We were told that traffic leaving Montreal can be tricky. The saying is “There are two seasons in Montreal. Winter and Construction.” So, we left our hotel a little before 10:00 am so we could avoid commuter traffic. The traffic gods were with us. We cruised through Montreal and made it over the bridges with no issues. Big sigh!
The weather appeared to be sunny and dry. Of course, that only lasted for a short time. Torrential rains started again. My poor bike…all alone on the rear of the car.
When we arrived in Mont Tremblant, it was drier and our room was appropriately sized. After a quick check-in at the Fairmont Hotel, we headed to registration. Thursday’s check-in was very quiet and there was no line. I showed my ID and filled out a waiver that I knew the risks involved in competing in such an endurance event. Then I was shuttled to another line where they weighed us (dressed and with shoes). I asked them why they do this. The response was, “If you pass out on the course, the first responders need to know how much you weigh so they can determine if you are dehydrated.” Nice.
I got my cool Ironman backpack, my number, my chip, my swim cap, and all of my stickers (for the helmet and the bike) as well as all of my “Transition” bags.
I have until Saturday afternoon to get all of that stuff together, so for now I’m going to put everything in the room and walk around the Village with the family.
Of course, we had to hit the Ironman Expo and the Ironman store. The Expo is like any other big race I’ve done. Lots of companies with lots of gear to demo and sell. The Ironman Store is quite different. It’s all branded Ironman clothing and accessories. At first, I did not want to go in until after the race, but my family convinced me to go in so we could purchase stuff for them! Eli got an Ironman Support Crew t-shirt and Sofie got an Ironman Mont Tremblant sweatshirt that has all of the competitors’ names on the back. You do need a magnifying glass to see my name, but it was there!
I got a microfiber towel that has all of the competitors’ names on it and it is easily visible. I figured a towel wouldn’t jinx me too much.
I can’t wait to go back on Monday morning to get the “FINISHER” stuff.
Around 2:00 pm, I headed to the beach to do a short 15-minute swim and 30-minute run. The weather had turned overcast and it was raining a bit on the run. Oh well…I can only control so much…I have to let it go.