Melissa Lowenberg's Kona Experience
I got a spot for the Ironman World Championships in Kailua Kona aka the Big Show, at Ironman Canada. When you get an opportunity like this in life, you've got to go for it. Maurice and I arrived about 8 days out and there was already a festive feel to the place. Various events begin the Saturday prior with a 3.8km supported Welcome Swim, the infamous Underwear Run, the Parade of Nations, the children's race, and then the Welcome Banquet. Vendors set up a trade show/retail expo and start hosting free events. You see uber fit people everywhere and you cannot help rubber neck the slick bikes rolling by. Part of the fun is spotting triathlon and cycling stars. I had an oblivious moment while standing beside Luke McKenzie before the Welcome Swim; I received a schooling on Chris Boardman's achievements from my friends at the SlowTwitch gathering; I spotted Ryder Hesjedal and we had a quick chat about Haleakala, and I had a shy moment when asking Chrissy [Wellington] if could I get a photo with her? And this is all before the race!
I, generally, love race day. All the hard training work is done and you can just have focused fun. I took a moment prior to the swim start while I was out there treading water to look around at the crowd, the helicopter flying overhead and thought that it resembled a scene from a Hollywood action movie. I positioned myself middle left not swimming the buoy line as much as aiming for the turn boat. I was a few rows back with some other ladies and I found this race to be much less physical than other IMC races, save one memorable incident. I found some feet that I could use until the turn and then tried to make up a bit more time on the way back. I remember passing the cousins - one cousin pulling the other in a dinghy as inspired by the Hoyts - and being amazed at the tenacity that feat would take.
I swam in as far as I could unlike others around me who had already stood up to walk. There are sea urchins and all kinds of things I did not want to step on! A volunteer helped with an unzip of the speed suit, a quick face rinse with one of the hanging hoses and then it's off to transition. The women's transition tent was quite a bit smaller than the men's and utter chaos. I had a volunteer to myself and my primary concern was getting her to apply sufficient sunscreen for the next 6 hours on my bike. I got to my bike and began to head out the corral. It's pretty hectic on the first section of the bike ride along the infamous Alii'i Drive. Racers have oodles of adrenaline and are still trying to get everything in order on their bikes, the spectators are right there cheering, throw in some sharp corners and no pass zones. This is not the spot to make a move…it's the time to be careful and ensure nothing silly happens. Patient pays off when you reach the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. Without our freezing winters, the tarmac looks like it was paved yesterday. It's a wide, long stretch where you can pass easily and focus on nutrition. I enjoyed a great tailwind and recall being pretty stoked about seeing 42km. on my Garmin. I was trying to make the most of it as I was pretty sure there was going to be some tough slogging on the way back!
I took a moment out on the bike to admire the lava fields and think how many times I'd seen these same shots in the magazines, and now I was here. What a lucky girl! There was also another celebrity spotting…I caught up to Hines Ward and his entourage. He had a motorcycle beside him with a cameraman on the back. I kind of felt sorry for the guy because if his entire day is on camera, well, we all know there is plenty about triathlon you don't want your office mates or great aunt to see.
My nutrition and hydration plan was going well and my stomach felt better than it has ever done at an Ironman distance race. I enjoyed the climb to Hawi but I was really shocked by the mass packs coming down. It looked like a Grand Fondo. For safety's sake, I supposed the Race Marshalls could not break it up but to someone who really tries to race clean (no drafting, blocking etc) it was a little disappointing. Well, I guess that's how those competitive guys and girls roll!
When I got to ride down the hill from Hawi, I spotted the cousins again. I could only think how tough she is to pull her cousin in a trailer and her cousin is a grown adult with her own hydration needs. Very inspiring. The ride back to Kailua Kona was as predicted: headwind, 34C and humid. While it was a record setting day for the pro women, the heat and the humidity takes it's toll on us mere mortals. I was happy to make it under 6 hours. During which time, I promised myself to work on my flexibility and getting a better aero position for next season.
The green astro turf in T2 was deadly slippery. Mental note: work on leaving bike shoes on bike. T2 tent was just as busy. I took the time to get coated in sunscreen again and to really dry my feet as I had poured numerous bottles of water on myself during the ride to help with cooling, I did not want blisters in the first 10 km. Just as with the bike, Alii'i Drive was motivating and fun. It was hard to keep my pace slow as you are spurred along my spectators and other racers. You eventually leave the festive area and head out again on the Queen K highway. It is rolling but pretty straight so you can see where you are going; there are few spectators out here so it seems really hot, long and slow. At the Natural Energy Lab, it did not feel noticeably hotter to me and I was quite frankly thrilled to get off the highway and make the turn around.
