Mount Tremblant 70.3

This is for the Islanders doing IM Tremblant. The stuff that people have been saying about this bike course being hard is completely wrong. It is one the easiest 90 k race courses that I have done. It is considerably easier than Mooseman, Lake Placid or IM Canada. I did a 2:45 on this course not pushhing it at all. My average speed was near 33k per hour. Last year at Mooseman I did 2:56 pushing it hard. At other Ironman events I have always done around 3 hours over 90 k. the first 60 k was super fast and then the Lac Superior section was basically like biking on PEI. you get lots of speed on rolling hills and it wasn't really hard going either way. I was literally waiting the whole time for the "hard part" to begin. But, in every race, there are lessons to be learned. Because I was finding the bike course easy, I wasn't drinking too much fluid because I didn't want to stop to pee (mistake). I was cocky about the distance because I have done numerous half-ironmans and three ironmans. I didn't think there was any chance of nutrition problems. when I left the transition after the bike, and looked at the time, I was very happy and felt I was on track for about  a 5:15 half ironman which would be pretty good for me right now. (i used to consider that slow but times change). I was running a little over 5 min kilometers and felt i was on track for a half-marathon time in the high 1:40s which would be my norm. At about the 15 k mark I could feel my body start to stiffen up and then I started to get cramps in my legs. the kind you get when you are dehydrated. I haven't had them since the 32 k mark in Ironman Canada when it was 38 degrees and I knew I was dehydrated. There were a lot  of people around me walking and lots of people being sick so there may be something about the Mount Tremblant course that I am underestimating. I didn't walk but my 1:55 half marathon is officially the slowest half marathon I have ever run. So, it wasn't a disaster in that I finished in 5:24 instead of maybe 5:15 or 5:16 but it was a good lesson in being more careful. I purchased salt tablets at the expo and will start trying them out.

One point re the swim: don't stand up at the finish until you literally can't swim any more. In fairly shallow water, there are nasty rocks and I stood up when the person in front of me did and severely bruised my foot. I am limping two days afterwards and was worried baout being able to run. I had to jump back in the water and swim over the rocks in less than 3 feet or water. Otherwise, it is a fantasic race and you can tell that some government agencies have put a ton of money into this. It was better than any Ironman event I have been to in terms of preparation and support. Virtually the entire bike course in repaved; they had the Snowbirds do fly overs before the start of the race. The governor general of Canada opened the event and spoke at the beginning before the swim. They had a miliary cannon to start to the swim; the volunteers used hockey sticks and hockey nets to collect debris which is cute tribute to Canada. Scott