Ironman Mont Tremblant Race Report 2013

I'm still in utter shock as I write this. I keep thinking that it was a dream. But it happened. It really happened.

The days leading up to the race were great and stress free.. for the most part. Friday I got hit dead on during our swim by another swimmer who was swimming the opposite way and it was so painful I thought I had knocked out my teeth and had a concussion. Luckily, I was surrounded by wonderful friends who all made sure I was okay. My neck continued to be sore the until Saturday, but after some arnica oil and self-massage, it wasn't anything that was going to interfere with my race. On Friday, I registered, signed away my life on multiple waivers and it was all beginning to feel real that I would be doing an Ironman in a couple of days.

                                                          

Later that day, we went out for a light spin and my heart rate was extremely high for the effort I was putting out. It made me extremely nervous that it may continue to be high for a low effort on race day, but I just tried to not freak out and tried to put the negative thoughts outside my head.

Saturday was spent carbo-loading, hydrating, packing bags and checking in bikes and bags. 

Everything was done pretty early, and was able to get my feet up for the rest of the day. This was after visiting Mc at Fluide Bar a Jus and getting some delicious, nourishing green juice. Mc has the most wonderful, infectious energy and if you visit Tremblant, you need to visit Mc and order some juice or a smoothie. Plus, I helped create some of the recipes on her menu. She cuts all the kale from a local farm and her smoothies and juices are made with a ton of love and energy that will help you go fast on race day. 

Race Day:

My alarm went off at 4 am. I slept surprisingly well. The first couple of Ironman races I did, I think I slept maybe an hour the night before and slept only a couple hours each night in the week leading up to it. So, I am always very grateful when I can sleep well during the nights leading up to the race. I instagramed a saying that was my mantra for the day: Be Awesome. 

I refused anything less.

As I stood on the beach, Oh Canada, was sung. I can't help but sing the words "hail Colby hail" whenever I hear it. My alma mater's school song was to the tune of Canada's national anthem and my years up on Mayflower hill flashed in front of me as I heard it.

U2's Beautiful Day blasted. F16s flew overheard and Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman was pumping up the crowd. I became a bit verklempt just thinking about the day that was about to ensue. All of the hours in the pool, on the saddle, and in my running shoes were all culminating to this moment. Although the journey of Ironman is what makes it so special, so no matter what was about to  happen during the day, I already had one heck of a great journey in the bank. 

The Swim:

This was the first year of wave starts. Tremblant was an age group start versus the self seeded start done at Lake Placid. I was the second to last wave and I have to say that I initially was not too pleased. I wasn't happy that they changed the mass start. I think that Ironman is meant to be hard and I think that triathletes should work to be strong swimmers before attempting an Ironman. I always loved knowing that we all started at the same time and I knew exactly where I stood out there on the course. That being said, I have had some of the scariest moments in my life during the mass start. I've come out of the water with a black eye, I have had a 250 pound man take two hands and push me under the water and swim on top of me and when I tried to get back to the surface, I struggled to get air due to all the people on top of me. So, despite liking the mass start, I completely respected WTC for making a safer swim initiative. I preferred the age group wave start over self seeded, so that I knew where I stood against my AG when racing.

The gun went off and I tried to stay on some of the girls' feet. That didn't last long as we caught up to the wave in front of us in less than 2 minutes. Soon the fast girls had disappeared in a sea of 50 + men. I just focused on my stroke and swimming strong. I had Jen, my Masters swim coach's voice in my head during the whole swim. I have to say, all my negative thoughts about  the wave start disapated. It was the easiest Ironman swim start of my life. No kicks to the face, no one grabbing my ankles and pulling me backwards. I didn't even have thoughts that I might literally drown from big men being on top of me.  I didn't get too much of a draft advantage besides from the overall draft of the field. I am still unsure how much of a pull I got. However, I tried to get on the feet of as many people as possible, but would just pass them quickly as I moved up through the waves. Later after the race, I heard from many people that they didn't have this experience and the water was still very crowded. 

