Pre-Race: Thursday 8/15 - Saturday 8-17
The first thing I want to talk about is packing for an Ironman. I was surprised at how much I could convince myself could be necessary on race day. A friend said that when packing to go away for Ironman, you should pack everything you could possibly need and the kitchen sink. He was right..and so was she, I actually had two friends tell me that multiple times. One suggestion that was new was to pack for race day while packing for the trip. If you don't know about Ironman transitions, they provide you with gear bags for Swim-to-Bike Transition (T1) and Bike-to-Run Transition (T2) which have to be dropped off the day before the race along with your bike. You then exit the swim and grab your T1 bag, enter the changing tent, put on your bike gear, and run out to transition to get your bike. This is different than the typical transition setup where everything you need for the race is located in one spot by your bike. So, to avoid forgetting things when packing, I made a detailed list of all that I would need in each gear bag on race day, then packed all my gear for T1 & T2 in plastic bags on Wednesday night as if I was packing my gear bags for race day. This saved an enormous amount of time and energy on Saturday because I just opened the plastic bags and dumped them into the gear bags and was ready to go.
Here is my packing list for the bags:
| Morning Clothes/Gear | Swim Gear | T1 Bag | Bike Gear | T2 Bag | Run Gear | |||||
| timing chip | wetsuit | bike helmet | On Bike: | MSU Tri Top | Run Special Needs: | |||||
| tri shorts | goggles x2 | bike shoes | Computer | Visor | Socks | |||||
| BTC tri top | cap | sunglasses | HEED Bottle (400 Cal) | Garmin 310 (in tupperware to prevent accidental power on) | GU | |||||
| heart rate monitor | grey socks | Water Bottle | Shoes | Salt Tabs (just in case) | ||||||
| running pants | Contacts | Vaseline | Motrin/Ibuprofen | |||||||
| warm socks | Contact Solution | In Saddlebag: | Motrin/Ibuprofen | |||||||
| shoes | Race Belt | CO2 cartridge | Contacts | |||||||
| msu tri jacket | Butyl Tube - short stem with plumbers tape | Contact Solution | ||||||||
| hat | To Go in Jersey Pockets: | Tire Levers | ||||||||
| bag balm/vaseline (neck and armpits) | 4 Stinger Waffles | Multitool | ||||||||
| sunscreen | 15 GU (10 Strawberry Banana, 5 Espresso) | |||||||||
| neosporin/eucerin tube | Bike Special Needs: | |||||||||
| CO2 cartridge | ||||||||||
| Butyl Tube - short stem with plumbers tape | ||||||||||
| Spare tire | ||||||||||
| Motrin/Ibuprofen |
As you can see, there is a lot here, and this is just what I need on race day. This does not include the clothes or food I would need prior/post race or the kitchen sink.
With Tremblant only a 5-6hr drive north of Albany, it was feasible to only leave a few days prior to the race. My friend Chris and his girlfriend Alex were due to arrive to Albany at 10:30am on Thursday and then Anna and I would hop in the car and the four of us would proceed up to Tremblant, getting through Montreal before rush hour and settled into our condo in time for dinner. That sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, Chris had a slow leak in his tire on the drive over from Providence and we had to get a new tire put on before we could leave for Tremblant. Luckily, Joe over at Kost Tire on Central Ave. was very accommodating and got us in right away. We were out of the shop in less than an hour and on the road to Tremblant just after 12pm, crammed in the car was 4 days worth of food and clothes for 4 people as well as race gear, race wheels, and helmets for both Chris and I. Needless to say, it was a squeeze in the backseat for Anna and Alex even though they're both small and skinny (and pretty). We stopped along the way for Subway and there were a ton of snacks in the car that kept us satiated throughout the drive. Brownies, cookies, Cheeze-Its...you know, solid, well-rounded, nutritional "food".
The border crossing was a breeze and we ran into a little bit of traffic in Montreal which slowed us down for about an hour. No big deal though, we had plenty of time to get there and get settled before the required activities started the following day. After checking-in to the condo we went to the grocery store to get some last-minute essentials (beer and wine). I made an ass out of myself when I got flustered with multiple people speaking to me in French and ended up responding in Spanish. It was embarrassing.
Anyway, the condo was incredible. We booked through Rendez-Vous Mont Tremblant and stayed in L'Algonquin which was absolutely stunning. It slept 6 adults on 1 Queen bed, 2 singles, and a pull out sofa, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, a balcony with a view of the sun setting over the mountains, a fireplace, and a grill. For the money we paid for the 4 nights, you'd think it would at least include bear-skin rugs, a few liters of Canadian Maple syrup (which I hear is legitimate currency in Canada), and a personal moose for transportation up and down the steep hill to get from the Tremblant Village to the condo...but that must be too much to ask. We just had to settle for this view...what a shame.
