Gosh, where to begin…all these thoughts and emotions are running through my head after this weekend. Hmmm, well, everything is tired and sore…but the tally….2 toenails will be lost, but no broken bones…I think I will survive!
This will be a rather long report, because there is a lot I want to share…so get a cup of coffee, and I hope you will all enjoy.
THE SWIM: All that I can say about this was I was a nervous wreck!! I was scared to do this swim. I ended up getting really sick 2 weeks ago and found myself in the hospital, so I never did get in my long swim and I had only swam up to 2 miles once the whole year!! So….my strategy: patience and keep calm.
I said my goodbyes to my dad, Tony and Ray and headed down the ramp with Phil, who tried to calmly tell me to imagine myself on a warm beach with a Pina Colada…I laughed through nervous tears…the water and the chop scared me. Entering the water was like being herded cattle and was slow..they barely got everyone into the water when the cannon went off. I found myself in the back, but as I merged with the crowd when the swim started…pardon my language, but I got the S@#* beat out of me. People hit me, kicked me and that was enough to piss me off…so what did I do…I focused on my kick, arms, and got a little aggressive and tucked in behind a guy going my speed…ahhh the draft was great…up to the first turn, then the waves hit! Heading back on the first loop was hard…the draft was still enough to pull me along. Then the turn for the second loop, and all I could think was “one more time!! Man this is long!!” I ended off going off course because the waves were strong and I was kinda following another swimmer who was doing the same thing…realized that I was off course when I saw the kayak, so I made my way back to the pack and got back into that draft. The way back on the second loop went faster than I thought…I just kept watching the terrace and telling myself “your arms are not tired, kick more, keep relaxed and keep your eye on the boueys” Finally the big bouey appeared, and I knew I would make it, turned into shore and took a lot of swallows of diesel water..yum!!
I think my smile was the biggest it has ever been when I got out of that water!! I chatted with the wetsuit strippers, and then took off for the ramp. Saw Ray and Tony up the ramp and gave them hugs…the day for me had begun…I was out of the water and alive.
In transition, I got into my very warm outfit of shorts, a singlet and arm warmers…that would be enough…you warm up on those climbs right??? Out the change room, with a quick hello to my dad and off I go to Verona.
THE BIKE...THIS IS WHERE HELL FREEZES OVER…LITERALLY:
So, the bike started off ok...it was raining, but hey, it was only supposed to be 30% so it wouldn’t rain all day, right??
I was a little chilly but not bad. By the time I hit the highway, I was warmed up, HR only 130 so I kicked into a harder gear and got the HR up to 140 ( a BIG mistake now…I realized my HR was not high because I was so cold!!) When I got to Verona and started the first loop I felt fine, but I was having trouble shifting. That’s when I realized that it wasn’t my gears but my hands!! They were so cold I couldn’t shift…my legs were numb and I knew I was pedaling in a much harder gear that I should have been…but hey, I kept telling myself maybe it’s just cause I tapered…..Finally stopped at Mt Horeb to go to the bathroom, refuel, and then took off…that’s when the shivering began and I couldn’t shift at all with my left hand. I prayed to get to Cross Plains safely…When I got there, Dan was the first one I saw and he gave me his jacket..THANKYOU!! I didn’t stop for much time there, just enough to get the jacket and take off and warm up…saw familiar faces and that was such a boost…thankyou Aaron, Liz, James etc…it was such an encouragement…Immediately I felt better, but warming up also brought my HR up and I realized I was way too fatigued for my first loop of hills…I took it down a knotch because I knew things were just going to get harder. The cheering on the hills was wonderful though and I felt like I was in the TDF. My spirits were still high and I was looking forward to my rice krispy square at the special needs. Going through Verona was a blast…the cheering and spectators were awesome!! And I got my rice krispy square…then on to loop two.