I started to hear Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman's voice and I knew I was close to the swim exit. I saw that I had done a 1:05. I was content with that. As I ran down the red carpet, I felt like a rockstar. The crowds were cheering. I saw Mc from the juice bar and gave her a high five and was on my way into the T2 tent. 

The Bike:

The bike course is beautiful. It is freshly paved rolling hills. I am so impressed with how much Mont Tremblant has invested in repaving all of the roads. It makes a big difference to have a smooth ride. They changed the bike course this year. They paved more of Rt 117 and extended the course past last year's turn around. They cut off some of the course when you went into town. I really liked the change. 

As I was riding, my heart rate was super high. It was much higher than what it should have been. I was having the same issue I had had earlier in the week. However, my power and pace were right where they should have been and my perceived effort was where I wanted it to be. I even felt like I was holding back, but my heart rate just didn't seem to want to lower. I weighed the option of over riding and running the risk of suffering on the run, or pulling back and playing it safe. I decided that I was going to go for it and ride on perceived effort and take my chances. There was a point that I literally said out loud "screw you heart rate you aren't going to mess up this race for me".  I do know that I can hold a high heart rate for a long time and I was confident that I could do it again that day. I finished the first loop and was feeling good. The wind picked up on the second loop, but even with the wind, I was feeling stronger than I was on the first loop. Jen and Della and I went back and forth for a bit on the bike. It was good to see the two of them and they gave me some motivation. I ended up finishing really strong on the bike and passed a lot of people at around mile 100 that had passed me earlier in the day. I ended up riding almost an even split. I was 2 minutes slower on the second loop, but I was extremely pleased due to the wind being a huge factor. I was ecstatic to have ridden a 5:49. I wanted to break 6, so I was well under that. And I was exactly 20 minutes faster on the bike this year over last year. All those hours on the saddle paid off.

The Run:

I had a fast T2 and was off to run the marathon. My legs felt pretty good. My heart rate was strangely fine while running and I was able to keep it right where I wanted to at the pace I wanted to run. The weather was gorgeous with the temp now being about 80 degrees, probably the coolest race I had this year. I absolutely love this run course. It has some rolling hills until you get out to a packed trail where you do an out and back. I love it because it is soft on the legs and I love the out and back because you get to see so many people. All was going well until about mile 14 where I hit a dark place. I wanted to slow down, dark thoughts of not being able to finish crept into my head, my legs wouldn't turn over at the rate I wanted. My typically permanent smile had disappeared. A distinctly remember a guy saying "Hey! You are my smiley girl- best smile out here- where did it go? Smile - it will make you feel better!" And so I did.. he was right... to a certain extent. I thought of all the 4 am training sessions, all the hours logged and knew that I would get through this rough patch. I refused to let the last 10 miles be bad. Then all of a sudden it was like someone flipped a light switch at mile 17- I was able to run again. Maybe it was the coke kicking in, maybe it was a second wind, but my legs felt great, my pace picked up and was going to finish this thing really strong.  I was so happy as I entered into the finishing chute.

It is a feeling like no other to be running down the chute in the middle of Mont Tremblant's pedestrian village with the crowds screaming. I was so so happy to be crossing that line. 

   

Post Race:

I hung out for a while and saw some friends who had finished, ate some food. I went to go collect my bags and change into dry clothes. I got my bike and started heading back to the hotel with a stop along the way to get some juice from Mc. Celery, Kale, Carrot and Lemon. It was just what my body wanted after taking in sugars all day. I checked my race results and was thrilled with my 10:47. I was not so thrilled when I saw 7th place. I didn't have too many expectations, but I did have a secret, ok not so secret goal of getting to the podium and was hoping for a 5th. But I had one hell of a day and if a 10:47 got me a 7th place, well then 7th was what it was. I couldn't control who showed up. 

I found Tara and Stan who had come to cheer me on. It was so wonderful to see them and I was so grateful that they made the trek to cheer me on. I have a great video of Stan telling me exactly what he thought of the drive to Tremblant, but it isn't exactly appropriate for the blog, although hilarious. Let's just say, don't try to get into Tremblant on the day of the race. 

