a chance to chat with a
couple of the other athletes who are floating far away from the mass of age
group men that will soon be the “washing machine” known as the Kona swim start. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">With a 5 minute warning, most of the men move towards the water safety crews
who are floating at the start line holding them back (men and women pros have
already gone).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still hanging back
for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 minutes to go, I look over to
the pier to see if I can spot Sonia and Riana…hah, it’s a mass of people, not
as many as the swimmers, but still a lot, no chance of spotting them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a minute to go, I swim closer to the
mass, but keep my distance, no need to get into that washing machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIbJy7BEJP41T8714s0KkaML3dB6LJOAttBfhd3EDsnaMxVny3krtoEvPw8oH3_peKeTNkEB0zx_XL7csOqjwn7DBtB9fU9xFpiCv3Ae5N0E2n5uiD9U2Pa0PuS-ISUnZqFiSVDhgPmY/s1600/Kona_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIbJy7BEJP41T8714s0KkaML3dB6LJOAttBfhd3EDsnaMxVny3krtoEvPw8oH3_peKeTNkEB0zx_XL7csOqjwn7DBtB9fU9xFpiCv3Ae5N0E2n5uiD9U2Pa0PuS-ISUnZqFiSVDhgPmY/s640/Kona_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">BANG!!!
The canon goes and we’re off! I’m swimming, in Kailua Bay, as part of the 2017
Ironman World Championship….O-M-G!!! WASHING MACHINE!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UL1dTGb2IuUpaEhaKkHB_E0U07PbHSYRVMOkwwEU9Gach9eENlpT7s6-WZA4_dkaeuemW2Y2_ocPaooX99mwJcc4Kz0k_QoJE82WHYwz6g236PjbnzdBUz8p27Cpeg7bvM9VALFnvJQ/s1600/Kona_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UL1dTGb2IuUpaEhaKkHB_E0U07PbHSYRVMOkwwEU9Gach9eENlpT7s6-WZA4_dkaeuemW2Y2_ocPaooX99mwJcc4Kz0k_QoJE82WHYwz6g236PjbnzdBUz8p27Cpeg7bvM9VALFnvJQ/s640/Kona_12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">The water
is clear and fairly smooth, I can see for miles, well feet, but it feels like
miles compared to the dark (and sometimes murky) lakes in Canada. I can avoid
all contact with other swimmers as I see them well before our paths converge. I
settle in to my swim and just focus on the stroke and breath count rhythm.
Sighting is pretty good; I can see all the buoys and lots of SUPs, kayaks and
motor craft keeping an eye on us, phew! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Next big
thing I spot is the Body Glove boat (1/2 way point ~1.9km), and I’m thinking,
with a 15min head start on the age group women, could I make it to the boat
before I am passed that would be ambitious, but hey, something to keep my mind
focused on the present and staying efficient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">With
about 200m to go to the Body Glove boat, I start seeing the pink swim caps,
here come the age group women and they are torpedoing past me, DANG they are
fast, RESPECT!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">As I
reach the Body Glove boat and make the turn for the way back, I glance at my
watch…45 min., wait…that can’t be right, we were thinking 1:50-2:00 for this
swim…dang, must have started the watch late, oh well, just keep swimming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Heeding
Coach Dave’s advice about the current that can/will pull you out of the bay, I
sight and correct often, using the buoys rather than the shoreline landmarks
which can be deceiving from this distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">With just
a 100m to go, I can see the volunteers in the water, I can see the steps, I’m
going to finish the open water swim in the Ironman World Championship….oh boy,
the waves out there weren’t too bad, but the wave of emotion as I climb those
stairs…breathe, focus, still a long day ahead!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">T1:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">And with
that, I’m into the showers; off to the change tent where the volunteers apply a
generous coating of sunscreen (you’ll see it in all the bike photos) while I
slide on my shoes, helmet, cooling sleeves and shades before dashing off to
grab my bike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Bike:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Immediately
after leaving the T-Zone, there’s a slight climb on Palani Rd. to get the heart
pumping, I hear but don’t see Sonia and Riana as I ride by, they manage to get
a clear photo (must be going pretty slow) before I turn off onto Kuakini
Highway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">There’s a
short out and back section on Kuakini Highway that is mostly flat before we
head out on the Queen Ka`ahumanu (Queen K) highway and into the lava fields, so
time to settle in and get my bike groove on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKBsyVe6UKMnKG6csneCKsN-lhwAdiu3SrZRnNSnAC0kO8DNJxh8TGaV4x4oqze5A6HfL-kILbE9y_HVaG5AXGIzFuc3pzHDtRHnkIDm_Qa376G7PT9shM7UHU2BbvdxOtUqdyjP4hsU/s1600/Kona+327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKBsyVe6UKMnKG6csneCKsN-lhwAdiu3SrZRnNSnAC0kO8DNJxh8TGaV4x4oqze5A6HfL-kILbE9y_HVaG5AXGIzFuc3pzHDtRHnkIDm_Qa376G7PT9shM7UHU2BbvdxOtUqdyjP4hsU/s400/Kona+327.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">That first swig of Gatorade is a bit of a
shock, no one warned me that salt water could make your mouth raw…yikes!
Thankfully this effect wears off the further in I get…phew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Out in the lava fields now, taking mental
notes on the landmarks Lisa and Coach Dave mentioned, ticking them off on the
way out to Hawi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Lots of fan support on the way out, and so
very energetic, how the heck did they get out here, aren’t they hot, how are
they going to get back, so many questions, but time to focus on the bike and
the views, lava to the right of them, lava to the left of them, lava behind
them…focus, focus…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As I’m riding a motor cycle pulls up beside
me, camera guy on the back asks, “Are you Brent?” After confirming that I am,
he lets me know that Greg sent him out to get some shots and asks if he can ask
me a few questions on camera, sure, why not, this could be good for Imerman
Angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cyclists around me must have
been wondering who the heck I was, what camera crew interviews some back of the
packer? But they were all good sports and either slowed down or sped up to stay
out of the shot. With that done, it’s back to focusing on power numbers and
staying hydrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m grabbing Gatorade
at every aid station and I have no idea how they are keeping the bottles cold
with the temps climbing into the 30s at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">A few minutes later another motor cycle pulls
up beside me and asks if he can interview me, euh, sure…I have no clue who he
is with, but more exposure for Imerman Angels is what this is all about. When
we’re done chatting he thanks me and says, I’ll see ya’ later on the run…euh,
ok, sure???<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Grateful for those 2 distractions as I am now
at the turn that takes us up towards Hawi, yup, I said UP; see the excerpt
below from the athlete’s guide:</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Along the route, the terrain is rolling with several
quarter- to one-mile hills that reach a maximum grade of about 6 percent (6
foot rise for each 100 feet of distance).</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Yeah, those famous headwinds they talk about
in the broadcast…there they are…alrighty, just stay in aero position, monitor your
power and keep hydrating!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Not much to say about that climb that isn’t
already written above, but having watched every Ironman Broadcast from
1987-2016, Hawi has a special place in my brain…knowing it is the turnaround
(~halfway), that it is downhill with a tailwind and that special needs (gels,
more sunscreen, and chips) are all there are giving me a little extra oomph to
get there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As I approach the noise is thunderous, I look
around and the crowd is HUGE, probably hundreds, possibly nearing a thousand,
not bad for a small town in the middle of nowhere ( video evidence would later
confirm there were 10s of people, the heat may have been affecting perception
at this point).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">When I pulled into the special needs stop,
one of the volunteers offered to spray on my sunscreen so I could grab some
chips and a few gulps of Gatorade…it was a scorcher and the wet facecloth I had
put in the bag, felt AWESOME on my face, even if it was warm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Time to get back in the saddle, get up to
speed and see what those tail winds can do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">A lot they can do a lot!!! Tactical error, I
went into the downhill section in aero, with a tail crosswind that meant I was
too nervous, twitchy to come out of aero for fear of losing control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My longest sustained downhill in aero, 20km @
61kph, my eyes may have been larger than my wheels; I definitely passed a lot
of people and missed an aid station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As the road flattened out a bit, I was SUPER
happy to be able to get up out of aero and pull into the next aid station for a
bio break and to stock up on Gatorade and water (most of which went on my
back).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Back onto the Queen K, and heading through
the lava fields again, a lot less fans out now, riiiight the pros were through
here hours ago. But the scenery is still stunning; especially off to the right
where the blue of the ocean is highlighted by the dark lava foreground, amazing,
I’m cycling the Queen K lava fields, in Hawaii, as part of the Ironman World
Championships!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Ticking off the landmarks and that climb that
Coach Dave had me work on in race prep, just stick to the plan, work the power
numbers and stay focused, this is the worst of the hills on the way back, ~30k
from here and then I get to run. Big relief when I see the lookout/parking lot
where Karen took our photo, now it’s just an easy 30k into town where there will
be crowds to give me energy before heading out on the run. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Making sure I shout out huge thanks at every
aid station, they are always smiling and cheering us on, and even at 38C, they’re
keeping the Gatorade and water cold, how? How? Magic!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Right turn onto Makala, left onto Kuakini
Highway and then right on Palani heading to transition, lots of spectators
heading into the T-zone, with Mike Reilly calling out athlete names as they are
finishing just a few metres away on the other side of the grand stands. Still a
marathon left before I can hope to hear that, but I finished the bike with no
mechanicals, and a quick glance at the watch tells me I could walk the whole marathon
and still finish in time, I won’t but that takes a load of pressure off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">T2:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Rolling dismount and I hand my bike off to a
volunteer as I “run” towards my gear bag and the change tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grab fresh socks, apply more sunscreen and
slide on my running shoes. A big thanks to the volunteers and it’s a quick walk
through the rest of the t-zone grabbing fluids before heading out on the course<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Run:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">It’s back up Palani to get the run started
(and the heart racing), but with the cheers of the crowd it’s over in no time
and I am grinning ear to ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">A few right turns and we end up on Ali’I drive
heading away from the finish for an out and back, but just after the turn I
spot Sonia and Riana and stop for hugs, haven’t seen them in about 8 hours and
it feels like days, but I am riding such a high, knowing I am heading out on
the run course and my two favourite women will be here to give me one last hug
before I head out to the Queen K and the Energy Lab sections of the run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuhiaLKpf1_X8Pg9hZ5doZyYz16Yfd5eIaI42Un6LkmMgNmvOyAzuoaHEzcRmShbyJXFnwQjMfkwePJ-_s1SQMMJXA5sqOU0AB73q3XgQtrE3UakTc0abHfct3v_MeVrBgGGgewc1gQs/s1600/Kona+330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuhiaLKpf1_X8Pg9hZ5doZyYz16Yfd5eIaI42Un6LkmMgNmvOyAzuoaHEzcRmShbyJXFnwQjMfkwePJ-_s1SQMMJXA5sqOU0AB73q3XgQtrE3UakTc0abHfct3v_MeVrBgGGgewc1gQs/s400/Kona+330.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The views on the way out are spectacular as
the sun is beginning to set just beyond the horizon, so stunning that I decide
to take an extra walk break and another runner decides to join me, we chat a
bit about how lucky we are to be here, how we got here and wish each other well
before we get back to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The volunteers and spectators are doing such
an awesome job of keeping us motivated, hydrated and smiling, woot woot!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I hit the turnaround and now it is even
easier to keep an eye on the setting sun, feeling so fortunate and grateful to
be able to be out here, high fiving volunteers and giving some shout outs to
other athletes who are either speeding by or struggling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Taking a walk break and on my left lying on
the ground is none other than Dave “the Man” Scott, I must have looked pretty
bad, ‘cause this six time Ironman World Champion felt the need to ask me if I
was doing ok? Oh boy…better get back to running!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Back in town and I must be getting tired, I
am definitely confused, I can hear the finish line announcer and in the
distance I can see the finish line…OH CRAP, did I miss the turn? Am I heading
to the finish, will I be DQ’d? I stop and ask (maybe a little loud) one of the
spectators, DID I MISS THE TURN? They look at me equally confused, I run a bit
further and ask someone else, I must have been looking a little unhinged,
because he stepped into the road and said something to the effect of “you’re
good, just a little further and then you turn, you’re good!!” And then a little
bit ahead I noticed the building where I saw Sonia and Riana on the way out,
phew…and there they were, across the street from it…more hugs, more breathing,
time to head out on the Queen K, just a few more hours to go and I can head
back to Ali’I drive if all goes well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Out on the Queen K and it is starting to get
dark, and on the big island when it gets dark, it is D-A-R-K. No distance
perception, that traffic light, (there are only a few out here), could be 100m or
1000m away, can’t tell, oh gawd, how far to that aid station near the lights?
Oh man, freakin’ out a bit! Ok, breathe, traffic signs those seem closer,
construction cones, count them…5, 10, 26, 42, 50…ahhh better, keep the brain
busy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Wow, Queen K didn’t seem to be this much of a
climb on the bike, and not steep, but looooooong….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Just as I get to the aid station near one of
the traffic lights, I see these bright lights near the table and someone
holding them sitting on the ground…and then I hear “that’s him, 2510, that’s
him!”…euh, that’s me, what the heck was that about? As I leave the aid station
I find out, a motor cycle pulls up beside me, “Hey Brent, I told you I’d see
you on the run, how are you feeling, how has your day been, a few other questions
I can’t remember, but my answers are about Imerman Angels, my gratitude to
family, friends and Subaru Canada and how amazing it is to be able to get to
live this dream!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Counting construction cones again to get me
to the Energy Lab, where the special needs table is and then it’s back to town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The spectators are thin at this point in the
race, but the volunteers are so energetic that they keep you going between aid
stations, loving that over half of them are in their teens and seem so happy to
be out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Into the energy lab, past the turn around and
now I get some chips and a top up on the gels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Heading back towards town now and although
things are sore, I’m tired and there are more walk breaks, I am loving every
minute out here!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">In the distance I can see the street lights
and the shadows of the buildings in town, but in this darkness, I have no idea
how far away that really is, I guess I could have looked at my Garmin, maybe I
did, but it didn’t register.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">As I hit the edge of town, there are more
people, the noise is amping up and so is the energy, it’s bright compared to
out on the Queen K and all of this is making me realise that yeah, I’m going to
finish this I am going to finish the Ironman World Championship!!! Oh boy…easy
there emotions, save it, get there first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I pull up to the next aid station to ask how
many more before the finish line, “this is IT says the volunteer, you’re almost
there, you can DO THIS!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I pull over and toss a few of the extra bottles I
picked up along the way, put my cap inside my race belt and pull out the
Imerman Angels flag that I had put in a ziplock in my special needs bag. Less
than a mile to go all in town, with lots of support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I turn right on Hualalai Road and there at
the bottom just before Ali’I drive are Coach Dave and Karen! My smile grows
even bigger, I get a high five from each of them and Dave says (what sounds
like to me) “You’re going to F’ing Finish this!” Dave, I meant to ask you about
that, did I hear right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Right turn and I am heading down Ali’I drive,
towards the finish line…of the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Man, Ali’I drive is long, it’s not just the barricaded
finishing chute you see on TV…breathe, save some energy for the chute…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The
Finish:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Ahh there it is, the finish chute, the
crowds, the tiredness fades away, the sore muscles, gone, I can’t stop smiling
as I drape the Imerman Angels flag over my shoulders and run side to side down
the finish chute, the same finish chute that I have seen in all those
broadcasts on all those training rides since I first saw Rick and Dick Hoyt
cross this very same finish line, and then, I am caught off guard by Subaru
Canada’s last surprise of the day, there on the other side of the finish line
waiting for me are Sonia and Riana, HUGE wave of emotion, so much joy and
gratitude!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Riana places the wooden lei around my neck
and I can’t hold back the tears anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I am so focused on Sonia and Riana that I don’t
even hear the announcer tell me that I am an Ironman, but Riana tells me later
how he told the story of my fear of swimming, of Rick and Dick Hoyt being my
inspiration and of how I race for Imerman Angels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">This photo captures the pure
joy of crossing the finish line, the perfect ending to my </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SubaruCanada/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARBl3ee17tF_HjM7POBoNar2vkxdwBR3Q3C4ILkLiWe9luRHMd3TAUX96omlFWEDKfzBEgHSHIOnyFWr&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDGi7repksbX2THx2Ykl_KrkHcuh5Ep7Ehv0VORQ1QnR60WA2lxFaruDXjU5JoUzGdp0T-Dk5tl0yufkh_DbhRPEADkH-55yr_lRtZpbZa67a0bf3ItPe1WDnooUsGjYEm9_bllZvI0Ee8vnElh2mysblFZTIwSPOv8lIXW3Zjf7SqykS4DD4dg5NpE4pGHWj0vzhykmfMK3U4YG_m01xWSlk9S"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none;">Subaru Canada</span></a><span style="background: white;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/roadtokona?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDGi7repksbX2THx2Ykl_KrkHcuh5Ep7Ehv0VORQ1QnR60WA2lxFaruDXjU5JoUzGdp0T-Dk5tl0yufkh_DbhRPEADkH-55yr_lRtZpbZa67a0bf3ItPe1WDnooUsGjYEm9_bllZvI0Ee8vnElh2mysblFZTIwSPOv8lIXW3Zjf7SqykS4DD4dg5NpE4pGHWj0vzhykmfMK3U4YG_m01xWSlk9S&__tn__=%2ANK-R"><span class="58cm"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none;">Road To Kona</span></span></a><span style="background: white;"> journey and the dream within the dream of
carrying the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ImermanAngels/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARDkHihMP9eBtdSzB0gMhmvk0qiKIjD4ZUnOSMs6wgZVrRqrcMZa2YxYi2AWRO2rUYQWTmKEJaTZ_mpB&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDGi7repksbX2THx2Ykl_KrkHcuh5Ep7Ehv0VORQ1QnR60WA2lxFaruDXjU5JoUzGdp0T-Dk5tl0yufkh_DbhRPEADkH-55yr_lRtZpbZa67a0bf3ItPe1WDnooUsGjYEm9_bllZvI0Ee8vnElh2mysblFZTIwSPOv8lIXW3Zjf7SqykS4DD4dg5NpE4pGHWj0vzhykmfMK3U4YG_m01xWSlk9S"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none;">Imerman Angels</span></a><span style="background: white;"> flag
down Ali'i Drive. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The rest is a bit of a blur, but there were
lights, cameras, questions, more tears and later on food, a medal and a VERY
long walk back to the car with my bike and the rest of my gear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Summary<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">I was supposed to be a one and
done Ironman, Tremblant was a perfect day and I saw no way or need to try and improve,
but I was wrong, this whole journey and the exposure for Imerman Angels
improved on perfection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My time on the big island as a part of the
Ironman World Championship was</span><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> an incredible
experience from the moment I stepped off the plane and was greeted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lisa.bentley.545?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARBlzM9S0jNRNBdXleEXzr3vodHXEGGZVhpMexBskKE9CEinH28VPyd5793GfQkvu_yEYE-N3--sbzVs&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARC9XlvQwMk2UsvttqL7-BfmHPpnSmZj0kOvnZoeVHSzjyysir2emUFUp39Zq-8p9f6m-Zh8yNiJNpdG8vz7R7QTkIynLqohu4WmT7SZHQ5pk2FRup7ujQ5-zatEn8SyU-qRLbcGt_Rmj0bj79AlqtWLBz8ruyNKvskf9UtRSN2olkUizZ-RW0k7D7DHPf0GGr5_wuFMAsQEMw"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Lisa Bentley</span></a> to meeting so many pros, hearing the stories
from age groupers from around the world on where and how they qualified and
getting to meet and chat with Rick and Dick Hoyt, my inspiration for starting
my Ironman journey.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">I was humbled to get to share this course
with all of the athletes and hope that I can pay it forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">That said, I am two and
through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";"><b><u>Coming Home:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">And if that whole amazing experience wasn't enough to fill my heart with gratitude and my eyes with tears, a fantastic group of friends gave us an amazing welcome home fit for a pro athlete or visiting dignitary.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Another crew had gathered at a friend's pace to watch the live coverage and passed along this awesome memory.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9S2IbO1vSOZikitOQygPIiIpB2MuoP027MdanItwaMxkzNlr-mFPybQgVAfiV2ZIgmbAPmZ0GL5-69ZlcVJvfABAWxaVFPPcqqCHwOOocugEFin6t2ZMftd66bF2y6PQqbJbEQIZnKQ/s1600/Kona+342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9S2IbO1vSOZikitOQygPIiIpB2MuoP027MdanItwaMxkzNlr-mFPybQgVAfiV2ZIgmbAPmZ0GL5-69ZlcVJvfABAWxaVFPPcqqCHwOOocugEFin6t2ZMftd66bF2y6PQqbJbEQIZnKQ/s640/Kona+342.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">Truly humbled and grateful for such an amazing group of friends.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">IMWC highlight video – (You can spot me or my
bike at 4:00, 4:21, 4:49, 5:10, 5:21, 10:10)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">TSN Ironman World Championship broadcast:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Mahalo
(Thank you)!<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">My thanks begins with those who started it
all, Peter, Jane and Julie THANK YOU for spreading the word to friends, family,
colleagues and training partners and maybe even some strangers about this
contest and the nomination process and for asking them to nominate me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Adam and Velofix Ottawa for not only
getting Rasher (my bicycle) to the race and back, but for keeping her in tip top
shape through the season, IMMT and the IMWC, Thank you for your attention to
detail and your support of me and my many Imerman Angels fundraisers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Heartfelt thanks to Chris at 3Sixty5 Cycling
for building me those amazing wheels in 2014 and for agreeing to leave their
company decals off the wheels so that I could use them and the bike to promote
awareness for Imerman Angels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To all of you who came out to swim, bike
and/or run with me over the years and in the lead up to this race, Thank you
for sharing the journey and your unique perspectives on our sport and
community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Trish, thank you for helping me to dare to
dream bigger than I ever imagined possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To the Slush Monkeys and Sunday Run Club, for
helping me gut it out and being by my side on oh so many fun and not so fun
runs, my eternal gratitude for your love and support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To the RLCT crew, who were there in the early
days when cycling 180km felt so very daunting and for sharing their knowledge,
experiences and humour along the way.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To my NRC colleagues and friends for so many lunch time runs in less than ideal conditions and for the wonderful celebration when I came back, it was great to get to share the journey (and the coffee) with you all.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To the OTC for giving our community a place
to share, learn and grow together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To coaches, Geordie, Sean, Dave and Sharron
for helping me to get over that fear of the water and learn to love the swim; I
am forever in your debt.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Coach Dave, for preparing me for and sharing this experience with me, you made sure I got to the start and finish lines and it was awesome to have someone there who was just as wide-eyed and excited to be a part of it all.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Karen, thank you for extending you support and encouragement to me and for being so patient and accepting of the life of not 1, but 2 triathletes as we prepped for this.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To my brother-in-law and first run and
multi-sport coach, Norman, thanks for seeing what I was capable of when I
couldn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To my sister, Brenda and her family for their
love and support over the years and for always sharing with me their pride in
my endeavours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Elrik for always being willing to take
care of our home and Molly so that I could get out and train and so that we
could live this experience to the fullest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Riana, for sharing the experience, enduring
a crazy early wake-up call and for taking over the social media helm on race
day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">To Sonia, for her never ending support,
patience and willingness to adapt to the changes necessary to make this dream
possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The folks from Subaru Canada and their
