SWIM:
7:00am The cannon Kabooms. And away we go! It’s like everything you have heard about mass starts. There were legs and arms and heads everywhere.I tried to stay wide towards the shore to get into a good stroke rhythm. The spacing I chose worked perfectly. On the first swim loop I just got into my stoke rhythm and turn the corner and did the customary "MOO" then just kept swimming. Got the 1st loop completed without getting hit, slugged, or swam over. One the second loop, I thought there was actually more contact than there was on the first loop. Because the wave had start to spread out and wanting to save a little time I have decided to move more towards the buoy line. There was a significant amount of footies, some jabs in the side and actually got swam over once. Now that's a weird sensation. On the 2nd loop's back stretch, I was actually passing a significant number of people. I said to my self "Joe you're doing just great, keep it up!" As I swam towards the center of the Monona Terrace you could see all the families, friends and general spectators watching from their vantage points. What a sight!! Just then the F-16's flew over the State Capital in a commemoration of the anniversary of 9-11. That was very emotional!! With all this extra extracurricular happenings going on and still swimming on I got to the last buoy and headed for home. I could hear Mike Reilly announcing names of the athlete’s names getting out of the water. I kept pushing the swim to get 'er done. I finally got to the water's edge and was pulled out of the water by some volunteers (are they great or what?) and off to the strippers I went.

T1:
Suit was pulled off in no time flat. Sure faster than I've ever taken it off. Then it was off to the helix. Round and round I went up 3 flights of the helix drive and finally into the Terrace for the T1. Got into the T1 bag room grabbed my T1 Bag and then ran into the changing room. Dumped my stuff out and began to change out of my swim garb and into my bike outfit. Mean-while your head is going round ‘n round as you just swam 2.4 miles and kind of sort of ran up the helix. Now you’re trying to “calmly” change out one outfit into another smoothly and effortlessly-not. You’re breathing pretty hard, the heart rate is high at that point and trying to get your bearing and your facilities back. Keep putting on the shorts, the shirt, the socks (which are sticking to my wet feet), the bandana, the helmet, the glasses , put my bib number on and turned on and clipped on my track your athlete gps (great product for your family). I then carried my gloves and my shoes as I had to run from one end of the parking ramp to the other with my bike. Man that’s a long way in your socks! During that scamper I lost one of my biking gloves. I knew there would be “things” that go wrong during the day. And most importantly could not find and did not take my Pepto-Bismol for my stomach for the ill responses from all the lake water ingested. It this was the worst part of the day, I sure could live with them. The gloves were a present from my wife for my birthday so I was bummed.

Bike:
I mount my bike past the timing mat and off I go on my longest bike ride EVER only 112 miles. HR is up a bit. I planned for about a 6:45-7:00 hour bike. As we rounded through Verona, the wind that was calm started to become a factor. For my nutrition I used Perpetuem which was loaded in 4 of my bottles. The other was my aero bottle using just water. Just past Verona on my way to Mount Vernon my stomach slowly started having a discussion with me indicating that it was not happy. I chose not to listen and road on. As I continued into Mt Horeb, the winds really became a real factor. My stomach was not into a full fledged rain of terror but it was getting progressively worse. Not to get too graphic I was full of gas or perhaps worse diarrhea. Even though the port-o-potties were well staged, I was in not position to stop especially if it turned out to be worse that just gas. So I road on completed uncomfortable with my severe GI problems. I continued on through the hard hills portion that the IMWI bike course offers up. Under those conditions I did very well indeed.
I did see my family and neighbor out on course 2 times on 1st loop timed very well with the help of the gps tracker. Start second loop and I feel great, except now my GI problems were just flat out BAD and just killing me as the winds kicked up even more. It was starting to become a perfect storm-not good. All my eatable nutrition, including chocolate Power Bars in a plastic bag started to all melt together. I was just a fricking mess and hard to get out and eat and did not look appetizing at all-yuck! Especially how I felt. But I PUSHED on. The fans supporting us seemed like they were staged on all the bigger hills on the course were flat out fantastic. The fans were dressed in all sorts of get-ups; guys that were bikinied to hula skirts to you name it-was very funny. Only if you felt like laughing, at that moment I did not.
I had to dismount and walk a bit as legs and stomach were just having time of it. I mount back on bike at started up again. Everything seems alright for awhile but soon after I start to feel really bad as I bloated up again. This was starting to become a realistic DNF concern. I said to myself “I AM NOT GOING TO STOP JUST BACAUSE OF SOME PAIN.” Somehow with the strength of God I made it through the second loop it was not fast by any means but finished just the same. Now I was on my way back to Madison. All I could think of was get to T2 and let all your run training go to work for you-my strength pillar. As I finish my bike I dismount and start to walk into T2 only to see volunteer friends at the bike exchange that I had worked with last year (to get my entry in to the 2011 IMWI). I got encouraging hugs from them both and they told me I looked good and continue on. Well I did not feel good at all…

