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Most Emotional Moment
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Was reading some race reports and it got me thinking about the most emotional moments people have in endurance sports.

Mine was an odd moment during the last 3 or 4 miles of my 1 and only 100 mile run. I realized the music from my headphones couldn't take the pain off my feat and then also realized that my multi-month journey was going to be over. That was satisfying and crushing at the same time. I'll never forget that.

So many reasons that drive us to go for the extreme. What were those thoughts going through your head when you were in the grips of what would become some proud moments. Please share your thoughts:
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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My wife completely melted down when she qualified for Kona. But the meltdown was ten times worse leaving the energy lab...
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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I generally push pretty hard on IM runs, so the end is generally emotional. It also gets me a bit when I set an unexpectedly big PR. First race was 12:43 where I was hoping to finish in 14hrs. In the following years I took off 1hr 11mins, 30 mins, 30 mins, 47 mins. Every time I hit a PR like that I thought "this is it, my greatest feat," thinking it was a fluke or perfect day and that I'd never be able to replicate it. But out of all of those, my last one was the most emotional. In my mind, 10hrs was a magical barrier that I wouldn't be able to hit with my body. With a PR of 10:30, perhaps in the next few years I could hit 10hrs. At 28, with consistent training, maybe one day in my 30s when I'm at my peak I could hit 9:45. Well at my last race when I was on the run, I knew I was in the 10hr range if I can get close to a run PR but didn't keep track of transition times and didn't remember my exact swim time so I didn't know how close. Dug deep and matched my run PR (within 3 seconds). Looked at the finish time board and saw 9:45:xx. I lost it then and there. Good day.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Piche] [ In reply to ]
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I was emotional when I finished my only half last year. It was 134 days after I had a crash and broke my shoulder (clavicle and coracoid). I was so greatful to my surgeon, PT, and everyone that had helped me get to that point relatively quickly. It was not the time that I had wanted (but pretty much the time that I expected), but it was fantastic and overwhelming that I was able to do it at all.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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SwiftRunner wrote:
Was reading some race reports and it got me thinking about the most emotional moments people have in endurance sports.

Mine was an odd moment during the last 3 or 4 miles of my 1 and only 100 mile run. I realized the music from my headphones couldn't take the pain off my feat and then also realized that my multi-month journey was going to be over. That was satisfying and crushing at the same time. I'll never forget that.

So many reasons that drive us to go for the extreme. What were those thoughts going through your head when you were in the grips of what would become some proud moments. Please share your thoughts:

A whole bunch in 1 race. It was my 1'st ever win and my older son's 1'st adult duathlon.

Before the race I was questioning whether I should have let him race.

The bike was out and back with rolling uphills going out with some steep sections and then the opposite coming back. On my way out I kept thinking - "I shouldn't have let him race" and after the turn the thoughts kept getting worse until we cross each other on the steepest climb (for him) and decent for me and he is smiling ear to ear. Terrible feeling to awesome feeling. The rest of the race I was on cloud nine knowing I made the right decision letting him race. Crossing the line 1'st made it that much nicer.

A bit later, I was talking with one of the race volunteers and we hear "We need support - we have a young racer who crashed on the bike". All I could think was it was my son and the volunteer noticed the look on my face and said "don't worry - its not your son, he passed the section a little while ago." Needless to say, those 30 seconds where the extreme low and high of my racing. The "crash" turned out to be very minor and the young racer was not really that young.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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First time qualifying for Boston after narrowly missing on a few previous attempts (this was a few years back when you just had to hit the time threshold in order to get in).

Last IM where I had recovered from multiple injuries/surgery after a major bike crash 9 months prior. Completely lost it in the finish chute, some poor volunteer must have thought I was a basket case.



"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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1996 Day 10, Florida phase
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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When I swam my first NQT (National Qualifying Time) in Masters Swimming. It was the culmination of a relentless year long process that saw me go from 232 to 172 lbs, and go from getting winded walking a flight of stairs to being able to break 6:00 in the 500y free and 2:10 in the 200y free.