partners went out of their way to make this an unforgettable experience in
every way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To Joe Felstein, Blair Rossen
and Greg McFadden who used their considerable influence with WTC and found a
way to shine a light on me and Imerman Angels in countless ways, you have truly
made a difference not only in my life, but in the lives of those who will not
have to face cancer alone because they were made aware of Imerman Angels, thank
you just isn’t enough for all the you have done!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEllegir3PCoQ-AFr8wdwS8WAvEmwfVEGWyoTGizQ7zKDysqP4BHfAMNfzHkM2ZSNg6ipDkhmHsJvOPRKEePoOXZBRGcYIdVKpKzOP4THdddS5-NAKWsJNQQd2PUPZzujOh-XetfQrec/s1600/Kona+354.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="546" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEllegir3PCoQ-AFr8wdwS8WAvEmwfVEGWyoTGizQ7zKDysqP4BHfAMNfzHkM2ZSNg6ipDkhmHsJvOPRKEePoOXZBRGcYIdVKpKzOP4THdddS5-NAKWsJNQQd2PUPZzujOh-XetfQrec/s400/Kona+354.PNG" width="368" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The fear in writing a thank you like this is
that I will have missed someone, so I wanted to say Mahalo to all of you
who nominated me for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/roadtokona?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARC9XlvQwMk2UsvttqL7-BfmHPpnSmZj0kOvnZoeVHSzjyysir2emUFUp39Zq-8p9f6m-Zh8yNiJNpdG8vz7R7QTkIynLqohu4WmT7SZHQ5pk2FRup7ujQ5-zatEn8SyU-qRLbcGt_Rmj0bj79AlqtWLBz8ruyNKvskf9UtRSN2olkUizZ-RW0k7D7DHPf0GGr5_wuFMAsQEMw&__tn__=%2ANK-R"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">#RoadToKona</span></a> contest or supported and encouraged me in
other ways along this journey. You are all a part of my extended Ohana and I am
so very fortunate and grateful to have you all in my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The
last Word(s):<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">About a year before this all
happened I was sitting in a coffee shop with my friend Trish talking about how
we could bring Imerman Angels to Canada, with both of us being triathletes and
with my Ironman coming up in the next year, it didn’t take long for the
conversation to steer towards talk of the Ironman Championship, Trish had
contacts and thought it might be (remotely) possible to use those contacts to
secure a spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow, that would be a
dream, an even bigger dream would be to have an Imerman Angels athlete do the
race, and the dream of a lifetime, would be if that person had a compelling
enough story to be featured on the Ironman broadcast so we could spread
awareness nationally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">This truly was the dream of
a lifetime realised as the experience(s) of a lifetime and I will cherish the
experience forever!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif";">“A dream you dream alone is
only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” - Yoko Ono</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-27134144074618215092018-08-12T13:12:00.003-07:002018-08-12T15:55:59.572-07:00It was the best of times, (IMMT Race Report)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a long one folks (no surprises there), so grab your favourite hot or cold bevvie, have a
seat and put your feet up, OR, just read the "By the numbers" section
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By the numbers:</b><br />
<br />
Swim: 1:29:15 (6:57 a.m. Start)<br />
T1: 14:25<br />
Bike: 6:47:42<br />
T2: 14:15<br />
Run: 5:23:52<br />
Total: 14:09:29 (9:07 p.m.)<br />
Overall: 1336/1936 athletes<br />
Gender: 1041/1436 <br />
Category (M50-54): 165/223<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The back story:</u></b> </span></div>
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As many you already know, I NEVER planned to do a triathlon, having almost
drowned twice as a kid and once as an adult, it was the furthest thing from my
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had developed a fear of the
water over the years and never really felt comfortable on or around it, not
even with a life jacket on.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then one fall day in 2011, I was doing a trainer ride indoors and watching
the 1989 Ironman World Championship broadcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was the year of the Iron War with Dave Scott and Mark Allen, but that
was not what inspired me at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was also the 2<sup>nd</sup> year that Rick and Dick Hoyte competed at Kona
(they had failed to meet the swim cut-off the first year), seeing Rick tow his
son in the dingy for the 3.8km swim, my fear no longer seemed to hold
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided on that ride that I was
going to do an Ironman…but I knew nothing about Triathlon or swimming, so I
decided I would do it the year I turned 50, that would give me just over 5
years to prepare, mentally and physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know quite a few people who have prepared for and completed an Ironman
with much less time, but as a project manager by trade, given the hurdles I
felt I needed to overcome,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this time
line seemed reasonable to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From everything I had heard from friends, I KNEW that the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OttawaTriathlonClub/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ottawa Triathlon Club</span></a> was
the right group to help me to overcome my fear of the water and train for
triathlon. I have never regretted that decision and I have been rewarded with
amazing friendships, shared some fantastic experiences in training, racing and
travel and made some incredible memories along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Club really is so much more, it is a
community so if it takes a village to raise a child, and if by correlation it
takes a (tri) community to build an Ironman, THIS community was a PERFECT fit!</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The long of it:</u></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday evening:</b><br />
<br />
We were very fortunate to have the Pak clan offer to take care of Molly for us
since the whole family was going to be in Tremblant for the race. This worked
out amazingly for Molly as she already knows Dan, Kiera, Mei Ling, Lia and
Shade. We knew Molly was in good hands with a loving family and that meant no
need to stress while I prepped for race weekend.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday:</b><br />
<br />
Packed up EVERYTHING and headed up to Mont-Tremblant in the early afternoon to
get the condo we rented all setup for the family and take care of my last
minute lists, reading and planning activities so that I could feel less
stressed. <br />
<br />It POURED rain Thursday night, did not check the weather reports, I've learned
over the years to try and not stress the things that are out of my control when
it comes to a race and weather tops that list, hence the reason I pack
EVERYTHING <span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shape alt="🙂" id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" style="height: 12pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 12pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday:</b><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After breakfast at the condo, I met up with the OTC crew,
Julie, Peter, Rob, Carl and swam out to the coffee boat in Lac Tremblant, we floated
around and chatted with other athletes as we sipped on a nice warm coffee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attended the Pro Athlete press conference at noon, always so
impressed by how humble and approachable these world class athletes are.<br />
<br />
Checked in, things started feeling real, went through with Julie, and got to chat with Nathalie Diagle who was volunteering there. On the way out we bumped into
Brenda, Steve, Sean, Nicole, Natalie and Brent. Got two great pieces of advice.
Natalie suggested taking a moment alone on the beach after pictures and
chatting with friends and family to reflect on all the work it took to get
here, on the accomplishment of getting to the start line and on the beauty of
the lake (I'm paraphrasing from what I remember, but the tip was greatly
appreciated). Tip 2 (I wish I could remember who told me this so I could thank
them by name, but someone in that group suggested that in the finishing chute,
when the urge is to sprint down and across that finish line, that I slow things
down, bask in the moment and ensure that I get to cross on my own and not in a
crowd, so that I get that photo and to make sure I hear Mike Reilly announcing
me as I cross.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nQbZh6pd_vus9VGa6DRw4jVDWVldBMl7Rw0olHiTK2K05-bX9_eLvPvxeKDb5m5mQeBh_hCgAQn5UNLOcWaVHtpQ6EpwlLVNWHMMTwg9j_JQnhnNmOvzqhC9NCzCAohG997nisho_yg/s320/nat.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nat volunteering at check-in</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFB_UK5AZLRYK5_K4F8M_glxlyKqSPCyjLeKJDKRUCR_N-949CnSESxtP2Jxe8v7Nglqt3xhmBnrBhqf2ynrtvmnGDkW0x-K8y21la85PkoBBooXzymi2rY5NhkCa41aCJVPTKsjz-KqE/s1600/become.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFB_UK5AZLRYK5_K4F8M_glxlyKqSPCyjLeKJDKRUCR_N-949CnSESxtP2Jxe8v7Nglqt3xhmBnrBhqf2ynrtvmnGDkW0x-K8y21la85PkoBBooXzymi2rY5NhkCa41aCJVPTKsjz-KqE/s320/become.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bands say it all</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nQbZh6pd_vus9VGa6DRw4jVDWVldBMl7Rw0olHiTK2K05-bX9_eLvPvxeKDb5m5mQeBh_hCgAQn5UNLOcWaVHtpQ6EpwlLVNWHMMTwg9j_JQnhnNmOvzqhC9NCzCAohG997nisho_yg/s1600/nat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvZqEFdvh9m54LzjZpRvvQS70HiMFwH2d-uaWNDwj_0cPyOsbpwI019r03niiErgSNrXTpinN8MuIwpY_Us7LhmC29kPxPmI_UK6BBwtPd23ekgMPN4aSmZFryaH8gD-ZjwKjnT4DAyk/s1600/OTC-crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="959" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvZqEFdvh9m54LzjZpRvvQS70HiMFwH2d-uaWNDwj_0cPyOsbpwI019r03niiErgSNrXTpinN8MuIwpY_Us7LhmC29kPxPmI_UK6BBwtPd23ekgMPN4aSmZFryaH8gD-ZjwKjnT4DAyk/s320/OTC-crew.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OTC IMMT2017 Crew</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Head to the Official Ironman store to spend LOTS of $$$</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attended the athlete Banquet and athlete briefing and then headed back
to the condo to prep fuel and other race day bags. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnCsP1fJXKUJ6xD04LXsuq2Y4GiDRPMSB0_xvTzO5tj_AAgs6I_MyVp_udSfUREwsZ-YWtTq3Bl5V4o-fFl61b1SQFoDn4VTcTB_6yuXxRrBMBzMyibT-yn5_kNGcG1RUtZXX03AUMH8/s1600/briefing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnCsP1fJXKUJ6xD04LXsuq2Y4GiDRPMSB0_xvTzO5tj_AAgs6I_MyVp_udSfUREwsZ-YWtTq3Bl5V4o-fFl61b1SQFoDn4VTcTB_6yuXxRrBMBzMyibT-yn5_kNGcG1RUtZXX03AUMH8/s320/briefing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Athlete banquet/briefing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQlS0JzJjig4Kodww-LLsnELk00LOhfrRwnVNmALcBCR9cvj3KauB8OwAqR23xYo6zKV-gsLkiXbVsJTbr0QOJaq9wnQnxYeTxx3lOqD_Dway5TYLEvsLbxg2gxnt9-kodgBlmK61j68/s1600/bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQlS0JzJjig4Kodww-LLsnELk00LOhfrRwnVNmALcBCR9cvj3KauB8OwAqR23xYo6zKV-gsLkiXbVsJTbr0QOJaq9wnQnxYeTxx3lOqD_Dway5TYLEvsLbxg2gxnt9-kodgBlmK61j68/s320/bags.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepping the bags</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1h7MXB71Z_fHpH8qoM6e-n1maM5C7A9ywD2gWJFzFwADgjLXmcD4oRekiz1MtDgdN0WrMY5qtjNiTheuSIR8s4Jd5_frXPAQ2st_LQSjd0rLSc9beSgQz04H5O7ZYR6GYVdqICbK16U/s1600/fuel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1h7MXB71Z_fHpH8qoM6e-n1maM5C7A9ywD2gWJFzFwADgjLXmcD4oRekiz1MtDgdN0WrMY5qtjNiTheuSIR8s4Jd5_frXPAQ2st_LQSjd0rLSc9beSgQz04H5O7ZYR6GYVdqICbK16U/s320/fuel.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOME of the fuel for race day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Early to bed once again, it POURED rain again, go ahead skies, empty everything
you've got before race day <span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shape alt="🙂" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 12pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 12pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
<v:imagedata o:title="🙂" src="file:///C:\Users\Smythb\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png">
</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday:</b><br />
<br />
Had a small equipment malfunction, when I broke the zipper on one of my fuel
belt pouches during my preparations. Spent some time walking through the expo
looking for a replacement to no avail, but I did bump into the OTC strippers
and THAT made the trip down to the expo completely worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruKuB6kjh9mkZxl99MfrfDzQO6zeybnceXRWXqLjA7ZM_DPjzNvVXRmkoDjNgtqcCFAZkn0gYTW9V-pkuBzDtXDBVtsjRfG65lULPZuxAa-PV8BHXPNGi9Vloll1ejnlcXL-dMkrB46Q/s1600/strippers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruKuB6kjh9mkZxl99MfrfDzQO6zeybnceXRWXqLjA7ZM_DPjzNvVXRmkoDjNgtqcCFAZkn0gYTW9V-pkuBzDtXDBVtsjRfG65lULPZuxAa-PV8BHXPNGi9Vloll1ejnlcXL-dMkrB46Q/s320/strippers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OTC Strippers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sonia, Riana and Elrik arrived in the afternoon and we spent some time walking
through the race venue finding spots where they could cheer me on and grab some
photos and figuring out the estimated times when they've would see me at those
spots.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TPce3PXC9dW4E5QH6xxBfTHAJZ7bPNNounJ73GQbCkbbqhOphXvVkFLxcQdj8qp3q1NC_q7jaVbw7PmqCNhYxlBLePZO9pvU5LZH_FE0KS1Ixa43tdtzR_H7RPegvA683skkQUEWIOk/s1600/kids-finish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TPce3PXC9dW4E5QH6xxBfTHAJZ7bPNNounJ73GQbCkbbqhOphXvVkFLxcQdj8qp3q1NC_q7jaVbw7PmqCNhYxlBLePZO9pvU5LZH_FE0KS1Ixa43tdtzR_H7RPegvA683skkQUEWIOk/s320/kids-finish.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully that was the time of day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
Bike check-in and Gear Bag drop-off with the family<br />
<br />
We went through the expo together once more looking for the fuel belt pouch,
just in case my taper brain had missed it, still no dice, but we did bump into
some more OTC folks and got a few more hugs and words of encouragement from
Jenn P, Andrew, Julie and Deb.<br />
<br />
It was an early night with supper in the condo with the family and a fairly
good night's rest all things considered.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, RACE DAY!!!</b><br />
<br />
The alarmed sounded at 4:00, but I had been up for about 30 minutes, getting my
brain in the game.<br />
<br />
I had prepared a list of EVERYTHING I needed to do on race morning, and
followed it pretty much to a T, line by line, I spent a great deal of time
drafting, re-drafting and finalizing this list so that I could feel as relaxed
and prepared as possible on race day and I didn't want to leave anything to
chance.<br />
<br />
It went something like this:<br />
<br />
Breakfast of oatmeal with maple syrup and banana, Sesame seed bagel with PB and
water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
Grab ALL the bags and head to T-zone with Sonia (we let the kids sleep in a
bit) to load up and prep Rasher for the day ahead, drop-off special needs bags
and add food and other nutrition to the gear bags.<br />
<br />
Bumped into Julie and Peter, got our last hugs in and wished each other well.<br />
<br />
Once all those prep activities were taken care of, we headed over to body
marking and met up with Riana and Elrik, with the family all together, we
started the walk over to the beach, so far, everything was according to the
time table. <br />
<br />
Sonia helped with getting body glide and my wetsuit on (partially) so that I
could stress a little less, but I was definitely starting to feel the nerves on
the walk over.<br />
<br />
At the beach we saw some of the OTC strippers, their smiles and hugs helped to
calm the butterflies a wee bit, then we saw Brenda and Steve and Brent and
their calmness and words of advice and encouragement helped settle me even
more.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrwymCB_H1S-T0WB48i8HdaFqB9zc8s1HIVZtBCyU0UEhDV7rySj_iJ1JDlVI4HldTPHTeL3QC3U3DQ1atLRi5qltK_zRFSxpo1Hu989gTW5R8U6l4AY8YefA6wdbEGJxRtt3rw-T9kw/s1600/Rosses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrwymCB_H1S-T0WB48i8HdaFqB9zc8s1HIVZtBCyU0UEhDV7rySj_iJ1JDlVI4HldTPHTeL3QC3U3DQ1atLRi5qltK_zRFSxpo1Hu989gTW5R8U6l4AY8YefA6wdbEGJxRtt3rw-T9kw/s320/Rosses.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IM Power couple, Brenda and Steve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All that calmness relaxed things a bit too much and gave my bladder time to
send signals to the brain, headed to the porta loo line which was LOOOOONG, cue
stress, thankfully the line moved relatively quickly and I was able to meet
back up with the family and head to the water for my warm-up and to take a few
moments to follow Natalie's advice and look out upon the lake, around at the
other athletes and really focus on being in the moment. <br />
<br />
All of that took a bit longer than expected, so I missed the self-seeding time
I had hoped for and ended up back a bit, not a big deal at all, and as a
result, I got to chat with Carl and walk all the way to the swim start with
him, getting a few pics along the way. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPWlEH7CF9Dkv-EK5OMhrCS2vXcUT6SW86_ud_zq_tuQNp3nwRpGc3l7R-8hkCWjl6BHGrzR3ftWVMf0io29dEsWhu6Gm4cswQFzjgJj7AADxlDi7lgEvS6YweSVGn6YVXf-w88Q6E60/s1600/pre-swim+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPWlEH7CF9Dkv-EK5OMhrCS2vXcUT6SW86_ud_zq_tuQNp3nwRpGc3l7R-8hkCWjl6BHGrzR3ftWVMf0io29dEsWhu6Gm4cswQFzjgJj7AADxlDi7lgEvS6YweSVGn6YVXf-w88Q6E60/s320/pre-swim+%25282%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water wings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHzcrd-0ClWIB6GitUdfx0ahqPG4iNEAC9gfhCo9dsPMkjFNSoO-fuHzeY01HNNxT6WMUxgQ3QRKG6jtcdSvCohNpvbWYHYn00gwa3NgZFwtwlYyUEIpsZGQZZqfCBa_hvFVFHXwa7Kg/s1600/pre-swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHzcrd-0ClWIB6GitUdfx0ahqPG4iNEAC9gfhCo9dsPMkjFNSoO-fuHzeY01HNNxT6WMUxgQ3QRKG6jtcdSvCohNpvbWYHYn00gwa3NgZFwtwlYyUEIpsZGQZZqfCBa_hvFVFHXwa7Kg/s320/pre-swim.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of us relax by being goofy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
We saw Debra, Jesse and Tanya as we made our way to our start and before long;
we were ushered into our starting lanes and sent on our way.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Swim - 1:29:15<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I waded into the water, I reminded myself that my goal
was to stay focused, stick to my plan of sighting every 4 breaths and stay in
the moment. The yellow buoys were easy to spot and aside from a few t-bone
collisions (I'm not sure who was swimming zig zag, me or other swimmers) it was
relatively uneventful up to the red buoy that signaled the first turn, a bit
more contact with other swimmers here and a fair amount of changing lines to
avoid feet, but not the worst I've experienced in a race. <br />
<br />
I noticed lots and lots of SUPs and Kayaks on the course and that reassured me
that no matter what I was safe. <br />
<br />
As we made the second turn and headed towards the beach (still about 1.5k to
go) the orange buoys were harder to sight with the position of the sun,
thankfully coach Dave had prepared me for this with some other sighting cues
and I was able to spot the cell tower and use that when I couldn't locate a
buoy.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure where I was in that last stretch, but at some point I thought,
man, how much longer is this going to be? Then I realized for the first time,
this would be the longest swim I had ever done, holy crap, I have never swam
this far before...ok ok, time to push that aside, get back in the moment and go
back to the process, 4 breaths then sight, 4 breaths then sight...ahhh there it
is, the arch of the swim exit...why does it always seem to get farther away
once you first spot it?<br />
<br />
Finally I was close enough to see the bottom, and the exit was close, I could
hear the muffled sounds of the announcer and the cheers from the spectators and
volunteers, I got to the point where my fingers were touching, stood, unzipped
the wetsuit and pulled it down to my waist. <br />
<br />
I glanced at my watch, I MADE THE CUTOFF!!! Wooohooo! Such a relief, and then,
I spotted the OTC strippers, I headed straight for them and lay down and let
them do their thing, I got a hand up from Erik that practically launched me to
T1 and headed on my way, jogging and soaking in the fact that I had just
completed my longest swim ever, in an Ironman, under the cut-off time..what an
amazing feeling!! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3CkAe1CRGNu-N-XL6Wkb8uEE1wQnNtjxwdqrx-yPM95zpaF5rKbpJzJLAyOYA7-HHQhb-mW5XoSpQ32i1aLfQXeS467pGsLikZDyb0shrLGBpsyErDDkTyGrpt7nTBGZEIbc9dZmXDI/s1600/swim-out.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3CkAe1CRGNu-N-XL6Wkb8uEE1wQnNtjxwdqrx-yPM95zpaF5rKbpJzJLAyOYA7-HHQhb-mW5XoSpQ32i1aLfQXeS467pGsLikZDyb0shrLGBpsyErDDkTyGrpt7nTBGZEIbc9dZmXDI/s320/swim-out.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOOOOO happy to be out of the water!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOSk7fZRnZCmwhdpocJvpMY9eYvsfdf02xP_tO6nrkHf2F47OM4UpS0sm6b7_hqGLgZ0iGFeAko_flGt6ZigpzAywv5df_kt_orQe9tlfFD3XQMgJ7fq487ep7y1plmLu1GO-A9wCK_U/s1600/swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOSk7fZRnZCmwhdpocJvpMY9eYvsfdf02xP_tO6nrkHf2F47OM4UpS0sm6b7_hqGLgZ0iGFeAko_flGt6ZigpzAywv5df_kt_orQe9tlfFD3XQMgJ7fq487ep7y1plmLu1GO-A9wCK_U/s320/swim.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazed and elated</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somewhere on my way from swim exit to T1, I saw Gwyn and
pulled over for a quick hug. <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Gwyn
was the first person I spoke with at the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ottawa-Triathlon-Club/1403740856582757"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Ottawa Triathlon Club</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">, she made me feel welcome from the first e-mail and patiently answered
all of my questions. Her empathy and warmth set the tone for my OTC and
triathlon experience, and I will be forever grateful!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T1 - 14:25<o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I certainly
didn’t break any land speed records here, made a quick stop at the porta loo
and then took my time to prep for the bike ride ahead by putting on a cycling
jersey, sunscreen, lots of Chammie cream, stocked my jersey pockets with my
homemade maple syrup gels, slipped on my cycling shoes and helmet and then
jogged to the bike racks to grab Rasher and head out on the bike course.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bike – 6:47:42<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The focus on
the bike for me was to stick to the plan, stay controlled and within the power
numbers and really hold back on the effort for loop 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to spot my family and Michelle and
pose for pics on the bike just before headlining out to Montée Ryan for some of
the rollers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My bike comp was not
displaying power at this point, so I was using cadence and perceived effort,
but when I glanced at my watch, it showed 30kph, too fast for me for loop 1,
eased off a bit and got into a steady groove as I turned onto the 117.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ii7rE2dKI6UIQHsRVJYVb5bZUNXusWAomVtYgxdsicXn057EbXEIMtm468zdrp1mPK0ddOQzsaTfDDYt7pHBGnRH2zq8o1-jHu_tjeA6Q9Dsr8QFbyl6xD-qKTc5K7Dw0HN1ntjJboI/s1600/Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="811" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ii7rE2dKI6UIQHsRVJYVb5bZUNXusWAomVtYgxdsicXn057EbXEIMtm468zdrp1mPK0ddOQzsaTfDDYt7pHBGnRH2zq8o1-jHu_tjeA6Q9Dsr8QFbyl6xD-qKTc5K7Dw0HN1ntjJboI/s320/Bike.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still enough energy to pose</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once on the
117 it was execute the plan, initial climb, then feed at the top and settle in
for the climb up Conception, that was over before I knew it and I was heading
to the “veggie stand”, time to feed again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once you get past the veggie stand, there’s about 15k of nothing but
farmland and highway, right in the middle of this was an older gentleman on a
lawn chair, he was setup with a cooler beside his chair and he was
enthusiastically ringing on old school bell with a huge smile on his face and a
sandwich in the other hand, it brought a smile to my face and was a welcome
distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there the next
objective was get to the aid station/turnaround at Labelle and grab some water
to cool down as things were beginning to heat up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just after
passing the guy with the bell, my bike comp started displaying power, so I
could better gauge my effort and keep things steady and to the plan, especially
on the climb to Labelle and the turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything was going according to plan, if not a little ahead of
schedule.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uneventful at
the turnaround and aid station at Labelle, past smiling lawn chair bell guy and
focusing on keeping things steady and easy for the climb on the flip side of
Conception.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heading
towards St.Jovite now where I knew Emma and Riaz would be cheering, smiling
thinking about getting to see some familiar faces, and they do not disappoint,
Big smiles, loud cheers and did I mention Emma was just weeks (or was it days)
from giving birth, aaaaamazing!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Re-energized
in St.Jovite and heading back to Montée Ryan and back towards the village, I
don’t manage to spot my family coming past the roundabout, but I am a bit ahead
of schedule, so not surprising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I DO
manage to spot the OTC crew (who could miss the orange crush) and their cheers
are incredibly loud and just what I needed to get me pumped for Duplesis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Focusing on
harnessing that energy and not going too fast or hard up Duplesis, keeping in
mind there is another lap ahead, glancing at the power numbers to keep things
steady. An uneventful climb, just like training, challenging, but not a killer,
having ridden this route so often in the lead up, I know where the tough spots
are for me, both physically and mentally and I am ready for them, I just grin
and pedal, “been here, rode this” with friends and I recall the things that
kept us going, ice cream sandwhiches, cans of coke, fresh guac and mango
salsa…just keep pedalling, ready, steady, go, and just like that, I’m at the
turnaround (closer than where we rode to in training, and that feel GREAT!).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now the focus
turns to the downhills, carrying momentum through for the ups, but not burning
out the legs. Only one “ugly” climb on the way back down, stay focused, keep
smiling, very familiar turf and knowing that lap one is nearly done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Past the ugly climb and it is (mostly)
downhill from here to the village and the turnaround for lap 2. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Slow through
the U-turn and then just as I head back out for lap 2, the OTC Orange Crush is
doing the wave, AWESOME, feeling stoked, but keeping things in check,
ear-to-ear grin and then I spot my family just before I head out on Montée
Ryan for the second time, so stoked right now, knowing they are here, breathe, easy gear for the
slight climb onto Monté Ryan and then only a few pedal strokes before special
needs…chips, new bottles, gels chammy cream…ahhhh ready to head out on that
highway!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lap 2 of the
117, the plan is to carry that energy from friends and family with me for as
long as possible, but to really reign in the bike and save it for the run.
