...and going to Kona again!

Ironman Canada had eighty of the coveted Ironman World Championship slots, and since the 45-49 age group was third-largest, there were seven assigned to it. Finishing seventh, I qualified outright. However, none of the six athletes ahead of me took their spots, so the last spot rolled all the way down to 19th place! Many just don't like going to Kona with only seven weeks between the two races, as it really isn't enough recovery time. When qualifying for Kona late in the race season, managing recovery while staying Ironman-fit is the tightrope to be walked. And I'll be walking it, for a third time.

Here's the condensed version of my race on Sunday:

Swim
First 2000m, felt great, right on goal pace. Last 1800m, legs were cramping up like crazy due to my wetsuit. It's hard to swim well while you are trying to shake cramps out of your legs. More on this in another post.

Bike
Felt bulletproof, despite strong head- and crosswinds the last 100km. Second-best Ironman bike split, and best on this course.

Run
Leg and stomach cramps for the first two miles, which had me work well down my list of reasons to continue. Patience paid off, then the next 22 miles ticked off easily at well under an 8-minute per mile pace. The last two miles were fastest, but felt the slowest, as leg fatigue took over. My fastest Ironman marathon yet, on a much tougher course than my previous best in Arizona.

Ironman After-Party
Set a new "hydration" personal best at Elements nightclub after the awards dinner on Monday night. So much for the healthy triathlon lifestyle! The reward was seeing a lunar eclipse at 3:00 AM.

Travel day tomorrow, stay tuned...