This will be our 2nd last race report for 2008. We can't believe it. When we first put together the list of our races, completing them seemed like such a daunting task. It would be taxing on our bodies and our wallets, and our parents worried for our health. Looking back, we both feel it all passed way too quickly, and we would do it all over again in a second.
Longhorn was a bit of a special race. A good friend of ours was making the trip down from Ottawa, and after having such a great finish in Lake Placid in July, she was hoping to qualify for the Worlds. We were also going to be racing with our sponsor and friend, Nick Morales of Trimapper.com. Plus, Austin is the home of this Lance guy everyone keeps talking about, and Brian was extra stoked about that. His map print-outs included directions from our condo to Mellow Johnny's - a bike shop co-owned by Lance Armstrong.
We were going into Austin expecting it to be flat, flat, flat. Flying in, it seemed there was not a hill in sight, but when we picked Laurel up from the hostel she'd been staying in, she said that she had been hearing it was going to be quite hilly. "No way", we thought, "but one thing for sure, it is going to be hot".
All along we had been told Austin was hot and the water was not going to be wetsuit legal. The week before the race, the water temperature measured 88 degrees, a full 10 degrees warmer than the maximum 78 allowed for wetsuits. Prior to leaving Ottawa, Brian asked H if she was going to pack my wetsuit. "Hell ya!" she said. You never know when a freakish storm might hit, and she did not want to be without her body-floaty should the wetsuit ruling be turned in her favour! Austin is a fresh water swim, and Heather had nightmares of her 11 minute panic attack in Florida when she almost called it quits on the whole race.
Because we were 3 for this leg instead of our usual 2, we afforded the luxury of renting a condo. It was a beautiful townhome "loft", with 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a gourmet kitchen.
Swanky! We had a deck off the common area, and on sight, knew that we would most likely enjoy a few cocktails there. H believes the word margharita was uttered once or twice. Having the condo also meant we would get to have home cooked meals. That's definitely something we consider to be a luxury these days, and with Laurel having seliac disease, it was almost a necessity. We spent our evening, building our bikes, and chatting. We have been away so much this summer that we have missed time with our friends. Laurel was extra excited about being in Austin to race, and we fed off her excitement. It would seem that since this was our 15th race in 7 or so months, it was becoming a habit to us, and it was nice to be reminded that racing in Texas was pretty cool.
We were up rather early on Sat a.m. The expo and race kit pick-up opened at noon, and we had a side-trip to Mellow Johnny's scheduled. We did NOT want to be rushed there. We all treated ourselves to a few wants...Heather picked up a really cool cycling jersey, a few water bottles, a couple pairs of socks, a replacement for her long lost LIVESTRONG bracelet, and of course a MJ t-shirt. Brian.....let's just say, almost one of everything. He kept busy gawking over all of the Lance memorabilia at the shop.
From Mellow Johnny's we headed to the Race Kit pick-up and mandatory race meeting. The expo was small, and Heather had thoughts of picking up a new pair of Newton's, but seeing as how this was a Zoot sponsored event, there was no Newton booth to be found. Good thing too, since if she had purchased a pair, she would have been tempted to race in them on Sunday, and for reasons you'll read later, she would have regretted that decision.
The best sight in Austin for both of us was by far was the nice big sign outside of registration that read: "Water temp 78 degrees - Wetsuit legal". What beautiful words those are when all strung together like that! We would hear lots of talk throughout the day from people who had left their wetsuits at home since they had been told the week prior that there was absolutely no chance that the water temperature would drop 10 degrees in a week. Lesson here would be to always come prepared for any conditions.
Between the Race Kit pick-up and the mandatory race meeting, we took in the Pro Panel. Heather is not big on the names, Brian keeps pointing out people to her that ewe have seen along the way, but for whatever reason, their names and faces don't stick with her. The panel did consist of a couple of pros that she knew though: Simon Lessing, Richie Cunningham, Michellie Jones, and Canada's own Lisa Bentley. Brian chatted at the back of the room with a Canadian Pro Tyler Lord who he had chatted with in Newfoundland...it was nice to catch up! The floor was open for questions, and being anything but shy, Laurel was first with her hand up. She asked Lisa, being a fellow Canadian, how was she planning on managing the heat tomorrow. Good question, and funny enough, she mentioned all the things we'd learned after having raced in several hot places. Drink lots on the bike, put ice in: your hat, pockets, and pants on the run, and think cooling thoughts. Really, what else is there to do?