There’s a headwind on the way out, so need to keep within the power numbers and
in aero for the climbs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Conception climbs,
veggie stand, bell guy, woohoo smile, hunker down and keep pushing into the
wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just 3k from the turnaround in
Labelle now and thinking about how great that tailwind is going to feel on the
way back, as will the porta potty! A quick bio stop, refuel with water and cool
down with one over the head and back out onto the 117 heading to St.
Jovite.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The climb
feels harder this time around and it’s getting hot and the humidity is rising,
that tailwind I was looking forward to, somehow became a headwind, a little
discouraging, but I don’t dwell on that thought, can’t change it, so just
accept and focus on the next landmark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remembering Coach Dave’s words facing this boring section, you just have
to get through it, break it down, for me that means, belly guy, ugly climb,
veggie stand, downhill to St. Jovite, all bite sized pieces, focus on one at a
time, and then the next and the next and…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little
longer and slower at this point, but once I spotted the Ultramar at Montée
Ryan, the smile got a little bigger, I know this course, not far from seeing
Emma and Riaz, this time I managed to get a high five…on the bike…woohoo, using
that energy to fuel the turnaround and head back out to Montée Ryan while still
trying to keep things in check.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heading back
on Montée Ryan, got some great support at the spot where the run course goes
under the road, including Rachel who was headed to her volunteer spot at the
run aid station (found this out later on the run course), managed to spot my
family coming into the village before heading up Duplesis for round 2.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Things are a
little slower this time around, but keeping things positive and focusing on one
climb at a time, playlist song “Ring of Fire” pops into my head, can’t imagine
why, and I muster a smile <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So happy to
see the turnaround, coasted a little more on the downhills this time around,
but sped up a bit on the downhill before that nasty climb, once over that, I
just kept the legs spinning trying to prep for the run.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pulling into
transition, I did (what felt like) a flying dismount, possibly the slowest in
the history of flying dismounts, and then was jogging into T2, heard them call
my name as I went by the stage in transition and got a little boost from that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T2 - 14:15<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Didn’t shave
much time off T1, but I did get a chance to chat with a few athletes about the
multi-directional headwinds while changing shorts, shirt, socks and shoes in
prep for the run. Grabbed my race belt with fuel for the first half of the
marathon and a handful of Miss Vickie’s chips before slathering on sunscreen
and applying anti-chafe cream to “strategic” areas. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the way out of T2, I
spotted Gwyn again and got another hug and then spotted Tanya and Jesse before
turning onto Rue de la Chapel, which leads to the first hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The OTC crew was out in full force on the
hill high fiving and cheering me on as I headed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped at the top to get hugs from Elrik,
Riana and Sonia, and started to tear up but Sonia reminded me to “Save that for
the finish line, you’ve got a marathon to run”, so off I went. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGhpDkT847-H1dtYOw9vr9PE9bMCkiv_xU2_ZDd_vJ2mbc1p186h7YimBbszkoyl9A30NKshCPb21IIuOQj7oJeNfoL4w-UWG5zvU1nycswH6kyX9OVoW9JG-R4khMmYrYNQQdFMdG14/s1600/gwyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGhpDkT847-H1dtYOw9vr9PE9bMCkiv_xU2_ZDd_vJ2mbc1p186h7YimBbszkoyl9A30NKshCPb21IIuOQj7oJeNfoL4w-UWG5zvU1nycswH6kyX9OVoW9JG-R4khMmYrYNQQdFMdG14/s320/gwyn.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love, friendship, calm, energy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHR93NFcRAzf2ldptmaUGD2rzPUXQv6dn-3oKHz9JcDXpieuczySR3qJzTwNDOZiq8Bwz9TAvnBe05ToQWxnfqFLLeu14BanXGibDCibYF6kPgGM8QS07ST_bwelURlSdqCjNp7w7NQU/s1600/strip-cheer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHR93NFcRAzf2ldptmaUGD2rzPUXQv6dn-3oKHz9JcDXpieuczySR3qJzTwNDOZiq8Bwz9TAvnBe05ToQWxnfqFLLeu14BanXGibDCibYF6kPgGM8QS07ST_bwelURlSdqCjNp7w7NQU/s320/strip-cheer.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OTC Strippers cheering at the top of the T2 hill</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spotted Jen Poth at the bottom of the hill and then a wee
bit later, there was Nathalie Daigle in her grass skirt hooting and hollering
and fuelling everyone with energy, almost didn’t recognize her, but she called
out my name and gave an extra loud cheer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The plan was to run the flats and walk/run the hills as
needed saving energy for lap two. Saw/heard Athena on the one of the climbs
towards the old village and got some words of encouragement from her and her
cheer crew, a little extra pep in the step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Managed to get high fives from Simon, Peter, Rob and Julie
who were all crushing the run waayyyy ahead of me and looking pretty strong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The petit train flat part of the course was tougher than I
thought it would be and I needed more walk breaks than planned, but I was
moving ever forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had a nice boost
from Jeff when I heard him shout out from behind “looking good, and moving well”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t feel it, but it helped trick the mind
for a bit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few minutes later Carl blasted past me like I was standing
still, he looked strong and unstoppable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reaching the turnaround point, I get a high five and a HUGE
shout out from Rachel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rachel had just
completed Lake Placid IM the month before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pretty spectacular when you consider that she had been given a rare
cancer diagnosis just a few years before and was not expected to live, had been
told she would never run again and most definitely not run fast, yeah, she
proved them sooo wrong, Rachel is one of our Imerman Angels rare cancer mentors
and so her presence and energy kept me moving even though it was starting to
get dark and I was starting to wonder if I would actually make the cut off or
have the energy to finish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coming back to that hill just outside of the resort and
Elrik is at the bottom, ready to run it with me, I let him know that the plan
is to walk it and so he walks with me to the top, offering words of
encouragement and when we crest the top, he says, ok dad, time to run, let’s do
this and gets me running again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and
Riana (not sure when she joined us) run me to the bottom of the hill, cheering
me on and send me on my way to the village.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLSyqujIyBgFrjvNzahfLoFG3BXHxm8cTWH6dOu_lahMccRZ8I8jSGhgbaqJGcfL_40PqPqenwz3i4L5EavkDgeSXBEcFdP2jWcDgjlHd44gg8d5O_tplQVERDvl1werhNBq0Y3CC28E/s1600/run-kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLSyqujIyBgFrjvNzahfLoFG3BXHxm8cTWH6dOu_lahMccRZ8I8jSGhgbaqJGcfL_40PqPqenwz3i4L5EavkDgeSXBEcFdP2jWcDgjlHd44gg8d5O_tplQVERDvl1werhNBq0Y3CC28E/s320/run-kids.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the BEST moments of the day, running with my kids</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I grabbed a chair as I sorted through the bag grabbing full
bottles, gels and a handful of Miss Vickie’s chips.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the spectators starts chatting with me
and telling me how great I am doing, he says “Dude, you could walk the rest and
still make the cut-off”, that was both great to hear and not so great as I
really had to struggle to get moving and NOT walk the whole thing, but it was
comforting to know that I could actually make the cut-off barring something
very wrong happening out there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had been forewarned about how tough it was to run through
the village, see the finish chute on your left and have to go back out, I had
decided that I would not even glance to the left, I ran down the hill keeping
eyes right and focused on getting back out there for loop two. A quick stop at
the porta loos near transition and I am back out there for loop two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Up that hill and walking so I can actually read the signs my
family and others had prepared. Sonia is holding one that says “Today you will
become and Ironman!” I’m super tired and feeling even more emotional than
usual, but I’m thinking HELL YEAH, I will…5 years in the making, so much fear
and anxiety and its actually happening, this is GOING to happen…ok, back in the
moment, there’s still a ½ marathon to get through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The kids run me down that hill and send me off, the last
time I get to see them before the finish chute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The second lap is mostly a blur, but I get to see all/most
of the same folks again get a few high fives again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During one of my walk
breaks, I started chatting with one of the other athletes, he and I were walk/running
on different timings so we kept passing and catching each other, but for a few
moments every few minutes we were either walking or running together and were
able to reassure each other that we were going to get this done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I was nearing the ski village and the last climb up that
hill just outside of T2, I knew I was close, the spectators had thinned, my
family had left so they could be in the finish chute and the OTC Strippers were
all at the finish line volunteering as “Catchers”, so it was a little tougher
this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up and over, focus, just one
more climb and then downhill to the finish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just before the last hill I start hearing "BRENT! BRENT! BRENT! BRENT!", It's Evelyne and she's walking beside me as I make my way slowly up the hill and then we catch up with Chad and Heather and they're cheering and offering words of encouragement, reminding me that I am almost there and I manage to start jogging up the hill...at least until I am out of their sight line, shhh don't tell them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I get up and over that last hill and I make the turn into
the village, all downhill to the finish, my Coach Dave Harding spots me, yells
out some encouraging words and I manage to get a high five from him on the way.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZFh2LxSq42pd739HaMBJ4otxNJ9U5ah0lHcSPerotdOmO18YhsafdCBrluNWIlLBUaRFIB7sJK3qWbKKNILYXUTmdEGtX6c9pjV5VRJeEe1-KjBKDm8p8ySq12tZVvZq0ugm4WaLX1Y/s1600/finish-chute.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZFh2LxSq42pd739HaMBJ4otxNJ9U5ah0lHcSPerotdOmO18YhsafdCBrluNWIlLBUaRFIB7sJK3qWbKKNILYXUTmdEGtX6c9pjV5VRJeEe1-KjBKDm8p8ySq12tZVvZq0ugm4WaLX1Y/s320/finish-chute.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end (of the race) is near</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This time, I am looking left at the fork in the road,
knowing I get to run down the finish chute, as I veer left, I slow it down, get
a few high fives and soak in the finish line, make sure I’ve got some space and
then arms raised, Imerman Angels wings spread, I cross the finish line, and Mike
Reilly belts out the six words I’ve been working towards hearing for 5 years “Brent
Smyth, You ARE AN IRONMAN!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqfO-pyyhvzPfmc8VEhppzWD7fYu3OwG_jIImNbSPloql-TYcP6udOMp6vmBVT8q9BtLbwvXcaFWSSByU8W84oQN-hu3NBjklaV4B7h5porQnThkoqXZwcD5xsUZIf-APemTB4IVSTSA/s1600/finish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqfO-pyyhvzPfmc8VEhppzWD7fYu3OwG_jIImNbSPloql-TYcP6udOMp6vmBVT8q9BtLbwvXcaFWSSByU8W84oQN-hu3NBjklaV4B7h5porQnThkoqXZwcD5xsUZIf-APemTB4IVSTSA/s320/finish.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am AN IRONMAN</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crossing the finish line, I pointed to Mike (well towards
where his voice was coming from) and then I looked left, I saw the whole OTC
crew (Erik, Deb, Jessica, Annick, Sue) standing there smiling, and just in
front of them, Rachel with a medal, MY medal, my IRONMAN medal and a wave of
emotion came over me, I was all out sobbing as Rachel placed that medal over my
neck and her and the whole crew gave me a group hug, more sobbing,
uncontrollable at this point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will forever remember the huge smiles of that finish
line crew, I’m tearing up now just thinking of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was much hugging and high fiving exchanged between
that crew, my training partners Julie and Peter as well as Simon, Carl , Mona,
Rob and pretty much anyone who even looked familiar, emotions were running high
and raw.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a few photos a quick bite to eat and some more coke, I
was itching to see my family, coming out of the recovery area and spotting
them, I was overwhelmed by emotion again and their smiles, hugs and elation are
forever imprinted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiph5q4GRTF3dV3efUGaOl0sCA_sd1s-tlIulyHfbwn5J0qZXywhRU3vRoV8-qQrzUYxesLvwy8FD8ncBk8sYYLxL86eImUUFIGfJkVd3WG2yYrBCoq79RFtRDb4MeKXHcpMAkLPy9LZjk/s1600/otc-done.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiph5q4GRTF3dV3efUGaOl0sCA_sd1s-tlIulyHfbwn5J0qZXywhRU3vRoV8-qQrzUYxesLvwy8FD8ncBk8sYYLxL86eImUUFIGfJkVd3WG2yYrBCoq79RFtRDb4MeKXHcpMAkLPy9LZjk/s320/otc-done.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#IronFriends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As tiring as this day was, it was in every way PERFECT and the photos (at least most of them) bear that out with the smile on my face throughout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It took far too long to write this report and I am sure that
I have missed some memories and some individuals who no doubt had great impact
before and during the event, and for that I apologize, but please know that you
and your encouragement and support have been truly appreciated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am so very grateful to have met so many incredible people on this journey, your friedship, experiences and company enriched this experience in ways I simply cannot express in words and you may never know the full impact of the simplest of gestures along the way, but please know that if you are reading this, then you contributed in some way to this goal and that I am truly thankful for having you in my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for reading, and for those of you taking on the Mont-Tremblant Ironman next Sunday, I will be there volunteering and cheering for you and hope to have as great an impact on your day as you had on mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have fun and git'r done!</span></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0Mont-Tremblant, QC, Canada46.1184616 -74.59618519999997945.7666161 -75.241632199999984 46.470307100000007 -73.950738199999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-20056610014585635112015-05-18T11:11:00.000-07:002015-05-18T11:11:11.383-07:00So much for that year off! Here we go again!<div class="MsoNormal">
After completing my 6<sup>th</sup> marathon in Boston last
year and reflecting on the toll the training and race had taken, both
physically and mentally, I made a decision to take this year (2015) and
possibly next year off of the marathon distance, declaring that my next
marathon would be as part of my first Ironman in 2017.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It seems fate; fundraising and friends had a different
plan. In an effort to build some
excitement around the first effort at putting together a Team Imerman Angels
Canada, I challenged my friends and team mates to recruit 10 people for Team
Canada or 2 first time marathoners and agreed that I would run the marathon
with them this year if they could do that.
I should have known better than to challenge a group of seasoned
marathoners and fundraisers, they ALWAYS rise to the occasion and so it is that
in my year off marathons, I will be running the Chicago marathon and raising
funds for Imerman Angels.</div>
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I am truly excited to be part of this team, we have an
incredible mix of runners and fundraisers, all with fantastic spirit and a
commitment to raise money to help Imerman Angels fulfill their mission to
ensure that no one has to face cancer alone.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWbY2qEobXioEyUXzgiDCCfBuDSEFhpaMyWTx5Npgf-dYUmmo0GV9X9ztXXH8TsJSL0P3i1GJc7jAFlA7e9hnjcNBKWZRAjqFMAQA0D50qhk6scfI8rN81LtFmaHrT5usxfw-iD-EoFE/s1600/DSC_8518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWbY2qEobXioEyUXzgiDCCfBuDSEFhpaMyWTx5Npgf-dYUmmo0GV9X9ztXXH8TsJSL0P3i1GJc7jAFlA7e9hnjcNBKWZRAjqFMAQA0D50qhk6scfI8rN81LtFmaHrT5usxfw-iD-EoFE/s320/DSC_8518.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Canada on a chilly morning outside Simply Biscotti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our first Team fundraiser, a comedy night here in Ottawa
raised just over $2000for Imerman Angels and we’ve got a few more ideas brewing
as well (yup that’s a hint). Our team is
made up of runners from Ottawa, Toronto, California and Massachusetts, yup, we
opened it up to “honorary” Canadians too, the more the merrier, so if you’ve
got a guaranteed entry to the Chicago marathon and you’re interested in raising
funds for an incredible cause while training with a group of like minded, fun
and fantastic folks, drop me a line.</div>
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I’ll be running this year’s marathon in memory of my friend
Isabelle and celebrating 26.2 years of sobriety with 26.2 miles of running (Oct.
