Beach 2 Battleship Ironman
Swim 2.4 miles; exited the water at 50:55, crossed the timing mat around 52:55
Transition 1, around 6 minutes
Bike 112 miles, about 6 hours and 10 minutes
Transition 2, 5:05
Run 26.2 miles, 4:33:06
Nutrition, 5 small Snicker bars, 5 Chocolate Outrage Gu’s, 12 Clif Shot Blocks, orange slices and grapes. Heed, water, flat coke and chicken broth.
My training for the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman started in January of 2009. Over the past 10 months, I swam, biked, spun and ran my way to a finish I never would have expected at my first Ironman distance event. Like anyone training for a major event, I had my doubts as to if I trained properly, if I did enough miles, and if I spent enough hours preparing for a race I’ve dreamed of completing since my first year of participating in triathlons competitively. The weeks leading up to the race, I had my doubts. I decided to do a 4 week taper. This was longer than most, and leading up to race day, I was nervous. It had been so long since I had a really long training day (8 hours or longer). Had it been too long? Apparently it wasn’t.
Scott, Zachary and I headed out on Tuesday, November 3 at 9:00 AM for North Carolina. We planned our first stop to spend the night in High Point, NC. There, we planned to visit friends of Scott who own the Sweet Shoppe Bakery. We took a tour of their bakery and of course got some great samples! After a great local dinner, we retired early for the night. I woke up early on Wednesday morning to run for 25 minutes plus some striders before we had some breakfast and hit the road.
We arrived in Wilmington around 1:30 PM. After checking into the Hilton on Water Street, I decided to get a bike ride in. I rode 25.5 miles up Route 421, part of our race course. Going out was great. Despite the debris on the roads, the roads were smooth and nice to ride on. There was a nice tail wind on the ride out and I enjoyed the 19-20 MPH average. On the way back I hit a nasty head wind. I later would find out that the last 35 miles of our race course would be the same. Thank goodness I was prepared!
I arrived back at the Hotel and Scott, Zachary and I enjoyed the afternoon and taking in the local town of Wilmington. We enjoyed a nice dinner at the downtown brewery and then it was to bed early.
The next day was my day off. We decided it was a good day to go to the Serpentarium and see a lot of really cool snakes and reptiles. It was pretty amazing and a lot of fun. I went to the race Expo that day and picked up my packet and some new gear I needed, took a quick nap and then it was off to the swim start and transition 1. The beach was beautiful and we spent over an hour walking and enjoying the evening. The water was surprisingly not too cold and Zachary took the opportunity to jump in, clothes and all.
Later that night my sisters and Lisa Myers and Gwen arrived. We didn’t see anyone that evening since they all got in so late. We decided instead to order in from an Italian restaurant and watch the movie Shorts. I was in bed by about 9:30 PM and woke up by 6:00 AM Friday morning. I couldn’t sleep in at all that week. Everyday I was up by 6:00 AM or earlier, just ready to do anything.
That morning we met everyone at Transition 1 for a short brick. It was great to see my sisters and my friends who traveled to watch the race (Jeremiah, Jason and Jillian). Jodi had a flat tire and luckily I had a tube that she could use to fix it. Once her tire was fixed we started our search for the swim finish. We had to look pretty funny walking up and down the streets in our wetsuits. After a long walk to try and find the swim finish, we finally were able to jump in the water. It was a bit cold, but overall, not too bad. I’m really glad we chose to swim the finish. There was a huge white building at the dock where we exited and knowing where that was on race day was a big help.
We finished swimming and took our bikes out for a short spin. It was nice to get out with Scott and my sisters. The weather was perfect and a quick 15 minute ride was just what we needed to check to see if we had any mechanical issues. I realized I definitely needed to adjust my right pedal. My foot wasn’t coming out of it easily and I didn’t want any issues with dismounting on race day.
We got the bike adjusted and slipped on our running shoes. I ran for 10 minutes and did 6 striders to get the blood moving a bit and my heart rate up and I called it a day. I dropped my bike at T-1. I was number 52 and was lucky enough to have my bike on the rack closest to the swim exit. It was perfect. We left the transition area and we joined my sisters for lunch at their hotel, went to the play ground with the kids and hung out on the beach for a bit. We then headed back to our hotel for quick showers and some relaxation before the pre-race meeting.
At 4:00 PM, we met Jeremiah, Jason, Jillian and Mike in the lobby of the hotel. We headed over to the race Expo. I bought some Clif Shots and some more Gu. Met my sisters at the Expo and went to the pre-race meeting. It was a typical pre-race meeting. We didn’t learn too much new stuff for the race and we actually left the meeting early so we could get to dinner.
