Phew! 2014 is done, and what a crazy year that was! Looking back, the year was a roller coaster of highs and lows, but in the end....what a ride!
I never did do a Florida race report, so here it is - it was COLD and WINDY!! Seriously though, the few days leading up to the race, we all anxiously looked at the weather. Sure, it was in the 70's right then, but the weather reports kept making race day colder and colder. Having lived in the Valley so long, I didn't have any true cold weather gear, but upon Michael's suggestion, I did pack some tights and a long sleeved shirt. I had no idea what a lifesaver he was.
The day before the race, I did a practice open water swim. Oh my gosh! It was amazing to be able to see to the bottom, and as I was happily swimming along, a stingray nonchalantly swam under me...it was SO cool! I had a great swim, was super excited about the idea of swimming in clear water and was generally pretty stoked about the next day. Since it was my second Ironman, the nerves were different. The first time, there was a long of anxiety about not finishing. This time, I knew I could do the distance, so my fears were more along the lines of avoiding the injuries I sustained in Houston. Also, since I had displaced my SI joint in IMTX but didn't know about it till July, there was a little nagging in my mind that Joey's magic hadn't had enough time to work. Michael and I also had a friendly bet going, so I had a goal time in mind.
The day of the race dawned, and as soon as I checked the weather, my heart dropped. The cold front had come in overnight, and it was a very chilly 39 degrees. Now my big concern was being too cold after coming out of the water. I would have to take extra time in T1 to make sure I was as dry as possible before getting on the bike. As we got to the race area, there was a lot of speculation about the swim. I got my bike ready as fast as my frozen fingers could go, and then we headed into the hotel lobby to get my wetsuit on. They made the call to get out to the beach, and we all went out like lambs to slaughter, silently following each other. Being as vertically challenged as I am, I couldn't even see the water when we got to the beach, and the press of bodies was freaking me out, so we moved to the side.
My first look at the water banished any other thoughts from my mind. The surf was a blender, and the sherriff's boat got tossed around like a feather in a strong wind. Believe it or not, while other people were talking about how they hoped the swim got cancelled, I was plotting what technique to use in the waves. About ten seconds later the announcement came: no swim. Three thousand enthusiastic cheers went up, and about a hundred of us groaned (I was one of those). I love the swim, the swim is my friend, and like many others, felt like it wasn't a real Ironman without all three portions.
We were going to be seeded out on the bike, and all sat there shivering while we waited for our row to be called. Many had not packed extra nutrition, so they started to get very hungry as the hours went by. I did, and went to hide in a corner to eat so that I wouldn't get attacked by the other racers. Finally, it was our turn. Imagine the Ironman swim start, bodies everywhere, trying to find some room to move. Now add bikes and bad tempers. That was the first 30 - 40 miles of the bike. Nobody was happy with the wait, and many of the first timers now saw this as a bike tour, so they rode (poorly) as groups of fifteen to twenty. Since the wind ranged from 18-26 mph, and we had only warmed up to 42 degrees, it took about that first thirty for me to stop finding ways of quitting and thinking about being back at the hotel with my parents and Michael with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. Finally, my competitive spirit kicked in, and those thoughts left, and my training took over.
In the middle of the bike we were directed over 12 miles of the worst road conditions ever. Large cracks in the road every ten feet or so made your bike go ca dunk ca dunk ca dunk. I was worried about busting a tire when suddenly my handlebars fell forward. Yes, the entire handlebar rack had come loose from the stem because of the bumping. I hauled them back in place, and tucked over the horns, holding the bars in place until Special needs a few miles up the road. There, I tightened them up quickly, and didn't really lose any time. A few miles later there was a collective sigh of relief as we turned off that road. You could tell who the newbies were, they stopped on the road, in the middle of turns, swerved all over the road. I was amazed we didn't have more crashes then we did. At that point we had a long stretch till we had a tailwind, so I just tucked in, sung to myself, and made sure I took my nutrition on time.
Nothing of note happened until mile 90. Then I started having some trouble steering. Looking down, I didn't see a flat on my front, so I stopped and checked for a back flat. Nope, all was good. A few more miles, and I really started having trouble. Now I thought it was my shoulder, that maybe I had pulled something. Finally, I got off my bike to make an overall check. My front tire was flat, I guess from the angle I couldn't see it before, or it was a slow leak. I had never had a front flat before, but I laughed thinking about how I had thought it was my shoulder! Somehow the tire had sealed itself to the rim, and I could hear the minutes ticking by as I wrestled my wheel. And I literally mean wrestled. A guy passed by and said, "are you okay?" to which I mournfully yelled "NO". I personally would have left the crazy lady behind but he took pity on me and became my angel. It even took him a few tries, but he got the tire off for me. I quickly changed the rest and got back on the road.