7 will be 26.2 years and the marathon is Oct. 11), so I’ll have lots to reflect
upon as I run that day. </div>
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I would be so very grateful if you would consider making a
donation (of any amount) to my fundraiser</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://imermanangels.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=1366">http://imermanangels.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=1366</a>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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As always, thank you to my friends and family for your
incredible support and words of encouragement, they make all the difference! </div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-49094308537572816682015-03-16T20:39:00.000-07:002015-03-17T18:30:31.888-07:00It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the Boston Marathon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9Rvc2wm-GCW9CWTGVr5OqXRWXqyFkyJ3rb89nLiPDC3O2aHn7xyWcnCDjw2VMmeUH-s197Hex-7ZIwXQdj8ufXJ7VkX3dLeJFlFkPHw-Qp4__64H5eTVpNRKfPP0rWc_Tw5uklhFzek/s1600/iPhone+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9Rvc2wm-GCW9CWTGVr5OqXRWXqyFkyJ3rb89nLiPDC3O2aHn7xyWcnCDjw2VMmeUH-s197Hex-7ZIwXQdj8ufXJ7VkX3dLeJFlFkPHw-Qp4__64H5eTVpNRKfPP0rWc_Tw5uklhFzek/s1600/iPhone+007.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Like most of my entries, this one would go best with a nice
cup of tea or coffee, maybe 2 given the length of this entry. Hope you enjoy.</div>
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<b><u>Background:</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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When I first started running, I NEVER thought I would run a
marathon, then when I started running marathons, I didn’t even consider Boston
at first and eventually I figured, well when I am 80, if I maintain this pace I
just MIGHT be able to qualify, so when my friend Jenna sent me the link to the
B.A.A.’s special application page, I wasn’t really sure I should apply. I knew there was the option to run for a
charity, heck that’s how I ended up in Boston in 2013, cheering on my friends
Elaine and Serena, running their first marathon in Boston while raising funds
for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge. I had resolved myself to
qualifying…someday, when I was much older…and it was more a dream than a
possibility. It was only after
consistent urging from many of my running friends that I decided that I would
apply and let the B.A.A. be the judge of whether or not I should get the
opportunity to be a part of this amazing event.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On December 4, I received an e-mail from the B.A.A.
informing me that my application had been accepted, and I was invited to
participate in the 2014 Boston Marathon.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlmXEb6Qyt1yqXP2vNoURosqYw06DxiQvtssQEggGpEQxsali0EznscwlUmS1zA1USljAzdP7EX-xfyX-gzWL0LCm6WddEJcgzlAyjbihxLrbJ9h9HoGeA-L2MjfKZphqpyn_YvWXdRM/s1600/iPhone+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlmXEb6Qyt1yqXP2vNoURosqYw06DxiQvtssQEggGpEQxsali0EznscwlUmS1zA1USljAzdP7EX-xfyX-gzWL0LCm6WddEJcgzlAyjbihxLrbJ9h9HoGeA-L2MjfKZphqpyn_YvWXdRM/s1600/iPhone+009.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Training:</u></b></div>
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The training for Boston was largely the same as my other
marathons with 2 notable exceptions. All
hill workouts were run downhill with the recovery being on the uphill, my coach
designed it his way so I’d be prepared for the net downhill as well as ready
for the Newton hills. The other BIG
difference this time around…training in a Polar Vortex, many cold..nay FREEZING
cold runs and LOTS of snowy/slushy runs as well. I had a few really tough training runs along
the way and could not have gotten through some of them without the support of
the Slush Monkeys (Andy, Kris, Larry & Rhonda), on more than one occasion,
they mothered/nursed me along until we got to food and coffee and I am so
grateful to them for being a regular part of my training and sharing in the
good, the bad and the downright ugly that was winter 2013/2014!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbt5vxXY1hOfGGT8FzPoag9GtpThUZKouCwnTenjgC7Qq9IzY6-s9OTDrmpXCpki7FKKjPHtqA5x6MQOW8BoHbYbfQr4eqWrEWCGXSJDO-6IYtVYgzkcd9VZzYrF6nxyugfoVzPnr9ic/s1600/IMG_1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbt5vxXY1hOfGGT8FzPoag9GtpThUZKouCwnTenjgC7Qq9IzY6-s9OTDrmpXCpki7FKKjPHtqA5x6MQOW8BoHbYbfQr4eqWrEWCGXSJDO-6IYtVYgzkcd9VZzYrF6nxyugfoVzPnr9ic/s1600/IMG_1902.JPG" height="240" title="Some of the Slush Monkeys" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Slush Monkeys- Couldn't have done it without you!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><u>Race weekend:</u></b></div>
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<b><u>Friday – travel
day:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Sonia, Riana and I drove down to Wayland, MA to the home of
our friends Dave and Elaine, who once again graciously opened their doors and
welcomed us in for the weekend, and they
made sure there was an ample supply of bacon on hand…booyah!! Do they KNOW me
or what?</div>
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The ride down was uneventful save for the 1.5 hour wait at
the border, thankfully we had satellite radio in the rental car to keep us all
entertained. I absolutely love road trips with my family and now that the kids
are adults, there are far fewer bathroom breaks, most of which are dictated by
MY aging bladder ;-)</div>
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<b><u>Saturday – the
EXPO:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Got in one last tune-up run with Elaine. I am always impressed by how strong a runner
Elaine is, that hill right outside the front door to start the run, sure has
paid dividends!</div>
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Post-run it was time for breakie, featuring bacon of course! Then we headed into Boston for the Race Expo.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjY6m-IKftr65LeGfMpO2GLwtmng3A9bNsk7GlJOh1_FrMv6VeqwwE14LBF3H3Agfp9YoE9px2zO6vWmUCinPPFuE8gTAjwZHD2js01u6bmuxnoQvgqGHggJ85VHmH9t3FMpWoSaSqD0/s1600/Boston+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjY6m-IKftr65LeGfMpO2GLwtmng3A9bNsk7GlJOh1_FrMv6VeqwwE14LBF3H3Agfp9YoE9px2zO6vWmUCinPPFuE8gTAjwZHD2js01u6bmuxnoQvgqGHggJ85VHmH9t3FMpWoSaSqD0/s1600/Boston+002.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dude sending us off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The whole experience was a little surreal, I remembered
walking through the expo in 2013 with Elaine and being in awe, but knowing that
I was on my way to pick up my own race kit this time, was…frankly a little
overwhelming. </div>
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The volunteers are fantastic! They know what this race and in particular
this year’s running of the race mean to so many and they are more than willing
to pose for pics, slow things down and really let you soak in the experience,
in spite of the sheer numbers of runners that they need to get through the
doors.</div>
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I took full advantage of this at each of the tables we had
to go through, doing my best to make the most of what will likely be my ONLY
Boston Marathon. I was overcome with
emotion and fighting tears when I was presented with my bib and athlete’s
passport, when turned to Riana to tell her how I didn’t expect that, her
comment was, Really? I was it’s kind of a big deal! True, we all know I’m an
emotional guy, so I probably should have expected it. Thankfully this was not
repeated at each of the tables we visited, the Shirt table was the exact
opposite, HUGE smile and the poster table, spent searching for our names on the
list of runners, once found…HUGE smile again...only the beginnings of the
emotional roller coaster that would run the entirety of the weekend.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl9JEYJM44_K-AnvZWdXdzUVmEra5npkLlk0D1l5Gt5XPk45Gew3BW33MOIgBWE7RZqFqtIugcP2i5bE7UkU_xaTEAnyaNnJH56iv_HvTRZjCTUgZymEVqwHoB5yyo6G0ih5bNmsi1K8/s1600/Bib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl9JEYJM44_K-AnvZWdXdzUVmEra5npkLlk0D1l5Gt5XPk45Gew3BW33MOIgBWE7RZqFqtIugcP2i5bE7UkU_xaTEAnyaNnJH56iv_HvTRZjCTUgZymEVqwHoB5yyo6G0ih5bNmsi1K8/s1600/Bib.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patient volunteers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EGA_pysLHINooE3zRrcu2GdxaYSvIZm-YltiFNrgW-5SqstNRO-Hd0bjdOEOo1p2_opXkFK_edpJGyky1QOP8Ty_zipDPrlXf9odrx0mP84mDZzKTyKX8HAgVz9T-wKaGkO_yzb5JGs/s1600/Boston+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EGA_pysLHINooE3zRrcu2GdxaYSvIZm-YltiFNrgW-5SqstNRO-Hd0bjdOEOo1p2_opXkFK_edpJGyky1QOP8Ty_zipDPrlXf9odrx0mP84mDZzKTyKX8HAgVz9T-wKaGkO_yzb5JGs/s1600/Boston+022.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is REALLY happening!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0ALUxZpsHxjUzmWFgdxaf423UqTm4a-aTfaO9Ffft4gLyqi93P_P2d4vgilFOSN2DmsipDzDUtlKH1iW4rlpi_KGM1uC_7hOgKPUDuMItM-tLYT3_5DtG0S_-cZzgO17TF0KjGL5Ai0/s1600/Boston+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0ALUxZpsHxjUzmWFgdxaf423UqTm4a-aTfaO9Ffft4gLyqi93P_P2d4vgilFOSN2DmsipDzDUtlKH1iW4rlpi_KGM1uC_7hOgKPUDuMItM-tLYT3_5DtG0S_-cZzgO17TF0KjGL5Ai0/s1600/Boston+025.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt pick-up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sszamEn7KsBye2uJjtCPI-uUbWpXUDQ3XtSycrrsN9bJJ3vUJ5mif8-yyDEOs702T0_7KqRRMJLXKmCDW_tdmhvqKk6dw8AFcUyg_6LM5N4rn2nt9_36dvmt-SmTE77jmxkoz4B244Y/s1600/Boston+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sszamEn7KsBye2uJjtCPI-uUbWpXUDQ3XtSycrrsN9bJJ3vUJ5mif8-yyDEOs702T0_7KqRRMJLXKmCDW_tdmhvqKk6dw8AFcUyg_6LM5N4rn2nt9_36dvmt-SmTE77jmxkoz4B244Y/s1600/Boston+033.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Elaine, ready to run Boston!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the official tables were all visited, it was time to
head to the expo for some shopping…this is where Sonia and Riana left Elaine
and I and headed out on their own shopping spree.</div>
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First stop, official race merchandise. Last year when I visited the expo with Elaine
and Serena, I told them, I wouldn’t try on or wear a Boston Marathon Jacket unless
or until I run the marathon, time to get mine! I still wouldn’t wear the
jacket, I’m not so much superstitious about race merchandise, I just don’t like
to wear it until I’ve done the race, so once purchased, the jacket went
straight into the bag, to be handed over to Sonia until after the marathon.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekD2ffElichyphenhyphennpuIVUmzgOyooKRwoB2NVcxV8oTUYfrlmRQIG0mAwcinDpfDfIWiZzdHf3N7pgz6iYbkNoCO0RmGdfiU9VN3mz2zHyGv2iajHSW3K3OzWNC24Z135DXYqC1yAcXmdpDY/s1600/thejacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekD2ffElichyphenhyphennpuIVUmzgOyooKRwoB2NVcxV8oTUYfrlmRQIG0mAwcinDpfDfIWiZzdHf3N7pgz6iYbkNoCO0RmGdfiU9VN3mz2zHyGv2iajHSW3K3OzWNC24Z135DXYqC1yAcXmdpDY/s1600/thejacket.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It fits, now back in the bag!</td></tr>
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What are the odds in a crowd as large as the one at the
Boston Marathon Expo that you’d bump into someone you know unplanned? The odds must have been in our favour as I
was fortunate enough to have a quick visit with Coach Ramona, one of the Team
in Training Coaches who was a big part of my first marathon and ran me across
the finish of my second marathon when I was sure I couldn’t take another step…a
good omen indeed! Bonus, Elaine who was raising funds for Team in Training this
year got to meet an amazing athlete and coach who has inspired many over the
years and understand why I speak so highly of her!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2wdZpOyEX589y9UHw6O_XPgBq-Gz-8BApy7K_cUziyLvUJUxuTdnqGmSJJoqgfmpWdwJ9C2tORMos097PaqlEzQvAK_SNwhzlhn7VlgN6sSIhskkecuzUyVxlOZNMyNU5f5HxoFdltA/s1600/Boston+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2wdZpOyEX589y9UHw6O_XPgBq-Gz-8BApy7K_cUziyLvUJUxuTdnqGmSJJoqgfmpWdwJ9C2tORMos097PaqlEzQvAK_SNwhzlhn7VlgN6sSIhskkecuzUyVxlOZNMyNU5f5HxoFdltA/s1600/Boston+054.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach Ramona!!</td></tr>
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With the shopping done, Elaine and Dave switched it up so he
and I could spend sometime visiting downtown Boston, grab a bite and with any
luck, head over to the Library to see the memorial (gathered from last year’s
finish line).</div>
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The walk down Boylston was tougher than I thought it would
be, passing by where Dave and I had been standing and then seeing the
make-shift memorial at the location of the second bomb drove home just how
close we had been and how fortunate.
Many of the horrific memories of that day came flooding back. Dave and I made our way to the memorial and
added one of the Boston we run with you shirts to the cards, flowers and other
tributes. We also made a stop at the
Boylston Street Fire Station to deliver a shirt. Many of the first responders on Boylston
Street that day worked out of that station.</div>
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After and emotional day downtown, it was time to head back,
regroup and feed the troops, being in New England, it only made sense to head
out for seafood, great little spot that was both casual and lively and offered
some great eats to boot, good call Dave!</div>
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<b><u>Sunday – chilaxin’
and fuellin’:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Today was about staying off my feet, so I let Sonia and
Riana tour the aquarium on their own while chilled with a coffee and a book and
bought our tickets for the Duck Tours…great way to see the sights and stay off
your feet, although I’m not sure we could trust any of the facts the guide was
providing since he got almost every fact about the Boston Marathon history
wrong (no I did not correct him).</div>
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Post sightseeing we headed over to Jean’s (Elaine’s sister)
for an amazing (seemingly never ending) spread of delicious food. One of the
highlights for me (other than getting to visit with Elaine’s family and meet
Serena’s) was walking into the back yard to have Devon (Dave and Elaine’s son)
say “Hey doot”, to appreciate this you have to understand that every visit we
have where Devon and I spend any time at all together, I call him Dude, non-stop
and in between our “DOG BONE” and other shenanigans, I’m sure we drive Dave
almost over the edge <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
</div>
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After that it was back to Dave and Elaine’s for shirt prep
(there’s a fair amount of decorating involved when you’re part of a charity
team) and an early evening for all. </div>
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<b><u>Race day – We’re
running the Boston Marathon!!!</u></b></div>
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The point-to-point nature of the Boston marathon
necessitates an EARLY rise so that they can bus the 36,000+ runners from
downtown Boston to the start line in Hopkinton.
Elaine and I drove into the city to meet up with Serena, Christina and
Amanda (all of them had run last year’s race and were stopped short of the
finish). There was still lots of shirt
decorating and last minute gear decisions being made (all tested of course),
but we were soon on our way to the buses.</div>
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The bus ride to Hopkinton seemed really long., prolly only
about 26.2 miles though ;-) and not nearly as eventful as it must have been for
the folks on the broken down bus we saw along the way, gah stressful! My bathrobe (choice clothing to stay warm at
early morning races and only $5 at the thrift shop, easy to get rid of too,
without interfering with hats or sunglasses) was a big hit, apparently the
first time many had seen this approach <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
Makes for some fun photos too!</div>
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The start line staging area is more like a small shanty town,
a few tents, a bunch of porta-johns and lots of runners, volunteers, blankets,
garbage bags and anything else you can think of to stay warm and dry as you
wait for the speaker to call out your start corral to get you started on your
walk to the start line.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIdokuSZ01QQAG7KQWm6TRTYeVhyphenhyphen1Sps4zmJnM8SD-Bab9YhjgXMh6XfTRDfdyQD35Bq-fACi5XmClOHw08mDbgk1qOGnA7HyZtIOYgxLcAQ8k6gQswMkSDj7kUUFCEhGjYcnrbx_UlM/s1600/Bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIdokuSZ01QQAG7KQWm6TRTYeVhyphenhyphen1Sps4zmJnM8SD-Bab9YhjgXMh6XfTRDfdyQD35Bq-fACi5XmClOHw08mDbgk1qOGnA7HyZtIOYgxLcAQ8k6gQswMkSDj7kUUFCEhGjYcnrbx_UlM/s1600/Bus.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The FAB 4 - Elaine, Christina, Amanda & Serena</td></tr>
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Plenty of time for Team photos and multiple trips to the
porta-johns (damn you nervous bladder!)</div>
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It seemed both like the waiting took forever and at the same
time was over in a heartbeat. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamFC6ZElpCfV3e0hCv9RG3b7LfZ7P-UTIRCzO-rkiT2rmSRjY5Z7Ju9HAPQTrwF5Zdrn_AUYnG5bM41j2-kiDMw5u11JHQ2CFqhz95JLRas2KLgyO5RfqVf4a6OnjScwJfu3GxK_iZuI/s1600/Boston+142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamFC6ZElpCfV3e0hCv9RG3b7LfZ7P-UTIRCzO-rkiT2rmSRjY5Z7Ju9HAPQTrwF5Zdrn_AUYnG5bM41j2-kiDMw5u11JHQ2CFqhz95JLRas2KLgyO5RfqVf4a6OnjScwJfu3GxK_iZuI/s1600/Boston+142.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gonna' run the Boston Marathon, but first...let me take a Selfie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4uT8VyMyjlSTHbXhh9F-OhnAFC7ljHoOqA4exp-p5-69u9EK_TPiOiDLTRnC2T3GN8vw9aYMsRU63AGwu3pGCEOKJjAA2clAb_AXu7OJFJnXVmyqHHIGf4RQzPthx7Ue8QeubMXOgo0/s1600/Robe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4uT8VyMyjlSTHbXhh9F-OhnAFC7ljHoOqA4exp-p5-69u9EK_TPiOiDLTRnC2T3GN8vw9aYMsRU63AGwu3pGCEOKJjAA2clAb_AXu7OJFJnXVmyqHHIGf4RQzPthx7Ue8QeubMXOgo0/s1600/Robe.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't always wear a bathrobe, but when I do, I'm surrounded by fast women ;-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our wave
was called and we started to make our way to the start line, every step a little
voice inside me (ok maybe it burst out once or twice) was saying, OMG you’re
running the BOSTON MARATHON!!!! </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9h1dGplkcj1Wh5Z9NHPbrjr7fMn21yrbVfeCt1tCkPDiVl_q7xJNMTH6cgSbyX-WPDQlM4c5w9LxVjKvmuw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The plan for this marathon was to soak it ALL in, take as
many pictures and videos as possible and savour every moment. Well the clock will tell you that is exactly
what we did, my slowest marathon to date, and possibly one of the most tiring. </div>
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Elaine’s family and friends, joined this year by Sonia and Riana were at their usual spot at mile 3 in Ashland, where we paused for photos, high fives hugs and cheers before getting back down to the business of running the marathon. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGCJ2sNzOZBkzqcL-0AC3JW7FpbuC1upya6wqmWZ6fkNgBoeVSAo8nOjstxPyQIP6zr_rAbWoPrcFonE-4wDWbg_KrIF3Blbo9NxM1c3lDFo3QaT_JIIKImwvxgKTrxT-ch69FWU2f1M/s1600/hug2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGCJ2sNzOZBkzqcL-0AC3JW7FpbuC1upya6wqmWZ6fkNgBoeVSAo8nOjstxPyQIP6zr_rAbWoPrcFonE-4wDWbg_KrIF3Blbo9NxM1c3lDFo3QaT_JIIKImwvxgKTrxT-ch69FWU2f1M/s1600/hug2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Energy transfer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTnjFc2dMUdqdIS0jnYcKf7JyPyOFvVIM6qVNc5InvMgxgBBZIsJoGhdVFhMRsp6Mw-8LiqFkppj2sUqRod6G0vYSCv6dauVqowNufT6FyI_SjJ_rTv3EFNpCkZhGU0NTu-E2KaZK-6M/s1600/hugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTnjFc2dMUdqdIS0jnYcKf7JyPyOFvVIM6qVNc5InvMgxgBBZIsJoGhdVFhMRsp6Mw-8LiqFkppj2sUqRod6G0vYSCv6dauVqowNufT6FyI_SjJ_rTv3EFNpCkZhGU0NTu-E2KaZK-6M/s1600/hugs.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everybody got in on the huggin'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Along the way, we saw some incredibly inspiring people, from
the two young women running in memory of their uncle a firefighter who had been
one of the first responders in 2013, was registered to run, but perished while
fighting a fire just two weeks before the marathon to running by Rick and Dick
and the rest of Team Hoyt just a little after mile 24.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycxmftuTxPShjDavBkodLFgfTav9p9b3g2oZuoEs5FKIb8g2i9Ea3zt0cDv8zG99pAdSu6l2ivrIfzUKI_YAIB53-sVkgqc1omw6gF9xG6PY4CZc_pHxz-gSaUs_PUXxv-nVE1FXtNpY/s1600/Hoyt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycxmftuTxPShjDavBkodLFgfTav9p9b3g2oZuoEs5FKIb8g2i9Ea3zt0cDv8zG99pAdSu6l2ivrIfzUKI_YAIB53-sVkgqc1omw6gF9xG6PY4CZc_pHxz-gSaUs_PUXxv-nVE1FXtNpY/s1600/Hoyt1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Hoyt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfbiE2TXqR_1y-4lwwdH2o2B-ztd_b-qk5G40mO0j0RigBkeIFwoK8LyNH7LtTDY94lEfui01kOFj6CGBS6LLoW5cazQ5ZvIKZ7AbfqqoL1TrJnmawx-2J9eQhZFLK5beeP9WzjESl3A/s1600/Hoyt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfbiE2TXqR_1y-4lwwdH2o2B-ztd_b-qk5G40mO0j0RigBkeIFwoK8LyNH7LtTDY94lEfui01kOFj6CGBS6LLoW5cazQ5ZvIKZ7AbfqqoL1TrJnmawx-2J9eQhZFLK5beeP9WzjESl3A/s1600/Hoyt2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick and Rick Hoyt - Simply Inspirational!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cheers and the support from the volunteers and the crowd
were like none other I've ever experienced, many of them thanking us for coming
back to run their marathon! More than
once when my legs started to give out, I was lifted by the chants of the crowd,
somehow they keyed in on anyone who seemed to be wavering and collectively
chanted their name, it got me through quite a few rough spots on this day.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All those things you hear about the Scream tunnel at
Wellesley College…TRUE! I shot video with my camera and at first I was trying
to match their screams, but kept gasping for air, so I switched to shouting “Right
on, Right on”, I didn’t realise how long the tunnel was until I watched the
video later that week and heard the number of times I said “Right on, Right on”,
wow! I also wondered why I was so out of
air in spite of no longer shouting along with the women in the crowd…I clearly
got caught up in the fervor of their cheering as I averaged 1 minute faster per
kilometre through that tunnel. Intervals are not a good thing at the 20km mark
of a marathon, this would come back to haunt me later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Oh and somewhere between Mile 11 and Mile 12, Elaine and Serena made sure to point out this street, no idea why...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbRPL59bsuCW72d2pfUr2ZOj5THqNRDTCZ4ZADMqzS0TaUxHkhq0xc4n92xI3wf0rmzPJUnH4sex5X5lNwzW2QSxPhMdBlcdYMxteo6nPIn0IZvuHkDPaBBqFst-y-iifjjybY6kWFOI/s1600/Bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbRPL59bsuCW72d2pfUr2ZOj5THqNRDTCZ4ZADMqzS0TaUxHkhq0xc4n92xI3wf0rmzPJUnH4sex5X5lNwzW2QSxPhMdBlcdYMxteo6nPIn0IZvuHkDPaBBqFst-y-iifjjybY6kWFOI/s1600/Bacon.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A finer street there never was!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not long after you leave the noise and the excitement of
Wellesley, you find yourself in the roller coaster section of the course, which
eventually levels off only to lead you to the Newton hills, and this is where
my legs began to really feel the effects.