We had dinner at the Oyster Bar on Market Street in downtown Wilmington. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was casual. It was exactly what we needed the night before the big race. Jodi and Jill ate quickly. They still had to drop their bikes at T-1. The rest of us enjoyed our dinners. My pre-race dinner consisted of 1 dozen steamed littleneck clams, broiled Wahoo with brown rice, steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. I was stuffed when I left dinner. Zachary left with my Mother and Father In-Law and the rest of us stopped by the health store and market on the way back to the hotel so I could get some food for breakfast.
Back at the hotel by 7:45. I said goodbye to everyone. Scott and the rest of the gang went to have a couple beers and make signs for the next day. I ordered room service for the next morning since I couldn’t get food delivered by 4:30 AM. I ordered hard boiled eggs, a cinnamon-raisin bagel-fruit and yogurt. As usual I was hungry when the food got there so I ate the fruit and yogurt that night. The rest I saved for the morning. I got the rest of my bags ready. Pre-race bag, swim to bike, bike special needs, bike to run and run special needs. I had to check the bags 20 times to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Then I crawled into bed with my Ironman Planner book and my list of what to do and take with me from Tom Murray. I went through everything 3 times, checked my bags one last time to make sure I didn’t forget anything and finally got back into bed and called my friend Bill Peace. Bill and I were just talking about the race when Scott got back from the poster party. I hung up with Bill and spent a few minutes talking to Scott, mostly about how nervous I was and checking the 3 alarms we had set for 4:30 AM and then it was lights out at 9:18. I was dozing off quickly despite the endless visualization I was doing for the race. At 9:36, I received one more good luck text from Scot Whyte and then it was time to sleep.
I didn’t sleep too badly. I did wake up almost every hour, but in between I did get some rest and when the alarm went off at 4:30 AM, I was ready to go. I ate my breakfast. Bagel and Peanut Butter, some granola cereal, and a hard boiled egg. I typically eat at least 2 eggs, but I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat anymore. I did take my bag of Chex mix that Scott and Annie Schultz made for me. I had some in the car on the way to the race and grabbed a handful before I got on the bus to the swim start.
Well, the day had begun. Scott drove me to Transition 1. We listened to Springsteen the whole way. Scott made sure I heard Thunder Road and Born to Run. It’s not race day without a little Bruce. At T-1, I got to see Barb Whyte who drove in from Fort Mill, SC to watch the race. She greeted Scott and I at the car and as we headed to the transition area, we saw Jeremiah, Jason, Jillian and Mike. Everyone grabbed a bag and we headed to the special needs drop off area. I got my bags dropped. Headed into transition to check on my bike. I pumped the tires up to 115 PSI, checked my brakes, added my food to my Bento Box, placed my water bottles in my racks and headed over to drop off my swim to bike bag. Got over there and found my sisters. From there we went and got body marked and then my support team showed me the amazing poster from all my friends with the Cranberry Wave. The poster was great and just what I needed before heading off to the swim start. I have to say, some of the messages made me a cry a bit. Thanks to all of you for such a great memory. I thought about the banner often throughout the day. Sarah, yours especially stuck out in my head.
From there, it was time to get in line for the trolley and our ride to the swim start. Our gang stood in line with us and I got one last hug from Scott and my friends before I boarded. The next time I’d see them would be after the swim. My sisters and I boarded the bus. It was so warm. We needed some warmth. We found seats in the back and enjoyed the 5 or 6 minute ride to the start. As we exited the trolley, there were porta johns. We took the opportunity to stand in line. As we waited, we got our wetsuits on and our aqua socks and we ran into Lisa. After using the rest rooms, we dropped our pre-race bags and headed to the beach.
There were people everywhere. We put our feet in the water to get them warm when we were told we needed to move out of the water and up to the beach. Five minutes to the start. We lined up to the left side of the start, listened as they played the National Anthem. 2 minutes to the start. I hugged my sisters and headed closer to the front of the swim. It was a beach start and as I headed closer, I ran into Lisa. We wished each other luck again and then the gun went off. We all ran for the water. As I dove in, I could feel the cold water on my face. The initial shock was typical, it takes a few seconds to catch your breath. The swim out to the first buoy was crazy. Arms and legs flying everywhere. The first 100 yards seemed like forever. We made the first turn and then it was a long straight swim until our next turn. The channel was narrow so we didn’t need to site much in the beginning. It was great to just keep my head down and swim. I finally started to look up after quite a while. I was looking for what they described as a beautiful boat with the wiggly man. I finally saw the boat in the distance and focused on it.
