Andrea’s IMC Race Report
Goals: To finish with a smile on my face, take in and enjoy the experience
I actually fell asleep quite easily which surprised me, since I fully expected to be up all night thinking about the race. I did start waking up every 20 minutes or so starting around 130 to make sure I hadn’t slept in. I woke up at 330 and chugged an ensure drink and went back to sleep. I started hearing other wake up calls coming in to the rooms around mine... 410, 413, 417, 420.... and finally my alarm went off at 430. I drank another ensure beverage and got ready.
I dragged my mother and Karl out the door at 515am, and could see the masses starting to walk down lakeshore drive. My tummy was lurching a little, but I was trying to stay calm. I was directed with everyone else to get my body marking and drop off my bags. I hugged my supporters and left them behind while I followed everyone else through the assembly line of bag dropping and body marking. I almost started crying because I was feeling overwhelmed, but then I saw Steve Glavac volunteering and he made me laugh. Much better.
I went straight to my bike as planned, pumped my tires and filled my drink bottles for the day. No major crises and I found Karl and my mom to drop off everything with them that I couldn’t keep in the morning clothes bag. I then did the morning ritual of the bathroom lineup with all the other 2600 athletes. They probably could have used a few more bathrooms, but it went quickly enough. The guy behind me was making me laugh as he discussed the fact that there was likely someone in this never ending line, pretty much crapping their pants because they couldn’t get to the bathroom fast enough. Funny, I felt like that might be me for a minute, but made it in time and felt much better after.
I wetsuited up with some others by my bike then realized I left my body glide in the backpack that I’d passed on to Karl for the day. Oops. I’ve never had any issues with my wetsuit in the past, so I assumed I’d be ok. I managed to get 3 bites of my banana in which in that moment seemed pretty good, so I threw the rest out. The pro’s were starting right away, so I headed over to where everyone was dropping off their dry clothes, and ran into Tracy, Lara, and Trevor so I stopped to talk to them for a minute. I started to get more antsy, so I decided to head down to the water with the rest of the masses. My tummy was all gurgly, but I walked over to the far left as planned, but apparently everyone was also planning on the far left, so I ended up more in the middle. I saw Tara and chatted for a minute, got myself wet, and walked back to halfway back for the anthem. I looked around trying to find my mom and Karl, but I couldn’t see them anywhere. Oh well, maybe they could see me so I smiled.
Before I knew it, off we went. I had fully expected the first 500 m or so to be ridiculous but I was actually finding huge spaces and managed to remain calm and stay in good form right away. I felt good and relaxed all the way to the first buoy, although I seriously could not see that wide white corner buoy. Not a great color or shape to select when there are that many people. I thought we had missed our turn, but figured the masses know best so I followed suit. It was a bit dicey making that turn but I remained calm and was able to get back into a nice rhythm right away. I kept reminding myself that I was doing it... the ironman! I was past the halfway point and was feeling really good... way better than I thought I would. The wetsuit was scraping the back of my neck but I was going to be done soon so I tried to ignore it. Darn me forgetting my body glide in my bag! Made the final turn without too many problems. Got whacked a few times in the last hundred meters or so, but managed to swim until I had two handfuls of sand like Sarah said and I was done. Woo hoo! Checked out my time.. 1:23! Yay! I wasn’t expecting to be coming out until around 1:30 so 7 minutes faster! Good start! It was madness around me but I managed to find some available strippers and I was headed for transition in no time. I was shocked with the volunteer service... amazing people were literally dressing people. I didn’t have much to do except put my watch, shoes and helmet on so I didn’t need much assistance... but they were so nice! I made sure to thank everyone and a guy slathered me in sunscreen on the way out.... off to my bike I go!
The kleenex I stuffed in my bento box just before my race had stuck to my chomps, so my first few I shoveled in my mouth had tissue attached to them. Oh well. Extra fibre I guess. I ran my bike down to the mounting line, and appreciated the advice I rec’d from a tri-lifer the day before. She had suggested I push my bike past the mounting line and get away from the dense crowd around that line... so much better. As Angie said, I apparently looked like Mary Poppins and got right down to business. Ha ha.
