Nathan Killam finished 8th at Challenge Penticton in a time of 4:04.
picture from 2015 Ironman 2015
How did it go?
It went fairly well. I wasn’t quite as recovered as I’d hoped from Ironman Canada, and came into the race a little overdone. My legs were tight and sore the week leading into the race, which is unusual for me. The weather flipped on us, and was much colder than expected.
The race organizers did a fantastic job and the new courses were superb! The field was massive, with 25 pro men, many of whom are very strong and very accomplished. The race was very well organized, the course very well marked.
Did it go as planned?
my race went somewhat as planned, until the run. The cold for the first hour on the bike seemed to zap the power from my legs; I train in and LOVE the heat, so they just didn’t seem to fire with the cold headwind. I am confident I had a 1:15-:16 run in me on a good day, but I took some risks in the second half of the bike, trying to make up for a terrible first half, and I paid for it in the run. I didn’t have any wheels for the run. Up until the run it went really well as planned, and being 3-4mins slower than my ‘slower’ run prediction was less than ideal.
Are you happy with the result?
I am pretty happy about my swim and bike. Even with the cold and lack of power early on, I rode strong all the way to the finish. I am not happy with my run result, but considering I was overdone, and have been fighting some calf issues since Ironman Canada and plantar fasciitis since February, it was probably the best I had that day.
I can say that I am stoked on my effort; I gave my best effort that day, and in the days post race I can feel that I left it all out there. It was the fastest I could go on that day. I am not happy with my position, but better athletes showed up that day and out-performed me, so the outcome is deserved for everyone.
What is planned for the rest of your season?
I ended the triathlon season at Challenge Penticton. I am taking the time to deal with my plantar fasciitis and other issues, while racing cyclocross, cross country running, and the beer mile through the fall and winter. I hope to get my beer mile below 5:30 this year, so that is a really fun thing to work towards in the offseason. I hope to start the season earlier next year, and work towards the ITU Long Course World Championships next year.
Are you happy with your season?
I’m happy with how the season went. My short term goals were achieved, and I will have my sights on a steady improvement for next year, most notably in the swim and run. I need to make one pack faster in the swim, and that will be the goal for next year.
