WHAT IF?

Hello from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

What if the T1 transition was closer to the end of the swim? Or, if my transition time from the swim-to-bike was a bit quicker? Or, if I did not have to make a port-o-let stop at the beginning of the run? Or, if I swam, cycled or ran just a little faster? Well, maybe, just maybe I would have broken the elusive 5-hour mark at the inaugural Ironman Mont-Tremblant 70.3 triathlon in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. In the end, I needed 46 seconds to beat the 5-hour mark, though, I was truly elated by having set my personal record, if by only 13 seconds, on an unlikely course.

Canadian "Snow Birds" welcomed all athletes on race morning. It was an awesome sight

The race day started for me with a 2.5-mile run and a 15-minute swim in Lake Mont Tremblant. The water was calm at about 74F. The pro athletes, leading the way, started at 7AM. My swim wave (#9) started at 7:40 with about 200 athletes in it. It was another solid swim with a lot of open water available for most of the 33 minutes on a well-designed course which minimized the blinding effect of the rising sun. The run from the water to T1 was quite long - 300 or 400 meters, maybe longer. The weather was perfect. It was already getting quite warm. Although, I always plan to have a quick transition, it rarely ever works that way. There is always a cramp or something that slows me down. But once on the bike, the game was on.

The swim start beach

The boats were gone and the water was calmer on Sunday morning

Well, some of them were gone and the beach became a busy, busy place

The end of the swim

What can I say about the bike course? Hills, falls flats, fast descents where strong biking skills are a must. My speedometer registered the highest descent speed at 53 miles per hour, while the slowest climb at 6 miles per hour. That was both scary fast and scary slow. It was also one of the most beautiful and safest venues in my triathlon experience. Ninety-five percent of the roads were totally closed off to the vehicular traffic and the organizers topped it off with the closing of the entire highway portion of the race. It was a treat, indeed. After having driven the bike course before the race, I did not anticipate reaching a blazing overall bike time. In the end, I think, I proved myself somewhat wrong when I clocked a 2-hour 40-minute ride.

The bikes are trickling-in

The T2 transition went a bit faster, although I had to make an unscheduled pit stop. I was not sure what damage have the hills on the bike done to my legs. Surprisingly, the start of the run looked promising. I felt light on my legs and my heart rate seemed to be in check. It was already getting quite hot and the first hills were just ahead of me. I kept on pushing and feeling my confidence on the run. I kept increasing the tempo. My 1 km splits were getting quicker with each “K.” I remember thinking about not blowing up when my kilometer splits reached 4 minutes 15 seconds. Being “on the roll” I kept on passing runners and with each passing it became a numbers game. In the end, I was passed by only one runner, who of all the people, was in my own age group.  I do not know how much gas I still had left in the tank at the finish line. Perhaps, the adrenaline in the system made me feel I could go further, but on this day I had a 1-hour 37 minute run and a finishing time of 5:00:45.

An aerial view of the finish line

My race from different angles

The organizers did a great job designing and making the course very safe and challenging. There were 2,100 athletes from all over the world. The town of Mont-Tremblant was a perfect race destination for athletes and their families who had no trouble finding things to do for entertainment. The village and its residents were very welcoming of their weekend guests. Shopping, dining, and entertainment kept the spectators and families busy. There were also ample options for those nature-minded with an appetite for a more active lifestyle, such as parks, lakes, and a sandy beach club.

The swim start in the background

Ironman atmosphere was felt everywhere

Ironman Village

While there, triathletes could join the military or get one of those toys

Indeed, it was a race to remember on many fronts. It was a beautiful place to visit, a challenging course to race on, and an opportunity to meet and make many new friends. Among them, Luis and Julie from Montreal, Vincent, Deane, and Rey from Ottawa, Dominic and his family from St. Agathe, Janice and Gordon from the Thunder Bay, and Mary from England – all great-spirited triathletes. And last but not least, Roberto, the owner of the most-charming Bed and Breakfast (Le Refuge, www.refuge-tremblant.ca) in the heart of Mont-Tremblant, with whom I spent lots of time talking about Catalonia.

