Mont Tremblant was as welcoming to the Ironman and Ironwoman this year as it was in 2012. Perhaps, that is why over 2,000 athletes and their families descended upon this picturesque village in the Lauretain Mountains to compete in the second Ironman Mont Tremblant 70.3. As in the year before, the organizers did not disappoint and provided us with a well-organized athlete registration, next-to-none hospitality, and a beautiful and safe bike and run course. In fact, in 2014 Mont Tremblant will host the Ironman World Championship 70.3
My race-day routine was the same. Wake up at 3AM. Breakfast at 3:30AM, Arriving at transition 5AM. The race morning was in a stark contrast to the day before. After a day of persistent, and at times terrential rain on Saturday, Sunday morning welcomed us with a mild temperature and a clear sky.
After having watched the professionals starting the race, the gun went off at 7:10AM for the orange-cap swim wave of M50-54. So, the race had began as we dove into Lake Mont Tremblant to begin the 70.3 mile journey.
And here we go. 156 orange caps starting their race
The lake was cool and wetsuits were allowed. After the initial thrashing of bodies, I settled into a comfortable pace all the way to the end. Despite several hundred meters of greatly diminished visibility due to the sunrise, I was was able to finish the swim in 35 minutes. Not bad, I thought, as I was having my wetsuit stripped off by the volunteers. After a pretty good transition, I was on the bike in just over 3 minutes
The bike was fast except for an on and off 7.5 climb at mile 40. Yes, there were some parts of the ascents that were making my quads scream, especially, when my speed dropped to below 9 miles/hour. And yes, that was slow and there seemed to be no end to climbing. In the end, after a 2 hours 37 minutes ride, I moved up by about 20 slots to start the run.
When I have to make that stop, it usually costs me about 60 seconds. Last year it was the difference between breaking, or not, the 5 hour mark. Starting the run I knew I had to push hard all the way. Things were looking good. The fast bike ride did not seem to deflate my legs. The first test was the uphill just a few hundred meters into the run. It went well. My heart rate was in check and the legs felt light. The second, much longer, hill further built my confidence. So far, so good. While trying to maintain the pace, at about kilometer 9 my run became more labored. My legs did not feel as fresh anymore with 12 kilometers to go. It was a tough and humid day for everyone, so I just kept on pushing forward. Making sure to grab water at each station and taking gel every 30 minutes I finally arrived at the finish line in 1 hour and 44 minutes. My overall race time of 5 hours and 8 minutes was about 7 minutes slower than last year. Perhaps, I can do something about that next time I am in Mont Tremblant.
