making up time on the run in Calgary

I just did back-to-back half Ironmans, Ironman Calgary 70.3 and Ironman Boulder 70.3. Perhaps more impressive was the 2337 miles of driving it took to get to these races.

Part of the reason I signed up for Boulder last-minute (the day before the race) was I flatted in Calgary. So I was racing for the wrong reason — frustration.

Well that wasn’t all.

As a pro I had to pay $750 upfront to race Ironman events this year and because I’ve been so busy racing XTERRAs, I didn’t have an opportunity to race a 70.3 until August and probably won’t have another opportunity.

It’s still a lot of money for two races, but better than almost a G for one.

So off to Boulder I went after just getting back from Calgary, 900 miles each way solo with the hope of better luck on the bike.

…Even if my body was tired from the travel, racing and a few hard workouts I squeezed in between my travel days.

What I thought would be an easy post-race hike, turned into full-on mountaineering; what was supposed to be a fun shuttle ride with some Giant riders in Park City (What? Was I going to refuse showing them how I can get lost in my backyard?), turned into more riding/no shuttle and trying to keep up with Kelli Emmett for five hours was harder than either of the halfs I did, but worth it and hey, FREE!

I hadn’t investigated the cause of the flat in Calgary until the day before Boulder.

So I took it to a bike shop and had them do a thorough look at the tire, rim strip, etc and switch out the tube.

Also made sure the tire, which has very little clearance (like a millimeter) on my TT bike, was not rubbing against the frame.

The fact my legs were aching in the days leading up to the race wasn’t a great sign but to be expected and therefore my expectations were low — just don’t flat and don’t get passed by anyone on their Sunday ride or run during the race — that would be a little harder, especially in Boulder.

The swim ended up being a non-wetsuit swim for pros, optional for age-groupers.

I was pleased. I just prefer to swim without a wetsuit, plus it gives you 15 minutes more time prerace not having to get into it.

Pro women had their own wave, 3 minutes behind the pro men.

I always like this, I think women start off a little slower.

I was with the front pack until a goggle filled with water and had to stop to empty it, yes a rookie move.

The swim was one big 1.2-mile loop in the Boulder Rez. The fast swimmers lost me and I was swimming more-or-less solo.

The pace felt relatively easy and relaxed  considering we were at altitude.

The longer swim works out for me, I feel I go the same pace as the 1,500-meter XTERRA swims but can go for longer, rather than trying to swim faster for a shorter distance.

I came out of the water in 4th place around three minutes back.

Not a bad start.

Got on my bike and headed out of the road for a two-lap 56-mile around the rolling hinterlands of Boulder, some neighborhoods, parks, ranches and farmland.

I soon got passed by Angela Naeth and Uli Bromme.

Then two more.

Unfortunately, I got to witness the latter women drafting off of each other.

It’s pretty disappointing to see this in the pro race, age-group races it’s almost impossible not to because they’re so crowded. There was a motorcycle in between the two drafters and myself so I rode up beside the motorcycle and asked,

“Are you an official?’”

“Yes”

“Are you watching this?”

“Yup.”

I managed to pass the women again on the flat and assumed they would be spending sometime in the upcoming penalty tent–I don’t think this happened.

One of the hardest parts of a half is about 30 minutes into the bike, there’s not a whole lot to do and I look at my watch and think, “huh, I’ve got to do this for two more hours!”

Could I ever do a full Ironman without total boredom taking over?

As I approached the end of the first lap, I started to hear some chirping, which I assumed was birds singing their morning chorus, but it seemed to follow me–and get worse.

On the second lap we were passing age-groupers on their first lap. I wanted to see what was wrong with my bike and if my tire was rubbing.

It’s really hard to stop during a 70.3 because you’re going that much faster than an XTERRA, plus, with the steady stream of age groupers on the shoulder, it was almost impossible.

The chirp got worse.

Finally getting the best of me, I pulled over and looked over the bike, spun my back wheel around. It was rubbing but not too bad, and I didn’t want to make it worse by trying to fix it so I hopped back on the bike.

No more annoying whistle. Phew.

Oh, and I did get passed by someone out on his Sunday ride, but after all it was Boulder.

(An aside: Though some of Boulder’s all-stars sat out the race, they were definitely around. Tri-celeb sightings included Craig Alexander, who I saw on his morning run; Mirinda Carfrae on hers; Chrissie Wellington, who I almost bumped into as she strolled through and aid station backward on the run.)

After my tire stopped whistling, an ambulance passed and soon after I saw a racer getting lifted onto a stretcher.

