Man has it been a long time since I posted anything to a blog. To be completely honest, I have sort of missed it. It only seems fitting that my first post back is about an endurance event unlike any other that I have ever participated in... An IRONMAN Triathlon! One Hundred Forty Point Six (140.6) miles of bodily torture that I have never experienced before in my lifetime.
Since finishing the race this past Sunday evening, many people have asked me "what it was like?" or "did you ever want to give up?" or just flat out told me I was "Crazy" for even attempting an IRONMAN. I will do my best to explain it all in this blog post.
This whole experience started last year when a running friend of mine, Dana Breeden, asked me if I wanted to go to Lake Placid to volunteer to work at IRONMAN: Lake Placid? He told me that a couple of his running/triathlon friends would be competing and if we volunteered we could have the opportunity to register for this year's race. I told him I would think about it knowing that I would eventually give in and say I would go with him. Little did I know that this was going to be the start of something even greater than just a volunteer experience.
We went to Lake Placid last year and both had chosen to volunteer on the bike course. I had chose to be a bike course marshal. I told bikers to "slow down" and that there was a "sharp right turn ahead" for four or five hours. My voice got a little horse but nothing a bottle of water couldn't fix.
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| Jimmie throwing a water bottle at Dana |
Dana on the other hand chose to work a couple miles down the road at an "Aid Station" where he would spend his four to five hours playing "dodge the water bottles/Gu packets" (athletes can only ditch garbage and water bottles at aid stations) and giving out Gu, Water, IRONMAN Perform Energy Drink (by Powerbar), Bananas, and Bonk Breaker Bars to the athletes as the flew by on their bikes. At the end of the day, I am pretty sure I had the better job!
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| Kate looking strong at 100+ miles on the bike |
During those couple of hours working, we got to see the Pro athletes zip by us on their $15K+ bicycles at 25+ MPH followed by the endless parade of age groupers (i.e. - Anyone who is not a Pro is considered and age grouper). We say Jimmie and Kate Cochran both on their bikes before Dana and I headed back into town to see the run and finish.
Once we made it back to town we found our mutual friend Mike Thompson who being a DJ on the Bike/Run course. We spent most the day their waiting and watching for Jimmie and Kate to come by and it just so happened that while we were there they crossed paths right in front of us. The timing couldn't have been any better.
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| Kate said "Come and Catch Me!" |
After they passed use, both Dana and I started to head to finish line so that we could claim a spot to see both Kate and Jimmie complete their Ironman. We tracked the two of them online knew Kate would be first (She has completed over 20 Ironman competitions) and Jimmie would be not too long behind her.
They both finished in what I consider incredible times and looked as if they could have kept going. It was crazy to think that they had just swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and the ran a marathon (26.2 miles) only to look as if that was nothing. . . I assure you that was not how their bodies felt though. Kate later found out that she was pregnant during the race which only made her incredible time even more amazing and inspirational. Jimmie ran into a few problems with cramping and nutrition but still completed the race in under 14 hours! These two seemed unstoppable.
After they had finished, gotten back to the hotel, showered, and ate dinner, the four of us went back to the finish line for the final hour of the race. The seventeenth (17th) hour! The hour where the Olympic oval where you finish has turned into the biggest party in Lake Placid. Everyone comes back to cheer on the last official finishers of the IRONMAN. This is what sealed the deal for me. The energy, emotion, passion, pride, pain, determination to finish, and the joy on the athlete's faces when Mike Reilly called their name and said "You are an Ironman!" made me want to prove to myself that I too, could do it!
The next morning, Dana and I got in line 2+ hours before registration opened to sign up for this year's race and we anxiously sat there as the time slowly ticked by. It seemed like forever before we were able to register. But sure enough, the time had come for us to sign our names on the dotted line to commit to a year of training to be ready for IRONMAN: Lake Placid. We signed, hit submit, received confirmation, and WE ARE IN!
