The next mountain to climb… the Desert Half Ironman in
Literally, this is a mountain to climb. The first part of the bike leg is the 11km climb up Richter’s Pass, the signature hill portion of the Ironman Canada course. Now, for those of us who are used to cycling up
Actually, most people say that Richter's Pass is not as tough as advertised when they first ride the course. Well, in reality, it isn’t, but that is not the problem it presents during the Ironman. The bike ride really shouldn’t be tearing us up in training, or on race day for that matter. It’s the cumulative effect of the swim AND bike that lead to how you feel when you start the run. I remember this well, as my back was so tight, and my legs completely fatigued, after finishing the ride in 2002 that the mere THOUGHT of running a marathon was enough to frighten the living daylights out of me. So, did Richter's Pass "kill me"? No, but the cumulative effect of that hill, with the rollers after, left me quite wasted for the final climb up to Yellow Lake, and that is where I suffered. I aim not to have that same experience this time around.
And that’s what we’re training for on the bike. We’re not training to have a Lance Armstrong performance on one day… We’re training to make our bike ride strong enough to leave us ready to run a marathon. Gaining 10 minutes by tearing up my legs racing up Richter’s Pass will probably cost me 20-30 minutes in walking time on the run. It’s a delicate balance that must be achieved, which is why doing a race or two of Half Ironman distance or greater ahead of time affords the opportunity to really work on the pacing, and to learn how my body will react to a long distance run afterwards.
This is probably why some of the single sport afficianados of running, biking or swimming, tend to have a somewhat disdainful approach to triathletes, since we're really not trying to become experts at each discipline for the most part, but trying instead to learn how to balance all three together and get the best result without sacrificing one or the other. It's a multi-discipline sport, not a single sport. It's true that Ironman training will help you swim, bike and run better, but if you want to become truly solid in one of those sports, you have to focus on it pretty much exclusively. I know as a marathon runner, it is tough to plan for a personal best on a marathon when I am running three days a week. I am getting the fitness, but the fine details of running 5-6 days/week are lost. It's the sacrifice I am making to become a better Ironman competitor. Much like an ultra-marathon runner might be sacrificing his or her marathon or half marathon times by running a lot of long distance at medium endurance efforts, and doing very little in speed work or short tempo runs.
And now some thoughts on racing:
While I enjoy about the training process, in that I enjoy preparing and building my strength and endurance, nothing substitutes getting out there and racing. It’s the whole thing I enjoy. Waking up at 4:30am just as the light is starting to come up outside, starting up some oatmeal or eating a banana just to make sure you get something in your system quickly, even though it seems you just get it “out of your system” an hour later… Then the adrenaline starts to kick in as you get to the race site, setting up the transition area, watching out for all the other athletes that day. You try your best to joke around with other racers, and socialize with each other in a friendly way, but we all know that each of us is in our own world right now, focused on what we each need to do in order to have everything set up properly and appropriately.
I always rack my bike and make a first trip to the washroom. Because of nerves and such, I tend to know I’ll have to go at least once, if not more, so I get in line as soon as possible, as the line tends not to be that long for the washrooms right away. It’s the half hour before the race starts that things get a little congested. Some people I see taking warm up jogs and I think that’s okay for an Olympic distance race, but for anything longer, I feel I am going to be getting enough running and leg movement throughout the day so I don’t warm up that way. Actually, I am learning to rely on using my swim as a pseudo warm up for the bike anyway.
Ah yes, there just is something about racing that gets you nervous, excited, self-doubting and proud all at the same time. I think it’s good to race logically and not to do it every single weekend, of course, but I think being a consistent participant helps ease the nerves a little, as you start to rely on experience and good sense instead of being pulled into watching every single other competitor and trying to mimic their patterns. After a few races, you start to develop good habits and processes of your own, and don’t “need” the input of other neurotic racers on the day of the race to validate or question your preparation.
In the end, Ironman is probably 50% preparation and 50% fitness. More than anything, the preparation makes you comfortable, relaxed and steady as you get to the start line. It really means that, when the clock hit’s 6:59 (one minute before race start time in most cases), you really have done everything you can do to get ready, and you know it. The only thing left to do now is get started…
Back to now… Yesterday I “got back on the bike”, so to speak. After the DNF of Sunday, I felt I needed to get back on that bike and go for a short ride to make my peace with my riding. I went for a relatively easy hour around Spanish Banks and UBC, and came back after being able to think through some frustrations of the day. I think I am discovering, more and more, that riding is a good way to get out and work out some questions or thoughts that are preoccupying me. I have previously turned to strictly running, my bread and butter, but now it is riding. Something about being on a bike and getting some speed going, pushing a hill and riding a downhill, makes me feel centered again.
I will be hitting yoga tomorrow morning and I have a 60 minute run and a 2500 meter swim tonight. Of course originally this was to be a planned recovery week, but obviously that is not necessary anymore. It’s business as usual and time to kick it into high gear.
I'm a little James Joyce "stream of consciousness" in my thinking today...
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