From the registration, we drove to the race start to check in our bikes. We did a quick test ride to make sure they had all survived the travel ok, and we quickly noted 3 things: one, the wind and heat were killer and would most likely be a big factor on race day; 2- proper hydration was going to be key and that Brian's bike was still making that gawd-awful noise! He headed to the Mavic guys to look at it. Nothing like having TdF guys working on your bike!!! Austin is ALL about being the rock star!
It was a 25 minute drive from the condo to the race site, so with a 4:30 AM wake-up call looming over us, we had an early carb dinner and headed straight to bed.
As we finished off in transition and made our way to the start, we met up with Nick Morales....great to finally meet him and race with him. We also stumbled on to John....a new friend that had shared some pretty dark times in St. Croix with Brian as they both did the "death march" on the run there. His broken back had healed and had committed to us in St. Croix, that he would race with us again in Austin. He came good on that promise and was heading to the start.
Laurel's AG was the first of our waves to go, Heather followed 15 mins or so behind her, and Brian was the very last wave, starting a full 45 mins behind the pros. He feared that it was going to be a long, lonely day, and Heather only hoped that somehow our paths would meet up on the run. Running together had easily become our most favourite moments within any given race.
As Heather does on any start, she hung back from the rest of the pack. This was a floating start and she stayed back and to the inside. Her goal always being to hug the line and stay on course as best as possible. It was a triangular, counter-clockwise swim in Walter E Long Lake, and since she breathes only from her left side, this made sighting a lot easier. The swim felt relatively fast. There was a small current that flowed in your favour after the first turn. She swam well, didn't panic at all, and when she exited the water and read her watch, for a little while, she thought she may have just had the swim of my life. It read 33 mins and change. What the? No way. Surely her watch must have stopped somewhere on route she thought. Heather knew in her head that the swim must have been short, but it wasn't until she saw Brian half way through the run that we both let the dream go that we had a rocket swim. Funny how your mind can go and what you can convince yourself of in the course of 3 or 4 hours.
By the time Brian got in the water, it was wetter IN his wet suit than in the lake!!! Man, it was hot just standin there. Being last to go brings some good things...he got to see all the prod come out of the water, and knew, FOR ONCE.....all he would be doing for the next few hours...is passin people!!! Not a common thing in the Bman's world!!
The bike was a 90k loop that takes you through the outskirts of Austin, past many sprawling ranches. At a few ranches, horses watched curiously, and one even ran in circles obviously excited by the mass of cyclists passing by. Laurel would tell everyone later that there wasn't a flat spot to be found on the course, but from what we both remember, while there were some rolling hills, the majority of the route was flat - at least relative to the course we'd seen over the last few months. The headwind was definitely a factor in the straighter sections, but a lot of the course was protected. The heat hit hard too, but we were blessed with some cloud cover and at spots during the ride, Heather got rained on. Brian was forced into his saddle for most of the day, so worked on the aero again as the noise reappeared 10k into the race. Man, that is annoying!
In the final 2 mile stretch, they throw a couple of nice hills at you for safe measure. One travels along side the run course and you can see some of the runners climbing what has been affectionally called Quadzilla. It's not all that much easier on the bike. A final climb into transition, and you ran your bike through the grassy pathways to the rack before heading out to the run.
As Heather headed out on her run, Lisa Bentley was running by, quite obviously on her way to the finish. She was being led by the "Lead Female" cyclist, a sure indication that she was in first, so she cheered her on. The run was somewhat of a 10.5 km figure 8. The first half was an out & back that ran along bike paths and paved roads. They had a couple bands playing to keep your spirits up, and each aid station handed out gatorade, coke, water, gels, and sponges. At the 2nd aid station, they were handing out soaking wet, ice cold towels. She grabbed one and wrapped it around her neck, keeping it there until the final few meters of the run. They had also put up a sprinkler tent and a "air conditioning" type unit, but they didn't provide enough water\mist to have much effect.