After the Natural Energy Lab, I really started to work. I picked up the pace. I did not walk the aid stations anymore. I felt like I had settled in and finally there was some progress. The last few miles of this race are full of people, music, and enthusiasm - it's easy to give it everything you've got left. At the end, there's a fragrant lei and the biggest race medal I have ever received. A post race massage, some snacks, and then I went out to Alii'i Drive to cheer on the other racers.
As with every Ironman race, the organization and volunteers were amazing. These folks were out on really hot tarmac for hours, dancing, cheering and having water bottles or garbage tossed at them - racing seems easy in comparison! It was a privilege to have the opportunity. A big shout out to my boyfriend and coach Maurice Maher; he made the plan and I executed it as well my great training friends who see you through the tough workouts.
See you at the pool, gym, ski trails, track, road - well, you get the picture.
Perry Grunenberg's Whistler IMC ExperienceRace Report of the Innagural Ironman Canada in Whistler, BC on August 25, 2013 by Perry Grunenberg. Perry is a Kamloops Triathlon Club member who trains with Maurice Maher of Multisport Solutions.
(Photo: from left to right, Wayne Little, Maurice Maher and Perry Grunenberg at the finish line of IMC Whistler)
I found all of the pre-race functions easy to go through, such as package pickup and pre-race meetings. In general - well organized. One issue is that all of the setup was held outdoors when the weather was not very warm, and at times wet.
There was some pre-race concern around having 2 different transition locations, with limited access to the swim site at Alta Lake. However, on race morning, going through body marking at around 5:15am at T2 went very smoothly, and taking the required bus down to the lake and T1 was not a problem, perhaps adding 10 minutes to my transit time from my room to the swim start area.
There were no bike pumps allowed in T1 on race morning, so lineups were long to get to the official pumps. I ended up finding a guy who sacrificed his personal pump and had a short lineup for that use. However, in the end I am not sure it was all that much faster. An extra 15 mins spent getting air due to not having my own pump.
I put on my wetsuit and walked into the shallow area of water to talk to one of the swim marshals. He suggested avoiding the near-shore start in favor of going over to the farthest side, farthest away from the shore. There did seem to be a large group forming along the shore, those that may not have been comfortable with a floating swim start, and it was expected to be a real washing machine area. I took his advice. I found only a few people were waiting just inside the Start buoy, including my nemesis Mark Shorter. I ended up on his feet right from the gun start, which would have been perfect if I hadn’t been knocked out of position after about 500m by a wide-arm swinging puncher that was causing me grief, and I was expending energy in the battle just to maintain position. The first corner was a mess since I was inside the course at that point and had to battle outward to make the turn legally. I found the course to be crowded and difficult from that point onward. I ended up slower than hoped, probably due to swimming all over the course in an effort to find a good draft without having to battle for position.
The crowding continued when going through T1. Not too bad finding my transit bag, which was in the allotted spot where I left it, but getting through the tent (which was mandatory) was not easy due to all the bodies laying around changing. I just yelled “make room”, ran through the tent, and changed outside at the exit end. I had room there, but my transition was still slower due to being held up in traffic. Same with my effort to run my bike from the transition exit to the mount area. It was too crowded to run, so I had to mostly walk.
In general the Bike course was way too crowded. I expect that for the first 60k or so the marshaling was more worried about head-on collisions and keeping bikes away from cars rather than drafting or other infractions. This was especially so for the Callaghan Valley section, where packs of bikes climbing were dangerously close to the center line, facing the downhill riders going over 70km/hr in places. So the motorbikes were riding up and down the centerline in order to keep the “up” riders separated from the “down” riders. For me, coming downhill I found that I had to use my brakes more than I would have liked, just due to nowhere to pass safely. Packs of riders were forming on both the up and down by the time I got to that part of the course. I also had to brake more than necessary on sections of the long downhills from Whistler to Pemberton due to bikes in front of me, especially at the 2 train track crossings. Our group who trained beforehand knew that these crossings were very smooth and easy to pass at high speeds. Apparently other races did not know this.
