PENTATHLON DES NEIGES 2014

After the two last races I decided to approach the Pentathlon in a much smoother way. I didn't get to train properly this winter in between recovery from the worlds, injuries when I took back training etc. So yes I am not a fast skier or skater due to my technique, or lack of, but I did as much I could do to try and enjoy the race.

I decided to go there to aim for a top 10 women…I failed miserably.

The week before the race I got sick and that wasn't totally solved by the end of the week.

We left on Friday and got to Quebec City that same evening. When was time to go to bed I realized I had a swollen redness on the side of my knee that was pretty painful. I thought it might be a zit or something but it ended up being an infection (or at least it’s one of the possibility after a check in in the hospital two days later because the redness was expending). Anyway went to bed still in the mood of everything is gonna be fine. How can it be that horrible??

Well here the story comes. On Saturday morning we went to pick up my bike at GTH (great service and their mechanic is the best, thank you Oli). Brand new plates etc.. We then went to registration and to prepare our transition area. We had breakfast at 8am and had eaten nothing since. It was now noon. After eating a cereal bar and a banana we left for the start of the race. What was I thinking??? A special K bar and a banana???

The start of the bike was like last year, style le Mans. I realized quickly that I was a lot slower than last year but the conditions were better. 7min slower than last year..first shock. After thinking about it I have not touched a bike for the whole winter so that would teach me a lesson.

After the bike I was getting low in energy but decided I would eat a bar at the end of the run. The first lap was awful as my feet were frozen and painful. I felt better on the second lap but bonked on the third again. I then tried to eat but without too much success. Not even a half fruit2 and I left for the ski.

I was already about 10min slower than last year and was getting in the very back of the racers. The first lap of the ski was the worst bit of my race. I totally panicked when people were passing me (not always very friendly either). The second lap went a little better but the mental was so so down…On the third lap every single spectator was gone on the ski course…Just imagine the psychological impact that it can have and time it by 4 just because I’m a drama queen…

End of the ski …relief…only temporary.

You had to walk with your skates on for the whole length of the transition before being on the ice. What a stupid thing to enforce. It is the most dangerous thing to ask racers to do but oh well. When I got to the ice it was pretty impressive. The rink being about 420m it gets crowded fairly quick. I got hesitant and didn't have the energy to push it but I was still going. We had 20 laps to do. Do you know how hard it is to count 20 laps on skates??? After 12 laps I got confused. People were screaming to other people how many laps were left for them and I lost count. I tried to ask if there was a way to know and got no as an answer. James had finished by that time (as well as lots of the girls) and tried to cheer me up but I was desperate to know how many laps I was supposed to still do. I ended up getting out (apparently at the right number of laps) and just wanted to end that nightmare by then.

James pushed me to keep on going and so I went on the snowshoes. The first two laps were going ok as I was running with another man but the last lap I really hit the wall badly. I don’t even know how I pass the finish line. I realized on that last lap I had forgotten to drink during those 3 hours and in the same matter…to EAT!!!

I’m really not proud of myself neither for my performance nor for my lack of common sense with my nutrition and hydration. I guess it will teach me a good lesson.

I’m very thankful to James for cheering me on and up and for pushing me to not DNF.

On a brighter side I decided it is the end of winter and will start over my training with paddling running and biking…I will be BACK!!!

GATINEAU LOPPET 27KM SKATE SKI

It was my first pure ski race too and I was fairly scared.

The plan was to ski with a friend the whole 27km (skate ski). I knew she would be faster than me at the start so I would have to try to push hard but in the meantime it was a double poling start which I can't do very well. We were in wave D.

From the start on I lost my friend, she was gone...and I knew it would be a long race from there on. People all around me were falling on the ground, stepping on each others skis or poles and as the little group I was with was getting slower and slower I could see her going away further and further. 

I was fairly stressed so I decided to not panic and I just took it easy thinking that worst case scenario I could stop after the first lap (8km).

At the end of the first lap I didn't want to keep on going that much. It was a cold day which made the condition slow and I wasn't competitive which annoyed me. After a quick chat to my partner James who was cheering me on he convinced me to keep on going.

The second loop was the hardest as we were going on a trail more narrow, blue first turning into a black later.

