2010 IM Louisville will be remembered for the heat and humidity. The LA Ironteam got up early and we went over to the transition area to set up the bikes and drop off our special needs bags. At this point it was already in the 80s. Coaches told us not to pump the tires and leave them alone. I saw my teammate pump his tire, it was only 90 PSI. So I pumped my tires. It too was about 90 PSI, so I pumped it to 115 PSI. I did worry that I might have jinxed myself and now I'll end up getting a flat for not listening to the coaches. Then I saw Ale collecting the special needs bag as a race volunteer and I got a nice hug from her. I told myself I'm going to have a good day. We went over to the swim start and I could already feel the heat and humidity. I got body marked #66. Then I was so happy to see that the Ironteam was right near the front of the line. Our spots had been saved by family and friends of LA Ironteam. Yea!
The next hour or two passed too quickly. Before I knew it I was facing the start of my first Ironman race. Shortly after 7am, I jumped into the Ohio River and began my 2.4 mile swim. The water was warm, about 85 degrees. I tried not to panic as I started to get bumped and hit by faster swimmers coming up behind me. I tried to stay away from the legs of swimmers in front. Although I was annoyed by swimmers hitting me and swimming on top of me, I eventually learned to accept it. I told myself that it was just my Ironteammates tapping me and saying "Go Team". So everytime I got hit, I said "Go Team" and it felt so much better. Before the end of the swim I must have said "Go Team" at least a hundred times. I felt very lucky to be swimming in a nice warm river at sunrise. It was actually fun. I told myself this is the best part of the whole day, at least until I cross the finish line. I was a little confused by the buoys, so I probably swam a little zig-zag pattern. I didn't push myself too hard on the swim because I knew I still had over 138 miles of racing to go. At one point in the swim I started to have leg cramps. I tried not to panic and not think about being out in the middle of a river where I could not stand or easily get out. I told my mind/ body to relax. I kicked less and just pulled with my arms for a while. Eventually the leg cramps subsided. Thank God! I finished the rest of the swim uneventfully.
2.4 miles ( 1:42:12) Division Position: 368
T1 (10:43) I felt like I had entered a sauna when I went into the changing tent. It was actually a bit hard to see and to breathe. Eventually I found an empty chair, sat down, and started to change. After getting sun-block applied by an eager female volunteer, I made a quick pit-stop at the port-a-potty. Then it was off to the bike. I was glad to see there were still plenty of bikes on the rack. (Probably due to the time trial start.) Louis was there to take some photos. I ate a Power-bar and took off.
The bike ride was notable for the stomach cramps I had to deal with in the first couple hours. Perhaps eating the Power-bar in T1 wasn't a great idea. Or perhaps it was the time zone change disrupting my GI cycle. I felt like I had to have a BM, but I didn't want to stop. So I kept pedaling and hoped the sensation will pass. Needless to say, I didn't feel like eating. I just drank my bottles of Cytomax and dumped water from the aid stations to stay cool. I went 18.23 mph for the first 23 miles, and 17.21 mph for the next 17 miles. It was then that the weather started to get real HOT. I slowed to 15.79 mph for the next 30 miles. The temp was probably in mid 90s by now. I made sure to take my salt tablets. I saw numerous riders on the side of the road, lying under a tree, overheated and exhausted. Numerous ambulances came by on the course. The sound of sirens will always be a memory of this race. I felt a little guilty at one point because I had 3 water bottles, and there was a rider collapsed under a tree by the side of the road. I reasoned that if I gave up my water bottles that could be me lying by the side of the road in another hour. I forced myself to eat my Powerbars, because I didn't want to bonk on the run. At one aid station they ran out of water! Fortunately someone had Dr Pepper. That was the best Dr Pepper I've ever tasted in my life! At special needs station, I ate some spicy BBQ chips that I had packed away. They were actually quite yummy. Well I just kept pushing, but not too hard since I knew I had a very hot marathon to run. I went 16.17 mph for the last 42 miles. I was so happy to survive the bike without a flat or a crash. My butt was very sore and as I handed off my bike to a volunteer, I didn't care if I ever saw my bike again. Good riddance!
112 miles ( 6:44:55) 16.6 mph Division Position: 300
T2 (11:03) I was tired and thirsty. I drank some soda and water. I changed into my run gear, reapplied sunblock, hit the port-a-potty, and I was off on the Hottest 26.2 miles of my life.
The Marathon. I was so happy to start the run. At this point I knew that even if I walked I would be an Ironman. However tempting it was to walk, I realized that I wanted to finish ASAP. So I tried to run as much as possible and only walk during the aid stations. The first 13 miles was Hot Hot Hot. There wasn't much shade. To stay cool, I dumped water on my head, used the sponges to cool off, and put some ice under my cap. I couldn't eat anything other than oranges and bananas. The Powerbars made me sick just to look at them. Unfortunately at this point the Powerade was disgusting as well. So I went with water or cola. I was afraid to try the chicken broth since I've never had it during a run before. I was told afterwards by my teammates that the broth was very good. Midway I forced myself to eat a gel, yuck, disgusting. I had some pretzels to get the salt in. I had some salt in my special needs bag and took that in, as well as change into some dry socks. Unfortunately my shoes were wet, so the dry socks quickly became wet. During the run, I saw numerous Ironteammates. We gave each other encouragement. I ran with a few of my teammates for short stretches of the marathon course. The encouragement from teammates made the miles go by much faster. I tried to think of my family and my honored teammates as I ran. I thought of Gordie and how he became an Ironman despite all the obstacles he had to overcome. These thoughts motivated me as I pushed myself through and beyond "The Wall". Finally, as I came to the last quarter mile, Coach Paul and Rad were there to give me encouragement and congratulations. I approached the "light" at the end of the tunnel. I heard someone shout my name in the crowd, and I saw it was Andie. I could hear the official Ironman announcer calling out a bunch of names. I was in a group of people crossing at about the same time. I do not recall my name being called out, but I'm sure it was called out. The finishline was like a dream. A volunteer grabbed me and held me. I got my medal. Another volunteer took off my timing chip. I was led to a chair where I sat down to regain my breath. After some water I felt much better and I saw Rachel. I got a hug. Rachel informed me that I was the second Ironteamer to finish. Carlos was the first. I was pretty proud of what I had accomplished. Thanks to my Coaches Paul and Rad. They're the best. They gave me the blueprint to have a great race.
26.2 miles ( 5:14:58) Division Position: 210
Total: 14:03:51
Afterwards I took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, had pizza and picked up my bag at the convention center. Then I returned to the finish line to cheer on my teammates as they became Ironmen and Ironwomen. It was special to see the finish line at midnight as we cheered on the last official finishers. What an awesome day. Go Ironteam!
After almost 2 years since I joined Team in Training and the Ironteam, I finally became an Ironman. I had to overcome a torn MCL and ACL. I had to rehab from ACL reconstruction with a graft from my own hamstrings. I had to overcome my fear of open water swimming. I had to push beyond my mind's self-imposed limitations to make the impossible, possible. Will I ever do the Ironman again? Who knows? Stay tuned....
No comments:
Post a Comment