A paramedic was signaling people to pull over and stop. So I did, only to have a handful of age-groupers fly by. I waited, but not sure why, and then kept going. At that point, I assumed I would have to pull over down the road to let the ambulance by, only to see what looked like a CareFlight helicopter overhead.

I still don’t know who this was, but it’s hard to continue racing after knowing someone was hurt. All of a sudden the race doesn’t seem that important, and having a minor bike problem trivial.

Soon the whistling came back and worse than ever.

I battled the urge to stop again and fix it, but, after all the morning’s events I wasn’t far from transition and simply wanted to dismount.

I headed into transition racked my bike and headed out on the run.

Two loops of 6.6 miles on dirt roads and wide dirt trails.

I could see Karen Melliar-Smith, out in front and started to gain on her. I passed her before the first aid station but she hung on and passed me at the end of the first lap. My legs felt heavy.

I handled my nutrition well during the race: Four GUs and a full bottle on the bike and another three GUs on the run along with a sip of water, Coke or Gatorate every aid station (four aid stations a lap.)

I cannot say enough good things about the aid stations at 70.3 races.

There’s always about 20 people at each one offering all kinds of goodies every mile or so. Water, Gatorade, gels, Coke, oranges, bananas, and the best cups of ice and sponges filled with cold water. XTERRA take note…

It felt so good to clean my face off with the sponges. The sun had come out and by 9:30 a.m. the Boulder temperatures were in the high 80s, I could feel it starting to burn my skin.

As I tried to pick up the pace second lap I seemed to be slowing down.

We were now running past a lot of people on their first lap but tried to keep Karen in sight as we weaved through other racers.

I finished in 8th place not far behind Karen.

Despite my mishaps this was my best finish and fastest time yet (approx. 4:38) in a half. Plus I think I won the non-aero helmet division.

Julie Dibens won the women’s race and Andy Potts won the men’s. In protest of the WTC 8 percent rule, Julie hung out in the finishing chute for a good five minutes (her lead) so the other women would get paid. The race was only paying to top 4 and they all had to be within 8 percent of the winner. Same thing happened last weekend in Ironman 70.3 Steelhead. I only wish to someday be so fast I can hang out at the finishline and still win.

Immediately after the finish, I skipped the Left Hand Brewing Co. tent curious to find out what the mysterious whistling was.

Turns out, my back wheel tire was rubbing on the frame so badly it could hardly move half a rotation.

Disbelief that I put in about a full Ironman’s worth of work into the bike, I took my bike to the source: the Zipp wheel booth. They told me my road tires were wide for a 23c and I should use a thinner tire, a very simple solution I should have known prior to both races.

Though I think the annoying whistling made me bike harder so I would get done sooner and I gave me a really good resistance ride in that will hopefully pay off down the road. But how much or if the tire slowed me down I really don’t know. I do know that the women’s field was strong as always.

I always seem to learn the hard way, and so, here is an amalgam of  lessons learned:

• Carry two CO2s, or a big air with you during races.

• Not all floor pumps have accurate pressure gauges. Use what you know.

• Always have an extra derailleur hanger with you (they’re different on every bike and can bend easily.)

• Make sure your spare tube is wrapped in something, and if you have an important race coming up, switch out the tube, if it’s been in your bag awhile chances are there’s a hole in it.

• Mud tires are skinny and knobby. Snow tires are wide and knobby.

• Bring extra valves for tubeless tires to races.

• Check your brake pads before a race and also bring extra.

• Maxxis road tires are wider than they say.

As for doing back to back halfs, it wasn’t that bad, unless you count all the road trip food in between.

I think I was a little tired on the run the second time around but could have been the altitude, the resistance bike training, or just not being fit enough for 13 miles.

Plus two halfs a week a part counts as a whole right?

Please.

All in all, the trip was worth it and the event was very well-organized.

A fast course at Boulder also, especially for being at altitude.

Big thanks to Sasha Peyman who got me in touch with the right people so I could get in the race and to teammate Sara Tarkington who let me, my boyfriend and dog stay at her place on a last minute’s notice.

As for Calgary, my solo road trip was great. Got to stay a few days in Bozeman, Montana with Harry Johnson, an old coach and XTERRA racer. Plus got to catch up with another Alaskan and high school friend Garrett Timmerman in Calgary, who was an amazing host.

Garrett, Emma and Cassie post race

All this road racing did make me appreciate XTERRA racing a little more, and after a few days rest I hope to get full swing into my XTERRA training in preparation for US Nationals in my backyard of Ogden Sept. 25.

This basically means lots and lots of uphill at altitude. I will bring my TT bike out once again for the Jordanelle Triathlon in two weeks and I may squeeze another XTERRA race in there somewhere…

Thanks for listening!

Emma Garrard