The draft marshaling was only apparent to me in the Pemberton Valley part of the course. The course was still crowded in this section, so packs of bikes were inevitable. At least it was possible to look behind and see the marshal’s motorbike if one remained aware. Dropping back or passing bikes only brought me into another group of bikes ahead or behind my position. There really was no way out most of the time, so I just made myself very aware of the marshalling motorbike position. This worked fine, until almost the finish of the Pemberton out and back, where I went into zombie mode for a bit while following too close to the bike ahead of me. So I took a 4-minute penalty.
During the training camps in June and July we had ridden the return to Whistler from Pemberton many times. I felt confident that I could push a bit harder in this section, especially knowing that I had a 4 minute rest penalty coming near the end of the bike section. So that is the only section where I went harder than a comfortable pace, mostly on the climbs. Otherwise the whole ride was very comfortable. Cool weather helped a lot for the bike section.
After a stretch and fuel up in the penalty box, I rode comfortably into T2 where I found it very quick to get my run back, changed into my gear in the near empty tent, and ran straight out in just over 2 mins. This was the first time I looked at my watch, just to find that I was right on schedule in as much as I wanted to be on the run course by 2pm. I think it was 1:58 according to my watch (which is always set a bit ahead).
Run course was great due to rolling terrain with varying surroundings, from bushy gravel trails to paved sections in and around town. All in all a pretty good run course, other than (once again) becoming crowded in places. This is especially true for loop 2, after so many other runners entered the course after slower swims and bikes. If any of these grouped up and decided to run abreast, it caused the whole trail to be blocked. I don’t like to waste energy yelling at people to make room, but at times it was necessary.
The finishing miles at Whistler didn’t seem as exciting as it was in Penticton. Finishing along Lakeshore Drive always had a lot of people lining the streets, for the final 2 or 3 miles. And the crowds at the finish seemed larger and more enthusiastic. It might just be my impression, but, Whistler is a more varied tourist center, with people from all over the world, not for the IMC event, but just passing through. The town wasn’t quite as totally involved as in Penticton.
And, it is my conclusion that there are too many entrants allowed in this event. For the sake of safety and practicality, it should be capped closer to 1500. Of course, my opinion is biased since I have been around a while now, and can remember the old days when there was room in the swim, the bike course didn’t lend itself to drafting, and the run course was open enough to allow groups to form without blocking the course. At Whistler, with a small transition area at the swim exit, narrow sections of roads on the bike, and very narrow trails on the run, 2600 people is just too many.
Lastly, for those doing IMC Whistler in the following years, it will be held in July. Our experience in training was that it can be in the high 30’s to low 40’s at that time of year. Do not use the finishing times from 2013 as any kind of predictive guide to future races.
Perry
BIB: 2474
Swim: 1:17:50
Division: M55-59
Bike: 5:31:10
Run: 3:33:40
Overall: 10:29:25
CONGRATULATIONS, PERRY, ON YOUR FINISH!
Here are some other Kamloops Triathlon Club Members who finished IMC Whistler along with Perry:
Christopher Orr in 10:05:46
Maurice Maher in 10:17:52
Perry Grunenberg in 10:29:25
Wayne Little in 10:32:20
Melissa Lowenberg in 10:40:56 - FIRST in the Women's F40-44 Division - Way to go Melissa!
Dean Olstad in 11:39:01
Tracy Moore in 11:50:50
Johan Van Heerden in 15:52:12
CONGRATULATIONS to all! Did you do IMC, Challenge Penticton or another race you'd like to tell us about? Email your story, race report and photos to [email protected].
Escape from Alcatraz!
Race Report of the 2012 Annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon by Charlie Bruce
Mother Nature provided a stunning day for the 32nd Annual Escape from Alcatraz with light winds and a temperature of close to 300C. Water tempts. were a "chilly" 550F. with a 3 knot current attempting to move swimmers to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, the 100 safety craft that were positioned between the swimmers and the bridge did a great job of redirecting people back towards the beach.
Three AM came early Saturday morning as transition opened at 4:00 AM. and closed at 6:00 AM. Athletes had two hours to get to the transition, set up their bikes, get their gear together and board one of nine Cruise Busses that shuttled triathletes to Pier 3 for the 6:45 AM loading of the Horn Blower Ferry for the one-way trip to Alcatraz.