LOOP TWO…LET THE MIND GAMES BEGIN….Everyone told me there would be lows and high’s during the IM, so I was prepared…but not that prepared. I kept telling myself this was the last time I would be doing the loop so enjoy it, but the rain started coming down harder and the section from Mr. Horeb to Cross Plains was very difficult for me…I was fighting the mental demons…When Cross Plains arrived, I stopped…told Deanna and Joe I just needed a little rest and rejuvenation. Bridget was there at that time, and I was very excited to see her….she is one of those people who I see as the toughest and if she tells me I can, I know I can…The first words out of her mouth “Erin, I was so worried, for you and I am so proud of you” at that time, I knew I would have to finish the bike, or be hauled off by the medical staff. So, Nurse Ruth, my inspiration and the one who has taken care of me this season got me a pair of gloves, a dry shirt, warmed my hands….oh, and Karin fed me brownies…what a great aid station. THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU!! I took back off on the bike, tired, but determined…The rest of the way to Verona was challenging because the wind had totally picked back up, but I knew the hardest was yet to come….heading back to Madison.
THE FINAL 12 MILES…I am not ashamed to say I cried…I was tired, drained and pedaling into a headwind only doing 10 MPH with pelting rain. I knew it was not just me when I looked up and there was an endless stream of bikers in the same predicament. I passed a guy on a lightspeed with a disk wheel…all you could hear was the “whoosh, whoosh” and an eerie silence, everyone was suffering. The thing that kept me going was the picture of my uncle I lost to cancer 2 years ago that I taped to the bike…he was going to get me through this, I knew in his own way, he was there with me. When I finally made it back into Madison and saw the terrace, I was relieved, but also worried, I didn’t know if I had enough left to do the marathon….
Up the ramp I went and who was there to great me? Tony Orlando…Coach Tony, the one who listened, gave support and was there for me and others throughout these past 9 months of training. I couldn’t afford a coach, but Tony is just as good!! He took my bike and I just said “I had such a hard time out there, I don’t know if I can do it” and he said “It’s ok, it’s behind you …now go do what you are best at…you will be an Ironman” so I headed to the change room.
Dad was waiting for me in there…he was obviously a little shaken up seeing me like that, shivering and beat down. I gave him a hug and he teared up a little, asked me if I was going to do the run….now, my dad asking me rather than telling me, that’s a whole other universe….so stubborn me goes “Dad, I have 7 hours, I will walk the whole thing if I have to” and that was that.
Into the change room…I looked like a war zone, or the TV series Mash, people wrapped up, shivering…3 people had been pulled and were warming up. OK, logical thing to do, get out of wet clothes and into warm dry running clothes. A volunteer came and helped me out. I was in dry clothes but still cold….the only way I was going to get warm is to run…I know my body, unless I start moving or drink coffee, I will stay cold. So, I wrapped myself in those foil blankets, and got a garbage bag over myself and headed out the door. I popped 2 immodium as I know I would have problems with the tummy otherwise. My hands were swollen up like little balls and I was bloated like crazy…too much sodium in the cold weather…I had never practiced my thermolytes in cold weather. Tony was waiting outside for me shouting encouragement. I picked up the feet and started to run…
THE RUN…THE FINAL FRONTIER…MIND OVER BODY…
I have never had my body behave like it did on Sunday during the run…and it scared me. I started out ok…up to mile 6. I tried to keep a relaxed pace, much slower than I had ever expected to run, but my legs wouldn’t go faster. That was a huge mental aspect for me, being a college runner and always being able to pull it together, this was the first time I couldn’t, it was mentally demeaning….It took me until mile 8 when I resolved to start walking as my HR started spiking on me and my breathing became labored and I started feeling lightheaded. I was sticking to Gatorade, but my belly had bloated out…I literally looked 3 months pregnant…I took another immodium…I saw Jon Parr out on the run and he looked very strong, but unfortunately missed a lot of the other CTC members
