On our way south

Escaping the cold is taking a fair bit longer than expected.  We’re now in Provo, Utah toughing out freezing temperatures and looming snow storms.  Normally we’d just keep driving on south, but, we’ve had to kill a couple days while we sort out a missing bike part.  Thankfully that’ll be sorted out on Saturday so we can continue on to a warmer climate.

The tough part about traveling and trying to train for an Ironman is finding good roads, trails, and pools at the right time.  Our original plan of attack was to drive long one day, then train hard for two.  Of course the plan never works out, which is why our general rule of thumb is never plan ahead.

Heather is still trying to kick her cold, it’s been hanging around in the form of a deep chest cough.  Thankfully no more flue like symptoms, though.  I had a two day sick spell while in Coeur d’Alene but other than that I’ve been totally clear.

Two days ago on our ‘drive’ day, we ran for 50 minutes in a truck stop, not ideal, but it shook out some stiffness for sure.  It was a nice rest stop, I will give it that much.  The past couple days in Provo have been decent as far as training goes.  We officially deemed it too cold to ride yesterday so opted for the computrainer.  My longest and coldest ever, but somehow the time went by without much mental anguish.

Today, at the 85 degree Provo Community Pool, which shares a parking lot with the high school, a local PoPo (thug talk for Police) came on deck and pulled us out of the water to ask us if that was our RV parked outside.  They had reports of a suspicious looking RV with the blinds pulled so had to investigate.  Given that we were only about 5 minutes into our workout they must really have very little to do in this town.  Good thing we’re white!!  It’s not like we’re driving a panel van with rusted doors and shag carpet or anything.  Man, talk about paranoid.

This afternoon (Friday as I write) I’m making it my mission to run up to the giant “Y” on the mountain off in the distance.  The local Mormon University (BYU) powderpuff football team must have put it up there at some point.  My mission is to touch it and spread my atheistic germs on it.  I’m guessing two hours from our ’suspicious RV’ camp spot, unless I get struck down by God.  In which case it would take significantly longer.

From sweat to shivers

After 5 weeks in Hawaii, coming back to the cold air and even colder rain of Canada has been quite a shock.  I like running in cool weather, though, because no matter how cold it is you can always maintain an optimal body temperature if you dress correctly.  Running in Hawaii is totally the opposite, no matter how little you wear (and believe me, Ironman triathletes in Hawaii like to test the limits of minimum clothing requirements), you’re still going to sweat out of every pore imaginable.  Then there’s the need for water; liters of it over a 2hr run.  The other day, in Canada on a 2hr run, all I needed was one gel flask with water and a couple of Chocolate Agave gels.  I didn’t even finish the water.  Awesome.  A lot of that had to do with my adaptation to Hawaii’s heat.  By the 3rd week on the big island we found we didn’t need to drink as much as we did when we first arrived.  The human body is pretty wicked (most of the time), I’m just hoping we can get down south soon enough to keep some nice heat acclimation going.  Though, 3 and 4 hour trainer rides have a way of working up a sweat and keeping that mechanism in place.

Heather’s injury is looking better and better.  She can swim faster than ever, has managed a very short trainer session or two, lots of walking and hiking, and two very good physio appointments.  Another few days of just going through some easy motions and she’ll see if starting to train again next week is feasible.  We’re both registered for Ironman Arizona, and regardless of how she’s feeling she will be on the start line (unless that puts her at risk for re-injuring the thing).  Perhaps it will just be a hard swim and a short easy bike ride before getting into spectator mode, but the way recovery is going I think she’ll be there to smash a few legs.  4.5 weeks from now till race day is a long time, and she won’t have lost much fitness since Hawaii.  Given how strong she was before October 10th, I have no doubt she can bring it back to a level that would see her challenge for the win.

It took me a good 4 weeks to feel like myself again after Ironman Canada.  1 week in Canada doing almost nothing but light swimming.  Then 1 week in Hawaii with a lot of sleeping.  A further 2 weeks of consistent, but forced and labored training.  Then all of a sudden something clicked and I was hammering out some great training sessions and ready to go again for the next.  That left 2 really good weeks of training on the big Island.  No seriously epic days in the 7-8 hour range, but nice hard 3-5 hour days that make you stronger without throwing you close to the danger zone.

It may not look steep, but I assure you it is.