The 2nd half of the figure 8 ran through grassy trails. You ran down a steep hill on one side of the field, so that they could position you to run back up Quadizilla on the other side. They had timing mats at the bottom and the top of Quadizilla and they were giving out prizes to the male and female who had the fastest "split" times. Heather knew she had no hopes of challenging for that prize, but she did vow to run the entire hill. She was quite amazed with the number (and calibre) of athletes who chose to walk it. She was halfway up Quadzilla when she heard her name being called. She glanced over to the road and saw Brian on his bike. She mustered some kind of wave, and immediately went into math mode. She knew he had about 2k left to transition, and had a little over 2 miles. She tried to work out how fast she would have to run in order to catch him on my 2nd loop. It would be a bit of a stretch, but she figured she had a chance, and it was knowing that which helped her maintain any sort of pace. Brian had no clue what the course was like for the run. He could see Heather on Quadzilla and knew that the paths then dipped back into the woodlands of Texas, only to reappear again near the end of the loop. He headed out and was not sure if he was ahead or behind Heather on her last loop...a good incentive for him to dig deep.
At the 2k\12.5k mark, Heather met up with Brian, and we ran together for the next 5 or so k. One of the first questions was about the swim. From what Brian had heard on the bike course, the swim was approximately 300 m short. Heather realized she wouldn't be going pro any time soon LOL! While we ran\walked the next 4k, we shared stories of our day. We were both feeling the heat, and were looking forward to the cold beer they had promised at the finish. With 3 miles to go for her, Heather parted ways with B and carried on to the finish, running up Quadzilla for her 2nd time. We parted at the base of Quadzilla and Brian could see Heather running the entire thing. Brian may not be as fast, but he has the same "push" as she does....so he ran the Quad as well. WHAT a burn that gives!
Laurel was waiting at the finish when Heather came through, and she was handed her medal, a towel and a water bottle. Laurel and Heather then stood together at the fence to wait for Brian as he passed by to head out on the 2nd loop. She knew that he'd only be 5 or 10 mins behind her. He came around the bend and we cheered for him. He looked at us and said "Guess who I just took a sip of beer from." Heather couldn't possibly guess. "Lisa Bentley!" he boasted. Go figure. She leaves the guy for 20 flipping minutes, and he has the experience of a lifetime. Bugger!
Apparently, when he was coming around the corner he saw Lisa and friends cheering the runners on. Knowing she had won the race, Brian stopped to congratulate her on her win. He also told her that her "finishers beer" looked DAMMM good, and figured there was no harm is askin for a sip. Turns out, it was her hubbies beer...so she turned to him and asked is she could share his beer with this guy. He replied...."Hell ya....this is that guy who is doing 16 of these 70.3's this summer!!!!" Beer never tasted so good!!
While we waited for Brian to finish, Laurel and Heather got a massage and made our way around the food tent. Heathers shoes were an absolute mess. They looked like she had hiked through the Sahara and back, and passed through a mud swamp along the way. They were absolutely filthy, and it was for this reason that she was happy she had not been able to buy a brand new pair of Newtons. These shoes were done.
Heading home on his last lap...Brian was teetering on another death march for the last 4k... until he heard a shout out. It was Tyler Lord. His day was done and he was headin to his vehicle. He said " Keep goin' Bri.... stretch out that stride". As Brian waved to him with very little gusto, and stretched it out as much as he could...he could hear him say "much better Bri....". Its odd....those words will stick with him for a very long time.
In the time that she predicted, Brian made his way to the finish, and the sight of him choked her up as it always does. We had done this 15 times over the last 7 months, and we always feel exactly the same way. Relieved and proud is how we both felt...seeing Heather at yet another finish knowing his baby was home safely. Austria crash always flashes back in Brian's mind, racing the day not knowing where or how Heather was.
We never did get the beer they promised - they were all out by the time we made our way to the beer tent, nor did we see the Longhorn that was supposed to be hanging around. We will say however, it was absolutely cool to race in Austin. Being able to share the race with a friend made it extra special - especially since Laurel ended up placing in her AG and getting a spot at the 2009 World Championships! Very exciting!
