IMFL '06 - remembering my first Ironman

Tomorrow, Ironman Florida will be celebrating it's 21st Ironman event - one of the longest running Ironman events in North America.

Ironman Florida was my very first Ironman. Although it doesn't feel like it was that long ago, it's crazy to think how much our sport has changed since 2006!! I still remember receiving a Popsicle stick with a place on it when I crossed the finish line at local running events!

Because the Trimarni blog didn't exist back in 2006, I never had an opportunity to write a race recap from my first Ironman experience. Luckily, the memories and moments are still fresh in my head - even though it's been 13 years since I crossed my first ever Ironman finish line!!

Going into the event, I was very confident in my fitness as I used a free training plan from the internet and followed it precisely as written. With my recent formal education in Exercise Physiology (Master degree), I felt like my training could not have gone any smoother. I also did a lot of research about fueling for an Ironman and created a binder of articles and information to help me nail the nutrition needed to survive the Ironman distance. But it was a bit scary to think about this daunting task of covering 140.6 miles with my 24-year old body. 

I was a bit naive going into the event because I didn't have any reason (or excuses) for not finishing. I felt like it was a given that I would cross the finish line. Perhaps this stubbornness helped me ease the nerves as much of the race was an unknown. I had never ran 26.2 miles after biking 112 miles. I had never biked after swimming 2.4 miles in the ocean. I had completed the distances separately on different occasions but never consecutively.

I was so excited to have my parents at the event. My dad was a bit concerned about this adventure but he supported me 110%. I also invited my "boyfriend" at the time (Karel) who had little understanding what the Ironman entailed and was fairly certain that I would be one and done. He thought there was no way that I could do more than one of these crazy events.

16 Ironman's later and now Karel has completed 14 Ironmans :) 

The day started off very cold and I was most afraid of the wind (ha - I still have concerns with the wind!). As if the Ironman wasn't hard enough - the wind was howling. I had no idea how the process worked to set up for and to complete an Ironman so I soaked it all in. Still today, I love the experience of showing up to a race and going through all the motions and emotions before the race start. 

Coming from a swimming background, I didn't fear the waves in the swim but also, having no expectations, I had no experience to tell me what would be fast or slow in the ocean at the start of an Ironman. The mass start was very intimidating, even coming from a competitive swimming background.Today, I much prefer a wave start.  I swam 1:07.00 which was good enough for 2nd in the 18-24 age group (out of 13 starters). 

My transition was loooong. I was so cold and I could not stop shivering. It took me 8 minutes to transition from swim to bike because I just couldn't get myself to leave the transition tent. 

Once I got on my bike, the nerves hit me hard. While I had no worries about the swim, biking was not my favorite sport out of the three. I was still a bit scared to clip in and to stay in my aero bars. And the wind! Plus I was cold to start so that made it hard to stay focused. As the miles ticked by, I started to feel more relaxed. I still don't know how I got through the 112 miles in 5 hours and 52 minutes as I was such a beginner with absolutely no cycling skills! Karel (my boyfriend at the time) tried to help me with my biking skills but much of my riding was on a spin bike and a few group and long rides (which were oh-so-scary for me). Thankfully, Karel never gave up on me and not only did he marry me but he helped me become a much stronger and skillful rider. 

It was so much fun to see Karel and my parents on the bike course. Karel studied the course map and took some side streets to surprise me at various times throughout the 112 miles. 

After exiting the transition area in 5th in my age group, I was 1st after the bike. Of course, there was no way to know this during the event as there was no online tracking. It wasn't until Karel counted the girls either ahead or behind me that he could tell me where I was in my age group. With a mass start, that made it easier to know where I was in my age group as everyone started together. 

I had a fairly quick transition in T2 as I was transitioning to my favorite discipline - the run! Yes, I can't believe I can say that I loved running back in 2006. Today, I have such a love/hate relationship with running and it's my least favorite sport of swim/bike/run but I am not giving up on myself as one day, I will learn to love running like I did in 2006. 

The run was everything I thought it would be and more. It had highs and lows and everything between. I passed 87 females on the run and over 250 male athletes! It's crazy to say those stats today as I now run scared knowing that the swim and the bike are my strengths and the run is always a wonder as to what will happen. 

I had all the expected issues - like a port-a-john stop, bonking, tightness, soreness and fatigue but I also had determination, focus and a smile on my face. I also learned some lessons - like if you bring your own can of vegetable soup (because you are a vegetarian) make sure to bring a can that you can physically open...or else you need to pack a can opener!)

Nearing the end of the race, Karel told me I was going to Kona - surprised he even knew what that meant! In response, I told him that I love him (for the first time). I guess the Ironman really does change you! 

I ran 3:48.41 and finished in a time of 11 hours and 50 seconds. Oh so close to breaking 11 hours!

When I crossed the finish line, I couldn't believe what I had done. And the day went by so fast! All that training just for a one day event! My parents were so proud, Karel was in shock and I did something with my body that I had never ever done before.

With no online results, I discovered my results posted on a printed piece of paper stuck to a wall near the finish line. After watching the final hour of finishers and then having a very restless night of sleep (with lots of nighttime munchies), it wasn't until the next morning that I found out that I had qualified for the Ironman World Championship. I can't remember the price exactly but I think it was between $500-600. I do know that I didn't have that type of money at 24 so I think my parents helped me pay for it (by check). Thanks mom and dad for helping me achieve my dreams! 