When I hit mile 9 and started heading back to the capital, I started to pull it together mentally, I told myself as long as I make it to the half-way I would be ok, I could walk it and still finish in time….The most surprising thing was my arms were just as sore as my legs, I didn’t expect that. At mile 12 I was plugging along when who did I see?? Joe and Deanna!! Yah!! Familiar faces. I stopped to talk with them and that just really improved my mental state. I then carried on and found Dan Lee, Aaron and Melonie heading up to the capital…yeah, more support, this was awesome!! I told them I had to get to the top of the hill to get my second rice krispy square from my special needs. I managed to actually run up the hill…picked up my bag and didn’t even bother with the dry shirt as I was soaked and going to remain soaked….so I just took my rice krispy square in its plastic baggy. Heading around the turn around, I saw Tony….all I could say was “sorry, I will have to walk most of the rest” and he said “No worries, you are going to finish” One thing I realized at that point of time is that..this is silly, why am I apologizing? Time doesn’t matter right now…finishing in one piece does….so off I go…
LOOP 2, THE STREAM OF GLOW STICKS
Loop 2 was probably the longest, loneliest and hardest mental challenge I have ever faced. I also realized the simple things that I appreciate. I was able to keep up running if I walked for a few minutes in between to keep the HR down, but my body was physically telling me “NO, you should be done for today” I had to keep running a bit though to stay warm or else I started to shiver. So what did I do to take my mind off of the nasties…well, the stream of glow sticks was pretty entertaining. I was really excited when I got mine. I discovered that coke gives you a pretty good high for 2 miles..and that broth really is as yummy as they say it is. Soggy pretzels taste good too. Seeing Mark on State Street was another high of my second loop. I asked him if he could teach me Chi running…he chatted with me for a bit and then informed me only 6 more miles left when I thought I had over 7! The big lamps that they had to light up the paths made cool shadows of all the people. I also realized at the aid stations that some of the volunteers were just as bad off as us, shivering, cold, but smiling. That’s when I realized I would smile and make the best of the remaining race. I was able to run almost a mile and a half and then walked until I had 3 miles left…at that point I knew I was going to make it, the volunteers informed me it was 9:30
One thing I forgot to mention is that I had angel wings on. It is a tradition for me and always makes me and others smile. It also compliments the Team 4 uniform pretty well, even when soaking wet.
I managed to score myself another glow stick on the way back in to the Capital…It is kinda hazy for me to remember…I remember hearing the crowds with one mile to go, I remember walking back up the hill to the capital, telling the spectators I promised to run into the finish when I got to the top. I started to run when I hit the special needs section, turned the corner and the cheers were soooo loud and the lights almost blinding. I saw the finish line clock, reading 15 something and I knew I had finished in time. The volunteers strung out a finish tape for me…I saw people in yellow jackets lining the finish shoot and in the middle cheering was Tony…he was my catcher. I raised my hands, crossed the line…and did what we were told not too, but fell into Tony. He caught me, I was crying….there was a big camera in my face…then I asked for my dad. Tony pointed to the back of the finishing section and there was my dad, crying. Tony got him let into the finish shoot so I could get my hug and a picture taken with him. At that point in time, I was shivering, Tony handed me a bag and dad was smart enough to have picked up my stuff and loaded it into the car. We made a quick exit, and as much as I wanted to stay, it was good I didn’t as I would have found myself in a hypothermic state and having serious issues. At the car I quickly changed into dry clothes and we went back to the hotel. I got in the shower, then the stomach issues hit, I was hurting for a little while…swollen, bloated…but not dehydrated, which has always been the issue for me this year. I called my mom, sister and Gregory to let them know I was done…there was a lot of relieved family members. I guess I was so with it all I could say to my sister was “guess what? I got a glow stick”…not, “I am an IM”
The night was restless for me I was sore and still am. Haven’t really slept a full night yet, but I am sure I will. The whole experience is kinda overwhelming for me. I decided to do and IM to conquer some mental demons, face scars from the past and grow as a person. All of which I think I have done. I have also had the pleasure to meet and train with some wonderful people, all of which have influenced me in one way or another. You know who you are…whether it be the “you can do it” the long training rides, the checking in on me, the advice etc…you have helped me in more ways than you know. Thankyou….and THANKYOU to all the volunteers on Sunday…we couldn’t have done it without you!! Those were horrible conditions, yet you still smiled and encouraged us.
OK, sorry for going on and on…but there is so much to share, a tone of which I have not written, so I hope you have enjoyed…Until next year…yes, I am planning on IMFL, to accompany my loyal training partners, Phil, Ray (who could’nt do IMOO this year due to illness, but whom supported me and kept me going throughout the race on Sunday) and hopefully Tony.
