Lanzarote!

Lanzarote!

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Ever since I learned of its existence and read a description of the course this race has been on my list of things I must do before I die. I was thrilled that the timing worked out so that I could go this year.  Not since my first time at Kona have I felt so much excitement as race day approached.

The race is staged from Arrecife, the capital, but incorporates the entire island.  I was staying across the island at Club La Santa, a combo hotel resort/sports training center. This is not your average hotel! It is in the business of catering to athletes and training camps across a wide variety of sports year round and it rolled out the red carpet for triathletes on the island for Ironman Lanzarote. Among its vast athletic facilities are a full 400m track and 50m pool! It's fitness center is like any full service health club.  It has tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, boxing rings, a cycling center, sailboats, kayaks, stand up paddle boards (all on its own lagoon) and offered daily group exercise options ranging from spin classes and aerobics to group runs and bike rides. For the ironman it provided all the necessary transport to/from town for airport transfers, practice swims, registration and other race related activities, gear check-in and the race itself.  No rental car, maps or brain required!

Club La Santa

Not your average hotel!

It is also situated at about the 50k mark of the bike course giving me easy access for pre-riding various sections of the famous route, used by many European pros as training ground for Kona.

And what a bike course it is!  My jaw was dragging on the ground from the moment I set wheels on it!  On my first ride I ventured into the lava fields of Timanfaya National Park which has a similar feel to the Queen K and Waikoloa coast sans ocean view (that comes later!) complete with the intense sun, heat and wind but with the additional bonus of being able to see numerous small volcanoes.  On the other side of the park I reached the village of El Golfo and the coastal lava.  Now there is the ocean on one side and the lava on the other with the many volcanoes still visible.  After stopping in Yaiza to down about 10 gallons of water I recrossed Timanfaya.

Timanfaya!

Lava

A bit Queen K-ish

Yaiza, a mediterranean oasis in the lava

My next foray onto the bike course was the opposite direction, to the seaside village of Famara and onto the start of the one of the more significant climbs on the course. This direction had a more Mediterranean feel, white washed buildings nestled between the mountain and the sea.  Of course there were hills and wind.

Famara in the distance - a village by the sea

The next day I drove the most visually stunning portion of the course, and the most difficult, the climbs to Haria and Mirador del Rio.  Once again wind was a significant element. Wind is one of the most dominant aspects of this island. Grapes, the major "crop" on Lanzarote, are grown not on trellises but in pits dug into the earth each plant sheltered by stones so that it can withstand the wind and sun. Anything less than 25 mph is considered a "breeze", finally called a light wind when it exceeds that speed.  The bike course looked challenging, gorgeous and wickedly fun!  I could not wait to put the whole thing together by bike on race day!  Difficult under any circumstances, the degree of difficulty would ultimately be determined by the forces of nature.

Cyclists and windmills on climb to Haria

View from Haria

Famous switchback descent from Haria

Descent from Haria - yes, it's all the same road!

Descent from Haria

Climb to Mirador del Rio

View from near the top

Grape growing on windswept Lanzarote

My race day plan was simple.  Take in the spectacular beauty and power of the place, love the opportunity to participate in this amazing event and enjoy the day.  This was not my A race to get a Kona slot, this was a D(estination) race. Lucky thing because even if I had come hoping to win, unless last year's ITU long course world champion suffered a major setback (and I'd never wish that on anyone!) I'd be racing for second place. Honestly, having her there helped make it easier to truly relax and just enjoy the experience.

Race day was perfect! The sea was calm, the wind dialed back, the temperature (which had exceeded 100 degrees during the week) expected to only reach the mid 80's. I was more relaxed than I have ever been for an ironman.  I was eager to explore the adventurous 140.6 mile journey that lay ahead.

