Summer has come and gone and fall races are complete. I love each of the seasons but autumn has a special place in my heart. It’s a time when I get to sit back and reflect on my season of racing and channel that energy to prepare for the coming year. The air is crisp and the sun is warm. The trees along my favourite trails turn all shades of yellow, orange and red and then fall to the ground so that I can run through them like I am a kid again. I love the fall!
As I sit back and reflect on my season I see successes and areas for improvement. I had a busy summer but with less racing than I have done in previous years.
Back in June I raced one of my favourite races – the Muskoka Long Course triathlon. I had a good swim and a strong bike. The hilly run course was a challenge as always but I was able to finish strong to take the overall win. I was so so pleased with my execution and focus during this race and felt so honoured to have had such a great race.
After Muskoka I headed to Peterborough to race my only half ironman of the season. I had a solid swim in the warm lake and a great opening half of the bike leg. After the turn around we faced some headwinds and I was fighting to stay focussed and strong. I increased my fuel and felt my energy come back around with about 20km to go. I came into T2 feeling strong…maybe a little too strong! I ran my first kilometer out of the gate in just over 4:00, which was a little quick. I told myself to scale it back and I settled into a steady pace. Paolina and I had some great head-to-head competition until about 12-14km when the wheels started to come off (it was me that was fading…Paolina went on to finish so strong!) I was fighting dehydration (we later discovered) and shuffled between aid stations where I had to walk to get enough fluid into me. The aid stations seemed a little further apart than in previous years which was a big challenge on a hot, hot day. I focussed on the little things: getting enough fluid, taking in salt and gels and getting from one aid station to the next. I crossed that finish line completely exhausted. The race was an excellent reminder of how relentless the heat and wind can be and how important it is to make sure that I am properly fuelled and hydrated, especially in such tough conditions.
I had originally planned more triathlons for the second half of the season but plans changed! I had an opportunity to be a part of a fantastic team at the Centurion Road Race up in Collingwood in September. It was a very well organized event and an awesome day that was highlighted by the fact that I got to enjoy 50 miles with good friends – new and old! Thanks for an awesome day Malcolm, Gord, Erik, FLY and Mike!
After Centurion I had a nice little run focus in preparation for my final races of the season. I ran the Oakville Half at the end of September in the height of my marathon training. I had a solid race in Oakville. With all of the miles on my legs it was a bit of a battle physically but I was able to stay consistent throughout the race to finish just under 1:32. I was hoping to have a faster run and match my PB for the distance but I think based on the miles under my legs 1:32 was a great day out there!
After the half in Oakville I had 3 weeks left in my prep for the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. Over the final weeks I had a little work travel thrown into the schedule which meant I had to focus extra hard on my nutrition and ensure I was getting enough rest.
The marathon experience was incredible and I will save the details for another post. Here is a little taste of the pain and relief I felt at the finish line!
