I am writing this with my left leg elevated and swollen with snow on the way. To think, only 3 days ago at this time I was on my bike riding A1A in the Florida Keys. As the song says, "Sunny and 75". At 12:01am New Year's Day 2013, our journey to Bone Island Full Ironman Triathlon started. I say "our" journey because as the year and training progressed, you realize how much your entire family is committed. The months of training, the early mornings at the pool while Linds got Riley ready by herself, the 4+ hours Saturday and Sunday workouts, the postponing of house projects, the "I'm sorry Riley, Daddy is too sore to carry you", and the falling asleep at 9pm effects the whole family.
I am not fast. I will never qualify for a Kona slot with the top age-groupers. I race to challenge myself, for the community, and for the love of triathlon. It is hard to describe to some. The idea that racing for hours sounds crazy to most. A few years ago, it sounded crazy to me too.
Race morning, standing on a palm tree lined white sand beach watching the sun break over the ocean was emotional. What a blessing to be standing here! God is good! One of the athletes lead the invocation, then the national anthem played. Over the noise of the generator, Eminem is pumping from the speakers, "if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted. one moment would you capture it or just let it slip?" The air horn blasted and we were off. The swim was 2.4 miles in the ocean. The water was a crisp 68 degrees, but was crystal clear. This was my first time swimming in water that cold and it took a good 30 minutes before my breathing got into a rhythm. Once I got comfortable in the temperature it was just a matter of swimming to the finish. I am more of a sea turtle than a dolphin when it comes to swimming. Slow and steady, but I always get there. I exited the water at the end of Higgs Beach Pier, removed the wetsuit, and put on my bike gear. The bike course was 112 miles starting with a few miles to get off the island of Key West and then two loops down A1A to Middle Torch Key, then back into Key West. The temperature was perfect. There was a headwind the way out on both loops of the ride, but I was able to hold a steady pace. The bike course was open to traffic, which was heavy, and the road surface was pretty rough in sections. I saw several riders changing flats. Thankfully on this day, my ride was uneventful.
Back in Key West, the final leg was a 3 1/2 loop run course for 26.2 miles. The first loop was not too bad. I felt good and my pace was decent. By lap 2, my legs started to give out. My pace slowed, the bottoms of my feet were blistered, and my shins were throbbing. I never thought about not finishing, however my goal quickly shifted to putting one foot in front of the other. That is when I heard a car horn and saw Linds yelling out the window. "You got this, I love you!". This was a push right when I needed it. 7 miles later with 3 miles to go, Linds and Forest were on the side of the run course waiting for me. They "ran" with me the last 3 miles. As the finish line came into view, I burned the last bit of energy I had to run as fast as I could across the finish line.
The folks at Setup Events put on a great race. I would recommend this race to everyone. The volunteers were great, the aid stations were good and well stocked, the police were super nice, and the locals were very supportive.
Reflecting on this journey, I learned a lot. I learned what I am capable of and that anything is possible. I learned that I am blessed with the best support system in the world! The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. Hearing that people have been inspired by my journey is exciting. So many of us work desk jobs and finding endurance racings has provided me more energy, a way to release stress, and a reason to be active. I am looking forward to continue racing and challenging myself in triathlons and endurance events. If I never get 1st in my age group or qualify for Kona, I will not be disappointed. There may always be someone in front of me, but as long as I know I left everything I had on the course, I was successful.
