Wednesday, September 28, 2011

the picture method

I was looking back through some photos today as I uploaded some new ones to my camera, and I kept finding pictures of important things through the year.  So I thought for my sake, and for yours if you're interested, I'd make a collection of some of the most important things that have happened in pictures for this year leading up to my race in Kona this year.  I tried to make a point of taking more photos this year to keep a journal in pictures, which often mean more than words.

Kind of random, but very much all related, so in essence, not random at all.

1. Last year, I did my first Ironman.  I loved it & I was sad because I didn't want it to end.  I knew it was the right thing to sign up for another one.


2.  Then, I ran the Victoria Marathon.  My soon to be coach #2 would tell me this would be good training to see how I would handle going from IMC next year to Kona in 6 weeks.  I sort of laughed & was scared simultaneously.   I may or may not have raced with a fractured patella.  Needless to say I don't jump fences anymore.



3.  After finishing up work for the year, it was nice to get away & take a break from everything.  Believe it or not it wasn't easy to go from the routine of working full-time to not working.  In the interim, I took up XC skiing, which I loved, but was always a little chicken to try because I thought I'd look stupid, fall over, and make a fool of myself.  Well, I did it anyways, and yes, I fell over.  This year I'll complete the 2nd half of my XC skiing - learning to skate ski!  Sometimes looking like a fool pays off.  Like when I did 800m of backstroke in my 2nd triathlon (haha, not even my FIRST).  In my first I was 3rd to last out of the water.




4.  I train a lot on my own.  Mostly by choice.  I like being a bit of a hermit.  I have the benefit of running with a group, but I really love to do a lot of stuff on my own.  It gives you the time, especially when you're training for Ironman, to sort out your stuff, and build the strength to push hard on your own when you're alone.  In the end, you're always on your own in the race.  No distractions.  You figure yourself out.  Or you try to, anyway.  Peter Reid says it's ok.



5. Sunshine Coast Fool's Half Marathon.  In the midst of some tough marathon training, I jumped into this race and felt the pain of the difference between tapering and not tapering.  I managed to be patient though, and trust my instincts, and I was able to finish strong and in 3rd place.  The actual result wasn't as important as the process.  Sometimes results mean very little in comparison to the work it took to get there.





6.   I broke 3 hours in the marathon.  2:54, in fact, in Eugene, Oregon.  If you asked me a year ago what the ultimate accomplishment for me could possibly be, I would have said breaking 3 hours.  Then I just up and did it.  And then I was left in a bit of a black hole, to be honest.  What do you do when you got exactly what you wanted?  Now where does your drive come from?



7.  Luckily, my drive came back as I really wanted to take a shot at qualifying for the ITU Long Course Triathlon Age Group World Championship next year in Spain.  So, 4 weeks after the marathon (of which I've never felt such stabbing pains in my legs in any sporting event EVER) I jumped into a 1/2 Ironman at Shawnigan Lake.  I finished 5th overall.  All of a sudden, the triathlon game changed for me.  




8.   This is how we roll.  Or, this is how anyone who doesn't make a salary rolls.  We live in our westy van.  You get really good parking pre-race.  You may or may not have people do donuts around your car in the middle of the night.  We're not quite as high rolling as the Wurtele's with a RV (and we cheat by occasionally living in our house), but we can cook soup inside.  That's pretty ace.



9.  My friend Carl sent me this photo prior to our race-off a the Subaru Vancouver 1/2 Ironman in July.  The race off also included my friend Jorg, but it was really this photo that laid down the law.  The game was on.  What you need to appreciate in this photo are the legs.  And the fact Carl looks much fresher than me.  What you also need to know, is that Carl told me that I have big legs, so really, I should be a good cyclist.  So guys, go tell some girls they have big legs and see how that works out for you.




