Ironman Canada 2011

Six days post the crowning of "Iron Erin," and I'm yet to really understand it has happened. I have yet to sit and reflect on the long, 16 hour day. Although, I was happy with my race (which is VERY rare) I feel as though the experience will be best remembered through the countless hours spent the year beforehand...which is a majority of what I would like to recall.

ASI Finisher Photo

Ironman had been my dream since I heard about Robyn and Adrienne, two (really pretty) (stud) local triathletes, were competing in Cour D Alene. I couldn't fathom exercising for 6 hours straight....and this race takes some people 17? What do you eat? Don't you need a nap? On my days I swim for 2 hours- I require two?! WHAT?

Starting back 2 years ago, when I purchased my first pair of running shoes to tackle my first 5k, there was one thought in my mind- Ironman. Well recalling from my earlier blog posts, yes, that was an awful 5k experience. However, I never once said to myself- "I couldn't do an ironman." I wouldn't let myself mentally break to the distances. Knowing my work ethic, I would get it done.


Last year post JM(dot) competing in Ironman Canada, I was extremely mixed. I was up and down. Watching the race I was distraught, I thought if they can do it- I CAN DO IT! There were a lot of people, however, that said how hard it was...and to give myself a couple more years to train. Yet, I had been training- for 16 years....in the pool. I know what it felt like to be in total pain and want to quit...realizing you still have 4000yds left to swim. So if it was a matter of training- I'm game. Yet, the other side of the street- it is going to take you a good majority of your day of moving....and you don't have too much experience...you've done one half and it didn't really pan out the way you would have planned....

I signed up early in the morning 2 days after registration opened. Word didn't get out until ~6 months later.

No part of me felt the need to "prove" to anyone what Im worth- but I did use those feelings of uneasiness to fuel my training. The morning after I signed up, I was spinning on my bike in the garage. Knowing myself, I needed a LOT of bike training. A century + is a long time to be riding a bike...and knowing my handling skills, I had a lot of work to do. I averaged between 6-10 hours a week on the bike alone. I was very proud of that accomplishment. After Christmas, with the addition of a Computrainer, I was doing 90% of my rides inside riding Richter, the rollers, and the out and back multiple times- to ingrain in memory. Knowing I've ridden every inch of the Canada course was very relieving.

After "competing" in Portland Marathon, I learned a very important lesson. Do NOT go into ANY race under trained...it is NOT going to be pretty...and you're going to PAY FOR IT FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS. I was extremely under trained and after the October 10 performance, my IT band was effed. I couldn't run without a thousand knives jabbing into my knee cap. Great feeling knowing i had Ironman in less than a year. I ended up taking the entire rest of the year off running...yes- 2 full months. I started running again in January. One mile a day (plus ice and stretch). For 31 days. February 2 miles a day (plus ice and stretch). By March I felt great. I ran a personal best 10k (43:50). Oh the wonders of the human body. It was very hard during those months hearing everyone enjoying their early season runs...but I would have never changed a thing about those months.

Portland Marathon Bib....just going to have fun 101010

My favorite part of our training was our group runs with my mother, Rob, and JM. Every Sunday (and some Fridays late in our plan) we would meet and run together. They are absolutely perfect to run with because they share the same love (and need) for the sport. My mother would just chat my ear off, taking the pain away, while Rob and Jm would do countless pickups midway through our 1.5- 2.0 hour runs. For a couple of our runs, my mother hoped on a cruiser bike and was our "sag wagon" with water and pandora playing. These were my favorite runs because she would talk the ENTIRE time...which was great. I can't even tell you how many times we listened to "Rolling in the Deep" and my mom urging me to run to the beat. (The guys were not thrilled by the end)

My mother and I

Our Friday Badger Runs

The Momma

Jumpin momma in Chamna

The only thing I would have changed about my training would have been the amount of time spent in the water. Knowing my weakness, and my strength, I put swimming on the back burner. I was in maintenance mode through my training, instead of training mode. This next year, I plan on enrolling on our local swim club and training hard.

PRE RACE
"Keep calm, carry on" was resonating in my head. Everything will be fine. After leaving the house in the morning, I grabbed my goal sheet- which had been staring at me from the wall of my training room all year. 51, 647, 400. Or mo rely 1:12/100, 16.5, 9:06. Everything I trained for. "Fear is only an emotion," reading at the bottom.

SWIM  51:28

After listening to my all time pump up song (Oh Canada---don't ask haha) and watching the Pros take off, Jm and I took off on a warm up swim. I spent this time making sure my new goggles (might have been a bad idea) were working and looking for some other fast swimmers warming up. Next thing I knew we were on the line and waiting for the gun. I could tell the men around me on the line thought i was an idiot for being in the middle on the front line...but I was confident everything would be okay. Once the gun went off I looked to my right and some guys were taking off. I cut almost a 90 degree angle to hop on their feet. Best. Idea. Ever. I didn't sight once after that. The men in front of me pulled the ENTIRE way....ha I'm such a jerk.

Getting out of the water, I had no idea where I was at- I had no idea I was the third age grouper out of the water, first woman (including the pros). Mission accomplished. Hope I don't have to pay for this later.....


