Canberra Half Ironman 2010

97 days ago I made the decision to start training for the Canberra Half Ironman. 60 days ago I officially signed up for the race.

1 day ago, my training was put to the  test and I passed. I became a Half Ironman finisher! 

And what a challenging yet enjoyable experience it was.

Pre race

I slept really soundly the night before the race. So much so, when my alarm went off at 4am, I woke up feeling quite refreshed and excited for the day ahead. After a quick shower and a few slices of toast for breakfast, I kissed Mr BBB goodbye (he was coming down to the course a little later on) and headed to the race compound. 

The transition area was a buzz of energy when I arrived, with 1000 bikes racked and as many competitors making their final adjustments. As  the swim leg had been cancelled, my transition area was actually quite sparse – bike shoes, helmet, sunnies, socks, running hat, sunscreen and some gels/food etc.

    

After placing out all my gear and checking my tyre pressures, I said goodbye to my bike and headed towards the start line. I had a gel and a few big sips of water around 15 minutes before the start.

1st leg – Run 4km (time 19:07)

Luckily, all females under 35 were the first wave to start – leaving a couple minutes after the pro athletes.

As I lined up with the 100+ other women in my age group, I took a deep breath and wished my body and mind good luck for what they were about to do. After all the months of training, the moment had finally arrived.

 

When the start gun went off, there was a quick surge of energy as we all started the initial 4km run. I fell into a comfortable pace early, and it wasn’t long until I reached the 2km turn around point.

There were a lot of speedy women who powered ahead of the group, and although there was no way I could keep up with them, I was pleased with my time of 19:07.

T1

I arrived into transition, and quickly changed into my bike shoes, put on sunnies and my helmet and grabbed my bike. After a quick run to the mounting line, I was off on the 90km ride – or 5 laps of the bike course.

Bike (3:07:18)

I was well aware that prior to the race I had probably not spent enough time training on the bike. This became immediately apparent when person after person flew past me. One negative of starting in an early wave is that all the speedy competitors from the later waves catch up and overtake you! But again, I followed the advice Mr BBB once gave me to ‘race your own race’.

I tried to keep an easy rhythm on the bike, and was pleased to find the aero position quite comfortable. Well for the first 3 laps at least.

It was a slightly undulating ‘loop’ course that took us out along Parkes Way, Lady Denman Drive, Cotter Road, Adelaide Avenue, over the Kings Avenue Bridge and back along Parkes Way. One benefit of completing 5 laps was that we got to go pass the race compound 5 times, which was populated with lots of spectators.

On lap 3 (?) I was lapped by two of my triathlon idols – Michelle Wu and Lisa Marangon (elite female triathletes who went on to finish 1st and 2nd respectively). These ladies are so incredibly talented, not to mention super fast, and just to be on the same course as them was truly special.

I kept an eye out for Mr BBB each time I passed through the race compound and just as I was heading out for my 4th lap I heard a familiar voice cry out “go Lisa!”,  and there he was.

By this stage I had completed approx 54km so seeing Mr BBB and his family was just the motivation I needed to get through the last two laps.

During the 4th lap, a head wind had picked up and when combined with tiring legs, was quite the energy zapper. I tried to remain in aero through the flat/downhill sections, gearing down where needed for the uphill sections.

It was about this time that I realised my longest ride ever to date was around 70km. Therefore, every pedal after 70km was a new personal distance record for me, and the sense of achievement was overwhelming – even at this stage. The final lap was, however,  rather tough. My legs were screaming at me although my heart rate was quite controlled. My back and shoulders were starting to hurt, and by the time I hit the 85km mark, I was looking forward to getting off the bike and starting the run leg.

I rolled back into transition with a time of 3:07, just shy of the 3hrs that I was aiming for.  Nutrition wise, I had 3 or 4 bottles of water and 2 gels during the ride. Looking back, I should probably have had some gatorade or electrolytes also.

T2

After racking my bike I set about getting ready for the half marathon.

Bike shoes off, running shoes on. Helmet off, hat on. It was really sunny by this stage and with my fair skin being prone to burning easily I made sure to spend the extra time putting sunscreen on.

Run (2:17:34)

After 90km on the bike, my legs felt surprisingly good. Well, at first.

The half marathon course consisted of 2 out and back laps. The first 5 kms past quickly, and I tried to take in as much water as I could. It was around this time, however, that my legs started to cramp. I realised that I had completely forgotten to take in any electrolytes AND the salt tablets I had packed me were back in transition. Silly mistake.

At the next aid station I took a cup of sports drink, and I don't know whether it was in fact the electrolytes, or perhaps a placebo effect, but as soon as I drank it my legs start to feel better.

Around the 7km mark, I started to run alongside a fellow competitor who was also completing his first Half Ironman. We  crossed the half way mark together at 1:04, and ended up running alongside, chatting when we could, until the 14km mark.

(Me and my running buddy!)

It was at this point that I had to dig deep. My legs were hurting, my back was stiff, and I was feeling tired. I just kept telling myself to ‘keep running’, no matter how slow. I was starting to get down on myself for just how slow I was running.

(Note that my head is down. A pretty good indicator that I was not a happy runner at this stage!)

While I have run two half marathons previously, this one was like nothing I have ever experienced – biking 90km before hand will do that huh!?

There were aid stations around 3km apart, so I kept telling myself to just get to the next one. Breaking the remaining distance down into smaller distances seemed to work mentally, and I alternated between water and sports drink at each.

  

When I hit the 20km mark, a huge wave of emotion rushed over me. This was it. I was going to finish.

With Mr BBB and his family cheering from the sidelines, I turned into the finishing chute and sprinted towards the finish line. I actually “raced” another girl in my age group (who had been just in front of me for most of the run) and I think we crossed the finish line at the very same time!

As soon as I crossed the line, a finishers towel was thrown around my shoulders. and I rushed over to greet Mr BBB and his family.

But not before grabbing a big bowl of fruit salad that was on offer! After 5+ hours of liquids and gels, I was craving something solid!

I was not the strongest cyclist, or the fastest runner. I was sore, a little sunburnt and hungry. But I finished what I set out to achieve. I finished the Canberra Half Ironman.

And I could not be more proud.

Post race thoughts

I really really enjoyed this event, and I feel like I really have ‘got the taste’ for endurance racing. The training, the physical demands and the mental challenge – all culminating to make for an awesome racing experience.

This race was humbling, but it was also fun. Do I think I’ll doing another Half Ironman? Yes, I think so. When? I am not sure.

Deep down, I would really love to complete the ‘traditional’ race (ie. including the swim portion), but for now I think I will focus on the upcoming shorter races over the summer season and re-assess whether to do another half ironman in the new year.

Thankyou all for your sweet comments and well wishes about the race. I truly am grateful for each and every one, and I am so pleased that I was able to share my training (and race!) experience with you.

Happy Baking :)