We were told to not worry about the buoys, but we were required to keep the boat on our left. When I got to the boat, I made a tight left turn around it and even waved to the people in the boat. I looked to the right and saw people swimming way to the right towards a buoy. I focused on the big white building ahead, the place where I knew the finish was. We still had a bit of zigzagging to do, but the building was getting closer and closer. Then I saw the orange triangle that Jeremiah told me to watch for. I swam right to it and continued onto the big white building. It was great. I was so happy we swam this part the day before. As we got closer, I saw the dock. I figured I’d been in the water for at least an hour or more. I got to the dock, climbed up the ladder and looked at my watch. 50:55. I just swam 2.4 miles in 50:55. How is that possible? I guess the tide really was strong, not to mention all the crazy swim workouts and endless sets of 200’s I did in my training.
I ran off the dock and opted not to use the wetsuit strippers, but I did run through the freshwater showers. Headed out over the timing mat to the sidewalk where it was lined with people cheering. As I made the turn to T-1, I saw Jillian holding a poster. I still have no idea what it said, because at that point I just saw everyone and I was so excited about how fast my swim was. I grabbed my gear bag and ran into the changing tent. A volunteer helped me pull off my wetsuit and I started to get my clothes on for the bike. Compression socks, cycling shorts, Mizuno dry weave shirt and a new vest I bought at the expo. Got my shoes on and my helmet and sunglasses on. Stuffed everything in my bag, handed my bag to a race volunteer and ran to my bike. I saw Scott there and talked to him briefly. It was great to see him. I actually heard him yelling for me before I saw him. The excitement in his voice definitely got me energized for the long bike ride ahead.
Scott told me right where to look for Zac on my way out. I exited T-1, went to the mount line and hopped on. I was off. As I made the first turn, I saw Zac with my Mother and Father-in-law. I got a wave from him and that would be the last time I would see all of them for about 4 ½ hours. Crazy!
The first mile of the bike consisted of a ton of turns and speed bumps and was slow going until we got out onto the main highway. As we got out there, I looked down at my computer and noticed I was going about 23 MPH. Perhaps I should have stayed at that speed, but only being 3 miles in, I knew I should slow down a bit. It was early and I had no idea what the day would bring. My goal was to average 18 MPH, so I focused on just staying above that average.
The first 30 miles of the ride were fun. Nice smooth roads, we even rode on a major highway and up over a huge bridge with a beautiful lake below us. I did take the time to look around and check out the scenery when I could. In fact, I noticed for the first 40 miles the moon was still out and following us. As I approached the turn off of route 421 and approaching the first aid station, a woman at the intersection said she thought I was one of the top ten women. It was good to hear, but honestly, I really didn’t want to know at that point. I wanted to focus on my own race and try not to think about or worry about anyone passing me. After all, I still had another 80 or so miles to ride and a marathon to run. I couldn’t think about what place I was in.
We approached the first aid station and I was right on track with my hydration. I had already finished both of my water bottles. I grabbed a new bottle of Heed and a bottle of water and continued to ride. I also took this opportunity to stretch on my bike for a few minutes even though I was feeling great at this point. After the aid station I was getting excited. My family and friends said they would be at mile 44 on the bike. In about 45 minutes I should be seeing them. I was really looking forward to it. I approached 44 miles and I didn’t see them. As I continued to ride, I still didn’t see them. I knew I didn’t miss them anywhere, either they got lost trying to find us or I beat them there. It just so happens that I beat them to mile 44 since I was way ahead of my goal pace at this point and riding at an average of 19.35. I new I had another 2.5 hours before I would see them at mile 88, so I put my head down and just rode.
The aid stations were much further away than I expected and I was a bit upset that they weren’t handing us oranges or bananas on the course. If you wanted food you had to stop and I didn’t want to stop until the special needs stop at mile 60, so I stayed on the bike and kept on moving. As I approached mile 60, I was wondering if I should take off my vest and possibly my dry fit top. It was getting a bit warm, but when I was in the shade, I would get cold. I got to mile 60 and there wasn’t an aid station, 61, nothing, 62, still nothing, now myself and some of the other participants were starting to wonder where the special needs area was. At this point, a bathroom stop was also necessary and we were told extra porta johns would be at special needs. We kept riding and we passed a few horse farms. It was nice to see the horses grazing in the pasture. Another short distraction as I waited to find special needs. It wasn’t until about mile 71 that we saw the aid station. I stopped, set my bike against a porta john and waited, and waited, and waited. I kept looking at my watch, time was ticking away. Oh, the extra porta johns, was one extra. They only had two porta johns. 4 minutes later and a fresh water bottle and I was on my way again. I did take the time to stretch a bit, which was fine, but to lose that much time was frustrating. Worst of all, the food was on a picnic table way over across the parking lot and I wasn’t about to waste the time to go over and grab food. I would have to go with what was in my Bento Box.
I re-mounted the bike and took off. The break was nice. I got back on and took off and kept my MPH’s over 20 for at least 8 miles when we had a short out and back on a side road that was really pretty ridiculous. One rider almost fell over on her bike trying to make the turn.
