Welland Half IM Race Report

This was my third half IM this season.  I almost was not going to do this race because I felt unprepared.  My training hasn't been going well and I was in the middle of changing coaches.  I decided to do this race as a training day.  Being a local race, I didn't do the normal pre-race things I do for big races.  I worked til Friday night so I came off work Saturday morning and had to do a short turnaround to race on Sunday morning.  We also had to drive 1:40min to get to the race site so it meant a very early morning.  I woke up at about 4:50am, ate breakfast, took a shower and got ready for my ride.  Race start time was 8:30am

Swim: 32:48: This swim was a full 2km as oppose to the usual 1.9km.  I just got into a rhythm once the swim started.  I started far out and clear of the group and had little contact during the swim.  I swam on my own for most of it.  I tried to hook onto feet to draft from but those feet died off and I was swimming on my own again.  I was pleased with the swim, I definitely got faster in the water this year and I am quite happy with that.

                                     

Out of the swim my friend Terri was out there to cheer me on!  What a fantastic job she did...she was awesome!  There was a long run to T1 which took me 2:13 and then I once again fumbled around in transition and took 1:31...I really have to work on this transition business!

Bike: 2:52:38: Once I was on the bike I just wanted to go steady but also wanted to break 3hrs.  The course was an out and back and pretty flat.  Going out on the bike I tried to stay 30-32km/hr and ate every 15min or so.  I quickly found the bike course to be boring.  I like the challenges of hills and winds, although it was a bit windy today, it was nothing like Hawaii.  I had to force myself to focus a few times to keep pushing the ride.  There was some drafting out there too which was a bit discouraging.  Another tough thing about a flat course is that you have to keep pedalling.  No rest breaks when descending, it was pedal, pedal, pedal!  And staying in aero for so long made my left shoulder very sore.  I at least managed to average 31.3km/hr on the bike.  I was trying out new shoes today as well and I think I like them!  They are the Shimano TR-70 and besides having a rock in my left shoe, they were pretty comfortable!

                                                                       
Run: 2:18:55: Ugh!  This run sucked!  I was very disappointed with the run!  My run was slower than the Hawaii 70.3 run and Hawaii was sooo much more harder of a run.  This run was fairly flat or so I thought.  But I think the humidity did me in.  I did not realize how humid it was out there but I did feel like an aid station every 2km was almost not enough.  I started the run feeling ok.  But probably around 6km I started to struggle and then it was a fight to keep going.  I was also trying out new running shoes which maybe I shouldn't have done.  I tried to run in the Zoots Ultra 2.0 and I am undecided about how I like them.  I did end up with 2 blue toenails after the run...both on the third toe of each foot.  I just wanted to stop at the side of the road and end my day.  But I fought with myself and tried to count to keep my mind focused rather than let negative thoughts in.

Finish: 5:49:10....a new PB for me by about 45sec!  I can for sure improve on this time with the run I had and I will be looking forward to Steelhead 70.3 to do this!  At least I will be more in race mode than for this race.  I am also quite sore now.  Special thanks to Terri and Shari for coming out and cheering me on!!!  You guys were fantastic and put a big smile on my face!  And thanks to the volunteers....even though you gave me a bottle of Infinite on the bike when I called for water....haha!  I wasn't too thrilled with that.  Great day but tough at the same time.  I did have fun though!