Somewhere on those hills in Newton, my quads shut down, every uphill was
met with searing pain, and I had to walk, I could run the flats and even some
of the downhills, but the ups were just too much. Elaine and Serena were great, they stayed
with me, running the ups, waiting for me to join them and then we’d all get
going again. I am sure they could have
had a much quicker time if they had decided to go on, but I am so grateful to
them for getting me through this marathon!
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dave, Sonia and Riana were waiting for us somewhere on Hereford,
Elaine saw them, I apparently got caught up on the crowd and was on Boylston
before I realised that Elaine and Serena were no longer just a few feet ahead,
beside or behind me…so I pulled over to wait…the crowd must have thought I was
giving up, because I’ve never heard so many people shouting not to give up, not
far now, you can do this…thankfully I didn’t have to endure that for long,
Elaine and Serena caught up to me pretty quickly and we managed to cross the
finish line together.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdAq3DogUdWN7BGSfBbRpeTGLYAPz0XtV4ss6gjr_C4df1YM6j1KumVL1U7lATfpcXTwCj7tdLsK8YNiZk3HHDfc-0xdIi-D_g7oTd8S1Lbf6Ktz8_dADbdSWCTSATOvAs9GMiFGVE1U/s1600/finish1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdAq3DogUdWN7BGSfBbRpeTGLYAPz0XtV4ss6gjr_C4df1YM6j1KumVL1U7lATfpcXTwCj7tdLsK8YNiZk3HHDfc-0xdIi-D_g7oTd8S1Lbf6Ktz8_dADbdSWCTSATOvAs9GMiFGVE1U/s1600/finish1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing together!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvId3mvpFo6D6HGXdqRwHAXBRYVrNSp4Vg-ICmfL_kqI6hjaiqeWAccygdsa9oj8nYnP481IxprrIj7AUhMryqYBNg_luDAhT-_ww5W0WJMk1rnqZP8NSMw_aQZm7t5rHcCAglAQ2yJmA/s1600/iPhone+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvId3mvpFo6D6HGXdqRwHAXBRYVrNSp4Vg-ICmfL_kqI6hjaiqeWAccygdsa9oj8nYnP481IxprrIj7AUhMryqYBNg_luDAhT-_ww5W0WJMk1rnqZP8NSMw_aQZm7t5rHcCAglAQ2yJmA/s1600/iPhone+004.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFz9kr8LVg0NiNzAG6qYPh7_q3Qcj5LusdM_I0A5EUfdJU1piELhojdROnj06APNuTjqDOI6wEuheYGrh3ad29V6bENbCikKSR_A9GOyMQmVj3PWO9l9J1jCtNLt3BkTjhv6qI6lOH8A/s1600/iPhone+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFz9kr8LVg0NiNzAG6qYPh7_q3Qcj5LusdM_I0A5EUfdJU1piELhojdROnj06APNuTjqDOI6wEuheYGrh3ad29V6bENbCikKSR_A9GOyMQmVj3PWO9l9J1jCtNLt3BkTjhv6qI6lOH8A/s1600/iPhone+006.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all it was a VERY emotional weekend, to all of you
who purchased a Boston we run with you shirt, volunteered to help me sell them
at race expo, offset the costs with corporate sponsorship, or who attended the
Boston virtual run, THANK YOU, we raised just over $8000 for The One Fund
Boston to help the victims pay for their medical expenses and you are all a big
part of why I think I was selected by the BAA to run this Marathon. I will never forget, experience of a
lifetime!!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tEoEltgidcBjHqzFZeC_mDWQgBMQKq_P9N9TjYHgWGY8yNSPwfjId7egpj5jorg-jX1SVL3-zJ-190cnS6mROrHgSZ2IVOdtjAFq5vS_o71SJnwqL-LGYhyphenhyphen5KEJria6xgtprBgk_uZc/s1600/finish2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tEoEltgidcBjHqzFZeC_mDWQgBMQKq_P9N9TjYHgWGY8yNSPwfjId7egpj5jorg-jX1SVL3-zJ-190cnS6mROrHgSZ2IVOdtjAFq5vS_o71SJnwqL-LGYhyphenhyphen5KEJria6xgtprBgk_uZc/s1600/finish2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AMAZING!! Thank you all!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-56886297117775455602015-02-11T19:11:00.002-08:002016-02-11T14:55:05.841-08:00Running for Isa<div class="MsoNormal">
I haven’t been nearly as active on this blog in the last
year as I had hoped to. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two pretty big race reports are long overdue, Boston
Marathon and my first ½ Ironman triathlon, both significant events in my
limited athletic portfolio, but in spite of their impact and the amazing people
I completed them with and received support from leading up to, at and post
events, I just haven’t felt moved to write.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This week, I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming
Winterman event. Last year a couple of
friends and I ran the marathon as a relay team with my friend Isabelle, it was
her first race back after receiving her cancer diagnosis, it was also as it
turned out, her last race. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4n8h8mFNKABe_GpAXPmZLwwgTLBLwy1zP8mOZXCF-RdMDonDnpIzgAuU0wFWimTHOksNoRjgAidLyuJRnargVw-VCgr6si50MXfIjdSyCPkB2xV8drqWSVqs_V1IwZTTaJC5Z2jtoOQ/s1600/19057-110-21231379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4n8h8mFNKABe_GpAXPmZLwwgTLBLwy1zP8mOZXCF-RdMDonDnpIzgAuU0wFWimTHOksNoRjgAidLyuJRnargVw-VCgr6si50MXfIjdSyCPkB2xV8drqWSVqs_V1IwZTTaJC5Z2jtoOQ/s1600/19057-110-21231379.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming in on the first lap, love the smile Isa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81W5lN_FZg_oIHQ1xkIiFhTWwZeH7Q74g4ca6dXk952isfWoqb8cJ-nMLU4MnYVkmcbFSoP3ElOleU25q9AMmTtuIv9ewevCwQMfT_GsAOrR82joa51hUMOfglg0csQVVBKA5awliETI/s1600/19057-110-21231386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81W5lN_FZg_oIHQ1xkIiFhTWwZeH7Q74g4ca6dXk952isfWoqb8cJ-nMLU4MnYVkmcbFSoP3ElOleU25q9AMmTtuIv9ewevCwQMfT_GsAOrR82joa51hUMOfglg0csQVVBKA5awliETI/s1600/19057-110-21231386.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the Finish line of the 2014 Winterman Marathon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
On September 19, a little over six months later, Isabelle
left us. To quote Stuart Scott in his
ESPY speech (if you haven’t seen this video, I HIGHLY recommend you watch it!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sQH21gmxFR8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sQH21gmxFR8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"When you
die, that does not mean you lose to cancer.
You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which
you live. So live, live, fight like hell. And when you get too tired, [lie]
down, rest and let someone else fight for you.”</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This quote so accurately reflects the way Isabelle lived her
life from the moment she shared her cancer diagnosis with me, that I when I
heard it I was convinced he was speaking about her! If you read any of the posts or exchanges
between Isabelle and I on facebook during her fight, you will know that she
fought hard, stayed positive and was so incredibly strong and courageous
throughout the battle, always keeping her sense of humour and always hanging
onto the hope that she’d return to health and to her love of running.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isabelle and I shared our love of running and a passion for
the mission of Imerman Angels.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In our last conversation, just two days before she passed
away, Isabelle sounded very tired, but she insisted she was going to beat this
disease, return to run and raise funds for Imerman Angels and become a mentor
for them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This weekend, I’ll be running the Winterman Marathon as a
relay once again with friends, many of whom got the chance to meet Isabelle,
and we’ll pick up the baton, run and continue to fight for Isabelle to that she
can rest (or run) in peace!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNgo3lH2fdeFHdnAc11sL6iTW6QQQV0Xg_UoALIpF13usXjr5kAe_LxbXR303mXWiu0Bvotyg2i3ARgnzDkbKjShfAz1pMdHPi0bFpG4cGgXn3m6Q0tfLl4Kb9-Byz_0ikJAFSUpIERc/s1600/gang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNgo3lH2fdeFHdnAc11sL6iTW6QQQV0Xg_UoALIpF13usXjr5kAe_LxbXR303mXWiu0Bvotyg2i3ARgnzDkbKjShfAz1pMdHPi0bFpG4cGgXn3m6Q0tfLl4Kb9-Byz_0ikJAFSUpIERc/s1600/gang.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gang post-race, Isa was smiling pretty much all weekend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I miss you dearly my friend, but my heart will be filled
with joy on Sunday as I run that route in your memory and reflect how it brought you joy and comfort as well!</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-42648913282090771852014-05-26T07:26:00.000-07:002014-05-26T07:26:12.723-07:00Chicago Marathon Race Report – No disrespect intended
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>The lead-up:</u></strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This race report is long overdue…I’ve been meaning to get to
it for months, but finally found some downtime to put thoughts to paper…or blog
in this case.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The decision to run the Chicago Marathon was based solely on
the fact that it is premiere race (and headquarters) of Imerman Angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I focused a lot of my time on energy on
raising funds and awareness for Imerman Angels in 2013 and it paid big
dividends…with the help of friends and family, we raised over $3000 for Imerman
Angels, which equates to just over 9 connections for cancer fighters or
caregivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Equally important, as a
result of spreading awareness here in Ottawa, 2 new Ottawa based mentor Angels
were recruited and many friends are continuing to spread the word to those they
know who have been affected by cancer.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Training was a bit of a challenge this year, balancing
cycling events, triathlon, shorter distance races with family and friends and
an ever accumulating fatigue from the training and in hind sight a general lack
of focus.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Race Weekend:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since I was headed to the Home of Imerman Angels, I booked
some extra time on either side of the Marathon, arriving early Friday
afternoon, and staying until mid-day the day after the marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After getting settled in on Friday, I headed over to the
race expo to volunteer at the Imerman Angels booth where I got to meet the
Incredibly Energetic Khitam. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khit is a 2
time cancer survivor, Mentor Angel, member of the Imerman Angels professionals
board and is incredibly passionate about the mission of Imerman Angels and
spreading awareness…she makes me feel like a sloth with her boundless
energy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh and she was going to be
running her first marathon on Sunday too </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As luck would have it, my good friend and Mentor Angel,
Derek works in Chicago AND his boss has season tickets to the Black Hawks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His boss, generously offered to take us
along, he’s a great guy, who loves his Chicago teams and knows everything about
them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw a great game (which Chicago
won) had some great food and got to hang out for the evening, great way to stay
relaxed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the BEST things about this weekend was that my
friends Dave & Elaine came to cheer me on (they brought Doot too)! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met up on Saturday evening with Ben, Steven
and Jennifer and headed over to the Team Imerman Angels dinner where we got to
meet up with staff, volunteers and many of the Team Imerman Angels members who
I would be running with the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After that it was early to bed in preparation for race day.</span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>Race Day:</u></strong></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The goal for this race was to finally break the 4:30:00
barrier (more on that later).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
forecast called for a chilly start to the race (8C) with the day getting
progressively warmer (17C) for the finish.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The morning started with my normal pre-race meal, oatmeal
and a banana and then a quick cab ride to the Charity Village to meet up with
Team Imerman Angels and all of the volunteers and staff who we busy preparing
pre and post-race refereshments and treats for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Joan (Team Imerman Angels director) was on-site taking
charge and making sure that everyone was accounted for, photographed, got their
wings (see photo) and generally in the right state of mind (and body) to head
out for their marathon challenge.</span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5ii8Dlq6ZCVb7XvH7ANY1dAYKMHztT_CEzPWf7v4tKR8gJEolYg2JF5PAIOvvdxKCT_au8690VeM0QIzxE3rh-HBArAyBxYrxjnFjqexfFuPVkIRuitghgfbrvoLx5iWFRpVbxGjkkk/s1600/me_wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5ii8Dlq6ZCVb7XvH7ANY1dAYKMHztT_CEzPWf7v4tKR8gJEolYg2JF5PAIOvvdxKCT_au8690VeM0QIzxE3rh-HBArAyBxYrxjnFjqexfFuPVkIRuitghgfbrvoLx5iWFRpVbxGjkkk/s1600/me_wings.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was GREAT to get to meet so many people who had a
connection with Imerman Angels and had decided to fundraise and train to run
the Chicago marathon…a first marathon for many of the team. One of the people I
met (in person finally) was Pascale an expat Canadian (see photo) </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we were walking over to the start line with the team and
figuring out what corrals we were assigned to, we also started talking
expected/goal times and informally sorted ourselves into groups that would run
together for as long as our pace would let us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The group of four I started with included Anthony, Becky and Pascale…us
Canucks need to stick together ya’ know </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure how or when we came up with this, but as we ran
past each mile marker, we would call out the mile number followed by Ah, Ah,
Ah…very Sesame street of us…hey you do what you gotta’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to keep yourself distracted during a marathon.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The crowd support was amazing!!! I can’t remember the exact
number but there were people and signs everywhere…and a few personal
connections along the way too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We got to see…actually hear then see Pascale’s mom several
times during the race, she is a real ball of energy and just what you need when
your own energy is waning, it was touching to see Pascale and her mom run
together as they spotted each other and her mom checked in to make sure she was
doing well.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile 13 was my energy boost as I got to see Dave, Elaine and
Doot and get some high fives and a hug along with an acknowledgement from
Elaine that I was ahead of pace…woohoo!!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know I saw Dave, Elaine and Doot again and I think it was
around mile 17, but my mind is a bit hazy on this one…their smiles, cheers and
signs we a fantastic boost and helped me re-focus on the goal.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile 18(ish) was the only spot where the crowd support was
thin…it’s in a business park and I am sure getting public transit there is a
bit of a challenge, but you sure feel it when you don’t have the energy of the
crowd to draw on, thankfully we had Pascale’s mom, with her exuberant cheers
and her run along with Pascale to keep us going until we got to the crowds
again..</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t remember exactly where the group started to split as
we each began budgeting our energy and pace to make sure that we would cross
the finish line upright and smiling, but at some point we all ended up running
our own races.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure if it was being out there alone, the lack of
focus in training or the accumulated mileage, but somewhere around the 35k
mark, things started to go downhill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
pace was slipping, my energy was waning and the negative self-talk was
starting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was becoming more and more
certain that I was not going to make my goal time and started “letting” myself
take more frequent and longer walk breaks…telling myself I wasn’t going to make
the goal anyway..beginning to question why I was out here but catching myself
each time I let my chin drop to my chest and felt dejected, my eyes saw the
Imerman Angels logo on my jersey …and I would remind myself of what the
survivors and cancer fighters I know have and are going through and that I got
to choose to be out here, that I was raising awareness with each person who saw
the jersey and making connections with the funds raised.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It wasn’t going to get me back on track for my goal time,
but it was enough to get me started running each time knowing that I could
finish this.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I must have looked especially dejected after the last water
station somewhere around mile 25, because as I was walking and moping, another
marathon runner, a complete stranger ran up behind me, tapped me on the
shoulder and said “come on Brent, you’ve got this!” (our names are on the back
of our jerseys), he then proceeded to run with me up to the 26 mile marker
where he said “you’ve got this, you look strong now run it in! I’ve got to go
run in some friends” and he was gone…I LOVE that about running! Thank you
complete stranger!!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I did manage to run in the last .2 without assistance </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> to cross the finish
line in a time of 4:40:58.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got my
bling, my mylar blanket and I swore that I was taking a year off of this
marathon thing!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>Post Race:</u></strong></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The walk from the finish line to Charity Village was about
1k which was a good thing (except for the stairs on the way out of the park) as
I needed to keep moving.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I got to Charity Village, I was greeted with smiles, hugs
and congratulations from Dave, Elaine and Doot…it was soooo Great to have some
familiar faces there after a very tough finish and a disappointing result.
Perspective is everything and friends sure help you gain that quickly!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Post-race (post-shower) activities included a visit to
Burke’s Bacon Bar (is anyone surprised) for a light snack with Dave, Elaine,
Doot and a few of Dave & Elaine’s friends as well as a walk to Navy Pier to
kill some time before meeting up with Ben, Steven (who also ran the marathon..super
fast I might add), Jennifer and a few more of Dave and Elaine’s friends for
Deep Dish pizza…and it was GOOOD!!!</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>Lesson learned:</u></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ya’ gotta respect the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, I think that I was too casual
about this race, with it being my 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> I was possibly too relaxed…I
didn’t feel the normal pre-race nerves leading up to the race or even at the
start line, which should have been a sign.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although I was a little disappointed when I realized I
wasn't going to make my time goal, I am grateful for the gift of fitness and for
my amazing family and friends who are always so supportive! </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>Next up:</u></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This year’s focus will be on triathlon and my first half
iron distance in particular, I’m also hoping to PB in the ½ marathon distance
in the fall, so it promises to be a fun, tough summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to be more consistent about my blog
entries too, so that you can all track my progress on my goals both in events
and in fundraising/awareness for Imerman Angels.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you’re in Ottawa, drop me a line and let’s get a swim,
ride or run in together!</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-7850488404141003622013-09-13T16:45:00.001-07:002013-09-13T16:45:18.380-07:00Time to DU it again - Esprit Duathlon Race Report<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
I added the Esprit Duathlon to my race calendar after the Worlds here in Ottawa
as I felt I needed to redeem myself. Sonia and I had talked about Spain for
next year's Worlds and decided that we'd put that chat off until we saw IF I
could qualify in Montreal, as it turns out, we won't need to have that chat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br />
Going into the race, I was unsure if my back would hold-up after the spasms I
had in the Olympic last week so I decided the plan would be to race at
perceived effort and rarely looked at my Garmin save to make sure I was on the
right lap on the bike.<br />
<br />
<u>The stats:</u><br />
Run 1: 55:29.9<br />
Bike: 1:17:37 (includes both transitions I think as my Garmin showed the bike
as 1:11 and some change)<br />
Run 2: 32:42.8<br />
Race total: 2:45:48.9 (PB of just under 5 minutes over Worlds in August)<br />
21/25 M 45-49 (only the top 10 qualify for Worlds)<br />
116/153 Men<br />
<br />
<u>Run 1 (10k):</u><br />
Felt pretty good, my back was not causing any problems and thanks to the fact
that there was a mix of age groupers and folks trying to qualify, I was not
left in everyone's dust this time.<br />
<br />
<u>T1:</u><br />
Went pretty well, it's a longish transition, but well marked and there were
lots of volunteers to guide you.<br />
<br />
<u>Bike (40k):</u><br />
A relatively flat course with some nice tight corners and thankfully DRY when I
was out there. Since it is the Gilles Villeneuve race course, I couldn't help
but make some F1 noises as I "opened it up" on the straight
aways...in my head anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal on
the bike was to go hard for the first half and then ease up a bit so that I
still had some legs left for the second run (learning from my mistake at
Worlds). I managed this pretty well and spent the last couple of laps spinning things
out. PB for this distance on the bike, and the good news, I didn't feel like I
was going to puke.<br />
<br />
<u>T2:</u><br />
Things did not go so smoothly here, it was a long transition off the bike to
where the duathletes rack and maybe I pushed harder than I thought because when
I got to the rack, I almost knocked the bike next to mine off the rack...a wee
bit off balance. Transition took longer than normal for me, almost double, but
again maybe that was due to the bike.<br />
<br />
<u>Run 2 (5k):</u><br />
Overall a good run, not quite as fast as at Worlds, but at least I didn't feel
like I was going to puke! No back issues which was surprising and a relief.
