DAYS TO IRONMAN ARIZONA: 0 |
Volume 1, Issue 3 May 2005 |
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IRONMAN RECAP
What a day! I think what I will remember most are all the family and friends that came to experience the event. It was a blast. Overall things went smoothly and we learned so much about what it means to do an IRONMAN Triathlon. The unknown was the toughest part. I suppose any time you do something that you've never done before it gets in your skull a little. Then throw in the grand scale that is IRONMAN and it can be a little tough to stay calm and focused. Once the race got going our bodies responded and the months of training took over. Per the advice of our coach we took things very conservatively and were rewarded with two respectable finishes in our first IRONMAN. It was a long, difficult day but our preparation was solid and we felt pretty good afterwards. Ironically, the worst lasting affect I had is something that everyone has experienced…sun-burn! I did not re-apply sunscreen after the swim which was pretty silly considering it saved me 30 seconds in a race that took me 12 hours and 14 minutes to complete! So my back got scorched where the shirt did not cover me. That darn sun-burn is still itchy and sore! My legs and the rest of my body recovered in 2-3 days and I actually did my first run six days after the event. Tara was about the same, but without the sun-burn. We attribute a fast recovery to good preparation. We'd heard of some IM athletes that take months to recover from the event and have to stop training altogether. Since swimming, cycling and running are such a big part of our life-style we did not want to be in that shape. The experience of actually doing an IRONMAN is hard to describe. You train so long and hard for months…And then the race comes and you just do it. There was pain, but mostly just execution of the day to reach the finish line. We never considered not completing the race, it was only a question of how long it would take!
IRONMAN RECAP Q&A We thought some frequently asked questions and answers might be a fun way to convey more about the day so here goes…
Q: Was it what you thought it would be? J: Yes, for the most part. We knew it would be a long hard day to finish 140.6 miles! T: It was that and more for me. I didn't think I would be able to focus on anything for 13:55 straight! The physical effort it took I think I was pretty much mentally prepared for.
Q: Are you happy with how it turned out? J: Thrilled! We learned so much and finished an IRONMAN. It was such a fun experience and having so many family and friends share the day was just awesome. T: Yes, very much! I felt like it changed me, my family and friends all for the better. Going through the day really changes your perspective on what you really can do if you commit to it.
J: Definitely (and maybe sooner than expected)! T: Hell ya! IRONMAN for us isn't an event as much as it is a lifestyle. You either love it or hate it. For us it was so fulfilling.
Q: How were the conditions? J: Brutal. The winds gusted up to 35 MPH. 56 miles of the bike was into a stiff head-wind. The wind did not let up on the run either. There was a high pollution advisory in Phoenix that day and our lungs felt it. The wind also kicked up so much dust and pollen that I struggled with allergies / breathing T: BRUTAL! Worst part of the conditions for me were on the bike. It was a mental grind to do 3 loops knowing you were going to face those terrible wind gusts each loop.
J: The swim was not as bad as we feared, but we did get kicked and hit. Not intentionally, but clocked none-the-less. It's hard to see and there are so many people around you it's just inevitable. No bloody noses or black-eyes though! T: I was overall really happy with the swim. I had a few moments of “Oh my gosh” when I looked up and saw the masses of people around me.
Q: How did it feel to finish? J: Relief, joy, satisfaction and pride are the primary emotions that I felt. It means more as time passes than it did at that moment for me. T: Extremly proud and blessed to be able to participate. Some people think doing such an event is border line crazy but once you experience it you realize it is a priledge. I waited for the day to be announced an IRONMAN for a long time!
Q: Did you ever consider dropping out? J: Nope. It's funny how your mind can simply focus on a task at hand. I was out there for 12+ hours and I only thought about executing my race strategy the whole time. T: Absolutely NOT! NEVER!
NOW WHAT? So you've finished an IRONMAN and you're in the best physical shape of your life. What's next? Hmmmm, let's consider this in the form of a multiple choice: A. Grab the Doritos and hit the couch for some major T.V. time
Answer: (If you haven't already guessed) is E. There is a method to our madness and believe it or not we thought it through very carefully. Believe me, it's a big commitment that we fully understand. Option B is high on the list, but we figure we've got just a bit more time on that one! So, without making it too big of a deal we're going to do IRONMAN Wisconsin in September. That will make one Marathon and two IRONMAN finishes in one year! We're pretty excited already because this IRONMAN is only 45 minutes from Tara 's home town. It will be fun to be near her home-town and hopefully we can coerce more family and friends into fan support for IRONMAN #2. When Mary Jane ( Tara 's Mom) heard about this she said (in typical mom-like fashion) “So is this going to be a regular thing”?! Well, not exactly. Triathlon is a life-style for Tara and me so it's always been a “regular thing” to us. Racing IRONMAN is pretty major so we figure we'll wrap up the year and then really start to simmer down. We'll probably start seriously working on option B from above. But for now, we've got one more mountain to climb!
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