10.  I watched my friends do their first triathlon.  Including Andrea, who already did an Ironman but did her first triathlon as a new mom.  It was so fun to answer some questions before the race (I asked the same ones!), feel the nerves the night before and the day of the race, and watch all the action the day of the race.  Everyone had a great race, and everyone worked so hard, whether it was conquering their fear of swimming, biking or running.  Like the grinch, my heart grew 2 sizes that day.  Incidently, my swim coach pictured here, also did his first triathlon.  And won it.  I think I picked the right coach :)




10.  Midway through summer I gave a road race a shot.  Woah.  Not only was I not well for this race, nor was I conditioned to do it.  It opened my eyes to the race times I had achieved in the spring, and it made me realize those times were fast and I had worked hard for them.  They didn't come out of thin air. At times I think we are guilty of constantly looking forward and not appreciating where we've been.  I had a better appreciation after this race.  And, I started to realize I could really start making an awesome photo of UGLY race photos.  And I would be proud of it.  And it would make my dad laugh.  He thinks it's great when I look ridiculous in photos.




11.  Ironman Canada.  That went pretty well.





12.  And now it's onto the next one.  More to come on this one.



So that's a random recap of it all.

I'm hoping to keep somewhat of a daily, albeit short, snapshot of each of my days in Hawaii.  Mind you, when vacation comes on Oct 9th, I'll be at the beach.  Feel free to find me there :)

In a world without picture albums on your coffee tables, take the time to look through your photos every once in a while - it can do you a world of good.

Enjoy the crispness fall brings.  I'm getting the heck out & going to a hot place.  Yahoo!

Monday, September 19, 2011

the balance point

Or tipping point.  Or a little of both, which I know is a complete contradiction.

I am now at the 3 weeks post race state, and now with less than 3 weeks to go until the next one.  As is the case with anyone, I have been through a spectrum of physicality's since Ironman Canada (IMC).  Luckily for me I was able to be distracted for the first two weeks, happy with my result, accepting of the fatigue my body exuded and ok with the feeling of learning to move again.  Being amused with how much shock your body absorbs, however, only lasts so long.

Then you enter that state that so many others have been in, no longer just basking in your soreness and inability to put your pants on without almost falling over.   Now the state of active recovery, you are dealing with a state of diminished return of what you thought was a pretty great state of fitness you worked up to about ~ 3 weeks ago.  What happened?  Where did that go?  Why is this so hard?

So you reach a balance point of recovery & willingness to move forward.  You also reach a tipping point of a calm restorative state into one of what I call 'panic-don't-panic'.  That has been me for the last week or so now that I've started to train with purpose again.  Panic-don't-panic.  I think 'panic' can be the default to restart your momentum , but 'don't panic' has been even more important.  It's the case study of 'stress'.  What is good stress, what is bad?  I think we all know the answer to that question.

I always seem to be the slowest person to recover.  Or perhaps, the only person to admit as such.  And maybe even one of (I think) the minority who allow themselves to recover.  I'm not sure.  There never seems to be any points for being the 'slowest' at something - although it usually seems to work out in my favour eventually.  I've most certainly been on the other side of the fence, learned my lesson and hopped over to where the grass is greener (and more nutritious), and there are less minefields to trip over.  Ka-boom.

 I am learning to not let it bother me, because, really, it serves no purpose to be worried about others.  I have been very consistent about being 100% ready for my big races when that day arrives.  I do not doubt myself during races, I just perform to my ability.  So I really shouldn't worry about what my body is doing (I imagine little factories of reorganization, hammers & nails, flushing of gunk, repainting a nice shiny coat of something) - but I can't help but feel what is going on.  And that feeling appears to trigger that state of 'panic' - but I've learned, and have many great people to remind me - don't panic.

So every day has been better.  But we're talking, uh, 1% better, 5% on a good day.  And I find myself still accepting congratulations as I continue to run into people who I haven't seen since the race, and now starting to feel like I really need to get my head out of, let's say, 'the clouds', and get real about the next race.  I don't feel like I am going from a 'baby' race at IMC to the 'monster' race at Kona.  I feel like I am going from a 'pretty damn tough race' at IMC to a 'monster' race at Kona.  I had a competitive finishing time at IMC, that isn't going to evaporate just because this country grows pineapples instead of hardy evergreens.

Some people will gasp their triathlon gasp when I say this, but Kona is just another race.  It's the same distance, through the same mediums, with a slightly different feel (lift your bike off pavement & smash it down winds, and something hot called the 'energy lab', and I guess if you're lucky, a shark eats you during the swim so you don't have to suffer your way through the rest of the course).  There is so much hype - and that is what makes it exciting.  It is also quite difficult to get into - and I most certainly respect the qualifying process and appreciate how it continues to raise the bar for what is 'excellence' in this sport.