It was a very special experience to receive my Kona slot from Heather Furr,. I was given two certificates for finishing the race (and qualifying for Kona). And to then attend the awards ceremony knowing that I was going to the Ironman World Championship in 2007! As the age group winner, I received a plaque, Timex watch and I something else (I can't remember - maybe socks?)

My first Ironman was a day to remember. While everything went well for my first Ironman, I can't say the same for the next 15. Over the years, I've had to overcome a lot. While there have been incredible results (like finishing Ironman Chattanooga in 2007 as the overall amateur female and qualifying for Kona another 6 times and taking 5 of those slots), it's the tough moments that have made me a smarter, more grateful and more experienced athlete. 

To those racing IMFL, enjoy your special day. And no matter what happens on race day, celebrate the gift of being able to do something incredible and amazing with your body. Never take the present moment for granted! And don't forget to thank your body!

Ironman Florida - Quick recap

We all know that athlete who seems to bounce back remarkably well from a race, only to show up to the start line at another race just a few weeks later. and make it look so easy. You sometimes have to question if that athlete is superhuman.

Earlier this year, Karel wanted to experiment with the idea of racing two Ironmans "back to back" - within three weeks. However, this wasn't just any two Ironman events. After Ironman Austria in early July, Karel's big race of the year was the 2018 Ironman World Championship. A lot of mental and physical energy was dedicated to that race as it requires a very healthy and strong body and mind to tolerate the race day conditions with the best of the best on the start line. However, due to Karel's bike mechanical issue of riding (most of) the entire bike course on one light gear, let's just say that Karel left all of his mental and physical energy on the big island.

In the days leading up to IMFL, Karel didn't feel any lingering issues from the previous Ironman and he was overall healthy. But there was still the big uncertainty of what his body would do during the race, especially the later miles of the run. In the 48-72 hours before the race, when Karel begins to start his visualization process, Karel was unable to mentally get into that familiar place where he was ready and willing to suffer for 140.6 miles (which is a huge part of Ironman racing, specifically at the level by which the top AG athletes race). While he didn't make any excuses before the race, the unknown left him wondering what will happen to his body and mind as the race progresses.

While the focus, mission and goal for participating in this late season Ironman was for Karel to try to get a Kona slot to the 2019 Ironman World Championship, this was a big experiment with a lot of unknowns and what if's.

Perhaps it works for some athletes but for Karel, the Kona Ironman was still in his body and mind. Karel suffered more than he has ever suffered before at IMFL and it was unfamiliar and unwelcomed. The low moments came earlier than ever before and stayed far too long. Throughout the run, Karel expressed to me many times that he wanted to quit. Never has he voiced that to me before in an Ironman. Sure, we all want to retire from the sport of triathlon at some point in an Ironman but Karel could not escape the mental and physical exhaustion that he was experiencing on the 2nd half of the bike and throughout the entire run. The pain was just not worth it to him.

Knowing that Karel was not injured and he was in overall good health, I made sure he didn't give up. I used every trick that I had to keep him mentally in it, even though his body was beyond done. Because he was struggling to shut up those negative voices in his head telling him that the pain and suffering was not worth "it", I made sure that he knew that it would all be worth it.

Without going into too much detail (I'll save that for the actual race report), Karel was in a very unique position where he was hurting so bad but he was running fast enough (compared to his competitors) that to an outsider, one would think that he wasn't hurting. 

As I mentioned above, for most Ironman athletes, slowing down, stopping and quitting often becomes a great idea at some point in an Ironman race. It happens to everyone, regardless of fitness level. But as an athlete, you are expected to have these hardships, struggles and very low moments. That's racing. Although IMFL was an experiment with a mission, I knew Karel would be so upset if he quit the race. Even though quitting would stop the hurt, it was not the outcome that he would be able to live with (even though it seemed like the best idea ever to him at the time).

As an athlete, you need to learn lessons. It's often the hardest ones that help you become a better athlete. Unless health is compromised, giving up teaches you nothing. You can't learn anything by throwing in the towel when things aren't going your way. 

The Ironman/140.6 mile distance is a beast of a race. It's incredibly tough - mentally and physically. There are plenty of obstacles to overcome that no amount of training can prepare you for. Every race is different. You may have a plan but there's a good chance that you'll need to deviate from that plan. After a combined 26 Ironman races, Karel and I have learned a lot from the 140.6 mile distance.

Although Karel felt emotionally and physically depleted for nearly half of the race, deep inside he had the right knowledge and tools to get himself to the finish line from his previous races and lessons learned. While it wasn't easy, Karel persevered and all that suffering was worth "it".

Results:

2.4 mile swim: 1:01.36

T1: 4:28

112 mile bike: 5:02.58
T2: 3:58
26.2 mile run: 3:15.15
Overall:  9:28.14, 1st AG (40-44), Kona qualified. 6th Overall. 2nd fastest run of the day.

So happy that Karel will be joining me at the 2019 Ironman World Championship start line. I was a little worried after he “retired” from the sport of triathlon during IMFL on Sundays. 

Race report to come soon......