While I was expecting baby #2 the 2000 Summer Olympics took place. I watched the footage of the women's triathlon race (the International/Olympic distance), which was the first time I ever watched a race from the beginning to the end. They swam in the bay, and the transition area was by the Sydney Opera House. They cycled, then ran...it was just so exciting! I kept telling myself, "I can do that someday" (a triathlon, not the Olympics!). I knew what I wanted to do!
Ken's philosophy on sports is if you're going to do them, you need to do them right. So when an opportunity was presented to get a deal on a road bike, we took it. We spent $500 on a bike that retailed at $660. It was the most expensive thing (besides my wedding ring) I had ever owned! I loved it! We were able to get pedals given to us and Ken bought shoes with clips. I felt like hot stuff on that thing. I named my bike Silver. Like the bullet...
My first triathlon was a sprint distance on May 4th, 2004. I had managed to train with a 5 and 3 year old, and an eight month old baby. The race itself was horrendous, but you know what they say about mistakes: learn from them! I had a diving wet suit, which didn't allow me to do a freestyle stroke on the swim. I think I did the 800m in over 20 minutes. It was pretty embarrassing; I was close to being the last out of the water! The bike portion wasn't much better; I changed gears wrong going up a hill and my chain ended up coming off. By the time I got to the run I was so pissed off, I ran my momma legs off! I passed a lot of the people who had passed me on the swim and bike portion. When I crossed the finish line, I was ellated!! I wanted to do another one right away! It was one of the most difficult fun things I had ever done. And, I was totally hooked on the sport of Triathlon.
When I was expecting baby #4 I looked into Team in Training's (TNT) Triathlon program. I was excited that the fundraising included a wetsuit- one that was made for swimming in! It wasn't until the summer season of 2009 that I was able to do it, but I was SO ready for an outlet! It was so much fun training and making new friends who were as "crazy" as I was. That summer introduced me to a solid group of individuals I still have contact with today and share our tri adventures.
When I would tell people of my interest in triathlons, the inevitable question would be, "So, when are you doing an Ironman?" I was honestly never interested in doing an Ironman for the sole reason that there was a marathon in it. I had sworn those off, remember? Nope, I'll stick to the shorter distances, thank you. Well... several people of the TNT group had come off the marathon team and there was so much talk about doing marathons, that the thought of doing another one someday slowly crept into my brain. Good thing, because I was about to be asked to do one!
The spring of 2010, there were several TNT alumni thinking of doing the Vineman as a relay. The Vineman is an Ironman distance event, but not an Ironman sanctioned event. Ironman races do not allow relays. I was asked to do the marathon, and I couldn't resist. There wouldn't be pressure for me to get a "PR", although that is exactly the pressure I put on myself!
Training for it was a renewed love of running and "I can do it!" I couldn't believe I could run that far without stopping in the training runs. I was going to be ready. The day of the race there were some problems with our cyclist. She called an hour into the ride and said she had to drop out. She had a flat and didn't have another spare tube (she had already used it). I had done all that training, so I figured I could just run with one of the other relay runners (there were three teams of us who knew each other). Well, she decided to stick it out and was able to get a tube by a cyclist passing by. By that time she had waited for over two hours, and the clock was still ticking! She had to be in by 5:30, which is the bike cut-off time. If she came in after that, our team would have to forfeit and would be "DNF" in the results.
I had to adjust my nutrition once I knew she was going to be later than expected. I had planned on her arriving around 3:00 and had eaten accordingly. Not knowing exactly when she was coming in added to the complication of being ready to run 26.2 miles. Five o'clock came...minute by minute I wasn't sure if I was going to get to run officially, or just for "fun". I was really hoping for the former!
Finally, around 5:15, I heard Sumer, my swimming teammate yell that she was coming in, so I got ready. I met her at the bike dismount line and took the ankle timing chip off her and put it on my ankle. Ready, set, go! I wanted to run faster than my 3:48 college time. Once I was out on the course, it was as if the rose-colored glasses were ripped off my face. This course was HILLY! And I didn't have anyone to run with. By that time of the day, the other Vineman racers were barely jogging. I was blowing passed them, and felt so sorry for them. I felt like I was being so rude! They would say how great I was doing...because to them it was amazing to run that pace after cycling 112 miles and swimming 2.4. But, I didn't do that! I made sure they knew I was on a relay, and they were the ones who were amazing.
The course was a three loop out and back course. So I saw the same thing six times. The first loop was very successful; I had maintained my pace and was feeling comfortable. It was pretty warm, so I had wet my head and my top was damp. My big fear was dehydration, so I drank the supplied sports drink at the aid stations every other mile. Feeling good.
The second loop was when reality set in. My quads were burning on the downhills, to the point of restriction. Restriction on a downhill! How ridiculous! I knew somewhere in the second loop that I would not be able to maintain my pace, and I got discouraged. All around me though, were true troopers. The men and women I was passing repeatedly had done an amazing feat that day. This batch that were out with me in the final hours of the race (by this time it was around 7 o'clock at night) were the real-life athletes. Some were overweight, some looked more fit than their apparent ablility, some were middle-age, some were college age. There were a few in their sixties.
And I began to think, "If they can do an Ironman, why couldn't I?"