I got back out on the main road and took off again and held that high pace until about mile 80 when we got onto 421. I looked at the road ahead and I knew what was coming and I knew the last 30 + miles would be tough and into a head wind with quite a few false flats. My only saving grace was knowing I would see Scott, Zachary and the rest of the group soon. I counted the miles until 87 and started to look for everyone. While I was counting off the miles I started to cough. I wasn’t sure why I was coughing, but it was pretty annoying. Anyhow, I was looking for my friends and family and I have to say I heard them before I saw them. The cowbell was perfect. I heard the noise and I started to look up and saw a big crowd on the right side. It was my group. I started to wave and I could hear them screaming for me. It was perfect timing. It energized me and helped me keep my average pace for a couple more miles. Then the wind kicked up some more and it was tough to keep the 18 MPH. I messed with my gears and I would shift down at times just to spin my legs out and I would watch the computer drop to around 15 or 16 MPH. That would last for about a minute or so and I get into a tougher gear again, put my head down and focus on 18 again. The few downhill false flats were great. I took full advantage of them when I could and tried to get back up over 19 when it was possible. These miles seemed to be going by slower and I watched my average MPH drop under 19 for the first time all day. It was extremely frustrating, but I couldn’t pound out these last miles and still run a marathon well. I had to watch what I was doing. Bigger things were still ahead.
I was riding and riding and I heard the cowbells again. This time from behind me. It was my group again. They stopped further ahead and yelled and screamed again for me around mile 100. Then they passed me one last time and I knew I would see them soon on the run.
I approached the city and I started to see the runners on the course. There were tons of people running and I noticed the orange numbers representing people in the ½ Ironman. I came up on the big hill and got my first look at what the run course would be like. The hill was welcoming at mile 111 on the bike, but I knew it wouldn’t be at mile 25 on the run. I headed into the battleship park. The street was lined with people yelling and screaming. I dismounted and handed my bike off. I heard my name. It was my brother-in-law Dwight congratulating me on a great bike ride. I finished the 112 miles in around 6 hours. They still don’t have my actual splits, but I know it was around 6 hours. I ran to my bag and into the changing tent. I left my tri suit on and grabbed my hat, shoes, race belt and shirt. Used a porta john quick. My second stop of the day and I was off. My t-2 time was around 5 minutes. A little longer than I wanted, but that was fine. I looked at my watch. I had 4:48 minutes to run a marathon and to finish in under 12 hours. I knew it was possible, but as everyone knows, anything can happen during the marathon of an Ironman.
I had my plan in my head. I would run the first 6.5 easy, pick it up the second 6.5 and then see how I felt after 13 miles. My first mile was very slow at 11 minutes, but the hill over the bridge was big and I didn’t want to do anything I’d regret later so I ran easy to start. I knew I had the time, so why push it at this point. Besides, I was already passing people who were in the ½ and full Ironman. Hill number 2 was immediately after the long down hill and it went over a draw bridge. A guy in a wheel chair was starting the climb. He was in the ½ Ironman and struggling up the hill. At the top of the bridge were the grates. They were really tough to run over. It felt as if your feet were going to fall through the bridge. I started heading down the hill and got passed by the guy in the wheelchair. He commented on how he could still get me on the down hills. He was a nice guy and a true inspiration.
I saw the mile marker for 2 and had increased my pace to a 10 minute mile. My goal was a 10 minute pace when I could do it. As I increased my pace, I started to cough more. I tried to ignore what was happening in my chest as much as I could. So, I came down off the bridge and approached the next aid station. I grabbed an orange and some more flat coke and water and approached Water St. and the Hilton Hotel. I would see my family and friends soon. As I got closer, I heard the cowbells and saw Jason first on the left side. He was yelling and screaming for me, then I saw Scott and Jeremiah and to the right I saw Barb and my mother and father-in-law and their friends.
This was perfect. They got me energized and I felt great at this point. My legs were quickly getting into running mode and I was focused on what I needed to do at this point. Scott ran along side me for a few seconds, giving me high fives and asking how I was and trying to video tape me all at the same time. It was so great to see him. I ran ahead to mile 3. People everywhere were yelling and screaming and telling me how great I looked. It was fantastic and so much fun at this point. After all, I was doing an Ironman!!
The next part of Water Street was a ¼ mile of cobblestone and brick roads. It was tough to run on and I found out later they had a lot of people fall on this part. After the cobblestones we had a short steep climb and then a nice long flat and downhill for about a mile past mile marker 4. Then it was another long steady climb and a right turn into the Greenfield Lake Park. The park was beautiful, and it was nice to be running on the paths and through the trees and doing something different. I approached the mile marker at 5 and finally thought, where is all the music and celebration? They told us they were having an aid station contest and that each aid station would have music and costumes and be acting crazy and I didn’t see that at all. It was kind of disappointing. Anyhow, nothing I could do about that. I did learn that I had to yell out what I wanted before I got to the aid station so I didn’t have to stop. Some people were stopping and grazing at the aid stations. I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to run the entire way. I was still coughing at this point and it was getting annoying, but like everything else that day I tried to block any negative energy out of my head. I wasn’t going to let anything get me down or try to use anything as an excuse to slow down or stop. After all my training, what were a few aches and pains and a nagging cough? They were nothing. It was just another part of the day.
