Ironman Mont Tremblant - Race Report!!

It's always the same feeling the night before Ironman when you are having dinner and you work out what time you need to get up on race morning .... 3.45am?!? Really?!? 

We left the house on time just before 5.00 for the short drive down to the race venue where we managed to get one of the last car park spaces. I've no idea what time other people started to arrive but it must have been the middle of the night. 

After the usual last minute bike checks (nothing - just look at it and spin the wheels round) we checked in our final race bag and hung out with the support crew for 20 minutes. I felt strangely calm and Dawn looked slightly pale and sick but ok. I felt sad that Genevieve wasn't able to race due to her broken collarbone but it did mean that I had the ultimate supporter - she did everything for me and always had me in the right place at the right time, even though she was upset that she couldn't race. 

The start came round really quickly with the Pros going off at 6.36am, the starting gun, canon and fireworks being synchronized perfectly with 2 Canadan Air Force Jets appearing overhead and flying down the lake - very impressive.

Wave starts this year and I was off at 6.48. My age group was the biggest in the field - over 400 I think, and this wave start felt like a usual mass start. Bodies and limbs everywhere and within 150m I took a good kick in the face. The next couple of minutes were not fun as I struggled to stay calm but I slowed my stroke and got myself together and started to enjoy the swim. One straightforward lap, nice and calm, the sun coming up over the mountains and the helicopters in the sky. Very nice. It got a bit messy on the home leg as I started catching all the previous wave starts but no real problems here. My swim prediction was 1.05. Actual time 1.05. So far,so good. Dawn had a great swim in 1.08 (PB)

The run to T1 is a long one but the crowds were amazing. In and out of transition and onto the bike. In the run up to the race you can tell there were a lot of athletes fearing the bike course, I have never seen so many road bikes in an Ironman and at some points it wasn't a bad choice but this is still a TT bike course. 2 loops  and 6000 ft of climbing though so needs to be treated with some respect. 

It is a hard course to read - the first climb out of the town on Monte Ryan appears to be uphill but I averaged over 36kph on the way out before settling into a steadier pace all the way on the 117 to the first turn at Labelle. I was actually quite alone on this long section and almost felt like I could fall asleep! A good climb followed a 70kph descent with a cross wind soon brought my senses back though and I settled into a group of 5 other guys for almost the rest of the ride. No drafting going on but we had a good pace line going and you could feel us all working together in the group. 

I noticed a lot of people pedalling frantically hard past me on the descents only for me to spin past them on the next climb. I never understand this - if you are going downhill at 60kph just get aero and rest your legs.

The second turnaround at St Jovite was fantastic - the whole town was out and a real carnival atmosphere then we headed back towards Tremblant, this time heading what looked like downhill on Monte Ryan but in the small chain ring. Strange road. As I dropped down to the town I passed a feed station and someone shouted 'Well done Colin!!'. I looked back and it was David Herbertson from Scotland in a volunteers T-shirt! I am still slightly confused by this but I kept seeing him on the course and he was right there till the end. A great surprise!

As you approach transition the sting in the tail of the bike course is yet to come. As I gulped down my Roctane Gel the start of the 7.5km climb doesn't seem too bad but it is a series of sharp climbs in the easiest gear you have (unless you are rubbish on hills then you get off and walk - saw a lot of that!).

If you work too hard here you wreck your running legs but it is hard not to otherwise you just stop. The turnaround seems to take forever to come but you are then treated to dropping  like a stone down the hills you just climbed. Lap 1 done, high fived Genevieve who immediately  got reprimanded by a Marshall and out for the second lap. 

No real problems here - I felt comfortable on the bike and held my pace until the second ascent at the end which felt like hell but you know the end is imminent at least. My bike prediction 5.30, actual bike time 5.32. Still on target. 6.23 on the bike for Dawn - her 2nd PB of the day!!

T2 was slick - in and out in 2 minutes and the run was underway. I have been running well off the bike in training and I settled straight into 4.45/km as always. The start of the run is a bit nasty as you climb for a couple of km out of T2 before joining the trail. This is the old railway line so dead straight and nice pea gravel surface. I liked it on here and the shade in parts was welcome as the temperature had now risen to over 30 degrees. Lots of feed stations and I stuck strictly to my nutrition strategy and didn't get tempted by all the other goodies. Just my own gels, water, ice down the shorts and under the cap and cold sponges. The trail is 5k out and back and it seemed to rattle along in no time. Back on to the roads and more hills heading into town. I saw Dawn  heading out on her 1st run loop and she looked like she was working hard but happy.

The crowds in town were amazing and you get to climb up to the top of the resort before heading down through the roaring masses to within reach of the finish line before being cruelly turned away for the second lap. I saw Genevieve running beside me up the hill and I got so emotional I couldn't breathe and almost had to walk. Don't think that would have gone down well though so I kept running!

The second loop was much busier as more people came in off the bike making the trail very congested but it did at least mean that I was constantly overtaking people which felt good. It was getting really hot now but all the home owners were out with sprinklers and hosepipes which was wonderful. I actually managed to pick the pace up to about 4.30's on the trail. I walked my one and only feed station here as I could feel the hunger coming on so loads of coke, banana and a humorous toilet stop story which I will save for close friends! 

As I left the trail and joined the hilly road section I saw Matt who had run out in his GB team gear. A real timely boost for me - apparently people had been taking photos of him during the day!! 

The km's were ticking by pretty fast now and after the final ascent to the top of the resort I passed Dawn face down in a feed station just finishing her first lap. A quick shout then the final amazing run down the tight cobbled street through the crowds to the finish line and Mike Reilly shouting 'Colin Freeman - YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!' Amazing.

Run target 3.30. Actual time 3.33. Overall target 10.15, Actual finish time 10.18. Pretty accurate!! PB's on the swim, bike, run and overall. I'll take that on that course!!

Wee Dawn kept it going on the second run loop and came home to finish in 12.40 crossing the finish line carrying the Scotland flag like Pro. 

After a horrific start to the year we never really knew if I would be able to do this race or not but 18 weeks out I restarted my training. The first week was only 6 hours but it built slowly and steadily with a focus on endurance as I was banned from any intensity. I know I am probably slightly biased but the training program that Genevieve mapped out for me was so incredibly good and personalized and it was the only reason that I made it to the start line in such good shape. Ever single session was so structured, no junk, and loads of recovery. 

The day Genevieve had her bike crash and broke her collarbone 4 weeks out from the race broke my heart and it was very emotional on race day to not have her in the race with me. She was in great shape and looking at the winning times in her age group she would been right up there. For those of you who have had Genevieve on the sidelines of your race will know that I had the best (and loudest) supporter out there on my side. 

Tremblant is an amazing venue for a race - the whole area completely embraces the event, the 1000's of volunteers left us wanting for nothing and the organization was just supreme. Thanks to all the support crew who are on their feet clapping (and drinking?) for hours and fetching and carrying everything. Genevieve, Adele, Matt, Alan, Leigh and Kirsty - you were AWESOME!!!

Finally thanks to everyone tracking us online - every time you cross a timing mat you totally feel everyone seeing it. It's a big incentive to keep it going.

Now it's time for the 3 R's. Rest, Recovery and Real Ale!!!