What A Day!!
At 12 midnight the morning of the event I woke up and never returned to sleep. Apprehension. Nerves. Anxiety. I just needed to get this thing going. At 4:15 I officially started getting ready and we left for the pier at 5. I didn't see the Sherpas who had left prior to us (was this a hint of the day to come??) Steve and I parted ways, both teary eyed and emotional. There is something about that moment, all the training, all the sacrifices, all the dedication and determination, that brings out inner rawness. Time to bring it to fruition.
Body marking, chip check, bag check, sunscreen, bike prep, bathroom....it was getting close to game time. I realized that once the canons went off and I got in motion the nerves would go away and auto pilot would calm me. And it did.
At 7am with helicopters whirling overhead, loud speakers blaring, and the announcer counting down, the canon blasted and echoed through Kailua Kona and 2200 swimmers turned the ocean from a calm, morning blue to a maddening foam of white, arms, legs, kayaks, SUP boards and chaos. Welcome to the 2013 Ironman World Championships!
After 2011, I had decided to hold back behind the chaos about 50 feet and stay wide left. It did not matter to me if I started later or swam farther, I was most interested in being comfortable and not getting destroyed out there. And the plan worked. I had free water continuously except for the turn around, and even swam so far left the I had a private kayak escort going and coming! My new Aqua Sphere Vista goggles were amazing and I never fogged or had sight issues. At one point I clearly saw thousands of fish in an aquarium like scene, blanketing the floor of the ocean with cameramen imbedded in the center. It was a beautiful, stress free swim. In fact, at the turn around I questioned 'I am here already??' It was right on pace with what I usually do. 2.4/140.6 done!
Bike transition was chaos with bodies, clothes, and gear flying. Someone started digging in my bag, volunteers were trying to handle gear, help with gear, repack bags, and getting in and out quickly was difficult. But off I went on the 112 mike bike ride.
While waiting for the swim start I heard a veteran Kona athlete tell a first timer to keep dumping water on themselves throughout bike and run. I made a mental note and at every water hand up on the bike I dumped water on my head and back. I never felt hot. The road to Hawi was pretty fast on the way out with long...like really long... Climbs and descents. Every timing mat I passed I subliminally heard the sound an iPhone makes of 'whoosh' here comes my timing info back to ya, Sherpas! It gave me great peace and connectedness!!
By the turn around in Hawi, I had averaged 20.5-21mph and held it to about mile 82. Prior to that I was again surprised at how quickly the event was going by. But as this island notoriously does, I was quickly humbled by what felt like hurricane force trade winds. They dropped me to 10mph descents at 120% power at times. It was the only time of the day I wasn't having fun. My average pace dropped 1 mph and with all other things equal, is what dropped me from a PR day. I was also questioning how my tummy was going to respond on the run as it felt a little dicey. I began rethinking my nutrition plan for the run.
After making it through 'Hurricane Kona' I dropped into transition to prepare for the run. 114.4/140.6.
My goal on the run: to make it through mile 16 comfortable. I was questioning what legs I would have and was eager to test them out. About mile 2 I could feel my adductors twitching. I was thinking I may have over done it on the bike, but no. I could smile, run, interact with fans. Ok, make it feeling good to mile 16. At each water stop I dumped water on my head and ice in front and back of my shirt. I also hadn't eaten at all on the run and knew my body would need fuel but my stomach did not need the gels to upset it.
Mile 13. The sign. 'No spectators past this point'. Until this point the Sherpas had been bobbing and weaving all over town on their fleet of cruisers cheering myself and other athletes along. But now they came to an abrupt halt. Off I go down the Queen K solo. A lava desert with heat radiated the view. I went about .5 mile and I see a studly man... On a pink cruiser. Mark!! Thank Goodness!! He went through the check point!! The other OSHA Sherpas were officially down for the next 9 miles. It was just Mark and I....and about a thousand or so runners out there. Thank goodness for Mark! Accountability to keep running!
I knew I needed to start eating so took in a sip of perform at each stop. I made it to the turn for the energy lab cut off. I headed down the hill to the ocean about 1.75 miles, made a u turn and headed back up. Mile 19 or so. There was Mark and I was still feeling good! About a 7-8/10. What the heck!! No wall yet! Switched over from perform to a sip of cola at each stop for the last 5 miles. Still feeling pretty darn good!
So here we go! Back down the Queen K to Kona. About 6 miles. Mentally, I was gearing up for 4 more miles thinking the last 2 would be adrenalin. Mile 21. Wow. Feeling good, 2D still. Hmm. Really? In Cabo I started crashing at 18. But that's why I changed my training and did a 20+ mile long run for 7 weeks in a row.
I had told myself I wasn't going to race this event to feel comfortable, but race it to 'go down fighting'. Intervals. Here we go. .25 fast (as it gets) and .25 back at pace.
Mile 22. Sherpas Up! Let's go!! Still Intervals and feeling good. I don't think I am going to feel miserable. Mile 23. Intervals again. Mile 24. It's a hill and there's no people for the adrenalin rush. Do another mile of intervals. The Sherpas start peelng off for the finish line. Kristin asks permission and I quickly respond with 'no'. That's why you never ask permission :-) she stays with me to 25.75. I tell her 'go ahead, peel off'. After 31 years of friendship, the 'I love you's' escape us and we both pony up for the finish. She bombs down the hill to the finish chute on her cruiser and I sight in two girls ahead if me. If they are in my age group, I have come too far to let them beat me now. I start sprinting, Kristen starts biking and 17 Sherpas bomb down Palani to the finish line!
11:12 and 140.6 miles. We did it! Definitely the 'easiest' most enjoyable Ironman I have ever done. It was a good day!!!
A 'Beyond Words' Shout Out to the Kona Sherpa Team!! Again, it's not about the 'what' you do but the 'why' you do it. Yall are such a huge part of they 'why'!!! Thank you for sharing the journey here!!!
Steve
Beno & Toni
Ann & Tom
Jessica & Johannes
Denise
Kristen
Mark & Paula
Porter & Andrew
Karen
Jim
Emily & Kevin
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