Ironman Lake Placid
June 20, 2008
In an effort to make this enjoyable to read, I am going to “try” and keep this short and share with you the details of my first Ironman experience. There is so much to tell, but I will do my best to keep it simple and let you in on how it went for me. I apologize in advance for any typos, errors, missing words or whatever else.
First, however, I really need to thank my family. Tammy and Jordan have been extremely supportive of this crazy endeavor the call the Ironman. Both my mom and dad were with me throughout the event and have always been there for all my big events.
Brief Overview:
I am still not sure why I decided to do an Ironman other than I think I wanted to see how far I could push my body, mentally and physically. It forced me out of my comfort zone of only training in nice weather, as I truly dislike cold and wet weather. At times, training was lonely and riddled with guilt from being away from Tammy and Jordan. I wasn’t expecting the mental issues that I encountered on long swim, rides and runs. Ironically, I now know what music I want at my funeral but I still have not figured out the meaning of life.
Race Prep:
I only add this section because an Ironman event is like no other Triathlon. You get 5 bags to put you stuff in and you have to be so organized, it is ridiculous. During my preparation in my room, I think I called Brett Heppler 10 times for advice as to what I need in each bag and how transitions work. Luckily, Obi One advised his Jedi correctly…even though he talked me into going to the Dark Side (I am not a Star Wars fan, so forgive me if I made a mistake in my analogy).
So, I have a bike with 2 sets of numbers, helmet number, Swim to Bike/Bike to Run/Dry Clothes/Run Special Need/Bike Special Needs Bags. I load them up with what I think I need and head out the rack it all.
I see Dave C., Paul C, and Chip P. at bike check in. I drop everything off and see Brett. Again, I ask him more questions. He gives me more advice. Its gonna rain, so Tammy sneaks off to find a bag for my bike, my mom gets rubber bands for the bags and I walk around clueless through transition. Paul C. is helping set the bikes up while I walk the area to get familiar with it. Brett suggests big zip lock bags for my gear in my special needs bag, so I get some for the morning.
Race Day:
Up at 4:15. Slept ok. Off to breakfast with my Dad and Tammy. Bagel and Peanut butter with some Cytomax. I have my Coke in the room (did I mention I love Coca Cola?) I eat what I can and we head down to the Transition Area. Tammy drops off my dad and I and I quickly get marked. I head in and get everything organized. I put my sneakers and socks in ziplock bags, bring my water bottles to my bike. I have to bottles of Cytomax for the bike with one water and then one Cytomax for the run. I add my Clif Bloks to my bike and make sure all is set in the area.
I see Brett. Seems he forgot his wheels (?). I check in on him and both tubes have popped or something. He is not worried, just hanging out and seems relaxed. I would have been in melt down mode. I borrow his pump, blow up my tires and check on him again.
I go out and see my dad, Alyssa, Tom and the kids. Tammy arrives and as I tighten my shorts, the string breaks. Not good. The last thing I need is “plumbers butt” on the bike and my shorts hanging down on the run. I ask Tammy to get me another pair. Our plan is to get a hand off after the swim and change in the tent. Although it says no nudity, Brett and Tom assure me it will be ok.
I say good bye to the family and head off with Brett to the swim. We see Paul, Dave and families by the water. We talk and get more encouragement. Time to get in the water.
The Swim (Goal: 1:20:00 and not get killed)
I follow Brett in the water as we “warm up”. I take everything in. The crowd, the energy. I am not really nervous even though I am about to swim 2.4 miles with 2400 people. I asked Brett to put “Follow Me” on his feet, thinking he could clear a path for me, but he forgot and I did not think I could keep up with him.
About a minute to go and I wish Brett well. I figure I will see him around mile 30 or so because he is a good swimmer. I find some open water and finally develop my game plan for swim:
I am not going to fight anyone for positioning. If people want to push, shove to get ahead, I will slow down and let them go. From there, I will sight open spaces, and swim between people quickly to that area. I would swim that way until I was free.
It worked!!! The first part was crowded but I kept finding areas to relax and just swim. The turn around was crazy as people do NOT know how to sight breath. I followed this pattern all the way to the shore. Loop #1: 00:41:00.
Cool, right on track. If I did a 35:00 2nd loop, I would be ahead of my time goal.
