Ironman Arizona

Well, this blog is a bit late... but better late than never! Post-Ironman has been a whirlwind of honeymooning, traveling for work, catching up on all the things I couldnt ever get to pre-Ironman, Christmas shopping, & skate skiing! I am sure I will dedicate a blog entirely to skate skiing- my new obsession, but for the moment, I will focus on my Ironman race recap!
A few years ago, my friend Michelle made the comment that she wanted to do an Ironman before she turned 30. Now at the time, I thought I'd never do one. At that time, I had no desire to do one. Well... a lot can change in a few years, I can tell you that! Marrying my husband & his constant nagging me to 'woman up' led us to picking an Ironman in 2009. For one year, I got to mentally prepare myself for this thing- and honestly, the entire time, there were plenty of doubts that I would be able to finish. Knowing in Nov 09' that in one year my life would be completely different (living possibly in Canada, married, working a new position that would require x amount of time, etc) was daunting, esp knowing what sort of commitment an Ironman should be given. I can DEFINITELY say, Simon & I did NOT put in the time we should have! Our work schedules, getting married, and moving in together took much more time than we initially anticipated- which obviously ate into Ironman training time... whoops. We swam a grand total of about 6 times leading up to the Ironman, didnt bike over 75 miles EVER. The last month grew particularly cold in Canada- which meant what little bike riding we were doing (1 time a week on Saturday, sometimes) turned into zero times outside, and a few 40 minute trainer rides... riding the trainer is NOT a particularly enjoyable task- just ask Simon!
Anyway, the point I am trying to make is- we really didnt train what we should have. I know that now, and I know exactly what I need to do to go much faster in Kona! Luckily, now that I know what to expect, I can better prepare, which is already a starting point. Secondly, Kona is a month and a half prior to IMAZ, so the weather should still be nice, which will allow for training outside. Bottom line, next year is going to be amazing- buckle on the ol' chin strap kids, its gonna be a wild ride!! :) Now to the race report:
Swim: Well, the water was FREEZING! 59 degrees, and about 50 something outside, meant it was pretty darn cold! We also had to tread water for 12 minutes waiting for the canon to go off. We had to be in the water 2 minutes before the Pros took off, and then we had another 10 minutes to wait for our start. The announcer was great though, yelling and getting the crowd amp'd was a definite temporary mind clearer... then you start thinking about how freaking cold the water is! I lost Simon right before we had to line up to jump into the water, and was afraid I was going to start this day without a Good Luck to my man... I searched and searched, but couldnt find him, and in the water it was even more difficult. Luckily, he found me!! I got to wish him luck, and shortly thereafter, the canon blasted and we were off!! The swim was definitely rougher than expected. Normally, I am the one avoiding blows from people, today- I got kicked and wacked right in the eyes, several times- I had a nice bruise on my eye that lasted the entire day.. it was swollen for two days after- luckily, it didnt turn blue!! Anyway, rough swim- and I just kept myself above water, trying to stay with a group of men that kept me honest in my pace. I came out, and felt pretty good about the swim, but didnt look at my watch, I was too busy trying to keep my balance!
I transitioned to the bike, and the prevailing thought I had was 'Holy Crap my feet are FROZEN!' The transition was long from the swim exit to the bike racks, and my feet felt like they were on fire! It took a good 15 minutes to start to feel my feet again!