Le Refuge

The view from my balcony

With Dominic. It was his first Ironman 70.3

With Luis, Roberto, Janice, and Gordon about 4 o'clock in the morning. Roberto was up at 2 o'clock preparing our breakfast

This was an interesting story. While getting my bike brakes serviced in the village this young man turned to me and said - "I painted your bike." So, obviously, I had to find out the full story. As it turned out, there are only 10 bikes with the "Norminator" custom paint jobs and he painted them all. Nine of those bikes belong to Norman Stadler, the two-time professional Ironman World Champion, and one belongs to me. So, in an unlikely place, I learned the history and lineage of my bike.

This upcoming weekend I will be traveling to Rhode Island to race in Ironman Providence 70.3 - the triathlon season is in full swing, indeed.

Picture credits: FinisherPix, Mary, Julie, and Tomasz

ARRIVING IN MONT-TREMBLANT

After many hours of traffic-ridden driving (especially, through Montreal), I have finally arrived in Mont-Tremblant for the race this Sunday. And what a picturesque resort community Tremblant is. I wish I could upload the pictures I took today to the blog. Well, they will be coming soon.

It has been a hot day today but much more comfortable than the last two we had. The temperature hovered around the mid 80's with a northerly breeze which made swimming in the Tremblant Lake quite challenging. The chop was high enough to obscure sighting while swimming against the surf, and making it difficult to breath while swimming with it. Since most of the athletes will probably arrive tomorrow, those swimming today had a lot of open water to enjoy. There are about 2,100 triathletes registered to compete on Sunday.

After registering (BIB #1702 and Swim Wave #9 starting at 7:40AM), I explored Tremblant's beautifully developed and landscaped mountain side. It really looks like the pictures embedded in my previous blog. I rode the gondola above the roofs and admired the breathtaking vistas. People here are extremely nice and friendly. The Bread and Breakfast at which I am staying is located about 800 meters from the swim start and 1,600 meters from the transition areas, so some logistical planning for the race morning will need to be considered. The B&B's owner is most helpful and accommodating to all the guests. Most of those staying here will also be racing on Sunday, hence, triathlon seems to be the predominant topic of the the conversation.

TIME TO RACE AGAIN

This weekend I will be traveling to a beautiful town of Mont-Tremblant, Canada, for my second race of the season, the Ironman Mont-Tremblant 70.3. A picturesque place, indeed.

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Pictures courtesy of http://ironmanmonttremblant.com/

SOLD ON REV3 RACING

Last Sunday, June 3rd, I competed in my first race of the 2012 season – the Rev3 Quassy 70.3. It was definitely not the race where one would set a personal record, but rather, a great opportunity to leave everything on the course. In the postings preceding the race I wrote about the inclement weather that was forecasted for that weekend. In the end, however, we could not ask for better race-day conditions. So, all we had to do was to deal with the relentless hills on the bike and the run.

After a refreshing swim in the lake I exited in the time of 34 minutes, which placed me among the first ten athletes in my age group. Next, came the bike through some beautiful parts of the Connecticut country side which I completed in 2 hours and 54 minutes. A bit slower than I have wanted, but content, nevertheless. After the bike leg I moved up a couple of positions and followed it up with a solid run split of 1 hour and 44 minutes – finishing 6^th in the M50-54 age group - final time 5 hours  and 20 minutes.

The picturesque countryside. The organizers did a great job keeping all the race venues clean and safe.

This race attracted some of the best professional triathletes in the world, including Ironman world champions and multiple Ironman race winners. None of them broke 4 hours on that day – an honest course, indeed. 

Many of the best world triathletes were there

With Jesse Thomas - 4th among the pros

In two weeks I will be in Canada racing at Ironman Mont-Tremblant 70.3 and hope this little Quassy gift will heal before the race.

SO FAR, A WET REV3 70.3

I woke up this morning to buckets of rain outside my hotel window. The sky has opened up last night and I definitely do not envy those racing the Rev3 Olympic-distance race this morning. The forecast, however, calls for a slightly better day tomorrow. We will see about that.

