Adversity. This was the theme presented
to us at the opening ceremonies for Ironman CDA 2015. The announcer
spoke about several competitors who had overcome adversity. Like the
first ever double amputee to complete and Ironman or Scott Smiley who
was a vet and was blinded while serving his country and was
attempting his first Ironman. It was an inspiration to hear these
stories. Little did I know this word, adversity, was going to carry
so much more meaning on race day.
Race Day – 3am
I woke up feeling good. I was a bit
tired but better then I thought considering to sun wasn’t up yet. I
worked my way out of bed and got some nutrition in me knowing all
good and well this was the last meal I was having till I finish.
430am
I arrive at the start a bit late but I
still had enough time to get my gear ready and get suited up for the
swim. I got so busy trying to get everything ready that I didn't
have enough time to relax and focus on the feat before me. I make my
way to the the beach where I say a quick prayer and stretch. I was
surrounded by 1800 athletes and the energy in the crowd was real.
Swim start - 545am
The canon goes off (yes an actual
canon) and we start are way into the water. It was a rush.. So many
people in the water battling. The water was a cool 72 degrees and
with a wetsuit it felt almost like swimming pool. Unfortunately it's
a lot harder to go straight in a lake then a pool that has lines
beneath you. The swim course was a two lap 1.2 mile course. The
amount of people in the water made it difficult to keep a fluid
stroke but despite it I still managed a total time of 80 minutes and
right where I was hoping to finish. I felt fresh coming out of the
water and was ready for the bike.
Bike Start
After changing and getting lathered in
sunscreen I was off on the bike course. The bike was also a two lap
56 mile loop and had a total elevation gain of 5700 ft. The course
went though downtown a total of 4 times which made it great for
seeing friends and family. I was about to finished the first loop
right on schedule but adversity hit at the aid station at the end of
the first loop. I was going in for a hand-off at an aid station and
had my left hand on my front break. As I approached a volunteer I
grabbed a Gatorade bottle. During that time I failed to notice
everyone ahead of me was at a dead stop. For fear of crashing into
them, I smashed my front break only to find myself over the
handlebars and on the ground a split second later. My bicycle came
crashing on top of me. I heard one of the volunteers yell for
oncoming traffic to move out of the way. Knowing good and well I was
at risk of being hit I shot up and made my way a few feet away into a
chair at the aid station.
I was in mild shock. I sat there as
the volunteers poured water on my wounds. I looked over and saw road
rash on my arm and my left leg. I sat there for a couple minutes
trying to assess the situation. I was halfway done the bike. Should
I try and continue? How bad was I injured? Was my bike OK to ride?
So many questions flooded in that instead of trying to answer them
all, I rose up. The volunteer asked if I wanted a medic, without
hesitation I said no, knowing good and well if the medic deemed me
unfit I would not be able to continue. I went to my bike and noticed
the handlebars were no longer perpendicular to the ground but pointed
at the ground. At that point I get out my tool kit and fixed my aero
bars as best as I could and got back on. As soon as I tried to get
on though my left arm was in a considerable amount of pain. I decided
I would try and see how far I could make it. At least, I thought I
could make it to the next aid station. As I got going again I heard
someone shout “If Ironman were easy it would be called crossfit”
I chuckled in pain.
I get to the next aid station where I
get off and start tearing up in front of a couple girls. It was hard
and I wanted to quit but at the same time I didn't want to waste the
700 dollar entry fee on a crash. So I decided I would try going to
the next aid station again. And when I got to the next, same thing, I
went on, one aid station at a time (roughly 12 miles apart). It was
crazy the amount of times I held back tears on the bike and the
amount of times I wanted to quit. I mean after all, no one was going
to judge if I quit seeing as I got into bike accident and the fact
that temperatures reached 105 degrees by mid day made excuses reach
an all time high. Fortunately there was one verse that kept running
through my mind.
Hebrews
12:1b ...let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us, fixing
our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
This
was the motivation that pushed me through my training and this was
going to push me here. The bike crash played a huge
part in my slower pace. I was over an hour slower on the second loop
because of it. At this point my end goal time was out the window so
the only goal was to finish and I was feeling good enough to run/walk
still.
As I approached the bike finish I was
able to finally tell my friends what had happened which was a huge
relief to everyone. And now I could concentrate on the marathon that
stood between me and the finish.
Run Start
I was feeling good but knew there was
one issue that could present itself. Blisters. I've trained hard,
ran lots and have never had issues with my feet. What I didn't train
for was the heat and with heat comes lots of challenges. It got so
hot that there were over 350 people who did not finish the race,
double the amount of a normal drop out. In order for me to stay in
the race I had to douse myself with water and Ice which caused my
feet to get wet and it stayed that way from the time I got out of the
swim till the finish. If you talk with any marathon runner they will
tell you, you need to keep your feet dry in order to reduce the risk
of blisters. So I knew I was dancing with trouble.
26.4 miles to go. I could do this. I
started out with a nice light jog and kept a good slow pace for the
first 7 miles. Once I hit that mile marker though I slowed to a
walk. And it sucked. My arm was still in pain, it was hot and now I
could feel those blisters on my feet. Fortunately I didn't have any
stomach issues or cramping issues. I knew I still had lots of time to
finish so I took my time. I decided to walk the next 17 miles which
sounds easy but with each step came pain and doubt. Things were
starting to weigh on my mind. Should I drop out? Is my arm actually
broken? My feet feel like mush, should I continue and risk my
health? Mile 22 was hard, I was still walking but slowing down my
pace a lot. At this point the sun was starting to go down and the
pain was almost unbearable. The worst part was there were very few
people to keep you alive and upbeat. It was quiet time, but I kept
going, I was so close I couldn't fail now. Mile 24. I was sick of
walking and all the pain in my arm and feet that I decided run. With
each step came a numbing feeling but a sense of accomplishment. At
this point, everyone around me was was walking. I was the only one
running and it felt great. Then came the best mile of the race, the
last mile. Here is where I met up with two friends on bicycles, they
were there to encourage me and track my progress and I fed off that
energy. They were pumped and I was ready to see the final stretch.
Sherman Ave.
The final stretch was amazing. I heard
of people talking about that moment and to enjoy it do I did. 4 out
of the 7 blocks were lined with people, shoulder to shoulder cheering
on the last of the competitors. I passed several people and found a
good gap to run down the chute by myself. I got into the chute and
heard those great words from the announcer. You ARE an IRONMAN. At
that moment I see a lot of my friends and support crew, it was the
best moment of the day. It will will forever be ingrained into my
memory. It was a great day filled with wonderful people. I can't
thank you enough to all who have supported me from being there at the
start of this journey to the finish, from those who were in different
countries to those who made it to the event. Thank you. I am
blessed and would not have completed this journey without all of you
there to support me.
Final Thoughts
When you think it's hard, just
remember, we all face adversity, it's how/if you choose to overcome
it. God has given each of us an incredible gift, our mind. It is a
powerful gift that allows us to overcome doubt, fear, judgment,
negativity, really anything we choose. Please just remember who gave
you that gift and why we have it. To use it for His glory. I hope
you leave here inspired and challenged. Thank you for taking the time
to read this and God bless.