However, to spend your days cowering and giving in before you ever step foot on course seems counter productive to me.  You may make fun of me later, but I'm excited for these conditions the same as I was for IMC.  Tisk-tisk, I can hear you saying, but, that's your style of thinking, not mine.  I initially suckered myself into believing that I would be chum on the water on this course, but I don't think I will.  I think I've constantly put myself into the low lying ranks because I'm reasonably inexperienced compared to so many.  Sometimes naivety is a good thing.  And in this race, I really don't have anything to lose.

In case you're unfamiliar with the course-slash-propaganda machine, here's a quick peak:
Ironman Hawaii - Winds
And I'm sure you've seen this, but if you haven't:
The Crawl
And my personal favourite:
The slow-mo musical montage

I must say, I'm quite excited for this.  I might even fall off my bike - but chances are, I'll get back up and keep riding.  At this tipping point where I attempt to keep things steady and continue moving forward, I have a lot within me and a lot to get out of me on a hot & windy course.  The balance point.

But it's just another race, right?

gillian

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Ironman Canada 2011 photolog

Here's a collection of photos I've found so far for IMC 2011.....still have to download some from our camera - updates to continue!

see white frothy area near buoy...i am in there throwing elbows!




smiling on richters' pass.  because i love to climb :)
(photo: Teresa Nightingale)



a good butt/hamstring/calf combo...also i think my helmet looks cooler from the back (if it looks cool at all - debatable)
(photo: Teresa Nightingale)


thanks to Teresa Nightingale for the Richters' Pass photos!






riding back into town...




still smiling- who knew?





running out of town past one of my fan clubs!






shoeslaces appeared tied - bonus






the pass.  i love passing.





pretty lonely run back to home base





down main st.  unbelievable support! and it appears, first bit of shade :)





i missed it but so glad to know it was there!  





fan club corner again - love it!





couldn't wave - hands holding ice to stay cool




still running, still happy


Coming back into town


main street fans!  chalk art rules - i spent a lot of time staring at the ground and it helps!




the finish line - lovely lovely thing




likely sweatiest hug ever - thanks lea!


most patient person ever



Big thanks to Sue Safadi, Kelsey Mulvihill, and Teresa Nightingale for the photos!!

Here are a couple videos we've uploaded to youtube



and the awards part 



Monday, September 5, 2011

"Like a dog with a bone", or, the Subaru Ironman Canada 2011 Race Report.


One week later.  

How would I describe my race?  I thought to myself, somewhat unglamorously, like a dog with a bone.

Stubbornly persist, and you will find that the limits of your stubbornness go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits.  ~Robert Brault
Photo Credit to Sue S. 


Although it seems slightly embarrassing to admit, I have yet to take off my ID bracelet, the shiny, silvery, sparkling ring around my wrist.  I was told cut-off time was yesterday at 5:01 p.m., but, when the time came, no one cut if off my wrist.  And it's on today.  I think though, it's time to take it off and start fresh.  It does appear that I am not finished with this storyline yet.  Because I'll get a new one in less than 5 weeks.  I think there is a metaphor somewhere in there.

I won't lie, I've been having a hard time conceptualizing what to write as a race report for this year's Ironman Canada 2011.  I love to write.  I wish it was my part-time job and all the rest I could spend on my bike, in my running shoes, or attached to a kick board in the pool (yes, I do like kicking).  Sometimes, however, the push to write and describe and help people understand what it was like to be in my shoes for the day, is difficult for reasons unbeknownst to me.  I think it is due, in part, to the fact that I still may be suffering a bit from shock from it all.

So I came 5th.  Ok, that's good.  5th of all women.  That's really quite good.  I was the first female amateur finisher.  That's terrific.  I won my age group of W30-34.  That was my specific race goal, although I told almost no one about it, and until I crossed the tape at the finish line, I refused to believe it was true.  I qualified for Kona, which was the overarching goal of the year.  I'm sure you can look up all the stats if you want to, but I am also impressed that I finished 67th, men & women inclusive.  I thought that was pretty nifty.  There are lots of numbers, & if you're interested, you can find them here .