From there, I hammered myself in the pool for another 5 months with the goal of finishing top 10 in AG in the 400m free at Summer Nationals. I missed by 0.49 seconds :o. Injuries and illness hampered my ability to work as hard for the next couple seasons, but 3 years later I finally parlayed a perfect 9 months of health and a well executed training plan into a 5th place in the 1000y free at Spring Nationals. That was a close second.

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [mike s] [ In reply to ]
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mike s wrote:
1996 Day 10, Florida phase

I haven't been there, but I know guys who have and understand exactly what you're talking about.

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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On the couch staring at the ceiling in the hours after finishing my first triathlon in 1983, thinking what am I going to do with my life now? I'd graduated from college two months earlier. I've done a lot of races and training since that have been filled with emotion, but that's the moment that sticks in my head.
Last edited by: Mark Lemmon: Apr 11, 19 6:47
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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First IM finish last October in Louisville. I was overwhelmed with joy that I was finished and that all the work I put in paid off. I saw my wife and shed a few tears. I didn't shed a tear at our wedding though haha.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Climbing up past the brewery on Lap 1 of the run at Ironman Lake Placid 2017. My wife and I had fundraised over $12,000 for the Adirondack Medical Center's New Life Center in the name of my late son, and the weight of all of that, missing him terribly (he would've been just short of two on race day), and just seeing a friendly face finally, I bawled for the next mile and change. Close second would be at the finish of that race.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Not mine, but the first thing to pop to mind: Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig just after the Tour of Flanders.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Vineman IM 2001, the bike course was 2 loops, had to go up Chalk Hill twice. To this day I don't know how big that hill really is, but the second time up (around mile 92 or so) I was all alone, not another rider or spectator in sight, and the hill felt just so fucking enormous and I really had to piss, but I knew in my soul that if I got off the bike to pee I would never get back on it because I was hurting worse than I ever had in an athletic endeavor before and there was nobody there to encourage me to saddle up again, and the depth of my self-pity was bottomless knowing I had to find the will to ride another 20 miles by myself with wasted legs and a full bladder and then run a goddamn marathon.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Got off the couch with no fitness in my mid 30's and started training/racing. It quite literally changed my life. It changed how I felt, how I spent my time and to a large degree who my friends were. I did my first Ironman in 2001. At that time they handed out race recap videos on VHS tapes. I will always associate the songs they used in that video with that first IM. One of those songs was Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones.

Fast forward 15 years and I'm in Kona on a lottery slot. About 30 minutes before the race I was ready and found a place to sit and collect my thoughts. I started thinking about where I started and everything I had been through to get to that point. Then, Right Here, Right Now starts playing on the PA system. I kind of lost it. Here I am a grown ass man in his 50s sitting against a fence with tears streaming down my face. Some guy walked by and saw me and seemed to recognize the moment. He held out his hand and wished me luck. I will never forget that moment.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Thom] [ In reply to ]
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That's freaking awesome. Thank you for sharing.

@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Mine was at the finish line of my 13th Ironman, which was also the first time I've ever cried or even gotten emotional during a race. Number 13 was special because it was my first time returning to the sport after a forced break due to a serious illness during which I thought I might never be able to finish an IM again. I had a tough day with lots of setbacks due to my illness, but the fact that I was able to finish made me feel like I had returned to my "normal."
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Iron Dukie] [ In reply to ]
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First, great thread idea!
I decided one season to kind of go all in for mountain biking, had just moved up to elite (locally) was training super hard, faster than I had ever been, lighter, the whole bit. And yet it just never came together on race day. ALL YEAR. Broken chains, flats, crashes, illness, you name it. 2 weeks before the last race of the season, the team I rode closed down and asked for all our bikes and gear back. Went out and bought a bike on Wednesday, built till 2 am with my best friend, pre-rode on Thursday and then the race was Saturday. There was this big climb, and every time I went up it he was screaming this opening song lyric to one of favorite songs at the time. I ended up passing for the lead with about 3 miles left in the race and holding on for my first "big" win. I crossed the line and dropped my bike and was instantly in the air. My friend must have sprinted the mile or so from the climb he was at, to the finish line and picked me up like I had one the World Series.
Over 10 years later we are still best friends, and even though we are 3k miles apart, still text each other that song lyric before, IMs, job interviews, births of children, it was the closing line of best man speeches ETC.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Piche] [ In reply to ]
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Piche wrote:
My wife completely melted down when she qualified for Kona. But the meltdown was ten times worse leaving the energy lab...


