Fitness Test: Check! & Race Recap

I learned a few lessons before the start line: tri-suits are really difficult to get in and out of. With pre-race nerves at full force getting in and out of that suit happened more than I'd like to admit. Start delayed 30 mins (as per Reinier interpreting there were horses on the course?) which meant sitting out in the heat just a little longer, but also gave me time for one final bathroom break. Sometimes what we don't expect to be a blessing in disguise turns out to be. Also, 91% humidity will cause you to sweat profusely even while standing in one place.

I knew very little about what was going to happen that day. I have been running for just a month and know that as a duathlete my bike is stronger than my run compared to the competition. My plan was to rely on the bike which meant pacing the first run correctly was the most important part of that race for me. I decided, once again, to run on feel. Be honest with myself when the pace felt too fast or too slow and adjust accordingly. Ren also suggested taking his coaches advice and dousing in water every aid station there was. So I did. I took a sip and dumped the rest on my head at every 1k aid station. One turned out to be gatorade so I was a tad sticky for the rest of the day. Oops! I finished the first run 1st girl and 17th overall, with a 3:59 per km average pace. I felt amazing and couldn't wait to jump on my bike. Nerves settled with that first run done and I actually found myself getting emotional when I realized just how strong my run had gone. Could I possibly win the Duathlon National title? Woah woah woah...don't get ahead of yourself Mel , I reminded myself (I talk to myself when I race). The race isn't even half over...

The bike course was exactly 20km long, which we were required to do twice. In just 40km we climbed over 500 metres of elevation. Ren always reminds me that even though I stress about how much hills are going to hurt, they hurt me a little less than most. Use this to my advantage. So I did. The course was a little chaotic with both Olympic distance and Long Distance triathletes riding the same course. I made sure to check the legs of every male I passed looking for the "DO" marker ("Duathlon Olympic") because for every one I caught meant my husband had caught them also. I lost track of how many I had passed, especially as the course got more congested, and guestimated Ren to finish around 3rd place.

The last run is more mental than physical. My legs were happy to move at a pace anywhere from 3:50 to 4:20 in that last run and I just let it happen. But my mind started to falter. I had to remind myself that it was just 20 minutes of my life. Suck it up! I did have the benefit of being able to pull back if necessary because I knew I was in the lead and it was unlikely that I was going to get caught in the last 5k. I was nearly sent the wrong way on the course, however, which caused the last 2k of the race to really weigh on me. Apparently language barriers mid race DO matter, because I had no idea what the volunteer was telling me and went on gut versus her signalling, and thankfully so! When I saw my husband at the finish line with open arms and a smile, I knew I had come in the right way. The other direction was for the Duathlon Sprint...thank GOD I went on instinct. Average pace: 4:09. Good enough!

I finished at 2:15 which was good enough for first female and 7th overall. Learning that my husband took 2nd for the men was a pretty surreal moment. We could share this victory together!

And so, using this race as a fitness tester for Worlds has left me more confident in my ability there. My run came back strong which I completely attribute to the bike fitness carryover and the mental strength I had built up during those 3.5 months off envisioning taking the National title. If you don't believe you can do it, your body won't believe you can either.

World's will clearly be a different ballgame. My goal there is to podium in my age-group (of course) but I also recognize that is likely everyone else's goal also. All I can control is what I do that day and congratulate those who may do it better. On any given day, there is always someone faster than you out there. It just depends if they show up that day or not. So, we celebrate the victories we get, and humbly accept the ones we do not. It makes the ones we DO get so much more victorious!

Worlds Duathlon and More!

This year started out exciting! I had a new focus for my training with World’s Duathlon on the horizon, my new business was thriving, and my husband and I were planning trips and adventures. It was going to be yet another great year! And then just like that, SMACK! I ran into our counter top. I know, not what you were expecting. But let me tell you how one stupid silly incident completely turned my world upside down.

This run-in with the counter (no pun intended) accelerated a pre-existing issue in my hip. The sudden impact exposed this issue putting me out of commission for 3.5 months. That’s a LOT of time to miss for training. At first I was optimistic. No injury lasts THAT long. But low and behold, this one did. The only two things that kept me from wallowing in self pity were 1) my husband was still going, and I was not going to ruin this for him and 2) I have athletes that need me to be strong for them and that I need to be an example for. So to my husband and my runners, thank you for pulling me through.

As they say, “this too shall pass”. And it did. Overnight. I accompanied my husband on a work trip to Seattle and finally gave myself some time to breathe. He went to work, I attempted a run…no pain. I expected to wake up in agony the next day but I didn’t. I attempted another run a day later and PB’d my 2 mile. This was all I needed to mentally get back in the game. I had “lost” my legs for 3.5 months, but they were back and they were running and they were ready to go!

I recognized quickly that I had a lot of work to do for my goals. With Nationals Duathlon, at the time, just over a month away (now less than a week, EEEK!!!) I made a plan. I would get myself there, but smartly. If I felt any pain at all I would pull back. I would listen to my body, more than ever, and take it a day at a time.

So here I am, a month later, running and feeling strong. In that time I have gotten back on my bike and even won a road race.

My husband one day hesitantly said, “Maybe you’ll look back on your injury as a blessing in disguise?” (Yes, he ducked as he said that ;) But you know what, you never know! Mentally I struggle to stay in the game month after month after month of intense physical training. But with my 3.5 month hiatus I am so raring to go it will be really hard to stop me.

So, what’s next? Well, Nationals is this weekend in Magog, Quebec. It will be a training race for Worlds and a fitness check. And a great excuse for my husband and I to explore Montreal while we are there. And then, WORLDS! Let’s talk about Worlds…

I am pretty excited to be going to Worlds in August, which happens to be on Canadian soil. I am honoured to have this opportunity to represent Canada as part of the Canadian age-group team and to be able to share this experience with my supportive husband. Knowing I will be lining up with fellow Duathletes from around the world wearing our country’s colors is pretty exciting to me. I am not a professional athlete, so for me this is truly the next best thing. I get to take four things I love and put them all into one day: my husband, our beautiful country, and running and cycling. I CANNOT WAIT to lace up my runners and run and cycle my heart out for those who are truly rooting for me to succeed. I’m running for you, for me, and for those who can’t! I know just how lucky I am to have two legs that allow me the freedom to do the things that bring me so much joy in life, especially after losing them for 3.5 months. In the grand scheme of things, that is nothing.

And so, 2017, we have had some hiccups along the way. But now as I sit back I realize just how lucky I have been. I am starting a new job in just a week’s time as a part-time accounting manager to free up some time for my own training and my own business. I am healthy, the people I love are healthy. And my legs are back!

My husband’s advice to me on the bike has often been to power over the crest of the hills and coast down. And so, I’ve taken that advice literally on the bike and it works for me. But I think it’s going to be my 2017 mantra for everything I do: keep powering through when things feel tough, even when you’re uncertain about just how much father you’re going to have to keep pushing. When you finally get to “coast” and enjoy your hard work it makes it all worth it!