T2
4:15PM I go into T2 seeing cross-eyed and about triple at this time. What a LONG, LONG, UNCOMFORTABLE ride. My lower stomach ached and the severe GI issues continued on as they had for the past 80 miles on the bike. I changed putting my run socks on, running shoes on, bib number on, put my gps tracker back on, hat on and headed back out. All I could do not was to focus on getting to the port-a-potty NOW!! With Vaseline in hand now, I was fully equipped to handle whatever showed up. After what seemed like an hour in the pp I headed out and saw my family that apparently had seen me jump into the pp. There were very concerned about my long visit-as they should have been.

I stopped by and said hi with hugs and kisses and off I was again. I started my run. I ran about a ¼ mile and said to my self actually my stomach said “not so fast.” So I started to walk to see if I could settle things down to a point where I could feel “relaxed” enough to run on. I did start to run and again had to walk. Pain continued to be almost unbearable. Darn it….It just looked more and more like I just might have to walk a majority of the marathon. The thing that keep me going was my absolute frustration with the fact that I had trained so hard on my running and I could not use it at all was just flat out killing me with disappointment fortunately during one of my broken bone periods (more on this later) when the Dr told me I could not run, I learned how to walk fast. Boy one never knows when one has to rely on something learned along the way. So I walked and walked and walked as fast as this boy could as time was a ticking on. My stomach still was killing me with each and every step. So I had severe pain and continued building frustration syndrome continued to build. Now I getting nauseous and that too continued right on with me on my marathon walk.
7:46PM 13.1 ½ way point
At the turn around point all the fans, thinking I was done they said “way to go Joseph,” thinking I was going into the finishing chute. I would say under my breath, I have to go around again….that was sadness! Once I hit the turn around I caught up to a fellow athlete that like me did not/was not have a good afternoon/early evening. We talked about family and what we did and the course and where it really hurt us. I saw my family and many friends numerous times on the run/walk. Course support was great. As we continued down to the UW stadium run through, I started to get sick. I mean sick to my stomach I was very nauseated. I just was hanging in there just by a thread. I slowed down to the point where John, whom I had been walking with, continued off in the distance without me. My heart and spirit sank and was starting to dwindle into serious DNF territory. I just could not let myself, supportive family and friends down and live with the fact that I DID NOT FINISH something that I had worked so hard for. I was get ‘er done time. So somehow with my inter strength and determination I continued on.
At mile 14; a good friend of mine caught up with me. I think the Lord was looking down on me and really watching over me now…..She had been tracking me on the gps and asked if she could walk with me. I said sure, only if she wanted to. I mean it’s not like there are a lot of athletes still out of the course at this point to get in their way or anything. So we walked I told her that I just wanted to be quite for awhile as I was sick to my stomach and near the point of throwing up. But I continued on… I was continuously sweating so I knew I was still hydrated. When I would get to the rest stops I would drink water and ice (If available). The Gatorade was not helping me AT ALL so did not consume.
We continued down to State Street turn-around, the crowds are still large, supportive and loud. A fantastic sight indeed! Just then, something strange was happening to me. I slowly started to feel better with each passing mile. I started to talk more and more. We talked about life, the day, anything I could talk about. If fact we got down to the nitty-gritty and talked about how much time I had left to get to the finish line and was I going to finish in time? We figured and we figured and finally we determined that I was going to make it!!! I even felt better then we got to the final turn around near Picnic Point and my friend said she would only stay with me until Mile 23 as she needed to head home. It was then up to me to make it the rest of the way. We continued to discuss how I should finish and fun things like that.
Mile 23; My friend left me to go home to her family. She was simply stated a God-sent!! As I said good-bye to her but I knew that she was a really huge part of my day and it was now up to me to carry it home.
Mile 25 As I continued to walk towards State Street more and more IMWI Staffers and fans that were still out in force were saying congratulations to me, that I had made it. Just as we had discussed I started to run, it was not fast but I was running. I make to the turn at the capital square at the last aid station, I grabbed a cup of water & ice drank it right down. I rounded the second to last corner and I hear the crowd get louder and louder, and could hear Mike Reilly calling names out; I actually picked up the pace. My stomach that had plagued me almost the whole day was finally “calm.” I then see my wife and son. My son was videoing my finish. I was euphoric!! I gave Mike Reilly a HI-FIVE. Just then he said those 6 famous words that I only dreamt of so many times before “said “JOSEPH SCHWARTZ YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.”