The bike was full of surprises! Yes, the obvious- was it was 112 miles.. something we didnt even get near during training.. this was a mistake, we know that now- but cant do anything about that on race day, so ride on I did. The bike was TREMENDOUSLY WINDY! We had 30mph constant wind gusts coming head on, or cross-wind the entire bike. It was a 3 loop bike, so there was one 2-3mi segment that we actually had a tail wind, beyond that- it was never ending.. the nice thing I kept thinking was 'Well, this will make Kona easy!' Knowing the cross winds in Kona are legend, I definitely knew this could be good preparation! Several women were blown off the course, and I passed a few guys that were blown off too! I felt horrible the first 2 loops on the bike. I needed to go to the bathroom BADLY, and I didnt realize how much it was making me uncomfortable/slower until I finally stopped and went to the bathroom at the end of the second bike loop. After that it was much better!! I kept looking for Simon, knowing he was closing on me after the 1st loop, and a little closer on the second. By the 3rd loop, I figured any minute I would hear his voice right behind me, but at the turn around... no Simon. A few minutes later, no Simon. Finally, about 10 minutes after the final turn around, I realized something must have happened, I should have seen him by now- there was no way he was that far behind me.... then, I saw him- about 20 minutes after the turn around point. I knew by the look on his face that he flatted! It really stinks! He was poised to pass me, and I was actually looking forward to doing the rest of the race with him, but he flatted! I knew I had to keep on, and that I would have to do this solo :( So I finished the bike leg, and realized the wind, and severe lack of training took a lot more out of me than it should have! I knew this marathon was going to hurt BAD! But I also knew that I had a finish line to make, 16:59 if that's what it takes, but finish I would!
I had a few girls pass me on the bike that were in my age group, so I figured I was completely out of qualifying for Kona. (Or I thought I did, but in retro- I was a loop ahead) Regardless, this race wasnt about qualifying for Kona- this race was about finishing an Ironman. Whether I was 1st or last, I WANTED to get to wear the M Dot, I wanted to do something I didnt think I was physically capable of doing- just to see... and mostly, I wanted to join the Ironman group of my friends who had already done one before me. I wanted to finish and get to be an Ironman with my husband!
The run for me was painful. As I was under-trained for the bike, I had to give a lot more than I should have- which it turn was taxing on my run. My feet hurt BAD, I knew I was gonna have mega blisters, but walk or crawl, I was gonna finish this race! I had two more girls pass me on lap two, so about half way through lap 2- knowing I was about 5th or 6th, I started walking all the aid stations. I figured I had no real reason to push it that bad, as I wasnt going to get a Kona spot, and I was all alone- no Simon. Then, on the back side of lap 2, in an area I started calling 'No Mans Land' because it was a stretch of almost 1.5 miles of no one. No cheerleaders, just a big hill and mountains. Very peaceful- if you arent mid marathon, I'm sure! But who do I start running with? Chris Lieto. I passed him, he passed me. We both knew we were in a tough place, and we needed someone to just run next to. So we did.. until we crested the top of the hill and he couldnt go anymore, so I took off and gave him the 'almost done' look. Funny, not many times in one's life can they say they out ran a Pro like Chris Lieto, but that's my one.. and I'm holding on to it! :) My last loop was pure adrenaline. I was so excited to finally be crossing the bridges, the sidewalks, and 'No Mans Land' for the last time. The final 3 miles are just amazing. The noise from the crowd was so amazing. I was watching the sunset off in the distance, and was happy that I beat my stretch goal for the day: Beat the Sun! I rounded the last two left hand turns, and the final stretch before you see the carpet is the most amazing feeling in the world. Words cannot express that sensation. Seeing the bleechers full of people... hearing the screams, seeing the lights, and wait for it... the words I was waiting to hear for the past year, 'Jennifer Vaillancourt, you are an IRONMAN!'