Weirdly that's the part that I preferred. I actually had enough power to gain back some ground on people and started to enjoy the ski.

At the very end I decided I would pass a few more people so I sprinted (or what I thought was a sprint) and managed to get a last person right before the finish line, stumbling a little and almost falling in front of the crowd :/.

I finished my 27km in 2h23min which maybe not that bad for my technique capabilities so far skiing but I swore to myself that if I do it again one day I would be 1. a lot more trained and competitive and 2. a lot more used to have people around pushing and stumbling. Overall it was a great event very well organized though and the volunteers were great cheering on every single racer :)

Nathalie

WINTER ITU TRIATHLON ST DONAT-5TH WOMAN

I did this triathlon last year, or should I say a winter triathlon there last year.
Daniel Poirier, Endurance Aventure, contacted me last year two weeks before the triathlon to invite me to this triathlon. The distances were 10km run, 14km ski and an 8km skate to finish. I told him then that I didn't know how to skate and his answer was that I would be fine, I had two weeks to learn. So I did, poorly but I did. I went to the race and was able to stay up right on skates (barely). Thanks to the run and a little bit the ski I managed to win last year. This year would be a totally different story.
To start with the distances changed totally. This year it would be not even half running and with snowshoes this time, so 4,2km, followed by a 12km skate and to finish with a 6km ski so pretty much half of the disciplines that I can manage for almost double of the one I can't... Anyway I thought, I will give it a shot.
Well this is the story of how I got my ass kicked!

We decided to come the night before so we could have a good night sleep. 

After a quick breakfast in the morning it was time to set up our transition area.

This is the second year that I go to St Donat de Montcalm and both year it was very cold.
We decided to go for a little jog just before the start to "warm up". On the start line with our snowshoes on our feet I am looking around and I didn't feel very fit suddenly. 
The start was there, all the girls went flying by me and within not even 500m I was puffing and struggling up the hill. 

Luckily for me most of the women left way too fast and were struggling too so I managed to pass a few of them on the uphill, sometimes just walking. On the downhill I was a little cautious cause I knew my knee was still a little week from previous injury and I wanted to make sure I could finish the race. Two of the girls passed me back then. 

The view of the transition made me happy, even if it was to jump on my least favorite part, the skate. 
I must admit that even for someone who isn't good at skating, this skating section is wonderful. It is a very nice path slightly up and down in the woods. There was 14 laps to do. As I changed from snowshoes to skate I struggled with my boots as the zip was frozen and I couldn't close it for a while.
The first 8 laps were fun. I was skating with another woman who kept passing me on the uphill and I was passing her on the flat bits. after the 8th laps I was getting tired but still wanted to beat her at the end of the skate.

By the 11th lap I lost control and hit the ice backwards. Thanks god the helmet was compulsory. Head and elbow touched first. I didn't feel too dizzy so I stood up and kept on skating. My elbow was painful but not enough to stop.
I finished the 14th lap happy to finally get on the skis.

I transitioned pretty fast and within a few minutes I was skate skiing....or at least trying to. The cold conditions turned my skate skis into sticky skis. I had no glide. Even the down hill parts I had to keep on skiing if I wanted to move forwards. The positive point there was that it was the same for everybody and after all when it's tough I am usually not too bad. At that point though I must admit I just wanted the race to stop. 
When I past the line I knew I was in the very back of the ranking. there was no chance for me to catch up the other girls after the skating section. 
However I was very lucky to find James there waiting for me with a warm jacket :)

I really pushed hard with my lack of technique there and yes it pissed me off to have a bad result but in another way it just gave me more motivation to get out there and train more.
Even if I know my skating cost me a few places I was happy with myself because in barely a few weeks of skating in my life I managed to average 16.5km/h. 
I now have 3 weeks to increase that speed to 20km/h for the pantathlon des neiges (setting up some goals there).

I am very proud of James who had a very good race, finishing in the top ten :)

 I am very lucky to have him taking care of me and helping train to reach my goals everyday.
That's why I want to thank him but also our wonderful sponsors without who this race wouldn't have been possible, Dynafit for their race clothing, Fruit 2 for the great bars, Nuun for keeping us hydrated, Osprey for our packs and Endurance Aventure for pulling out such a good race.
Also Thanks to Deanna for the pictures and support ;)