Loop 2 I decided to keep the same idea, but this time, I wanted to swim with the bouys. Everything was going great then it got crowded again. People pushing a little. I did think is was funny that at ever BIG buoy, a person would run into it. Come on….it is 3 feet high and yellow!!
I then zipped to the outside and swam with little issue. Some lady punched me in the face and rattled my goggles. I thought to myself….WWHD (What Would Heppler Do)? But being the gentleman that I am, I let it slide. I really focused on long, slow, powerful, gliding strokes and I seemed to doing well. I also then realize that it is raining out. Yippee….more fun.
At about 100 yards, I decided it was time to pee. I did this in a training, so I just relaxed and went. Sorry wetsuit strippers.
I swam all the way up to the beach and looked up. Are you kidding me? There must have been a current or something pulling me because I can not swim that fast.
Swim Time: 1:06:03
T1:
Get the wetsuit stripped off and jog down to T1. Normally, I am in a full sprint, but I decided to relax and take it easy. I find my bag after going down the wrong row. Then, out of no where, Brett is sitting next to me. “Nice swim, man” he says. I am not sure what I say but I again start asking him questions. More great advice from Brett…just leave it, they’ll get it. Off to the bike.
T1 Time: 00:5:23
Bike: (Goal: 6:00:00 and not get killed…it is raining hard)
I set my timer for 15:00 so I drink every 15 minutes, either water, Cytomax or Gatorade. Then every 30:00, eat 2/3 Clif Bloks and every hour eat some Powerbar. I purposely did not bring any food as I knew I could get it on the course.
My plan on the bike is to do 2, 3 hour loops on this hilly course. I am not concerned about the hills, just the fact that it is so long. I plan to ride comfortably at 1 or 2 gears easier than what I can push. I think this will save my legs for the run.
The bike is uphill to start. Pouring rain, pelted in the face. I wanted my arm warmers but I put them in the wrong bag earlier. Glasses are useless. They fog up and I can not see. Choice number one….ride, can’t see, protect the face/eyes. Choice number two…ride, see, squint and hope I don’t lose a contact lens. I chose #2…I like to see when I ride.
Oh well. On my first true down hill, I get in a rut and my bike wobbles. Scary. I survive but now am a bit hesitant and my front tire seems to wobble when I get about 30 mph. I pass so many people on the up hills that I feel like I am working too hard. Also, there are so many people on the course; it is strange riding with and around them.
The really long, dangerous downhill arrives. I am scared. I have my hands on my brakes and sit up to slow down at times. People are flying by my going upwards of 45 mph. Not only are they going by me, but it is raining and they are in their aero bars. NO WAY. My front tire wobbles so much at one point; I actually stop on the steepest part to make sure they it is on tight. They are, but I would rather be cautious rather than be fubar.
At mile 20, I am 4:00 ahead of schedule (I think I can average 20 mph for the first 40 miles based upon terrain…after that, who knows. I ride by a fellow NH Girls basketball coach and say “hi”. He beat me last hoop season, but today, I return the favor.
I had never gotten food or drinks on a bike course so on my first attempt, I was going about 23 miles an hour and soon realized that I could not grab a Powerbar at that speed. Next food area, I made sure to slow down. Now, the ONLY Powerbar I do not really care for are Oatmeal Raisin. Well, that is all they had, so I ate it. Not only was it Oatmeal Raisin, but it was wet, soggy Oatmeal Raisin Powerbar.
At mile 30 and 40 I am still about 12:00 up on my time goal. I was really hoping to see Brett or Chip on the out and back part of the course but did not. I pushed on and faced the last 16 miles of the course, 12 of which were up hill, into a head wind, in the rain. Legs really felt good so I went as I felt. The last hill is surrounded by 100+ people cheering you on. Just what I needed before I got into town.
Again, I was hoping to see my family and friends but it all went by so quickly.
First loop was around 5:45:00, about 20 miles an hour.
The start of Loop 2 I knew that it was going to be challenging. Still, I was pushing past many people on the up hills. My first thing was to change out water bottles. Well, I lost my Cytomax somewhere on Loop 1. This happened at the Mooseman, so I just made the adjustments and didn’t worry about it.