Monday:

With my 7th place, I decided to go to the Kona Slot roll down. Chances were slim, but you never know. They plowed through the younger age groups, all the slots had been taken. They got to my age group... there were slots. They called the first girl and she was crying she was so happy. Shoot. Ok. I needed one person to to show or to pass. They called the next girl. Annie Jean. Silence. "Annie Jean??" Silence. The french translator started calling her name. I'm thinking you know your name no matter what language.  This was all of a sudden getting very real. I was in shock. The girl didn't show up. I was getting a slot. Holy goodness. I was going to Kona. Mike Reilly called my name and I was in disbelief. A life long dream accomplished.

A huge thank you to everyone for all the texts, Facebook messages and the love. I have a ton of people to thank who have helped me a long this journey. By no means did I get my ticket to the Big Island alone. First off to Tim Snow and QT2Systems, I can't believe how much QT2 has helped me get to the next level. I wouldn't be performing anywhere close to where I am if it weren't for them. And to my QT2 teammates, I am continually inspired by the dedication and passion for this sport. 

To my whole crew of training peeps, but especially Jeff, Demello and Jimmy Lew. Words can't express how appreciative I am of you guys. Not only pushing me physically, but always being there through the ups and the downs of the journey. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. To Jen for believing in the girl who couldn't swim and taking my swim to a whole new level. To Pam-  I can't thank you enough for your friendship and hospitality of Pam's Pond and the rest of the lakers for making swimming fun. To my lululemon family- words can't express how grateful I am to be part of such an inspiring, understanding, loving, supportive group of people. To Susan for keeping my body in top condition and always believing in me. 

And finally to my family: Mom, Dad, Michael and Meghan for always believing in me, supporting me, and inspiring me. I'm so grateful and feel so lucky to have you all as my family. I can't find the words to  give enough justice to how grateful I am to you four. i love you. 

ALOHA!!!

Ironman Mont Tremblant Race Report 2012

We arrived up in Mont-Tremblant on Thursday and the town was buzzing with triathletes. You could feel the excitement from the whole community about Ironman week.

 I was feeling great about my training and nutrition and was arriving with no regrets or thoughts of " I should have done more/should have done things differently". It was my first year using QT2 Systems for an Ironman training plan and it was just what I needed to take me to the next level.

We spent the next couple of days prepping for the race. The days prior to Ironman are filled with registration, prepping transition bags, checking in our bikes, grocery shopping and most importantly- resting, hydrating and nourishing our bodies.

We brought most of our food from home (yes, it is not a problem bringing perishable food across the border), but from the recommendation of MC who owns Fluide Bar a Jus-  the local Juice Bar in the village, we did find a local farm for local vegetables. A wonderful spot for local organic meat raised right on the farm was Picardier.  27, route 323, Brebeuf, J0T 1B0 819-425-8922 www.picardier.com . We didn't make it to Rachelle-Bery, but it is the local health food store and good alternative to the IGA grocery store.

Fluide Bar a Jus is right in the heart of the village and is a great place to stop for green juices or healthy smoothies. And the owner, MC, is so sweet and knowledgeable!

We faced race week with the attitude that "things happen for me, not to me." When things didn't go exactly as planned, instead of getting worked up about it, I viewed it as a blessing in disguise. It was a small shift in thinking, but helped me stay even during the days leading up to the race and during the race itself.

When the alarm went off before dawn on Sunday morning, I was ready to get this party started. We headed to transition and did final prep for the day. I still get intimidated by all of the fast looking bikes, wheels, and triathletes. I still need to reassure myself that I am a strong athlete and I have come a long way from being the girl who couldn't swim 50 yds without stopping, who would fall over in my driveway on my bike with my feet still attached to my pedals (ok sometimes even on my trainer) and who thought running 8 miles was a triumphant feat. 

My dad met us so we could hand off our bike pump before we headed down to the water.