Experienced some stomach issues that may be due to the new sports drink and
chews that I am testing out before Chicago or maybe due to having Greek as the
pre-race supper the night before (not my regular pre-race supper).<br />
<br />
After the race I was feeling a little defeated when I saw that I hadn't
qualified, not that I honestly expected to as I knew the calibre of the racers
at the world level, but in the back of my mind I still thought I MIGHT have a
chance. Two things helped give me perspective and “reset the brain"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br />
1. Seeing other OTC peeps out there enjoying their fitness, racing with a smile
(thanks for that hug Annick, you probably didn't realise how much it helped at
the time).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br />
2. Meeting up with my friend Isabelle after the race and hearing about her
battle with a rare, incurable form of cancer. Isabelle is a runner and has been
unable to run due to the effects of her multiple treatments over the last 8
months. She's about to get a break from chemo and IF she's given the green
light and has any energy at all, she plans to race, she misses the positivity
of the race environment so much that she just HAS to get back out there if she
can. We've decided we'll run together and celebrate every step! <br />
<br />
<u>Lessons learned:</u><br />
Perception is not reality, reviewing the stats when I got home was when I
realised I had a PB, even though I didn't feel like I went as hard as I had at
Worlds.<br />
Slow is relative and I can do something about it.<br />
Nutrition needs work and maybe more thought and planning.</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-72131960231705309852013-09-03T15:25:00.001-07:002013-09-03T15:27:01.292-07:00One last Tri - Canadian Triathlon Race Report<u>Race Dedication:</u><br />
<br />
Race morning I received news that my good friend Jane’s father had passed away, just shy of his 91st birthday. <span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">He inspired so many people, competing in races well into his 80's and always with a smile on his face and kind words for his fellow competitors and advice and encouragement for those of us who were new to the sport. He was a war hero (though he would never have accepted that title and was very private about his experiences during the war) flying as part of many secret and dangerous missions.</span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">I decided that I would race in the name of a hero, a man who never claimed that title, but lived his life that way and who after a valiant battle, sadly left us early Saturday morning and so I </span>raced (with a smile) for Mr. (Smiling) Jack Galbraith. R.I.P. you will be missed!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>The short report:</u><br />
<br />
Swim +t1: 41:57<br />
Bike: 1:27:12<br />
T2: 2:09<br />
Run: 1:07:19<br />
Overall: 3:18:35.7, 85 overall, 57/74 men, 9/13 m 45-49<br />
<br />
<u>The long report:</u><br />
<br />
The Canadian was my first Olympic distance Triathlon as well and it was FANTASTIC to have the support of the OTC, it made all the difference.<br />
<br />
I had not planned on doing an Olympic distance event until next year, but with the confidence gained from doing Bring on the Bay and the encouragement of fellow OTC members (the good peer pressure), I decided to give this distance a Tri.<br />
<br />
Last year at the Canadian, I did my first open water event at the super-sprint distance and my plan then was SURVIVE the swim, hammer the bike and leave nothing in the tank on the run, this year with all of the excellent instruction and tips gained from Coaches Geordie, Holly and Sean, I adjusted the goal, ENJOY the swim, hammer the bike and empty the tank on the run, but above all HAVE FUN and finish with a smile.<br />
<br />
For the first time leading up to a tri (or any event involving a swim) I didn't feel nervous, instead I was feeling excited and really looking forward to the race and hanging out with other OTC folks after the race, that's BIGGER than I can explain in words, to feel that calm about the swim portion was so different for me, it was weird and wonderful at the same time, so weird that I started to question if maybe I was feeling too calm and maybe too confident...decided to shake that thought off and go with calm and confident based on a summer filled with LOTS of swimming.<br />
<br />
<br />
I got to the race site WAY early which is just part of my race day routine, was able to pick up my race kit, get myself setup in the t-zone and had plenty of time to hangout at the OTC tent, and head down to the beach to see and cheer on a few OTC folks coming out of the water including Garry who was serving as a swim angel for Erin as she did the swim leg for her relay team, (we need to get you some wings buddy, and not water wings!), it was truly inspirational to see not only how people are facing and overcoming their own challenges but how the people like Garry and Geordie continue to strengthen and grow our triathlon community by helping others along their journey.<br />
<br />
After that is was time to go do my walkthrough, final checks of all equipment in the T-zone and the last trip to the washroom before slipping into the wetsuit. Down to the beach for Geordie's orientation talk, a few last minute chats with OTC and other folks I knew who were also racing this and then the warm-up swim. Still feeling relatively calm up to this point.<br />
<br />
<u>Swim:</u><br />
It was a beach start, another first for me and I was doing my best to get to the back of the crowd, self-seeding as a “patient” swimmer, but I stopped about halfway back, not sure that it was a conscious decision, but that’s where I was when we started, ran (or at least it felt like I was running) into the water and “jostled” with others for a bit of open water. In the first 100m, I was kicked, elbowed, swam over, grabbed, none of which I am sure was intentional, but in the melee, my goggles got knocked loose and one side was filling with water, switched to a modified breast stroke, fixed my goggles and got back into my swim groove. <br />
<br />
The rest of the swim was pretty uneventful, stuck to my rhythm, miscounted and realized that what I thought was the last buoy was actually second last (couldn’t see the green beach buoys) but didn’t let that bother me, just kept swimming. I have to chalk this up as one of my best ever swims, and the best part of the race for me, not necessarily from a time perspective, but because I didn’t panic, I didn’t let the bumping around at the start throw me off and I kept a simple mantra throughout “think happy thoughts” , I event tried to smile while breathing...or imagined that I was.<br />
<br />
<u>T1:</u><br />
Jogged up the hill, and got an extra boost as I ran by the OTC tent and heard the cheers, Ya’ gotta’ love being part of this club!!<br />
<br />
<u>Bike:</u><br />
I LOVE the bike course on the Canadian, FLAT & FAST, I managed to keep a fairly steady pace and was able to catch some of the folks who beat me out of the water, stayed in aero for all but the turnarounds and felt pretty good about the bike portion overall. I was grinning from ear to ear and doing my best to give a shoutout to all the OTC athletes out there, managed to pickout Andrew, Christina , Claude, Bryan and Bart and tried to give them a specific shoutout as we crossed paths.<br />
<br />
<u>T2:</u><br />
This is where the wheels came off my race plan, I had tweaked my back the week before while on vacation and as soon as I stepped off the bike, and my back began to spasm. Transition was almost double my normal time as I had trouble bending over to get shoes changed and had to try to massage my lower back a bit. Decided that I would just start moving and see what happened. Crossing in front of the OTC tent I heard Ian (and maybe others) yelling to “go get the bacon”, brought the smile back to my face and maybe added a little extra oomph to my step.<br />
<br />
<u>Run:</u><br />
With the back acting up I was not able to go as hard as I had hoped and struggled with the spasms, but ran as much as I could, taking walk breaks to massage the back from time to time and kept trying to keep the smile there. Spotted a few OTC folks out there and gave them shoutouts as we crossed paths and yes Christina was smiling every time I saw her...beaming actually, it got to where I could spot her smile before I knew it was her. Having the OTC tent just before the turnaround was a big help, re-energized me and helped me to be able to re-focus on the fun in spite of the back issues, I was still healthy enough to be out here and to be surrounded by so many supportive people! Sadly I never found the bacon on the run, I’m convinced Ian may have been pulling my leg on that one, though it may have been that the aid stations ran out by the time I got there due to the walk breaks.<br />
<br />
I was very fortunate that there so many Ottawa Triathlon Club members at the events. I received many a high five, low five and shout out from OTC peeps along the whole course.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, I managed to cross that finish line with a smile on my face and pay tribute to Mr. Galbraith with a salute !<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdq4naDrLma_QFlrdz4Y-XlDQw2XfbbODLsh7sWMTwoACO06ri8swCWtswdiAnnwSw6cAvTjsUx2OfpCsqT7280dzTShepF04zA5hQnWUNxGJbpNrUhkoBQpg0lqRgTlNc3v_WFtfPDAQ/s1600/Canadian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdq4naDrLma_QFlrdz4Y-XlDQw2XfbbODLsh7sWMTwoACO06ri8swCWtswdiAnnwSw6cAvTjsUx2OfpCsqT7280dzTShepF04zA5hQnWUNxGJbpNrUhkoBQpg0lqRgTlNc3v_WFtfPDAQ/s320/Canadian.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I am so thankful for all of the support I have received this season from my family, friends fellow athletes and new friends at the OTC, I honestly could not keep doing what I love so much without all of your support, encouragement and advice! <br />
<br />
THANK YOU and I hope to see you all at many more events.Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-21854338706295248772013-08-16T12:08:00.001-07:002013-08-16T12:08:13.237-07:00Duathlon World Championships - Race reprot..wow were those folks FAST!The short report:<br />
2:50:03.5<br />M45-49 39/39<br />Men 297/219<br />PB on the first 10K, PB on the 40K bike, hurting on the final 5K.<br />
<br />
The not so short report:<br />
This was my first Duathlon World Championship and it was an incredible experience. Being a part of Team Canada, participating in the Team events, meeting people from all over this country and the world who were all so positive and happy to be here and so down-to-earth too, some truly inspiring people and some awesome athletes.<br />
<br />
Participating in the parade of Nations was one of the highlights for me, my family commented that Team Canada’s uniforms really stood out and more than any other country, we really looked like a Team. Kudos to the Team managers for stressing the importance of everyone wearing the parade uniform since we were hosting, the pictures really drive home this point.<br />
<br />
I have spent most of this season participating in events without any specific time goals, I’ve been participating with friends or family and going at their pace, or participating in events where I was happy to just complete. In retrospect, that may not have been the best way to prepare for this competition. <br />
<br />
For those who don’t know, the Ottawa venue was announced late last season after Spain had to withdraw as host. By the time the location was announced, I had missed all of the qualifying events however I was accepted onto the team via the special application process. <br />
<br />
In the lead up to the race, I wanted to be a part of everything that was going on downtown, but also had to try and juggle work and family responsibilities in there, in hindsight, I spent much too much time on my legs and walking around in the days and evenings before. In short, I did not follow my usual pre-race preparations, not that it would have made a significant difference in the day’s results, but it may have contributed to my personal performance and I certainly didn’t feel “on my game”.<br />
<br />
This is the first event where I had to check my bike in the day before, I kinda’ like the idea of not having to go through the full setup process on race morning, there were still all the last minute preps to do, air in tires, helmet on bars, shoes on ground…but having the bike in a pre-assigned spot was somewhat comforting. Less comforting was the fact that until about an hour before the race, we still were not sure if there were traffic flow rules for the T-zone, turns out there were, but there were relatively simple and there were ample volunteers to make sure you knew where you were going…phew!<br />
<br />
Before the race, I had been thinking a lot about a couple of friends (Khitam & Isabelle) who have been an inspiration to me over the last year, Khit is a two time cancer survivor who recently had another scare with the disease (Negative thankfully) and Isabelle is battling a rare form of cancer, both have been incredibly strong, courageous and positive throughout. I decided that this race was going to be dedicated to both of them and that anytime I was feeling tired, lacking motivation or struggling in anyway, that I would draw on their strength, courage and positivity to pull me through; I just didn’t realize at the time how much I was going to need to rely on them.<br />
<br />
The race itself was grueling! I was way out of my league and I have a new appreciation for the speed and caliber of athletes competing on the World stage, they left me in their dust from the time the horn blew. This is the first event that I have participated in where I was in last for the entire race. I have worked hard on the bike over the last couple of years and can usually make up a few spots on the bike sometimes only to lose them on the final run, but nevertheless it was mentally tough to handle. I found myself wondering on a few occasions why I got myself into this, I was obviously not on the same level as these athletes and as hard as I tried, <br />
<br />
I just couldn’t make the body go any faster. It was a struggle to stay motivated and not just go into cruise mode, but anytime I started feeling like I wanted to give up, or was feeling sorry for myself, I would turn my thoughts to Khit or Isa and how they would just LOVE to be in my place, (they are both runners, Isa has just bought a road bike so that she can stay active in spite of her low energy levels due to the chemo treatments and Khit has started doing Triathlons in the last couple of years too) and I was able to just keep the legs turning over, dig a little deeper and push to what I think were the very edge of my limits.<br />
<br />
I was fortunate enough to have my wife and daughter, one of my oldest friends and my run and bike coach out on the course cheering and taking pictures their cheers also helped me to be able to find new energy and my smile (hey the camera captures everything!)<br />
<br />
I came close to throwing up twice on the bike and twice during the 5K, so I'm pretty sure I was going as fast as I could on the day. I managed to PB in the 10K run, PB on the 40K bike and then struggled through the final 5K. I have no regrets! <br />
<br />
If you ever have the chance to compete at a World Championship as part of Team Canada, no matter how you get on the Team, I highly recommend it. I met some incredible athletes from Canada and around the world and the experience was amazing!<br />
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-54367245900649052482013-08-04T14:20:00.002-07:002013-08-04T14:20:23.091-07:00Facing fear <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been a long while
since I posted anything to my blog, and nothing at all on my triathlon journey
so far, some of you have seen the photos and a quick summary of my Bring on the
Bay 3K Open Water Swim, but unless you are an Ottawa Triathlon Club (OTC)
member, you would not have seen my race report. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here
it is, a “race” report and summary of my triathlon journey so far.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First
though here is the short report:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time
1:23:20, M40-49 34/35, overall 198/209</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now the
long report with a bit of a back grounder:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have
had a fear of the water since I was very young, 2 near drowning experiences as
a pre-teen and teen and 1 close call while rafting as an adult.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not
sure when or why I decided to do triathlon, but I knew I was going to need some
help.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
started my triathlon journey in 2011, I attended the OTC swim clinic and
Triathlon School, but did my swim training on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I entered the early bird try-a-tri and had a
panic attack at 75m, I managed to finish, but it was not a pleasant
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That made me decide to sign
up for the OTC summer program for the open water swims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I entered the super-sprint at the Canadian
and although I had some nervous moments, I was able to use the cloud counting
to get me through it.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing
I still had a long way to go, I signed up for the OTC swim program in the fall
on Monday (with coach Sean) and Saturday (emerging swimmers with coach Geordie),
somewhere along the way I decided to enter Bring on the Bay, again no idea when
or why, but I registered.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My goal
for this event was to finish. I was certain I would be last, that I would
likely be cloud counting a fair bit and that I might have to hang onto a kayak
or even stop and ask to be taken to shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The idea was to go as far as I could comfortably and to be ok with
whatever that happened to be on the day.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Race”
day:</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
arrived about an hour and a half before the start of the race (before
registration even opened) as I wanted to get my stuff, get settled, go through
some visualization and feel ready to go.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ran
into lots of OTC folks, chatted a bit, grabbed my timing chip and headed
towards the water to get my wetsuit on.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ran
into Luc, one of my Monday morning swim program mates, so we helped each other
get into the suits and decided to do a warm-up together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the warm-up Luc decided to go wayyy
out there (from my perspective), but I cut it short and headed back to the dock
to work on settling my nerves some more.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the
race announcer was doing the countdown, I was surprised by how calm (relatively
speaking) that I was, maybe this no time goal, no expectations thing was
working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With about a minute to go, I
floated over to the start line, made sure I was as close to the back as
possible and flipped onto my back to relax until the gun went off. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
lower the countdown got, the faster my heart was beating and I was really
beginning to question if I should even start, what made me register, why would
I want to swim this far or for this long, but before I could act on those
feelings, the gun went off and race instinct took over, I flipped onto my front
and slowly started trying to find my rhythm.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My focus
was on counting my strokes and breath, making sure I did my sighting at regular
intervals and staying settled and in my comfort zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was some very minor contact as folks
tried to find their best line for the buoys, but nothing compared to the
simulations in the OTC swims (Thank you OTC!!)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my
mind I had broken the race into two parts, out to the turn and from the turn to
the yacht club, that was too long of a milestone to focus on for me on the day,
so I broke it down to each buoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
swam along my mantra was, just swim to the next buoy and then you can decide if
you need to cloud count, call a kayak over or quit.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There
were times when I couldn’t see the buoy due to the choppy water, or when the
wave slapping the side of my head annoyed me, but I was able to go back to the
teachings of Coach Sean and Coach Geordie and just focus on my stroke and
breathing counts, wait and piece together the picture on the next sighting. I had to do a double-take on one of my breaths when I swore I saw 4-5 pair of legs sticking out of the water...not something you usually see in triathlon or any open water swim I am aware of...but then I remembered the Synchro swim club pictures from previous years...phew, not hallucinating...back to the breathing counts.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There
were a few times where I got bumped by the folks in the second wave who were
passing me and I kept reminding myself that no they were not doing this on
purpose just to annoy me or get in my head, they were simply swimming along
like me, some sighting better, some not as well and I did my best to just
settle back in, but I did have to switch to breast stroke to recover from a few
of those.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
breast stroke became my new settling strategy, whenever I couldn’t piece
together the buoy picture, I’d switch to breast stroke, find the buoy, correct
if necessary and swim on.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
managed to swim the whole distance, no panic attack, no cloud counting, no
hanging onto a kayak.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the
final stretch to the finish, I was sure that my goggles had started to leak, it
wasn’t until I took them off at the top of the ladder that I realized it was
actually my tears filling them up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Standing
on the breakwater looking back ad what I had just done, I was overwhelmed and
trying not to break down to full on sobbing, thankfully I spotted Trina (OTC member) with her beaming smile and that whole grown man crying scene was avoided.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the
help of Coach Sean, Coach Geordie and MANY of the OTC members who believed in
me long before I thought this was possible I was able to overcome a childhood
fear and have realized that the swim leg will no longer be the limiting factor
in my triathlon journey.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me along the way!!</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To</span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> my triathlon and multi-sport friends both inside and outside of the OTC, who offered not only support and encouragement but also shared experiences,
tips, techniques and who were willing to meet up for training in the open water leading up to this event. </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will never be able to adequately express just how helpful you all were or how grateful I am to you for everything, you were a huge part of this accomplishment and I look forward to sharing this journey with you as it progresses!</span></span></span></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-14342557808575108932012-12-18T14:24:00.002-08:002012-12-18T14:24:36.053-08:00The Goofy Challenge
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I should start off by explaining what the Goofy Challenge
is, for those who didn’t see my many facebook posts last year, the Goofy
Challenge consists of running the Disney Half Marathon on the Saturday, for
which you receive the Donald Duck Medal, and running the Disney Marathon on
Sunday, for which you receive the Mickey Medal, run them both and you also get
the Goofy Medal for completing the Goofy Challenge.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last summer someone mentioned this race (more accurately
these races) to me and for some reason it just resonated with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a huge Disney fan, but I figured that
running in mild weather in January with a company that is known for putting on
a dang good show was a pretty sweet deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I figured if I was going to do something that was going to
require this kind of commitment, two things had to happen, one, I’d need
sign-off, acceptance, approval, understanding, call it what you will, but I’d
have to run it by Sonia and the family since the training would mean I’d be out
running or recovering from a run for most weekends for multiple months, second,
I’d need something bigger than just the bling to shoot for, something with a
greater purpose that would fuel me through back to back long runs weekend after
weekend, month after month and especially on race weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My go to motivator when it comes to marathons
is fundraising for organizations that fund research and/or patient support for
people living with cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out
Team in Training, was offering the Goofy to Alumni participants via the flex
team, PERFECT!!! I love the virtual aspect of the flex team, Cheryl is an
awesome coordinator, logistics guru and having Theresa back as a coach,
sounding board and Purple Fairy, was the icing on the cake!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I decided that since I’d likely be training alone for at
least one long run per weekend, I was going to start carrying my iPhone with me
and listening to music, ‘cause I can only listen to my own voice for sooo long
before it drives even me batty, or is that battier? Hmmm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fundraising was more challenging than I thought it would
be, but that’s to be expected when you’re calling on the same group of people
to support you over and over again, but I am happy to say that thanks to some
creative suggestions, generous friends, family and corporate donations, I
raised close to $5000 this time around, you all ROCK, yet again!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the things I LOVE about the flex team is getting to
know people over the phone, e-mail and social media, and then finally getting
to meet them at the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the
second time I had a Team roommate and as it turns out the second Team in Training
coach roommate, he was racing and fundraising as a participant for this event
just like the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hit it off
first on facebook and once again in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If there was a fit, fast, younger, more energetic version of me…Brock
would be that version…or maybe I’m the less fit, slower, older, less energetic
version of him?? Coincidence that we were both doing the Goofy? I think not…and
the photos are proof positive that the title fits us well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was the first time I participated in a US Team in
Training event and the inspiration dinner the night before was amazing!! Over
900 people from across the globe gathered to share stories of inspiration,
survival, and progress as well as memories of those who had lost their battles.