This will be a rather long report, because there is a lot I want to share…so get a cup of coffee, and I hope you will all enjoy.
THE SWIM: All that I can say about this was I was a nervous wreck!! I was scared to do this swim. I ended up getting really sick 2 weeks ago and found myself in the hospital, so I never did get in my long swim and I had only swam up to 2 miles once the whole year!! So….my strategy: patience and keep calm.
I said my goodbyes to my dad, Tony and Ray and headed down the ramp with Phil, who tried to calmly tell me to imagine myself on a warm beach with a Pina Colada…I laughed through nervous tears…the water and the chop scared me. Entering the water was like being herded cattle and was slow..they barely got everyone into the water when the cannon went off. I found myself in the back, but as I merged with the crowd when the swim started…pardon my language, but I got the S@#* beat out of me. People hit me, kicked me and that was enough to piss me off…so what did I do…I focused on my kick, arms, and got a little aggressive and tucked in behind a guy going my speed…ahhh the draft was great…up to the first turn, then the waves hit! Heading back on the first loop was hard…the draft was still enough to pull me along. Then the turn for the second loop, and all I could think was “one more time!! Man this is long!!” I ended off going off course because the waves were strong and I was kinda following another swimmer who was doing the same thing…realized that I was off course when I saw the kayak, so I made my way back to the pack and got back into that draft. The way back on the second loop went faster than I thought…I just kept watching the terrace and telling myself “your arms are not tired, kick more, keep relaxed and keep your eye on the boueys” Finally the big bouey appeared, and I knew I would make it, turned into shore and took a lot of swallows of diesel water..yum!!
I think my smile was the biggest it has ever been when I got out of that water!! I chatted with the wetsuit strippers, and then took off for the ramp. Saw Ray and Tony up the ramp and gave them hugs…the day for me had begun…I was out of the water and alive.
In transition, I got into my very warm outfit of shorts, a singlet and arm warmers…that would be enough…you warm up on those climbs right??? Out the change room, with a quick hello to my dad and off I go to Verona.
THE BIKE...THIS IS WHERE HELL FREEZES OVER…LITERALLY:
So, the bike started off ok...it was raining, but hey, it was only supposed to be 30% so it wouldn’t rain all day, right??
I was a little chilly but not bad. By the time I hit the highway, I was warmed up, HR only 130 so I kicked into a harder gear and got the HR up to 140 ( a BIG mistake now…I realized my HR was not high because I was so cold!!) When I got to Verona and started the first loop I felt fine, but I was having trouble shifting. That’s when I realized that it wasn’t my gears but my hands!! They were so cold I couldn’t shift…my legs were numb and I knew I was pedaling in a much harder gear that I should have been…but hey, I kept telling myself maybe it’s just cause I tapered…..Finally stopped at Mt Horeb to go to the bathroom, refuel, and then took off…that’s when the shivering began and I couldn’t shift at all with my left hand. I prayed to get to Cross Plains safely…When I got there, Dan was the first one I saw and he gave me his jacket..THANKYOU!! I didn’t stop for much time there, just enough to get the jacket and take off and warm up…saw familiar faces and that was such a boost…thankyou Aaron, Liz, James etc…it was such an encouragement…Immediately I felt better, but warming up also brought my HR up and I realized I was way too fatigued for my first loop of hills…I took it down a knotch because I knew things were just going to get harder. The cheering on the hills was wonderful though and I felt like I was in the TDF. My spirits were still high and I was looking forward to my rice krispy square at the special needs. Going through Verona was a blast…the cheering and spectators were awesome!! And I got my rice krispy square…then on to loop two.