At the awards ceremony, it seemed that the sponsors of the events had provided too much swag for the numbers who stuck around. So we snagged 6 FuelBelts to give away as door prizes for our upcoming party. They also started to give away Timex Ironman Ipod watched. "Who ran Boston this year" "Who has last years Longhorn T-shirt on"...the watches start flying out!!! The race announcer, who we had chatted over the course of the weekend saw us there. "Ok, I KNOW who is gona win this one....Who has raced the most 70.3's this year?? These Canadians over here have raced 15 of these already this year folks...so pretty sure they get the gear!" Two watches headed back to Otown on the wrist of two tired triathletes.....bring on the World Championships!!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
More MORE Pics from Austin 70.3
Race day has arrived!
Time to retire these sox..fitting its in Austin!
The one and only Nick Morales!!!!
RockStar treatment...the boys from France!
Time to retire these sox..fitting its in Austin!
The one and only Nick Morales!!!!
RockStar treatment...the boys from France!
Even MORE pics from Austin 70.3
...only in Texas!
Setting up in the parking lot....again!
Texas sized eats!
Checking in!
At Lances...DeRosa with wooden rims..first $3800 Takes it!
Setting up in the parking lot....again!
Texas sized eats!
Checking in!
At Lances...DeRosa with wooden rims..first $3800 Takes it!
More pics from Austin 70.3
Lance? PINK??? Sweet!
Maillots Jaunes!!!
Pimped out ride!
What a machine!
Another machine!
Maillots Jaunes!!!
Pimped out ride!
What a machine!
Another machine!
Pictures from Austin Texas....70.3
Shopping at MJ's!
Ahhhh....there it is!!!!
The ladies cooking up a storm!
So much better than a hotel!
Chillin in Texas!!!
Ahhhh....there it is!!!!
The ladies cooking up a storm!
So much better than a hotel!
Chillin in Texas!!!
Tri The World does Cancun 70.3
Cancun 70.3 was to be our 3rd race in three weekends. We flew from Brazil to Chicago for a quick stop. We headed out after only a few hours and a meal for a direct flight to Cancun. After the drama in Brazil, we were both looking for some R&R and some time with friends that we knew were going to be participating in this race. Our travel agent, Michelle of Tri The World Travel does this race often and was down again this year with family, friends and several of her athletes. We also bumped into Randy Graham of Ottawa at the airport. We had done Newfoundland 70.3 with him as well and he was determined to come to Cancun for some unfinished business.
We landed in Cancun and looked for our ride. Michelle and her dad offered to pick us up at the airport in her rented van and take us to the hotel we were all staying at. After the small yet cozy accommodations in Brazil, we knew Michelle had hooked a super deal at the Hilton Golf and Spa Resort. Our drive to the Hilton included a partial view of the bike course and pretty well the entire run course which was nice to be able to see.As we pulled into the Hilton, we saw how nice this place really was. We were escorted to this private desk to check in to our villa. We were told about the daily breakfasts as well as the all day snacks and happy hour from 5pm to 7pm! Where WERE we???? All checked in, we chilled out for the first time in what seemed like weeks.
The Friday before the race, we headed to register for the race. Brian needed to get this lingering “carbon” noise problem looked at so he brought his bike. He lined up for the mechanic and Heather followed the line into registration with our TTW.com friends. As he stood in line, Heather returned with her swag from registration….which included an IM70.3 fleece jacket. Um….we are in Cancun, no??Brian was assured that again, the problem was fixed (but would learn on race day that indeed it was not!!!!). As for the rest of the day….chillin in the endless pool!!!!Saturday meant bike drop off and mandatory meeting. We ran the 11 minutes to the meeting and were done in by the heat…it was unbelievable. At the pre race meeting Brian saw some “chaps” from the UK who were wearing their finisher’s shirts. He went to talk to them to share stories about the race over the pond. They actually remembered seeing us out on the course and remembered the announcement of our attendance there at the pre-race meeting…a good bunch of guys!
After the meeting we got a ride back to the Hilton and hopped on our bikes to drop them off in transition. As we were one of the first ones there, be got some sweet spots on the racks. We organized a dinner with Randy Graham, a fellow triathlete from Ottawa who we spent the winter with swimming early in the morning! We had a great meal, relaxing time and great conversation! Off to bed for the big day!
Sunday morning we were greeted with an awesome sunrise. We took a taxi to transition and got set up. There was little to do but still got there with plenty of time to spare… or so we thought! After a quick check, Heather realized that she did not have her goggles!!! So, Brian opted to stay there and finish pumping tires and setting up while Heather got back to the hotel. She was able to get back only moments before transition closed….a relief for both of us!
