IRONMAN Arizona 11/18/2012

THE RUN & FINISH

*Disclaimer.... I read a lot of triathlete blogs and have learned many, many, many, things because of these strangers honesty and openness about the *unpleasant* parts of this sport. Bathroom issues. I'm returning the favor so it this is uncomfortable for you, quit reading! I had a great race and I became an Ironman! The end!! :)

So, I'm running and happy and my legs feel good and I'm excited to see what this crazy loop is all about.  I had looked at the maps multiple times but there are so many twists and turns and bridge crossings that I just gave up and thought, well, I'll have it down by the third loop!  

Happy to be running!
(Mama C's photo)

First loop was pretty uneventful except for the fact that all of a sudden it took a really long time to count down miles, unlike on the bike when they flew by.  Got to mile 4, took a gu and almost immediately needed to make a pit stop.  Was right by some real bathrooms so ran in and had a very productive squat.  This was the only time I looked at my watch because right afterwards the mile split beeped and it was 12:11.  Felt good about that, the stop didn't take as long as I thought.  

This course is definitely flat with a few humps and then one decent hill maybe 6 miles into the 8.6 mile loop.  I ran up this the first loop with thoughts that I might not be running up it on the third loop.  At the end of the first loop I saw the gang and high-fived everyone and smiled, I still felt really good!! The heat was never an issue for me.  Did the sponges on the hips and sponges over the head and my pace was so controlled that my heart rate was never high enough to feel the heat.  At mile 8 took a second gu and once again IMMEDIATELY had to hit the port-potty.  Alright, no more gu's obviously! 

Sponges on hips! Thank you Laurie for the great advice!

Stuck with Perform, Coke, and the rare bite of banana.  I've never not ate during running, never gone fluids only.  I figured it would be fine, a lot of people just use fluids but as it's a new thing for me, I started making sure I got Coke and Perform at every aide station for the calories.  In hindsight, this wasn't the best idea.  There are just too many aide stations!! I carried a tiny handheld so that I could sip often.  My throat was so dry and I still couldn't talk at all so the liquid really became a security blanket for me. 

The crew on the lookout!
(Mama C's photo)

Evan, Byron, and Greg were on the opposite side of the river which was a huge surprise and really kept me feeling strong.  Mitchell ran with me over the second bridge for a bit and he told me I was doing really good and staying really steady.  He totally pumped me up and made me feel great!!  I had so many wonderful people say, "Great form, great smile!!" I LOVED this, such a wonderful compliment.  It reminds you that you ARE strong and you ARE doing great!  I knew Evan was making his way over to the loneliest section of the race, near the hill, so I looked forward to seeing someone again before this second loop was over. 

HIGH FIVES!!
(Mama C's photo)

Meanwhile, the sun is going down and it's getting colder.  PERFECT. I love the cold.  I see Evan and I tell him I'm doing AWESOME.  I feel so dang good and I only have one loop left and I'm freaking doing this!!!  I haven't walked at all, just getting through aide stations and my two pit stops. 

Start the third loop and see the sign directing athletes to the finish. Instead of pumping me up it totally defeated me that I had 8.6 miles before I got to turn LEFT!!! I went from feeling on top of the world to absolute crap within the blink of an eye. It was laughable.  I slowed down considerably but kept up a shuffle.  Realized I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN. FML. Stop and tell myself that's it.  No more, no matter what, until the finish. 

Beautiful sunset.
Took the time to soak it in when I was running over the river.
(Mama C's photo)

My goal through all my training was to not walk on the run.  I didn't want to have to walk a chunk of it, I didn't want to walk the end of it.  When I follow people online it seems that the middle chunk of the race, miles 13-20, is the hardest part.  Then they get to 20, realize they only have a 10k left and start running again.  This is what I thought would happen to me!  Instead, it was like a typical marathon.  Felt great, hit a wall, dragged my ass to the finish.  Still though....I walked very, very little.  My run was just super slow, I walked the aide stations, I walked the third hill, and I walked/cried/shuffled my way down hills because my quads had completely deserted me.  But in my head, my training paid off and all those hard, hot miles I put in all summer not allowing myself to stop paid off in this race. 