MISSION 2014: IRONMAN: Lake Placid #IMLP
This is where it truly begins for me. I am in. I will be competing at IRONMAN Lake Placid in 2014. I better get to training as I have NEVER swam in a race or even raced on a bike. Never mind the fact that I have never even competed in a triathlon at any distance! What in the world did I just myself into? This race may actually kill me! (Panic starting in ...3...2...1...GO)
So August starts and so does my training as I am completely filled with adrenaline from watching the IRONMAN finishers (also I am trying to outrun John Mortimer on Nike+ ***DON'T TRY IT***). I start biking as it is one of my new favorite forms of exercise. A lot of leg workout with little to no impact! Fantastic. I bike with Dana in the mornings and run on my own in the evenings. This goes well for about two weeks. At the two week mark, I had run more than 120 miles and biked over 250 miles. My body said "NO!" and begins to fight back.
It begins with IT Band issues that I am now feeling in the knee. I go see my orthopedic specialist and am told to take three weeks off. During that time I was told to ice, foam roll (the devil's instrument), and stretch. It is at this point I should probably tell you that I am a chronic NON-stretcher. I didn't stretch. Not before, not after, not during. I am 25 and invincible. . . If you're not laughing or saying to yourself "I don't stretch either", you are an idiot!
Three weeks goes by and a friend from high schools asks me if I am available to do the Reach the Beach Relay. I let her know that if she really needs me, I can do it but only if it is a worst case scenario. She calls me back and says that she is all set and thanks me for calling her back. I think to myself: "Great! Now I can get back to running and only worry about the New England Grand Prix races." Well it is now three days from Reach the Beach and I get the phone call asking me to run as another person got injured and they are down a runner again. Could I still do the race? I tell her if she doesn't mind me being slow as I am coming off of an injury I would do it. She said it is team that is just looking to have fun and that I would fit right in. Excellent! I'm in and this will be the first test of my recovered injury.
Reach the Beach starts and I begin running my first leg of the race. My legs feel great! I start pushing the pace. I finish my first leg (8 miles) of the race at sub-7 minute pace! WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?! I have NEVER ran that fast for that long. My leg two (5+ miles of climbing) comes and again 7 minute pace! I think my watch is broken. I am not capible of running that fast. My final leg is a 5k and is always the toughest leg as you are tired, stiff, and sore. I PR at the 5K distance with a time of 19:54! Holy cow! I am back! I am going to be on fire for IRONMAN if I can keep this going.
Over the next few weeks I run numerous races and PR in almost every distance from 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and 30K. This all led up to the Manchester City Marathon. The final race in the NE Grand Prix. I decide that I am going to see what I am really made out of. I run a 3:33 in this race and PR by 3 minutes. I
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| Manchester City Marathon |
am a beyond happy with this time. Only problem is now I have a pain in my foot. Not good. I have had pains in my feet before from running marathons and after two-to-three weeks they usually go away. Not this one. Not good. I can't run. I decide to wait it out and see what happens (one of the many mistakes I made this past year).
I try it out again a few weeks later and it feels alright. I don't have any tremendous foot pain until I get to about 4+ miles. Well, its a start. I get back to short distance running and only to find that it still hurts. The problem is that I am signed up for a few races and don't want to loose out on the money I paid to get into them. So I "race" them. Not terrible. I finish and feel alright but I know something is still off. I can't figure out what or why. I wait a while before racing again as my next race is in January during Martin Luther King weekend. I am registered for the marathon but have done no training so I decide that instead of the certainty of killing any chance of healing, I transfer from the marathon to the 5 miler. I race, it feels "ok" but I still better rest it.
It is about this time that I start swimming for a week at the Executive Health Club with Dana. He agrees to give me some pointers after he laughs at the fact that I buy $30 goggles only to never have them even touch the water as I don't put my head in. I eventually learn to put my head in the water and breath (well, sorta) while swimming. It goes well but I still feel pain in my feet and legs so I stop swimming after about a week.
February comes along and I can't take it anymore, I NEED to know what's going on with my foot so I make an appointment with my Orthopedic specialist. She sees nothing really wrong on the x-rays but decides that a MRI is our best bet. Great. We have a plan. I figure I'll get my confirmation to schedule the MRI and we can get some answers. Well, apparently the insurance company had other ideas and wanted me to wait an additional 4 weeks to get another set of x-rays before approving the MRI. What the hell?! Don't you know I am trying to become an IRONMAN and I need my legs and feet to do that?
A month later I get approved for the MRI and get back to my Orthopedic Specialist. She tells me that there are no tear or fractures but there are a couple strains due to REALLY TIGHT MUSCLES (remember what happens when you don't stretch?). So I am basically injured due to self infliction? I didn't stretch so now I can't run. Fantastic news. . . (sarcasm).