I remembered Sarah saying to take it out easy so I did. I met John on the way out and we said hi and off he went. I was a little uncomfortable since there were sooo many people around me which I wasn’t used to, so it took quite a while before I could get down into aero. It all felt good down to Osoyoos, and I managed to get my drink in as planned and more chomps in on schedule. I was finding it warm, and after a couple of hours, the electrolyte drink and chomps starting tasting way sweeter than it ever has in training, to the point where I was feeling nauseous. I picked up water at the aid station and drank that but I knew I had to get my electrolytes and nutrition in or my day would get really bad, really fast. I forced the chomps and drink down and chased it with as much water as i could get my hands on. Richter’s was long and hard, as expected, but the crowds were amazing. Again, I was not really comfortable on the descents since there were so many people around me. Some of the people were flying by in their aerobars whipping down these hills like they were nothing... I felt scared for them.. but they seemed totally at ease. I was being passed left right and center, which at first was frustrating, but then I started looking at each of them as someone I swam faster than and I reminded myself about my goals for the day. This wasn’t about them passing me, it was about me achieving what I had set out for myself.
I was still feeling like barfing and had slowed down on my nutrition schedule which was worrying me a bit. My quads would twinge like they were about to charlie horse on me anytime I stood to get myself up a hill. I slowed down a bit more, and forced the electrolyte drink in. I was wishing I would have brought the salt tabs with me for this portion, instead of putting them only in my run kits. Tabs and water would have been a lot better at this point. I switched to the gels I had in my bento and these sat better than the chomps. Unfortunately, I only had a few gels since chomps had been my faithful training partner and I hadn’t expected them to sit so poorly. I got to the out and back though, and saw Tara on her way out so waved hi. It’s amazing what seeing a friendly face can do for me, and I knew that I was going to be at my special needs bag in a short while, which had more gels in it.
Special needs went well, and the friendly volunteer sprayed me down really well with someone’s fancy sunscreen that had been left behind. I took off my shoe and fixed my sock that had a minor fold in the toe section, but after 120km, the fold felt like a whole extra sock balled in my shoe! Ah! Much much better. The girl and I that had stopped at the same point laughed with the volunteers about getting back on the bike after stopping. But we did and off we went. I was determined to stay with my nutrition schedule even if it meant slowing down for the last section. I was feeling not fabulous, but knew I was getting close to the big descent and soon it would be all downhill from there. I was seriously ready to get off that seat and started to feel sorry for myself a bit. But then this super nice man with a 74 written on his leg came biking by me and we joked around about our sore butts, and he assured me we would be there soon. 74 years old and he’s pushing through... darnit, if he can do it, so can I. I pushed through that last bit, and was so excited to be back in town. There were the friendly faces and cheers of the team tri-life tent that gave me that last push into transition. When I dismounted my bike, both my quads seized up at the same time... at least they were good enough to wait until after I got off my bike. I hobbled past the volunteers and then some angels came and took away that bike and I was whisked away towards the transition tent again.
I could hear interviews with the pro winners and second place finishers in the background and thought how nice it must be to be done already. Only a marathon left... no biggie! ha ha
I changed my focus to the fact that I had finished the swim and the bike of an ironman and only had to get though that run! I still had almost 8 hours to get through it, so even if I had to walk the majority... I should still make it.
Quick pitstop in the bathrooms and off I went. I saw my mom three times in a few minutes, and managed to joke with her about the fact that she seemed to be running around faster than I was. Only 41 km left!
I was passing the tri-life tent before I knew it and Sarah was running next to me checking in with how I was feeling. I told her about the nausea and she gave me some good advice and reassured me that I would make it in long before midnight. Angie was just ahead as well, having sent Lara off with some advice and she was nothing but supportive. I am so happy that I’m part of this team. Even though most of these people have just met me a few days before, their kind words and support are unbelievably helpful when you are starting to get those creeping feelings of doubt. I had made a pact with myself that as long as I could run, I would. If I had to walk, I would. I still felt ok, so I carried on jogging. One aid station to the next. Karl biked up next to me to check in with me. I still felt nauseous and I dropped my bag for him to pick up and carry back for me. I seriously never wanted to see, let alone taste that electrolyte beverage ever again. I happily took my salt tabs with the water at the aid station and managed to get in pretzels. My gels were still sitting ok, and the nausea started to subside... thank god!