The ferry pulled away from the pier at 6:45 AM for the twenty minutes trip to the island. Two thousand triathletes from 23 different countries taking up three levels of the boat. Once positioned, the captain informed us that he was waiting permission from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Safety Craft Coordinator before he could signal the start of the race.
7:35 AM the ferry horn sounded the start of the race with the pros being first to hit the water. The procession began, level one triathletes moving to the open deck and jumping into the Bay of San Francisco. We were discouraged from diving and told to get out of the way as quickly as possible for safety reasons…someone jumping on top of you! The process reminded me of lemmings throwing their bodies over a cliff to certain death. Fortunately, the only harm that was to follow was the usual elbows, feet, kicking and punching, quite accidentally of course. At 7:41 AM the Horn Blower was empty of athletes and the Bay was a sea of arms and legs.
Shortly after the :28 minute mark the first swimmer exited the water followed by another 1999 over the next 1 hour and 25 minutes. One of the unique things about Alcatraz is that if you need assistance in the water that safety craft are available to you. If you can't finish the swim, you're taken into shore and can continue without a D.Q. If you're not out of the water in one hour, safety craft can bring you in as well. Every effort is made to ensure that each athlete completed the swim.
Mid-May Paul Lake swims in 11 to 12 degree water certainly helped me get through the swim though I was challenged in trying to stand up upon getting to the beach. The cold water definitely had an effect on my equilibrium for a few moments once back on shore. I felt like I was learning to walk all over again as I staggered to the swim transition. Fortunately, the swim transition to the bike transition was a kilometre run which helped to warm up the body. As it was, I still worn a jacket on the bike as I was still suffering from the cold and did so for the first half of the bike.
For the "hill climbers" the course was a dream! Radical hills topping off at 11 to 12%, steep enough to have many, many athletes pushing their bikes to get to the top. Given the course was 38km up and over the streets of S.F. "heads up" riding was absolutely essential given 2000 bikes were on the course at pretty much the same time. There was always someone in front, beside and behind you. Drafting wasn't a issue except for the pros who were able to handle the terrain with relatively ease. As for the tri bars, there was only two places that you could safely us them, going through Golden Gate Park and coming back into transition, a total of perhaps 10km of relatively flat terrain.
The run was spectacular! Again, a flat run leaving the transition area and heading west towards the Golden Gate Bridge for approximately 3 kilometres before heading up the first set of stairs as we continued to climb up towards the Bridge. A single track trail with runners coming and going slowed the pace as there was nowhere to pass. It provided a great opportunity to chat with the runner in front and behind as we made our way down to the beach. A kilometre run on the sand, around a cone and back we came towards the infamous Sand Ladder, a set of 400 sand stairs that lead back up to the gravel road up top. The organizers actually have a timing mat at the bottom of the stairs and one at top along with a photographer.
The long, stretch run back to the finish line was the same 3km we had gone out on. Nice to see the finish line and come away with one of the most memorable triathlon I've done!
Learn more about the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon at www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com/
Check out Charlie's photos below!
Swimming Report Card (It's the teacher in me!)
by Charlie Bruce
MUSCLE GROUPS USED: Freestyle uses more than 30 muscle groups including hands, forearms biceps, triceps, pecs, lats, abs, neck, legs and feet. It's an excellent Cardio workout where power comes from muscle groups that place heavy demands on the heart, lungs and oxygen supply.
WEIGHT LOSS: Swimming can burn 200-1,000 calories per hour depending upon your weight and intensity of the workout. Long term, building muscle mass from swimming can help keep the weight off.
GOOD FOR THE BRAIN: (Unless you swim in Paul Lake in May!) All swimming requires coordination of a number of functions. In freestyle, the brain must coordinate reaching, rolling, stroking, kicking and breathing. This must be done without swallowing water, crashing into other swimmers and keeping track of your lengths.
RELAXATION AND DISENGAGEMENT: Swimming by it's very nature demands focus on breathing. Similar to yoga and Pilates, breathing can help with disengagement and clearing the mind of stressors.
SLEEP: A vigorous trip to the pool can provide a healthier dose of exhaustion needed for a good night's sleep.
IMPACT ON BONES, MUSCLES AND JOINTS: Swimming is a low-impact sport that places less demands on bones and joints than many other forms of exercise.