It was an incredibly emotional evening.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now for those of you who have not heard the Disney wake-up
call story…here it is (and further proof that I deserve to be a part of the
Cranky Old Men).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we had to be up
at about 3:30 to meet the team, get to the bus and be at the starting coral for
5:00, Brock and I decided to employ as many wake-up methods as we could,
in-room alarm, watches, his computer (I think), and finally the resort
automated wake-up call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you don’t already know this, I am NOT a morning person,
I’ve gotten used to the annoying sounds of watch and radio alarms over the
years and have learned to accept them as a normal part of most days and almost
appreciate them on race day, knowing that they ensure I’m up and have plenty of
time for my pre-race routines….but the Disney automated wake-up call….oooh boy,
so 3:00 a.m. and the phone rings, since I set it up, I figured I should answer
and I’m greeted by some soothing music which cuts off suddenly and is followed
by this message “NO MORE SLEEEEEPING!!!!” screeched at me by Stitch, followed
by an apologetic Mickey stating “Sorry folks, ever since Stitch escaped, he has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been getting into all kinds of trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a MAGICAL day!”….the look on my face
must have said it all as Brock starts asking me what’s going on…it takes me a
few seconds to shake it off and be able to answer him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which only makes him sure of the fact that he
has to setup the call for the next day so he can “experience” it himself....I’m
guessing he’s sorry he did, ‘cause the next day it was the same call and his
reaction was similar to mine…now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure if you’re at
Disney with your kids and it’s 8 or 9 in the morning, this is a perfectly
cheery, downright Disney way to wake up, but at 3:30 with a whole lotta’
waiting and running ahead of you when you’re not a morning person or a Disney
guy….like nails on a chalkboard!! GAHHHH!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh and my Disney resort convenience store experience…in line
buying a few last minute hydration and nutrition supplies and the cashier who
in this case happens to be a 20 something, effervescent little thing is happily
ringing up purchases, naming each item you purchase as she waves her magic wand
over them (YES a magic wand!!) and closing the sale with “Have a MAGICAL day!”,
but that’s not the best part, the customer in front of me, a woman of around
the same age as me, smiles at the cashier and as sincere as possible says, I’m
not sure what sparkles more, your wand or your smile….AKKKK!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now you know why the phrases “No More Sleeping” and “Have
a MAGICAL Day” pop up on my FB timeline over and over… “Have a MAGICAL Day” is
wayyyyyy overused at Disney, almost every “cast member” uses this phrase at the
close of every discussion…I know, I know…Cranky Old Man…got it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OK, so onto the races…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>Saturday 1/2 marathon:<o:p></o:p></u></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the “MAGICAL” wake-up call on Saturday, it was a
matter of settling into the tested and true pre-race routine, followed by
meeting up with the TEAM, onto the bus and then the long crowded walk to the
start line, hey 26,000 people shuffling around half asleep does not move so
quick…oh and of course some goofy photos with team mates and the multiple
port-a-loo stops due to the pre-race nerves.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing Disney does that even this Cranky Old Man
appreciated, they send EVERY coral off with their own countdown and fireworks
display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made the decision when I
registered to run both races a fair bit slower than my normally slow pace, so I
was able to enjoy the starting fireworks of multiple corals (A-G to be
specific).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting this far back had
some other advantages too, it forced me to start off slow and remain slow for
about the first 2k, it meant that I got a mental boost from passing people all
race long AND I got to cheer on lots and lots of Team in Training purple
runners.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had every intention of stopping to grab a picture with one
or more of the Disney Characters when I started the race, but as I ran by the
spots where you could pull over for a picture and saw the number of people
waiting, I just couldn’t see how I’d keep going if I stopped for that long, so
I did my best to grab a few photos on the run and just kept moving forward.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finished in a time of 2:12:34, faster than my planned
2:30, so I was a little worried that going faster than planned and what I had
trained for might impact my ability to finish the marathon on Sunday, but knew
that there was nothing I could do about it now other than to get the legs up,
iced and rest for the remainder of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ½ marathon gets you the Donald Duck medal, 1 big honkin’
duck face medal it is too!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Team in Training requires you to check in at the TEAM tent
post-race to make sure you’re accounted for and doing ok, it’s also a great way
to make sure you get to see your team mates post-race and chat about how their
event went. Chatted a bit, took a few photos and then headed for the bus to get
back to the room for a shower and a nap before dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The great thing about 2 days of back-to-back racing, two
evenings of back-to-back carb loading…oh yeah!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>Sunday Marathon:<o:p></o:p></u></strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Repeat Saturday morning pre-race routine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lined up in the same coral and the start of the race was
almost exactly the same, except that I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bumped
into a woman from Toronto that I had met at the airport on the way down and we
chatted before the race and for the first couple of km before going our own
way.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I truly appreciated the Disney organization on this day!!
They are very well organized and supported, and they do many things right out
on the course and in the finish area! Lots of water, Gatorade and gels along
the way in the right spots and they even had Bio-Freeze gel at every second aid
station…WOW! I REALLY appreciated that this day, especially around mile 23!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finished in a time of 4:42:58, just a little faster than
my planned 5:00:00 and I was sooooo happy to be done.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Crossing the finish line, you get your Mickey Marathon
medal, again huge bling and for anyone doing the Goofy Challenge (identified by
the race bib), you also get to go claim a third medal, The GOOFY!! Equally
large and when combined with the Mickey Medal, almost enough to topple you from
the combined weight.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKAlgImIAdTjGrqT6jS_N2BmWzef4gDCz9mRI116qm-0tBdx1qRAhAAJxZK6kjucOYtHN54Pv73Gx49PPhaaoe6xJJ3_fWoqqgpMvfTp5i7ELKdod5tH2fuZqFKakfJm_7DKIT7oZHZA/s1600/goofy_medals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKAlgImIAdTjGrqT6jS_N2BmWzef4gDCz9mRI116qm-0tBdx1qRAhAAJxZK6kjucOYtHN54Pv73Gx49PPhaaoe6xJJ3_fWoqqgpMvfTp5i7ELKdod5tH2fuZqFKakfJm_7DKIT7oZHZA/s320/goofy_medals.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Medals in hand, the first thought was to get back to the room
for a nap. Short lines for the shuttle bus made this a non-event. A quick
shower followed by a nap and it was time to meet up with the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Team again for the celebration dinner.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was fortunate on this trip to not only meet and run with my
Flex Team in Training team mates from across the country, but also a bunch of
other runners and a super-friendly family from Louisiana that kept me company
on the shuttle bus from the airport and throughout the weekend as we bumped
into each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle (a survivor who
ran her first ½ marathon at Disney), her sister Felice (worked her butt off all
weekend with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and their mom Paula (Super
cheer/support crew) will always have a place to stay if they decide to make the
trek to Ottawa and it would be awesome if they came up for Winterlude…hint…hint</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>Oh and one other thing Disney does extremely well that NEEDS to be mentioned about Coronado Springs Resort at least....buffet breakfast with multiple Bacon Stations...and not that gross half-cooked bacon you normally get at a buffet, but hot, crispy, tasty bacon goodness the way it should be...that really was "MAGICAL" </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well I think that about sums it up…possibly, no definitely
my longest blog post EVER, but that in a nutshell was my GOOFY weekend this
past January, not what I would call “MAGICAL, but even with the wake-up call
and other Disneyisms, I’m glad I did it, a truly unforgettable experience!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-10453885313916540082012-11-18T12:49:00.001-08:002012-11-18T12:49:40.849-08:00Missed it by...that much...
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nice cool morning for a race, my fav temperature by the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got there with plenty of time to
spare and go through all the normal pre-race rituals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been about 4 years since I ran a standalone
5k (e.g. not part of a DU), so the rituals were a little different, including 5
minutes of strides, the last time I ran a 5K was only the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> race I
had been in, so it was just about making it across the line.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The goal was to PB with a time under 25 min., got to the
start line with 30 seconds to spare and plenty warmed up, weaved my way through
the crowd to get to a spot where I could run my pace without breaking my
stride, and was feeling pretty good about the pacing and energy reserves, found
it odd that after only 1.5k we were heading back to the start since the race
director had stated it was a single loop course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way back from a turnaround at about 2.5k
I was really beginning to question what was going on as the start/finish line
was in sight again, and there was a crowd of people standing there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out the lead runners ran past one of
the volunteers at a key corner early in the race and missed the actual course
route.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The race director apologized profusely and offered refunds,
but also offered the option of running the full 5k race as they had managed to stop
about 2/3 of the participants after the 1.5k loop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with about 1 miute of rest (after about 3k on the first attempt) the
race was re-started, I decided since I was already out there, I may as well
take advantage and get 2 races for the price of 1.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had to weave through even more people to get to the spot
where I could get into my own pace this time out. In hindsight, I started the
second race a little too fast, and at around 3.5k, my legs were feeling really heavy
and my breathing was laboured, but I just kept the runner ahead in sight,
3 other runners passed me but I could not keep pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately for me, I’ve been
running a lot of down hills and there was a sharp but short decline just before
a gradual incline to the finish, which meant I could really get the legs
turning over and finish with a strong (to me) kick.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finished in a time of 26:08, about 20 seconds slower than
my PB, but I will get another chance at it in a couple of weeks at the Santa
Shuffle, so I’ll just keep going with the speed work and trust that it will pay
off on a course that hopefully will have no routing issues </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-22787385392874718912012-11-02T18:51:00.002-07:002012-11-02T18:51:54.581-07:00Long time no blog
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last time I wrote, I was heading into the Marine Corps
Marathon focused on having the best race I could on that day and leaving behind
the goal of a 4:30:00 finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weekend
brought a few interesting twists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
took me over 10 hours to get to DC due to airline issues and the day before the
race there was snow, leading to lots of speculation about what race day would
hold, in spite of a forecast that called for 13, and sunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Race day was not one of the challenges, all of the normal
pre-race rituals were followed, I even got out for a short walk/jog to test the
clothing options I had selected and got to the start with time to spare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing that must be said for the Marines, before, during
and after the race, those folks knew every detail, if you had a question about
anything race related and you asked a Marine, they knew the answer, no
hesitation, no asking around, they knew their mission!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Running the race was an incredible experience, the scenery
was beautiful, the monuments spectacular and every step of the route had
something interesting to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crowd
support was the most amazing I have ever experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At dinner the night before the race I met some
folks who had run MCM before and they told me “If you are wearing your name on
race day, you will feel like a Rock star!” They were absolutely right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every 10 feet someone was cheering me on by
name, the crowds were 3-4 people deep for most of the course with Marines at
every water station always ready to respond to a runners shout of “Ooorah
Marines” goose bumps every time! On the final climb to the Iwo Jima memorial,
the crowd support was over the top, people were screaming names and
encouragement at the top of their lungs, bells ringing, horns blowing, hands
clapping, it was surreal!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 4:32:50, a
third PB for the year at a third distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What an incredible feeling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
then be greeted by a Marine, who thanked me for running and supporting their
mission and awarded me with the finisher’s medal, which is the Marine Corps
emblem, was truly humbling!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shortly after crossing the line I was able to meet up with
my running pal Jane, who although she started in a coral behind me, finished
the race ahead of me, proving once a for all that she is the running MACHINE we
have all known she is for some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
also got to meet up with her husband Chris and his buddy Prav both of whom were
running their first marathon, and they DID it in style!! Hanging out with the
three of them post race was the icing on the cake. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you’re looking for a great destination race, or if you’re
looking for an incredible first or next marathon, I HIGHLY recommend the Marine
Corps Marathon, I hope to be back for their 40<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> edition assuming I’m
still moving forward relentlessly at that point.</span></div>
Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-73739240915071272032011-10-23T13:19:00.000-07:002011-10-23T13:19:13.883-07:00The power of three<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With my third marathon just a week away, the taper in full swing and a little more free time on my hands, I figured it was time for a blog entry :-)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The French have a saying, "Jamais deux sans trois", it tends which has a negative connotation to it, and could be loosely translated to "bad luck (stuff) comes in threes", if I were to look at things from a negative perspective, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this could be applied to my marathon history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my first marathon I suffered some nutritional issues at around 30K and finished well over my goal time of 4:30:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my second marathon, I had some IT band issues and although I bettered my first marathon result, I was still well over my goal time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've worked out my nutrition plan over the last year and a half, and with the help of solefit orthotics and my RMT, I've sorted out the IT band issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this being the third marathon, a negative person might dwell on what new obstacle would prevent me from achieving my goal.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, there's a more positive way of looking at this for me "Third time's a charm".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the lessons learned from my first two marathons, the proper shoe, a tested nutrition plan and a number of other races under my belt, I am hopeful that this will be the race where I finally break that 4:30:00 goal.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don't know if the taper for this race is any indication, but it has been very different from any taper I've been through so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not experienced the nervous anxiety I normally do as the length and intensity of the workouts decrease. I have not had the hypochondriac thoughts that every twinge, cough, or slight ache might be the one that takes me out of this race or running altogether...and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my pace has been getting faster rather than slower during this taper in spite of the fact that I've been running based on PE and not watching the Garmin (with the exception of this weekend's long run where I thought it best to closely monitor my pace).</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I've decided to focus on the positive, to trust the training plan that has got me here injury free and the nutrition plan that has worked in both the half and 30K distances...I've decided that everything that my coach, my training partners and I have done in the off season and throughout this racing season, have prepared me to run the best race that I can next Sunday and that's the goal that I'm going to focus on when the gun goes off.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now to turn that French saying around...I've had two Personal Bests this year...so the way I choose to look at it is that the Marine Corps Marathon could very well be my third PB this year, "Jamais deux sans trois" INDEED!!</span></div>Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-29250508317863056362011-09-20T17:07:00.000-07:002012-02-21T05:49:19.062-08:00You might be a runner if...…your shoes have more miles on them than your car does.<br />
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…your coach won’t give you a ride home.<br />
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…you combine phrases like “10 mile run” and “Easy Run” in the same breath.<br />
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…you can eat your weight in spaghetti.<br />
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…your highest heels are your training shoes.<br />
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…a meal involves more than 3 servings!<br />
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…you spend more on training clothes than work clothes.<br />
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…your Christmas list includes more than one pair of running shoes.<br />
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…you enjoy running hills.<br />
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…you start to crave Power Bars, cliff bars, cliff blocks, sharkies, or some other on the run nutrition replacement.<br />
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…your favorite food group is carbohydrates.<br />
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…you try to impress girls by saying you’re a fast finisher.<br />
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…you consider school as just a break between runs.<br />
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…you are always stretching while waiting in any line.<br />
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…your room smells like Icy-Hot and A-535.<br />
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…you are bankrolling your Chiropractor/Massager Therapist and/or physical therapist’s next vacation.<br />
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…you own spandex in more than 1 color and/or length.<br />
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…you foam at the mouth every time you see a big hill.<br />
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…your watch is more expensive and complicated than your car.<br />
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…you know as many kinds of pain as Inuits have words for snow.<br />
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…you don’t know what an “off-season” means.<br />
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…you find yourself saying, “it’s not really a hill…”<br />
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…your feet are comparable to rawhide.<br />
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…your friends refer to you as “the masochist”.<br />
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…you drink more water than Free Willy<br />
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…you can’t get the “All you can eat” at spaghetti restaurants<br />
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…theres nothing like intervals to start the week off fresh!!<br />
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…you talk to your coaches more than your parents<br />
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…watching the New York Marathon on T.V. made you get up and go for a run<br />
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…your cookie jar is filled with bagels<br />
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…there are more miles on your running shoes than the odometer of your car<br />
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…you can’t go a day without some little brat saying run forest run<br />
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…people always ask you what events you are running<br />
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...you move to a new neighbourhood and after 3 months you know the streets better than your neighbour of 3 years.<br />
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...you've ever relieved yourself in a heavily wooded area. Hell, it doesn't even have to be heavily just somewhere in the outdoors.<br />
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...Ibuprofen is your recreational drug of choice.<br />
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....every road you drive on you think what a great hill workout this would be.<br />
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...you actually use the trip odometer on your car for something besides seeing what kind of gas mileage your car is getting.<br />
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...you make sure you have a pair of shorts and running shoes in your carry-on on all trips.<br />
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... you dont care when you hug a sweaty girl<br />
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...you have never heard "you run 21k, I can't even drive that far"<br />
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...you scare the sh** out of people when you pass them because they couldn't hear you coming<br />
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...it's raining and you say "what a great day for a run"<br />
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...you look forward to being surrounded by 10,000 other sweaty bodies.<br />
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...you lay out both a polarfleece top and a mesh singlet the night before a race because you just never know what the starting temperature will be.<br />
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...you buy Power Bars/gels by the case.<br />
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...your running shoes don't seem to last quite as long as they used to.<br />
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...you can say Fartlek without giggling<br />
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...when people hear you say "I'm going for a run" they know you won't be back for at least two hours.<br />
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...hydration has become a way of life.<br />
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...there are more blue cold compress bags in your freezer than ice cubes.<br />
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...you wish Bulk Barn would start selling ibuprofen.<br />
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...you almost wish that a pickpocket would grab your wallet so that you could chase him down.<br />
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...50% of your wardrobe is made of CoolMax and the other 50% is made of GoreTex.<br />
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...you have at least two drawers stuffed with race tee-shirts.<br />
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...you have a "special" shoe-tree in the basement.<br />
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...the nurse says you heart rate is 55 but you feel compelled to explain it is because of the hard 15k you did this morning<br />
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...you eat 4000 Calories a day and still lose weight<br />
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...you have woken up sore for longer than most eighty-year-olds<br />
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...a car honk makes your middle finger rise into the air by reflex<br />
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...when running behind cute girls, the first thing you notice is how much they pronate and what kind of shoes they are wearing.<br />
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...your license plate (or plate holder) says something related to running<br />
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...you say things like "long and hard" to your female friends and it is not a sexual inuendo.<br />
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...you think Once A Runner is the best novel ever. Well it is.<br />
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... the "DONT WALK" sign means "RUN"<br />
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... you get sore from NOT running for 2 days in a row<br />
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...you've driven 8 hours, one way, just for a race. <br />
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...co-workers think you're strange because you eat non-stop all day but go run on your lunch break.<br />
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<div></div><div></div><div>Most of my blogs to date have related to either training or racing, but over the last few months I've collected a few of these from friends and the Internet and figured I would share them with you all before returning to regular blogging. I hope you get a chuckle out of them...if you don't, feel free to send me yours, or add comments to the FB post...if you do...please consider a donation to my Team in Training fundraiser - http:\\www.tinyurl.com/Going-Goofy </div><br />
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<div></div>Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-78477409126231459382011-08-30T13:53:00.001-07:002011-08-30T13:53:59.781-07:00Hills…ya’ gotta’ love ‘em!It’s no secret to anyone I run with that I tackle (well it seems like that to me) the hills we come across on our runs. Fortunately for the majority of my runs there are very few hills, particularly on longer runs and most are not what would qualify as a true hill…more like speed bumps really.<br />
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Just because I tackle the hills, doesn’t mean I find them easy, nor does it mean I always enjoy the experience, quite often I’m struggling as much if not more than my running mates… so why then do my running partners and team mates think I LOVE hills?<br />
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Here’s my secret…I pretend I LOVE them, I pretend as I see the hill coming up, I pretend as I start the hill and then I find a new gear, switch it on and motor up that hill believing that I LOVE it….and so far…in training that has worked…I haven’t done quite so well in races as evidenced by the effects of Hamilton’s Around the Bay for the last two years. I’ve set a goal to change that at the Marine Corps Marathon this October, there are not a lot of hills, but there are a couple of big ones near the start and we finish on an uphill, so I’ll have the opportunity.<br />
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I was beginning to question if my two weeks away from the Campus hills that I normally run 3 times a week was going to take its toll. I had been training on mostly flat routes due to scheduling issues while away from work. I was still getting in the times and distances, but the post-run feeling was not quite the same as when I’m tackling 3 or 4 hills on a route.<br />
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I came back to the campus last week and was really relieved to see from my Garmin stats that my times and distances were pretty much where they had been before leaving the hills behind and running the flat routes.<br />
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More importantly though, I really missed the hills, I was able to charge up all of the hills in each training session and although I still felt the effects of the hill, I had renewed energy and appreciation for what the earlier training had done for me. I can honestly say that (last week at least) I LOVED the hills!!<br />
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I’m looking forward to the next couple of months of training and to seeing how well this plan transfers to race day and the ability to charge the hills at Marine Corps…I’ll keep you posted.Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-56630146130335459322011-08-28T15:11:00.000-07:002011-08-28T15:11:01.752-07:00Here I go again...This time I'm Going Goofy for a Cure!<br />
Last year I challenged all of you to dig deep and sponsor me in my efforts to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada as I trained to run my first marathon in honour of Derek’s fight with cancer.<br />
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You met that challenge head on and helped me crush not only my first fundraising goal of $5000, but 2 subsequent goal changes to raise a total of over $7500 to help fund research into blood cancers and provide support for patients diagnosed with these types of cancers.<br />