One arm picture taking while climbing 17% aint easy.

I never did tell my story about the climb up Kaloko – actually, wasn’t really a story anyway.  Did it, and didn’t die coming down, Avg RPM was probably close to 50 for the 58 minutes it took me to get up.  Normally I’m not such a sissy about descending big hills but that one gets me.  It’s non-stop steep, the hands are sweaty and feel like they’re going to slide off the end of the bull horns, there’s moss on the off-camber road, I’m on a  tri bike and the rear brake under the BB doesn’t have the greatest stopping power in the world, foggy, cool…just plain weird I guess.

So now we’re off for our second adventure south en-route to Ironman Arizona.  We’re hoping to find some good training around Moab, Utah.  I’ve only ever seen pictures of that place so it will be super cool to check it out in person.  There’s got to be some great trail running, I’m sure.  My sister and her man, the hard-core mountaineers and rock climbers, will be in the area for a couple weeks as well.  If you like the mountains you’d probably enjoy their latest blog entry.  I’m hopeful we can meet up and share a camp fire or two.  If all goes well we should pull in to Arizona two weeks before race day with some great training under the belt.

My focus for that race – run sub 3 hours.  I know it’s doable with the a 3:05 that I ran there last year, and the 3:05 I ran again at Ironman Coeur d’Alene with far less fitness than I have now.  More than anything else, I want that barrier to fall.  If I can precede that with a fast swim and a fast bike…perfect.

Hawaii Ironman Guest Race Report

To brighten the mood a little bit on Team Wurtele’s blog we’re putting up a race report from a friend and supporter, Cindy Rach.  We met Cindy and her crew in Solvang last winter, then saw some of them again in Kona this year. Cindy races in the 60-64 age group and topped off a great year with a finish at the Ironman World Championships…

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Ford Ironman World Championship Race   October 10, 2009
Finish time:  14 Hours 32 minutes

Well, as most of you know I was lucky enough to qualify for the big race in Kona at Ironman Coeur d’Alene last June.  My time there was 13:40 – a PR for me after finishing Canada the previous 2 years.

I trained hard through the summer and all too quickly, Phil and I landed in Kona on October 5^th to hot weather and tricky trade winds, as expected. We were joined by friends Jenelle, Lola, August, Paul, Tami, and Anna –the greatest support crew ever. Anna and Paul volunteered and helped Friday and Saturday in transition.  Phil, Jenelle, August and Lola were everywhere they could be on the course, taking photos and giving me much needed advice and encouragement.    My daughter Heather, husband Sam, and two grandsons, Max and Gus flew over to see Grandma race-a dream come true.

Race day was clear and hot.  The water was calm.  Having swum the course during the week prior with Sister Madonna, I knew the ocean swim with currents and waves would be difficult for me. I expected a slow time and it definitely was. I got out of the water 11^th out of 17 in my age group.   Transition from bike to run was fairly smooth.  The volunteer who helped me dumped my transition bag out on the ground.  She thought that would help me get to my things quicker but in the process I didn’t see my sunglasses and left transition without them.  I decided not to go back for them by the time I finally realized they weren’t on my face. Note to self: manage transition better next time! I saw Phil and Jenelle as I rode up Palani and yelled at them to call my daughter Heather up in Hawi at the bike turn around where they were staying, hoping I could get a pair of sunglasses from her.

That worked out great! Hawi is not really a sports or fashion Mecca so Sam drove 45 miles round trip to Waimea to get a pair of sunglasses he thought I could use.  His choice there was either $30 Jackie O knock-offs or $130 Oakleys.  No choice at all – only the best for Max & Gus’s grandma Cindy. Heather, Sam, Max and Gus were waiting for me with the brand new glasses! Yah, I know I could get DQ’d for taking anything from spectators but by the time I got there, I was close to a medical emergency with very sun and windburned eyes.   It was so fun seeing them up there at the turn around – Max ringing a cow bell like crazy and Gus in the back pack wondering what the heck this was all about.

