Hypothermia is a *itch! IMLP Race Report
Hey Ladies! Thanks to all of you for your encouragement along the way. I'll start with the obvious fact that I did not finish. At around 10pm, I was out on the run and it started to pour down some very chilly rain! I'd been doing cautious walk/runs because of a knee problem, and after the rain hit I got too cold and couldn't keep any kind of decent pace. I was going along with two other women, but my legs just weren't moving right, and pretty soon I was seeing them 100 yards ahead. I would run to catch up, and walk about ten steps before they were ahead of me again. At 11:34 pm, I looked at my watch and started calculating. Some how the past mile had taken me a half hour! My muscles were TOO cold. I had 3 miles left to go, and I knew that to make it I would have had to go the pace I would do that distance alone on a training day. Not to mention the biggest hill on the run course was in that stretch. So in the rain, shivering, wobbling, and barely keeping my eyes open I made the heartbreaking decision to call it a day.
The race support crew was right there (being the last runner on course sometimes has benefits), and put me in the truck and took me straight to medical. The minute I got there I collapsed, which tells me that my decision was for the best in the long run. My temp was 96 I think, so it was low, but could have been much worse. The medical staff were wonderful. Seriously! Its horrible to be lying on those cots, knowing what you've just missed out on. But the medical staff were kind and attentive, helpful...
All that being said I can back track to the rest of the race. The swim was beautiful! Mirror Lake deserves its name, and proves to be as calm as most pools. Coming out of the water I felt as good as when I got in. One thing I did have trouble with was Charlie Horses in my calves about 3/4 of the way through.
The bike course went really well the first lap. The hills are nice the first time around. The second time around they turn into something different. I know now that my hill climbing needs a lot of work. But the thing that really got me was the descent, 9 kilometers of it at one time! Normally the descent gives me a good chance to relax, but this time my neck and arms were taking a beating. Turns out I was the last cyclist allowed through transition, which means its miraculous that I made the cut off! I'll be putting a big focus on my muscular endurance and cycling for next time around.
Out on the run I felt really good. Not being in the saddle was a welcome change! And the first half went great, with good pacing, and pleasant weather. But after the sun went down it started to get cool, and the previously mentioned rain did me in.
I can't express how disappointed I am to have missed it by a mere three miles! But the flip side is that three miles is nothing, I know that I can do it. I just need to insure that next time (hopefully two years from now) I prepare better for the weather shifts that I know hurt me.
My brother finished just under 14 hours, which was great for him. His bike was amazing, (being a cyclist who decided that doing Ironman would be cool), his swim was great considering he learned to swim two months ago (yes, roll your eyes :P), and he was happy with his run.
My mum, finished 16:56, third to last official finisher. She, like me, struggled on the second lap of the bike. She felt her training had suffered from her recent move to a far less hilly part of Ontario from where she trained last time she did IMLP.
As for my aunt, she killed it, got 5th place in her age group, at 12:39.
Thanks again to you all for your words of encouragement. And I assure you that I will go for it again, and I know I am capable of doing it!:D