I got a spot for the Ironman World Championships in Kailua Kona aka the Big Show, at Ironman Canada. When you get an opportunity like this in life, you've got to go for it. Maurice and I arrived about 8 days out and there was already a festive feel to the place. Various events begin the Saturday prior with a 3.8km supported Welcome Swim, the infamous Underwear Run, the Parade of Nations, the children's race, and then the Welcome Banquet. Vendors set up a trade show/retail expo and start hosting free events. You see uber fit people everywhere and you cannot help rubber neck the slick bikes rolling by. Part of the fun is spotting triathlon and cycling stars. I had an oblivious moment while standing beside Luke McKenzie before the Welcome Swim; I received a schooling on Chris Boardman's achievements from my friends at the SlowTwitch gathering; I spotted Ryder Hesjedal and we had a quick chat about Haleakala, and I had a shy moment when asking Chrissy [Wellington] if could I get a photo with her? And this is all before the race!
I, generally, love race day. All the hard training work is done and you can just have focused fun. I took a moment prior to the swim start while I was out there treading water to look around at the crowd, the helicopter flying overhead and thought that it resembled a scene from a Hollywood action movie. I positioned myself middle left not swimming the buoy line as much as aiming for the turn boat. I was a few rows back with some other ladies and I found this race to be much less physical than other IMC races, save one memorable incident. I found some feet that I could use until the turn and then tried to make up a bit more time on the way back. I remember passing the cousins - one cousin pulling the other in a dinghy as inspired by the Hoyts - and being amazed at the tenacity that feat would take.
I swam in as far as I could unlike others around me who had already stood up to walk. There are sea urchins and all kinds of things I did not want to step on! A volunteer helped with an unzip of the speed suit, a quick face rinse with one of the hanging hoses and then it's off to transition. The women's transition tent was quite a bit smaller than the men's and utter chaos. I had a volunteer to myself and my primary concern was getting her to apply sufficient sunscreen for the next 6 hours on my bike. I got to my bike and began to head out the corral. It's pretty hectic on the first section of the bike ride along the infamous Alii'i Drive. Racers have oodles of adrenaline and are still trying to get everything in order on their bikes, the spectators are right there cheering, throw in some sharp corners and no pass zones. This is not the spot to make a move…it's the time to be careful and ensure nothing silly happens. Patient pays off when you reach the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. Without our freezing winters, the tarmac looks like it was paved yesterday. It's a wide, long stretch where you can pass easily and focus on nutrition. I enjoyed a great tailwind and recall being pretty stoked about seeing 42km. on my Garmin. I was trying to make the most of it as I was pretty sure there was going to be some tough slogging on the way back!
I took a moment out on the bike to admire the lava fields and think how many times I'd seen these same shots in the magazines, and now I was here. What a lucky girl! There was also another celebrity spotting…I caught up to Hines Ward and his entourage. He had a motorcycle beside him with a cameraman on the back. I kind of felt sorry for the guy because if his entire day is on camera, well, we all know there is plenty about triathlon you don't want your office mates or great aunt to see.
My nutrition and hydration plan was going well and my stomach felt better than it has ever done at an Ironman distance race. I enjoyed the climb to Hawi but I was really shocked by the mass packs coming down. It looked like a Grand Fondo. For safety's sake, I supposed the Race Marshalls could not break it up but to someone who really tries to race clean (no drafting, blocking etc) it was a little disappointing. Well, I guess that's how those competitive guys and girls roll!
When I got to ride down the hill from Hawi, I spotted the cousins again. I could only think how tough she is to pull her cousin in a trailer and her cousin is a grown adult with her own hydration needs. Very inspiring. The ride back to Kailua Kona was as predicted: headwind, 34C and humid. While it was a record setting day for the pro women, the heat and the humidity takes it's toll on us mere mortals. I was happy to make it under 6 hours. During which time, I promised myself to work on my flexibility and getting a better aero position for next season.
The green astro turf in T2 was deadly slippery. Mental note: work on leaving bike shoes on bike. T2 tent was just as busy. I took the time to get coated in sunscreen again and to really dry my feet as I had poured numerous bottles of water on myself during the ride to help with cooling, I did not want blisters in the first 10 km. Just as with the bike, Alii'i Drive was motivating and fun. It was hard to keep my pace slow as you are spurred along my spectators and other racers. You eventually leave the festive area and head out again on the Queen K highway. It is rolling but pretty straight so you can see where you are going; there are few spectators out here so it seems really hot, long and slow. At the Natural Energy Lab, it did not feel noticeably hotter to me and I was quite frankly thrilled to get off the highway and make the turn around.