Dinner on Thursday was rice with grilled bbq chicken and salad. I had a beer with dinner because it only seemed right when you're on racecation and then had another beer after dinner because why not. Spent a good amount of time on the foam roller on Thursday night and really worked out some knots in the IT band and hips. So much so that I was sore on Friday.
Friday morning Chris and I headed down to the swim start to get in the water a little bit and swam for about 30 minutes. Nothing hard, just had to do a little moving after sitting in the car for 6+ hours the day before. The beach was open to athletes and we just walked right in and were shown maps of where to swim and where the espresso pontoon was (yea, that happened.) I felt great in the water and was surprised at how clear and calm the water was for all the people that were in there splashing around. The nice thing is that the water is relatively shallow (8-10ft) and you can see the bottom for most of the swim course, which is something I like. I think it is better than just staring into the dark abyss below (my memories of crazed gigantic alligators from the movie Lake Placid always pop into my head when I can't see the bottom.)
After swimming Chris and I went to athlete check-in in the pedestrian village. The village itself reminds me of Disney World. There are bright colors, big buildings, hotels, and restaurants everywhere as well as a overhead gondola/tram thing and a fountain. Not to mention all the people that are there for those of us who enjoy people watching - which is really just judging people based on their appearances...and it's fantastic. I started to get really hungry during check-in because I only had a bagel with cream cheese and some coffee for breakfast.
Check-in was simple. You get to wait in line, talk to people, complain about the wait, finally get to the front, wait again while everybody fills out liability forms, get weighed in (so they know how much fluid to give you when you pass out on course), get your packets with race tattoos, bib numbers, helmet/bike/bag stickers, and finally get your timing chip. My immediate thought was to put it on my ankle now, but then realized that the race was not for another 2 days. Instead, I put it in with my tattoos and race numbers because then everything essential for the race would be in one place.
After registration, we met up with the girls and took the gondola to the top of Mont Tremblant (~2800ft) and got to look at the gorgeous Laurentian Mountains for a little bit before we got cold.
Lunch was a turkey sandwich with chips, a soda, and some oreos. Again, a well-rounded, whole-bodied meal full of nutrients and the secret to high-octane fueling: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Friday evening we went to the athlete dinner and had what I thought was a delicious chicken and pasta dish with salad, salmon slices, and a baked potato. Each table had brownies with little white chocolate M-dot symbols on them too which was cute. The entire presentation at these athlete dinners is a little annoying. They say it is "mandatory" but then spend the first 90 minutes of the 2-hour shindig making you watch a video, listen to sponsors talk, and watch a few performances (IMMT had fire dancing and ice carving...separately, not together.) After the ice carving I got frustrated and Chris and I left. We had been walking around all day and were tired and wanted to be home. This "mandatory" meeting included nothing helpful about the race. Although, the meal was nice.
We went back to the condo and I again hit the foam roller for a while before Anna's parents and Chad both arrived separately from Michigan a few hours later and we all figured out how to sleep 7 adults in a small condo. But it worked out well and I think everyone was comfortable, least of all Chad who slept on couch cushions on the floor, but it was only for a few nights. We all had some beers and then parted ways for bed. At this point I think the beer count was up to 4 in the past 2 days. Friday evening after the sun went down, there was a fireworks show down in the village and we had such an amazing view of the fireworks. We sat out on the balcony, and they rose right into the clearing that you can see in the picture above and filled the sky with color. They were just far enough away to not be too loud but close enough to really appreciate how pretty it all was. The show lasted maybe 20 minutes and was a perfect way to welcome all the athletes to the village.
Saturday morning Chris and I woke up early to ride/run for a little bit. It was cold but we needed to make sure that the bikes were in working order and I hadn't run in a week so I was curious to see how it felt again. Breakfast was another bagel with cream cheese before the bike/run efforts and then after Anna's parents made some pancakes and bacon. A healthy amount of pre-race bacon is always crucial to a successful day on the course. After that it was time to check in the bikes and gear bags at transition then put our feet up and hydrate for the rest of the day. Lunch was another turkey sandwich which chips and some veggies. And then Chris and I continued to snack on oreos, pretzels, and fruit/veggies for the rest of the afternoon. More rolling and stretching kept me from getting to antsy and worried about the race. Dinner was spaghetti with homemade pasta sauce w/ venison from Anna's parents and some more salad. I had a beer with dinner because I have been having a beer with dinner for a long time, so I was only trying to maintain the routine. Some light stretching before bed and I was all set.
