Love this race.

This year it kinda snuck up on me. I had spent the year preparing for a half ironman and I didn’t really think much about this one. With the big A race of the year in late July I spent most of August recharging. September got very very busy and I wasn’t on the bike much, not nearly what I should have been.

Coming into the start it felt like I hadn’t really been on my bike in 2 months. With the work done for the half in the summer I wasn’t worried about base endurance. What I was concerned with is the lack of top end - gravel riding is just so much different than long distance triathlon riding. This course in particular is super punchy, you need to have a lot of matches in the book to do well. Unlike last year I didn’t have any gravel racing in the legs, so not a tonne of matches.

The day before the race itself was super busy. Race kit pick up was followed closely by an event for my son. That evening we went to a hockey game as a wrap up party for the fall baseball season. So my prerace nutrition was terrible: fast food burger for lunch and dinner at the hockey game - is it possible to step down from fast food? It sure felt like I did.

All of that sounds just like every endurance athlete on the start line. I have never heard anybody say how they have totally nailed their preperation and are going to crush the event once the cannon sounds. I was going to ride and have fun no matter what, those items did come into play.

The course was in pretty good shape this year. We have had some rain so unlike last year there was going to be some mud and slippery sections but overall things would be firm and generally quick.

From the start the tempo was up. This year’s course was front loaded with difficult climbs and after 10K I knew I needed to dial things back or I was going to have a very bad time. I spent most of that in the red zone - a place I generally never go when racing a long triathlon. At about 20K is the break point where the short course turns right and the long course turns left. I had a strong desire to opt out of the longer race, I was in the hurt locker. I didn’t give in and made the left turn. The very hard effort and the really bad day before eating were haunting me, I was burping almost constantly as my stomach wasn’t pleased.

At about the 30K mark I got into some cramping issues. In all my years racing I really haven’t had cramping trouble. These weren’t debilitating but unpleasant. I was doing a pretty good job with my hydration and despite my tummy back firing I was getting my calories in also. Perhaps I needed a bit more sodium - it turned out to be a bit warmer than expected. With about 7K to ride I got a cramp in my left leg enough I had to stop for a few moments - it was actually better when pedalling than standing and trying to work it out! Reflecting, I think these cramps were more an issue of effort/intensity rather than nutrition - running the engine to this level for this duration is costly.

I crossed the finish line spent but with a smile on my face.