Riding down the hill (20 miles) from Hawi with a nice tail wind was so much fun and very much earned after a tough climb with head and side winds. Life was good until I made the turn back onto the Queen K Highway and had to battle 36 miles of headwinds back to town.   Despite what I thought was enough salt intake, I started cramping a few miles out of town.  I managed to get to transition having made up 7 spots on the bike putting me in 4^th place in my age group but the cramping problem made it almost impossible to run.  I ran/walked out Alii Drive all the way to mile marker 4 where we were staying.  Lola gave me some invaluable advice along with a handful of Endurolytes. Another note to self-manage electrolytes better. By the time I ran to the end of Alii and back, I was a new person, actually believing I would be able to run the whole marathon.

The sun sets around 6:00 in Kona so over half of my run was in the dark. The stars were out and there was a beautiful half moon but it was very dark. The run from town along the highway out to the Natural Energy lab is long, hot, and lonely.  It is hard to see the cones marking the course when it’s that dark and the occasional car headlights cause temporary night blindness. Other than not being able to see all that well, I felt fine and made do with Endurolytes and coke.

Seeing the lights of Kona as I ran back toward town was so exciting.   About a mile from the finish I ran by another friend from Woodinville, Leslye Tabor who paced me down to Alii Drive where I met up with Phil. He told me where everyone was waiting to see me finish and to enjoy these last few steps because this is what I came for. Absolutely nothing can compare to the thrill of running down the chute to the Kona finish. The noise of the cheering crowd was deafening, unlike any other IM I had experienced. I swear if I hadn’t been smiling so hard, I would have started crying. I can’t tell you how much it meant to have my family and friends at the finish line. Jenelle, with her innate charm and “knowing the right peeps”, had managed to get a VIP pass so she met me right out of the finish shoot where we eventually found everyone else. We took the post race photos with Max wearing my finisher medal. I was so happy and so glad to be done.  I finished the Ironman world Championship race in 6^th place in my age group.  I learned so much about the race and about myself.  I felt both honored and inspired by the whole experience – every single minute of it.

The swim, sometimes seeing turtles and dolphins is amazing.  The bike through miles lava bed is very tough but somehow beautiful.  The run is just plain long.  I know though that every time I crossed a timing mat, I felt the friends back home who were watching me and I thank you all so much.  I could not have done this race without your support and encouragement.   All the fun cards, Facebook comments, voice mails, and congratulation e-mails were unbelievably appreciated. And the crew in Kona – you guys ROCK!  I can’t possible say enough.  For me, this is not a solo race.  It really does take a team.

I will be back.

Hawaii Blues

I am not sure why bad things seem to happen to so many at this race. Well I guess I am: to really succeed you have to put it all on the line.
l am in a fair bit of pain (but it’s getting better), and majorly depressed (I’m almost over wallowing), but otherwise okay.

I wish you all could have seen me finish in the top 10

It is doable, and it is going to happen – just not this year.

I don’t know what happened really, or why. My leg right leg just felt really weak during the ride and then I got a bad pain in my glute (into my low back, radiating down my hamstring) on the climb to Hawi. I thought that maybe it was a really bad cramp to I stood out of the saddle to stretch a bit while riding, took more salt… but on the descent from the climb it started being a very bad sharp pain and then I could barely pull my peddle up.  I rolled to the next aid station, they called the medical van and the rest is history.

I doubt he will ever read this, but I have to give a huge hug to Tony, from Waimea, who was the aid station coordinator (or so I got the impression) where I stopped. He got ice for my leg, put a towel under my head, held my hand, got me to take deep diaphragm breaths and was so wonderfully supportive and kind in every way that I get teary just thinking of it. He really made the best of a bad situation and I am sure that his positive energy helped start the healing process right then and there.

The 3 people in the medical van crew were also pretty cool, and the driver had family in the Courtney Comox area of Vancouver Island. Small world! I doubt many native Hawaiian’s have seen much of BC so it was pretty fun to talk about bald eagles, bears on the road, giant fur trees and arbutus – “it’s like being in a national geographic special” he said. I could say the same for Hawaii!

Anyway, I can walk okay now… lots of ice and ibuprofin. A first the medical folks were worried about a rupture in the hamstring insertion (my bum bone was excruciating to the touch) but now it seems like it is just some tearing.

I was feeling fine, no awesome, in all my training rides and runs, and I have never been so prepared for a race in my life so I am uber frustrated that this happened.

The swim start was the most violent thing I have ever experienced, and I have scratches on my shoulders and ankles so maybe I suffered some sort of trauma there. I have no idea.