The start is always emotional. The music is blasting, the announcer is psyching up the crowd and 2300 people are anxiously awaiting the start of a long day. The swim was a beach start. I had never done a sand start for Ironman before and I was a bit nervous. But decided I was going to just go and get right in the mix of it and see what would happen. 

Here is a video clip of the swim start:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwRWJjUqRfs&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1

When you are in the water with 2300 other people, there is chaos. I did get hit a lot, 

kicked in the eyes a couple of times really hard, but I only had an incidence of true panic once while struggling to get a breath when there were so many people (majority of whom were strong men) around me and on top of me. Somehow someone managed to pull my cap off half way off my head. I still don't really understand how that happens, but I fixed it and was on my way. I was able to get some clear water for most of the swim and was latching on to toes and drafting as much as I could without being overly committed to one set of feet. As I swam, I thought of all of those mornings of getting into a cold pool at 6 am Masters. I thought of swim coach Jen and how much she has helped me improve my swim. I thought of my lane mates Pam, Cynde and Linda and how I just had to stay focused since I knew they would all be checking my swim time. My goal for the swim was to come out the water feeling strong, not overly exerted and ready to tackle the bike- and if I could do that in 1:06/1:07- then I would be even more happy. When I saw 1:04 on the clock I was thrilled. I didn't feel like I had just swam a 1:04- but swimming with a wetsuit and with a draft certainly does help mitigate perceived effort. 

The run from the swim exit to transition was somewhat far, however, this was one of the highlights of the day. The red carpet was lined with screaming fans. You just feel like such a rockstar.  I took it all in and before I knew it, I was in the changing tent getting ready to ride. As I ascended on the course, I heard Tim Snow's voice in my head- "have the courage to let people pass you on the first part of the bike. You will see them later". It is no secret that riding is not my strength, but it is still hard to have all these people flying by you. I just kept my focus, stayed in my zone and tried to ignore what the people around me were doing. The first loop of the bike felt good and I was ready for loop number two. All was good until the turnaround on Rt 117. The wind had picked up big time. I kept cranking away. There were a couple gusts that gave me a scare and pushed me across the road. Several packs of people went flying by me. It was frustrating to see such blatant drafting, but I told myself that the day was long and if Karma didn't catch up with them on the ride, it would on the run. Sure enough, 2 minutes as I was telling myself this, I saw the marshall give penalties to a whole pack of riders. I was happy I resisted the urge to hang onto their wheels. 

The rest of the bike was uneventful, though as I approached the end,  I was so happy to be getting off my bike on my two feet. A guy riding next to me looked at me at mile 106 and said " I want to get off my bike, but I don't want to run". Yes, I wanted to get off my bike too. The good news was- unlike that guy- I was looking forward to the run. I started to psych myself up and reassuring myself that "I know how to run, I feel comfortable running- I got this."

As I approached transition, I dismounted, did a quick bike hand off to a volunteer and ran into the transition tent to change into my running shoes and I was off.  I had wanted to do 6 hrs on the bike and my bike split was 6:09. I rode smart and steady and set myself up for a good run. It was still a 30 minute bike PR for me and I knew that if I had pushed it on the bike to hit that desired 6 hr split, it may have cost me a lot more time later in the run, so quite frankly I wasn't too concerned and was content with that 6:09,  It is still such a surreal feeling to be in that tent as you are prepping your body to run and telling your mind that you just have to run a marathon and you are done. Just a marathon?? I don't think I have ever let my mind fully comprehend what I was physically about to do, or I might not ever head out on the course. As simple as it is, I just try to focus on staying in my zone, keeping my pace and getting to the first aid station. Mentally, it was so great to have QT2 teammates and Minuteman Road Club and Nantucket Triathlon Club  teammates out there on the course with me. It was such an energy high every time I saw someone I knew. I was running steady and strong and was just hoping I could hold on. There were plenty of aid stations,  the volunteers were awesome and the course was great. As I ran back into town and ran through the village, the course was filled with spectators. It was such a high to run through there- feeling like a rockstar again. I didn't even care that I had to go out and do the loop again. I saw my parents jumping up and down cheering. It means so much and helps so much mentally to have them there.  I can't imagine spectating an Ironman, it is a very long, draining day for spectators. The pugs wouldn't move by the end of the day. The put out there legs in resistance to boycott any type of movement in fear that they would have to go back out on the course. They were quite the hit though with the fans. Even Iron Fan himself wanted a picture with them:

