A Long Workout - Ironman Austria 2012

Finally! (see previous post...)

The day was upon us. July 1st, 2012.

We arrived in Klagenfurt on Thursday evening (June 28th). We checked in at registration and headed to dinner. Well, we tried anyway. As we had found a couple times before on the trip, very few places were open all day (i.e. lunch, close, dinner). Luckily we got to the host hotel restaurant just as it was opening. A nice fish dinner and we were much happier.

After dinner we went out to drive the bike course. It was getting dark, so we didn't get to take as much time as we would have liked. It did, however, give us a good feel for the hills and the beauty of the landscape!

 

We got a practice swim in on Friday. Good thing, too. The forecast was for it to be warm, so we decided to do the practice swim sans-wetsuit just in case. As soon as we took off I couldn't breathe and freaked out. Obviously I had done this before, but I guess the anxiety about the race and realizing how real it was becoming got to me. I settled myself down a little and was fine after that initial panic. The pre-race pasta feed was in a gigantic tent, which featured food, instructions, encouragement, and an "energy team" (which was amazing).

I slept surprisingly well the night before. Not a lot by any means, but I didn't expect to sleep much at all! I guess maybe it was the weary traveler in me. The race started at 7am local time, so we got up nice and early and were on our way!

It was a beautiful morning. Just a tad warm. They had announced the night before that the temperature of the water was too warm for wetsuits, so they would not be allowed. Having somewhat expected this, it wasn't a surprise, but I was still nervous about it. Not only would it slow me down (and I'm not any kind of fast in the water), and put me in danger of missing the first cutoff (which would have been crushing), but it was a huge comfort for me since with a wetsuit I could almost just float in the water without doing anything.

We shook things out, stripped to our swimsuits, and made our way to the start. The anticipation itself was incredible. The cannon fired, the music blared, and the crowds cheered. It was time.

My sister and I started towards the back so that we could avoid some of the crowds and not get mauled too much at the beginning. I made it through mostly unscathed. I stayed calm and collected most of the way. We went out in a square loop, eventually making our way back towards shore and into a canal that flowed into the city. That was kind of neat, to have everyone on the sidelines cheering so close by, but it was also rather plant-filled. At that point, however, that was the least of my worries. I got frustrated just before that trying to FIND the canal! We were swimming into the sun and there didn't seem to be any large markers to tell us where to go! I don't swim straight to begin with, so I expect that when it was all said and done I had certainly gone at least 2.5 miles instead of the 2.4 miles. That all exited my mind when I emerged from the water a happy and tired, but excited man in just over 2 hours, coming in about 15 minutes before the cutoff.

 

 Transition 1 (T1) went as I expected. I didn't really care about my time, but wanted to make it reasonable at least. It almost worked...ha! Everything went smoothly and I don't know how people get through those so quickly. Anyway, off to the next adventure - 112 miles on the bike!

It started out as a nice change of pace. The breeze from the ride felt nice and we started out along the lake. It was beautiful. The crowds at the aid stations and support places were great. HUP HUP HUP! ZUPA! OOH ESS AH! About a third of the way in, the heat and sweat started making the saddle a little uncomfortable and I soon wished it would go much more quickly. The second loop was much more lonely than the first. There were fewer people out cheering since I was towards the back, but just enough I'd say. I was still eating and drinking well, which was one of my major concerns for the day. The pretzels did get a bit dry though, and I don't think I'd quite say I was excited to eat...

I couldn't get myself to pee on the bike, so I made a pit stop. It felt so good to get off the bike for a minute! I got back on and trudged my way through the rest. There were a few very tough hills on the latter half of the loop that were even tougher the second time around (I know, surprise surprise). I passed my sister on one of them, though she doesn't remember ;) As soon as I was coasting down those and knew I only had a few more miles to go, I started feeling good again. I knew step two was just about done - and I was going to make the cutoff! T2 was shorter, but again, I knew that "all" I had to do now was run a marathon.

My sister caught me at the beginning of the run. Actually, I caught her. She must have passed me in T2! The temperatures at this point were well into the 90's. I'm very thankful to the race and the volunteers for the copious amounts of water, Gatorade, sponges, ice, and hoses that were provided along the way. I would have literally not made it if it weren't for all of that. The run was more of a shuffle anyway. I didn't think the run course was all that exciting at the time, though as I look back, I think it was better than I first thought. Thankfully, it was nearly pancake flat. My brother and brother-in-law had commandeered a spot at a cafe/bar in the city right along the course and cheered us on as we went by. On my final lap I jumped up to ring the bell they had along the way. Then I went back and actually rang it, since I missed it on the first attempt :)

I did a fair amount of walking. That didn't surprise me too much, since I had to sacrifice a little of my training while injured. I managed it without the knee brace though (which I put in my Special Needs bag)! It got dark before my last loop, so I did the last part in the dark - again, as expected. I was surprised at how much energy I had for the end of the race. It was obviously adrenaline. Things were flowing. I couldn't believe I was about to finish and I was super pumped. It was a party at the finish line and I was the star. For a few seconds, at least! My only regret from the whole thing is that instead of "sprinting" to the finish line, and proceeding to trip up the ramp (fitting for me), I would have liked to take it all in a little more - go a little slower. It was amazing nonetheless. I AM AN IRONMAN!

All I wanted to do was lay down, drink something, and eat real food. I still remember the song playing at the end and the walk to the food tent - and the salty goodness that awaited me there... I felt terrible and I felt amazing.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible through support and encouragement - and put up with me for 6 months and beyond! It was the longest - and shortest - day of my life.