hahaha didnt see the second part of this coming. +1 points


The 1996, Day 10, Florida phase...sounds like the army ranger training school....?
Last edited by: Twinkie: Apr 12, 19 13:25
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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i find that my emotions seem to be heightened when im racing. not quite sure why.

my emotions always tend to come out around the kids cheering on their parents. the first time it hit me hard was my first 5K that i won my age group. there was a mom and small kid (maybe 4 or 5) waiting on their husband / dad to come. i could tell they were looking down the road at about mile 1. the poster the kid was holding said "we love you dad / we're so proud of you".

still kinda gets me in the feels when i think about it.

80/20 Endurance Ambassador
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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I had gotten quite sick with HIV, but with a second chance at life through medications, I committed to changing my life to one of healthy habits and meaningful work.

I started working with a medical humanitarian organization to bring the same medications that saved my life, to people living with HIV in Malawi. I taught myself to swim, and aimed for an Ironman as the epitome of representing my transformation. I invested a lot of emotion in getting to that race. It represented a re-birth physically and to my identity.

A yet-to-be-diagnosed parasite infection in the days before the Ironman meant I couldn't consume liquids or calories during the race. I felt too sick, it wouldn't go down, I just gagged - I made it to about 90km on the bike on a very hot day before I had to lay down in the ditch, in the fetal position, in the shade of a road sign.

I knew I was too sick, too dehydrated, too over heated to finish, but I distinctly remember saying to myself 'you don't know until you try' and climbed back on my bike - I made it about a half mile down the road before blackness engulfed me.

In the ambulance when I regained coherent consciousness and realized my dream had died, I was crushed and I wept.

(A year later I returned and finished the Ironman. Not nearly as an intense emotional experience.)

Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Scotttriguy] [ In reply to ]
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I'm a space nerd. So when 30 seconds before my wave started in Rocketman Triathlon (it took place on the grounds of Kennedy Space Center) someone started playing this over the PA that was pretty neat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7MMYg6piIw
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Crossing the finish line at my first Ironman was pretty emotional. But what takes the cake for me, was having a close to perfect race and finishing 7th OA and finally punching my ticket to kona. I lost it at the finish line. I always dedicate my races to my late dad, and it felt so good to have a great race. There are probably other ways to honour my dad, but racing is the only way I know how
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Winning a road race several years back. I had been the heavy sprinter that couldn't make it over legitimate climbs in road races but had put the work in training. First time over the main climb, I barely hang on gritting my teeth and giving it my all. Second time up the main climb, I chase back on during the descent including having to put my foot down cause someone crashed in front of me. After getting back on to the group, I felt so crappy and demoralized that I almost pulled out of the race. Got my head together and realized that I had spent the last few months focused on winning a race like this, and I had to see what I could do. Made it over with the reduced group the last time up the climb and smoked the sprint by a couple bike lengths. Nothing has ever felt as exciting or satisfying as winning that race. It was small fries compared to other people's experiences, but it was my biggest personal confirmation of hard work and mental persistence that sticks with me to this day.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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The default, of course, finishing my first Ironman. Actually, realizing the moment that I KNEW knew I was going to become an Ironman was the real emotional full-send. It was hard to lock that ish up on the run course. I'm pretty sure my feet didn't touch the ground for those last four miles.

A very close second was making the podium for the first time. It was my third season in triathlon, and I executed a race almost flawlessly, and knew with my time that I had an outside chance at making top ten. Seeing my name in the top three sent shockwaves through me. I walked from the results board back to where my husband was sitting, and my knees just buckled and I put my head in my hands and started sobbing. "How did you do?" he asked, and I couldn't respond. "You made it, didn't you?" and it was all I could do to shake my head yes.

Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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My moment was actually my wife’s. The day after finishing our first race at Kona we were touring the rainforest doing some sightseeing with some friends. At one point I looked over and saw tears streaming down her face. I was still glowing from conquering a goal we had worked so hard to attain so I couldn’t fathom what was wrong. When I asked her what was up, her response was simply “what now?”. I had put so much time and energy into getting here and now that the journey was over she simply didnt know how we procede. As a true hack AG who had a pretty incredible run in the sport, the realization of a dream def leaves questions about where we go from here with a hobby.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Qualifying for Boston as it was quite a journey. I first qualified in spring 2002 with 3:08 and heard (but did not check!!) that the qualifying time is good for 2 yrs. My GF (now wife) qualified later that year. We both then focused on Ironman Canada at the end of August 2003 which went very well for both of us. When the signing up for Boston 2004 opened in September of 2003, wife signed up easily but my my race wasn't on their list!! WTF??? So I contacted Boston and asked them what is happening. As it turns out, the qualifying time was valid for somewhat less then 2 yrs (don't remember now by how much) and basically I am out of luck. Or qualify again ASAP and hope that Boston 2004 is not sold out by then. So I had to find an flat marathon, not too far time vise so I recover somewhat from IMC, not too far geographically so it is easy to get to and rated Boston Qualifier.
The choice was Kellowna Marathon, 6 weeks!! after IMC. The bonus was that I was now in a different age group so my time had to be 3:15:59 or under. The race was in pouring cold rain, the wind had blown off lots of distance markers so it was hard to pace. At half mark I was 2 min ahead which was good as I could now slow down and bad as I was afraid I went out too fast and gonna burn out. Then the cramps started and I had to walk, then stop and stretch and the time was ticking. Then I walked and run and stopped again and wanted to cry and was pissed at everything. Then again started to jog and calculated that I just might make it in those last 59 seconds. Then I stopped again because of cramps and hat do sit down. F.... this all. Then I started to power walk and then to jog and then to run and then stopped again. Somehow I made it to 5 km to go and picked up the pace. Maybe, just maybe with few seconds to go in those golden 59 seconds I might make it. Then I saw my GF and she was hollering and yelling 200m to go, move your ass, go go go, I don't want to run alone in Boston...So I sprinted. Full tilt. One last glance at the watch, 3:15 and change. Fuck it, all or nothing now. Almost there, through the pouring rain I can see the tents at the finish line....now I can see the yellow timer above the the finish line but can't see the numbers...few more meters....I can see the numbers 3:15 and, shit can't see the rest...3:15:45 and finished. 15 seconds to spare and crashing into the arms of first volunteer. A pint of IV and few hot blankets later I recovered a bit. Well yes...I was crying.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Dr_Cupcake] [ In reply to ]
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Dr_Cupcake wrote:
The default, of course, finishing my first Ironman.


I wish I could say that.

Went a little off course in the swim... twice. Swim 10 minutes longer that expected and not just because of the navigation.

Did not have power meter on the bike then. Pushed too hard into an unexpected headwind - got fooled by low speed. Slowed down second half. Was on track for a 6 hour bike split - longer than planned. All was relatively fine until 70 miles in when my feet started hurting really badly. Had to stop every 5-10 miles to take the shoes off and stretch the toes. Yep same shoes as training, and rode 100 miles every weekend for months prior to the race. Hasn't repeated. Bike split 7 hours.

Then got a heavy nose bleed in T2 that took 40 minutes to stop. I'm not prone to nose bleeds.

Then finally got to running and discovered that my knee didn't work too well. Walked 7 hours. Carefully. Knee pain hasn't repeated since. Discovered later that my seat was about 1 cm too high when I built the bike. Maybe that was it.

Finished 11:30 PM. Planned about 6-6:30 PM.