I don't find it's too interesting to go into a point to point, bit by bit descriptor of the race, because either a) you are a triathlete and you are quite familiar with the process, or b) you're not a triathlete and find the nitty gritty boring and would just like to know the funny parts, or, the sad parts.  I don't know if I have overly funny or sad parts, as my goal of the race was to stay consistent and focused on task.  How boring.  But, boring often yields results.  To appease all parties, here goes a short summary of race day and any follies or foibles along the way.

I must mention before I start, that I have been given a great advantage to be able to stay with our lovely home-stay Ann once again, although this time she would be away for the race.  That said, she still opened her home well in advance of the race and allowed us to stay.  Acclimatizing to the heat, as it turned out this year, was a major advantage.  I can't thank Ann enough for being so gracious as to have us stay there so comfortably for race week - but I'll thank her again anyways!

Race week last year was stomach turning for me.  I wasn't comfortable, always intimidated by flashy triathletes cranking out big workouts leading up to the race.  They were twitchy, hardcore, ready to race. Like a stable full of racehorses (not implying anything WADA wouldn't approve of here, don't get your knickers in a knot).  I didn't feel like I belonged, I wanted to stay up on the hill and just slide into the crowd on Sunday and race.

Flash forward to this year.  Knowing how I finished last year (10:58:34 I believe), I looked around and thought, "Ok, I am generally faster than most of these people" (I finished I think, 349th, of 2800 or something like that). So in my mind that worked out to me being able to look at an imaginary group of 10 people, and being faster than 7-8 of them.  That improved my confidence, and lessened the burden of intimidation quite a lot over last year.  People were ripping along Eastlake road with their bikes, I cruised along and studied the run course, taking a big swallow of pride every once in a while when I saw a speedy lady firing along.  It's ok, I thought, you're not racing today.

Days roll along when you're up there, and in the last few days it just came down to me wanting to race.  I was tired with everyday waiting and my body just wanted to go.  Horse in the gate.  Blinders on.  My imaginary jockey on my back with a whip, waiting.  All of a sudden, it was 3:30 in the morning, and in a very calm and organization fashion, life arranges itself and you're down at the body marking gate.  My ability this year to sit back (mentally) and take in much more of what was around me this year, was quite eye opening.  I wasn't the only one feeling sick to death about it all last year - in fact, that was the sense I got from so many other people.  Again, feeling quite calm about the whole thing, I just went and got all my jobs done.  Body marked.  Tires pumped.  Nutrition on the bike (funnily enough, I had drank all my powerdrink whatever in the days leading up to the race - woke up and realized I had none - which was fine - someone had given me some electrolyte tabs walking along the Farmers' market - so at least I had some sodium & potassium on board).  Honestly, it really didn't bother me.

As challenges go, when you train so much things are whittled down to a science.  You should swim about this fast, bike about this fast, run about this fast, give or take a few minutes.  When I looked at the forecast climbing and climbing throughout the week, I thought, "Ok, great.  A new challenge", and I honestly meant it.  I also know that I seem to do well in the heat (please no jinxing myself here....).  I can take on loads of fluids and process them pretty well, and most certainly that came in handy last Sunday.  I don't know exactly how much I drank, I don't keep track, but between each aid station I came close to finishing 3/4 of each water and powerdrink bottle, so if every aid station on the bike is ~18-20km apart, you can do the math.

But first, the swim.  This will be the only time I really struggled during the race.  I am now a faster swimmer than I was last year and knew that it would be more advantageous to me to start closer to the front.  This would also be my first experience with getting literally smashed in the swim.  I believe what had happened is perhaps slower swimmers started up front (why, why....doesn't it scare you to have 1000's of swimmers coming to drown you?) and then faster swimmers behind them start piling up, which slows down the swimmers behind them, who pile on your pile, and so on and so forth.  I had no where to go except over other people.  It was really uncomfortable.  I had no where to put hands in the water, nothing to pull, just a sea of neoprene.  I took a solid punch to the head, and that was a bell ringer.  I was instantly disoriented, but really had no where to go but forward, and within a few seconds realized I needed to not be emotional about that and just solider on.  Because it was war out there.  And anyways, I do well when punched before races, so now I know I also do well while being punched during the races.  Bring it.