She sends me to therapy where I get to meet the most amazing physical therapist who takes pride in torturing me for an hour a day/two days a week. I truly mean TORTURE too! I am thankful most of the time that
there are no children within hearing distance as the words that come out of my mouth while getting treatment may be hard for their parents to explain.
We get to do fun things like take titanium tools that look like a butter knife and a tongue depressor and massage muscle tissue so that we can elongate my muscles back to normal flexibility. It is a wonderful time (sarcasm again) as she massages my legs and I can hear my crackle as if the tools were scraping cement.
And as if that wasn't enough, I get to have another treatment where they insert acupuncture needles into trigger points in my leg and then send pulses of electricity through them to make the muscles fire . It is really a grand old time. Here is a video of some getting electric stimulation during dry needling.
After a few months of these treatments however, I am finally back at it and able to run, bike, and swim (well, I can swim but I am still figuring out technique). My PT did get me back on my feet (pun fully intended) with about two months to go before IRONMAN Lake Placid.
I decide I will participate in my first triathlon and it would be the White Mountain's Triathlon - Olympic Distance at Cannon Mountain the first weekend of June. I pack up my stuff and go to the race. I survive and learn some lessons about myself.
- I think my butt has lead in it because it sinks like a rock.
- Figuring out which gear to be in during the bike portion of the race is harder than you think.
- It is OK to walk during the "run".
- Triathlons are so much fun!!! (No, seriously, THEY ARE!)
I happily finish my first triathlon and have about 7 weeks to prepare the best I can for IRONMAN Lake Placid. I am going to need a miracle to pull this off.
I spent the next 7 weeks training, going to therapy, and hydrating for my IRONMAN.
Here are the longest training distances I got to before IRONMAN:
LONGEST SWIM: 1 Mile
LONGEST BIKE: 62 Miles
LONGEST RUN: 8 Miles
IRONMAN = 2.4 Mile Swim, 112 Mile Bike, 26.2 Mile Run!
LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!!!
IRONMAN Lake Placid - 2014
So it's finally here. . . Lake Placid. The race to end all other races. It is one of the most historic venues our country has to offer and I am back one year later to race in my first IRONMAN race. It is hard to put into words what it even means for me to be here after the year I have had of injuries and therapy. There were many times where I didn't even think I would be able to step up to the starting line never mind having a chance to complete the race. There was a lot of emotions going through my head once we arrived in Lake Placid .
I traveled up to Lake Placid on Thursday afternoon with my amazing fiance Maggie, who was my rock for the entire week. Little did she know that she would also be my IRONSHERPA as well. It took us 4.5 hours to get to the hotel where Dana had already checked-in and began exploring.
We got there, unpacked, settled in, and found some dinner. It was going to be a roller coaster of emotions for the next couple days.
On Friday morning Dana and I officially checked in for the race. Now, this is no ordinary packet pick-up. First you get in line (there is ALWAYS a line) to be checked in. Once you make it to the front of the line, you give the person you license and USAT (USA Triathlon) card and he or she will give you a yellow ticket with your number written on it. You will take that ticket and stand in your next line. This line will take you to the waiver line were you will go pick up you personal information sheet (your name, gender, age, weight, emergency contact, etc.), IRONMAN Waiver (so you can't sue if you die), and the NY Speed Race Waiver (so you can't sue NY State either). You then go take these card, make necessary changes, sign, date, and then go get in your third line where you will be weighed in. I was not expecting this (although I did weight less than I did two weeks ago). Once you are weighed in, you will deliver your waiver cards to the registration table and they will send you to your forth line. This line is where you pick up your actual registration packet, swim cap, IRONMAN event bracelet, bib number, and stickers for your bike, helmet, and transition bags. Once this has been picked up, you will then go get in line to get your timing chip. This doesn't sound exciting at all but as a race timer, I though this was awesome. They have a computer that they input your race day number and all of your information comes up. They then take a timing chip and scan it over a decoder field and it assigns that number to your race day information! Fascinating, I know!!!
Don't go anywhere yet, we aren't even done the whole check-in process yet! After you pick up your timing chip, you get sent to your last line (in this building) where you will pick up your transition bags. Now for an IRONMAN you will get 5 bags: Morning Clothes, Bike Transition, Bike Special Needs, Run Transition, and Run Special Needs. It is at this point they send you outside and to the merchandise tent to pick up your athlete's backpack. Once this is completed, you have been officially checked in!