One of the nicest moments of this race (there were a few) was bumping into Corey. Cory was one of the lads from the UK I had spoken with at the pre-race meeting. He is a towering, soft spoken fellow clydesdale with an even bigger heart. We chatted while Heather made some final adjustments on the way to the beach. Corey surprised Brian during the conversation by saying “since you were so nice to come chat with us before the meeting and are obviously dedicated to the reason you were racing, I will make a donation through your website when I get home!
Corey and Brian would see each other again!
We walked to the beach and waited around for the race to start. As we stood there, we FINALLY hooked up with Chance Regina, our Blue Competition Cycles representative. He was initially slated to compete, but opted to simply enjoy the week in Cancun with his wife. We had a great chat with them, along with Michelle from Tri The World travel and her family, until we were interrupted by the voice of Ironman Cancun, who got the attention of he entire field and announced our appearance at this race, sharing our venture with the entire field. It was a proud moment for us, our friends and our sponsors to all be there for such great PR for our causes.
Shortly after that, the gun sounded for Brian’s wave. This swim is best described as a two loop floating rectangle where you swam out to the rectangular shaped course, did it twice and then swam back to shore. Heather’s wave was a few after Brian’s and went off without a hitch.
The run to transition as described seemed like a LONG one…..well it was! It was a run through the water-park where transition was located. Once set up, Brian was off to hit the sun on the roads of Mexico, with Heather not too far behind. The ride was fairly boring except when Brian almost ran over a Tarantula that was crossing the road. Man was it huge!!! We had two laps to do out in the Mexican sun and were able to visit some of the outskirts of Cancun. As in many of the races lately, the peletons who we saw going the opposite directions would remind you of the Tour de France!!!
We rode the last little while together and discussed the day so far...and realised how much fun we were having, but realized that it was quickly getting super hot in the sun. We got to transition at the same time and both racked our bikes. Shoes changed, and visors on we headed out to the two loop out and back along the shore-side drive. What a beautiful course…with only some hotels separating the beach and the road we were running on. The only issue was that these hotels blocked any chance of a cool breeze!After only a short while, Heather took off in fine form to challenge her self on loop one. We both came across the best idea in race supplies we have seen yet. Water was supplied to us in bags!!! YES BAGS!These square plastic bags were AWESOME. You could grab a couple to go…and when you feel like it, you rip the corner of it and squirt it into your mouth. SOOO much better than cups, that’s for sure.
Heathers run felt relatively good given the 30+ degree heat. She crossed the line, happy with her day and was spent given that this was race number 3 in 3 weekends, on 3 different continents.
Brian was able to cross paths with Corey a few times. He was having a hard day and was as red as a tomato from the sun. When Brian would go through the water stations, he would grab a couple of extra bags of water for Corey and pass them to him between the stations. They shared a laugh or three over the course of the run. Brian finished the day with a strong finish and a huge smile as he now knew the day was done. After 3 races in 3 weekends… he knew that the pool and beach await!
When we got home, we received an email from the UK. It was Corey!! We were able to see him finish as we rode back to our hotel, so we knew he got the bling. The email made us both sit back and reflect on all of the super people we have met. From his email: Brian and Heather…here is the donation I gave you my word on. “One dollar for every mile we raced together this year…a cheque for $140.60.”
We have 2 more races to go and are truly looking forward to a few days here in Cancun to just relax and soak up some of the sun…which feels much nicer in a pool, then while running!!!
Brian and Heather
We landed in Cancun and looked for our ride. Michelle and her dad offered to pick us up at the airport in her rented van and take us to the hotel we were all staying at. After the small yet cozy accommodations in Brazil, we knew Michelle had hooked a super deal at the Hilton Golf and Spa Resort. Our drive to the Hilton included a partial view of the bike course and pretty well the entire run course which was nice to be able to see.As we pulled into the Hilton, we saw how nice this place really was. We were escorted to this private desk to check in to our villa. We were told about the daily breakfasts as well as the all day snacks and happy hour from 5pm to 7pm! Where WERE we???? All checked in, we chilled out for the first time in what seemed like weeks.