I must have been in the worst area because I know it wasn't like this everywhere.  Looking at an aerial shot of the swim start, I know where I am.  I'm in the white froth.  So....just trying to maintain a heart rate (not that I have a monitor but I just know what that ticker is doing) under 200bpm, and getting enough oxygen, was often the motto for minutes at a time.  Now, I'm sure the current kept pulling us along, but it certainly was not a well executed swim start.  Knowing where we turned, I would say that I was battling from about 100m, until about 1200m.  That is a lot of wasted energy. Well, depends on your definition of wasted.  It certainly wasn't wasted if you look at it from the "I'd like to live through this swim" viewpoint.  Knowing the pro-start was about 60 or so people, I think it would be nice to switch to pro solely for the purpose of the swim start.  Perhaps that's not the case either, but being in a shark tank with thousands of thrashing piraƱas is not much fun either.  The second half of the swim was just lovely, and I had wished it had all been like this.  Oh well.  Nice to end it on a positive note, all the same.

So, that was the swim, and it was all over in 1:08:39.  Slower than anticipated, happy to be moving on to the next challenge, as I always am in this sport.

The bike is long but this year it really felt short.  Crowded, certainly for the first 1/3, but then when hills come I find I pass quite a few people and then it thins out on every successive hill.  I make no apologies about my ability to climb.  I love it, and I'm good at it.  I think that might make some gentlemen upset.  I don't care.  Someone made some commentary at my road bike as I was climbing along, "Guess it's nice to have a road bike hey?" was one fellow's remark.  "Yes, haha, it IS nice".  "See you on the flats" I said.  I don't know if I ever saw him again.

The bike was to me, really quite unremarkable.  I felt very lucky not to be victim to what appeared to be tacks along the first section of the course.  My heart really does go out to those who had to contend with that, an unfair happening as it really is just a roll of the dice & that takes fair play out of sport, something of which I hold in high regard.  To anyone who is reading this and had that unfortunate mishap, congratulations to you for maintaining a positive attitude and continuing on with the race.  Sport isn't just about times & results, it's also about the ability to overcome & persevere on so many levels.

The bike can be quite lonely for the last couple of hours.  Albeit solitary, it is beautiful, the Similkameen valley swallowing you up as you ride along it's valley.  This year, I was comforted by the fact there was no black lurching sky, no finger of grey whirling it's way down towards the Yellow Lake climb, ready to soak & chill to the bone as it was last year.  This year, it was all blue sky.  Hot blue sky, I might add.  I really never had a problem with heat on the bike, but as anyone who did the race knows, it was a little bit windy on the way back down the climb, which, at 160km, sort of takes a vice grip to your energy stores and puts the pressure on to the very end.  You are rewarded however, with heaps of cheering fans (the fans! the unbelievable fans!) along the sidewalks of what was turning out to be a very hot day in Penticton.

So no problems on the bike.  No time wasted.  You know what I mean.  No near misses, no troubles with anyone.  Really, boring is beautiful sometimes.  My bike was completed in 5:34:34.  Neat time.  And I must say, not to shabby for a road bike.  Although I am thinking a tri bike would be nice...

I don't have much to say about my transitions.  Efficient enough.  Volunteers are your greatest resource during this race.   Positive, encouraging, helpful to the enth degree.  They make it happen for you out there at the races.  I always wish I had more energy to thank them more, but I don't usually (or enough oxygen) so I hope that my thanks is transmitted along the karma express somehow.  I try to smile - always try to smile.

I must say at this point I really have no clue where I am sitting in the rankings, although this is quite important to me I'm not ready to get fussed about it yet.  At the out & back I did start counting females, and to my surprised realized that there weren't that many, although no way to really tell who was who, people are flying by so quickly.

Out on the run.  It always amazes me how much my body wants to run after getting off the bike.  It wants to get my butt off the saddle and stretch out and use some new muscles.  It likes the rhythm of running.  It likes to pass people.