By far, the worst was the third loop. It was getting dark, and I was getting cold. I was tired of being by myself and frustrated that I couldn't do a better pace. I was irritated that I was hurting so much, and couldn't wait for this whole stupid thing to be over with. I began comparing running a marathon with childbirth- complete with the preparation time, anticipation, and the most painful part being in the final hour. Once I knew I wasn't going to beat my college time, I just wanted to finish under four hours. I couldn't wait to see Ken at the finish line! I couldn't wait to have that stinking medal hung around my neck! See, this is why I didn't want to do another marathon! Ok, time to grow up.
Around nine o'clock at night, I finally finished! I finished in a split time of 3:53. I was so happy to be done, so happy that I did it, and there was this little feeling deep in my gut that was rising...wait, no...I had to vomit. Up came all the putrid lemon-lime flavored sports drink. So much for dehydrating; I had successfully OVER-hydrated. I'm not sure which feels worse.
I managed to walk over to where my friends were enjoying a pizza (not helpful to the feeling in my belly). We had done it! We had just done something we didn't think possible. But you want to know the most amazing statistic of that experience? There were 9 of us that participated in the relay. Of those 9 individuals, seven of us are doing Ironman races this year! One of those seven did his first last year. Five are doing their first at Couer d'Alene (Idaho) this June. And I am doing my first in November! It is such a pleasure to be in the company of such people. I really wish I could be there for them when they do their race in June. Man, would I cheer loudly for them! Without them, I may very well not be doing one myself.
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Team "Blue Dolphin Divas" at the finish line (I think they were holding me up! haha):
Sumer the swimmer, me, Vickie the cyclist |
Later in the fall of 2010 I ran in the Two Cities Marathon and ran a PR- 3:37. So, I found out that it IS possible to beat at least one of my college times.
Soon after I began looking into Ironman races. My qualifications for picking a race was that (1) It had to be close enough to drive to, (2) be in late summer or fall, and (3) a course that wouldn't kill me. There were only three races in driving distance: Tempe, Arizona; St. George, Utah; Couer d'Alene, Idaho. St. George was out because it's in May AND it is one of the most difficult Ironman courses in the entire world. No thank you. Couer d'Alene is in June, which was still too early in the year for me. That left Tempe, Arizona. A mere 10 hours driving time, held in November, and one of the flattest (and hence, fastest) courses in the world of Ironman. I looked up the information about registration and noticed you pretty much had to volunteer the year before you wanted to register for to be guaranteed a spot.
To my delight, in April of 2011 Sumer (my Vineman relay teammate) was putting a group together to volunteer in 2011 to do the race in 2012. I contacted anyone and everyone I thought would possibly be interested in doing the Arizona Ironman with me, and got Pat on board. By August Sumer let me know that the rest of the group were going to change to Couer d'Alene. I didn't blame them; they had all had a spectacular 2011 year competing in half-distance and Olympic distance triathlons. They would be more than ready for June. I knew I wouldn't, so stuck with the plans for Arizona.
My brother would drive up from Tucson and serve as a tour guide for Pat and I. He arranged where we stayed and everything, he is the most spectacular brother a girl could ever wish for! We arrived the Saturday morning before the race, so we could go to a volunteer meeting and soak up some Ironman-ness. The expo was filled with vendors selling all sorts of high-end products and services. We were in awe of the bikes that were there (the athletes have to check in everything the day before). I felt my contentment slipping a little...
On Sunday we got up at dark-thirty to be there on site before the gun went off (7:00 sharp). We were not disappointed. You could feel the energy in the air. The athletes were smiling, happy, getting final photo ops with friends and family. Pat and I found a spot on the bridge to watch the start, surrounded by cheering fans of loved ones below us in the water. We stood there the less than hour it took for the professionals to start their final strokes to shore and transition. We stayed until the cut-off time of 9:30am; we watched the last swimmer come out of the water who would count. We watched as at least 10 had to be told they were out of the race for the rest of the day. Wow.
We found our way to our volunteer site (Aid Station #6, which just happens to be the farthest away from everything else associated with the race. That will be good to know this November. We got so lost I think we saw almost the entire 8-mile loop course.) and reunited with my brother. We checked in, got our bright green t-shirts, and got to work. We were only there about an hour when the first professional runners blazed past us. Our job had been primarily to set-up, so soon after the first runners came through we were done.
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Pat and Jason hard at volunteer work. Pat worked the sponges: "SPONGE! SPONGE! SPONGE!" while Jason picked up trash. That is one of the pro competitors on his first of three loops on the marathon.
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The three of us wandered around, again, just soaking it all in. We sat at the finish line, just missed the overall winner, but in time to see the second place finish. Three hours flew by. We were so caught up in the finishers' moments of glory and accomplishment. It was the most moving three hours the runner in me has ever experienced! Oh, the dreams that went through my head that afternoon! What will I do with my arms when I finish? Will I fall on my face (there is the volunteer position for "catcher" at the finish line for a reason!)? Will I break out in tears?
In order to register for 2012 Pat and I had to be in line the next morning, wear our shirts and hand over our wad of cash. Ok, more like a credit card, but whatever. We were told by some trusted sources to get there early, so that is exactly what we did. This is what we were here for, right?! We waited in line for at least two hours before it even opened, with a LONG line forming behind us. We knew we were close enough to the front to make it, so we started planning our training and what we thought we would do next year. Would I bring all five kids? I don't know...I saw and heard a lot of cranky kids with frustrated mothers the day before.
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| We made it! 2012, here we come! |
So, there you go. The summation of 15 years and how the whole idea of Ironman got started. And trust me, I deleted whole paragraphs before coming to this version of the draft. There are so many details and races I left out. But I just might get to those someday.
Many thanks for your reading my slice of history. Cheers!
