The title to my first blog post seems appropriate for this moment...
It's time to start.
It's the night before the race. I am full off my pre-race dinner. My family is all off having dinner somewhere else giving me some wonderful alone time and letting them deal with possible food complications I do not have to when I cook for myself. It just so happens that there is a Rocky marathon on TV so I am dining with the Italian Stallion for dinner and loving it.
The gear is checked in. All my gear bags are packed. My piles of "I need this for the swim", "I need this in the morning", "I need this after the race" are getting more consolidated. I am ready. It's time to start.
I am feeling great right now and am so excited for tomorrow and all the unknowns that will come my way. It is going to be a long day but one I will never forget and one that I want to soak in and savor every chance I can. There is nothing more I can do but enjoy myself. I have to be smart but the biggest thing I want to do is have fun.
Tomorrow's goals..... finish the race, smile a lot, thank as many of the 4,000 volunteers as I can, smile every time it gets hard, sing every pump up song on my triathlon playlist when I feel tired, and finish strong with a big smile for my finish line photo! If I can do that, the day will be a success. I am in control of all of those things, besides the finish of course, but i have done my preparation. I am ready. So, I am in control of my success.
A quote found by the captain of Team Ironathan, my lovely wife...
"Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance." Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)
It's time to start...
Follow along if you want on http://www.ironman.com and search under bib number 377
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
3 Days...Penticton Episode #1
Well we made it to Penticton and are getting settled at the race site. I am completely bagged after a day of getting things together, officially registering, a short training brick, and a spaghetti and meatball dinner that knocked me out. My body is flippig into race mode and I am getting to the point I am eating everything I can get my hands on, and feel like I need to sleep constantly. It happens every race and I am loving every minute of it!
I will write more tomorrow but made a little video earlier today.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
10 Days
This is funny regardless, but it is SO much funnier if you live in my world.
10 days out and I am feeling good. I am as ready as I will be and have been doing some good tapering workouts this past week. Up the intensity, lessen the time. My 5 hour rides have turned to 2 or 3 and my swims have gone from leisurely and smooth to some moments of hard hard swimming. This is supposed to keep the muscles ready, engage some muscles that don't normally get going when you are in Tortoise mode (versus Hare mode...get it?). My goal is to just stay strong, healthy, and prepare mentally for what is coming up next week.
One half of my family has made it to Victoria so the reality of this is starting. Them being here means we are getting close. It's funny though what makes you realize the time is near. I opened my latest carton of milk and the expiry date was Sept. 3rd. "I will be an Ironman by then" I said out loud as I mixed up my smoothie. When the milk will still be drinkable after the race...that means the race is close!
I got my race number (377) this week and they just sent out the 2009 Race Participants package. Another few items that make this pretty real! Single digit countdown starts in a few hours and I AM SO EXCITED TO GET THIS THING GOING ALREADY! Because, after all, it's all about performance! :)
10 days out and I am feeling good. I am as ready as I will be and have been doing some good tapering workouts this past week. Up the intensity, lessen the time. My 5 hour rides have turned to 2 or 3 and my swims have gone from leisurely and smooth to some moments of hard hard swimming. This is supposed to keep the muscles ready, engage some muscles that don't normally get going when you are in Tortoise mode (versus Hare mode...get it?). My goal is to just stay strong, healthy, and prepare mentally for what is coming up next week.
One half of my family has made it to Victoria so the reality of this is starting. Them being here means we are getting close. It's funny though what makes you realize the time is near. I opened my latest carton of milk and the expiry date was Sept. 3rd. "I will be an Ironman by then" I said out loud as I mixed up my smoothie. When the milk will still be drinkable after the race...that means the race is close!
I got my race number (377) this week and they just sent out the 2009 Race Participants package. Another few items that make this pretty real! Single digit countdown starts in a few hours and I AM SO EXCITED TO GET THIS THING GOING ALREADY! Because, after all, it's all about performance! :)
Where it all began...
This is my race report from my very first triathlon in 2006. I can still remember that day. Although my "norms" are totally different now, and the 44k race I did then seems so small by comparison to Ironman, the essence of why I am doing this is still there. A few people have asked me recently "Why are you doing this?" For awhile I didn't really have an answer. I knew why, but couldn't really put into words what that was. After reading this, I know. I am doing this because of the excitement of doing something you never thought you could do. I am doing this because the confidence you feel after reaching a goal is captivating and inspiring. I am doing this because I love the feeling of working REALLY hard towards something, and then arriving...with a smile on my face.
