Race Report

Well as Trent and I are driving back from Tremblant I thought I'd write a report on the way home. I think I have to start by saying flat out I absolutely LOVE this race! As usual I was pretty stressed out and nervous before the race. It's pretty common for me with these longer distances, so much is unknown and it's a long way to go.

This year I knew my training had been better than last year especially for the run so I was hoping for a PB on the day but realized that the conditions would determine how my day went.The swim as usual was great, I got into clear water right away and cruised to a 30:28 swim time. I really tried to focus on keeping my stroke long and efficient and just keep going. I didn't swim with a
watch so I had absolutely no clue how fast I was. To be honest I felt so comfortable I actually expected a slower swim. So I was pleasantly surprised to see my time after I finished the race was actually 4 seconds faster then last year.

The bike is by far my weakest component of a triathlon as I'm still relatively new to it compared to swimming and running. I had forgotten how hilly this course is. In Ang land it's fairly flat except for a nasty climb on 117 and lac superior. The reality is much more harsh. My legs felt rough for the first third or so of the race. Just heavy and tired. Luckily they got "warmed up" after that and the rest of the race was much better. I got into a little game of cat and mouse with 2 other ladies - when we were going downhill or on flats they would go by me, and the minute we started climbing I would go past them again. This went on pretty much the whole bike so it was a great motivator to not let them get too far ahead... I felt like the long climb on 117 wasn't as bad as last year and the section on lac superior at the end was brutal but the turnaround did seem to come faster than last year. Really its about 4 or 5 nasty climbs that really punish you but they are still doable in the right gear. It's funny because you are climbing and going away from the finish and it feels like there is no way the ride will be 90k but once your turn around and head back before you know it you are at the bike finish and it's pretty much bang on 90km.

  

In case you are wondering, I passed the ladies I was sort of riding with on the lac superior section and never saw them again so I felt pretty good about that. Although in the back of my mind I was really thinking holy crap how am I going to do this bike course twice in August! In the end my bike was about a minute faster than last year. Even still a 3:28 bike isn't terrible for me, I'd like it to be faster but it is what it is. Lots of room for improvement for sure.

My transitions overall weren't as fast as I would like.  On the run up to T1 from the water I had to stop to use the washroom, and in T2 I almost forgot my Garmin but realized just as I was getting to the end of my row of bikes towards the run out so I went back to get it. Then off to the run. I really wanted my run to be better than last year and I've had significantly better training this year than last so knew it was a distinct possibility. I walked up some of the bigger hills but really focused on running between the aid stations and walking through them. I stuck to that plan and actually felt pretty good surprisingly. Towards the end of the run I started to struggle a bit but coming in to the village to finish with all the crowds gave me a boost and I was able to finish strong en route to a 2:20 run which was 12 minutes faster than last year and my fastest run in a half ironman distance race ever.  

My overall time, even with 2 bathroom stops (T1 and on the run) and some minor issues in transition was 6:29 which is 11 minutes faster than last year and that difference was ALL in the run. I can't believe in a little less than 2 months I will be doing this course twice, on the same day - but it's so beautiful and well organized that I kind of can't wait to be back (after a whole lot of training of course) The town really gets behind the event and they go over and above to make sure everyone had a great day. Oh and did I mention poutine and beer at the finish line (along with lots of other tasty treats) I mean that alone is reason enough in my books to do this race. Combine that with an incredible atmosphere, stunning venue and incredible support and of course being there with awesome C3 teammates, and it's an experience that is hard to beat!