Things started to rumble on the other side of the GI tract though and I had to walk a few times, merely to prevent a bad situation from happening in my pants. Gross. That would not be good for the last 25km. I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other, setting my sights on a jersey or shirt in front of me somewhere, and trying to catch up with them. I saw many a tri-lifer heading back the other way and managed to give most a high five. I saw a lot of walking going the other way and the occasional athlete bent over in pain or with nausea. I felt their pain and this made me realize that I had to get those carbs and lytes in or that was going to be me soon. I forced them down at all the aid stations and wanted to hug the friendly supporters that sprayed me down with their garden hoses. ah! so refreshing!
The turn around was just ahead, and I was happy with my progress. I had really only walked the aid stations, the hills and when I thought my tummy rumblings would end badly. That was more than I thought I would run. I grabbed my special needs and refilled my pockets with gels... but I forgot my salt tabs! They must have blended with the bag and I didn’t see them, or even think about them until I was at the next aid station. Darnit! I was not going back though. The nausea had pretty much subsided at this point and thank goodness, it was cooling down out there. I decided to try the gatorade which surprisingly tasted ok. The pretzels were actually fairly tasty at this point and I even managed to down some coke, which in my head sounded disgusting while running, but yum! Sucking back oranges became my vice for the next few stations, and I paused to talk to Shannon from tri-life as I caught up with her. She was also experiencing the nausea so I told her what Sarah and Angie had told me back at the beginning of the run. I wished her well and hoped she would be feeling better soon. Back to one foot in front of the other.
Everything was starting to hurt... that was expected though. My calves that had been giving me trouble all season were feeling great though. My knees were starting to feel sore though, but I kept telling myself "no matter what it’s gonna hurt, but at least if you are jogging, you are gonna get there faster than walking, so get going". It was starting to get dark out but there were still athletes around me. I was with the same group over and over and we started joking with one another to get us through the pain. This girl commented on my hat, a 70.3 california hat and said that was one of her favorite races. I told her I was just an imposter as I borrowed the hat from a friend since I wanted a breathable white hat. She told me I should do that race, and I said I couldn’t quite imagine wanting to sign up for anything, while I was feeling this way right now. We all started laughing and she insisted that we would all forget about this feeling, have temporary amnesia and sign up for something again. I told her that sounds like having a baby, and agreeing to do it again after giving birth....or so I’m told.
I was taking in how beautiful the sunset was and I actually saw a deer right next to me in the brush at the side of the road. Those speedy day runners didn’t get the full nature experience!
I started checking my watch to see how much time I had to make it in. I knew, unless something went horribly awry, I would finish before the cutoff. I was still jogging and the lights of the city were getting closer. Before long, I was back into town. I loved that there were still people out there cheering in their driveways even though it was dark out. I made sure to give each of them a smile and a thank you for their support. Each cheer gave me a little bit more pep in my step. I could hear the music and the voice of Steve King at the end. I walked for a little bit because I was determined to run that last stretch. I got to the corner where I could see the finish line, but followed the other runners down the final out and back. I don’t ever remember Salty’s being that far down, and I passed our hotel and all I could think about was that bed waiting for me at the end of this. Then I’m at the end of the street and there is team tri-life cheering. Angie came and made me laugh about my mary poppins bike style and then nearly made me cry because she told me I was there... I was gonna be an ironman. She left me halfway down to go back and support the others, and my jog became easier. My shoulders dropped and the pain in all my joints seemed to subside. I could see my mom and Karl, and the sounds of the crowds were deafening. I had planned in my head to do something funny like dance across the finish line, but I couldn’t think. I couldn’t break my stride... I just grabbed that finish tape threw it over my head and phew! I was done!
This lovely lady came over to me, popped a medal over my head and helped me hobble down the carpet. I was met by Kelly, another tri-lifer that had finished a few minutes before me. Danny and Cindy were there too, and Shannon joined us a few minutes later. We got our pictures done and I couldn’t stop smiling, well, amoungst the grimaces. My knee seemed to have shut down on my right side. It finally realized it could stop working now that I was done.
15 hours and 16 minutes. It was slightly slower than I thought I would be, but I didn’t care at all. I had done it. One year before, standing there, watching these amazing fearless people making their dreams come true. It was so inspiring! And now I had done it. I felt on top of the world, like anything was possible.
Have I had the amnesia yet and signed up for anything else... well, it’s only been a few days, but I’m sure I’ll find something. I’m gonna bask in the glow for a moment... you only get that first ironman once!
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