After I finished, my two catchers asked me if I was OK or not. I told them both not only was I OK, but I was an Ironman. I got my finisher photo, finisher hat and finisher tee-shirt. I could NOW official wear Ironman clothing with out any taboos. Why because I was and will be forever an Ironman. Wife and son had already picked up the bike and bags loaded them in the car, so all I had to do was to walk with my escorts back to me car for a nice ride home. What kind of service is that? What a blessed day!



My final thoughts:
As I alluded to before this journey did not come perhaps as easy as some other people. I had several testing points along the way that just might have stopped many athletes. I wanted to share some of those moments with you…..
This race report is about my 1st Ironman journey. The “journey” as I call it had many highs and many lows. One thing is for sure, I have worked so hard to get to this point. This point was the ability "just to get 'er done."

During this journey there have been simply amazing days of what I would call terrific training sessions. And there were days, well were training was bad enough to call it quits and get into a real demanding sport like maybe checkers or tiddlywinks. I had done a few sprint tri's before. Last summer had worked towards and completed a ½ Ironman in Door County, WI. I did train and completed what I thought to be a good showing to continue on with a dream of mine, to complete an Ironman. Completing the ½ Ironman was a high point in my journey for me.

Then on July 7, 2010 I fell off my bike and completely fractured the radial head in my left elbow. This required surgery. On August 10, 2010 on a Tuesday I had surgery to replace my completely fractured radial head bone. It was replaced with a prostheses Then again on Sunday April 23rd I fell off my bike going around 25 mph, fractured my left clavicle. I just barely escaped without having a 2nd surgery. They were 6-weeks of down time. I was up to 700 minutes of training per week up to that point. My well laid-out plans where shelved. But I continued on to get ‘er done.

I slowly got back on the bike. That was hard as I had a large case of the heebie-jeebies. I got back in the pool and continued to run. I was again back on track to finish something that I had started. I trained very, very hard under some very bad physical conditions. But I toed the line at the start of the IMWI race….and do I dare say HEALTH!

I had crashed and burned several times, but out of the ashes of what could have been a quitter was a strong and determined person that would not give up on a goal that was set some 2 years ago. Even during the IMWI race as my body rebelled, my character and determination is what showed through. To me, and that’s what really counts here, is what my character says about myself. So to finish an Ironman is an amazing feat in itself but how you finish an Ironman is a testament to the person that has finished it and how it was finished. And “JOSEPH SCHWARTZ YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.” Thanks for reading this!