Although well hydrated on the bike it became clear there was no time to waste in aid stations as I started to pass through.  It's just a well orchestrated (you hope) grab & dash the best you can using what little brain power you have to get the right things (cola....no....water....yes).   After missing a cup of water and worried that I would have to wait until the next station I sucked on a sponge.  Gross.  I now realize they fall on the ground, go back in the bin, get wiped on who knows what, but honestly, I was that worried about not getting enough water in.  However, that is the last sponge I will drink from.  Much better used on your head.

I don't run with a gps or garmin so I really have to rely on km/mi markings.  I checked the first couple of miles and my pace seemed good enough, and I felt really comfortable.  My overwhelming repetitive mantra for the first half of the race was, "Make it easy".  I must have said that hundreds of times to myself.  I have run a few marathons and I know, that every time I run a successful one, the first half just feels like a breeze, and of course, this also usually translates to a negative split.  I managed to do this again, as I did last year, not that I ever knew that at the time I was running.  I just cruised along (it is however, nice to cruise quickly compared to who is running around you, I won't lie) and noticed the odd woman with numbers ranging in the 30-34 range.

The inauspicious start to my run race I thought was pretty funny.  I chose to go with regular laces for this race because I wasn't liking how elastic laces where often putting too much pressure on the top of my feet.  So laces it was.  And laces really have done the trick all along - however, when you start dumping water, sponges, ice melting, sprinkles, guy with a hose and a good aim for triathletes - I didn't know that you laces can come undone more easily than normal.  So, upon passing a W30-34 contender, I promptly had my laces come undone and had to stop to re-do.  Then she re-passed.  Then I passed her back.  Then my laces came undone 1km later.  Then re-passed.  Then I re-passed, and at this point, had so much fluid on board that I was having trouble concentrating on the task at hand and had to visit the porta-potty.  That felt great.  Then, she had re-passed me in the process.  Eventually, I passed her again for the last time and I really never saw her again.

So you think that would be the end of it, but, you're wrong.  I managed to pass another girl in my age group, and right on time my laces came undone once more.  I laughed out loud and shouted "COME ON!" - and at this point I'm sure this girl thinks I'm going off my rocker and will eventually be victim to the side of the road shuffle.  Well, you guessed it, I retied with gusto and passed her again.  And then I just passed everyone else (although I refused to believe I had truly passed everyone.....when you are on the borderline of bloodsugar city you don't always believe what you hear, or see.....elvis?).

By the half way point I was told that was I was the first amateur.  I really didn't believe this and thought some girls had slipped through the cracks unnoticed.  At the turn around I noticed that it really wasn't too far back that a line of girls had formed behind me.  I grabbed whatever I needed at the special needs bag and started to formulate my plan.  It is a bit of a slug out of OK Falls, uphill, now into the headwind, and a bit of a mental turning point (good or bad).  Luckily for me, I had felt so good to this point that I was ready to get moving.  Arrogant or not, the phrase in my head was to "make them hurt".  So, up the cadence, up the speed, up the breathing a little, and stay true to my fluid & nutrition and stay on the gas for a while.  It's really odd to be ahead - I very much felt like I was being chased, yet at the same time reasonably confident in my abilities as a runner.  I passed a WPRO who was incredibly encouraging, and then realized, holy cow, what is happening?

By this point I started to believe the people who were cheering for the first amateur female.  Me?  I didn't expect this.  I was blown away with how supportive everyone was.  I don't just mean fans & spectators on the side of the road, although they are always impressive.  Participants (mostly women) coming the other way - giving their support and encouragement to me while they were still racing!  The smiles on their faces - just incredibly uplifting to me - although I'm sure my face remained quite straight, if my heart was on my sleeve they would have been able to see my appreciation.

Now, at the same time this is all happening, I am also just a little bit terrified of letting this all slip away from me.  I was definitely feeling the heat, every once in a while the world becomes a little bit tippy, or fuzzy, and that was a little worrying, but it never seemed to get the better of me as long as I just stayed consistent to pace.  I now had realized I was in a position to win, more excited than anything to win my age group as that would solidify my goal for the year, which was qualifying for the world championships in Kona.  That's really all I wanted.  The rest of what was to come was one big bonus.