I tell you, there are two times in my life I have felt this rush when waiting for an announcer, the 1st and most special was Gilles saying in broken English 'May I now present to you Mr. & Mrs. Simon Vaillancourt' and the second was this. I knew that was what the announcer would say, I knew it was the immortal phrase uttered at every Ironman, and I had heard it said on the first televised Ironman I watched many years before. I was waiting for it, and I was so unbelieveably thrilled and humbled by it when it came. That run leading up to the finish line, I've heard my friends say all sorts of things- they went blank, they cried, they thought of loved ones, they forgot the pain, etc. I thought of it all: I thought of my family (present & watching on the internet) my coworkers watching back in Canada, my friends watching on Ironmanlive, I thought of my Noles- which prompted the action we've all done thousands of times- that will be a part of me until the day I die, the CHOP!, I thought how fortunate I am to be able to do something like this- to believe there is a distinct possibility I wont be able to finish something- and to be able to prove yourself wrong, that is.... an amazing amazing feeling! To challenge yourself to the Nth degree, and realize you now join an elite group of people who call themselves, Ironman. If I never do another Ironman again, I will have done one. :)
I immediately found my parents as I walked the finish shoot, and the catchers handed me off to big hugs from my parents. I was so glad to see them! I heard their screams all day long, I saw their special message flash up on the Inspiration mile sign around mile 4. I was so glad they were here for this. My entire life, they were always my biggest fans, win, lose, or draw. They were there as much as they could be, and for that I will always be grateful. The pain was amazing. I couldnt stand, sit, or lay comfortably. I got a quick massage, to try and aid the lactic acid, but I dont think it did much. Then, we waited for Simon. It was a little bit before we saw him, as he lost a lot of time on the bike (due to the flat) and then lost a lot of motivation on the run. But true to Ironman, he finished. He thought about dropping out, and he very well could have- but he knew I would have given him hell if he did, and he kept on. Now, he can call himself a 3 time Ironman. I fear the day he gets a race without technical difficulties, he is going to FLY!
So the race came to an end. I saw Simon come through the finisher tent, and met him with a huge hug! We were now officially on our honeymoon! We would get one more surprise when we got back to the hotel room, as when we logged on to IronmanLive to get our official times, I saw a #2 next to my name... Wait, what!?!?! I could have sworn 3 girls passed me on the run... but alas, they were on lap 1, and I was on my 2nd...
So the next day, I accepted my Kona slot, surprised as all get out, but thrilled that I get to go to Kona & commited to actually giving it a full training prep that the Big Island deserves. I am excited, as I know now what needs to be done to go much faster, and excited that I know what I have in me! Kona is gonna be great. And luckily I have my husband to train beside me. Even though he wont be in the race with me, he will be there every step of the way- so it will be like he is racing.
And Mom- you finally get to go to Hawaii!!! :)

Atlantic Canada Review

So... this is a LOOOONG overdue blog post, as I took my first Atlantics work trip back in July, but I took a second work trip the second week of August- so naturally, I figured I would eventually review the Atlantics as a whole- which makes things easier, but considering I just finished my wedding blog (and let's be honest, that takes precedent) this one took a back seat.
Newfoundland
Well.. I have to say, I found my second home. Being that I am very proud to say I was born and raised in the great beach community of Pensacola, FL, and minus the hurricanes and poor economy that has everyone in the dumps- my city normally has some of the nicest people you will find. More characteristically, there is a laid back personality, that you find. I have to say, of all the places I have traveled around the world, I have never been able to duplicate that 'small town feeling' quite like my P'cola home- until I landed in St. Johns Newfoundland! The people are decendents of Irish and Scottish settlers, which leads to a mixed and BEAUTIFUL accent which is a hybrid of the two. The second you hear a Newfoundlander speak (which by the way, they pronounce it Newfunlan) it is a distinct accent that is both appealing to hear, and memorable. The people are half of what makes this place so great. They are genuinely NICE people! The drive down the streets and the horn in the car is used to honk at someone you know, not in the manner that we traditionally use it. Oh, and EVERYBODY knows EVERBODY in this city. If Cheers is the bar where everybody knows your name, then St. John's is the city where everybody knows your name. There is a famous band (known across Canada, and now making it in the US) called Great Big Sea, and they are AMAZING! Their music gets you up and dancing, and the crowds at their concerts are lulled into a happy go lucky attitude that can be found all over the island. Newfoundlanders spread happy, period.
