Why Ironman?

and other FAQs as I prepare to complete my longest endurance event yet.

Since last August, when I registered for Ironman Canada, I have received so much support. I have met some incredible people along this journey and have had great conversations about the process. As I’ve talked to people along the way, a lot of the same questions have come up so I thought it might be helpful to share a little and answer them, along with the ones you submitted in my instagram stories, in one spot. Here goes….

Why do you want to do an Ironman?
I get asked this one a lot. I’m going to take you way back and give you the full meal deal answer.

If you knew me as a teenager and young adult, you would know that I hated running. My roommate and very good friend in university loved to run and she used to ask me to go all the time. I thought she was crazy. Once I gave in and ran a few blocks with her and hated life with each step we took. I was the kid in high school basketball practice who purposely tied their laces loose so they’d come undone and I’d get to take a break during the timed runs. But, at one point my mom decided to do a half marathon and it was then that I realized that if she could do that, I could too. So I started running. I still don’t love it. It comes in waves but I don’t loathe it like I used to.

Once I got into running and doing races I started to look at all the options out there and came across triathlon. I was instantly intrigued. I grew up competitive swimming so I knew I could do that part. I new running wasn’t as terrible as I once thought. I figured biking couldn’t be that hard, so I signed up for one and was instantly hooked.

I wrote a bucketlist in my mid 20s and complete an Ironman is on it but it I’m being completely honest, I thought I would do it when I was retired. This way I could go out for a run, have a nap, relax, go for a bike - easy right? But then about 10 years ago I was in Penticton during Ironman Canada. I got to feel the energy and see the athletes and I knew one day I would cross that finish line so I went home and signed up for a half ironman - best to test the waters of endurance racing first right?

At this point, we were living in Edson, AB. I joined a rec volleyball league there. One of my teammates and I got to chatting and I told him I had signed up for the Great White North Half Ironman and he said his wife had as well. I met his wife, my friend Nadine, a few days later and we started training together. Life happened and we didn’t get to do the Great White North, but we did do a half Ironman in Sylvan Lake that summer. Sometime during training, Nadine and I said when we turned 40 we would do an Ironman.

Fast forward to last summer when I moved to Kelowna and Nadine reminded me of this little promise we made. So here we are, turning 40 this year and training again together for Ironman.

What does a typical week of training look like for you?
Typically each week includes strength training, biking, running and swimming. The durations of each of these changes as we build our capacity. We started out with about 5 hours of training each week and that has built to right now sitting around 9 hours. When we started in October the longest workout was 60 mins. We are now cycling for multiple hours and have bricks (bike then run with minimal rest) and double workout days programmed throughout the week.

Outside of these I have found it very helpful to include restorative yoga into my routine on rest days, which we usually have once right now.

The weeks cycle - so we build for 3ish weeks and then take a step back week and then build again and then step back and then build and we will continue like this util we get to 14 hours in a week and then we’ll coast into our final taper to the end of August and race day.

How do you stay motivated?
I have a lot of tools up my sleeve to help keep me going and some days I need them all and other days it’s easy to find motivation.

I think part of staying motivated is my personality. Naturally when I commit to something, I am 100% in. I set this goal for myself in August and am going to see it through to the finish line.

Another part is fear. I know completing this race is going to be hard and I know that in order to cross the finish line I have to put in the work and also get the rest, fuel my body and do all the things I need to be able to be successful. I have winged it for some big races in the past, ok all of them, and it hasn’t always been pretty - I do not want that to happen this time. Anytime I don’t want to bike I just have to think about how I will feel climbing those hills in the race if I don’t get my butt in the saddle now.

A huge motivator is my training partner Nadine. It has made a massive difference to know that someone is in this with me. I know that Nadine is 100% committed too and we’re both a tad competitive which has helped on days when motivation is low. She has been someone to celebrate with, commiserate with and even give me a little kick in the pants when needed. We’ve done quite a few big races together now and I can’t imagine doing this one without her.

My coach Charlie from Cadence Physical Therapy and Performance Coaching in Glendale, AZ has been a game changer in my training and motivation. This is the first time since I was involved in team sports that I have worked with a coach and it has made a huge difference. He has provided accountability and support, been a cheerleader, kept my athlete brain at bay and has developed a program that works for our busy mom lives. Having a coach has taken off the pressure of planning my own workouts. I am able to just show up, do what is programmed and then be done with it for the day. AND I am seeing progress that I haven’t seen before in prior training.

Because our training cycles it has been so helpful to know that there will be a rest day or a slower week coming up. So when motivation is low or things are hard I know I just need to go one day at a time and get to the next break. This has been helpful in being able to show up consistently.

Lastly I enjoy this stuff. I love challenging myself. I love trying new things. I like tackling things that a lot of people won’t do. I love feeling fast and strong and fit. I love moving my body and this year, and maybe for many years to come, it’s through triathlon.

What has been the biggest help during your training?
My coach and partner have been amazing but taking on an ironman anytime, especially with little kids, is a team effort. I couldn’t commit to this race without my husband, JJ, being in for it too. The training itself requires coordination on both ends of everything. We’re adding another part time job into the mix and without his willingness to help, I couldn’t do it.