Next task, pee. Having never pee’d on the bike, I was about the go where only a few others had gone before. Being the courteous person that I am, I made sure that no one was behind too close. I figured standing was easier, so I stood up and relaxed. I pee’d…..on to my seat, water bottle, into my shoe, on my chain, on my seat….you get the picture. I am glad it was raining so everything, including my drink was being continually washed off.
The hardest thing to do in a race of this distance is to let others pass you without worrying about it. In most races, you hammer the whole time not knowing. Here, you have to race within yourself or you will get in trouble.
All was going well, on track and on pace to stay within the 6:00:00 time limit. However, at mile 99, something happened. It was as if someone shut the lights off in my head. I started to lose my sense of thought, what I was doing. I remember thinking how I could just get off and walk, that would be nice. My pace dropped to under 10 mph’s and I was struggling to stay alert on the bike. I was in a “dark place” in my mind that I needed to get out of quick.
I ate 5 Clif Bloks and washed them down with water. This episode lasted about 15 minutes. Then again, it was as if someone turned the light back on. I was back with about 12 miles to go. I put my head down and just went.
On the last hill, I did my best Lance Armstrong impression. No facial expression, in the saddle and let it rip. I passed 20+ people, not listening to the crowd, looking blankly ahead, making sure they knew the GSTC was in the house!
Shoes off, handing my bike to a handler.
Bike Time: 5:44:33 (19.5 mph)
T2:
Find my bag. A volunteer follows me in and gets right next to me. He is asking me what I need and what he can do. I tell him and we worked like a well oiled machine. Whoever the guy was, he rocked. I had put Mentos in my bag just because I like them and thought they would taste good. Umm, WRONG. I spit them out almost instantly. I leave T2 with my race number on, my water bottle holder with a bottle of Cytomax.
T2 Time: 00:02:39
Run: (Goal: Somewhere between 4:00 -4:30)
I left the run and looked down and saw 06:59:59!! OMG! I could break 11 hours if all goes well.
But let me back up. I have not run in over a month. I did my last long run 4 weeks earlier of 18 miles that ended in 12 of the last 18 in pain due to IT Band Issues. I had been getting treatment since then, 2x per week from Brett Coapland. He is the master of Active Release Technique. Suzan adjusted my training and had me stop running. Instead, did some elliptical workouts as well as pool running. A week before the race, I had major pain on the bike with my IT Band. I met with Brett on Thursday and Friday in Lake Placid for more treatment. With all of this, I was unsure what was going to happen.
My plan….run as long as I can. Period. Then figure it out from there.
The first mile is downhill so it went by quickly and I did it in 7:20. I felt good, except for carrying my water bottle. I trained with this thing for 7 months and ran a marathon with it, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I threw it to some nice spectators and just ran.
At each aid station I ate or drank. Again, I felt pretty comfortable. No issues, no pain. I did stop to go pee again, but other than that, all was going well. My pace was below 8:00/mile but I knew this was not going to last. The question was, how long will I be able to run?
On the way back into town, there are 3 hills that connect. One is steep, then connects to another that is a bit more gradual which turns into the last gradual climb to mile 12ish. I was able to power up the hills and get to the aid stations.
I finally saw someone I knew, David C. and son. After the turn around, I saw my family ever so briefly as I headed out on to loop 2.
Loop 1: 01:41:ish…..
Loop 2 became an adventure. I knew my legs were running out of gas but the toughest thing is to suck up your pride and do what is best for your body. At about mile 15, it was time to walk. I remembered that Brett had done 5 to 1 run walk. Well, sounds good to me. I set my timer to 6 minutes…walk one minute, run 5, repeat.
I see Chip P. He gives me a pat on the back and asks if my leg is ok. Before I can even answer, he is gone. He looked so good and so at ease on the run.
At aid station 16, they had watermelon. For some reason, your body likes different things during theses events. I tried cookies (not bad), cola (was not coke), pretzels (ok), Gatorade and water (blah), chicken broth (gross), Clif Bloks (sick of them) and oranges (ok). But, the best thing on the course was….WATERMELON. I could not get enough of it and they only had it at this station. So good!!