After the Natural Energy Lab, I really started to work. I picked up the pace. I did not walk the aid stations anymore. I felt like I had settled in and finally there was some progress. The last few miles of this race are full of people, music, and enthusiasm - it's easy to give it everything you've got left. At the end, there's a fragrant lei and the biggest race medal I have ever received. A post race massage, some snacks, and then I went out to Alii'i Drive to cheer on the other racers.
As with every Ironman race, the organization and volunteers were amazing. These folks were out on really hot tarmac for hours, dancing, cheering and having water bottles or garbage tossed at them - racing seems easy in comparison! It was a privilege to have the opportunity. A big shout out to my boyfriend and coach Maurice Maher; he made the plan and I executed it as well my great training friends who see you through the tough workouts.
See you at the pool, gym, ski trails, track, road - well, you get the picture.
Perry Grunenberg's Whistler IMC ExperienceRace Report of the Innagural Ironman Canada in Whistler, BC on August 25, 2013 by Perry Grunenberg. Perry is a Kamloops Triathlon Club member who trains with Maurice Maher of Multisport Solutions.
(Photo: from left to right, Wayne Little, Maurice Maher and Perry Grunenberg at the finish line of IMC Whistler)
I found all of the pre-race functions easy to go through, such as package pickup and pre-race meetings. In general - well organized. One issue is that all of the setup was held outdoors when the weather was not very warm, and at times wet.
There was some pre-race concern around having 2 different transition locations, with limited access to the swim site at Alta Lake. However, on race morning, going through body marking at around 5:15am at T2 went very smoothly, and taking the required bus down to the lake and T1 was not a problem, perhaps adding 10 minutes to my transit time from my room to the swim start area.
There were no bike pumps allowed in T1 on race morning, so lineups were long to get to the official pumps. I ended up finding a guy who sacrificed his personal pump and had a short lineup for that use. However, in the end I am not sure it was all that much faster. An extra 15 mins spent getting air due to not having my own pump.
I put on my wetsuit and walked into the shallow area of water to talk to one of the swim marshals. He suggested avoiding the near-shore start in favor of going over to the farthest side, farthest away from the shore. There did seem to be a large group forming along the shore, those that may not have been comfortable with a floating swim start, and it was expected to be a real washing machine area. I took his advice. I found only a few people were waiting just inside the Start buoy, including my nemesis Mark Shorter. I ended up on his feet right from the gun start, which would have been perfect if I hadn’t been knocked out of position after about 500m by a wide-arm swinging puncher that was causing me grief, and I was expending energy in the battle just to maintain position. The first corner was a mess since I was inside the course at that point and had to battle outward to make the turn legally. I found the course to be crowded and difficult from that point onward. I ended up slower than hoped, probably due to swimming all over the course in an effort to find a good draft without having to battle for position.
The crowding continued when going through T1. Not too bad finding my transit bag, which was in the allotted spot where I left it, but getting through the tent (which was mandatory) was not easy due to all the bodies laying around changing. I just yelled “make room”, ran through the tent, and changed outside at the exit end. I had room there, but my transition was still slower due to being held up in traffic. Same with my effort to run my bike from the transition exit to the mount area. It was too crowded to run, so I had to mostly walk.
In general the Bike course was way too crowded. I expect that for the first 60k or so the marshaling was more worried about head-on collisions and keeping bikes away from cars rather than drafting or other infractions. This was especially so for the Callaghan Valley section, where packs of bikes climbing were dangerously close to the center line, facing the downhill riders going over 70km/hr in places. So the motorbikes were riding up and down the centerline in order to keep the “up” riders separated from the “down” riders. For me, coming downhill I found that I had to use my brakes more than I would have liked, just due to nowhere to pass safely. Packs of riders were forming on both the up and down by the time I got to that part of the course. I also had to brake more than necessary on sections of the long downhills from Whistler to Pemberton due to bikes in front of me, especially at the 2 train track crossings. Our group who trained beforehand knew that these crossings were very smooth and easy to pass at high speeds. Apparently other races did not know this.
