Thanks to all for the very kind words. To answer some of the questions, I was 5th in my AG - 45 seconds out of 4th, and 1:08 out of 3rd. Had it not been for a calf that was seizing every time I picked up the pace over the last 6 miles, I could have moved up a couple of spots, but thats “coulda, woulda, shoulda” stuff, and everyone is battling something the last few miles! Saturday night and Sunday morning were a roller-coaster of emotions as I waited to find out how many spots per age group. I had talked to 4th place finisher Mark Barnett (a super nice guy from San Diego) after the race, and knew he did not plan to take his spot, so as long as there were 4 spots I was in. I found out Sunday morning at 9 that 4 spots were allocated to M50-54, and then had the longest 2-hour wait of my life to claim that spot. It was a surreal experience when my name was called, as had often wondered if would ever get the opportunity to race in Kona. Team Sanderson was actually a little teary-eyed, and I was overwhelmed by all the support from so many people, including Mark who had come to the roll-down to watch me claim the spot and congratulate me. So I’m thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to race in Kona, and its wonderful to have the spot so far in advance. Now I just have to hope that Team Sanderson punches her ticket in LP next year, where I’ll be racing IM number 15 alongside my daughter, who will be doing her first IM. So for all of you that think you’ll never qualify, stick with it. Keep working hard to improve, and just maybe your dreams will turn to reality as well.
Thanks again to all for all the kind words and support!
