The swim was my highlight. I never actually thought I would make a 1 hr time. The start was maddness...I was in the thick of the main surge and was getting smacked and kicked. I just tried to keep a cool head and press on. The water was clear enough that I could see the people around me even when my face was in the water so that helped me. Navigation was a breeze. I simply followed the underwater cable that the markers were attached to. I never had to look up to locate anything. That many people going the same direction created a pretty good current and I took advantage of it. When I exited, I was on top of the world and felt fresh. It was off to T1and the bike

Nithing

the time seems long but in this distance of a race, I was not about to rush the transition and forget something...that is a long bike ride

This course had me freaked out after looking at the profile...over 4000ft of climbing...it seemed daunting. I had not rode or even driven the course. it was all new to me. The first loop was an absolute blast! I kept up a pace that I felt was casual but it ended up being over 19mph. the screaming downhill into keene was killer. the climbs in to Lake Placid seemed like something from the tour. I passed a guy on that last hill and the crowd cheered me on...I was a total sucker for the crowds..Perhaps I exerted too much energy showing off.

The second loop has harder but I still had fun. the course was lovely. I had set the timer on my watch to chime every 25 minutes to remind me to eat. On several instances, I missed feeding time because I could not hear the alarm because the wind was whistling around my ears. I was also planning on taking my endurolytes on schedule...The hearing issue also made me miss some of them. As a result, I think I drank too much water and not enough Fluid replacement. When I came in to T2, the announcer said my name and numbere and it was great.....

Slower pace.....More regimented food/fluid intake

This is where the trouble began. The minute I sat in the tent...I started feeling a little strange. my head began to feel like it was filling with fluid...I was getting dizzy....I was not even out of the tent and i was Dreading the 26.2 miles that lay ahead. I sat in the tent for a while hoping the feeling would pass....all the time, I was not doing what I told myself to do during the last few miles of the bike and that was make sure I take my endurolytes from my bento box to my run jersey.

THINK!!!!

I remebered what one of my training buddies told me about an Ironman "there will be highs and lows, if you just push through the lows, you will be surprised you can get high again." I was hearing those words as I started the run. I felt like I had water in both ears from the start which made me dizzy. I ran for 3 miles or so..then stopped at an aid station. I knew I needed liquids but by this time every liquid was not at all what my stomach wanted. I reached for my salt pills and realized I left them on the bike. I was in trouble. I needed fluids and salt and fast...but my body was not going to let me have what I needed.

I said the hell with it, took as much gatorade as I could stand and took off running again. I spent the next 10 miles fighting nausea as my calves began to cramp up on me. I reached my special needs bag and took out my chicken & stars cup of soup and the salt and cracked pepper chips I was just sure would help me.....I lookd at the food and couldn't make myself eat it....So I ran the next 2 miles witha cup of soup in one hand, and a bag of chips in the other.....I was not able to run straight by this time. I mile 16, I decided to MAKE myself try the soup... I took one sip and threw up all of the fluids I had been trying to keep down. I actually felt a little better after that. When I started to run...My calves cramped so bad I was immobilized. I tried and tried but my body was not going to let me run no matter what I did. The next aid station had chicken broth. I took a full up of that and a full cup of ice water and decided to make as fast of forward progress as my body would let me. I was reduced to a walk. I spent 10 miles walking, sipping broth and water. all in an effort to get my legs running again. I tried several times to run but each time the cramping was too bad. I made the decision that I had plenty of time to finish it walking....I would still be an Ironman!! things did not go as planned because I had made some ke mistaked in my nutrition and I was to pay the price.

At mile 25, I was finally able to run...so I ran to the finish. I passed my wife and family 1/2 before the finish...they barely recognized me. My wife said I looked like a skeleton. I crossed the finish line and got my goodies bag. I was so out of it that I bypassed the Med tent. I forgot there was even such a thing. I went straight in to my wife's arms and was reduced to tears. A year of training for this moment. I had paid the price over that time with all of the hours in training but she had gone without me and I know that was hard on her. I thanked her for letting me go on my journey and supporting me along the way.

I spent the next 3 hrs in the hospital getting 4 liters of IV fluid.


I started off training for this race like so many of you, to accomplish what seemed to be impossible. But it became more than that. It became a self diagnostic tool. For anyone aspiring to do the Iron distance race I say, be ready to spend a long day with yourself and learn. Learn what you are really able to do. After being a part of that race, I have way more respect for the race and for those who find it in themselves to finish it...somehow. The doctor in the hospital told me there were people in there that night in far worse condition that I. If thay finished under that kind of pain then my had comes off to them.


I am already thinking of my strategy for the Next IM I do

Stick to a plan!

IV refill of fluids


Fluids and sodium


I'll be back in Placid in 07!

I may do WIsconsin Next year