Ironman is going to be hard. I know that, but I can do it. 4 summers ago, the Cowichan Challenge was hard too. For me, then, where I was, that was my Ironman! What is your Ironman? :)
--------- Race Report - Cowichan Challenge July, 2006 --------
Well it is official...I am a triathlete! It was an AMAZING DAY/EXPERIENCE/EVENT/RACE/EVERYTHING! I had to wait until the "official" race results were in to send you all the update. For all you stats dorks here is my race...for the rest of you...just play along because I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS RACE!
Swim (1000m) - 24:37
Bike (34k-21miles including transition time) - 1:28:58
Run (9k - 5.5 miles) - 52:42
TOTAL - 2:46:17
I JUST EXERCISED FOR 2 HOURS, 46 MINUTES, AND 17 SECONDS STRAIT...TRAVELED 44 KILOMETERS/27 MILES....ON PURPOSE...AND LOVED IT!!
The race was incredible. It was a huge rush to wake up after very little sleep and know "this is the day." We got to the race site and I quickly realized these people are serious. There were a ton of really, REALLY nice bikes there. Expensive road bikes, not the hybrid commuter bike that I had (the people that passed me during the bike kept saying "Wow, nice job on a mountain bike!"...and I became known to those around me as "the guy on the mountain bike"...I don't know if that is a good thing or not, but I need lighter bike if I really want to do this...someday right?).
We got to the race site about 6:50 and it was already packed full of people. I spent the first 45 minutes getting my gear set up, getting my body marked (and no I haven't washed the parts of my body that my number was drawn on yet...I want that number to stay on me as long as possible!) and waiting in line for that last trip to the bathroom so you don't have to poop somewhere along the 44k trip. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the beach for the start. I got down there and looked out across the lake. All but about 10 of the 109 people that started were wearing wet suits...I started to second guess my choice there of not wearing one, but the water turned out to be pretty nice. Then as I looked out across the lake I saw the first buoy we had to swim around, the second one, and then there was this other one WAY down at the far end of the lake. I immediately thought "Oh that is just an extra one they pulled off to the side if they needed it." Nope. Wrong. This 1000 meter swim looked a hell of a lot longer from the beach than it did in my head. But, the 8:00 hour was drawing near and I wasn't going to back down at that point. Spit in your goggles so they don't fog up and get ready to go Nathan!
The horn sounded and the white water started to splash up from everyone dashing out in the swim. I stayed back a little and off to the side so I didn't have to fight for position or get kicked in the process. The start of these races is notorious for being very physical and it is not uncommon for swimmers to get knocked around a little. I was pretty much in the clear on the outside. I got into my groove and before I knew it I was around the the first buoy (one corner of the triangle). I laughed a bit under water once or twice as I said to myself "I am doing a triathlon" with a little disbelief. It was totally surreal to be swimming with 100 or so others and racing...I was in a race! The swim went really well and as far away as that far corner looked I was there in no time. Rounding the corner for home I felt really strong still and managed to swim along side a couple others, pacing myself off of them. My one goal for the swim was I didn't want to be the last out of the water. Well, not only did I pass 2 people in the last 300m, I was 86th out of the water...I beat 23 others! Plus doing it in 24 1/2 minutes was probably faster than I have swum before!
The transitions were a little crazy but after battling socks on wet feet and downing some water, "the guy on the mountain bike" was off. Jenn and our friends were on the shore cheering and taking pictures so it felt pretty good to have a fan club! I felt pretty good on the bike, but it was amazingly HILLY! No really.....AMAZINGLY HILLY!! They called it "undulating rural roads"....HILLY! The downs were fun but fast, the ups were steep and took a very long time! I befriended this older woman (in the female 50-54 yrs category) and we went back and forth the whole bike section. I would pass her on the hills and she would pass me....well, everywhere else. The great part about it was that no matter if you had some little 17 year old whizzing past you or someone much older (there was one woman in the middle distance race in the 70-99 years old category!! And she was bouncing after the race...no worries at all for her!), no matter who passed you they did it with a word of encouragement! Incredible people. I got to meet a lot of them...because I got passed A LOT! I was 101st off my bike out of 106 people still in the race but I did it with a smile on my face...I was having WAY TOO MUCH FUN. 1:28:58 and I was back to the transition area. Now...only 9k to go.