Anyway, I followed my run, walk plan and the rain was really coming down. I ended up walking next to and then running by Desiree Ficker. If I had any guts, I would have talked to her. She was struggling and shaking. They came to get her off the course, but she refused! You go girl!!
Well, at mile 20, I decided I had eaten and drank enough for the day. No more stops (except for watermelon). I kept forging ahead.
I made the decision not to focus on the time and whatever happens, happens. I was having a great overall race and I thought adding time pressure would not help. Finally, at Mile 24, I decided it was time to take a look. Time check was: 10:26:00. I had 34 minutes to break 11 hours. I could do that. I could do that walking!
I power walked up the last hills and ran to mile 25. At mile 25, I caught Brett and gave him a slap on the butt. It took me over 10.5 hours to get to him, but I did it. Again, words of encouragement!! Past Tom Dawson at the aid station and down the little hill to the oval.
Around the corner and to the finish. I look behind me only to see if I can finish by myself. I find my family to my right, screaming and yelling!!
I hear Mike Reilly butcher my last name but he does confirm it…..”David Levesque, you are an Ironman!”
Run Time: 3:49:23 (8:46/mile)
Final Thoughts:
Although there was adversity throughout the day, the race really went well for me. Could I have done better, I don’t think so. All things considered, it was a great day. I never would have imagined doing this race in the time I did it in.
The days and months leading up to the event were filled with many ups and downs. So much goes into getting to this day that trying to put it into writing would not do it justice.
I won’t bore you with the sickness I encountered a day later. That is for another time.
I didn’t buy any Ironman Gear for myself and asked my family to do the same (they lied and snuck some stuff). Therefore, I have nothing that says Ironman on it, other than the crappy t-shirt they gave me at the finish (which I won’t wear).
I can’t share with you all of the people who supported me and followed me throughout the training. All I can say is “thanks”. You all know who you are!
Will I do it again, I honestly don’t know. I have until August 2nd to decide for 2009.
Lastly, I need to let everyone know that my daughter, who is 5 years old, sat in the rain the entire day, without issue or complaint. For that, she is my IronKid.
Final Time: 10:47:59
220/2300 (overall)
46/387 (age group)
June 20, 2008
In an effort to make this enjoyable to read, I am going to “try” and keep this short and share with you the details of my first Ironman experience. There is so much to tell, but I will do my best to keep it simple and let you in on how it went for me. I apologize in advance for any typos, errors, missing words or whatever else.
First, however, I really need to thank my family. Tammy and Jordan have been extremely supportive of this crazy endeavor the call the Ironman. Both my mom and dad were with me throughout the event and have always been there for all my big events.
Brief Overview:
I am still not sure why I decided to do an Ironman other than I think I wanted to see how far I could push my body, mentally and physically. It forced me out of my comfort zone of only training in nice weather, as I truly dislike cold and wet weather. At times, training was lonely and riddled with guilt from being away from Tammy and Jordan. I wasn’t expecting the mental issues that I encountered on long swim, rides and runs. Ironically, I now know what music I want at my funeral but I still have not figured out the meaning of life.
Race Prep:
I only add this section because an Ironman event is like no other Triathlon. You get 5 bags to put you stuff in and you have to be so organized, it is ridiculous. During my preparation in my room, I think I called Brett Heppler 10 times for advice as to what I need in each bag and how transitions work. Luckily, Obi One advised his Jedi correctly…even though he talked me into going to the Dark Side (I am not a Star Wars fan, so forgive me if I made a mistake in my analogy).
So, I have a bike with 2 sets of numbers, helmet number, Swim to Bike/Bike to Run/Dry Clothes/Run Special Need/Bike Special Needs Bags. I load them up with what I think I need and head out the rack it all.
I see Dave C., Paul C, and Chip P. at bike check in. I drop everything off and see Brett. Again, I ask him more questions. He gives me more advice. Its gonna rain, so Tammy sneaks off to find a bag for my bike, my mom gets rubber bands for the bags and I walk around clueless through transition. Paul C. is helping set the bikes up while I walk the area to get familiar with it. Brett suggests big zip lock bags for my gear in my special needs bag, so I get some for the morning.