Only good part of my first IM was my lady waiting for me with a backpack full of warm clothes and food something other than sugary race calories. I think she brought a toasted bagel with peanut butter and that tasted sooooo good.
Last edited by: Dilbert: Apr 13, 19 18:04
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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In September 2011 I crashed into a car (on my bike). This event (or rather the resulting TBI) would change my life forever. At the time I had signed up for the inaugural IMMT the next year (2012), which would have been my first marathon as well. The accident's aftermath meant I had to give up my IM-distance plans, and swimming and bike riding altogether, for a number of years. To make up for this, I was going to run a marathon in Toronto in the spring of 2013 (I was even profiled here on the site for that).

And I flamed out. 32km, apparent seizure, ambulance, get out of here kid.

So I decided to can long distance. I was pretty (clinically) depressed for a couple of years, but eventually made my way back on the bike, and later the pool as well, and found I really enjoyed duathlons. But that long distance bug kept gnawing. So fall 2015, after a summer of decent run training, I decide to have another kick at the can and race another marathon, this time in Hamilton, Ontario.

And I flamed out. 32km, what I thought were neurological symptoms (by then I knew I don't have epilepsy). No ambulance but day over.

This time it took me a lot longer, but by early 2018 I knew I had to get that monkey off my back. By now I had a coach, who refused to believe my crashes were caused by neurological problems and said that they were just garden variety bonks, maybe made worse by my TBI. So I spend 6 months running lots, and properly incorporating race nutrition in my training. And I signed up for the other marathon in Toronto in the fall.

I went out way too fast. I ran 4:13/km for about 30km. Then came km 32, and I crashed, again. But this time I *knew* I could finish, even if I had to walk. That it was safe to do so, that I wouldn't hurt myself any further (except my poor quads). So I walked some, and I shuffled some, and by the time km 40 rolled around I was running again. And running in downtown TO, I was overcome by emotion, and I cried for the last km. I think this was the first time since my accident I cried.

I finished in 3:13. About 13 minutes slower than my projected finish time at halfway, and about 8 minutes slower than my goal time. But I BQed with room to spare, and I finished.

Citizen of the world, former drunkard. Resident Traumatic Brain Injury advocate.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Richard Blaine] [ In reply to ]
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You win

That’s mental fortitude to keep coming back and not be defeated. The mind games would have been such a battle
Massive kudos
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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The moment at the UCI Tour de Beauce when my teammate and I found out that he had taken the overall win after we rode the breakaway all day to make up almost 3 minutes on GC. I buried my self all day to make that happen, ended up 5th myself, won the team GC and was part of the first Canadian win at the race in a decade. We didn't know for sure we had won until they announced from the commentary booth so it was a crazy mix of shock, relief, exhaustion and elation.

Professional Athlete: http://jordancheyne.wordpress.com/ http://www.strava.com/athletes/145340

Coaching Services:http://www.peakformcoaching.com/

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Re: Most Emotional Moment [mike s] [ In reply to ]
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mike s wrote:
1996 Day 10, Florida phase

I'm with you, brother. RLTW.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [wimsey] [ In reply to ]
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wimsey wrote:
Vineman IM 2001, the bike course was 2 loops, had to go up Chalk Hill twice. To this day I don't know how big that hill really is, but the second time up (around mile 92 or so) I was all alone, not another rider or spectator in sight, and the hill felt just so fucking enormous and I really had to piss, but I knew in my soul that if I got off the bike to pee I would never get back on it because I was hurting worse than I ever had in an athletic endeavor before and there was nobody there to encourage me to saddle up again, and the depth of my self-pity was bottomless knowing I had to find the will to ride another 20 miles by myself with wasted legs and a full bladder and then run a goddamn marathon.


I live in Santa Rosa and ride the course all the time. The 2019 Ironman is still Chalk Hill twice. It is funny, that Chalk Hill Climb isn't very big but there are 5 turns all that go out of sight to what are "false flats." You think you've reached the top but you haven't, 5 times LOL! Enjoyed reading this, no good place to piss a few miles leading up to that, and you want to capiltalize on the speed after so you still can't pee.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [Kentcart] [ In reply to ]
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Mine happened last week running the Boston Marathon. My 6 year old daughter was at mile 7 and when I saw her I lost it. My 5 year old son was at mile 12 and I lost it then too. They were with other family members but when I saw my children I was glad I had sunglasses on!

