BACK IN MONT TREMBLANT

It took about thirteen hours of driving to arrive in Mont Tremblant for my first full Ironman race of the season. I left Columbus about 1 o'clock in the morning on Friday, and after traveling about 750 miles through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, Ontario, and finally, Quebec, I have finally arrived just in time to register for the race and to pick up my race packet. The village was already buzzing with excitement fueled by the thousands of athletes and spectators. The village was indeed, getting ready for a big day on Sunday (August 18th).

Finding Kona in Mont Tremblant.

Posing with the M-Dot, Linda, and Chuck who traveled with us to Mont Tremblant to cheer me on

This is where it will all end on Sunday. The finish line will be on my mind all day. I crossed it a couple of times before in Mont Tremblant.

This artistic program included, among others, a gospel choir. It was a part of the athletes' welcome dinner. Luis and I had a difficult time finding a table seat in this gigantic tent.

Saturday morning welcomed us with a bright sunshine. The weather forecast for the Ironman weekend was supreme. No chance of rain, "guaranteed" sun, and the temperature in the 80's. A perfect weather, indeed. After breakfast, I prepared my racing gear and went for a 45-minute training ride. The roads were busy with traffic. Vehicles and training athletes were doing their best to negotiate the busy streets of Mont Tremblant

In front of our Bed & Breakfast getting ready for my last training ride before the race. Little did I know, that the little twinge I felt in my back while pumping a tire will turn into a big reason for concern later that day. So, now, I had an unhealed hamstring and a back muscle strain to contend with.

Fortunately, there was help. After having visited a couple of physiotherapists in the Ironman Village I was hoping for the best.

After treatment, there were a couple more things to do. Racking my bike along the side of 2,700 others and .....

dropping my transitions bags. This calm and empty transition zone will become a total chaos in less than 24 hours from now. Today, I can have it all to myself.

As Saturday was winding down I tried to relax while thinking about my back and whether it will hold up in the morning. Before too long, I was sound asleep.

Stay tuned. In the next blog I will actually write about the race. 

IRONMAN MONT TREMBLANT 70.3 - TAKE TWO

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.

This is how the national anthems of Canada and the USA were played

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.

Patiently waiting for 7:10AM

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

 About 35 minutes into the race. A 300 meter run to T1. A red carpet was rolled out for us.

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.

The bike is done. What next?

Of course. And this time it was documented.

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.

With a few meters left to go the finishing shut was lined up with cheering crowds

The day in action

This is the moment when one asks when is the next race?

A test for those who still do not need reading glasses

"And that is all Folks" until next month, also from Mont Tremblant

GREETINGS FROM MONT TREMBLANT

This quaint town has been buzzing with excitement of the thousands of triathletes arriving to compete in Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant on Sunday. After arriving yesterday afternoon, I have found it the same way I left it last June - sunny and inviting. At this time, however, the weather forecast calls for a rainy Sunday, thus race conditions may not be as perfect as I would have liked them to be. For me it is very simple - I just don't like racing in the rain.

Yesterday, however was a perfect day. After registering and picking up my race packet, Kasia and I enjoyed spending time on the town and tasting some local culinary delights. Later in the afternoon I went for a short swim practice and finished the day by attending a life music concert in the Village Center.

Welcome to Mont Tremblant

In the Village Center

Among the M-Dots

Hope to cross this finish line faster than in 2012

Now, this is what I call an Adirondac Chair

THE QUASSY REDEMPTION

Taming the "beast"

That was the way I felt crossing the finish line last Sunday at the Rev3 Quassy 70.3 Grand Prix triathlon in Middlebury, CT. Unlike the month before in Knoxville, it was a picture-perfect day for racing with high humidity and the temperature reaching almost 90F. Yes, it was my kind of weather and the second trip to this race. The race has also attracted some of the best professional triathletes in the world including Mirinda Carfre and Richie Cunningham

Inside the Normatec leg compression sleeves the day before the race

As usually, my alarm clock went off at 3AM and despite only five hours of sleep I had no trouble getting up. All transition bags were already packed and ready to go, so I could concentrate on breakfast. This time, it was an experimental breakfast vastly different from my previous routines. Nevertheless, I had full confidence that it is going to be the right menu.