The swim was a 2 loop course in a fairly sheltered inlet of the Atlantic Ocean right in the heart of Arrecife , the faint outline of Morocco visible on the horizon. The swim start was a very narrow beach start so once the race officially started it took some time to funnel all the athletes into the water. I seeded myself mid pack and took a couple of minutes to get into the water and start to swim. This funnel did a nice job a spreading the masses out right from the start so it was one of the gentlest ironman swim starts I've experienced.  I felt smooth and relaxed until halfway through the first loop the fabric of my too large Tri top had bunched up between the back of my neck and the wetsuit. In salt water this has fairly dire consequences. The friction on the back of my neck began burning a hole that kept getting larger and deeper for the remainder of the swim. It was painful to turn my head to breathe before I was even finished the first loop (which is not optional!) making it challenging to stay relaxed. As beautiful as the water was I was very grateful to hit the beach for the second time and finally dig the wetsuit out of the crater in my neck. Sweet relief!

Swim exit

A bit of an uphill to get from the changing tent on the beach up to street level followed by the skinniest and longest set of bike racks in the universe, it seemed like at least a quarter of a mile from the first rack to the last (where my loaner bike was waiting). Still not used to looking for a Cervelo for a split second I thought my bike was gone. Laughing at myself for even entertaining that thought I located the bike and headed out.

The bike ride was beyond words! Every bit as spectacular, beautiful and fun as I expected and then some.  Imagine riding in a place that blends the best of Kona and Nice, volcanic and Mediterranean, and you have Lanzarote. I think I had a smile plastered to my face the entire time. That course, that ride, was a peak moment in my athletic life. I am so grateful that "racing" did not undermine  my taking the time to look around, to experience and remember every inch, to enjoy every moment!

Near El Golfo

Final kilometer

I rolled into T2 in the lead. This i knew because my bike rack was empty.  I knew this wouldn't last and I was not at all worried about the run, my day had already been made.  I decided to just run, not think about pace or heart rate but just run however felt right.  So in the change tent I shucked off my heart rate monitor strap. Sure enough, before I had even left the change tent the ITU Long Course champ went flying past en route to a sub 3:30 marathon.

Perhaps it was my relaxed approach to the ride, perhaps the solid run training I'd been able to put in during the winter and spring, some have even dared to suggest it might have been the loaner Cervelo I was riding...whatever the reason, I felt better starting the run than I have in any triathlon of any distance.

The course was a long out and back, followed by two shorter ones over the first part of the long one.  It followed the town waterfront the entire way with a somewhat chaotic but entertaining blending of athletes, spectators and tourists. No big hills but a few noticeable undulations, not a speck of shade or protection from the wind.  Neither the heat nor the wind were out in full force on this day, but they were still there. If I were to critique my run I'd say I went out too fast.  But I felt good and I didn't really care if I slowed in the late miles, which I did, but I only slowed to the pace I that had been my initial goal pace so I am not complaining! I reached the finish line over a half hour earlier than I had thought I would having thoroughly enjoyed every moment.  My run split was less than 5 minutes off my previous ironman marathon best run over four years ago as a young 49’er.  I lost 40+ minutes on the run to speedy Gabrielle but solidified my hold on second place.

Happy, happy!

Joy, joy!

I finished just as the sun was going down. With the hot sun slipping over the horizon the wind quickly became cool. Drenched in sweat, looking like something drug out of the sea, with no reserves to draw on, my body temperature plummeted and I began to shiver…then to shake so hard I could not stay on my feet.  A fellow competitor from France demanded the medics come tend to me and rubbed me to try to keep me warm until they arrived.  The next two hours were excruciating as uncontrollable, violent shivering demanded more out of my already used up muscles.  My body temperature had dropped to 93 degrees and it took every resource the med tent had to re-warm me.  I think I was minutes from an ambulance ride to a local hospital when my body temperature turned around and I began to warm back up.  The majority of medical tent visitors were being treated for dehydration and heat stress, leave it to me to be the one hypothermia case of the day!  Eventually I was able to exit the med tent under my own power but on very sore, exhausted muscles.  I do not recommend hours of hard shivering after an ironman!!

In the end I came home with a beautiful trophy and even more magnificent memories.

All 3 of us shattered the existing course record for our AG!