We went to bed around 9pm and it took me a while to fall asleep. One thing that really helped calm my nerves at bedtime was that in the days before the race I wrote out my race plan in extreme detail, from what/where I was going to be and how fast or at what heart rate/power I should be riding to my nutrition plan for the bike/run. It allowed me to put all my thoughts on paper and get them out of my head a little bit. I was able to spend a lot of time focusing specifically on each step of the race so that all these thoughts wouldn't be running through my head the night before. Although, I was full still of race jitters and was running through the entire race in warp speed in my head, it was a little calmer than it has been before races in the past. I ended up taking half a sleeping pill to assist the process and got a good 6-7hrs, which is more than I expected.
Overall, the atmosphere at Tremblant is amazing. What I really like about it is that nobody actually lives in Tremblant Village, they all live 5-10km outside of the village. Where all the IM action happens and where the athletes stay is in nobody's backyard. So, you don't run into locals who feel intruded on by the thousands of athletes that are swarming all over their neighborhood/town. The entire place is a tourist destination so they are more than happy to book all the hotel rooms for 4-5 nights and let the athletes swarm into town. Especially during the summer since it is originally a ski resort. There are restaurants and cafes in the village and there is even a little grocery store where you can pick up some essentials that you might forget without having to drive out of town to get them from a larger store. The views are outstanding, the weather is perfect, the water temperature is cool, and the people are nice. They default to French but if you know how to say en anglais s'il vous plaît then you won't have a problem. Sometimes they greet you with bonjour hello and give you the option of responding in French or English, accordingly. So, if you don't speak a word of French (like moi), you won't have any problems at all.
In a few days I'll write a detailed report for the actual race and you can get all the fun details there.
Anyway, the condo was incredible. We booked through Rendez-Vous Mont Tremblant and stayed in L'Algonquin which was absolutely stunning. It slept 6 adults on 1 Queen bed, 2 singles, and a pull out sofa, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, a balcony with a view of the sun setting over the mountains, a fireplace, and a grill. For the money we paid for the 4 nights, you'd think it would at least include bear-skin rugs, a few liters of Canadian Maple syrup (which I hear is legitimate currency in Canada), and a personal moose for transportation up and down the steep hill to get from the Tremblant Village to the condo...but that must be too much to ask. We just had to settle for this view...what a shame.
 |
| I'm convinced beer tastes better with these views. |
Dinner on Thursday was rice with grilled bbq chicken and salad. I had a beer with dinner because it only seemed right when you're on racecation and then had another beer after dinner because why not. Spent a good amount of time on the foam roller on Thursday night and really worked out some knots in the IT band and hips. So much so that I was sore on Friday.
Friday morning Chris and I headed down to the swim start to get in the water a little bit and swam for about 30 minutes. Nothing hard, just had to do a little moving after sitting in the car for 6+ hours the day before. The beach was open to athletes and we just walked right in and were shown maps of where to swim and where the espresso pontoon was (yea, that happened.) I felt great in the water and was surprised at how clear and calm the water was for all the people that were in there splashing around. The nice thing is that the water is relatively shallow (8-10ft) and you can see the bottom for most of the swim course, which is something I like. I think it is better than just staring into the dark abyss below (my memories of crazed gigantic alligators from the movie Lake Placid always pop into my head when I can't see the bottom.)
 |
| This is what happens when you c an't see the bottom of the lake |
After swimming Chris and I went to athlete check-in in the pedestrian village. The village itself reminds me of Disney World. There are bright colors, big buildings, hotels, and restaurants everywhere as well as a overhead gondola/tram thing and a fountain. Not to mention all the people that are there for those of us who enjoy people watching - which is really just judging people based on their appearances...and it's fantastic. I started to get really hungry during check-in because I only had a bagel with cream cheese and some coffee for breakfast.
Check-in was simple. You get to wait in line, talk to people, complain about the wait, finally get to the front, wait again while everybody fills out liability forms, get weighed in (so they know how much fluid to give you when you pass out on course), get your packets with race tattoos, bib numbers, helmet/bike/bag stickers, and finally get your timing chip. My immediate thought was to put it on my ankle now, but then realized that the race was not for another 2 days. Instead, I put it in with my tattoos and race numbers because then everything essential for the race would be in one place.