I was also trying for the sub-10 hr mark.  I started the run knowing that if I could run 3:10 that I would fall underneath 10 hrs.  I also realized that time shouldn't always drive your efforts, especially in a marathon at the end of 3.8km swim and 180km bike.  So I hoped for the best but realized I was running a different kind of race, a race for placing.  I could make an excuse for the fact it was hot but really I just didn't execute a 3:10 race.  What I ended up doing, after putting a relatively strong and consistent surge for about 12km, was to run within my comfort zone and contain the energy I had should I need to race someone to the finish.  I half expected someone to crawl up on my shoulder and make a pass.  I almost wanted someone to do it because I felt so confident in what I had left in the tank.  But long story short, no one was there.  At 2 miles to go, I looked at my watch and had about 14:05 left to make it under 10 hrs, which means running about 7:02 miles.

Crap, I thought.  Should I try?  Would I explode, cramp, end up walking and being passed?  I assessed the risk.  My body certainly wanted to just cruise.  My brain thought, you should give it a try (knowing pretty well I was going to miss it).  I did it anyways, I gave it a try, knowing second by second was ticking away.  It wasn't upsetting, just very matter of fact.  At a point I could hear Steve King announce there was 2 minutes to go until 10 hrs was up, then 30 seconds.  I was impossibly far away.  But I didn't slow down.  This train had got up to max speed and it was loving it there.  Sure, maybe I could have been more precise and ramped it up earlier, but the elusive 10 hr mark has become quite diminished in the face of every other mark that fell down upon me as I grabbed that tape.  I did it in 3:14:27.  I'm quite proud of that time, and even more so, that run.

It feels impossibly good to cross that line.

I finished in 10:01:58.  I heard a blur of Steve King's voice explaining I was the first female amateur of the day.  Then I really believed it.  The catchers asked if I was ok, I said yes.  I'm not sure if they believed me.  I must have looked shocked - and physical shock and mental shock can look quite similar, I suppose.

I have so many thoughts and feelings about the race, about my year I have spent focused on this race, with all my eggs in one big proverbial basket.  Some days I was sure of myself, other days I worried the earth's floor would be pulled right out from underfoot.  When people asked if I was ready for the race, I think for the most part I said yes.  I felt quietly confident.  There were many levels of great performances on the day and I have a great appreciation for all of them.  I may still be digesting my own.  I make no apologies for being happy with my performance.  This wasn't a fluke.  I worked for this.

In the same vein, I have had unbelievable support.  I have been given the opportunity to go after my dreams and complete them to the fullest, only realizing that dreams never really stop, they are ever ascending.  I have now done things that just years ago I truly would only have dreamed of.  And I'm just a regular human being who has been able to go after it with everything I have.  I am an incredibly lucky person in that sense, and I owe gratitude to those who allowed this to be possible.  Of note, I would like to thank my lovely sponsors for believing in me and supporting me this year.  So a big thank you to Aquadiva Swimwear Sponsorship, Reflect Sports, and The Massage Therapy Clinic at the UBC Aquatic Centre .  Also a big thank you to IMPACT Magazine for being so supportive and encouraging of local Canadian athletes - your support & recognition makes a big difference! Of course it goes without saying, if there is anyone who is interested in further sponsorship, this gal could certainly use it!

So that's it.  That is the race for me.  And now I have another one to do, in 5 weeks.  It's exciting and again, I don't really think I have a clue of what to expect.  But I'm looking forward to racing.  I love it.  I love the training too, I am looking forward to slowly getting back to that after one week off.  What else can you do but just enjoy all of this?  I don't know, but at this point that's how I feel.  There are decisions I will have to make down the line, but at this point, I have a job to do in of all lovely places, Hawaii.  I don't think it gets much better than that.

Time to sign off and wrap this up.  I will try my best to post a photo blog in the upcoming week when I gather a few photos together, but for now it's just the story.

Thank you for taking the time to read my never short thoughts & reports of my year's happenings.  I'll try to give you something worth reading about in another month or so.  Stay tuned :)

To everyone who helped make my race another one of the most special moments of my life, I thank you.

Gillian