Around 11 AM we all attended the athletes breifing were the rules of competition were explained to us as well as the time line of events for the next couple days. We were able to get any questions answered by the race officials if needed and were able to meet up with other competitors.
The rest of the day Maggie and I spent exploring the city, checking out the magnificent views, checking out the little town shops, trying on funny hats (see below) and just enjoying our time together in Lake Placid. It was truly the calm before the storm.
That night was the Opening Ceremonies in the new public park in downtown Lake Placid. They had a band playing, Mike Reilly (The Voice of IRONMAN) welcomed us to Lake Placid, they lit the Lake Placid torch, and they showed
pump up videos to get the athlete psyched up for the event as well as inspirational stories of triumph during past IRONMAN events. It was a good time and Maggie and I were glad we attended. We left at its closing only to get dinner and go to bed. We knew that the next night was going to be one of little sleep due to the early start of the race.
Saturday was a very low key day were we wanted to stay off of our feet for as long as possible. I knew that on Sunday I would have plenty of time on my feet and that I should do my best to rest up for the long day ahead.
Maggie and I dropped off my bike, and bike/run transition bags (these have to be checked in the day before the race) and then walked around town planning our meeting locations so that if something were to happen during the race we would know exactly what to do. We planned our meet-up spot for "when" (Maggie wouldn't let me say "if") I finished the race. We took some pictures together and then headed back to the hotel for an early dinner and bed.
Race Day
At 3:30 AM the alarm goes off. Today's the day! Today I find out what I am made of. I know I do not have the training I should have for this race. I need to be smart, conserve when I can and hammer down when I must. This will be the biggest challenge I have ever had in my lifetime. It was only 5 years ago I started running and never would have thought I would run 8 marathons and most certainly would have never believed I was capable of standing on the starting line of an IRONMAN.
I get out of bed and begin to get dressed. I decided that I wasn't going to go for speed for this race. I put on my tri-suit, sweatshirt, and pants to head across the street to get hot water to make a cup of oatmeal. Maggie being the absolutely amazing person she is decides to get up and be with me all morning, even if that does mean being up at 3:30. We get our breakfast and head back to the hotel.
Once in the hotel, I pack my last couple of items in my special needs bags and begin my trek down to the Olympic oval to enter transition. At 4 AM in Lake Placid it is DARK. You follow the glow of the street lights until you see the fluorescent bulbs of portable light towers illuminate the Olympic oval where 2,700+ bikes await anxious IRONMAN athletes. Before you enter the oval you get in line (yes, another line) to get your body written all over in permanent marker. They write your bib number on both of your arms and your age on your right calf. Once this is done, you say bye to your family for a little while and enter the oval to prepare your transition area.
I get to my bike and check the tire pressure. It is a little low so I pump them up. I put my water bottles on my bike, make sure the chain is on, everything is tightened up and ready to "race" (to me it more like survive). I head back to the transition racks where my bike and run transition bags await. I make sure to put my bib in my run bag and make sure I put a Gu in my bike bag for when I get out of the water (noticed I said "when" and not "if"). I take off my sweatshirt and pants and stuff them into my morning clothes bag so I have them for after the race. I head out to meet up with Maggie before we drop off my run and bike special needs bags.
I meet up with Maggie and give her a kiss because honestly I needed something to settle my nerves. We walk down drop off my run special needs first which had a red bull, spare pair of sneakers, long sleeve shirt, Gu, and sunscreen.
We then head down to bike special needs which is right next to Mirror Lake which where we will be
swimming. The whole time holding Maggie's hand (I probably crushed it due to nerves, I'm sorry babe) and looking at the water. It is just light enough that I can see the entire swim course and it looks bigger than ever and I have never swam a distance greater than a mile. This may be the beginning of the end of my IRONMAN. We finally make it to drop off my bike special needs (which only had a spare water bottle if needed). We leave the bag and head down to the water.