The running felt great. I thought I would be wobbly and all over the place like I had been a couple times in training, but my legs were still strong. I took the advice of some other runners and didn't want to compete in the "Swim, Bike, Walk" version of the triathlon, not having enough left in me to run. Now it was time to play. Somewhere between January and July I became a runner and feel really comfortable just going out there and pounding away. This was again a challenge though because of the hills! WHAT DID THEY DO...FIND THE HILLIEST PLACE NEAR A LAKE A SAY "Perfect spot for a triathlon!"? It was a bit crazy, but after awhile you just keep going. By this point I have already been going for almost 2 hours strait and I kept saying to myself "Your legs will keep going if you just think they will." Yes, I was talking out loud to myself, and maybe a couple four letter words were exclaimed through some of the FREAKISHLY STEEP HILLS, but I was still smiling! We had to run two laps of a looped course and on the first lap I had marked in my head the "give'r" zone, the place where I could just let it all go and run like hell for the finish. Leave nothing on the course! But, still smiling! I have to admit, one of the best parts was passing 3 people in the last kilometer. I may have been slow in the bike but my run time was 83rd or 106 which is pretty dang impressive if you ask me. To go from 101 in the bike to 83 in the run...too bad those weren't the total place in the race. Regardless, the last stretch felt incredible. Pushing the whole way but loving every minute of it. 6 months of incredible work and dedication..something I had personally never done before and here I was...crossing the finish line.
I guessed I would finish in 3:00:00 so when I finished with a time of 2:46:17 (yes I have that memorized already) was very impressive to me. I finished 95th overall but I came in fourth place in my age group! I got a ribbon and everything! Thank you to all of you who helped me, supported me, thought of me, sent me good energy, or offered to buy me a beer after wards (wow did that taste good by the way). Your support means the world to me and have this under my belt also is thanks to you all. I feel like a new person and I have a new energy about life....IT FEELS INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Thanks again to all of you who help, supported, cheered me on from the sidelines wherever you were. And I highly encourage any of you who have been waiting to do "that one thing" you have been meaning to do or have been putting off something until later on....go for it. A little extra work, hard work, whatever it takes...it feels so good to look back and see your progress. Sure it might be a lot of work, but if you just decide to do it, have the mental strength (thanks Kiku) to do it, it is amazing what you can accomplish!
Take care of you and thanks again!
The triathlete,
-Nathan
Ironman is going to be hard. I know that, but I can do it. 4 summers ago, the Cowichan Challenge was hard too. For me, then, where I was, that was my Ironman! What is your Ironman? :)
--------- Race Report - Cowichan Challenge July, 2006 --------
Well it is official...I am a triathlete! It was an AMAZING DAY/EXPERIENCE/EVENT/RACE/EVERYTHING! I had to wait until the "official" race results were in to send you all the update. For all you stats dorks here is my race...for the rest of you...just play along because I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS RACE!
Swim (1000m) - 24:37
Bike (34k-21miles including transition time) - 1:28:58
Run (9k - 5.5 miles) - 52:42
TOTAL - 2:46:17
I JUST EXERCISED FOR 2 HOURS, 46 MINUTES, AND 17 SECONDS STRAIT...TRAVELED 44 KILOMETERS/27 MILES....ON PURPOSE...AND LOVED IT!!
The race was incredible. It was a huge rush to wake up after very little sleep and know "this is the day." We got to the race site and I quickly realized these people are serious. There were a ton of really, REALLY nice bikes there. Expensive road bikes, not the hybrid commuter bike that I had (the people that passed me during the bike kept saying "Wow, nice job on a mountain bike!"...and I became known to those around me as "the guy on the mountain bike"...I don't know if that is a good thing or not, but I need lighter bike if I really want to do this...someday right?).
We got to the race site about 6:50 and it was already packed full of people. I spent the first 45 minutes getting my gear set up, getting my body marked (and no I haven't washed the parts of my body that my number was drawn on yet...I want that number to stay on me as long as possible!) and waiting in line for that last trip to the bathroom so you don't have to poop somewhere along the 44k trip. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the beach for the start. I got down there and looked out across the lake. All but about 10 of the 109 people that started were wearing wet suits...I started to second guess my choice there of not wearing one, but the water turned out to be pretty nice. Then as I looked out across the lake I saw the first buoy we had to swim around, the second one, and then there was this other one WAY down at the far end of the lake. I immediately thought "Oh that is just an extra one they pulled off to the side if they needed it." Nope. Wrong. This 1000 meter swim looked a hell of a lot longer from the beach than it did in my head. But, the 8:00 hour was drawing near and I wasn't going to back down at that point. Spit in your goggles so they don't fog up and get ready to go Nathan!