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Your support, encouragement and generosity has inspired me to take on another endurance event challenge. I felt that I needed to raise the bar to acknowledge just how much I appreciated all that you did and so I have joined Team in Training again, this time I will be competing in the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge. A 39.3-mile (63.24-km) adventure held over two days, where I will run the Half Marathon (13.2-miles/21.1-km) on Saturday, followed by the full Marathon (26.2-miles/42.2-km) on Sunday. It is a daunting task, but one I know that I can accomplish with your help. I am asking you to help me reach my fundraising goal of $7500 in honour of Derek by the end of December.<br />
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Derek’s Story: <br />
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On March 4, 2009 one of my best friends was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The good news was, “it's highly curable”. The bad news was, he had Stage IV, the most advanced form of the disease<br />
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He has officially been in remission since October 1, 2009. Congrats DT, we knew you could do it!! <br />
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Derek remained positive throughout his entire treatment. He may have lost his hair, but he never lost his sense of humour in spite of difficult procedures and side effects. Anytime I start feeling like I’m having a rough day of training or racing, I think of Derek’s fight and it’s easy to push on through. <br />
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So how can you help? <br />
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1. Sponsor me (a.k.a. show me the money) <br />
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a) The easiest way is to make a secure online donation at <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/Going-Goofy">http://www.tinyurl.com/Going-Goofy</a> using Credit Card or PayPal<br />
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b) You can also by donate by completing and mailing a donation form, touch base and I'll send you the form <br />
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c) Check with your employer to see if they will match your donation, many do. <br />
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2. Forward this message to everyone you know. Don’t assume that if we know the same person that I have their e-mail or have sent to them, I know you may get this e-mail 12-20 times, but really it’s a small price to pay IMHO.<br />
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3. Help me find corporate sponsors; drop me an e-mail and I’ll let you know what’s involved. <br />
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4. Volunteer to help me with my fundraising activities and events, I need ideas and people to help with selling tickets, creating posters, etc…<br />
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5. Attend one of my events or purchase one of my fundraising items, bike safety lights, entertainment books, etc… <br />
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6. All of the above!! <br />
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If you’re interested in following my progress, I will be documenting my training and fundraising progress on my blog <a href="http://shmittysrunningblog.blogspot.com/">http://shmittysrunningblog.blogspot.com/</a> and there’s a direct RSS feed to my Facebook Notes, so if you’re a friend on FB you can just check there or follow me on Twitter (Shmitty67).<br />
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If you want to know more about my fundraising or if you want to help in some way I haven’t thought of, simply reply to this e-mail, call me, follow me on Twitter, comment on my FB Wall, Notes, or status, write a comment on my fundraising page, or comment on my blog.<br />
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Together we can help find a cure! <br />
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Thank you all!! <br />
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BrentShmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-77852687845687595082011-06-07T14:24:00.000-07:002011-06-07T14:24:48.438-07:00Running here and there...Just getting back to running here in Ottawa again after a month away...a month where I was able to run in Paris, Continental Greece (Attica, Vravrona & Loutsa), Crete (Kotouloufarri & Hersonisos) and Paros (Dryos) and I noticed a few interesting differences.<br />
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<u>The routes:</u><br />
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Here:<br />
In spite of out tendency to complain, we have an incredibly mature and developed network and infrastructure perfectly suited for running. Mind you on the routes I've run, the bodies of water (Canal & Ottawa River) are polluted, opaque and smell of dead fish on the best of days.<br />
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There (Paris):<br />
Surprising given the size of the city, but within a 1/2 hour I was able to reach a beautiful park with a dirt trail around a small pond with an island in the centre where there was a Buddhist temple, the water was opaque but lacked any distinctive odour<br />
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There (Greece):<br />
To be fair, I was running in small villages, so no infrastructure or formal paths to speak of, but the vistas, clear blue water and unique architecture more than made up for that!<br />
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<u>Traffic:</u><br />
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Here:<br />
If you've read my facebook status updates with any regularity during my short running career, you'll know I have had a few incidents with vehicles both as a runner and as a cyclist, most in the early or twilight hours when I felt, given the amount of lights I tend to use, were avoidable, but in most cases, drivers are aware (once the season starts and they grow accustomed to us being out there again) and generally courteous.<br />
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There (Paris):<br />
I came to the conclusion that Paris motorists must either leave really early, really late or they take public transit until well after my running for the day was done (I was typically back in my hotel by 7:00 a.m.)<br />
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There (Greece):<br />
For such a laid back people, from my experience, they are anything but when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. The speed limit seems to be as fast as the vehicle will go with the pedal firmly pressed to the floor, regardless of road conditions, other traffic, pedestrians or cyclists. The acceptable distance/clearance between vehicles, immovable objects, bicycles and/or pedestrians seems to be anywhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch...scary to say the least. I found myself running onto the gravel shoulder or into the ditch on more than one occasion...and running facing traffic only seemed to aggravate the drivers, I noticed in the third week that local pedestrians appear to walk with traffic, so I'm left wondering if that was the reason I was given so little room. Granted there was the occasional drive who would make the effort to move over and allow a 3ft buffer, but that was rare. Now maybe I'm the one who just is not accustomed to the close proximity, because the European concept of personal space is quite different than ours the 1/4 to 1/2 inch buffer seems very appropriate on an uncrowded metro or bus too...odd for me, perhaps quite normal for the locals.<br />
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Other Runners:<br />
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Here:<br />
Typically when I am our running and I encounter another runner, there is some form of acknowledgement, a wave, a smile, a gasping hey, hullo or some remark about that dang hill or the weather..there's an unspoken camaraderie from a shared interest/joy, that's not to say there aren't crusty old sods out there who won't give you the time of day...but as a general rule, most runners will offer up some form of greeting to each other when they're out there.<br />
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There (Paris):<br />
In Paris there seems to be some common understanding that as you approach another runner, eye contact must be avoided at all cost. In spite of my attempts to offer a greeting to the runners I encountered on my workouts (a conservative estimate of 25-30), I received a grand total of a 1/2 smile (maybe an ex-pat) all of the other runners upon noticing another runner approaching would turn their head to the opposite side and glance towards the ground...very odd indeed.<br />
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There (Greece):<br />
Other runners...what other runners...I drew more than one odd glance from the folks sitting at the Tavernas and encountered not a single other runner in my 9 run workouts in 3 different areas of Greece. I didn't expect a race, but for the birthplace of the marathon...I thought for sure there would be other folks out there training...not so.<br />
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My intent is not to pass any sort of judgement on running here or there, only to point out the differences I observed. I had as much fun doing my workouts in Paris in Greece, in part because they were different than my experiences here in Ottawa, my guess is I would have been very disappointed to travel across the ocean to experience exactly what I do here on a regular basis.<br />
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I definitely want to add a European endurance race to my bucket list and I know that my best way to do that will be to sign up with Team in Training. If you're thinking about a destination marathon or 1/2 marathon, I strongly suggest you checkout <a href="http://teamintraining.ca/tor">http://teamintraining.ca/tor</a>Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-8978143752133381242011-04-18T17:21:00.000-07:002011-04-18T17:21:21.352-07:00The legs say NO, but the plan says GO!Time to let you in on a little secret…contrary to what you may have read or may have been led to believe…I do not always feel like doing my workouts…more specifically, parts of my body don’t always feel like doing a workout…but in the last 3 years, I’ve missed only 3 workouts…that’s not to say that’s normal or that I haven’t wanted to miss more, my point here is not about missing an occasional workout…it’s more about how or why I feel I am able to get out there even when I may not feel like it (rare as that may be). <br />
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When I ran first thing in the morning (4:30 or 5:00 was the norm about a year and a half ago), I had one simple rule, when the alarm rang I got up! If I hit snooze, I knew the workout wouldn’t happen, similarly, when the appointment reminder went off at lunch, I went to the gym…for exactly the same reason. It’s always been easy for me to come up with an excuse, reason, justification for missing a workout in the past, but ultimately I felt worse after missing it…it took me the first year of training to figure this out…hence the reference to 3 years above…and not the full 4 that I have been running…sly huh?<br />
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The major motivator for me over the last 3 years has been my plan… at the beginning of every year my coach (a.k.a. my brother-in-law) and I sit down, set some goals, schedule my races for the year and figure out which will be A races, and every month, my coach puts together a plan for me based on the previous month’s results and the upcoming races. I send him weekly training reports that not only record the time & distance of each workout, but other details like weather, terrain, perceived effort, observations and any information that may be relevant in helping him determine how the plan is going, or how I am adjusting to the plan. He is always interested in knowing my energy level, if there are any specific concerns and especially if there is any pain, soreness or other issues. Based on my feedback, adjustments are made…and he has made it clear, that missing or moving an occasional workout is perfectly acceptable, he reminds me that I am not a professional athlete (as if my times didn’t make that painfully clear), but his point is that these workouts are not my main focus, they are a means to an end, that missing out on life for a workout just doesn’t make sense, that sticking to the plan and ending up injured does not help me get any closer to my goals and so being flexible is also and important strategy in achieving success.<br />
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There are two other things that help motivate me to get out the door, or to keep going in the middle of a workout when my motivation or willpower may not be at their strongest…I think back to a few years ago when I couldn’t complete a 2K with my son and how far I’ve come since then, I remember that it took a lot of tough workouts that I didn’t always feel like doing to get to this point and that 1 missed workout…could lead to a series of them and eventually to being that couch potato again…and that thought scares the crap out of me…so I choose to stay in motion. <br />
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The other thought I draw on when my energy starts to wane is of my friend Derek and other survivors I have met through Team in Training who have battled cancer, I recall that sign, or maybe it was a shirt that says “If you think running a marathon is hard, try Chemotherapy” and all of a sudden, getting out the door in rain or snow, finishing that next hill, interval, or km doesn’t seem quite so hard, perspective is everything.<br />
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So whether your motivation is your plan/coach, a memory of your unfit self or maybe a vision of your new fit self, whether you draw your strength from within or externally, the point is, there will be times when you just don’t feel like it, when your daily life is making it near impossible to find the time or energy, that’s when you need to remember why you’re doing this, what is your reason? You also have to allow yourself to change the plan (a little), to allow yourself some flexibility and to forgive yourself (yup sometimes missing a workout can feel that bad) so that you don’t miss the next one because you still feel bad about missing the last one…it seems silly, but it happens all too often. <br />
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I may not be able to help you with the memory bit (then again I’ve know some of you a very long time, so maybe I could), but if you’re looking for a coach, I have met some excellent coaches at various events here in Ottawa and would be happy to introduce you, all of them are great people and are great at what they do and if you’re looking to train with purpose and for a worthy cause, well I just can’t speak highly enough of Team in Training and the people involved, and if you haven’t figured it out from my FB status updates or blogs…I simply love to talk about running, cycling, training and being active…so if you’re looking to get started or searching for your motivation…I hope this helped…and if I can help in anyway…let’s do coffee and chat!Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-30729783463505587062011-04-10T12:38:00.000-07:002011-04-10T12:38:24.906-07:00A season of learning…Last fall when I signed up as a mentor with Team in Training for their Spring events, I figured it was a great way to help the organization and new participants. All that was required was that I share my experiences (however limited) in running and fundraising, organize weekend Buddy runs so that Team members could meet each other, have someone to run with and stay motivated throughout the winter, send out a few e-mails to check-in on team mates and offer assistance, when/if needed.<br />
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Not an overly complicated set of tasks, so I figured even I could pull this one off, and after all, there had been someone there for me in my first season with Team in Training, so it seemed like a good way to Pay it Forward.<br />
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What I didn’t count on was how much the whole experience would affect me. I’m fairly confident that I got way more out of mentoring than any of the mentees…I know that’s not the idea, but meeting and getting to know my team mates and hearing their reasons for joining, watching them progress through their training and then hearing their race day stories.<br />
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I learned from every one of my team mates that I had the opportunity to run with, sometimes about them, sometimes about myself, but what one of my team mates said at our pre-event dinner in Hamilton, really captured the essence of it all. There’s something profound and indescribable about the connections that were made as we ran those miles together, bantered, shared stories, and ultimately forged new friendships. Perhaps you can’t help but develop a strong bond as you run long distances together, perhaps it has something to do with the shared purpose for our training and fundraising…regardless, there is no denying there is a special bond that forms between team mates when you join and experience Team in Training.<br />
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So to my team mates and new friends, THANK YOU to every one of you who allowed me to share in and in some small way be a part of your journey. <br />
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I am so very Proud of everything you accomplished, as individuals and as a team.<br />
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See you at the races!Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-46159672834625360142011-03-01T14:26:00.000-08:002011-03-01T14:26:30.268-08:00The year in reviewI had originally planned to post something on this subject over the holidays, or early in the New Year, but between family time, renovating, training and studying…I’m only getting to it now.<br />
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2010 was a year filled with <u>firsts</u> for me and my family. I ran my <u>first</u> ½ marathon…Winterman – Feb., my <u>first</u> 30K…Around the Bay – Mar. and my <u>first</u> marathon…Ottawa – May. It was also the <u>first</u> time I had repeated participation in an event for the same distance…Ottawa Riverkeeper Canoe Triathlon with BERT42 – Jun., and the MADD Dash with Riana – Oct. <br />
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Elrik competed in and completed his <u>first</u> triathlon…he’s the first in our family to do a Tri…very proud moment!!<br />
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Sonia, Riana and I participated in our <u>first </u>family Triathlon relay and had a blast doing it!<br />
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The great thing about doing that <u>first</u> event at ANY distance is that no matter what goal you set, whether you’re overjoyed or even a little disappointed, you set a personal best and draw a line in the sand that you can measure your progress against should you choose to continue. I don’t feel the need to compete with the other runners out there, but I do like to compete with myself and keep raising the bar, trying to find new ways to improve.<br />
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Another <u>first </u>for me was joining Team in Training (Ottawa Marathon) and with your help I raised nearly $8000 to help further the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. Team in Training introduced me to some incredible people, coaches, mentors, survivors and fellow athletes who I am fortunate to call teammates and friends. People join Team in Training for many reasons…but there are two main reasons I keep coming back and raising funds:<br />
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1. One day…soon I hope, we will raise the last dollar ever needed to find a cure for cancer (I'm quoting from site of a Teammate I've never met in the USA but can no longer find the site or her name)<br />
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2. The people, they truly do make it the experience of a lifetime.<br />
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If you’re interested in finding out more, drop me a line or visit the website <a href="http://www.teamintraining.ca/">http://www.teamintraining.ca/</a><br />
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I promise you won’t regret it!Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-42556924311990757442010-10-05T16:21:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:22:25.632-07:00Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon – The Fairy FactorNow before anyone gets the wrong idea…let me state emphatically that this blog is about actual fairies!! Not fatigue induced mirages or hallucinations, more on that later!<br />
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As many of you know, I competed in my second marathon, once again with Team in Training. My goal was to finish in a time of 4:29:59 or better (sub 4:30). A goal I felt was well within reach given the training I had done. Thanks to my incredible coach for painstakingly preparing monthly plans and adapting as needed to fit my other commitments along the way!<br />
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Let me just say that the publicity for the Toronto Marathon is entirely accurate, it is Flat, Fast and yes even Festive…what they forgot was…Smelly and maybe a tad boring…definitely different than Ottawa…but, maybe that’s because I had so many friends and family in Ottawa and I was very familiar with the majority of the Ottawa route and was not even remotely familiar with the Toronto route.<br />
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The first km or so was actually downhill…not much of a help given the number of participants and the resulting 5 min walk to get to the starting line after the official gun time (you’ll see the discrepancy reflected in the official results vs. chip time).<br />
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Once we got started running though, it really was very flat, a nice way to start any race…and did I mention we just happened to get perfect weather, it was a cool 13C and overcast…my favourite weather for a race!<br />
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The plan for this race was to break it into thirds… running the first 14K at a conservative (should seem SLOW) pace, the second 14K at a slightly faster pace and giving the last 14.2K everything I had and finish with nothing left! There was of course the 32K psychological barrier I’d have to get past (my bonk point in the first marathon) and I would have to adjust for whatever race day happened to throw at me.<br />
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Although I didn’t have any family or friends from Ottawa joining me in Toronto, I was by no means alone, scattered along the route were LOTS of Team in Training staff, alumni and supporters, and each time they saw any participant in purple approaching, they exploded with cheers, noisemakers and energy that helped to fuel more than one participant, including yours truly to the next water station, km or cheering section, you could see the extra bounce in their step.<br />
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There were also all the other Team in Training participants out there on the course, and although I had only met them the night before, there was no mistaking out there that we were in fact a team, every Team in Training participant I passed, or was passed by (in some cases this kept happening in true yo-yo fashion), was sure to offer a cheer, thumbs up and usually a hearty “Go Team Go!!”, there’s just something about knowing that no matter your goal, your time or you ability, we are all part of something bigger, raising awareness and funds to fight blood cancer…there is an instant bond with complete strangers that is unexplainable!<br />
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As if that weren’t enough, at various points along the route (no doubt strategically placed), there were the incredible Team in Training coaches, these dedicated athletes do so much for us as participants that it really would take an entire blog entry just to attempt to list out all that they do, instead, I’ll focus on what I witnessed and experienced during the race (remember, this is only a tiny portion of what they do leading up to the race). I had the pleasure of running a short bit at around the 10K mark with Rick Hellard, our Ottawa coach, he made sure I was feeling good, that all was going as planned, checked to see if I needed anything and managed to snap the only picture I have of this race. He cheered me on, ensured me he’d see me again (this was an out part of an out and back loop), made sure it was ok with me, and then headed off to run with another Team member.<br />
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At around the 25K mark, I was starting to feel the fatigue set in, everything was going according to plan, I had managed to stick with the nutrition and pacing plans and in spite of the fatigue was feeling good about the prospects of meeting my goal…the 4:30 pace bunny was behind me at this point, not much, but enough to give me comfort in the fact that my goal was within reach. I met up with Lori (another Team in Training coach) and she offered to run with me a bit, honestly at this point my mind was already racing ahead and trying to deal with the 32K mental barrier, I let Lori know my time goal, and my immediate goal…stay ahead of that Frickin’ pace bunny, we laughed and Lori asked if I wanted her to keep me on pace, I did and we ran together for the next 5K, Lori offered to keep running with me past that 32K mark until we could meet up with one of the other coaches, but I really wanted to get past 32K on my own…so with a hearty cheer and an offer to help me out with my (by now) tightening IT band (she just happens to be an RMT), we parted ways and she headed off to find another Team member.<br />
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I managed to get myself past that 32K mark and it was a huge relief! By this point the pace bunny was just ahead of me, but still within reach for a finish line sprint :)<br />
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And this is where the FAIRY bit comes in…if you’ve seen the photos from Ottawa, or if you’ve been to any Team in Training event where Ramona or Theresa were participating, then you know that these extraordinary women (Team in Training coaches), like to not only run copious amounts of kms at each race to ensure that they get time with as many Team in Training members as possible, but they also do it all dressed as…you guessed it….FAIRIES! What a sight for sore eyes..well sore legs really…but boy was I glad to see Ramona! With a little less than 10K to go, the pace bunny was increasing his lead and my spirits were beginning to take a bit of a beating. It didn’t take long for Ramona to bring a smile to my face, infuse me with energy and get me picking up the pace (although she never once told me to do that), she reminded me of what the bigger picture goal for all of us was, that I was DOING this and that she would be with me as long as I needed…and at that point I needed every bit of what she was dishing out…as if that wasn’t enough, anytime we passed a water station, she would grab extra water for me to ensure I didn’t need to worry about carrying an extra cup, when we came across a store owner who was handing out bottled water and bananas, she made sure I got some of both and again carried them for me…I was indeed getting spoiled…keep in mind, Ramona had likely already done a marathon between all her back and forth of accompanying other Team members at this point…and all of this while dressed as a FAIRY…wings and all!<br />
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At around the 35Km mark, things took a turn for the worse, for reasons I won’t get into here (I think I may be close to a character limit), my IT band and knee really started to flare up and give me issues…so bad that I had trouble walking…with Ramona’ s help, I managed a few stretches, a quick self-massage of the IT band and got moving again…for a km…more stretches…another km of running and this pattern would repeat…somewhere around the 38 or 39 km mark we met up with Theresa….the other Fairy…a fact that did not go unnoticed by the spectators and other runners, I was flanked by my Fairy (step-sisters I think we finally decided) and some runners (non-Team in Training) thought that 2 Fairies for 1 runner might not be fair…but let me tell you, having these two incredibly supportive fairies gave me more wings than any energy drink could ever hope to!! I am not sure if I could have kept on going without their constant encouragement and reminders that no matter the time, I would finish!<br />
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When she was sure (about 1Km left), that I was going to make it and with another Team member needing her help, Theresa made sure I was good to go and that Ramona would stay with me and she took off to join that other team member and run them in…<br />
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Ramona ran with me that last km, reassuring me that I was going to make it and I crossed the finish line at 4:45:50, not the goal I had in mind, not the best time I think I can run, but the best time that my mind and body could muster on that day. <br />
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Now don’t get me wrong, I am VERY happy with my result, I know that I will run another marathon, I know that I will train to the best of my ability, run the best race I can on that day and be happy to be living a life that allows me to be surrounded by so many incredible, supportive people!<br />
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That day, many people along the way referred to Ramona and Theresa as angels, and although the costumes were indeed fairies, the women who wore them, were definitely my angels that day, they carried me when I needed it the most and I will always be grateful to them both for that!! Even post-race, Ramona ensured that I got into the medical tent and pretty much forced the staff there to let me see the RMT to get my IT band looked at….once she knew I was in good hands….off she went to find another Team member who needed her wings to guide them in.Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6364884286999826261.post-12290429962158317482010-09-21T14:20:00.000-07:002010-09-21T14:21:38.924-07:00If at first you don’t succeed….Spend the next 5 months logging lots and lots of Kilometers, figuring out a better nutrition plan, training with amazing people, bouncing ideas off your coach, friends and experienced endurance athletes…then try again<br />
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There were a lot of great things about my first marathon, countless friends and family cheering me on along the course, a HUGE fundraising success, new friendships formed and it was capped off with being able to cross the finish line with Derek…I don't think any race will ever be able to compare to this experience, but in spite of all of that, not achieving my sub 4:30 goal…left me with unfinished business and any of you who know me also know that I can be fairly tenacious…ok you all likely call it stubborn or pig headed…but no matter what you call it, setting a goal and not achieving it…just doesn’t sit well with me.<br />
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“The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running”, so this Sunday in Toronto, I’ll be lacing up my shoes, pulling on my Team in Training purple shirt and applying all of the lessons learned over the last 5 months.<br />
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I feel calm, rested and ready to run, I’ll keep you posted on the results.<br />
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My thanks to all of you for your continued support and encouragement!<br />
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Thomas Foxwell Buxton said “With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.” <br />
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Let’s hope that he was right and that I’ve got enough of both to reach this goal!Shmitty67http://www.blogger.com/profile/03152131814213560116noreply@blogger.com0