Ok, so I pass mile 5 and then I finally hear music. Great, something fun is ahead I thought. Well, the music was the wedding march. I couldn’t help but think what insane DJ would be playing the wedding march during an Ironman. Well, it wasn’t a DJ. It was a wedding. A couple was getting married in the park with the Ironman as their back drop. Crazy! Anyhow, I was in shock about this. I looked over and saw big purple things in the trees. Those were the bridesmaids. I can’t even explain to you how hideous these dresses were. They were purple with ruffles. I mean honestly, that bride must not have liked her bridesmaids very much. Just imagine giant purple pineapples. That’s seriously what they looked like.
Ok, so I get past the wedding and start to focus on my race again. I got to mile 6 and the next aid station and knew I would be turning around soon. We had to cross a couple wooden bridges and then we got to the turn around. It was now time to pick up the pace a bit and I did. It actually felt great to change my stride at this point. I loved it. This part of the course felt easy and I knew I would start to see Lisa and my sisters on the way back. I just didn’t know who I would see first and where and when.
I passed mile 7, felt good, got to mile 8 and saw Lisa. She was only a few miles behind me at that point and she had the biggest smile on her face. She looked great. We gave each other a high five and kept on going. I got out of the park, down the hill to the turn and got to mile 9. Still no sign of my sisters. Down the next hill and there was Jill on the steep hill off of Water Street. She looked strong. I knew she would. She’s a 3:20 marathoner and running is her strength. More high fives and a good luck and see you soon and was ready to make my turn onto Water St. I would be seeing the family and friends again soon. Right around mile 10 I saw Jodi. I told her Jill was ahead of her and she already knew that. She was looking a bit tired, but she’s so tough. I knew she would get through the day. I started to hear the cowbells. At this point, my left knee was pounding. I was trying not to think about it. I saw Scott and everyone else. Scott asked me if anything hurt and I told him I didn’t want to talk about it. I thought if I actually said my knee hurt out loud, then it would hurt even worse, so I didn’t tell him what hurt. I passed everyone giving high fives and yelled out an “I love you” to Scott and kept on going. 3 more miles and I could head back out for loop 2. I continued to feel good until the big hill over the last bridge, but I never stopped running. I got over the hill and headed into Battleship Park. I yelled out my number for my special needs bag. A little girl, probably 11 years old or so handed me my bag. I grabbed my ibuprophen and handed the bag back.
The next mile was slow again. The sun was thinking about setting now and it was getting colder. I put on my shirt and got to the first aid station, again. Grabbed some chicken broth and took my ibuprophen. Not sure how I didn’t spit it out. The broth was cold and tasted horrible, but I kept everything down. From now on I knew I had to ask for hot chicken broth.
Ok, up over the next big hill. Hey, it’s Lisa! She still looked great and we gave our high fives again. Alright, I only had to do these hills two more times on the way back. I could do them two more times. I continued at my slower pace. I knew going out was tougher than going back and I had it in my head that I would run out slowly and see what I had left the last 6.5 miles. Right before Water Street I saw Jill walking up the steep hill. She said the hills were killing her, but it couldn’t have been hurting her too much. I knew she was gaining on me on the run, so despite walking, she was still keeping a great pace when she ran. I got to the Hilton. Saw Scott and everyone else for one last blast of energy before my last 10 miles. I knew I wouldn’t see them again until the finish. I passed mile 16. Now I had less than 10 miles to go. I was getting into single digits. It was great to get into single digits at this point.
The mile markers were taking longer to get to at this point and the sun was starting to set. I got to mile 18 in the park and the generator lights were starting to come on. It was twilight, I could still see for now, but I knew that would be short lived. It was, it quickly got dark as I approached mile 19. I was lucky to get in so many miles in the daylight. I got to the turn around and could now see the glow necklaces people were wearing. I didn’t get the necklaces. Not sure why, but that was fine. Ok, mile 20 I started to pick up my pace. At this point I wanted to be done. So many people were walking and it was fun passing so many people at this point. I was feeling good and I knew I had to take advantage of it. Mile 21 came quickly and so did 22. I knew I would see Lisa soon and I did on the down hill as I headed back to town. Right past her was Jill. I told her Lisa was ahead of her. Everyone was looking strong at this point. Now where was Jodi. I kept running. Mile 23, I knew I would see Jodi soon. I started making my way back up to the bridge to mile 24. There she was, starting her second lap. We encouraged each other and I knew it was time to focus on my last two miles. At this point, I wasn’t paying much attention to my watch since it was dark.