I saw Paula, Walter and Deb Pickett in the crowd and gave them a high five for a final energy boost as I headed out to the second loop. I was still running even splits and can typically keep an even pace for run races, I was just hoping this would be the case today as well.  There were times when I would look at my Garmin and my heart rate was creeping up higher than I wanted to be, so I would back off a little.  The last thing I wanted was to blow up. My average pace stayed consistent for the full time. It was so encouraging not to see that pace slip. I continued to see teammates on this out and back course. On my way back into town, my smile was getting bigger, I knew I was almost there. I was passing a lot of people at this point and passed several in my age group at mile 25. I ran right through the last aid station, not grabbing anything because I knew at this point it wouldn't do anything- I was going to be done in a matter of minutes. There was a final hill climb back into town. As I started to ascend, I heard "Katie Weiler! Katie Weiler!" being chanted. A guy with a bull horn and Tim Snow were at the crest of the hill cheering like crazy. That gave me all the energy I needed to go up that hill, I felt like I was floating, though I am sure I looked like I was trudging. It was so awesome to have Tim out there on the course throughout the day. His simple, yet powerful advice at the QT2 breakfast on Saturday kept my mental game in check during the whole race. As I descended into the finishing chute, people were screaming. I was loving the down hill finish and was giving it all I had. I saw my parents jumping up and down and cheering, which brought a bigger smile to my face. I couldn't wait to cross that line and give them a huge hug. I crossed the line, I vaguely remember Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman saying my name. I couldn't believe I had just run a 3:51. That was what I had wanted to run, but breaking 4 hours in an Ironman marathon just seemed like a stretch. 11:13 (1:04 swim, 6:09 bike, 3:51 run + transitions)- a 59 minute PR and a 2 hour 25 minute improvement since my first one. Going into this season, I wanted to do an 11:30. Going into race week, 11:15 was my goal. Ideally. if stars were aligned, I would have liked to go closer to 11:00. Being closer to 11:00 just wasn't in the cards on Sunday. I nailed my nutrition, I paced a really smart race, but I left everything I had out on the course and that gave me a 11:13. I was 12th in my AG, 48th woman overall and 480th out of 2542 including the Pros. I had hoped to have placed higher up in my age group, but all I had control over was my own race execution, which I couldn't be happier with. But boy- those Canadians can race!
The next couple of hours were filled with a trip to medical (don't worry I am fine), an extensive search for my parents and by extensive I mean staring out the window of the conference center sitting on a set of stairs wrapped in a mylar blanket and hoping I would see them walk by. The skies had opened up with torrential rain and I knew I would be much better staying inside. I finally reconnected with my dad and we went out in time to watch Joe run down the finishing chute. I was filled with joy when I saw the bright green shirt come flying around the corner. People laugh when I tell them that 3 years ago he couldn't run a mile. But I am not kidding and I am not being hyperbolic- I am serious- he couldn't run a mile. And not only could he not run a mile, he couldn't swim 25 yards or bike more than 5 miles. So to come across that line in 13:08 was even more incredible. To say I am proud is an understatement. And the best part- he loved every step.