An early arrival at the start allowed me to park my car close to the transition. After a quick bike check I was ready to relax, recline, and patiently wait for the start of the race. This time, I have also changed my warm up routine in which I abandoned the two-mile run. Instead, I spend about 20 minutes warming up in the lake.

At 7AM the gun went off for my wave and over 130 athletes in my group dove into the Quassy lake. The sun was slowly raising and that made the sighting virtually impossible for about 1 mile. Fortunately, I was able to stay on course and finish the swim in 34 minutes. Although I was quite happy with my time, more than 30 athletes in my age group finished their swim ahead of me. Fortunately, we had another 69 miles to go that morning, so there was no reason for concern, yet. After a solid transition which took less than 3 minutes, I was on the bike tackling the 56-mile bike course.

It was a beautiful ride, considered by many one of the more challenging courses on the triathlon circuit. Technical descents, long ascents, and rolling hills required good preparation and solid bicycle-handling skills. Unfortunately, totally unaware, this was where I have incurred my first-ever 4 min drafting penalty. As I found out later, it costed me dearly at the end of the race. Despite that setback, I had a very solid ride and reached the T2 in 2 hours 51 minutes, which effectively, propelled me to the 12th position at the beginning of the run.

After another quick transition and feeling light on my feet I started the run. The sun was beating down and the high humidity made it feel even hotter. After a 4-mile initial descent the hills started showing their ugly heads but having trained this season in high humidity and against strong winds made me feel strong and well-prepared for this race. Indeed, at each time check I was able to maintain the same average speed. My nutrition and hydration plans have also worked very well. However, if I could change one thing on the run, I would have not made a 50-second porto-let stop. In the end, I had a strong, and one of the fastest time splits in my age group crossing the finish line in 1 hour 46 minutes placing me 4th in the M50-54 age group with the race time of 5 hours and 22 minutes.

To complete this report I must also mention that I have missed the podium by 19 seconds. So, yes, the drafting penalty and/or the porto-let stop have costed me dearly that day. Its true what they say, finishing 4th is the worst place to finish. Nevertheless, I have earned 4 points in this Grand Prix qualifying race and plan to avoid making such mistakes in my future starts.

The final bow

This week, I have already shifted my focus to the next challenge - Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada which will take place at the end of June and I am looking forward to reconnecting with many friends I met last year.

SEE YOU LATER ALIGATOR

I will soon be leaving the "Deep South," so last weekend I decided to spend some time exploring the nature - and it was well worth it. A trip to Pascagoula for an air boat ride and to Slidel for the Pearl River excursion exposed some beautiful vistas of Mississippi and Louisiana.

A close encounter. This guy is a year old and grows about 12 inches per year.

These waters are infested with alligators

Such as these

Without the load, this air boat can reach speed of up to 60 mph

Somebody should have told me not to sit in the front row. By the end of the ride I was soaked. With every left turn all I saw was a wall of water in front of me.

Wildlife along the banks of the Pearl River

There are homes built right on the water

Such as this Noah's Ark which, we were told, had been featured on one of the TV shows

Inside one of the bayonets

Spotting one of the hundreds of bird species

These were easier to notice

Before dinner

One way of catching crawfish

And this is another

A perfect day for being on the water

A PROUD MOMENT

Last weekend I have briefly returned to New England for a special occasion to attend Damian's hooding and graduation ceremonies at Franklin Pierce University in Ringe, New Hampshire. On that weekend he officially became Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) joining me in this distinction ('11). This celebration also provided an especially poignant moment for me and my family, as I have been offered the privilege of hooding Damian as an Alumnus of the University. Attending the hooding ceremony also provided me with the opportunity to meet and re-connect with the University's faculty. It was great to see them again.

Damian being hooded - a very proud moment, indeed. I think he might be a bit taller than me.

Another special moment

With the faculty of Franklin Pierce University DPT program - we will miss you. Also, there is another Ironman in this picture.

A moment of relaxation

With proud parents

A family picture with Kasia i Ania