The title of this post comes from a book of the same name written by Kara Douglass Thom which compiles various experiences of "first encounters with the ultimate endurance event."
I read Thom's book a year ago before signing up for IRONMAN Florida, and the thesis of her book is simple.
There are plenty of triathlon books out there that can help you become a triathlete, help you train better and race faster. But very few will tell you what it feels like--really give you the dish on what goes on inside a triathlete's head.
This is my race report of IRONMAN Florida 2013 which I finished in 14 hours, 42 minutes, and 39 seconds on Saturday, November 2, 2013 in Panama City Beach, FL. This is what it "felt like" to me as best as I can recall. It was a perfect day, and a perfect result for me. Everything I hoped it would be (but not more), because I had high expectations and dreams!
The IRONMAN has been around for 35 years now, so most people are at least vaguely familiar of its reputation as a grueling challenge of endurance. The specifics, and their origin, which may not be so familiar are that it consists of an open-water swim of 2.4 miles, immediately followed by a 112 mile bike ride, which is immediately followed by a full marathon of 26.2 miles. Participants begin at 7am and are allowed 17 hours to complete the 140.6 miles giving finishers the goal of making it by midnight. As you can imagine the finish line is the place to be! Excitement builds throughout the night as the final finishers trickle across the line to raucous cheers of support from family, friends, and fellow finishers.
The IRONMAN originated in Hawaii in 1978 in the mind of U.S. Navy Officer John Collins, and Thom explains the reason for the particular distances and athletic disciplines of the IRONMAN:
He organized an event that combined all three of Honolulu's endurance races: the Wakiki Rough Water Swim, a 2.4 mile open-water swim, the Around Oahu Bike Race, a 112 mile cycling race that originally spanned two days, and the Honolulu Marathon, 26.2 miles of running. Fifteen men competed in the original Ironman race on February 18, and at the end of the day twelve called themselves ironmen.
The only glory these 15 had at the time was a homemade trophy made by Collins the night before in his garage consisting of an "ironman" made of bolts and a nut symbolizing the head with a hole in it. How fitting! But even more vain-glorious than that was Collins' promise:
Swim 2.4, ride 112, run 26.2. Then brag for the rest of your life.
I don't know about the bragging part. It seems once people know you finished an IRONMAN, they do the bragging for you! This is the way it should be, I guess.
IRONMAN Florida 2013 (IMFL) was special for me and others for many reasons. Any major endurance event you do for the first time will be epic, but IMFL2013 seemed to have a little extra. For starters, the day before the race (Friday) was a double-red flag day for swimming in the Gulf which means NO SWIMMING. You can imagine how nerve racking that can be for almost 3,000 participants who have waited and trained for a full year in preparation for this one day!
I chose to volunteer for IMFL2012 so I could sign up the following morning on site before all remaining slots go up for grabs online. So, a year ago, this year's race sold out in record time online in a matter of moments. That's a long time to wait just to have your swim cancelled and the IRONMAN turned into the world's longest duathlon! I would not have participated had they cancelled the swim portion, so, for me, it was all or nothing. I would have settled for a few days at the beach with the family, but fortunately for us all, the weather broke just before sunset Friday night, and Saturday was perfect!
IRONMAN Florida 2013 (IMFL) was special for me and others for many reasons. Any major endurance event you do for the first time will be epic, but IMFL2013 seemed to have a little extra. For starters, the day before the race (Friday) was a double-red flag day for swimming in the Gulf which means NO SWIMMING. You can imagine how nerve racking that can be for almost 3,000 participants who have waited and trained for a full year in preparation for this one day!
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| $5.99 on Kindle |
I probably slept for an average of 4, maybe 5, hours a night, Wednesday (at home), and Thursday & Friday in FL. Usually, you want two nights before the race (Thursday in this case) to be a good night's rest, but this event meant so much to me it wouldn't matter. I told my friend Jennifer, a fellow triathlete, 2013 cycling beast, and a great supporter at the race at body marking (where a volunteer writes your race/bib number on your arms and legs with a magic marker) that I could have missed sleep all week and it would not have mattered. I was ready! And it didn't. In fact, I slept only 4-5 the night after the race and drove back home Sunday!
