RACE DAY - 25th August, 2002
Sound track: Stravinsky, Dance Concertantes, 1st Mov, March

3.86km/2.4m Swim - 180.2km/112m Bicycle - 42.2km/26.2m Run

Stephen's Trip to Penticton (BC)
for IronMan 2002 - (Part 4)

News from the Serenelli's Gipsy Caravan (Mobile Office)...

Hi to all...

I am ready to let you know how my race day went.

It all started at 3:00 am in my camper van... as my alarm woke me up and I could hear the rain outside... I picked out and the sky was really black. That was good news as it had been very hot all week. I was going to have a cool race. I got breakfast out of the way (my usual cereal and marmalade toasts) and headed to the start area. I did check again my gear and my bike and found few more things to do.

Then started to look around at people and bikes. Both of them in very large selection of look and feel. There were participants of all ages from teens to the seventies. I have never seen so many different bikes. It was all a competition on the weirdest frame or accessory. My bike looked a little out of place being a very classical look with a touring handlebar bag... but I felt so good when I was easily able to pass some super high tech bikes. :-)

After changing in my wet suit it was time for warm up in the water. After Waskesiu Lake any water is warm. As I was warming up I tried a few strokes of freestyle and it felt real good, but when the gun sounded the start... I just could not resist to do the familiar back stroke. As you can see in the photo, as many swimmers had already left and pasted the first few hundred meters, many had not even started... me included.

Let me tell you that 3.8km or 2.4miles are long... I managed to find a comfortable pace and stick to it. I would keep my eyes focused on the coming swimmers to keep sense of direction but as soon as they would pass me (the large majority did - only about 15 did not) I had to visualize other coming swimmers... and on and on. In the end I could only rely on the 15 left.

I was so focused in the swim repeating to myself that I would make it within the max time allowed... and I did it... 1 hour and 49 min... I still had 31 min to spare. :-)

I kept swimming until an helper on a kayak shouted at me that I could walk. Since I was back stroking I could not see that I was almost ashore, about 15 feet from the swimming finish line. A sense of joy was allover me, smiling from ear to ear. I had won my greatest enemy, the water (thanks to Greg Sylvester that two years ago showed me the basics of swimming). I was feeling the joy of the winner even if I was the 1995th swimmer out of the water out of 2005 that made it in the max time. Last but not dead last. ;-)

Crossing a lady swimmer in the run on the sand to the transition area I exchanged with her my joy... she was in pain and could not share it. Whenever you think you are doing bad...remember to look around.

A volunteer helped me getting changed into my cycling gear... and after 9 min I was out on my bike. Transitions are still not my fastest act. Average time of participants was 2/3min.

Once on the road I was repeating to myself that it was a long way and to slow down... but still I kept passing people, especially on up hills. Muscle memory was allowing me to do good especially on up hills. I had only done 300 km training in about 5/6 bike outings (thanks to Darcy Kruger for those outings).

My bike time was 6 hours and 41 min for 180km or 112miles. I stopped on the way only once because my chain came off. I would pick up Gatorade bottles every few water stations. I discovered that lime is the flavor that agrees with me best. In the 6 hours I drunk about six bottles.

By mid cycling the sky had open up and it was getting hot. I chewed a couple of power bars at the beginning and after that all I wanted from the water stations was "grape". This is another great discovery.

I never checked my time on the course but simply read the mileage signs posted every 5 miles... this is Canada. Why have they used miles instead of km ? All I know is that my metric upbringing would continually read the values as km. On the bike this is possible because of the speed and this is a great moral support... you are almost there, a useful lie. ;-)

A wasp managed to get stuck in my helmet and stung me in the process. I was riding most of the way along apple trees. The famous Okanagan valley apples... and wasps. ;-)

There where spectators cheering us all the way...that you where first or last...

Once I got off the bike I realized that my bike cramps would not allow me to run... so I used the facilities to the max (thanks to Mark Nagy for the tip). I headed for the massage tent and got an excellent service, then still wearing my cycling gear I dip myself into an hot tub. You can easily immagine that my transition time reached new heights... 29 min.... the most pleasant minutes of all race. ;-)

Then I was ready to run....and off I go. Immediately a passed people and kept doing so all the way to half way. At my 9th mile I met Maureen Strathdee (thanks to Maureen for the hug and reassurance on my swimming at the bike parking lot few minutes before the start). She was on her 17th running mile and looking good. I runned the entire marathon on Pepsi on the rocks. It was the only thing I could push down. In the second part of the marathon the bike cramps where back and no massage tent was in sight. I was going slower and slower. I will never know exactly how much because again I did not check my time. This is my first ever race done only on how I felt and not on a timed pace.

At mile 23 I regroup myself and found new energy... I still don't know from where... maybe the idea of the hot tub waiting played a role. ;-)

The course would take you right to the finish line just to make you turn for another km out and back to offer view of the athletes to the numerous spectators. That last km going away from the finish line was the worst of the course. The final km with the finish line in sight was wonderful. By then was dark, it was almost 9:00 pm. Then I remember the last 100 mt as you cross the finish line. I sped up my pace... not really my usual sprint, but the best I could do.

I was an "IronMan". My run time was 4 hours and 46 min for 42km or 26miles. To date my slowest marathon but also a very special one. My total time was 13 hours and 55 min and 19 sec.

Two lady volunteers took good care of me and where at my complete disposal. ;-)

I needed their help to stay on my feet. All I wanted was Pepsi... by the gallon. I had no appetite after almost 14 hours of continuous effort... well this includes 30 min of leisure tub dipping. ;-)

Then I had a full massage treatment and more hot tub...still sipping cold Pepsi. After about 3 more hours my stomach was working again and ready for Chinese food.

The last finisher came in at 16 hours and 55 min... after that more participants where coming in but since the 17 hours limit was reached their time was not recorded. The winner of the race came in just before the end of my bike.

Today I got up after a nice deep sleep. I am feeling good and this surprises me first. I did not attempt a run this morning not even a gentle one like I usually do... just easy walk... and went for more massages. As I am writing this I am parked by the beach where I did my swim... and ponder on the fact that I did it. :-)

Would I do this race again ? Not in the near future. I feel that I don't have anymore the drive that I used to for cycling, and you spend most of the race time on a saddle.

I will be quite happy to continue with Waskesiu and maybe a half IronMan... it is running the excites me now... speaking of which I have a marathon coming next Sunday in Saskatoon... after the IronMan... everything will be a lot easier. :-)

I like to dedicate this race to my late wife Cora... she was a great swimmer and because of my scare of the water was something we never did together... but also the bike in honour of all the adventures we shared on the two wheels. And the run as a statement of my new life since her departure.

Now if anyone of you can think of something that you believe you can't do, I would like to invite you to think again. :-)

Happy running to all.

Stephen :-)

• Thursday 22, 2002   -   (part 1)
• Friday 23, 2002   -   (part 2)
• Saturday 24, 2002   -   (part 3)