The draft marshaling was only apparent to me in the Pemberton Valley part of the course. The course was still crowded in this section, so packs of bikes were inevitable. At least it was possible to look behind and see the marshal’s motorbike if one remained aware. Dropping back or passing bikes only brought me into another group of bikes ahead or behind my position. There really was no way out most of the time, so I just made myself very aware of the marshalling motorbike position. This worked fine, until almost the finish of the Pemberton out and back, where I went into zombie mode for a bit while following too close to the bike ahead of me. So I took a 4-minute penalty.
During the training camps in June and July we had ridden the return to Whistler from Pemberton many times. I felt confident that I could push a bit harder in this section, especially knowing that I had a 4 minute rest penalty coming near the end of the bike section. So that is the only section where I went harder than a comfortable pace, mostly on the climbs. Otherwise the whole ride was very comfortable. Cool weather helped a lot for the bike section.
After a stretch and fuel up in the penalty box, I rode comfortably into T2 where I found it very quick to get my run back, changed into my gear in the near empty tent, and ran straight out in just over 2 mins. This was the first time I looked at my watch, just to find that I was right on schedule in as much as I wanted to be on the run course by 2pm. I think it was 1:58 according to my watch (which is always set a bit ahead).
Run course was great due to rolling terrain with varying surroundings, from bushy gravel trails to paved sections in and around town. All in all a pretty good run course, other than (once again) becoming crowded in places. This is especially true for loop 2, after so many other runners entered the course after slower swims and bikes. If any of these grouped up and decided to run abreast, it caused the whole trail to be blocked. I don’t like to waste energy yelling at people to make room, but at times it was necessary.
The finishing miles at Whistler didn’t seem as exciting as it was in Penticton. Finishing along Lakeshore Drive always had a lot of people lining the streets, for the final 2 or 3 miles. And the crowds at the finish seemed larger and more enthusiastic. It might just be my impression, but, Whistler is a more varied tourist center, with people from all over the world, not for the IMC event, but just passing through. The town wasn’t quite as totally involved as in Penticton.
And, it is my conclusion that there are too many entrants allowed in this event. For the sake of safety and practicality, it should be capped closer to 1500. Of course, my opinion is biased since I have been around a while now, and can remember the old days when there was room in the swim, the bike course didn’t lend itself to drafting, and the run course was open enough to allow groups to form without blocking the course. At Whistler, with a small transition area at the swim exit, narrow sections of roads on the bike, and very narrow trails on the run, 2600 people is just too many.
Lastly, for those doing IMC Whistler in the following years, it will be held in July. Our experience in training was that it can be in the high 30’s to low 40’s at that time of year. Do not use the finishing times from 2013 as any kind of predictive guide to future races.
Perry
BIB: 2474
Swim: 1:17:50
Division: M55-59
Bike: 5:31:10
Run: 3:33:40
Overall: 10:29:25
CONGRATULATIONS, PERRY, ON YOUR FINISH!
Here are some other Kamloops Triathlon Club Members who finished IMC Whistler along with Perry:
Christopher Orr in 10:05:46
Maurice Maher in 10:17:52
Perry Grunenberg in 10:29:25
Wayne Little in 10:32:20
Melissa Lowenberg in 10:40:56 - FIRST in the Women's F40-44 Division - Way to go Melissa!
Dean Olstad in 11:39:01
Tracy Moore in 11:50:50
Johan Van Heerden in 15:52:12
CONGRATULATIONS to all! Did you do IMC, Challenge Penticton or another race you'd like to tell us about? Email your story, race report and photos to [email protected].
Escape from Alcatraz!
Race Report of the 2012 Annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon by Charlie Bruce
Mother Nature provided a stunning day for the 32nd Annual Escape from Alcatraz with light winds and a temperature of close to 300C. Water tempts. were a "chilly" 550F. with a 3 knot current attempting to move swimmers to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, the 100 safety craft that were positioned between the swimmers and the bridge did a great job of redirecting people back towards the beach.
Three AM came early Saturday morning as transition opened at 4:00 AM. and closed at 6:00 AM. Athletes had two hours to get to the transition, set up their bikes, get their gear together and board one of nine Cruise Busses that shuttled triathletes to Pier 3 for the 6:45 AM loading of the Horn Blower Ferry for the one-way trip to Alcatraz.