I also needed my mom on board. We don’t have very much family in Kelowna so when JJ is gone for work, I needed to know that my mom could come stay with us and help. I have also relied on friends and JJ’s grandparents to help with the kids. This is a team effort on all fronts and I am grateful for all of their support.

I’m also fortunate that I have flexible work right now. I am able to choose my schedule and this has made it a lot easier to fit in the workouts.

What’s been the most challenging mental part so far?
Trusting the process. It’s interesting when you’re a coach. I support my clients every day to achieve their goals. I help them to meet themselves where they are at. I tailor their programs for their needs. I help them celebrate the little wins. I remind them that rest is important and that easy days are beneficial. I am continually working on telling myself these things and this has been another huge benefit of having a coach. He is able to remind me of all of those things and be that coach for me, that I am for my clients.

Before October I hadn’t really ran in a few years. I hadn’t swam in a long time. I had only gotten on my bike a handful of times. It was hard to see the paces and durations I was running in the beginning and compare them to what I used to run. It was hard to feel out of shape - really I was in different shape from focussing on strength training the past few years. This was hard mentally for me. BUT, with time and by consistently showing up and putting in the work (as I have been reminded several times that consistency is key) I am starting to see glimpses of my old running abilities. I’m starting to feel the water again. I am seeing power and strength on the bike I didn’t know I had in my legs.

It’s hard to not see results overnight and to be patient and trust in the process but looking back it’s so cool to see the growth and change. I’m excited to see where I will go in the next 4 months.

Has your eating changed a lot with all your training?
Yes and no.

No - Generally I eat a pretty healthy diet that gets me what I need for the demands of my life but in the past I have done a terrible job of adequately fuelling while training for endurance races and during races themselves. I wanted to do better this time. My coach has been helping prepare and adapt my gut and develop a plan to get enough of what I need during the race and I have been working with Tristaca Curley, a dietician in Kelowna, to ensure I’m getting enough through out the day to fuel my training.

I started working with Tristaca in October and have met with her every couple months to tweak my intake as my training progresses. Once every few months I track my food for a week and then we adjust as needed.

Yes - Tristaca has helped monitor my vitamin and iron levels too. Endurance training requires a lot of your body and as women, it’s important to have ample iron. I do not have high iron levels. I haven’t for a very long time - even with the help of iron supplements. Tristaca was the first professional to want to dig deeper into this. With her help I was able to get an appointment with a Hematologist in Kelowna in the hopes of getting iron transfusions as they can boost your iron levels much better than oral supplements. The hematologist ran some blood work and tested me for Celiac Disease, which can be a reason people have chronic low iron, and the test came back positive. I was then referred to a gastroenterologist for a scope and biopsy to confirm the results. Thankfully I got in for that very quickly and it was confirmed that I do have Celiac Disease, which has meant a big change in what I eat - no more bagels before long rides for me.

This has been a fairly recent diagnosis and I’m still navigating what it will look like but I’m excited to see how I feel in a few months.

Is it hard to fit training into your busy mom life?
I found it harder to fit in training during the winter. It was harder to get up early. Everything had to be done indoors and running on a treadmill is not my favorite thing. But as the weather has started to warm I’ve found it easier to fit everything in. Early mornings are definitely easier when the sun is up and you don’t have to thaw your car.

It was also important to me to find a coach that new that I had kids and that I would need flexibility in my program to account for this. I have been able to adjust training days here and there as needed which has been helpful.

One thing that has been challenging, that I didn’t even think of, is the laundry. There is way more laundry to do when you’re sweating 1-2 times a day and you only have so many bike shorts and running sports bras. Along the same lines is the hair washing and styling - I have given in to the fact that a greasy bun is my go to style for the year because most of the time that’s all I have time for before rushing onto the next commitment.

Mostly, this year has been able planning and being prepared on all fronts from our schedules to food to laundry and training to childcare but more so it has been about consistency and flexibility.

Are you dealing with any injuries/pain?
So far I’ve been lucky and haven’t had any big injuries or sicknesses. I think this is largely due to the strategic programming we have so we are building capacity or progressively overloading at a rate that works for us and we have built in weeks for recovery. I also attribute the lack of injuries to prioritizing my nutrition, sleep and mental health.

I do have one long standing nagging hamstring/pelvic floor issue that flares up sometimes when we increase the volume of training but I am grateful to have an amazing pelvic floor pt at my fingertips, Melissa Dessaulles, who helps me calm stuff back down. I also find that the down training and relaxation provided in restorative yoga helps keep everything at bay.

What is driving your dream to the finish line?
I think this one is very much related to the first question but if you’ve ever done a big race, where they call out your name as you cross the finish line and you end the race knowing you gave your all and your best on that day - nothing compares. I have always wanted to hear the phrase, “You are an Ironman!” and I can’t wait for that moment.

I knew when I committed to completing an Ironman that it would be a big endeavour physically but I didn’t realize the self growth and learning that would come along with it. There have been days I’ve wanted to throw in the towel and days I doubt my ability to do this. And on the flip side there have been days where I am proud of myself for committing to this mission, days where I am excited to tackle this race and where my confidence soars. It has been a journey and a team effort and I am forever grateful for the support I have received along the way which makes a world of difference to me.

Thank you for being here.