I drove through the bike and run courses yesterday (56 + 13 miles). Both are very nice, taking athletes through some picturesque country and residential neighborhoods of Middlebury, Connecticut. The bike course is quite technical (may get tricky on a wet asphalt) and I have managed to miss a couple of turns, yesterday. Hope to avoid repeating it tomorrow ;o)

What is left today, is to do a short training run, check-in the bike, have a restful afternoon, hope for a better tomorrow, then wake up charged up, and .......... have a good race ;o)

THE RACING SEASON IS FINALLY HERE

On June 3rd my triathlon season kicks-off with a Rev3 70.3 race in Middlebury, Connecticut.  There will be a live link and onsite updates at www.rev3tri.com




Photo: Revolution3

HAPPY EASTER

Wishing You a Happy, Safe, and Beautiful Easter.

www.123rf.com

THAT'S WHY WE DO IT. THAT'S WHY WE LOVE DOING IT

A tribute to our families and those who support us - Thank You.

BEST CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY WISHES

What a beautiful Christmas Evening we are having today. Sunny and cold with a trace of snow on the ground - a picture perfect, indeed - just as this burning sky earlier this morning.

From our family to yours - Wesolych Swiat, Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad.

THE POLISH CAPTAIN "SULLY" AND HIS BEAUTIFUL "DRY LANDING"

This Polish airliner took to the skies from Newark, New Jersey bound for Warsaw. About 30 minutes into the the flight the crew learnt about the plane's landing gear malfunction, but elected to continue on across the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, the landing was so precise, according to the passengers, that the only indication of this unconventional touch down was the increased noise caused by the plane's belly sliding over the landing strip.

A THIRTY-YEAR MILESTONE

2011 commemorates a significant milestone in my life. Thirty years ago I embarked upon a journey abroad which continues until this day. Needless to say, time flies and trains don't change much.

TAKING IT OUTSIDE

Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring, I am known for doing all my bike training on my computrainer, indoors. So, this time, I decided to break my habit and take advantage of a gorgeous weekend and take my bike outside ;o)

IRONMAN LOUISVILLE 2011

After a great weekend in the Midwest, I am back in New England having raced Ironman Louisville in Kentucky a week and a half ago. Ironman Louisville was a non-wetsuit legal race where the swim took place in the Ohio River. It was my first 2.4-mile official race swim without a wetsuit, and needless to say, I was not sure what to expect, even though, I have spent many hours in the pool and the lake training for this particular event. Unlike my all other races, the swim required a time-trial start in which athletes jumped in the water in 2-second increments. Despite my initial concerns I pulled-off one of my best swims, ever – 1hr. 14 min. Unfortunately, one athlete did not make it. He drowned a few minutes into the race. Autopsy pending, he has likely suffered a heart attack. It was his first Ironman race. He was 46 years old.

A bird's eye view of the swim course

Polish triathletes getting ready to jump in the Ohio River

In a full daylight, exiting the water with a smile

Happy with my first-leg performance, and followed by a quick transition, I set out for a 112-mile bike ride. The bike, with its steep hills and the relentless rolling hills took triathletes into the country side. The roads were in a very good condition and most of the streets were closed off to the vehicular traffic, thus providing the necessary safety. Even though, the bike portion of the race was more challenging than I initially anticipated, I was still able to average about 18.5 miles/hour.

This could have also been the race I did not finish. At mile 10, I started noticing a noise coming from the bottom bracket. By mile 30, the noise became embarrassing. By mile 70, the noise became so loud and concerning that I decided to “milk” each downhill for all I could to minimize the need for pedaling, and hoping the cranks will not cease. In the end it worked out fine. I made to T2 in 6 hrs. 6 min.

With the city in the backdrop, the bike race is on

Out of the saddle on one of those relentless hills

After a reasonably good transition into the run I was off to tackle the marathon. The run offered a flat course that took runners through downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods. My run performance was definitely not what I expected that day. I felt “flat” and experienced some respiratory issues. My marathon run was about 90 minutes slower than my previous run at Ironman Lake Placid. Nevertheless, tired, but happy, I crossed the finish line at the 4th Street Live in 12 hrs. 43 min.

Mile one on the run. heading towards Indiana. There will be a turn-around just before crossing the state line

Feeling good with the "Yum" Center in the background

Finish line at the 4th Street Live where the celebration never ends

Memorializing Ironman #15. Until the next time

With a bit of time to analyze Ironman Louisville, I have began training for the Great Floridian at the end of October (www.greatfloridian.com). Stay tuned.