Coming into T2, I was concerned that riding that flat for so long would hurt my run. Nothing could be done about it, so I went out on the run with my plan - run race pace until I couldn't and then run intervals after that till the end. Amazingly as I came out, I ran into Lou Hollander, an 80+ year old who has been doing Ironman basically forever. It was a great way to start the run! I came through the chute, and there were my parents, cheering away. Well, my mom was cheering, my dad is a little too stoic for that, but hey, he was smiling! A few yards up, Michael was waiting for me. He had volunteered at Run Special Needs so he could be sure to see me. A hug and I was off. I felt good, keeping race pace was easy, but I knew better than to trust it. The run on the Ironman can eat you up and spit you out. The crowd dynamic was amazing, people out in Speedos in the cold, signs everywhere, music blasting and hula hoop girls twirling. My friend Paula was riding her bike along the course so she could keep track of a few of us, and it was nice to chat with her for a bit.
There was a portion in the run that went through a park, that was pretty lonely - no crowds and everyone was trying to find a way to keep warm as the temperature started dropping again. With the wind for 6.5 miles, then turn back into it, and the wind had not calmed down at all. I had decided to run with a handheld with a twist. I used a bottle I didn't mind tossing so I could have finisher pics without it. It worked really well, and my first loop went without a hitch. I was very happy as I came into Special Needs, knowing Michael would be waiting for me. And there he was, surfer hair and all, with a big grin on his face as he held out my bag to help me with whatever I needed. I felt so good that I just got more nutrition, took off my pack, gave him a kiss and off I went. He asked me how much longer I was going to run until I started intervals, and I said until I felt I couldn't run anymore. Rounding the turn back onto the course for my second loop, I sent out a silent prayer: if God would give me the strength to run the whole thing, I wouldn't give in to the mental tiredness and stop running. Darkness fell and it was very quiet out on the course between stations. More and more people were walking and shivering. I kept running....mile 14, then 17, then 20. As I hit the turnaround point for the final time, I really began to own the idea that I could run the whole marathon. At mile 24 I hit the wall, and my mind went pfffffft. I wanted to walk, I was cold, it was no longer any fun, and who's stupid idea was this anyway??? Still, I did the quick math, and two miles of running would get me to that finish line and warmth WAY faster than walking. Going by Special Needs again, Michael was still there. He had decided to stay to help out after his shift so that he could see me at the end. He ran with me for a little bit, then branched off as I entered the chute. I had finished another Ironman, 12:17, so even if I had the swim I had in Houston, (which would have upset me but hey) I would have done the full distance in under 14 hours, a full hour and a half faster. The finishers area is kind of a blur, getting to the car is a blur, and my mind shut down all external thoughts, choosing only to focus on immediate needs - food and warmth.
Sure enough, the next day brought back the sunshine and the warmth. Michael and I walked the beach and I was stunned how different it was the day before. Each race leaves its own mark. People have asked me if I will do Florida again. My answer is maybe, but not for a long time. I do feel like there is some unfinished business there, but it can wait.
I have spent a lot of time during my recovery thinking about how I got here. There were a lot of people who helped along the way, all recruits in Lori's Army, as Gina says. I thank all of you for your support, kind words, helpful advice, and even criticisms. Nothing like some bad comments to make you want to prove people wrong :)
So what now? 2015 is proving to be even a bigger challenge in may ways. First, I completely went off the deep end and signed up for IM Placid with German and Roger. I still have "what were you thinking?" moments. The bike profile gives me nightmares.
Hannah will graduate this year, and that also gives me nightmares. She grew up too fast, and while I tend to be a little stoic like my father when it comes to mushy stuff, I will bawl like a baby when it comes time to let her go. I'm also excited for her, a new phase in her life, and new adventures. It's an exciting time for her, and I am so very proud of my little girl.
Meeting Michael was not something I expected. I had enough of the relationship missteps I had gone through over the last couple of years, and had thought I would stay out of dating till Hannah graduated. Famous last words. A week later, he and I met, and the rest just fell together. Many of you already know this, but I have decided that at the end of this school year, I will be moving out to Georgia to be with Michael, his wonderful family and amazing friends. While I am very sad to be leaving all the incredible people I have met here, this has never really felt like home to me, and it's time for me to start some new adventures of my own. Since Michael is also an Ironman, I'm sure that will include many more races in the future.
This Ironman journey has had more twists and turns than a Spanish Novella, but it's not over yet. Right before my birthday, I got really sick and spent a few days in bed. For some weird reason, my back locked from laying down so long. So it's back to therapy. I'm kind of encouraged though, every time Joey works his magic on me, I wind up being faster!
May 2015 be a wonderful year for you all. May you reach the goals you have set for yourself and surprise yourself by reaching ones you didn't think you could!
