At the sound of the horn, I dash 25 meters towards Hubble Lake for the start of the Great White North Triathlon. It is my first half Ironman, and I have to swim 2 km, bike 90 km, and run 21 km. In previous years I competed in shorter Olympic distances but this year I decided to challenge myself and compete in a longer race. I still have illusions of competing in the Penticton Ironman, making a half Ironman a good stepping stone to prepare for a race of that distance.
As I rush toward the water I am surrounded by hundreds of other competitors, each having a goal for the race. The goals range from winning the race to just wanting to finish; however, most competitors are testing their fitness level and have a specific time they’d like to achieve. My goal is to complete the race in less than six hours, making it the longest endurance race I have competed in.
My preparation for the race started the previous day when I packed all my gear into a sports bag to save time in the morning. For the swim, I needed to bring goggles, a swimsuit, and a swimming cap. (I wished I had a wetsuit because its buoyancy would help me to swim faster). I also brought biking shorts, a shirt, a helmet, biking gloves, and biking socks and shoes. For the run, I only required running shoes and a hat. The last supplies I needed to pack were a water bottle, a towel, and energy gels. I then mounted my bike to the car and made sure I had a spare tire in case I had a puncture during the race. Once all my gear was packed, I ate a meal loaded with carbohydrates to build up a store of glycogen for an energy supply during the race. I then headed to bed early, since I had to get up early the next morning.
It is a beautiful morning when I arrive at Hubble Lake, with a clear blue sky, but it is already getting hot. The forecast calls for a high close to 30 C. I check-in at the registration table and proceed to the transition area and lay out my gear next to my bike. The transition area is a secure area where I change into my biking clothes after the swim to start the biking portion of the race. I’ll return there after the bike to park my bike and change into my running clothes for the last event of the race. I must have all gear beside my bike in an organized manner so that I waste very little time transitioning from one event to another. At the elite level, competitors who transition the fastest often win the race. At my level, I can shave minutes off my time. After I have my gear organized, I take off my sweats and walk to the beach for the start of the race.
When I get to the beach I wade out into the water to get wet and then find a place to stand along the start line that runs parallel to the beach. The fastest swimmers stand near the center, so they have the least distance to swim to the first buoy. I find a spot off to the side, as not to slow down the faster swimmers. I am anxious to get the swim portion over with because it’s my least favorite part of a triathlon.
Preparing for the swim in Hubble Lake
When the horn sounds I run as far out into the water as I can before I dive in. When I surface to take my first breath I’m surrounded by other swimmers frantically thrashing the water to get a good start. It is impossible to avoid getting kicked and clawed as every competitor wants to break away from the pack into open water where it is easier to navigate. If I don’t swim fast, the swimmer from behind literally swims over me, pushing me under the water as he passes. I also have to worry about my goggles getting kicked or ripped off. The most troublesome part is I end up swallowing a lot of water in the commotion as I gasp for air. I feel panicky, wondering if I am going to get another breath so that I don’t drown.
Fortunately, I don’t have my goggles ripped off and eventually the swimmers spread out and I find myself in a group of other swimmers swimming at the same pace towards the first buoy. I can now settle into a rhythm where I can easily breathe.
The swim course is an out and back, marked by two large red buoys. I am happy that I can swim behind another swimmer. Following another swimmer helps me swim faster because I don’t have to lift my head above water to navigate, and I can also use his draft to pull me along. Unfortunately, at the turnaround, I can’t maintain the pace and fall behind and have to navigate the rest of the course on my own. This isn’t good because I wander off course for a portion of the swim. I wish there were lines at the bottom of Hubble Lake, like in a swimming pool, so that I can swim in a straight line without constantly lifting my head.
Despite swimming off course, I finish the swim with a good time. As I exit the water and start running to the transition area, I am relieved the swim is over and am pumped to get on my bike.
Transitioning from swimming to biking takes time, but at least I don’t have to worry about removing a tight-fitting wetsuit. I start by putting on my biking shorts over my swimsuit. Some competitors save time and bike only in their swimsuits, but I want some padding for a 90 km ride. After I have dressed in the rest of my biking clothes, I run with my bike through the transition area to the designated start line. Much like the swim, the start of the biking event is chaotic because of the congestion. Once I have run over the start line, I can mount my bike and start pedaling.
Transitioning to the bike at a previous triathlon
I love the biking event: it is my strongest event and I like the speeds I can achieve during the race. On a steep downhill, it is possible to reach speeds of over 60 km/hr, which is as exhilarating as a roller coaster ride. I enjoy catching and passing riders who are better swimmers, and it isn’t long before I caught the swimmer who exited the transition area before me.
The race is going well, except my bladder is bursting from the water I swallowed during the swim and I have to urinate. I don’t want to stop, so I urinate while riding my bike and rinse off using my water bottle. It’s something I am embarrassed to admit, but urinating during the bike is not an uncommon practice during a triathlon. If you ever compete in one and see some spray coming off the rear tire of a bike, I suggest you move to the side.
As I near the end of the bike, I start preparing for the run. It has been hot, so I drink the rest of my water so that I don’t become dehydrated during the run. I also suck on a couple of energy gels, before I dismount and run with my bike into the transition area.
The transition from biking to running doesn’t take long because all I do is rack my bike, put on my running shoes, grab my hat and start running. The hard part is trying to run after biking for close to three hours. Your legs are fatigued and it is difficult to switch from a pedaling motion to a running motion. To prepare for this part of the race, I did bricks during my training. A brick involves doing a biking workout, followed immediately by a quick run. It took some willpower, but after a few hundred meters I was running at my race pace.
Returning from the bike at Woody’s Triathlon in Red Deer
At the start of the run, I check my time. I am doing well and finished the bike sooner than expected! If I can run the half-marathon in under two hours, I will achieve my goal of finishing the race in under six hours. The problem, however, is the heat. It wasn’t as noticeable on the bike because my sweat could evaporate easily, keeping me cool. As I start running, I realize the heat has sapped a lot of my energy, and I wish I went slower on the bike.
There is no hiding from the heat during a run. To make matters worse is the humidity is high because of recent rains. I walk through all the water stations and drink Gatorade to make sure I don’t get dehydrated and start cramping. I pour water over my head, but the high humidity prevents the water from evaporating, so I get little relief from the heat.
Finishing the run at the Great White North Triathlon
I thought I would never make it but I finally cross the finish line. It took me well over two hours to run the half-marathon distance. I am exhausted and covered with salt from my perspiration. After finishing the race in extreme heat, I am reconsidering if I want to compete in the Penticton Ironman which is held during the hottest month of the year. All I want now is for Michelle to drive me home so that I can shower and clean up and have a cold beer.
One Last Kick 