Now at this point, it is about 5:45 in the morning and the athletes are all making their way to the lake. We find a rock to sit on while I put on my wetsuit (worst part of any triathlon). While put it on I meet a nice lady who is also doing her first IRONMAN. She is 62 years young. She too got signed up due to a friend who convinced her that this was a good idea. We shared our stories and had a good laugh. This calmed me down tremendously! As we are still laughing, an even more "seasoned" triathlete comes up to us and wishes us luck and tells us that we will all be an IRONMAN today. This "seasoned" triathlete was competing in his 6th IRONMAN at age 72. He only began doing the IRONMAN competitions at age 63. We both had nothing to use as an excuse at this point. We were going to do it!
At about 6:00 they let the age groupers into the water to warm up before they lined us up for the start. We all got warmed up and swam over to the start on the beach. They played the Star Spangled Banner and sent the Pro Men off with the firing of the cannon (Yes, it was really a cannon. Not a starter pistol like JM uses for his races ;P ) at 6:20 AM. Five minutes later the cannon fired again and the Pro Women were off an into the lake. Five minutes after the Pro Women the cannon fired for the third and final time sending the rest of us into the lake. It was an incredible sight to see. Because of the new SwimSmart Start, 5 Pro Males began their second loop of the swim before I even made it into the water!
I finally make it into the water which is clearly the most terrifying event for me personally. I don't like dark water. I mean, I will swim in it, I just don't like my head in it looking down into nothing. . . That make swimming in triathlons REALLY hard for me. I end of swimming the side stroke and resting on my back when needed in order to get through the swim. The first loop of my swim I felt good. I felt in control and able to complete a second look. I may have swim extra due to the fact that I swam 15-20 left of all the buoys for the entire first lap so I didn't get killed by those trying finish. They have a tendency to swim right over you if you are in their way. I wasn't going to have any of that so I gave them plenty of space.
The only concerning thing was that while swimming the first loop, I could hear the rumbling of thunder while in the water. As a soccer referee, I know that where there is thunder, we are to presume there is or will be lightning. But, they let us keep swimming so I did.
I got out of the water for my first loop in 51 minutes. Only issue was I had forgotten to start my watch at the start of my swim so I had to go off of the clock. The clock said 1 hour 5 minutes so I figured I had 1 hour 15 minutes to go before I was pulled from the water. The clock was from the Pro Men's start so I really had 1 hour 30 minutes. I guess thats a good thing not to know though!
I get back in the water for my second loop (started my watch this time too) and because I am a slower swimmer, I have all the space in the world now to swim. I get in and start cruising. I kept each of those buoys so close to me on my second loop, I flying down the course and make the turn around the T1 Buoy (Turn 1). I was making record time when all of a sudden there were a lot of whistles being blown. I come up from the swimming position to see what's going on. Everyone is yelling "Out of the water! Get out of the water!" Just then a bolt of lightning shoots across the sky! Well you don't need to tell me twice. I swam faster than I ever have. I think I may of even done the appropriate free-style swimming technique so I didn't have to see the bolt of lightning that was about to kill me. The only thought really going through my head was "Really? Is this really how my IRONMAN is going to end? It is going to be cut short by lightning?" It really never occurred to me the real danger I was in being in Mirror Lake during a lightning storm.
As we made our way to shore, the volunteer told us to "get up to the road and get on your bikes." "Everyone makes it out of the water today" they said. That brought some relief. I was actually going to finish the swim and with time to spare and but they obviously pulled me from the water for safety reasons. It was weird because I was glad they did it for safety but pissed they did it because I was proving to myself that it could be done.
Once on the road, we begin the march of the penguins (get it, we're all in black wetsuits) to transition to get on our bikes. The roads were flooded with water as we ran barefoot to transition. I decided to walk because I didn't want to bust open my foot due to something in the road.
When we finally made it into transition, they had moved the wetsuit strippers into transition so they could assist those who got out on the street. I was very thankful because getting out of a wetsuit is my second least favorite part of triathlons.
I grabbed my bike transition bag and heading into the changing tent. I get into the tent and you can smell nothing but wet man body odor due to all of the body heat that is now in the tent because of the mass exit of Mirror Lake.
I finally get changed, packed my swimming stuff and wetsuit into my transition bag, and joked with the guys around me "Does anyone have any sunscreen?" We all chuckle as it is a monsoon we are about to go riding our bike in. I hand my bag to a volunteer and head out of the tent to get my bike, before I can get halfway there a volunteer runs my bike over to me and I head out on the bike for what will probably be the wettest bike ride I will ever take (it also happens to be the longest ride too but who's counting?).