The horn sounded and the white water started to splash up from everyone dashing out in the swim. I stayed back a little and off to the side so I didn't have to fight for position or get kicked in the process. The start of these races is notorious for being very physical and it is not uncommon for swimmers to get knocked around a little. I was pretty much in the clear on the outside. I got into my groove and before I knew it I was around the the first buoy (one corner of the triangle). I laughed a bit under water once or twice as I said to myself "I am doing a triathlon" with a little disbelief. It was totally surreal to be swimming with 100 or so others and racing...I was in a race! The swim went really well and as far away as that far corner looked I was there in no time. Rounding the corner for home I felt really strong still and managed to swim along side a couple others, pacing myself off of them. My one goal for the swim was I didn't want to be the last out of the water. Well, not only did I pass 2 people in the last 300m, I was 86th out of the water...I beat 23 others! Plus doing it in 24 1/2 minutes was probably faster than I have swum before!
The transitions were a little crazy but after battling socks on wet feet and downing some water, "the guy on the mountain bike" was off. Jenn and our friends were on the shore cheering and taking pictures so it felt pretty good to have a fan club! I felt pretty good on the bike, but it was amazingly HILLY! No really.....AMAZINGLY HILLY!! They called it "undulating rural roads"....HILLY! The downs were fun but fast, the ups were steep and took a very long time! I befriended this older woman (in the female 50-54 yrs category) and we went back and forth the whole bike section. I would pass her on the hills and she would pass me....well, everywhere else. The great part about it was that no matter if you had some little 17 year old whizzing past you or someone much older (there was one woman in the middle distance race in the 70-99 years old category!! And she was bouncing after the race...no worries at all for her!), no matter who passed you they did it with a word of encouragement! Incredible people. I got to meet a lot of them...because I got passed A LOT! I was 101st off my bike out of 106 people still in the race but I did it with a smile on my face...I was having WAY TOO MUCH FUN. 1:28:58 and I was back to the transition area. Now...only 9k to go.
The running felt great. I thought I would be wobbly and all over the place like I had been a couple times in training, but my legs were still strong. I took the advice of some other runners and didn't want to compete in the "Swim, Bike, Walk" version of the triathlon, not having enough left in me to run. Now it was time to play. Somewhere between January and July I became a runner and feel really comfortable just going out there and pounding away. This was again a challenge though because of the hills! WHAT DID THEY DO...FIND THE HILLIEST PLACE NEAR A LAKE A SAY "Perfect spot for a triathlon!"? It was a bit crazy, but after awhile you just keep going. By this point I have already been going for almost 2 hours strait and I kept saying to myself "Your legs will keep going if you just think they will." Yes, I was talking out loud to myself, and maybe a couple four letter words were exclaimed through some of the FREAKISHLY STEEP HILLS, but I was still smiling! We had to run two laps of a looped course and on the first lap I had marked in my head the "give'r" zone, the place where I could just let it all go and run like hell for the finish. Leave nothing on the course! But, still smiling! I have to admit, one of the best parts was passing 3 people in the last kilometer. I may have been slow in the bike but my run time was 83rd or 106 which is pretty dang impressive if you ask me. To go from 101 in the bike to 83 in the run...too bad those weren't the total place in the race. Regardless, the last stretch felt incredible. Pushing the whole way but loving every minute of it. 6 months of incredible work and dedication..something I had personally never done before and here I was...crossing the finish line.
I guessed I would finish in 3:00:00 so when I finished with a time of 2:46:17 (yes I have that memorized already) was very impressive to me. I finished 95th overall but I came in fourth place in my age group! I got a ribbon and everything! Thank you to all of you who helped me, supported me, thought of me, sent me good energy, or offered to buy me a beer after wards (wow did that taste good by the way). Your support means the world to me and have this under my belt also is thanks to you all. I feel like a new person and I have a new energy about life....IT FEELS INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Thanks again to all of you who help, supported, cheered me on from the sidelines wherever you were. And I highly encourage any of you who have been waiting to do "that one thing" you have been meaning to do or have been putting off something until later on....go for it. A little extra work, hard work, whatever it takes...it feels so good to look back and see your progress. Sure it might be a lot of work, but if you just decide to do it, have the mental strength (thanks Kiku) to do it, it is amazing what you can accomplish!