If it weren't for them I would have never continued to try and qualify for Boston. I had to show them that when you set a goal you have to do everything you can to reach it. Took me 4 years to qualify for Boston.

I said I never want to run another marathon again but last Tuesday I started researching marathons to run so I can qualify again!
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Turning onto Alii Drive at Kona. Still out of all the spotlights of the finish, but knowing I was that close to finishing. A close second was about 20 minutes earlier when The Sergio came jogging out to find me and the rest of the Portuguese were cheering me on from the corner.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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I do not get emotional about endurance sports but it would have to be IMCDA 2010, my third IM. I've done 14 IMs now, 26 HIMs, and skads of short course, but IMCDA was the only race ever that I thought I truly might die in the swim. I had a full on panic attack with my heart at max just several hundred yards in. I made it around the first two turn buoys and came inside of the rectangle and threw my hand up for a kayak. I hung on for a couple of minutes to calm down then swam the rest of the loop and the next one very easy the whole time thinking of how grateful I would be to exit and take the whatever the rest of the day would bring. No tears, but I was honest to God deeply thankful to see my family at the end of that one.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [HuffNPuff] [ In reply to ]
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There is one local sprint triathlon that got me into the sport, have been doing it since 2014 and my family is always there to cheer me on. Finished 44th overall in the first year and finished first across the finish line last year. It was a cool moment to see everyone there.


I ended up getting 2nd overall because of someone in a wave behind me (6 seconds gap!). I didn't care!
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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It was probably the only time I was in top-3 overall in a small race.

I did 6 Pack Challenge http://www.yukanrun.com/6-Pack-Challenge.html in 2015. Usually there are about 300-500 runners depending on a race.

At one of the races after the first mile I was in the top 10 and then slowly and painfully overtaking other runners.

I wasn't particularly fast, the finish time was something around 1:26-1:28, but in was enough this time. I was not sure about the place, but on the finishing stretch, I heard something like 'Here comes number 3!' from the announcer. All pain disappeared and I don't remember even breathing. Just flying to the finish.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Just tonight. I was lining up on the velodrome rail for a local track race, and there was a junior kid behind me. He was a little nervous, and his dad came up to him, and I overheard him say, "Just follow the wheel in front of you. He's one of the best time trialists there is." A wild exaggeration, just being a masters/amateur competitive at the local level, but it's always nice to overhear unsolicited compliments like that. Also gratifying to used as an example for juniors.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Picking up the special needs bag half way through the run at my one and only IM. I was feeling good and flying through the run. My wife had smuggled a picture of our newborn son into the bag with a sweet note. I cried.

As it turns out I was flying a little too fast on that run and by mile 15 I was negotiating with myself about how much to walk at aid stations. It got ugly but I held onto that picture the whole way.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [trail] [ In reply to ]
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trail wrote:
Just tonight. I was lining up on the velodrome rail for a local track race, and there was a junior kid behind me. He was a little nervous, and his dad came up to him, and I overheard him say, "Just follow the wheel in front of you. He's one of the best time trialists there is." A wild exaggeration, just being a masters/amateur competitive at the local level, but it's always nice to overhear unsolicited compliments like that. Also gratifying to used as an example for juniors.

Nice!! I was known for having a solid wheel and it's always nice to hear.
Which track do you ride?

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Lots of emotional moments. Coming back after being hurt for an entire year and just being able to race had me in tears on the way to T1, Motor cycle escort through my home town, and just crossing the finish line.

But my most "Story" worthy moment was an IM at Whistler. After the finish line I just wanted to go back to my hotel, take a shower, and get something other than gels into my body. I had a very short walk through village to get back to my room.

Still wearing my kit - I was doing the Ironman "walk" that we all know so well the few days following a race. My family was in tow behind me - including my kids. The plaza I had to walk through was full of people.

As I got to the center of the plaza someone started clapping and suddenly the entire plaza stood up and clapped and cheered. I got a standing ovation the entire walk through the plaza. The clapping and cheering was great but the best part was the look of pride on my kids face.