It wasn’t until mile 25 that I looked at my watch and saw I needed to finish 1.2 miles in 25 minutes to break 12 hours. Well, I knew I could do that. In fact, if I ran really well, I would be able to get in around 11:45. So, I ran the hill as hard as I could. I bet I passed 8 people on the hill including a woman with a prosthetic leg who was finishing the ½ Ironman. She was amazing and walked most of the 13.1 mile course. The bridge was dark and I couldn’t see my feet, but I just kept moving, hoping for some light from the on coming cars. I crossed the bridge, down the other side and made the turn to the home stretch. I heard the Fray singing How to Save a Life off in the distance and I made the turn around the bend and saw Jason. He ran with me and was screaming and yelling and jumping and it was so funny to see how excited he was for me. Thanks for everything Jason. You inspired me at Louisville and it was great to have you at my race. Jason yelled ahead to Zac. I yelled out my number to the volunteer so they knew I was finishing. Then Scott, Zac, Devin, Ada and Jess all jumped in and ran to the finish with me. At the end I did a cartwheel. I almost passed out afterwards, but I gave Zac a big hug and literally fell into Scott’s arms and I started to cry. I finished. I completed my first Ironman in 11 hours, 45 minutes and 14 seconds. I was an Ironman!
I got my medal and my shirt and saw my friends and gave hugs all around. It was so great to be done. All I wanted to do was sit down and I did; on the cold ground. Big mistake. It was freezing and I started to shiver. I couldn’t get warm. Jillian got me soda and pizza. The kids ended up eating and drinking everything. I couldn’t eat or drink at that point and I kept getting colder. I headed for the warming tent. It wasn’t helping and I knew I needed the medic tent.
Scott and Zac took me to the medics and they checked me in. My blood pressure was extremely high, I was coughing like crazy and I couldn’t get warm. They got a bed for me. Covered me in blankets and sent the doc over. He decided to give me an IV of fluids and since I continued to cough, they checked my lungs. I was wheezing. You see, I have asthma and I didn’t take my medicine all day. With the asthma and the sinus infection I was fighting, my lungs were getting congested. They administered a breathing treatment. While getting the breathing treatment, Scott came in and said, “well I’m glad your sitting down”. My first thought was something was wrong with one of my sisters. He proceeded to tell me the results were posted and I won my age group. I was in shock and I couldn’t believe it. Before we left, Zac said he wanted me to win my age group and I did. I was hoping Zachary would be happy. Ok, the breathing treatment was working great and I felt much better and could actually breathe without coughing. My blood pressure was getting back to normal and I was ready to leave. Throughout all of my time in the medic tent, Jill, Lisa and Jodi had finished. When I left the tent I saw Jodi right away. I was so happy to know she finished. We all did great and everyone was feeling well.
We gathered up everything. Scott and Jeremiah had gotten my bags and my bike and I said goodbye to everyone and headed for the car. My mother and father-in-law took us back to the hotel. On our way across the bridge we saw people just heading out on their second loop of the run. They had a little over 3 hours to finish under 17 hours. I hope they all made it. I did hear later that the last person finished right at midnight.
Back at the hotel I was greeted by a bouquet of flowers in our room from Scott’s brother and sister. I took a quick bath while Scott ordered some room service. I was supposed to eat even though I didn’t want to. The food came and I managed to get some noodles and some soup in me, but that’s all I could handle. I just wasn’t hungry. I did do my best to drink a lot of water.
We went to sleep around 11:15. you would have thought I would sleep well, but despite the 1000 mg of Naproxen I took before bed, I couldn’t sleep because my knees felt like they were hit with a sledgehammer. I tossed and turned all night and by 6:00 AM I decided to get out of bed and get some food. I went to the breakfast room on our floor where I met the head of media for the race and a few other athletes. We had fun talking about the race and comparing stories. I met a woman named Shirley who did her first Ironman only 2 weeks prior to B2B. She competed in B2B and somehow managed to drop 2 hours off of her time. She is one of those ultra marathoners who can run a marathon every weekend. She ended up placing 2nd in her 50-55 age group and I would see her later at the awards ceremony.
I headed back to the room. Got the guys up and we got ready to meet Jeremiah, Jason, Jillian and Mike for breakfast. We ended up eating at the Pink Pig. I tried to eat a ton of food, but still couldn’t eat as much as I needed to. We said goodbye to our friends and met my mother and father-in-law at the hotel and started walking to the Cruise line for the Awards Cruise. We met Barb Whyte and her kids and had a beautiful day on the Cape Fear River. The awards ceremony was great. I won a beautiful plaque that was made from the original teak deck of the Battleship North Carolina. We waited anxiously for the Athena awards to see if Lisa won anything. As they announced from 5th place down, we knew she had won an award and found out she was 2nd for the Athena women. Scott graciously accepted her award for her.