Overall, this is a must-do Ironman. The picturesque scenery, the gorgeous lake swim, the beautiful bike course and run combined with the excitement and passion from community made this one special Ironman. The athletes felt so welcomed and the whole village was focused on making the event special.
There are way too many people to thank for helping along the Ironman Mont Tremblant journey that officially started back in January. Getting to the start line of an Ironman ready to race is not easy and takes a whole slew of people to support you. A special shout out to QT2 Systems and Pat Wheeler whose coaching and training plan have taken my racing to a new level. Running 12 minute miles back in January took a lot of trust and discipline, but let me tell you- it worked. Thank you to Michael Oxman, Susan Feist, Ride Studio Cafe and the lululemon crew. To coach Jen Dutton who has taken my swim to a new level and to Pam, Cynde and Linda for making this triathlete feel welcomed and make swimming fun. I love the pool now and don't dread it. To all of my QT2 Teammates, MRC teammates, Nantucket Tri Club peeps, and the HTH Southboro crew it was such a a fun journey training with you. From 6 am cold winter morning basement spins at Ted and Pattie's house and Ian's house to the long hot summer workouts out of Concord Center, I look back at this Ironman knowing that the training, the training partners and the relationships formed along the journey are unlike anything else. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
And most of all, thank you to my family- Mom, Dad, Michael and Meghan- thank you for your unconditional love and support. To my parents who still show up to these things with bells on and stand on the side of a road for hours anxiously waiting to see me fly by for a total of 10 seconds, then do it all over again on repeat for 11 hours. I can't even begin to describe how much helps to have you on the side of the road and to have you there to greet me and hug me at the finish. To Joe- words can't express how grateful I am that we were able to share this journey together. You are my rock and keep my balanced every step of the way.

Ironman Mont Tremblant Training Weekend Part 2- Run Course

We got a taste of the Ironman Mont Tremblant run course on day 2 of our training weekend. Overall it is a great course that is going to be a lot of fun to run.

There are some hills, but nothing too major. The run starts out of the transition area in the pedestrian village and you run on sidewalks and bike paths to the old village of Mont Tremblant. The section out to the old village is 3 miles and has some hills. Some people might be really feeling these hills on the second loop.

Like on the bike course, there are signs along the run course with arrows, so it is fairly easy to follow them if you go up early to train on the course.

Once you get to the Old Village, you run on a packed sand path. It is a 6 mile out and back (3 miles each way) in one direction and 1 mile out and back (1/2 mile each way) in another direction. This part of the course was along a stream and was very flat. I really liked the packed sand- it was soft on the legs, but not too soft like loose sand. Everyone I was training with really liked it, but I chatted with some other people training for the Ironman in my hotel lobby later that day. They said that they didn't like the packed sand and thought it was hard to transition from pavement to the sand then back to the pavement. I didn't feel like this was the case at all.

The run course is somewhat shaded, which will be nice for those who will be running during the day. 

The run is a two loop course, so it will be nice to run through the crowds and spectators of the pedestrian village and transition area. I can only imagine that the out and back on the run path is going to be rather quiet with very few spectators. 

After Sunday's training session, Joe and I blended up some recovery smoothies. Yes, I did travel with my Vitamix.

Makes 1 Cherry Cacao Recovery Smoothie:
Measurements are approximate and can be changed based on taste. I never measure- I just throw everything in.
- 1 banana
-2 tablespoons hemp protein powder
- 1 tsp maca
-1/2 cup frozen cherries
-1/4 cup raw cacao powder
-1/4 cup black cherry juice
-1/2 cup ice
-1/4 cup water or non-dairy milk (adjust depending on desired thickness)
-dash of sea salt
-dash of tumeric (this is optional-for anti-inflammatory properties)

Blend and Enjoy!

If you have anymore questions regarding the run course, please post below!

Ironman Mont Tremblant Training Weekend Part 1- Bike Course

Joe and I headed up to Mont Tremblant for a training weekend on Friday afternoon. The car ride took just about 6.5 hours. It only took about 5 minutes to get through Customs. There was a line of only 2 cars ahead of us. I saw different reports on what food we could bring across the border especially regarding fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, but all food is allowed (with limits far greater than I could ever exceed). We packed a cooler filled with our food for the weekend.

Waiting in line at Customs

Eating food I had packed

Saturday morning we met Ted, Pattie, Della, Mark, Lynn, Jen, Jimmy, Jimmy's wife Lisa, to ride the bike course.

