Race Report
August 24th, 2008
Ironman Canada
Penticton, British Columbia
On Saturday Trevor and I managed to get to bed just past 10pm. Thankfully I was able to fall asleep rather quickly and surprisingly slept right up until the alarm went off bright and early at 2am. At that time I had my breakfast, which consisted of one cinnamon raisin bagel and one can of chocolate Ensure. It was then time for bed again until the next alarm went off. I had a bit of a tougher time falling asleep because my tummy was grumbling. I supposed I am not use to eating in the middle of the night and going back to bed. About 20-30 minutes later I was asleep. 4:10am are wake-up call came. I quickly jumped in the shower for a very quick rinse, blow dried my hair, and tied it back in a pony tail and started getting dressed for the race. I had a banana while I was waiting for Trevor to get his stuff together. Also I thought that I would make a PB & J sandwich for my run special needs bag. We went through our checklist and made sure we had everything and ended up leaving the hotel just before 5am. It only took us about 15 minutes to get to the site and we managed to get some pretty good parking. The first thing we did was head over to the special needs bins to drop off our stuff. I didn’t have any special needs for the bike, so I only had to head over to one box. Then just 2 seconds away was the body marking. Body marking was supposed to start at 5:30am. It was 5:20am, fortunately everyone seemed to be ahead of schedule and it looked body marking was already under way. There were a couple of pleasant volunteers waiting for us. I got marked up first and Trevor was next. Right after body marking my mind starting playing tricks on me and I was unsure if I had put my run special needs bag in to the right bin. So after telling Trevor that we need to go back to the boxes and getting in trouble from him and him making me feel like a two-year old we headed back to the boxes and it turned out that I actually did manage to throw my stuff in the right bin. Then it was off to transition area. First stop---Trevor's bike. I am sure everyone checks their tires first when they get to their bike and that’s exactly what he did. Front tire----good. Back tire---bad. Trevor begins rubbing his head. I can tell now that he is extremely stressed. In my head I am thinking that this is the reason we wake up early as you never know what you’ll run into. I reassure Trevor that everything will be okay. He starts the tire changing process and one of the athletes who had his bike a few down from him asked if he could help. Being 5:40 am there wasn’t much lighting, so they did what they could. Trevor told me just to go to my bike and check it out and make sure every thing was okay. So off I went to my bike. I passed by some of the porta potties and since the line up was only 10 deep I decided I would go. Following my potty break I headed to my bike. Front tire---good, Back tire---good---Yeah!! I emptied my Gatorade bottle into my profile design. Then headed over to my run bag to put my Garmin, long-sleeved tech shirt, and my pill bag (Motrin, Pepto, Aleve and some other goodies). Then I found Trevor again. We walked around for a bit and found Trevor’s co-worker, Graham Sherman (first IM race) and talked to him and his wife. Trevor forgot his electrolytes and I had enough to share, so we put those in his bento box on his bike. While he was there he looked at his tires again and the tire didn’t seat correctly. In a panic I went to grab Graham who is more mechanically inclined than either of us. He ran over and they worked on fixing the tire once again. Thank you, Shermanator, for helping Trevor. I decided it would be a good time for me to head to the cans again. This time the line up was more like 100+ deep. I stood patiently in line for awhile. I was the 2nd person from the front when who should walk by, but Trevor…what perfect timing for him. I called him and he gave me a kiss and popped in line with me (don’t you hate people that bud in line for the porta potties). Time to get changed into our wetsuits. Nothing more to do, but relax and wait. Mike Reilly called the athletes to head over the timing mat and go to the beach. A few minutes after we are on the beach the pros are off (6:45am). I decide to head in the water and submerge myself to get my body ready for the cold water (actually it wasn’t too bad). We chit chat and joke around for a bit and then it’s time…
Swim
7:00am the cannon goes off and so do we. As I start to swim I can feel my suit suffocating me. This is usually the time I start to go into panic mode, but I just pulled my suit and re-adjusted it around my neck and I was good. The whole time I am just saying “God keep me safe”. I am swimming. I remember what Sister Madonna Buder said at Friday’s dinner “one foot in front of the other even on the swim”. She was right it doesn’t matter how fast I am going as long as I am moving I am closer to the end. I use the big huge orange buoys as my mini goals to get to along the way. As I pass each one I say a little prayer “thank you, God”. I make it to the first house boat. It feels like all 2000+ athletes are there with me as there is a lot of people swimming over top of me and grabbing me. I make it past the house boat and try to find a space where I can swim safely without bumping into everyone. My goal---make it to the next house boat. It is a 450m stretch between boats. As I was swimming I kept wondering why in the world is it taking me so long to swim 450m. Finally I make it to the 2nd houseboat. Goal now is to try to pick up the pace on my way back as I head back to shore (1800m to go). Things are going smooth in the water. One stroke at a time. There were always other athletes right by me, so I felt safe the entire time. As I get close to shore there are a ton of rocks on the ground. I am thinking that I don’t want to step on that, so I swim as far as I can into the shore. Some athletes are already walking, but I decided to swim further in. By the time I stand the water is below knees. I survived the swim in 1:29.