Following the cruise we headed to the beach for the afternoon with the Whytes and to check out the Kite show. Spent some time in the ocean and built a sandcastle. I’m not sure at this point it had even sunk in what I had done less than 24 hours before. My head was still spinning and I was so excited.
We went to dinner and I was finally able to enjoy some food. Back at the hotel, I tried to sleep, but I still couldn’t relax. I was up again by 6:00 AM on Monday morning and began to pack for the ride home. My body was feeling much better and I was excited that I wasn’t feeling anything crazy in regards to my Lupus or my Asthma at this point. I managed to complete this race without any health ramifications and that was a huge accomplishment for me.
We stopped by the Wilmington YMCA to see if lost and found and bags were dropped there. Scott lost his cell phone at T-1 on Saturday and we were hoping they had it. I also wanted my Run Special Needs bag back. It had my Charlotte Marathon Jacket in it and Gwen was also missing her pre-race bag. Unfortunately, nothing was back at the YMCA yet.
We headed to a Verizon Store and picked out a new phone for Scott, then it was off to Fort Mill, SC to see the Whytes and for me to talk to Jessie’s Girls on the Run Group. We made it to Fort Mill in just enough time for me to run a lap with the girls and to talk to them about my race. The 3rd through 5th grade girls had a lot of great questions and I enjoyed sharing my story with them and showing them my finishers medal.
Monday night we had some pizza and watched the Steeler Game at the Whytes house. Once again I didn’t sleep well and I was up by 5:45. We had a great morning and left around 11:00 to come home and arrived back in Zelienople at 8:20 Tuesday night.
I made sure I took a Tylenol PM before bed and slept through the night finally. It’s now Wednesday. I’m not sore at all. I’m starting to get some energy back again and I’m actually looking forward to swimming this afternoon.
The entire experience was incredible and looking back, I know I didn’t go all out. I could have run faster and biked faster, but I’m more than excited about the end results. I know in the future I can change my training just a bit and add one more long brick to help me in those middle miles on the run, but my next Ironman will be in a couple years. For now, I get to focus on next Fall and Nationals. Lisa and I both qualified and we’ll be heading to Myrtle Beach, SC next fall. We’re both very excited about that.
Now to the thank you’s. This list will be long and I’m hoping I don’t forget anyone along the way.
I first need to thank my husband Scott. You can’t train for an Ironman without the full support of your partner. I couldn’t have asked any more of Scott this past year. His dedication to this race and my finish were amazing and he helped me do what every spouse should help their partner do, he helped me to fulfill one of my ultimate dreams. The medal, the plaque and my finish are as much his as they are mine. He also acted as a coach, a cheerleader, a race reporter and as one of my massage therapists through all of this, most of all he was my friend and my rock for the past year. Thank you for everything Scott. I love you!
Zachary was amazing through all of this too. He had to sacrifice his time with me, especially on Saturday and Sunday mornings and he managed all of it so well. He kept me going more than he could ever know and winning my age group for him was just icing on the cake from what was otherwise a perfect day.
My parents, their support through all my years of training has not gone unrecognized. They are always there to help me and without their help with Zachary, I wouldn’t have been able to spend so many hours training. We missed you both at the race. It wasn’t the same without you there.
My mother and father-in-law. Again their help with Zachary, their support and the fact they drove to Wilmington to watch the race meant so much to me. Thanks for everything.
My sisters Jodi and Jill and my friend Lisa Myers. Having people to train with through all of this was a big help. We’re all competitive people and we all approached our training and race day differently, but in the end we were all champions. I want to thank the three of you for everything this past year. It was so nice to know others were training and trying to reach their owns goals as I tried to reach mine.
My coaches, doctors and training partners.
Tom Murray, his help this past year in lining up my training and making sure I was on track throughout the year was great. When I had questions or worried about anything, he was there to calm me down and steer me in the right direction.
My swimming coaches, Scot Whyte for all the swim workouts he planned for me. Jillian and Sarah for helping me with my stroke and technique and always getting me through the tough workouts.
Cycling: My spinning friends, Scott Schultz and Jeremiah Friday. Class isn’t class without you guys. My Cycling Partners, Scott Baker, Scott Schultz, Jason Jacobs, Bill Peace, Christen Sauer, Alice Wiesner, and Mark Rankin. You all helped me so much on the bike this past year. The hours and miles you spent riding with me was amazing. I can’t thank you all enough.