Take care of you and thanks again!
The triathlete,
-Nathan
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Rained on but a little more Canadian!
So I am getting ready for a run. The southern view out my window looks beautiful and the air is pretty warm even late into the day. A rarity in Victoria. So, I lace up the runners, strap on the HRM and I am off. I hit the front door of my building and it is worth noting I am now facing north. A whole different view. 
After a moment or two of "Should I really be doing this?" I swallow the fact that I am probably going to get wet. I am not going to melt so I head out anyway. For those of you who don't live in Victoria, it can be a wet place to live. It's no Vancouver or Seattle, but most of November, December and January can get pretty rainy. I remember many nights heading out for a run in the rain, soaked through fairly quickly and having to mutter the mantra "It this was easy, everyone would be doing it!" That had a nice ring to it then, and I caught myself smiling as I said it out loud again today as the rain started to fall. If this was easy, everyone would be doing it!
I will say I must be doing something right because I ran past Jasper Blake on my run. We were going in opposite directions for the record so no, I did not run faster than a Ironman champion two weeks before our race. It is so inspiring to be out and have the professionals running the same streets as you are. And, if Jasper is out in the rain, why aren't I!?
Today was also a monumental day in my life as well. I have lived in Canada for just over 4 years and in all that time there is one thing I had yet to do, until today. One thing that took courage, preparation, knowledge and tact in order to complete successfully. Today I used the word "eh" publicly for the first time! Now you Americans might laugh at that, but it was my goal to use it CORRECTLY rather than tagged on the end of every sentence like some Americans do to try and make fun of Canadians.
Yes Canadians you do say it. If you are my in-laws you might use the variation "hey" rather then the strait ahead "eh". Either way, it's out there. It gets used. But, there is a strict code of when it is appropriate and when you just sound dumb. Today, I think I passed!
It was nasty out, I was drenched and the rain was still coming down hard. About a block away, I saw him coming, my target. Over the past few years I have attempted this three times and was spoiled by my target's nearly invisible headphones, blocking our momentary interaction. Not today. Today was my day. As he approached I took a deep breath, rehearsed the line one last time and let it fly.
"Great day to be out for a run eh?"
I waited for a reaction.... was it going to pass? was it going to elicit that blank stare received when some cleaver American says something like "Hi, eh?".... I waited...
"It just doesn't get any better than this does it?" he replied with a smile.
It was official. I am now just a little more Canadian!
After a moment or two of "Should I really be doing this?" I swallow the fact that I am probably going to get wet. I am not going to melt so I head out anyway. For those of you who don't live in Victoria, it can be a wet place to live. It's no Vancouver or Seattle, but most of November, December and January can get pretty rainy. I remember many nights heading out for a run in the rain, soaked through fairly quickly and having to mutter the mantra "It this was easy, everyone would be doing it!" That had a nice ring to it then, and I caught myself smiling as I said it out loud again today as the rain started to fall. If this was easy, everyone would be doing it!I will say I must be doing something right because I ran past Jasper Blake on my run. We were going in opposite directions for the record so no, I did not run faster than a Ironman champion two weeks before our race. It is so inspiring to be out and have the professionals running the same streets as you are. And, if Jasper is out in the rain, why aren't I!?
Today was also a monumental day in my life as well. I have lived in Canada for just over 4 years and in all that time there is one thing I had yet to do, until today. One thing that took courage, preparation, knowledge and tact in order to complete successfully. Today I used the word "eh" publicly for the first time! Now you Americans might laugh at that, but it was my goal to use it CORRECTLY rather than tagged on the end of every sentence like some Americans do to try and make fun of Canadians.
Yes Canadians you do say it. If you are my in-laws you might use the variation "hey" rather then the strait ahead "eh". Either way, it's out there. It gets used. But, there is a strict code of when it is appropriate and when you just sound dumb. Today, I think I passed! It was nasty out, I was drenched and the rain was still coming down hard. About a block away, I saw him coming, my target. Over the past few years I have attempted this three times and was spoiled by my target's nearly invisible headphones, blocking our momentary interaction. Not today. Today was my day. As he approached I took a deep breath, rehearsed the line one last time and let it fly.
"Great day to be out for a run eh?"
I waited for a reaction.... was it going to pass? was it going to elicit that blank stare received when some cleaver American says something like "Hi, eh?".... I waited...
"It just doesn't get any better than this does it?" he replied with a smile.
It was official. I am now just a little more Canadian!
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