IMC 2012
Honesty, respect, integrity
I think I am finally getting a handle on this Ironman thing, to some degree. To understand something about oneself as to why we do this, why we subject our families to participate with us vicariously, and to have people cheer us on for a short 12 second burst at a time, over a race day that may last up to 16+ hours.
We seek out friendship from like minded people. We look for acceptance from people who just get what we are thinking, without being able to express it. And to find love from family who still may not quite understand it, but realize that it is just a part of us.
I took my inspiration for the day from LA’s race report, and modified it a bit to fit me. I set out to have the best day possible, and knew that then the race would follow. I thought that what good is a great race without a better day. Would I sacrifice the day for a great race? Or would I set out to have a great day, and see where the race took me? I achieved a great day, thereby being able to experience a great race with all of its highs and low points in the day.
This inspiration started for me when training started way back in September. One goal was not to sacrifice family at every training session, but rather make training take a back seat if family came before. Each day and week that I put family first was frustrating, because I knew it would play out on race day. Little did I know I was already being prepared to make sacrifices on race day, and learning how to deal with those frustrations back then? By also sacrificing TTL team workouts so I could be at home, reminded me to keep what is most important in the forefront. Not that I don’t like my friends, but what good are lots of friends if you don’t have family for support? We all come from families of some sort, and in the end family is where we turn to. Our family is what we count on at the end of the day. Family lifts our spirits when they show up unexpectedly halfway thru a marathon. Family is what hugs us when we are sweaty and disgusting, no matter the feeling.
So what is a race report without some highlights of the day?!?!?
Being at the start line in Penticton for the 3rd time, and seeing the pre-race jitters from the newbies, gave a sense of calm that would get me a long ways thru my day. Just being able to get ready in a calm fashion, making sure everything was done early instead of panicking at last minute, kept my head in the game from the start. I saw who I needed to see, and wished them well for a long day of spectating and volunteering. For how can we do a race of this magnitude, without a little help along the way. One day we should try and do this distance without any support whatsoever, and figure out how long it really takes to do an Ironman.
The swim: I can’t believe I came out of the water, and even when still in the water, saying to myself that I had a most enjoyable swim. Somehow I did, but I think it was prepping myself to enjoy the swim, not to be panic scared at the start, but to say it was only a short portion of the day. I came out, looked at the clock and said, “I had a better feeling swim than the clock tells me”. The time didn’t matter; I felt that I swam the best I could for that day. And I did it with no regrets.
The bike: 180km bike ride with so many people around, and no one to talk to. We are all on edge for drafting issues. I would love to have been able to visit more without fear of retribution. Meeting a teammate for the first time on the course, and then not seeing her again. Andrea I hope to see you at some point and say more than, “ Hi, we’re team mates but we can’t talk now”. It doesn’t seem sufficient to ride beside someone and say 6 words of encouragement and then move on. Too scared of getting a penalty. What is 4 minutes in the grand scheme of things? I bet that would be a good rest to visit the loo without pressure, and time well spent out of the saddle. Maybe next time I’ll just stop in the penalty box for a visit to thank those volunteers who are only getting a verbal earful.
The run: Jacqui D thank you for getting me thru. You don’t know how much you did to get me going again, to help me make it to the finish line.
Running a marathon with someone for most of the way can be one of the most enjoyable parts of a day. Normally we would focus on foot in front of the other. With someone beside you, it becomes one word in front of the other, and the feet sort of follow along. I don’t know why I was blessed again to ‘pick up’ another lady on a long run and be able to finish a day that became great again. There may be a trend happening for me, I just don’t know why.
Sometimes it feels wrong to share some of things that happened on a run, because the other person involved may think its too private. I just know for myself it becomes inspirational when I think about it. I cannot put the emotion down properly, but it is there HUGELY!!!
We suffered together. We laughed a lot. We talked about anything that came to mind, and somethings that were pretty mindless. We joked with people along the way, and we even laughed at some others, not always in a good way. We felt the hurt of those running behind us, wondering if they were going to make the cutoff. Would they get to the finish line? Unfortunately some of them wouldn’t. We talked a lot more more. We even cried when family popped up out of nowhere. For you by Ok falls, Allen and the boys weren’t supposed to be there. With Mandie & David too, my spirits were lifted to carry on and see this thing thru, by having your support crew out there. And for me at Cherry Lane mall, there’s Yolanda and the kids still waiting at 9 at night knowing we were on the way. Waiting, waiting.The tears flowed again, as they still do now. Oh ya, we even ran a bit together. And then the final push, knowing TTL was at the final turnaround, but who was going to be there? It didn’t matter so much as who, but that there would be people out there just for us.
And finally at the finish, more tears. But this time for us, they were on the cheeks of family. Exhilaration!!! What a finish to a great day.
Thanks Jacqui for being part of making my day a great one!!! 17:01 is not an option.
Many thanks to all who were a part of this day and this journey. To Yolanda and the kids for putting up with this thing we do. I hope it inspires you in some way to remain active to stay young, at heart and in body. Coach Sarah, for putting up with me hurting myself, too often, and wondering how does one modify training schedules so much for so little. Family, friends, team mates, new friends and old ones. Be real.
So why Honesty, respect, integrity? I hope you have figured out that that is who I am. Those character traits are what I try to live for each day. Without those, I am missing something in my life, and then things get out of control. Create balance.
jb
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