I get over to the "Mount" line (you know, the line you get on your bike) and Mike Thompson sees me. He comes over and jokes with me "You're so freak'n lucky!" I tell him I would have made it though and decide to walk my bike down to the after the first 180 degree turn and mount there. I was too afraid of taking someone out while attempting to mount at the line or better yet, someone taking me out. My plan worked great because as I am getting on my bike, 5 people fall over on the mount line and everyone has to wait for them to move before mounting their bikes.
I get on the road and start pedaling. The first bit of the double loop course is a bit sketchy. It has a few sharp turns and a couple short steep descents. I took it easy until I got to the outskirts of town where the road opened up a bit more and I had space to actually move. The first couples miles of the bike course is pretty gentle with a couple short climbs but nothing too bad. Once you get to about mile 8 you get about 8 miles of downhill to rest. Well, it would be rest if it wasn't a monsoon. As I went down the descent, the rain would pelt against the skin on my arms and face. I can only equate the feeling to being stung by bees. It hurt, I could hardly see, breaking was all I could do. It was at this point where I wondered if I was going to even make it off of the bike.
Half way down the hill I had my next scare. I was finally able to see a little and a man goes speeding past me as if I were standing still. I thought to myself "He's going too fast!" Unfortunately, I was right. Moments later he went to pass another biker on the left when he hit the freshly painted line and his bike shot out from underneath him and he went sliding down the wet freshly paved road for about 100 yards (seriously, 100 yards)! He managed to lose a lot of the fabric on his tri suit but walked away with some road rash. I continued my bike and just prayed he was ok.
After the hill was over, my favorite part of the bike course was up. From about mile 20 to mile 35 was smooth sailing. Even in the rain, it was flat and fast. I enjoyed getting into a groove and staying there. It was fun because it was like a game of cat and mouse. I would pass someone and hold them off for a couple miles, they would pass me and hold me off for a couple miles, and I would eventually pass them again. Each time we would say something childish like "tag" or "your it". It really made it fun. By mile 35 the rain had stopped and it was starting to get muggy. The water on the roads started to evaporate and we all began to really sweat.
From miles 35 - 40 and 45-64 we climbed. When I say we climbed, I ment it! It felt like we were climbing FOREVER! The first real relief was when we got to the long descent for the second time. This time at least it wasn't raining. I was able to be a little more aggressive but still wanted to make sure I was safe and not going to blow a tire. The second trip through the Town of Jay was great. The only thing that was bugging me at the time was my butt as it had been on a bike for 5.5 hours by this time.
As I began my second set of climbs, Mother Nature decided she wasn't done messing with me yet and proceeded to dump more rain on me as I attempted my last 26 miles on the bike. This made it miserable! The only real saving grace was seeing Jimmie and Kate around mile 100. They cheered me on as I struggled to get through the worst part of the bike course (and possible the whole course). After I passed the drove up beside me and told me I could do it and then headed back into town to see Dana and I on the run course.
As I got closer to town, I just kept thinking 4 miles to Maggie, 3 miles to Maggie, 2 miles to Maggie, and only 1 more mile to I see Maggie. Of course for that to happen I have to get over the three bear hills. First up is Momma Bear, then Baby Bear, and Finally Papa Bear. I was swearing a Papa Bear A LOT! He was not my friend that day. I just knew that once I completed Papa Bear, Maggie would be at the base of him waiting to see me go by.
I finally crest the top of the final hill, start pedaling as hard as I can because I know I am 1 miles away from being off of my bike and after 8 hours and 10 minutes, all I wanted was to be off of my bike!
I get into town and the crowds are unbelieveable! Thousands of people cheering you, a stranger on, telling you that you will be an IRONMAN. There is nothing like it. It then hit me that I was ONLY 26.2 miles away from being an IRONMAN. Now, I know that it is still quite the distance to travel but when you look at 26.2 vs 140.6 it really doesn't seem like all that much. I actually started tearing up. I am not sure if it was because of the crowds and cheers or because I was just so happy to be off of the bike. I am not too ashamed to admit that it was an amazing moment know I made it to the final stage of the IRONMAN.