I was excited to see what this course was like, how it compared to the Ironman Lake Placid course. People have been posting reports on slowtwitch and various forums and a lot of people were reporting a HILLY course. I had read a couple of reports, but I really haven't been paying too much attention to what people have been saying. In a nut shell,  let me say that I really love this course. It is not as bad as I was expecting at all. The hills are extremely manageable. I was in aero position for most of the course- and that is very atypical for me. It is not technical at all with very few turns. There are small signs with the M-Dot icon along the course with arrows as to which way to go, but not enough to solely follow these signs. It was good that Ted had printed out cue sheets for the few turns we did need to make.  Very little bike handling skills are needed, which is good for us triathletes- well at least me! The consensus among the group was that this course is easier than the Lake Placid bike course.

Bike Course Map

There course is essentially broken up into two out and backs. You start off going north on Route 117. This is a two lane highway with a shoulder large enough to ride 2 abreast. 

Parts of the road were just freshly paved, and they are actively working on finishing the rest. I would imagine they are aiming to have this all done by the 70.3 at the end of June. The road will be closed during the race. 

Route 117 has some gradual rolling hills. There is nothing very steep and you can really get into a rhythm. I felt very comfortable riding this road. The speed limit is 90km (about 57 mph), so the cars flying by were a bit nerve racking at certain sections. By race day, when all the paving is done, this part of the course is going to be great.
You go back past the transition area (which is currently a dirt/gravel parking lot). They are working on this right now as well. This aspect will make it very spectator friendly since friends and family will be able to see riders 4 times on the bike course.
The second out and back is completely different. It is on just a regular road. It is very nicely paved and smooth. The climbs are steeper, but they are shorter, and there is nothing too hard.  I was up out of my saddle more on this out and back than I was on 117. There road has some more twists and turns than 117, but nothing crazy.

My Garmin reported 5148 ft of climbing. All in all it is a great course.

We are staying at the Marriott Residences Inn, which is right in the middle of the action. It is right near the finish line and transition area. Race week, we have a condo, but this hotel was a perfect choice for the weekend. We have a full kitchen and a sitting area with a lot of space. When we checked in the receptionist told us that bikes weren't allowed in the room, but when she realized we were training for the Ironman she said "Oh they must be expensive. For Ironman athletes, you are allowed to bring in the bikes." She gave us old sheets for us to keep our bikes on in the room. We had a dinner inspired from Allen Lim and Chef Biju's book "The Feed Zone". It was quick, easy and great for after a long training day. I didn't have the energy to even look at the recipe and measure anything, so I created the meal based on the crispy chicken dish I had made before. Here is a quick recap:
Ingredients (approx measurements):
Coconut oil for cooking
1/2 cup Millet
2 Organic Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup raisins
1 jalapeno or other hot pepper
1 onion
 4 cloves garlic
3 stalks Kale (any kind is fine, though I used red)
1/2- 1 cup Cilantro
Sea Salt to taste
Cumin to taste

Dinner sides:
1 sweet potato
Arugula
Dressing (Olive oil, Sea salt, Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon)

I brought my rice cooker and made millet:

I roasted 2 chicken breasts for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. I also put in a sweet potato in the oven as well. While everything was in the oven, I chopped 4 cloves of garlic, one onion, 1 hot (ish) pepper (Joe was supposed to get a jalapeno, but supposedly Whole Foods was out of them. I can't even tell you what kind of pepper he got- but it worked!!). I cooked in pan for about 5 minutes. I then added about 1/2 cup of raisins (two handfuls) and added some red kale because I like to add kale to everything! I added 3 stalks of kale, shredded and ripped off the stems. I stirred in some salt, pepper and about 2 tsp of cumin. Season based on your taste.

Once the chicken was done, I shredded the chicken and added it to the pan with the kale, onions, garlic, peppers and raisins.

I cooked for about 5 minutes, then stirred in some cilantro (about a 1/2 cup- one large handful).

I placed the cooked millet on a plate and topped it with the chicken mixture.

To complete the dinner, we split the sweet potato and salad. I made a simple arugula salad and topped it with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.

It was a delicious post training day dinner. Now we are ready for another training day. I'm excited to get a better look at the run course. I will post a run course report after today!