I kept thinking, are these last 4 miles harder than the last 4 miles at Lean Horse? Those 4 miles were the hardest miles of my life.  It was really close.  I can't say one was harder than the other.  I hear a lot of people compare running 50 miles vs Ironman.  I don't think that running 50 was harder.  I think they were really similar. I learned so much about what pain really is and how tough things can really be in my 50 that I was prepared mentally for that in my Ironman.  I imagine my day would have gone much differently had I not had the mental confidence that I could get through whatever pain presented itself. 

So, I'm rolling myself down a hill and I see Evan.  I'm in tears, downhills are so painful.  He gives me a big hug and says, do you even realize how close you are?! I do, I'm about 2 miles away I think, but it seemed like 100 miles.  I grab some chicken broth, I had been drinking this the whole last loop.  So warm and so delicious and so goooooood on my throat.  Unfortunately, it made me have to pee SO BAD. 2 miles from the end and I have to pee SO BAD.  I refuse to stop, I got my shuffling under control.  It's so hard this loop to stay running because EVERYONE around you is walking.  Three young guys who I couldn't get rid of were talking so loud and walking and I was annoyed with them that they weren't as tired as I was.  Why are you walking?!? You clearly have WAY more energy than I do!!!  Managed to get far enough ahead of them but my ability to control my bladder at this point is getting questionable.  I read all the time that athletes pee on themselves on the run. So, oh my gah, I'm going to pee on myself while I'm running. Yep. If you are at mile 2 I don't recommend this.  The chaffing is unbelievable.  But at mile 24....manageable. 

Finally, I get my pee infested body to the other side of the river and see Mitchell. Thank heavens for my brother.  "Go Michelle, Go Michelle, this is a great pace, keeping going."  For the whole last mile.  Then I see Byron and I picture him pulling me in at Lean Horse and by some miracle (where was the kick earlier?!) I picked up the pace.  During my last loop I constantly told myself to relax my shoulders, lift my knees, relax my back.  When I see that finisher's chute, I was finally able to get some form back. 

Finishing!!
(Mama C's photo)

I hate to say that the finisher's chute was disappointing but it kind of was! The only other Ironman I've been to is IMTX.  That finisher's chute must be 1/4 mile long with people the whole way.  I thought that's what this would be but it's just a VERY short straight-away.  Don't get me wrong, I was ready to stop running but I didn't enjoy it enough!

"MICHELLE YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!"

Run: 5:19:19 (goal was 5 hours)

Total Time: 13:28:33

Few quick hits:

*met a wonderful new friend, Heather, on the third loop and then again in the Finisher's Merch Tent on Monday.  It was her first IM too! Congrats Heather!!!

*YES, I will do another one.  NO, I won't do it in 2013.

*Have to figure out how to not go to the bathroom 3 times on the run.  That's incredibly time consuming and annoying. 

*Spent 10 minutes in the bathroom blowing my nose post race. 

*I think I've realized post race that I have a mental block with the last 4ish miles of a running race.  Gonna work on this. 

*Loved my training. It's why I'll do another one.  I've finally learned how to love riding my bike.  I just want to ride my bike all day long everyday. 

*Would love to devote 4 years of my life to trying to RACE an Ironman and get as fast as I could.  Spend the dough on a power meter and a coach and master's swimming.  Just for fun, just to see.

*That's not my plan for these next 4 years however. It might not ever be.  

Jason, me, Troy
(Mama C's photo)

*Best thing EVER was seeing Troy and Jason after the race (thanks for waiting!!!) and hearing that Troy and Laura got engaged!!! Congratulations!

Proposing before the finish!
(Mama C's photo)

*Thanks for hanging in there with all these posts!! I'm going to do one more...a thank you to all the people that got me here.  "It takes a village."

The village.
(Mama C's photo)