The ferry pulled away from the pier at 6:45 AM for the twenty minutes trip to the island. Two thousand triathletes from 23 different countries taking up three levels of the boat. Once positioned, the captain informed us that he was waiting permission from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Safety Craft Coordinator before he could signal the start of the race.
7:35 AM the ferry horn sounded the start of the race with the pros being first to hit the water. The procession began, level one triathletes moving to the open deck and jumping into the Bay of San Francisco. We were discouraged from diving and told to get out of the way as quickly as possible for safety reasons…someone jumping on top of you! The process reminded me of lemmings throwing their bodies over a cliff to certain death. Fortunately, the only harm that was to follow was the usual elbows, feet, kicking and punching, quite accidentally of course. At 7:41 AM the Horn Blower was empty of athletes and the Bay was a sea of arms and legs.
Shortly after the :28 minute mark the first swimmer exited the water followed by another 1999 over the next 1 hour and 25 minutes. One of the unique things about Alcatraz is that if you need assistance in the water that safety craft are available to you. If you can't finish the swim, you're taken into shore and can continue without a D.Q. If you're not out of the water in one hour, safety craft can bring you in as well. Every effort is made to ensure that each athlete completed the swim.
Mid-May Paul Lake swims in 11 to 12 degree water certainly helped me get through the swim though I was challenged in trying to stand up upon getting to the beach. The cold water definitely had an effect on my equilibrium for a few moments once back on shore. I felt like I was learning to walk all over again as I staggered to the swim transition. Fortunately, the swim transition to the bike transition was a kilometre run which helped to warm up the body. As it was, I still worn a jacket on the bike as I was still suffering from the cold and did so for the first half of the bike.
For the "hill climbers" the course was a dream! Radical hills topping off at 11 to 12%, steep enough to have many, many athletes pushing their bikes to get to the top. Given the course was 38km up and over the streets of S.F. "heads up" riding was absolutely essential given 2000 bikes were on the course at pretty much the same time. There was always someone in front, beside and behind you. Drafting wasn't a issue except for the pros who were able to handle the terrain with relatively ease. As for the tri bars, there was only two places that you could safely us them, going through Golden Gate Park and coming back into transition, a total of perhaps 10km of relatively flat terrain.
The run was spectacular! Again, a flat run leaving the transition area and heading west towards the Golden Gate Bridge for approximately 3 kilometres before heading up the first set of stairs as we continued to climb up towards the Bridge. A single track trail with runners coming and going slowed the pace as there was nowhere to pass. It provided a great opportunity to chat with the runner in front and behind as we made our way down to the beach. A kilometre run on the sand, around a cone and back we came towards the infamous Sand Ladder, a set of 400 sand stairs that lead back up to the gravel road up top. The organizers actually have a timing mat at the bottom of the stairs and one at top along with a photographer.
The long, stretch run back to the finish line was the same 3km we had gone out on. Nice to see the finish line and come away with one of the most memorable triathlon I've done!
Learn more about the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon at www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com/
Check out Charlie's photos below!
Swimming Report Card (It's the teacher in me!)
by Charlie Bruce
MUSCLE GROUPS USED: Freestyle uses more than 30 muscle groups including hands, forearms biceps, triceps, pecs, lats, abs, neck, legs and feet. It's an excellent Cardio workout where power comes from muscle groups that place heavy demands on the heart, lungs and oxygen supply.
WEIGHT LOSS: Swimming can burn 200-1,000 calories per hour depending upon your weight and intensity of the workout. Long term, building muscle mass from swimming can help keep the weight off.
GOOD FOR THE BRAIN: (Unless you swim in Paul Lake in May!) All swimming requires coordination of a number of functions. In freestyle, the brain must coordinate reaching, rolling, stroking, kicking and breathing. This must be done without swallowing water, crashing into other swimmers and keeping track of your lengths.
RELAXATION AND DISENGAGEMENT: Swimming by it's very nature demands focus on breathing. Similar to yoga and Pilates, breathing can help with disengagement and clearing the mind of stressors.
SLEEP: A vigorous trip to the pool can provide a healthier dose of exhaustion needed for a good night's sleep.
IMPACT ON BONES, MUSCLES AND JOINTS: Swimming is a low-impact sport that places less demands on bones and joints than many other forms of exercise.