I knew of a half dozen, or so, fellow triathletes who I had trained with over the summer would be doing the race, but it was great to see so many who were perhaps volunteering for next year's race or race crew support and coaches for other triathletes at the race: My friend, I mentioned, Jennifer Bell, Dana DeBardelaben, Carrie Wilson & Jay Hawkins, and Eric Doehrman. Fellow triathletes included Clayton Warden and Dianna Cioppi whom I had the privilege of training with and running my first marathon in 2011. Aye! How could I forget my friends from Long Course Training Camp in Scottsboro? My roomate at camp Sid Hoyt and new friend Jeff Irby. I finished just 45 seconds behind Jeff, but never saw him all day!
While I'm at it I would like to thank my immediate family for their support, especially my wife for not killing me for being so uptight the day before the race and my Mom who went with us and for her help watching our young children. I promise there will never be another first Ironman to fret over! Whew...
Friends back home were absolutely the best! Most of the time vested in my relationships is on FB, and the support there was unbelievable, and I would NEVER want to do without it. Ed Blalack, the first IRONMAN I ever knew personally really knows how to make you feel special keeping track of many of us throughout the day posting updates. Dennis Mix, David Rawlings, Ray McKelvey, and many, many others whom I have come to rely on their support on a weekly basis gave words of encouragement. I am very thankful for them all!
Friends back home were absolutely the best! Most of the time vested in my relationships is on FB, and the support there was unbelievable, and I would NEVER want to do without it. Ed Blalack, the first IRONMAN I ever knew personally really knows how to make you feel special keeping track of many of us throughout the day posting updates. Dennis Mix, David Rawlings, Ray McKelvey, and many, many others whom I have come to rely on their support on a weekly basis gave words of encouragement. I am very thankful for them all!
...Meanwhile, back at the race. While Mom is staying at the condo with the kids, Laura was helping me get body-marked, my nutrition and bike ready at transition, and my wet suit on at the beach. The sun rose only minutes before the pro start at 6:50am, so most of this race morning prep was in the dark! It's 6:40am. Okay, I think I have everything...Wait! My sunglasses that I will need for seven hours on the bike and 6 hours on the run are on top of my head! And transition closes in five minutes!
So, I run against the grain of all the athletes heading out of transition toward the beach. I make it to my bike gear bag and put my glasses in! Whew...We had checked in our bikes, run gear and bike gear the day before on Friday between 10am and 3pm. And, oh, did I tell you that's when the heavy downpours of rain came? Yep. And as my luck would have it, the day before the race, I got to the bike check in before the rain and with no line! (That's not the "my luck" part).
Then, the volunteer would not let me check-in because I forgot my race number stickers on my bike! I had to stand outside the gate while the check in line grew, call Laura and have her drive back to the condo to get my stickers. 30 minutes, no problem, right? Wrong! Here Comes the Rain, Again. And it was not "falling on my head like a memory?" Or whatever, Annie Lennox says in that 80s song! It was soaking me while the check in line grew to a hundred yards! And let me tell you, I had a few "new emotions."
Of course, all ended well with Laura arriving with my bike decals and I got checked in, but not without some serious IM drama! Also, I got to see some friends while standing outside the check-in gate trying to look cool. Dianna Cioppi and her husband Marco and Jake Watson.
Back to the beach I go running barefoot, dressed like a seal about to jump into the ocean!
The Swim Start of IMFL2013 was epic!
Here's the pic.
