Where do I start?
I could give you the Master Card synopsis,
62 hours of driving,
6,500 kilometres,
2.4 miles of swimming,
112 miles of biking in the desert against the wind,
26.2 miles of hot pavement,
one wicked sun burn,
finishing IMAZ…….priceless!!!
And indeed it was priceless to finish this race.
Was I disappointed with my time? Not in the least. April 13 was not a day to try and be a hero. It was truly an exercise in adapting to some extreme conditions, putting all my training and mental strength to use, and hanging on for dear life!
When I reflect back on the day, I am extremely satisfied with my performance despite being 8 minutes slower that last year. My swim and bike portions were considerably better, and my best event, the run, was my downfall. But there was nothing that could be done about that unless I wanted to risk not finishing. And not finishing is just not an option. I have no DNF’s on my resume and I don’t intend to have any if I have any choice in the matter. On another day, under different conditions, I would have run at least a 3 hour and 30 minute marathon given my current fitness. So then my 13:10 time becomes an 11:40 overall time, which would have been outstanding! But that was not the case.
With temperatures where they were, 34 C and strong winds, my game plan altered right from the get go. There was no way I could have prepared for those conditions, so I got myself in preservation mode right from the start. As Mike Riley and Paula Newby-Fraser said the most important thing to bring with you on race day was your brain and a great attitude, and I think I managed to do that.
Since I got back last night at 12:45 a.m. I am not quite totally with it so this post is just to let you know I appreciated the support throughout the training and race day. It is awesome to know that you have people rooting for you. Anyway I will follow up over the next few posts with race details and lots of pictures!
Have a great day!
3 comments:
Been waiting for a RR... glad to see you're back in one piece and had fun, it really sounds like it was a brutal day!! No way to prep for heat coming from an Alberta winter. I was impressed with your time, even if it was slower than last year, but you sound happy with your race at any rate! Happy recovery!!
Hey Garry,
Glad to see you made it back safe and sound and that you're happy with the result and effort.
You really rocked the swim and I can't believe how well the bike went for someone straight from the trainer. Personally, I'm happy that you 'didn't' do so well on the run, because the gauntlet would have been there for me in Boston! Rest well and take your time with the race report. Congrats once again!
Great race Garry. To finish in that heat is a feat in itself. rest well.
Post a Comment