Race Day:
Up at 4:15. Slept ok. Off to breakfast with my Dad and Tammy. Bagel and Peanut butter with some Cytomax. I have my Coke in the room (did I mention I love Coca Cola?) I eat what I can and we head down to the Transition Area. Tammy drops off my dad and I and I quickly get marked. I head in and get everything organized. I put my sneakers and socks in ziplock bags, bring my water bottles to my bike. I have to bottles of Cytomax for the bike with one water and then one Cytomax for the run. I add my Clif Bloks to my bike and make sure all is set in the area.
I see Brett. Seems he forgot his wheels (?). I check in on him and both tubes have popped or something. He is not worried, just hanging out and seems relaxed. I would have been in melt down mode. I borrow his pump, blow up my tires and check on him again.
I go out and see my dad, Alyssa, Tom and the kids. Tammy arrives and as I tighten my shorts, the string breaks. Not good. The last thing I need is “plumbers butt” on the bike and my shorts hanging down on the run. I ask Tammy to get me another pair. Our plan is to get a hand off after the swim and change in the tent. Although it says no nudity, Brett and Tom assure me it will be ok.
I say good bye to the family and head off with Brett to the swim. We see Paul, Dave and families by the water. We talk and get more encouragement. Time to get in the water.
The Swim (Goal: 1:20:00 and not get killed)
I follow Brett in the water as we “warm up”. I take everything in. The crowd, the energy. I am not really nervous even though I am about to swim 2.4 miles with 2400 people. I asked Brett to put “Follow Me” on his feet, thinking he could clear a path for me, but he forgot and I did not think I could keep up with him.
About a minute to go and I wish Brett well. I figure I will see him around mile 30 or so because he is a good swimmer. I find some open water and finally develop my game plan for swim:
I am not going to fight anyone for positioning. If people want to push, shove to get ahead, I will slow down and let them go. From there, I will sight open spaces, and swim between people quickly to that area. I would swim that way until I was free.
It worked!!! The first part was crowded but I kept finding areas to relax and just swim. The turn around was crazy as people do NOT know how to sight breath. I followed this pattern all the way to the shore. Loop #1: 00:41:00.
Cool, right on track. If I did a 35:00 2nd loop, I would be ahead of my time goal.
Loop 2 I decided to keep the same idea, but this time, I wanted to swim with the bouys. Everything was going great then it got crowded again. People pushing a little. I did think is was funny that at ever BIG buoy, a person would run into it. Come on….it is 3 feet high and yellow!!
I then zipped to the outside and swam with little issue. Some lady punched me in the face and rattled my goggles. I thought to myself….WWHD (What Would Heppler Do)? But being the gentleman that I am, I let it slide. I really focused on long, slow, powerful, gliding strokes and I seemed to doing well. I also then realize that it is raining out. Yippee….more fun.
At about 100 yards, I decided it was time to pee. I did this in a training, so I just relaxed and went. Sorry wetsuit strippers.
I swam all the way up to the beach and looked up. Are you kidding me? There must have been a current or something pulling me because I can not swim that fast.
Swim Time: 1:06:03
T1:
Get the wetsuit stripped off and jog down to T1. Normally, I am in a full sprint, but I decided to relax and take it easy. I find my bag after going down the wrong row. Then, out of no where, Brett is sitting next to me. “Nice swim, man” he says. I am not sure what I say but I again start asking him questions. More great advice from Brett…just leave it, they’ll get it. Off to the bike.
T1 Time: 00:5:23
Bike: (Goal: 6:00:00 and not get killed…it is raining hard)
I set my timer for 15:00 so I drink every 15 minutes, either water, Cytomax or Gatorade. Then every 30:00, eat 2/3 Clif Bloks and every hour eat some Powerbar. I purposely did not bring any food as I knew I could get it on the course.
My plan on the bike is to do 2, 3 hour loops on this hilly course. I am not concerned about the hills, just the fact that it is so long. I plan to ride comfortably at 1 or 2 gears easier than what I can push. I think this will save my legs for the run.
The bike is uphill to start. Pouring rain, pelted in the face. I wanted my arm warmers but I put them in the wrong bag earlier. Glasses are useless. They fog up and I can not see. Choice number one….ride, can’t see, protect the face/eyes. Choice number two…ride, see, squint and hope I don’t lose a contact lens. I chose #2…I like to see when I ride.
