Me and Macca

My first thought was .. what the ..

How could it be both cold and raining as hard as it was? A year ago it was sunny and 35-40 degrees. And here we have had the driest and warmest summer on record - or close to it. I had the misfortune of one day of rain for one long training spin.

Race day though is the challenge. And it's a learning curve too.

For the first time in my Ironman 'career' I did not finish a race. I abandoned it and opted for the back of an ambulance at about 160km into the bike. It was the right decision at that moment for me. I was soaked and moving slower and slower and getting colder and colder. I wasn't thinking clearly and I was shivering nonstop.

At least I had the presence of mind to stop and start walking down the hill that I had hammered a year earlier. I didn't have the spirit to smash the final 20km of the bike, which is mostly downhill.

For a second year, I had a disappointing day at Ironman Canada. The idea of not finishing though had never crossed my mind. I expected to be faster than ever.

One of the thoughts that came to me as I realized my day was done was that I'd have to race here again because I know that I have the potential to nail this course. I say that with the knowledge that I've put in two very solid years of training and each year my overall fitness has been at a new high.

I look at my race results the last few months as a sign that I was well prepared, and I believe that I was in a position to be competitive.

In the immediate aftermath of the race, I was disappointed. It was an empty feeling. I wasn't happy with myself.

And - simply because of the huge demand for Ironman races, there is no other race that I can do this year to express my fitness.

One thought that came to mind however was that I was in good company. Ironman is about the journey.

It took Macca six attempts to win in Kona including one DNF.

So really .. perspective is critical.

I'm fit, I'm motivated and I'm looking ahead to 2011.