The Friday before the race, we headed to register for the race. Brian needed to get this lingering “carbon” noise problem looked at so he brought his bike. He lined up for the mechanic and Heather followed the line into registration with our TTW.com friends. As he stood in line, Heather returned with her swag from registration….which included an IM70.3 fleece jacket. Um….we are in Cancun, no??Brian was assured that again, the problem was fixed (but would learn on race day that indeed it was not!!!!). As for the rest of the day….chillin in the endless pool!!!!Saturday meant bike drop off and mandatory meeting. We ran the 11 minutes to the meeting and were done in by the heat…it was unbelievable. At the pre race meeting Brian saw some “chaps” from the UK who were wearing their finisher’s shirts. He went to talk to them to share stories about the race over the pond. They actually remembered seeing us out on the course and remembered the announcement of our attendance there at the pre-race meeting…a good bunch of guys!
After the meeting we got a ride back to the Hilton and hopped on our bikes to drop them off in transition. As we were one of the first ones there, be got some sweet spots on the racks. We organized a dinner with Randy Graham, a fellow triathlete from Ottawa who we spent the winter with swimming early in the morning! We had a great meal, relaxing time and great conversation! Off to bed for the big day!
Sunday morning we were greeted with an awesome sunrise. We took a taxi to transition and got set up. There was little to do but still got there with plenty of time to spare… or so we thought! After a quick check, Heather realized that she did not have her goggles!!! So, Brian opted to stay there and finish pumping tires and setting up while Heather got back to the hotel. She was able to get back only moments before transition closed….a relief for both of us!
One of the nicest moments of this race (there were a few) was bumping into Corey. Cory was one of the lads from the UK I had spoken with at the pre-race meeting. He is a towering, soft spoken fellow clydesdale with an even bigger heart. We chatted while Heather made some final adjustments on the way to the beach. Corey surprised Brian during the conversation by saying “since you were so nice to come chat with us before the meeting and are obviously dedicated to the reason you were racing, I will make a donation through your website when I get home!
Corey and Brian would see each other again!
We walked to the beach and waited around for the race to start. As we stood there, we FINALLY hooked up with Chance Regina, our Blue Competition Cycles representative. He was initially slated to compete, but opted to simply enjoy the week in Cancun with his wife. We had a great chat with them, along with Michelle from Tri The World travel and her family, until we were interrupted by the voice of Ironman Cancun, who got the attention of he entire field and announced our appearance at this race, sharing our venture with the entire field. It was a proud moment for us, our friends and our sponsors to all be there for such great PR for our causes.
Shortly after that, the gun sounded for Brian’s wave. This swim is best described as a two loop floating rectangle where you swam out to the rectangular shaped course, did it twice and then swam back to shore. Heather’s wave was a few after Brian’s and went off without a hitch.
The run to transition as described seemed like a LONG one…..well it was! It was a run through the water-park where transition was located. Once set up, Brian was off to hit the sun on the roads of Mexico, with Heather not too far behind. The ride was fairly boring except when Brian almost ran over a Tarantula that was crossing the road. Man was it huge!!! We had two laps to do out in the Mexican sun and were able to visit some of the outskirts of Cancun. As in many of the races lately, the peletons who we saw going the opposite directions would remind you of the Tour de France!!!
We rode the last little while together and discussed the day so far...and realised how much fun we were having, but realized that it was quickly getting super hot in the sun. We got to transition at the same time and both racked our bikes. Shoes changed, and visors on we headed out to the two loop out and back along the shore-side drive. What a beautiful course…with only some hotels separating the beach and the road we were running on. The only issue was that these hotels blocked any chance of a cool breeze!After only a short while, Heather took off in fine form to challenge her self on loop one. We both came across the best idea in race supplies we have seen yet. Water was supplied to us in bags!!! YES BAGS!These square plastic bags were AWESOME. You could grab a couple to go…and when you feel like it, you rip the corner of it and squirt it into your mouth. SOOO much better than cups, that’s for sure.
Heathers run felt relatively good given the 30+ degree heat. She crossed the line, happy with her day and was spent given that this was race number 3 in 3 weekends, on 3 different continents.