Oh well. On my first true down hill, I get in a rut and my bike wobbles. Scary. I survive but now am a bit hesitant and my front tire seems to wobble when I get about 30 mph. I pass so many people on the up hills that I feel like I am working too hard. Also, there are so many people on the course; it is strange riding with and around them.
The really long, dangerous downhill arrives. I am scared. I have my hands on my brakes and sit up to slow down at times. People are flying by my going upwards of 45 mph. Not only are they going by me, but it is raining and they are in their aero bars. NO WAY. My front tire wobbles so much at one point; I actually stop on the steepest part to make sure they it is on tight. They are, but I would rather be cautious rather than be fubar.
At mile 20, I am 4:00 ahead of schedule (I think I can average 20 mph for the first 40 miles based upon terrain…after that, who knows. I ride by a fellow NH Girls basketball coach and say “hi”. He beat me last hoop season, but today, I return the favor.
I had never gotten food or drinks on a bike course so on my first attempt, I was going about 23 miles an hour and soon realized that I could not grab a Powerbar at that speed. Next food area, I made sure to slow down. Now, the ONLY Powerbar I do not really care for are Oatmeal Raisin. Well, that is all they had, so I ate it. Not only was it Oatmeal Raisin, but it was wet, soggy Oatmeal Raisin Powerbar.
At mile 30 and 40 I am still about 12:00 up on my time goal. I was really hoping to see Brett or Chip on the out and back part of the course but did not. I pushed on and faced the last 16 miles of the course, 12 of which were up hill, into a head wind, in the rain. Legs really felt good so I went as I felt. The last hill is surrounded by 100+ people cheering you on. Just what I needed before I got into town.
Again, I was hoping to see my family and friends but it all went by so quickly.
First loop was around 5:45:00, about 20 miles an hour.
The start of Loop 2 I knew that it was going to be challenging. Still, I was pushing past many people on the up hills. My first thing was to change out water bottles. Well, I lost my Cytomax somewhere on Loop 1. This happened at the Mooseman, so I just made the adjustments and didn’t worry about it.
Next task, pee. Having never pee’d on the bike, I was about the go where only a few others had gone before. Being the courteous person that I am, I made sure that no one was behind too close. I figured standing was easier, so I stood up and relaxed. I pee’d…..on to my seat, water bottle, into my shoe, on my chain, on my seat….you get the picture. I am glad it was raining so everything, including my drink was being continually washed off.
The hardest thing to do in a race of this distance is to let others pass you without worrying about it. In most races, you hammer the whole time not knowing. Here, you have to race within yourself or you will get in trouble.
All was going well, on track and on pace to stay within the 6:00:00 time limit. However, at mile 99, something happened. It was as if someone shut the lights off in my head. I started to lose my sense of thought, what I was doing. I remember thinking how I could just get off and walk, that would be nice. My pace dropped to under 10 mph’s and I was struggling to stay alert on the bike. I was in a “dark place” in my mind that I needed to get out of quick.
I ate 5 Clif Bloks and washed them down with water. This episode lasted about 15 minutes. Then again, it was as if someone turned the light back on. I was back with about 12 miles to go. I put my head down and just went.
On the last hill, I did my best Lance Armstrong impression. No facial expression, in the saddle and let it rip. I passed 20+ people, not listening to the crowd, looking blankly ahead, making sure they knew the GSTC was in the house!
Shoes off, handing my bike to a handler.
Bike Time: 5:44:33 (19.5 mph)
T2:
Find my bag. A volunteer follows me in and gets right next to me. He is asking me what I need and what he can do. I tell him and we worked like a well oiled machine. Whoever the guy was, he rocked. I had put Mentos in my bag just because I like them and thought they would taste good. Umm, WRONG. I spit them out almost instantly. I leave T2 with my race number on, my water bottle holder with a bottle of Cytomax.
T2 Time: 00:02:39
Run: (Goal: Somewhere between 4:00 -4:30)
I left the run and looked down and saw 06:59:59!! OMG! I could break 11 hours if all goes well.
