IRONMAN CANADA RACE REPORT
By Aaron Brogger
By Aaron Brogger
August 26, 2007
I’ve tried to make this report down the middle on detail. Some of you won’t understand a few parts…the triathletes will get bored with some of the detail. But here’s a not-so-quick recap of my first Ironman event. The best part is that I’m definitely up to do it again. Which is good considering I am doing another one on October 13th in Kona, Hawaii. Here we go….
The Swim (2.4 miles)
This was the largest start to any Ironman event ever. What does that mean you ask? Well, it means that there were over 2500 people that started swimming when the gun fired. Yeah, chaos.The course was basically a very long triangle…all right turns. So, I started to the left a bit to try and be out of the huge crowds that always seem to stay close the buoys marking the course. There were a lot of people out there, but it never got horrible. There would be traffic for about 5 mins…then it would thin out. And then randomly I would hit a bunch of traffic again. I got kicked in the face twice…had to reset the goggles. Nothing too tragic. I have four words that I recite to myself while swimming. Reach. Pull. Glide. Breathe. After repeating those words about two thousand times, I found my self at the beach! Time 1:08…goal was 1:10. Lookin’ Good! Special thanks to Sierra for showing me my new swim moves!
Swim to Bike Transition
So I’m feeling pretty good at this point. The wetsuit strippers peel my suit off and I grab my bag to head into the tent. I get my bike gear on, stop at the suntan lotion stand for a quick apply and I’m off on the bike. Time: 4:38
The Bike (112 miles)
So my goal here was 6 hours. Looking at my friend’s times from years past, I knew this was going to be rather optimistic. They are all stronger cyclists and have consistently had faster bike times in other races. So, I was praying that the bike Gods would be good to me. The plan was to keep my heart rate (HR) as close to 140bpm for the first 30-45 mins so I could ease into the bike…then turn it up to 150bpm for the remainder of the ride. I stuck to that plan. I passed people. Some people passed me. Such is life. The first big hill comes by around mile 40. I was feeling pretty good here. Gear down, sit up, take it easy and don’t let the HR get crazy. Climbing…climbing…climbing…and finally to the top. Aaahhh…that wasn’t so bad. Now down hill…fast! And man do I mean fast. I passed everyone that I could see. Not sure why, but gravity liked me on the way down the hills today. I hit the rolling hills after the Richter Pass climb and the wind really picked up. It made for some sketchy descents, but I just tucked in and watched that heart rate. Made it to mile 80 which is the turn around. I stopped to pee. Had to wait in line for about 2 mins before I could get in the damn port-o-potty. Hated seeing people passing me, but nature called. Back on the bike with one major climb left and then the long descent into town. Climbing again…the crowd was crazy. It was like being on the Tour de France. They lined the road leaving one single lane for us to ride. Got to the top…tucked into my aero position and let it fly down the hills. I hit over 50mph on the way down. After a long descent, I’m now back in town and feeling good except for my shoulders and neck. I stayed in aero position for nearly 6 hours straight. That killed the neck. But, I was back and ready to hit the run. Time: 5hrs 52mins. My goal was 6:00 hours….sweet Jesus! I done good!Bike to Run Transition
It’s awesome to just roll in and have people take your bike for you. Love it. So, I grabbed my bag and hit the tent to change. I sat down in the chair. And that was by far the most comfortable folding plastic chair that has ever been manufactured. Haha. No joke! I lubed up my toes and my arm pits (you have no idea the places that will rub raw when you run for hours on end). I ate, drank and stretched. Since I was a head of schedule, I was in no rush to get out on the run. Put on some more sunscreen and I was on my way. Time: 9mins 41secs
The Run (26.2 miles)
And so it begins…the real part of the race. I was clicking off 8 minute miles for the first 3 miles. Feeling really good. My HR was around 150…a pace I can hold all day long. Starting off fast is fairly typical for most…especially rookie Ironman athletes like me. The adrenaline will have you flying. But, I really did feel fine. That is, until my left IT band decided to act up. I’ll spare you a lesson in physiology, but IT band syndrome isn’t an overly serious problem, but it hurts like a mother. The pain is localized to the outside of the knee. Thankfully it can be relieved a bit with some regular stretching. So, that’s what I did. I ran for about 5 mins…then stretched for about 30 seconds…then ran another 5 mins. You get the picture.I settled in for what was going to be a longer run that I had hoped for. I stopped a few times to pee. I also had a little kid race me the whole length of road in front of his house. He gave me a hi-5. It was awesome. I drank the chicken soup and the “cola.”. Which was Pepsi…if you know me, that’s not a good thing. But At mile 20, I realized that I had one hour to make it back under my 12 hour goal. It was time to block out the pain and make sure I ran under 10 minute miles from here on.
I rolled into town and no amount of pain was going to hold me back now. I made the turn on to Lakeshore for the final little out and back. I picked up the pace and broke the tape at 11hrs 58mins and 02secs. And then I heard it….”Aaron Brogger…you are an Ironman.” Almost the sweetest words I could ever hear on race day. Haha. Big thanks to my girlfriend Jessica and friend Jami. They are great athletic supporters!!! And special thanks to my Dad and Rae. You made the day possible! Thanks to all the friends and family that gave support and encouragement along the way. Love you all!
Times:
Swim: 1:08:19 (1:48/100m pace)
T1: 4:38
Bike: 5:51:55 (19.1mph)
T2: 9:41
Run: 4:43:31 (10:50 min/mile pace)
Total: 11:58:02