Transition: Wet-suit strippers were able to peel off my wet suit quite quickly. I was confused when I got out (thank goodness for volunteers) and got directed as to where to go. I headed to the tent. I was happy to see a lot of other women in there as usually when I get there I am one of the only ones in there. I took my time as I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed before heading out on the long bike. I got my stuff in the tent and then to the porta potty. After my bathroom break I went to get sunscreen applied. I told the volunteer to put on lots and lots of stuff as I tend to get burned. She did a pretty good job, but, unfortunately, I still managed to get burned…Off on the bike course.
Bike
I crossed the timing mat. As I crossed all I could hear was volunteers yelling at quite a few of the athletes who were trying to get on their bikes right after they crossed the mat instead of going to the mounting line. I didn’t want to get yelled at so I headed over to the mounting line and got on. My goal on the bike was just to take my time and make it through without feeling like death at the end. The first little bit I was just trying to think of a plan for myself. I came up with the plan to stop at every 2nd aid station to re-fill my profile design and take electrolyte and go to the bathroom. I reached my first aid station at 10 miles where I grabbed a GU gel. I grabbed cold water at this time as well, but tried to mostly stick with the Gatorade. I am not much of an eater on the bike as my stomach seems to have problems when I eat. 20 miles I stop right by the porta-potties. A volunteer, a young kid (must’ve been no older than 13 years old) asked what I needed. I said I need to go to the bathroom, but I need Gatorade put in my PD (profile design). When I came out of the bathroom my PD was already filled up for me. I LOVE the volunteers. I was off to conquer the next 20 miles. It took awhile, but I made it through. I felt good. There was a pretty good wind on the course. Just before Richters Pass I stopped to go pee. Unfortunately, there was 12 other women athletes who were waiting in front of me. There were only 2 porta potties. This is where the men have a huge advantage. I made it through the line up and filled up my bottle and I was off. I made it up Richters Pass without too many problems. My HR only got around 150. There is always a ton of spectators at this spot, which helps. I reach the out and back. I saw Trevor here last year, so I was hoping I would see him again here. I don’t know why, but the out and back seems to go on forever and ever. On the way back I was in my aero bar position when I feel this terrible pain on my right leg. Turns out that I managed to get stung by a bee or wasp. The stinging sensation lasted for about 10 minutes. I wanted so badly to get off and just rub it. I kept going. At the 60 mile aid station I filled up and checked my leg. I can see the mark where I was stung, but it was okay…no swelling…off I go. Shortly after the 60 mile mark my tire hits a rock and makes a loud sound. I thought for sure that I wrecked the tire, but no I am good. About five minutes after that for no apparent next thing you know I am riding on my rim on my front tire. I am thinking I probably should have watched that video on how to change tires. There is another biker behind me, so I try to get out of the way. As I try to unclip I go down. I fall on my left side. My only objective at that point was to get out of the way as it was right on a bend and it was an open course, so cars are passing. Surprisingly, I was able to remain calm. I get out my tools, which I’ll need to change the tire. I get the wheel off the bike and start getting the tire off. Just as I am grabbing my new tire I see the tech wagon pulls up. I hear”Do you need help?”. “Yes” I shout back. What are the chances of that happening. Two guys get out and have all their repair stuff. I try to be a little helpful, but they tell my not to worry they will take care of everything. I think it took them a total of maybe 3 minute. That was definitely my miracle of the day. Trevor always says that Luck won’t get you anywhere on race day, but this proves that wrong. I was lucky. Off again on the bike. The rest of the bike was fairly uneventful, but long. The last few miles it started spitting on my bike. I was thankful that I was almost done. I love getting back to the main street and having the crowds cheer you on. My bike time was 7:13. I am okay with that as it was pretty windy, but my goal was to feel good when I got off and I did.