I get into transition, hand my bike to a volunteer and walk (my legs were like jello from the bike) to grab my run transition bag. I grab it and head to the changing tent. I get out of my soaking wet bike kit and struggle to get my NikeFit shirt on. It would stick to my wet skin so I took a second and just sat in the chair and gave up struggling. A volunteer comes up behind me and says "Your shirt is twisted, let me give you a hand and untwists my shirt from behind which allows me to get it on. I put my shorts on and my Millennium Running Singlet, tie my shoes, strap on my race belt with my bib on it, grab my hat and sunglasses then proceed to head out the other side of the tent to begin my run.
The first couple of steps of the run were quite tender going from cycling shoes to sneakers but my feet adapted quickly and I was feeling actually pretty good. I wasn't fast but I knew I wouldn't be. My longest training run was 8 miles, how fast can one expect to be with training like that? But I set a 12 min./mile pace and stuck with it for the first half of the marathon. It was by far the longest half of a marathon I have ever been a part of. The miles felt like they were a 5k apart. I just kept trucking.
I knew I didn't eat enough on the bike because of the rain and the difficult conditions so I made sure to fuel up as much as I could throughout the marathon. I was taking Gu Roctane like it was my job. Eating Bonk Breaker Bars like they twinkies. My body was fading fast and I knew I would be in trouble if I didn't eat.
I also kept a cup with me for the first half of the marathon that I would keep adding ice, water, and a splash of Perform to so that I would stay hydrated. My goal was to drink the cup before the next aid station which was about every mile. Because the cup was filled with ice it only took me 3-4 sips to finish it but man did it keep me going. I manage to finish the first half of the marathon in about 2.5 hours. That meant I had 4.5 hours to complete the second half of it.
The second half of the marathon was a different story. I knew I needed a plan to get through the mentally toughest part of the IRONMAN. As I am about to leave town for my second loop of the run, my volunteer coordinator from last year spots me and yells "Go Cullen, You can do it! You will be an IRONMAN!" The Race Director happened to be standing next to her with a megaphone and hearing her cheer me on he proceeds to yell through the megaphone "Cullen, suck down that Gu, take a sip of water and RUN!" Well YES SIR! How do you not run when the race director is yelling at you?!
So off I went. I have 13.1 miles to go and I will become an IRONMAN. The plan was to walk any uphill portions and do my best to run the flats and down hills for as long as I can. I pushed on. It was hard leaving town again hearing Mike Reilly call the names of those incredible athletes who were finishing around 12.5 - 13 hours (Dana was one of those incredible athletes). Hearing their names being called followed by "You are an IRONMAN" only made me more determined to finish. This day started as a dream to possibly be an IRONMAN when the day was over, now I was only 13.1 miles away from making that dream into a reality. I was going to do it. I was going to be an IRONMAN.
I left town running again for as long as I could (it is mostly down when you leave town and up when you return). I made it to about mile 19 where I found Dan Ashworth. Dan owns Ashworth Awards and he and his wife were racing this year. Maggie was actually with his family at the house he rented for the week along with Dana's dad and Mike Thompson. I asked Dan how he was doing and he said his legs were not doing so hot. I looked at my watch and we had all the time in the world. At the beginning of the day I didn't even think it was possible for me to be in a position to finish so I decided that I would stay with Dan and we would walk each other in. It made for one of the most memorable race finishes I have ever had. Dan was great. We talked about our careers, what races we have done, his family and their athletic abilities. We talk to the crowds that stayed late into the night and just had a blast as we made our way back to Lake Placid.
You will never know how much it truly means to have someone on the course with you when you are at your weakest moment until you need that person. For me, Dan was that person. My body was throwing in the towel but my mind wasn't. My longest run before this marathon was 8 miles. I have already gone 11 past that and now I needed help. We walked step by step, foot by foot until we were both called an IRONMAN. At about 1/4 mile to go, the crowds lifted you up and pushed you to the finish. We would "run" by someone and they would tell you that you are inspiration to them. They would point to you and tell you that "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" They would give you high-fives and slap you on you butt as you past them and say "get your ass across that finish".
I honestly don't know how my IRONMAN experience would be different without Dan and the crowds late into the night but I can promise you this. The experience most certainly would not have been the same. Thank you Dan! Thank you IRONMAN Crowds. You called me an inspiration but it was you that got me across that finish line. I have run many races and I plan on running many more but I doubt that I will ever see the passion from the crowds that I saw at IRONMAN Lake Placid!
