The day before I was set to compete in my eighth-full IRONMAN race, there was a record high of 100 degrees; I knew I needed to be mindful of hydration. My focus for Friday was to get hydrated, load up on carbs (my favorite part), and stay out of the heat. Steve met me for lunch, we dropped off my bike and run bags at the transitions and relaxed at the hotel for the remainder of the evening.
Although I had completed seven full IRONMANs prior to this race, I still had some nerves, and my mind would consider questions like will it be wetsuit legal? Will my bike work properly? Will I be hydrated enough? I even had a dream the night before that I brought two right-foot shoes for the run (crazy how the mind works…)! Saturday–the day of the race– I was up early eating carbs and drinking coffee to wake and fuel my body for the day ahead. I needed to be out of transition by 6:15 am, so we headed out prior to that to drop my things and air up my tires. With Steve, I walked the one-mile route to the swim start, and when it was time to line up for my swim start, I gave him a kiss and was off! SWIM As always, I was anxious about the swim. The conditions did make it wetsuit legal, so I decided to take advantage. I wore a full wetsuit, which was a great decision. The first .6 miles was upstream followed by a turn to finish the remaining 2.4 miles. The river didn’t have a current, so that didn’t impact my swim. However, I am incapable of swimming in a straight line to save my life, so I was all over the place. After passing three bridges, I found myself climbing up the steps out of the river with a finishing time of 1:40:45. I gave Steve a kiss and then took a long walk to the changing tents. Along the way I stopped to lay down and get my wetsuit removed. When I walked into the tent I put on my helmet, bike shoes, and ate my beloved PB&J sandwich. After that, I grabbed my bike and carried it to the line. My first transition time was 9:48 and then I began my ride. BIKE I began my ride excited; I was overjoyed to see Steve and Marty cheering me on. The bike course started with a ride through a park. My fellow riders and I noticed our wheels were making awful noises. We suspected we had flat tires, but a volunteer at the end of that road told us it was pitch from the trees to the road and not to worry about it. At mile 30, a fellow athlete fell from his bike. I stopped and stayed with him until I knew he would be okay, and then I was off again. After that I met a new friend, who I talked with for the next 15-20 miles. Before I knew it, I was at mile 57, which meant it was my lunch break. I stopped to refuel on PB&J and other snacks. Then I was back on my bike to finish the second half of my ride. The route was hot and windy, but I prevailed (and so did my bike–thank goodness)! 112 miles done, with a time of 7:08:14. I completed the second transition in 9:28. A volunteer took my bike, and I went into the tent to eat another sandwich and put on my shoes and hat to prepare for my run. I walked out of transition and started with a shuffle (slow jog) to get into my running rhythm. RUN Overall, the run went well. I was very hydrated and found myself stopping several times to use the restroom. I drank fluids and occasionally grabbed a snack (potato chips never tasted so good) at the various rest stops. I didn’t feel very hungry, so I chose not to eat much. But because it was warm, I made sure to take in fluids whether I wanted them or not to stay hydrated. I enjoyed the scenic course, and I relaxed as I ran and took it all in. Around mile 16 I made a new friend, and we finished the last ten miles together. Great conversation always helps. I hit the final bridge and kicked it into high gear. I completed my run in 5:01:47. "Pollyann Keller...You Are an IRONMAN!" Finish time: 14:10:51 I completed another race and pushed myself out of my comfort zone again. I couldn’t have done this without my amazing hubby. He is my rock, my biggest fan, and supports me in any endeavor I choose. “Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself-expanding and learning as you go-you are choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip.” -Dean Karnazes Until Next Monday...
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October 2024
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