LOOP TWO…LET THE MIND GAMES BEGIN….Everyone told me there would be lows and high’s during the IM, so I was prepared…but not that prepared. I kept telling myself this was the last time I would be doing the loop so enjoy it, but the rain started coming down harder and the section from Mr. Horeb to Cross Plains was very difficult for me…I was fighting the mental demons…When Cross Plains arrived, I stopped…told Deanna and Joe I just needed a little rest and rejuvenation. Bridget was there at that time, and I was very excited to see her….she is one of those people who I see as the toughest and if she tells me I can, I know I can…The first words out of her mouth “Erin, I was so worried, for you and I am so proud of you” at that time, I knew I would have to finish the bike, or be hauled off by the medical staff. So, Nurse Ruth, my inspiration and the one who has taken care of me this season got me a pair of gloves, a dry shirt, warmed my hands….oh, and Karin fed me brownies…what a great aid station. THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU!! I took back off on the bike, tired, but determined…The rest of the way to Verona was challenging because the wind had totally picked back up, but I knew the hardest was yet to come….heading back to Madison.
THE FINAL 12 MILES…I am not ashamed to say I cried…I was tired, drained and pedaling into a headwind only doing 10 MPH with pelting rain. I knew it was not just me when I looked up and there was an endless stream of bikers in the same predicament. I passed a guy on a lightspeed with a disk wheel…all you could hear was the “whoosh, whoosh” and an eerie silence, everyone was suffering. The thing that kept me going was the picture of my uncle I lost to cancer 2 years ago that I taped to the bike…he was going to get me through this, I knew in his own way, he was there with me. When I finally made it back into Madison and saw the terrace, I was relieved, but also worried, I didn’t know if I had enough left to do the marathon….
Up the ramp I went and who was there to great me? Tony Orlando…Coach Tony, the one who listened, gave support and was there for me and others throughout these past 9 months of training. I couldn’t afford a coach, but Tony is just as good!! He took my bike and I just said “I had such a hard time out there, I don’t know if I can do it” and he said “It’s ok, it’s behind you …now go do what you are best at…you will be an Ironman” so I headed to the change room.
Dad was waiting for me in there…he was obviously a little shaken up seeing me like that, shivering and beat down. I gave him a hug and he teared up a little, asked me if I was going to do the run….now, my dad asking me rather than telling me, that’s a whole other universe….so stubborn me goes “Dad, I have 7 hours, I will walk the whole thing if I have to” and that was that.
Into the change room…I looked like a war zone, or the TV series Mash, people wrapped up, shivering…3 people had been pulled and were warming up. OK, logical thing to do, get out of wet clothes and into warm dry running clothes. A volunteer came and helped me out. I was in dry clothes but still cold….the only way I was going to get warm is to run…I know my body, unless I start moving or drink coffee, I will stay cold. So, I wrapped myself in those foil blankets, and got a garbage bag over myself and headed out the door. I popped 2 immodium as I know I would have problems with the tummy otherwise. My hands were swollen up like little balls and I was bloated like crazy…too much sodium in the cold weather…I had never practiced my thermolytes in cold weather. Tony was waiting outside for me shouting encouragement. I picked up the feet and started to run…
THE RUN…THE FINAL FRONTIER…MIND OVER BODY…
I have never had my body behave like it did on Sunday during the run…and it scared me. I started out ok…up to mile 6. I tried to keep a relaxed pace, much slower than I had ever expected to run, but my legs wouldn’t go faster. That was a huge mental aspect for me, being a college runner and always being able to pull it together, this was the first time I couldn’t, it was mentally demeaning….It took me until mile 8 when I resolved to start walking as my HR started spiking on me and my breathing became labored and I started feeling lightheaded. I was sticking to Gatorade, but my belly had bloated out…I literally looked 3 months pregnant…I took another immodium…I saw Jon Parr out on the run and he looked very strong, but unfortunately missed a lot of the other CTC members