Good times. Kinda makes me want to race again.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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My first Ironman. I trained for 11 hours but had no understanding of nutrition. I didn’t drink much water and could barely walk when I got off my bike. I did manage to power through, after a brief consult with the med tent and finished with a run that was 1 hour longer than my bike.

Disappointing, but I was pretty proud of myself.

The other was my first podium at a reasonably well attended race. (Olympic). An age group podium doesn’t get one in any hall of game, but the race went perfectly and I finally hit my time that is only possible if things go exactly right. (For me, of course).

Dan Mayberry
Amateur a lot of things, professional a few things.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [drm437] [ In reply to ]
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Finishing my first trail 50k July 2017 in a heat index of 115F and seeing my mom there to medal me as I brought it in across the finish. That race and those trails have always been a place of growth and great races, but that one I couldn't help but laugh smile and cry as I gave her a big hug! This was also her first introduction to the trail running/ultra community and as a nurse, but also runner her first observation was "wow, this is a unique and wild community full of comaraderie!"

Fast forward to my first IM in Wisconsin last year, I had the best swim of my life (not fastest, but most focused and strong), embraced the hilly windy bike and of course after grinding through the run my Mom surprised me again with my medal as I came through the arch. She had missed me out on the bike and knew I was struggling on the run, it really hit home when she said I knew you'd be damned not to dig deep and finish this one strong. I had rejected her influence as a runner for so long in the early part of my life and so for her to meet me at the finish of my two biggest races to date brought on all the emotions!

Taking on my first 50 miler in the mountains in October so that is likely to bring a few to rival these! Great thread!
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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I've got a couple big emotional moments, both related to BQ's.


I started running in May 2012 after I got suckered into a 5k with my kids. 5 months later I tried to run a marathon on 3 weeks "training" because it was supposed to be a one and done. Through the 20 mile mark I was somehow on track for a sub 4 hour run with a run/walk strategy but a few minutes later I started crying uncontrollably. It wasn't emotional, just the worst bonk of my life before I knew what a bonk was. I got pulled off the course at mile 23. DNF'ing this race meant I was hooked. I started researching training plans seriously and after a month or so of recovery put a 24 week plan together. 371 days after signing up for that first 5k I BQ'd at the Buffalo Marathon and had lost 80 pounds in the process. About 50 feet from the finish line I threw my arms up in the air and screamed, "I'm going to Boston!" I didn't plan it and was on the verge of falling apart for several miles when emotions took over. I don't know what I expected, it was just a raw reaction to the moment. I look like a maniac in the finish line photo.


By 2018 I had a nice annual Boston streak going when I completely fell apart in the cold/rain on Patriot's Day. I hated the race last year and was on the verge of giving up marathoning entirely. I tried to requalify about a month later and walked off the course at the halfway mark. Marathon's sucked so I spent the Summer focused on finding joy with triathlon and a plan to do a last minute BQ attempt at Erie in September off of a Summer of quality swim/bike/run. 5 days before USAT AG Nats, and 5 weeks before the Erie Marathon, I got side swiped by a deer while cycling 30mph downhill and wound up with a nasty shoulder separation. The day after the accident, enough e coli had incubated in my gut from an open water swim the prior weekend that I couldn't keep any food in me for a week. With 4 weeks to go before the last chance to BQ, I started walking, then jogging and finally running. The weather at Erie last year was absolutely perfect and somehow I got lucky with a BQ right before registration opened. I was fine immediately after the finish, but a couple minutes later it hit me just how freakin' lucky I'd been. Tears started rolling and I didn't care who saw. I walked past a bunch of people on the way over to the shuttle bus, some people gave me funny looks, others just averted their eyes, but I just kept walking. What a relief!
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [SwiftRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Although I’ve had a few of these moments as an athlete (biking 162 miles in 7:32 across Indiana), I’m going in a little different direction.

I coached a 3200 runner who won a state title that we didn’t quite expect. We knew he could podium and possibly be top three. He ran off the shoulders of the leaders until 400 to go.