Brian was able to cross paths with Corey a few times. He was having a hard day and was as red as a tomato from the sun. When Brian would go through the water stations, he would grab a couple of extra bags of water for Corey and pass them to him between the stations. They shared a laugh or three over the course of the run. Brian finished the day with a strong finish and a huge smile as he now knew the day was done. After 3 races in 3 weekends… he knew that the pool and beach await!
When we got home, we received an email from the UK. It was Corey!! We were able to see him finish as we rode back to our hotel, so we knew he got the bling. The email made us both sit back and reflect on all of the super people we have met. From his email: Brian and Heather…here is the donation I gave you my word on. “One dollar for every mile we raced together this year…a cheque for $140.60.”
We have 2 more races to go and are truly looking forward to a few days here in Cancun to just relax and soak up some of the sun…which feels much nicer in a pool, then while running!!!
Brian and Heather
More Cancun Pictures....
....it was a WET DAY trying to keep cool!!!
...for both of us!
Trying to diagnose that noise.
practice makes perfect!
Chillin with the Tri The World.COM gang.
...for both of us!
Trying to diagnose that noise.
practice makes perfect!
Chillin with the Tri The World.COM gang.
Pictures Cancun 70.3
....hard to take!
One of the BEST things we saw on race day!!!
What a concept!
#15 in the books!!!
All smiles with only 1 more to go!
One of the BEST things we saw on race day!!!
What a concept!
#15 in the books!!!
All smiles with only 1 more to go!
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Mission Accomplished!!!
Wow...what a journey.
Just over a year ago, we came up with this idea that we could make some sort of difference in peoples lives. With the conclusion of yesterdays race, we know we did.
16 Half Ironmans in 11 countries on 4 continents in less than 8 months....and we are elated with the result of our venture.
Yesterdays race was could not have been at a nicer place in nicer weather. With us both having great results (given what our bodies had left after these past 8 months), our day was capped off at the finish line with a huge hug from our good friend, the "other" voice of Ironman Don Ryder and a special acknowledgement of our venture by none other than Bob Blais, the father of legendary Ironman John "Blazeman" Blais who was "speechless" about our venture and could not believe what we had accomplished. He humbled us by saying that down the road, he was sure there was a project ahead for us with the Blazeman Foundation....what an honour.
The evening was caped off at the Ironman afterparty with congratulatory kudos from the World Champion Terenzo Bazone who we had raced with in Singapore along with Scott Rigsby (Ironman double amputee) who helped us rip up the dance floor!
We are taking a couple of days to let this all sink in...decompress.....and share some well deserved quiet time.
Back in a little while!
Brian and Heather
Just over a year ago, we came up with this idea that we could make some sort of difference in peoples lives. With the conclusion of yesterdays race, we know we did.
16 Half Ironmans in 11 countries on 4 continents in less than 8 months....and we are elated with the result of our venture.
Yesterdays race was could not have been at a nicer place in nicer weather. With us both having great results (given what our bodies had left after these past 8 months), our day was capped off at the finish line with a huge hug from our good friend, the "other" voice of Ironman Don Ryder and a special acknowledgement of our venture by none other than Bob Blais, the father of legendary Ironman John "Blazeman" Blais who was "speechless" about our venture and could not believe what we had accomplished. He humbled us by saying that down the road, he was sure there was a project ahead for us with the Blazeman Foundation....what an honour.
The evening was caped off at the Ironman afterparty with congratulatory kudos from the World Champion Terenzo Bazone who we had raced with in Singapore along with Scott Rigsby (Ironman double amputee) who helped us rip up the dance floor!
We are taking a couple of days to let this all sink in...decompress.....and share some well deserved quiet time.
Back in a little while!
Brian and Heather
Friday, November 07, 2008
The Night before the big day!
Wow....how nice is it here!!!
The day started early with the Gatorade swim.....someones else's bright idea but ended up being great. The water was calm and gave us a much better feel for the water. We did not swim for long, but it was nice just to get wet.
We then filled the van with our friends and did a Starbucks! We grabbed groceries for supper at the same time then headed back to get our transition bags filled. We do not have access to them in the morning so we had to be sure all was all set to go.
We headed to transition and were ushered to some pretty sweet spots. They walked us through the area from start to finish. After that....it was off to where ever to not think about the race.
We bumped into our new friend Scott ( http://www.scottrigsby.com/ ) who is an inspirational Ironman. He was really interested in our quest as we were interested what he has been up to since his big day. What a super nice guy!
