I am half an Ironman...my tale of success and pain

[kagoscuba 0]

This last Sunday I put all of my winter training to the test at IM Florida 70.3. The following is some random tidbits/thoughts concerning the experience.

Friday I fly from fog, rain and 55 high degree temps in NJ. I take my $50 hit from Jet Blue for my bike box and relax in my exit row seat. Land in Orlando, get outside, and get stopped by “the wall of heat.” Wow…that was a shock to the system. Get bike assembled and eagerly await registration the next day.

Got to WDW at 9:00, as I was getting Zipp 404’s put on my bike prior to bike check-in. I figured I’d try them for $145 before laying out $2200 on them, if I ever do. There is just something odd about paying more than twice as much as my bike cost just for wheels. Registration opened a little early, and I was in, done, shopped, bike checked-in, and on the bus by 10:45. The worst goodie-bag I’ve ever received. Nothing but advertisements and a poster. Now, the finisher medal, t-shirt, and hat were nice, so I’m guessing that’s where the goodie-bag money went. Spent rest of day relaxing and hydrating. I did a little walk around Downtown Disney too but nothing too exciting to see. In bed by 9 p.m. for my big day ahead.

Sunday, 3:30 a.m. I had my blackberry alarm set, regular cell phone alarm set, and a wake-up call from the hotel planned. I was NOT missing my HIM due to not waking up. J I had some Red Bull, banana, some Shot Bloks (4 pieces), and Gatorade for Breakfast. It seems I should have had a lot more. By 5:00 I was set up in transition and just milling around with my own thoughts. It was a good morning for me. I felt relaxed, refreshed, and I found the extra-secret porta-potty location. I’d say where these two where, but I promised an oath to 2 other guys there I would not divulge their location ever. I’ll give a hint though. I spent some time in the tent closest to them after the race.

As race time got nearer, all of the athletes started moving into the area of the swim start, and as the sun broke through about 6:10, I could really start to pick up the excitement of the group. Everyone gave a big cheer as the pros went off at 6:20. I was in the 11th wave, so I had some time to chill. I laughed with a fellow triathlete, as we noticed the pro men on the final set of buoys right around the 20 minute mark. We just chuckled about how far behind THAT mark we’d be at 20 minutes.

Beep, beep, beep, the sound of my wave going through the swim start, the first time I really heard the music, and it just amped me up. Clearly focused, ready to go, and off we went in a big roiling mass of humanity. I think there may have been a couple hundred meters of this entire race where I did not look up every 5 strokes in order not to hit someone or find a way through people. The boats at the buoy turns REALLY compressed the field into a small area, which I found a little irritating. I kept to my plan of keeping it RPE 2 and not trying to PR the swim. It worked, as I left the Water more refreshed than I ever have for my other 2 tris. Time: 43:43

T1 was just a calm relaxed experience, as I took my time and made sure everything was in order…on the bike and my nirvana. This was the most fun I’ve had on a bike, since I was a kid. Flat, barely any wind at first, and lots of people to pass. I was having so much fun I wasn’t following my plan to eat and drink A LOT MORE. I drank 2 bottles of Gatorade and 2 bottles of water for the entire ride. I did not drink enough for the bike ride, much less to compensate for swimming and running. I knew I was in trouble when my left quad gave the twinge of a cramp at about mile 45, when I stretched it out to full extension for a planned stretch. While cycling, my legs felt great, and I did not think I ever got into anything approaching RPE3+ except on the minor bumps they called hills. I felt like I could have gone full IM distance no problem, but Houston, there was a problem. Time: 2:47

T2 was just like T1. Oh, except…on to my run and my own personal Hades. A quarter of a mile into my run I felt the first full cramp of my left quad. I kept on running, and at the ½ mile point my calf had joined the party. By the time I got to the first mile marker I was done running for the rest of the day. I just didn’t know it yet. I started walking thinking, “I’ll just get some liquids in me and I’ll be fine.” See, I did not feel like I was over-exerting myself. My breathing was fine….I just had very crampy legs. When I’d try to shamble/run the legs would hurt but not too bad and then cramps would hit, and I’d have to walk again. This is when I started getting mad at myself and say things to myself like, “Well, if you aren’t going to run, at least walk a little faster, ‘kitty-cat.’” So, in the “savannah” portions of the run, I’d get about 20 feet to the left of the main running trail and just try to power-walk my way forward. I was frustrated, embarrassed, and nothing I did seemed to help, as far as getting more fluid/fuel into me. The first loop was quickly coming to an end, and I gamely tried to run through the crowd-lined part. Second loop was a repeat of the first, except I was no longer running in spurts very much. The third loop was just reaching deep inside and gutting out a long day. I don’t know if it was heat, dehydration, hunger, exhaustion, or a combination of all of the above, but by the time I got to mile 12, I was in a very bad place. I started having visual issues where the foliage around me would suddenly lose its color and get brighter, kind of like when you adjust the brightness of a TV. In addition the edges of my “perceived world” were getting indistinct, and I had clear moment of thinking, “you are in trouble, get to the finish line…now.” Again, I tried to use the crowd to egg me on to run, but it was 2-3 steps at a time, then the cramps would hit. I could not look up from the ground, and when I hit the chute I could feel everyone’s energy and hear their words of encouragement, but it wasn’t enough for that “happy moment” at the finish line. I walked/staggered across, and I was escorted over to the medical tent for 15 minutes of Gatorade and relaxation before I felt good enough to walk over to transition. Time 3:21 total time 7:02:01 Missed my secondary goal by 0:2:02

I was sitting in transition trying to get my gear back in my bag while my legs spasmed uncontrollably. I decided to call Lauren and tell her I was done, so I lay down completely flat and gave her a call. She asked how I felt, and I replied, “I feel great for finishing, and I’d like to cut my legs off now.” A guy standing next to me heard me say this and chuckled a bit.

All in all an outstanding experience. I know where I messed up, and I’ll be back to correct those and be better. Thanks everyone here for your support. I thought of you during those long hours on the run/walk, and it definitely helped to propel me forward. Pain was temporary, but I’m a finisher forever. J

[MacMadame 81]

I'm so impressed you've done a HIM. I'm going to do one in the Fall and I'm a bit scared about it.

I'm also impressed with your time ... I know people who run the 1/2 mary who take longer!

[Ceradad 10]

Great job Kagoscuba. I applaud your tenacity. I attempted a sprint tri last Aug. I found out I am just not a swimmer. No matter what, it just isn't in the cards for me.

I am going to maybe try some duathlons. And, of course, running.

But, I love the fact that you kept going no matter what. It's great to see how far some of us have come in such a short time.