After registration, we met up with the girls and took the gondola to the top of Mont Tremblant (~2800ft) and got to look at the gorgeous Laurentian Mountains for a little bit before we got cold.
 |
| Breathtaking. Oh, and the view is nice too. - Alex, Chris, Anna, and I |
Lunch was a turkey sandwich with chips, a soda, and some oreos. Again, a well-rounded, whole-bodied meal full of nutrients and the secret to high-octane fueling: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Friday evening we went to the athlete dinner and had what I thought was a delicious chicken and pasta dish with salad, salmon slices, and a baked potato. Each table had brownies with little white chocolate M-dot symbols on them too which was cute. The entire presentation at these athlete dinners is a little annoying. They say it is "mandatory" but then spend the first 90 minutes of the 2-hour shindig making you watch a video, listen to sponsors talk, and watch a few performances (IMMT had fire dancing and ice carving...separately, not together.) After the ice carving I got frustrated and Chris and I left. We had been walking around all day and were tired and wanted to be home. This "mandatory" meeting included nothing helpful about the race. Although, the meal was nice.
We went back to the condo and I again hit the foam roller for a while before Anna's parents and Chad both arrived separately from Michigan a few hours later and we all figured out how to sleep 7 adults in a small condo. But it worked out well and I think everyone was comfortable, least of all Chad who slept on couch cushions on the floor, but it was only for a few nights. We all had some beers and then parted ways for bed. At this point I think the beer count was up to 4 in the past 2 days. Friday evening after the sun went down, there was a fireworks show down in the village and we had such an amazing view of the fireworks. We sat out on the balcony, and they rose right into the clearing that you can see in the picture above and filled the sky with color. They were just far enough away to not be too loud but close enough to really appreciate how pretty it all was. The show lasted maybe 20 minutes and was a perfect way to welcome all the athletes to the village.
Saturday morning Chris and I woke up early to ride/run for a little bit. It was cold but we needed to make sure that the bikes were in working order and I hadn't run in a week so I was curious to see how it felt again. Breakfast was another bagel with cream cheese before the bike/run efforts and then after Anna's parents made some pancakes and bacon. A healthy amount of pre-race bacon is always crucial to a successful day on the course. After that it was time to check in the bikes and gear bags at transition then put our feet up and hydrate for the rest of the day. Lunch was another turkey sandwich which chips and some veggies. And then Chris and I continued to snack on oreos, pretzels, and fruit/veggies for the rest of the afternoon. More rolling and stretching kept me from getting to antsy and worried about the race. Dinner was spaghetti with homemade pasta sauce w/ venison from Anna's parents and some more salad. I had a beer with dinner because I have been having a beer with dinner for a long time, so I was only trying to maintain the routine. Some light stretching before bed and I was all set.
 |
| Racked and ready to go. 2010 Felt DA, Zipp Super9 Disc, Zipp 808. |
We went to bed around 9pm and it took me a while to fall asleep. One thing that really helped calm my nerves at bedtime was that in the days before the race I wrote out my race plan in extreme detail, from what/where I was going to be and how fast or at what heart rate/power I should be riding to my nutrition plan for the bike/run. It allowed me to put all my thoughts on paper and get them out of my head a little bit. I was able to spend a lot of time focusing specifically on each step of the race so that all these thoughts wouldn't be running through my head the night before. Although, I was full still of race jitters and was running through the entire race in warp speed in my head, it was a little calmer than it has been before races in the past. I ended up taking half a sleeping pill to assist the process and got a good 6-7hrs, which is more than I expected.
Overall, the atmosphere at Tremblant is amazing. What I really like about it is that nobody actually lives in Tremblant Village, they all live 5-10km outside of the village. Where all the IM action happens and where the athletes stay is in nobody's backyard. So, you don't run into locals who feel intruded on by the thousands of athletes that are swarming all over their neighborhood/town. The entire place is a tourist destination so they are more than happy to book all the hotel rooms for 4-5 nights and let the athletes swarm into town. Especially during the summer since it is originally a ski resort. There are restaurants and cafes in the village and there is even a little grocery store where you can pick up some essentials that you might forget without having to drive out of town to get them from a larger store. The views are outstanding, the weather is perfect, the water temperature is cool, and the people are nice. They default to French but if you know how to say en anglais s'il vous plaît then you won't have a problem. Sometimes they greet you with bonjour hello and give you the option of responding in French or English, accordingly. So, if you don't speak a word of French (like moi), you won't have any problems at all.
In a few days I'll write a detailed report for the actual race and you can get all the fun details there.
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