One thought is that there was possibly decreased circulation to my hamstrings because of the bike position, and maybe from training hard my low back or sacrum was rotated or just too tight causing impingement of nerve or decreased blood supply. Add a hard effort… a muscle working on only half the nutrition is bound to cramp, then the tearing occurs.

The fitness was absolutely there, and I was really prepared for a great race. Hopefully I can heal quickly (though I’m not going to push it) and maybe do Ironman Arizona to end my otherwise awesome season on a better note.

I am going to head to the pool with Trev to so some arms only swimming, and then we have to pack up for out flight back to the cold fall weather of Vernon BC. brrr.

Until next year Hawaii…

Some probs

Unfortunately she tore her hamstring insertion/glute on the bike.  No crash, just “overuse” heh. Just simply started feeling a cramp, then it got worse and worse till it tore with one hard pedal stroke.  Currently unable to walk or sit.  Frustrating!!  If all goes well with recovery she hopes to be back racing in Arizona at the end of November, but really it’s way too early to tell what kind of damage she’s looking at.

More soon hopefully.

TW

More pics

Coming out of the water.

Out on the bike

Can’t tell if she’s happy or not. Hopefully she knows she’s infront of some key players. Long day ahead,she knows how to rip it.

Pre race

This is where the top 5 hang out pre race… Heather, Joanna lawn, Chrissy, michelie, Belinda…

Race Day – Ironman World Champs 2009

I (Trev) have decided not to bring the laptop with me for posting updates.  I will, however, have my mom’s iPhone with which I will send splits and some VERY brief messages to this blog.  Hopefully a picture or two as well of Heather in action.  There’s not a whole lot more I could do with the laptop anyway.

I’m putting my faith in Ironman.com’s online coverage!!  Next post will come from an iPhone.

Almost show time!

Well it’s not long until the ridiculously early alarm goes off and I gag down some oatmeal and extra calorie Ensure and get ready to head to body marking. Thank you all so much for your good luck wishes!! I really appreciate the e-mails and the comments on the blog.  The good karma from family, friends, and fans helps me to dig deep and gives me positive things to focus on during the hard times – which always come in an Ironman.  Keep those “go fast vibes” flowing on Saturday, they do make a difference!!

I did my last little run early this morning, took my wicked Blue bike out for a short spin, and got in the ocean one last time before the race. I got an awesome new, and very snug (they are supposed to be that way, but I need to add at least 15 minutes to my pre-race ritual to get the thing on!!) swimskin from Blueseventy. It has a great new zipper design with no strap that you have to pull to get it off; you simply flip the pull-tab of the zipper up and then it unzips automatically when you tug at the shoulders, when the zipper tab is flipped down, it stays locked. Very handy – the strap on the older speeduits always got caught up in some way, in someone’s arm at some point in the swim. It also has new sealed seams so less of my skin will be gone by the time the swim is over. Yay!

When I was heading in to the water I was lucky enough to run into David McColm:  Always a friendly smiling face, and a great photographer from Canada to boot! We got to visit a bit when I was spectating Trev’s race at Ironman Canada and he took this fun photo -  him watching me watching Trev  (an Abba joke was definitely made at the time). Definitely check his website for some great photos of the race.

After my swim I was off to check my bike and gear bags into transition. My cool new frame and my sexy Rolf Wheels got their picture taken for the mags, which was fun. A nice volunteer – Lynn – took me around through transition to get all my stuff sorted. I am always so impressed by the army of smiling, friendly, good-luck-wishing volunteers that rally together for an Ironman. The day wouldn’t be possible without them.

It also wouldn’t be possible for me to be toeing the line tomorrow without the support of so many people. Huge thanks to my sponsors: Avia, Blue Competition Cycles, Custom House Currency Exchange, Rolf Prima Wheels, and Blueseventy. I hope I can do you all proud!

Also, thanks to John Sample for the great Chocolate #9, Agave sweetened gels. They are a new addition to my nutrition regime and a fantastic product that will give me lots of good steady energy tomorrow.

Trevor will be updating our blog with posts throughout the day so be sure to check in, especially if the Ironman live website is stalling.

There is not much I can do now but eat my usual pre-race dinner, visualize a great day tomorrow and hope to get some semblance of sleep.  Hopefully the next round of e-mails are celebratory ones! Cheers, Heather