Oliver ½ Ironman

 Oliver British Columbia Canada

It is now 7 weeks out from Ironman Arizona so I thought it was time to test how the recovery was progressing. I chose to race the Oliver ½ Ironman with a very dear friend that is just getting back into the sport after having a child. My training in preparation for the race had gone pretty well so I was eager to race.

It is now 7 weeks out from Ironman Arizona so I thought it was time to test how the recovery was progressing. I chose to race the Oliver ½ Ironman with a very dear friend that is just getting back into the sport after having a child. My training in preparation for the race had gone pretty well so I was eager to race.The day started out under a cloud with some drizzle but no wind. The swim is a 2 loop run on the beach event with wet suit peelers. You have got to love that but of course Oliver is only 30 miles from the home of Ironman Canada, Penticton BC. It would be an understatement to say the volunteers and the spectators are incredible.

The men’s wave left first and as always I made sure I was near the front. I had a great swim and was within the top 30 which was an incredible feeling. Being in the race from the start is exhilarating.

I was soon in T 1 and getting all my clothing on (actually just arm warmers) but I seemed to struggle as I knew it would be cool on the bike. I un-racked my bike & was off to the bike course. As I got to the mount line I clipped in & with one stroke the chain slipped & I found myself in a bloody heap on the ground. The wounds were one thing but how embarrassing. I gathered myself up & got on the bike & I was off. Within 100 meters of the start I noticed that both aerobar extensions were broken with one barely hanging on. I thought oh well, this will be an eventful ride.  I was soon into a rhythm and enjoying the spectacular wine country of the Okanagan. The ride was great as I laid down a personal best 2:44 for 93 km, despite struggling in the aero position.

Upon returning to T2 I noticed there were very few bikes in transition and met up with my friend who was just heading out for the run. After a couple words of encouragement we were both out and in full stride. I should add that my transitions for this race left a little something to be desired for a variety of reasons. Oh well you always need something to improve upon.

The run is scenic on trails and pavement and 2 loops. I ran a great run for me as my goal this year is not to run fast but to run the entire run leg, be it a sprint or an ironman. I have done this so far and in this race I achieved a 3 year personal best to finish the race in 5:40..

I am now off to do a couple sprints and Olympic Distance races and looking forward to using them to fine tune some speed as I prepare for Ironman Florida in November.

In closing I must say a HUGE THANKS to all my sponsors (Timex and supporting sponsors, and Adidas) who without I would not be able to live my dreams. I owe you everything.

Ironman Arizona 2006

 “Goals Can Be Achieved”

Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006 in Tempe Arizona was the 7^th Ironman of my career and the earliest Ironman I had ever attempted. Training was especially difficult at times because of the wet winter we had. I just want to know who ordered that 130 straight days of rain.

Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006 in Tempe Arizona was the 7 Ironman of my career and the earliest Ironman I had ever attempted. Training was especially difficult at times because of the wet winter we had. I just want to know who ordered that 130 straight days of rain.Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006 in Tempe Arizona was the 7 Ironman of my career and the earliest Ironman I had ever attempted. Training was especially difficult at times because of the wet winter we had. I just want to know who ordered that 130 straight days of rain JThe week before the race you could tell that the weather was in change mode as we actually saw cloud and rain for a couple days. However, 4 days before the race the weather broke and the forecast for race day was for sunshine and weather in the low 90’s, with 6 % humidity,  PERFECT!!!!

I arrived at the race site early (as usual) not to run short of time as I embarked on this new challenge. The swim was a deep water start for the 1956 athletes in Tempe Town Lake which was different but perfect. The course was set as a complete rectangle with the first leg directly into the sun which made sighting a little difficult but extremely easy on the way back home.

After completing the 3.8km (2.4 mile) swim in my Quintana Roo wetsuit with a position of 229/1956 in a very respectable 1hour 2 minutes I was off to transition to get on my bike for the 180 km (112 mile) bike leg. However, upon entering transition I was surprised by the length of the run to get our bike bag as it did not seem that far when I scouted it out the day before. Soon I was off to the cheers of the thousands that lined the streets as we left Tempe for the desert.

I was off on the bike but quickly noticed that my stomach was not settling down from the swim. My first thought was to get this under control or it was going to be a long day. After positioning myself a little differently on the bike to open up the diaphragm for breathing thus letting things have some room to move it only took about 30 minutes for things to settle in. Now the key was to ensure that the nutrition plan we had put together was followed including adequate hydration on this hot dry day.

The course is a 3 loop route that was excellent for the thousands of spectators.  This was the first race I had used my new Bontrager wheels and they handled like a dream. Not only did they ride like being on air but handled the corners well. Soon I was on the way home of the 3^rd loop to take off on the 42.2km (26 mile) run. I was pleased with my bike as it was a personal best of 5:48 which was good enough for 382/1956.

As I entered transition I was feeling pretty good although I also knew that the day was heating up. I donned my Adidas Super Nova shoes and was off on the run. There was something different right from the start about this marathon – I COULD RUN!!!

Soon I found myself running and passing people as I pursued the three loops of the 42.2 km course. However, it was half way through the second loop that the heat of the day started to take its toll. As my core temperature started to rise I was hitting every aid station in search of ice. The organizers had planned right for the day as the ice and cooling sponges were readily available.

After overcoming that hurdle it was to continue running and catch a good friend of mine from the TIMEX team that had passed me. I was continuing to run but soon had one of those negative thoughts enter my mind. Simply put I decided I did not want to do this anymore. Now many people have asked me why & how I overcame this internal struggle. It was very simple as it was long ago that I had figured out why I chose to participate in this sport of Ironman triathlon. So it was within seconds that I was re-energized and off and running. With less than a mile to go I caught up my friend JR from TIMEX and after some brief discussion we decided it was the plan to finish together. We did just that to finish 6^th in our category and 55/205 in our age group and 625/1956 overall.

Yes, the goals were achieved. Firstly I had ridden a personal best and secondly I had run the marathon. This I believe was a direct result of my work this past winter when I trained with Powercranks on my bike. I also had practiced all winter with the new endurance formula Gatorade which I believe was key in the Arizona heat.

I cannot thank all that have helped me achieve these goals including all my sponsors and especially my wife and children who without their support none of this would be possible.

I would like to welcome all of you to the blog of the IronCanuck. I hope you check back often for racing, training and motivational tips. I would encourage anyone that wants some advice on a specific issue to email me and I will be happy to be of assistance info@ironcanuck.com

Coming up this weekend is the Pewaukee triathlon. This is a sprint distance race with a 1/4 mile swim, 15 mile bike, and 5k run. I am defending my title from last year, but I expect it to be a difficult race this year with Will Smith from NZ cleaning up lately in the midwest. My training has all been geared towards prep for Ironman Wisconsin so we will see how my speed comes out! It is supposed to be almost 100 degrees this weekend so hydration will be a large factor for all athletes.

Professional Final Results

Briana Boehmer - N/A
Ian Ray - N/A

Age Group Results

Kim Dunker - 75th Overall / 6th in Age Group
Laurel Kleiber - 3rd in Age Group