BIKE 6:48

The announcer was so loud reading "...And our first Age Group Woman Erin Holmes is taking off out of transition"....um did I hear that right? What an amazing feeling when I rode up main street and the spectators were seeing I was the first age group woman. I couldn't help looking like an idiot with a huge grin.

The swim did make me feel kinda weird though. I found myself almost depressed riding to Osoyoos (40 miles into the ride). I kept thinking to myself "Why am I here" and "I wonder if I stop if my mom will drive to get me." I still don't understand why this was circling in my brain.

When I hit Richter, my heart rate SHOT up. I was so nervous! Luckily Richter has steps. Even though its a consistent 6 percent gradient I felt GREAT.  "Hope the rollers feel this way"

Rollers, GREAT! Never once did my legs feel like I was pushing the pace.

Out and Back...GREAT! How beautiful is Canada?! PS my frozen EFS in special needs on the bike...still solid frozen....ummm this 95 (and sometimes 100 degree out on the bike) degree day and my electrolytes are all frozen....uhhh?! I guess thats one of those things you always hear about from Ironman stories. Keep calm, carry on.

Yellow Lake....GREAT! I even yelled out to a spectator...is this the top?

Once we summit ed Yellow, there was automatically a head wind that was smacking us in the face the entire descent and ride into T2. Usually in training, a head wind would really piss me off. I would get so cranky. Luckily JM would get on my case and say things like "well Erin there could be a head wind on race day." For some reason I didn't let it bother me once. I almost embraced it...felt GREAT on that hot day.

T2
Bike, bike, bike, bike hand off, run through arch to bag, run to women's change tent, uhhh DARRIS? What a small world!!!!! Darris (a local triathlete from home was volunteering for the T2 women's change tent and she was assigned to me?!!!!) uhm how awesome?! She was exactly what I needed. She was so upbeat and fun. I told her about my bottle and she made me drink the rest of my warm one (I was supposed to drink 2 full bottles and I didn't even finish one).

Run 3:55:53

I LOVE Tricities in the sense that it is always hot. I love that when it is sub 80 degrees I put a jacket on. I love that when its 95 degrees out we know how to handle it. My first mile 8:08...AHHH! Slow it sister. I set my watch (which is just a stop-go timex) for the run only. My goal was to be off the bike by 3PM and run sub 4hours. This worked really well mentally for me. I was able to take splits for myself mile-by-mile without worrying about what time in the day it was. The only thing I was thinking about was "Get to mile 13 then you can walk all you want....just get to 13 so they wont pull you from the course."

The run felt great. I wish that every race would feel this way. Never once in my mind did I worry about catching or passing anyone in my age group, because all I wanted was my goal time. Little did I know, I was in 6th going into the marathon and steadily catching the girlies.

At the turn around I was ecstatic 1:53....with walking ALL the aid stations and ALL the hills. I was so excited because all I needed was a 2:07 to get my goal time...and I still was feeling really good.

With 2 miles left on the run...coming into town I passed a girl with a "24" barely still reading on her calf muscle. I recalled the Macca strategy and kept my chest up and smiled...all of a sudden I didn't want her to catch me...and it turned into a different game the last 2 miles.

Coming into the chute all I could think of was Jessica Newman. I hoped so badly that she was watching me finish...as she was in my head and heart all day.

11:43:00

POST RACE

Blurry but awesome.

Turns out that I won my age group 18-24 and was first woman out of the water including pros. Kona! This was my life-time goal. If I never experience this again, I will be the happiest person in the world. We're headed to the middle of the ocean in a little less than 6 weeks.

I have decided that to achieve my future goals, I'm going to take a year off of racing after Kona. I am going to do a major bike focus and get some stronger bike times. The beautiful thing about Ironman is there is so much room for improvement everywhere.

At the awards banquet post race Jordan Rapp made the most beautiful speech. I cried...and re-cried after printing and reading again at home. One part I really enjoyed:

"What I think drives us to seek out great challenges is that it is a choice that we make for ourselves. We don't  have control over the day, but we have control over our decision to pursue this epic journey. We all, for a variety of reasons, chose to wade into the lake with 3300 other people to undertake something that the typical person would call crazy.
But noone in this room has a burning desire to be, "typical." That is not why you do an Ironman. You do an Ironman becuase you want to reach the stars. And you want to do it the hard way. Because that is what makes it special."

I couldn't have done any of this without two very important people. My Mother is and always will be my biggest hero. She has taught me the importance of believing in yourself and chasing your dreams. She will never let me give up. I also don't know where I would be without JM. He is my biggest supporter and my rock. I dont know how many times I come home worrying about being .5MPH AVG slower on my training ride than I wanted to be...with him saying you'll be fine...like i said....my rock.


NEXT FEW WEEKS:
Vegas 70.3 world championships (JM will be racing- me supporting)
Kona Ironman Oct 8 (woohoo)


Nutrition on course

Blackberry GU- 15 min pre swim
2 bottles with 3.5 scoops Grape EFS by First Endurance - Bike
2 Liquid Shot with 5 servings by First Endurance- Bike
1 Liquid Shot with 5 servings - Run
Water- every aid station
Poweraid- every aid station

Love, Erin