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Ironman sets record despite heat

Crashes, hot weather take toll on racers

The 2011 running of Ironman Canada will go down in the record books for a few reasons, including the first paraplegic finisher and the fastest women's time.

David Lee - swimming 3.8km with the aid of a flotation device for his legs and covering the 180km bike leg and 42.2km run leg with a racing chair - completed the course in 12 hours, 48 minutes and 43 seconds, the first paraplegic to complete Ironman Canada in Penticton. The 42-year-old Paralympian, representing the U.S. in 2008, had attempted the race before but was not able to finish.

In the women's pro elite event, California's Mary Beth Ellis set a new Ironman Canada record with a time of 9:03:13. More impressive, she had competed in two Ironman-distance races over the previous two months, winning both of those. Americans Kim Loeffler and Meredith Kessler were second and third by a wide margin in 9:34:54 and 9:37:22 respectively.

Penticton's own Jordan Rapp was the fastest male overall with a time of 8:28:09, followed by Arizona's Abel Torseten in 8:41:09 and Bert Jammaer of Belgium in 8:42:34.

One of the big stories of the day was the heat, which topped 34 degrees Celsius, and the stiff headwinds on part of the bike leg. With the heat radiating off the sun-baked asphalt and a hot, dry wind in their faces half the time, athletes felt like they were in an oven on the bicycle leg.

A few of the victims of the heat were Whistler athletes. Duncan Munro was off to a quick start with a swim time of 1:03:57 - 40th overall out of the water out of 2,500 athletes. He was overcome by the heat and was tended to by two nurses - who were there to cheer on friends - until the ambulance could arrive.

Sarah O'Byrne, a friend and training partner of Munro's, came across Munro while the nurses were performing first aid and decided to wait with him until the ambulance came. She was also sick, and the ambulance drivers insisted that she get in as well.

David Evans did not start or he did not finish the swim leg (complete results are not available yet.

Pete Field, in his first Ironman, was the fastest Whistler athlete this year in 12:11:35, completing the swim in 1:08:16, the bike in 6:18:54 and the run in 4:32:09.

Piliar, in his second Ironman, finished a solid 12:24:30, completing the swim in 1:24:33, the bike in 6:03:25 and the run in 4:35:19.

Maridee Fitch, a first-timer, finished in 16:07:33, finishing the swim in 1:39:06, the bike in 7:42:06 and the run in 6:22:44.

Liz Cullen, a part-time Whistler resident, had a solid time of 11:00:11, placing 31st in the 30 to 34 age group with a swim of 1:06:33, a bike of 5:49:09 and a run of 3:55:16.

From Squamish, Derek Gagne finished in 11:56:21, finishing the swim in 1:21:20, the bike in 5:37:25 and the run in 4:47:08.

Byron Andres finished in 13:19:17, completing the swim in 1:44:31, the bike in 6:28:05 and the run in 4:51:11.

Patricia Leslie finished in 16:14:21 after a 1:51:16 swim a 7:58:00 bike and 5:53:26 run.

For Munro, the day started well. He took it easy on the swim and was feeling good at the first transition. Then, with the temperature rising, he started to feel nauseous. He doesn't remember the high-speed descent from Yellow Lake or anything that led to him getting off his bike, getting sick and collapsing on the side of the road. He tried to get up again to get his bike but the two nurses kept him in the recovery position until the ambulance could arrive.

O'Byrne, who was feeling sick a few days before the race, said she was already in trouble before the heat even started. She was throwing up every few minutes from the Richter Pass aid station, and couldn't hold any food down. She went for a swim in Yellow Lake, helmet and everything, then recovered enough - she thought - to make it to the next aid station.

But after seeing Munro on the side of the road she went to help and it wasn't long before the nurses had her lying on the ground as well until the ambulance could get there.

Both Munro and O'Byrne made a full recovery after getting some fluids dripped into their veins, and while they were disappointed they know it could have been worse.

"It was not a good moment in the history of Sarah and Munny, but it won't be forgotten for sure," said O'Byrne. "I remember being in the ambulance, Munny laid out and I'm doubled over being sick and the paramedic was poking Munny with a pen to try and wake him up. I said 'he's just having a sleep,' and the paramedic was like, 'no, no he isn't.' I'm glad it came out okay in the end, it could have been more serious."

Munro doesn't remember much until the ambulance, where he couldn't figure out why O'Byrne was also there. He is shocked that he can't remember the 60km/h descent from Yellow Lake. Given the potential for a serious crash when he was obviously suffering from heat stroke, he considers himself lucky.

"Overall, I'm just utterly crushed," said Munro, who had been training a year for the event - but never on a day much above 20 C. "It's frustrating that it had to end that way, for me and for Sarah, but I'm pretty stoked for Pete. Physically, I feel fine after a few bags of saline.

"It was so hot. If you reached out and touched a building in Penticton you'd burn your hand."

Munro and O'Byrne were able to go to the finish to watch Field finish the race.

"I found out about Munny with about seven miles left in the run," said Field. "I thought Munny was way ahead, but I saw (coach) Christine Suter at an aid station who filled me in."

True to his word, Field said that he wasn't bothered by the heat and didn't really feel it that much until the run leg. He opted for Vibram Five Fingers shoes - basically a thin sole of rubber favoured by barefoot runners - and said he could feel the asphalt burning under his feet.

"The swim makes you know what it's like to be a salmon - I was getting pushed around all over the place and had trouble staying on course. One of the kayaker guys even gave me a little poke to say, 'the race is that way.' But that went well and when I hopped on a bike I took Christine's (Suter) advice to go really slow and I listened - people were flying by me and I knew I could go much faster but I took my time."

Field picked up the pace on the first climb and when he started feeling a little sick around Yellow Lake he eased off again. After that it went fairly well, though his feet were uncomfortable for the first part of the run.

While his time was slower than he thought, he said he reached his goal of smiling from start to finish. "I'd be lying if I said the whole experience was enjoyable," he said.

Asked whether he would consider racing Ironman again, Field said he would leave it to the triathletes. "I'm glad I did it and there's a sense of accomplishment that's great, but this race was about the journey and the goal - I was there for the journey and the goal was a bonus," he said.