Transisiton:
Everything seemed to go smoothly. My volunteer knew what she was doing and even grabbed my Garmin in my bag and turned it on for me. Since it was raining as I got into transition I opted to wrap my long-sleeved tech shirt around my waist. I went to the bathroom and headed out.
Run
My goal in the run was to run between 10:00 -12:00 minute miles. My back and everything else was fine. I grabbed water and some fruit during my first station. The watermelon did not sit so hot in the guts, so I decided not to have that anymore. I mostly stuck to chicken broth and water. I was doing pretty good the first while. Trevor told me that we should run into each other around mile 5 (me heading out and him coming back). I looked but I didn’t see him. I really had to go to the bathroom, but avoided it as I didn’t want him to pass the other way as I was in the can. I was getting really worried at mile 8 when I still didn’t see him. Finally at between mile 9 and 10 I saw at one of the aid stations. I could tell that things were not going his way. I yelled out his name and said “Keep your chin up”. I was relieved that he was okay. I knew I could relax now and not worry about him and most importantly I could finally hit the porta-potty- Mile 10 to the turn around seemed like eternity. I had packed Peanut M&M's in my special needs bag so my goal was to get there and have some chocolate. I finally made it to the turn around and to my bags. I grabbed my sandwich I made earlier, but it looked like hammers. I didn’t want it, so I chucked it. I started munching on my M&M's…they didn’t sit as well as I hoped, but I wasn’t tossing them. The last 13 miles was hard, hard, hard. Usually I find a friend on the course to talk to, but I was all alone. Just me myself and I. I would pass by people and talk a bit or people would pass by me and we’d talk a bit. The last 5 miles were really hard. My back was hurtin’ and feet were hurtin’. The fatigue was kicking in. As soon as I got off my bike it rained. My entire run/walk was in the rain. By mile 20 I was cold and wet. At this point I put on my long sleeved tech shirt on which was wet, but warmer than not having it on. I tried really hard to run every so often. Once I made it back into town there was more people. Trevor said he be by the sidelines at the “Jose’s Pepper Club” As I passed I looked, but I didn’t see him. The last mile was the longest mile ever. The crowds were getting louder and louder. As I ran down lakeshore drive and back I got a bit of a second wind and picked up the pace. The last few 100 meters another athlete was in front of me. We were running down the finishing chute at the time he was a bit in front of me and slowed down right before the finisher banner, so we could go through it together. I crossed at 14:47 and turned to my right to the fellow and said “thank-you”. My two catchers took me to get my finisher hat and shirt (which was actually in my size) and then to get my picture taken. At this point I went over to our meeting spot which Trevor and I had picked out prior in hopes that he would be there. I waited there for a bit, but no Trevor. Next plan go to the transition area and get my bags as my cell phone was in my dry clothes bag. I get my bags and my bike. I get out of the transition area and call Trevor No answer. I leave a message. A few minutes later my phone rings. It’s him. I tell him that I am at the bike transition area and he in on main street waiting for me to run by. I guess he missed be as he was unaware that I changed shirts and was looking for me in my black top. Oh well…10 minutes we are reunited. He gets bags and bike from transition and we are on our way home. By the way. Trevor finished in 12:39 and some change (six time IM finisher). We went to McDonalds but, unfortunately (or fortunately…depending on how you look at it) they were closed. So off to the hotel….long bath…use The Stick (if you don’t have one of these you MUST get one). And off to bed. Just another day in the life of Susan Oseen : ) ----Results posted on earlier post.
PICTURES OF OUR IM CANADA EXPERIENCE TO BE POSTED SOON
Kamden with Mrs. Tomlinson
Simon with Mrs. Hemmings 