Boom. He dropped a 60 second closer to win with a margin. I lost it. Tears everywhere. He dropped the biggest damn hammer on them, it was silly.

Then a few years later I had a girls’ 3200 relay team win that I wanted to have win so damn bad I could taste it. Took the lead with 200 to go and held on. I was so nervous for those last 35 seconds or so, I literally get weirded out just picturing it.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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ironclm wrote:
Which track do you ride?

San Diego and Carson!
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [ In reply to ]
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Hate to do this, but this one's going to bring it down from a high.........


I don't do multisport, well, I did do a du recently. More on that in a second.

Either way, I'm about 2 1/2 years into actually training and doing stuff on the bike. Or otherwise. I did a few fondos out of town that were just a fun thing to do. Then I had my first races. A road race, a gravel grinder, another road race, and finally the recent duathlon.

You grow up with different people as your "buddy" you share something with. As a kid, it was my dad. My mom couldn't give two shits for my travelling golf competition ventures. I don't think she ever saw me compete one time. She'd be out shopping with my sister. But dad was there, and that mattered.

My kids are coming of age now to do things, and I'm there with them.

So, over the years, your spouse also tends to become your buddy. Over time though, it's been apparent that despite a great relationship, they don't care much at all for my hobby. Not an active dislike so much as indifference.

This didn't matter much until that du. See, I don't run. But, it's a great off-season bike workout. Great time economy for the aerobic shock to the system. More comfortable being outside running at near freezing than biking at 20mph. I worked my butt off to be able to competently run far enough quick enough that I wouldn't look like the slowest runner ever.

I mentioned that the event was pretty family friendly and a good time of morning for them to meet me out. I mentioned what time I'd probably be done with the first run, and the bike. She mentioned jokingly "oh, we're not morning folks, but that doesn't sound too bad".

For me, I killed the first run. Plenty in tank for later. Bike, the bread and butter, awesome. Second run, also killed it.

Both runs were the fastest I'd ever run in my life, grade school included. The second one hurt real good.

I'm coming into T1 for my bike, and it's probably only 8:30 or so.....so didn't expect to see anyone. I come back and drop the bike off in T2 and look around. Ok, it's about 9:30 now. Head around the loop on the run and out and didn't see anyone. I see the 2mi sign on the way back and know it's time to blip the throttle one last time. I come in where everyone is. Everyone that came out to volunteer and watch were so nice and encouraging. But, I didn't see anyone. I finish, then look around. Imagine Jimmy V running around the court at the Houston win. Nobody. It's ridiculous, but if I had enough salt and water left in me I'd have cried in the car on the way home.

Later, they could see my disappointment and promised to make it next time.
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Re: Most Emotional Moment [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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I’m sorry your family wasn’t there to experience your elation.

My similar story involves parents who could not care less I played and loved field hockey in high school. My mom came for a short while and asked to leave, as it was boring, and my Dad only countered with how I should take up some other sport instead (soccer or cross country).

I had many emotions at my first triathlon, that I signed up for once I had proven to myself I could swim 1 mi in a pool. (I’m an AOS that had developed a sizeable amount of swim anxiety between my youth and starting again as an adult). The 800 m OW swim in water with lots of tall weeds, combined with being swam around by the later waves, had my heart at a red-line and despite having stopped at several kayaks to catch my breath, I could barely stand up by the time I reached shore. “Run!” cheered the spectators as I, dizzy, marveled at this achievement.

I proceeded to pound myself on the hilly bike (that’s my thing) and could barely stand after done so, but pressed through the also hilly 5k run and arrived - heart-pounding, legs and back stinging - at the finish line filled with other racers’ friends and families. This moment was at once one of the highest I had ever been, followed by the emotional crash of having no one to share it with. And I sobbed.


But I kept at it because the high of crossing the finish line is freaking fantastic. And I try to do some of my races now with friends since they “get it” while my S.O. does but doesn’t, if you get what I mean (he’s sat through 3 of my 140.6 races, so is now and forever off the hook).

To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.
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