I don't think I really need to say anything more:
So, I run against the grain of all the athletes heading out of transition toward the beach. I make it to my bike gear bag and put my glasses in! Whew...We had checked in our bikes, run gear and bike gear the day before on Friday between 10am and 3pm. And, oh, did I tell you that's when the heavy downpours of rain came? Yep. And as my luck would have it, the day before the race, I got to the bike check in before the rain and with no line! (That's not the "my luck" part).
Then, the volunteer would not let me check-in because I forgot my race number stickers on my bike! I had to stand outside the gate while the check in line grew, call Laura and have her drive back to the condo to get my stickers. 30 minutes, no problem, right? Wrong! Here Comes the Rain, Again. And it was not "falling on my head like a memory?" Or whatever, Annie Lennox says in that 80s song! It was soaking me while the check in line grew to a hundred yards! And let me tell you, I had a few "new emotions."
Of course, all ended well with Laura arriving with my bike decals and I got checked in, but not without some serious IM drama! Also, I got to see some friends while standing outside the check-in gate trying to look cool. Dianna Cioppi and her husband Marco and Jake Watson.
Back to the beach I go running barefoot, dressed like a seal about to jump into the ocean!
The Swim Start of IMFL2013 was epic!
Here's the pic.
I don't think I really need to say anything more:
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| Epic Swim Start Pic found by Clayton Warden |
This thing needs to be a painting on my wall! I'm jealous that Dianna chose it as her cover photo on FB. It rocks!
Believe it or not, the rest of the day was typical, Florida beautiful. High scattered clouds, 70 degree temps, and very little wind.
I finished the swim in an hour and thirty eight minutes. Yes!
I swam very little this past summer, so I was ecstatic with this time. The swim is a two-loop course, so you get to exit the water at 1.2 miles and walk a short distance before re-entering and swimming the same loop again. It thins out, but not as much as I had thought it would. People were always cris-crossing in front of me and I'm sure I was too, because some guy pushed me at about mile 2! We both kind of stopped and looked at each other. It was weird, but we both just kept swimming after that. The only fear I had in addition to being eaten by a shark, was a cramp in my left hamstring after rounding the final turn at about mile 1.9.
I swam very little this past summer, so I was ecstatic with this time. The swim is a two-loop course, so you get to exit the water at 1.2 miles and walk a short distance before re-entering and swimming the same loop again. It thins out, but not as much as I had thought it would. People were always cris-crossing in front of me and I'm sure I was too, because some guy pushed me at about mile 2! We both kind of stopped and looked at each other. It was weird, but we both just kept swimming after that. The only fear I had in addition to being eaten by a shark, was a cramp in my left hamstring after rounding the final turn at about mile 1.9.
I hugged the buoy too close (with everyone else) and feeling some of the swinging arms and elbows and kicking legs caused me to draw up and my hamstring cramped. So, here I was thinking, Alright! I just made the final turn. It's a strait line for the beach now, but no. No, now I have a cramp a half mile from shore! What will I do on my bike for 7 hours if this cramp doesn't subside? All this is going through my mind, and I may get eaten by a shark at any moment!
I managed to kick and relax away the cramp and swim into shore. It was never a problem the rest of the day! It taught me a lesson about respecting the 2.4 mile distance, however. A special treat was awaiting me at the swim finish. I thought Laura would have to return to the condo to help Mom with the children, but she stayed for the entire swim! She gave me a shout out as I exited the swim inflatable and what a boost! I went into the first transition (T1) feeling great.
I sat down in the male only tent on a folding chair with my bike gear bag and put on my helmet, gloves, and bike shoes. I also changed the lenses in my sunglasses from yellow to dark when my nose pieces fell off! I managed to stay calm. They had to be right there...and they were. I felt victorious. I did not panic thinking about seven hours on a bike with no shields. I exit T1, get passed the mounting line and there's Laura again! Cheering me on. It made me feel great.
What's unbelievable is that one of my race photos has me smiling just after seeing her with Laura in the background looking at me smiling. Very special. A one second window for that pic to be taken and it was!