We are now chillin at the condo.... supper is getting prepared and athletes are filing in.
To bed early tonight...we leave here at 5:30ish....transition is a 10 minute walk.
If y'all wanna track us, here is the link and our race bib numbers:
http://ironman.com/ironmanlive/racedaycoverage/livetrackinginfo
Heather: 925
Brian: 1519
See ya on the other side!!!!
Brian and Heather
The day started early with the Gatorade swim.....someones else's bright idea but ended up being great. The water was calm and gave us a much better feel for the water. We did not swim for long, but it was nice just to get wet.
We then filled the van with our friends and did a Starbucks! We grabbed groceries for supper at the same time then headed back to get our transition bags filled. We do not have access to them in the morning so we had to be sure all was all set to go.
We headed to transition and were ushered to some pretty sweet spots. They walked us through the area from start to finish. After that....it was off to where ever to not think about the race.
We bumped into our new friend Scott ( http://www.scottrigsby.com/ ) who is an inspirational Ironman. He was really interested in our quest as we were interested what he has been up to since his big day. What a super nice guy!
We are now chillin at the condo.... supper is getting prepared and athletes are filing in.
To bed early tonight...we leave here at 5:30ish....transition is a 10 minute walk.
If y'all wanna track us, here is the link and our race bib numbers:
http://ironman.com/ironmanlive/racedaycoverage/livetrackinginfo
Heather: 925
Brian: 1519
See ya on the other side!!!!
Brian and Heather
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
...so THIS is Clearwater!!!!
Well, after a slow start this am in Toronto, we got off the ground and back on the ground shortly after 1pm here in Florida.
Our friend Randy from Ottawa sat one row behind Heather and I and enjoyed a chat with his Dad while we waited for all of the bikes to arrive.
With our 2008 Toyota Sienna van (odometer was at 4 miles!!!) runnin, we enjoyed the short ride to Clearwater.
Our place is FANTASTIC... just what they advertised!! It will be perfect for the few days we are here. It even has an elevator in the house...so we can REALLY givver on Saturday!
We have invited a few friends over tonight for some pre-race pops....so I think the game faces will all come on tomorrow morning as we all head over to get registered.
Off to enjoy some of this Floridian air!!!
Brian and Heather
Our friend Randy from Ottawa sat one row behind Heather and I and enjoyed a chat with his Dad while we waited for all of the bikes to arrive.
With our 2008 Toyota Sienna van (odometer was at 4 miles!!!) runnin, we enjoyed the short ride to Clearwater.
Our place is FANTASTIC... just what they advertised!! It will be perfect for the few days we are here. It even has an elevator in the house...so we can REALLY givver on Saturday!
We have invited a few friends over tonight for some pre-race pops....so I think the game faces will all come on tomorrow morning as we all head over to get registered.
Off to enjoy some of this Floridian air!!!
Brian and Heather
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
...on our way to the BIG DANCE!!!!
Hey all!
Well, the Mini is packed with TWO bike bags, TWO checked bags, TWO carry on bags and a lap-top bag.....amazing!!!
The Blues packed up nicely as usual and our regular routine of race trip prep can now be done in our sleep. We are off to Toronto to meet Heather's parents who will be flying with us to Clearwater on Wednesday morning.
I am sure this will not be the first time we write/say this.....but where has the time gone.
In the last 8 months..... we have flown over 140,000km, swam 28.5km, ridden 1350km and run 316.5....thats 1695km of racing.....and it all seems like a blur!
We will drop y'all a note or three from Clearwater.....until then....be safe!!!
Brian and Heather
Well, the Mini is packed with TWO bike bags, TWO checked bags, TWO carry on bags and a lap-top bag.....amazing!!!
The Blues packed up nicely as usual and our regular routine of race trip prep can now be done in our sleep. We are off to Toronto to meet Heather's parents who will be flying with us to Clearwater on Wednesday morning.
I am sure this will not be the first time we write/say this.....but where has the time gone.
In the last 8 months..... we have flown over 140,000km, swam 28.5km, ridden 1350km and run 316.5....thats 1695km of racing.....and it all seems like a blur!
We will drop y'all a note or three from Clearwater.....until then....be safe!!!
Brian and Heather
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