When I hit mile 9 and started heading back to the capital, I started to pull it together mentally, I told myself as long as I make it to the half-way I would be ok, I could walk it and still finish in time….The most surprising thing was my arms were just as sore as my legs, I didn’t expect that. At mile 12 I was plugging along when who did I see?? Joe and Deanna!! Yah!! Familiar faces. I stopped to talk with them and that just really improved my mental state. I then carried on and found Dan Lee, Aaron and Melonie heading up to the capital…yeah, more support, this was awesome!! I told them I had to get to the top of the hill to get my second rice krispy square from my special needs. I managed to actually run up the hill…picked up my bag and didn’t even bother with the dry shirt as I was soaked and going to remain soaked….so I just took my rice krispy square in its plastic baggy. Heading around the turn around, I saw Tony….all I could say was “sorry, I will have to walk most of the rest” and he said “No worries, you are going to finish” One thing I realized at that point of time is that..this is silly, why am I apologizing? Time doesn’t matter right now…finishing in one piece does….so off I go…
LOOP 2, THE STREAM OF GLOW STICKS
Loop 2 was probably the longest, loneliest and hardest mental challenge I have ever faced. I also realized the simple things that I appreciate. I was able to keep up running if I walked for a few minutes in between to keep the HR down, but my body was physically telling me “NO, you should be done for today” I had to keep running a bit though to stay warm or else I started to shiver. So what did I do to take my mind off of the nasties…well, the stream of glow sticks was pretty entertaining. I was really excited when I got mine. I discovered that coke gives you a pretty good high for 2 miles..and that broth really is as yummy as they say it is. Soggy pretzels taste good too. Seeing Mark on State Street was another high of my second loop. I asked him if he could teach me Chi running…he chatted with me for a bit and then informed me only 6 more miles left when I thought I had over 7! The big lamps that they had to light up the paths made cool shadows of all the people. I also realized at the aid stations that some of the volunteers were just as bad off as us, shivering, cold, but smiling. That’s when I realized I would smile and make the best of the remaining race. I was able to run almost a mile and a half and then walked until I had 3 miles left…at that point I knew I was going to make it, the volunteers informed me it was 9:30
One thing I forgot to mention is that I had angel wings on. It is a tradition for me and always makes me and others smile. It also compliments the Team 4 uniform pretty well, even when soaking wet.
I managed to score myself another glow stick on the way back in to the Capital…It is kinda hazy for me to remember…I remember hearing the crowds with one mile to go, I remember walking back up the hill to the capital, telling the spectators I promised to run into the finish when I got to the top. I started to run when I hit the special needs section, turned the corner and the cheers were soooo loud and the lights almost blinding. I saw the finish line clock, reading 15 something and I knew I had finished in time. The volunteers strung out a finish tape for me…I saw people in yellow jackets lining the finish shoot and in the middle cheering was Tony…he was my catcher. I raised my hands, crossed the line…and did what we were told not too, but fell into Tony. He caught me, I was crying….there was a big camera in my face…then I asked for my dad. Tony pointed to the back of the finishing section and there was my dad, crying. Tony got him let into the finish shoot so I could get my hug and a picture taken with him. At that point in time, I was shivering, Tony handed me a bag and dad was smart enough to have picked up my stuff and loaded it into the car. We made a quick exit, and as much as I wanted to stay, it was good I didn’t as I would have found myself in a hypothermic state and having serious issues. At the car I quickly changed into dry clothes and we went back to the hotel. I got in the shower, then the stomach issues hit, I was hurting for a little while…swollen, bloated…but not dehydrated, which has always been the issue for me this year. I called my mom, sister and Gregory to let them know I was done…there was a lot of relieved family members. I guess I was so with it all I could say to my sister was “guess what? I got a glow stick”…not, “I am an IM”
The night was restless for me I was sore and still am. Haven’t really slept a full night yet, but I am sure I will. The whole experience is kinda overwhelming for me. I decided to do and IM to conquer some mental demons, face scars from the past and grow as a person. All of which I think I have done. I have also had the pleasure to meet and train with some wonderful people, all of which have influenced me in one way or another. You know who you are…whether it be the “you can do it” the long training rides, the checking in on me, the advice etc…you have helped me in more ways than you know. Thankyou….and THANKYOU to all the volunteers on Sunday…we couldn’t have done it without you!! Those were horrible conditions, yet you still smiled and encouraged us.
OK, sorry for going on and on…but there is so much to share, a tone of which I have not written, so I hope you have enjoyed…Until next year…yes, I am planning on IMFL, to accompany my loyal training partners, Phil, Ray (who could’nt do IMOO this year due to illness, but whom supported me and kept me going throughout the race on Sunday) and hopefully Tony.