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| Laura in the white shirt had just cheered me on! |
When I exited the water, as you can imagine, I was relieved. For an entire year, I had thought about the possibility of getting eaten by a shark! My wife had this children's CD in the car that my son, Brett, always wants to listen to every time we go anywhere. One of the stupid songs is, "There is a shark and he's looking for you..." Good grief. Not to mention the other CD she bought recently at Kid's Market for two dollars: "Clark, Clark, The Toothless Shark...Never smiles till after dark."
And then there's that stupid shower mat in our bathroom with a shark on it I have to see every time I bathe! And have you ever tried to check The Weather Channel two weeks before swimming 2 1/2 miles in the ocean? Good luck not seeing some Great White on their page pop up every fifteen minutes! Yeah, I think you could say, I was relieved to be out of the water...
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| Stupid Shower Mat I Had to Look At Everyday |
The bike portion of the race took me 7 hours 20 minutes which was longer than I anticipated, but the main thing was to get started on the marathon with plenty of time. It's strange to tell people how relieved you are to start a marathon! Especially, at 4:15 in the afternoon! But I was.
On the bike, there was a headwind heading due north out of town before turning right for a while. The only rough part of the ride was at miles 50-60. The bumps in the road made me angry but I got over it. The long trudge from miles 60-80 with a head wind were not fun, but I tried to think how lucky I was to be doing an IRONMAN on such a beautiful day!
I cruise back into town hauling it. It was mine, and everyone's fastest leg, but it felt great to be going my fastest at the end of a 112 mile bike ride. I round the corner on South Thomas Drive and there's Rick Greif cheering everyone on! That made me feel even better while pulling up to dismount with no problems. I get off my bike grab my run gear bag and head back into the changing tent.
IMFL Volunteers rock. One gentlemen helped pour out my bag for me and asked me if I needed anything else. They tell you exactly where to go and what to expect. In all the haze and confusion you really do need someone to take you by the hand it seems.
I exit transition with chaffing on my neck from the swim and other volunteers are there with sunscreen. I say "My arms and my neck!" The lady saw the chaffing and acted like she didn't want to put it on there. Lady, I'm becoming an IRONMAN, I thought. Give me the sunscreen! She was right. It burned. So off I go, neck burning and hoping my GPS run watch says "Ready" at the start of the run. Luckily, it did so I press start. And I made it. I'm on the run with plenty of time to finish. I can walk the marathon if I have to, but no worries, it was a great run!
For about a mile or two the run support is unbelievable. People everywhere cheering you on. Ringing cowbells and cheering your name (that's printed on your run bib). The run is a double loop which I love and flat which I really love! Six miles and some change out, six miles back. Do it twice and YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! It was great. I got to see the sunset at mile 8.11. I'll never forget it.
I crossed the finish line at 9:42pm and Laura was on the north side of the finish chute, again! I can't believe I saw her with all the raucous! It was perfect! She had my IRONMAN visor I told her to bring with her to the finish that I dared not wear before I finished. I told her that putting it on would be the second thing I did after finishing. The first was kiss her. Or somebody... I think it was her.
I crossed the finish line at 9:42pm and Laura was on the north side of the finish chute, again! I can't believe I saw her with all the raucous! It was perfect! She had my IRONMAN visor I told her to bring with her to the finish that I dared not wear before I finished. I told her that putting it on would be the second thing I did after finishing. The first was kiss her. Or somebody... I think it was her.
After the race I felt like a million bucks and we went out to eat at Longhorn where I had steak and lobster guilt free! Then on to the condo to see my babies! What a wonderful experience my first IRONMAN was! I plan to do many more IRONMANs if they Lord wills, but I will never do Florida again. It was too perfect, and besides, "There is a shark that is looking for me..!"
Thanks for reading! I know I left out many friends who supported me before, during and after the race, but I want YOU to know how grateful I am for YOUR support!
THANKS AGAIN!
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