My bike mechanic: Henry Dapper. My bike never looked or felt so good than it did for this race. I won’t let anyone else work on my bike. Henry is the best! By the way, my bike is 13 years old. I absolutely love it and I’ll tell everyone out there, you can buy the new and the best equipment, but you still have to have the engine to run it. I passed a ton of people on $5,000 and $10,000 bikes in this race. It’s all about the person riding the bike, not the bike itself.
Running: Well, the running club is amazing. It’s impossible to name all of you who helped me this past year, but you all know who you are. The beginner run club, you all are amazing as well. Those second run workouts increased my weekly mileage without injuring me and your personal dedication to begin running inspired me more than you can know. Especially Paul Blinn and Jamie Bandzak who haven’t given up this year. You two kept me going so much these last couple months. Kevin Recker, Bob Stanionis, Sarah Antal and Jeremiah Friday for getting me through my long Friday morning runs. The Sunday morning group, Sue Moury, Rick Colonello, Jillian Lavelle, Heather Healey, Avery Lawson, Kathie Blinn, Jen Do, Daryll Tieken, Nicole Khoury, Jason Jacobs and Janet McDonough and so many more. The Thursday morning group, Deb, Phil, Bob, Jeff, Angie, Chris, Jim, Sam, Wils, Diane, Toni and a bunch of people I already mentioned. Thanks for spending your Thursday mornings with me.
My doctors, Ken and Steve Pennell (chiropractors), Dr. Ryan Kaufman (ART Therapy), Dr. Thomas Tyma and Dr. Susan Manzi. (Rhuematologists)
My sounding board, the people who kept me going when I didn’t want to go anymore. Scott Baker, Tom Murray, Jason Jacobs, Scott Schultz, Lori Piedmont, Rick Becker, Lisa Myers, Scot Whyte, Jeremiah Friday, Jillian Lavelle, Sarah Antal, Janet McDonough, and Deb Gallagher. When I needed to whine, you all were there to listen and to keep me going. Your support this past year and your tolerance of my paranoid state at times was amazing. Thanks so much.
My massage therapist, Chris Zumie. She kept me healthy and relaxed through all my training.
Renae Wilson and the staff at the YMCA for allowing me to use the spin bike and add classes so I could get the time in I needed this past year. The instructors, Laura, Jen C., Jen R., Tammy, Andrea, Kelly and Lisa who in some way this past year either subbed for me or let me hop into one of their classes so I could get the time I needed on the bike or the time off to race throughout the summer.
My fan club who made the trip to watch the race. Mom and Dad Baker, Jeremiah, Jason, Jillian, Mike, Barb, Elijah, Jessie and Summer and most off all, Scott and Zachary.
Looking back, I can honestly say there was never a time when I wanted to quit, I never got out of my focus of why I was there and what I needed to do that day and I never felt just horrible. Everything came together perfectly. The training was way harder than the race was mentally and honestly, the marathon was just another marathon. Other than being a bit tired, it didn’t feel any different than any other marathon. In fact, it was much easier than finishing the 2008 Boston marathon with a torn paraformus. To this day, the 2008 Boston Marathon was harder on me mentally and physically than the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman was.
I think one of the questions most people ask is what did you give up or sacrifice the most during your training? I would guess the biggest sacrifice would be time with my family. I did what I could to make sure I did my workouts at times that didn’t interfere too much with family time, but it was virtually impossible. Missing Zachary at Karate was probably the toughest. My Mom would take him to karate for me most weeks. I also missed weekend mornings and early afternoons with Scott and Zachary. I also sacrificed sleep. Sleep is something I desperately needed and hardly got. I averaged 5 to 6 hours a night and it simply was not enough time for the training I was doing. I pretty much gave up on all housework. Thankfully Scott helped with all of that. I just never had the energy to clean after a day of work and exercise. And one of the strangest things that I just never found the time to do was to get my hair cut. My friend Chris came to my house twice, early in my training to trim my hair, but the last 5 months of my training, I didn’t even bother. All the chlorine, endless washing from multiple workouts in a day, always having it in a ponytail, basically destroyed my already damaged hair. I simply gave up and figured I would deal with it after the race. Aside from that, I basically did what I’ve always done. I continued to work, volunteer for numerous events and charities, organize races and fundraisers, spend time with family and friends and I even helped to coach Zachary’s Cross Country Team this past season. I have to say that it is possible with the support of your family and a strict schedule that you can continue to live your life and train for an Ironman and do well in it.
So again, thanks to all of you. If you weren’t mentioned here, it doesn’t mean you weren’t important in my training. All of you in some way inspired me or helped me along the way and I appreciate that more than you could ever know.
In the words of John Mellencamp, “My family and friends are the best thing I know, through the eye of a needle they’ll carry me home.” You all have carried me home and to the finish of an Ironman. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