But let me back up. I have not run in over a month. I did my last long run 4 weeks earlier of 18 miles that ended in 12 of the last 18 in pain due to IT Band Issues. I had been getting treatment since then, 2x per week from Brett Coapland. He is the master of Active Release Technique. Suzan adjusted my training and had me stop running. Instead, did some elliptical workouts as well as pool running. A week before the race, I had major pain on the bike with my IT Band. I met with Brett on Thursday and Friday in Lake Placid for more treatment. With all of this, I was unsure what was going to happen.
My plan….run as long as I can. Period. Then figure it out from there.
The first mile is downhill so it went by quickly and I did it in 7:20. I felt good, except for carrying my water bottle. I trained with this thing for 7 months and ran a marathon with it, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I threw it to some nice spectators and just ran.
At each aid station I ate or drank. Again, I felt pretty comfortable. No issues, no pain. I did stop to go pee again, but other than that, all was going well. My pace was below 8:00/mile but I knew this was not going to last. The question was, how long will I be able to run?
On the way back into town, there are 3 hills that connect. One is steep, then connects to another that is a bit more gradual which turns into the last gradual climb to mile 12ish. I was able to power up the hills and get to the aid stations.
I finally saw someone I knew, David C. and son. After the turn around, I saw my family ever so briefly as I headed out on to loop 2.
Loop 1: 01:41:ish…..
Loop 2 became an adventure. I knew my legs were running out of gas but the toughest thing is to suck up your pride and do what is best for your body. At about mile 15, it was time to walk. I remembered that Brett had done 5 to 1 run walk. Well, sounds good to me. I set my timer to 6 minutes…walk one minute, run 5, repeat.
I see Chip P. He gives me a pat on the back and asks if my leg is ok. Before I can even answer, he is gone. He looked so good and so at ease on the run.
At aid station 16, they had watermelon. For some reason, your body likes different things during theses events. I tried cookies (not bad), cola (was not coke), pretzels (ok), Gatorade and water (blah), chicken broth (gross), Clif Bloks (sick of them) and oranges (ok). But, the best thing on the course was….WATERMELON. I could not get enough of it and they only had it at this station. So good!!
Anyway, I followed my run, walk plan and the rain was really coming down. I ended up walking next to and then running by Desiree Ficker. If I had any guts, I would have talked to her. She was struggling and shaking. They came to get her off the course, but she refused! You go girl!!
Well, at mile 20, I decided I had eaten and drank enough for the day. No more stops (except for watermelon). I kept forging ahead.
I made the decision not to focus on the time and whatever happens, happens. I was having a great overall race and I thought adding time pressure would not help. Finally, at Mile 24, I decided it was time to take a look. Time check was: 10:26:00. I had 34 minutes to break 11 hours. I could do that. I could do that walking!
I power walked up the last hills and ran to mile 25. At mile 25, I caught Brett and gave him a slap on the butt. It took me over 10.5 hours to get to him, but I did it. Again, words of encouragement!! Past Tom Dawson at the aid station and down the little hill to the oval.
Around the corner and to the finish. I look behind me only to see if I can finish by myself. I find my family to my right, screaming and yelling!!
I hear Mike Reilly butcher my last name but he does confirm it…..”David Levesque, you are an Ironman!”
Run Time: 3:49:23 (8:46/mile)
Final Thoughts:
Although there was adversity throughout the day, the race really went well for me. Could I have done better, I don’t think so. All things considered, it was a great day. I never would have imagined doing this race in the time I did it in.
The days and months leading up to the event were filled with many ups and downs. So much goes into getting to this day that trying to put it into writing would not do it justice.
I won’t bore you with the sickness I encountered a day later. That is for another time.
I didn’t buy any Ironman Gear for myself and asked my family to do the same (they lied and snuck some stuff). Therefore, I have nothing that says Ironman on it, other than the crappy t-shirt they gave me at the finish (which I won’t wear).
I can’t share with you all of the people who supported me and followed me throughout the training. All I can say is “thanks”. You all know who you are!
Will I do it again, I honestly don’t know. I have until August 2nd to decide for 2009.
Lastly, I need to let everyone know that my daughter, who is 5 years old, sat in the rain the entire day, without issue or complaint. For that, she is my IronKid.
Final Time: 10:47:59
220/2300 (overall)
46/387 (age group)
1 comment:
amazing. i hope that as time has past you are still very proud of your accomplishments.
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