So the other 50% of Newfoundland's charm, is the scenic landscape. Absolutely beautiful! It is the farthest eastern point of North America, so a short 360+ miles off the coast is where Titantic went down. (Marked by a sign on top of Signal hill). The landscape is rolling, with several climate changes as your drive along the coast. This small fishing community has exploded over the years, many people coming from all over, and choosing not to leave. They are visited by whales every summer (approx mid of July to Aug 1st) for mating season, before the pods of humpbacks go south to the Dominican Republic (Far yes, I thought so too) for the winter. These whales were AMAZING to see up close! There were several large males, but one particularly MASSIVE one... absolutely stunning to see! He was larger, much much larger than our 35+ft boat.. and I only saw HALF of him. We also saw 1 Sperm whale (think Pinoccio whale). What amazes me about these creatures, is they actually put on a show for us. They know when the boats come out into the harbor, and they come alive showing their tales, and swimming around excitedly. As the boat went back in... the whales essentially disappeared.
I was also impressed to hear about a holiday in the end of July called Regatta day. Essentially, Regatta day does not fall on a specific day per say, but a week. The have it typically on a Wednesday... unless the weather is bad, then they roll it to Thursday, and so on and so forth (week day only) until they get a gorgeous day where everyone goes outside to the lake for regatta races! The holiday is marked by a large horn that sounds across St. Johns, notifying everyone that they are not to go to work today, that today is Regatta Day!! How cool is that? You get a 'go outside and socialize in the sun day' and best of all, its a surprise! The whole city shuts down and enjoys the day!!
Finally, my highlight of the trip was being 'screeched in' which is a ritual in Newfoundland. It is a 'right of passage' to becoming an official Newfoundlander, by saying the creed, kissing a cod, and taking a shot of screech rum. Definitely a sweet way to be inducted into a community! I love Newfoundland!
New Brunswick
To be honest, after Newfoundland, I didnt give New Brunswick the chance to be cool. I wasnt that impressed with the southern half of the Province, save for the Bay of Fundy- which is a natural wonder in itself, as the water goes in and out of the Bay of Fundy and can drop more than 25ft when the tide goes out! Very cool to see, but that about sums up my 'favorites' of NB. I did however, miss getting to go up to the NE corner of New Brunswick, where the Acadien population lives.. the Acadiens were the group of people who were exiled from Canada, and who later migrated to New Orleans. This is why the Creole language has influences from French. The Acadian language is a cross between English & French called Chiac, and Creole is a further breakdown from that! Missed this part of the Province, and truth be told- this is where I wanted to go, but business kept me down south. The Acadians are a very proud group of people, with a unique language and accent I wanted to hear myself!
Nova Scotia
Need to go back! I didnt get to review Halifax to the extent that I wanted to... stay tuned for a good report in 2011. I have been told since I loved St. John's so much, I will love Halifax!
Prince Edward Island
The land of potatoes!! No really, most of Canada's potatoes come from PEI! This place was great! And the potatoes were amazing. I definitely believe that native food tastes best where it comes from, and PEI potatoes are no exception. The island is also know for its seafood, in particular lobster, but I cannot eat lobster, so you'll have to try that one out for yourself. The island is pancake flat, but like all of Canada, gets snow in the winter. Fishing and potatoes are what PEI is known for, and we went on a fishing trip the last day in PEI.. which was the shortest fishing trip on earth (approx 45 minutes) as the swells were so bad over half our group got sea sick- myself included! I did catch 3 fish in 15 minutes though, so it wasn't a complete wash! Our group also learned how to chuck oysters, but since I am allergic, I was the judge of the best chucked oyster, since I cannot touch!
So in a nutshell, if you are planning a trip out to the Atlantics (Maritimes, as it is called in NB) I fully endorse NFLD, as it was the most amazing place I have been to! (outside of Quebec of course!) Time it so you can hopefully see the whales, or go in the winter when the whale watching boat tours convert to iceberg exploration tours (already looking forward to this!) as St. John's is notorious for getting large icebergs floating over from Greenland. (And it all makes you wonder if only Titanic had been sailing the part between Greenland & NFLD during the day...) the seafood is incomparable, and the people make the trip even more amazing.