What I learned from going long.
Ok so I am new to the Ironman distance. Heck I am new to triathlon
over all. I've only been doing it for two years. But damn my friends,
they talked me into doing an Ironman. And so far the training has
been pretty cool. Here is a list that I put together for other
newbies or people thinking of getting themselves into Ironman shape.
Maybe it will help you avoid some mistakes, or learn something or
just laugh at me. Here it is:
-
The world population can be sustained on GU, Energy bars and
Gatorade.
-
If you are doing a long bike and run brick and wear your bike
shorts on the run portion too, you may get a crescent moon
chaff mark on each butt cheek.
-
When you get in the shower after a long training day in which you
did wear your bike shorts to run in and ARE chaffed somewhere,
usually somewhere very unpleasant, you may black out from the
pain. Don't worry this is normal.
-
You can never use to much Bodyglide or Chamois Buttr' (See point #2
and #3)
-
You can eat too much GU (ever had 3 double espressos and a bran
muffin? Same effect)
-
You may start drinking A LOT more coffee at work (do not drink 3
double espresso's and eat a bran muffin at the same time)
-
As soon as you sign up for the race you will find out a month later
that a lot of social happenings and life events pop up on the same
date (Ie. Weddings, Family Reunions new born babies, Graduations,
Retirement Parties etc. Only the big life events mind you)
-
When you get to the training period with the largest volume, about
2 months out, your wife/husband/ significant other will make social
plans every Friday or Saturday night for the entire month. (When
the race is over your social calendar mysteriously dries up)
-
Your in-laws will ask your spouse if you're joking behind your
back. (They'll be at the race though, just to make sure you're
still sane. In the end they'll understand)
-
Everyone will ask you if it's the one in Hawaii. You'll say,
"Not yet!"
OK so that list was not as good as David Letterman's but who cares,
I finished an Ironman! A good friend of mine asked me today if I
still felt tired. I had to come up with a way to describe it. I
didn't really feel that tired at all until about 5 days after. And
then it was the kind of tired that we all feel during training. But
there is some part of it that feels deeper. I created an analogy
for him saying that it seems as if your body is a rechargeable
battery. After an Ironman you have completely drained all the
energy but it (your body) still needs to be used. So the recharge
is very slow and if you go out and try any type of exertion you
just bringing the charge down a notch.
So how was the race you ask? IT WAS AWESOME! Sign up for one now for
the best experience of your life! As soon as I crossed the finish
line I wanted to go and do another one (I attribute that weirdness
to my short attention span and lack of sufficient short term memory).
I wanted to go out and relive the whole race again.
Everyone knows before getting into an Ironman, that to finish is an
unbelievable feat for any person. If you're a triathlete you've
probably thought about the distance and said, "Never", or
"Maybe one day." But either way there is something about
an Ironman that made you think, and you knew there was something
different or special about it. You definitely knew it would be hard.
What makes it special is the people. We/triathletes are all alike.
We are all dreamers of big dreams. We don't sit still and we want to
not let life slip away from us bored and stagnant watching TV all
weekend. We get outside. We set our selves up for failure because we
train hard then go and race. And some times we do fail. But with
every small failure comes a learning experience that is unique and
special. So we have set in motion for ourselves a continuing cycle
of success and failure and learning and living. Before long it all
becomes clear that a balanced life is one where the struggle, the
cycle of successes and failures, defines who we are. How we struggle
through the challenges that we set before ourselves gives us strength
of character, heart, soul and spirit. There is no feeling born from
self imposed challenge that can be taken away. So you never really
fail. Leadership guru John C. Maxwell calls it failing forward. I
call it working hard, dreaming big and always setting forth new ways
to challenge your self and to put your self out there and learn. So
I dreamed big and singed up for Ironman Florida on December 12, 2001.
The Ironman was so long and so hard, just as I had hoped. If it wasn't
hard I would have felt a little disappointed and cheated. Good this
was what I signed up for, a long hard day of catered training.
Speaking of catered, even the swim had an aid station set up half way
through it. You had to get out of the water, run up on the beach to
the sound of about 5,000 spectators, grab the beverage of your choice
and start swimming again. Awesome. But let me get back to the real
beginning.
My friend Bill and I and our coach Eric Orton of Erodynamic Triathlon
Coaching (www.tri-ero.com) woke up at 4am. I didn't even feel tired.
I ate and drank my usual pre race stuff, we grabbed our special needs
bags and headed out to the transition at about 5am. Our hotel was
about a half mile from the transition area and start. The walk to it
was surreal.
We walked the stretch of road between our hotel and the transition
with hundreds of other Ironman athletes. It was dark out. You could
see some bright orange on the horizon, but it was pretty much just
dark. It was quiet too. Some people were talking amongst themselves
but to see that many people and for it to be that quiet was cool. I
looked around at everyone's faces and they were all concerned about
what lay ahead. I know I was. But it felt like we were all going
through it together. I felt like we were going to battle. Not one
with bullets and hopefully no dying, but battle with ourselves. All
of us wanted to see what we could do, what we could achieve.
I was so happy to be there walking in a crowd of strangers in the pre
dawn light. All with one common goal. Finally, finally, finally the
day was here. I had to hold back the tears a few times. I didn't
know what I was getting myself into, but I knew I was going to finish.
I wanted so bad to put one long time dream to rest today. So that is
what I thought about. Why I was there...finally?
I remember watching Ironman Hawaii with my Dad one weekend day in the
fall. I must have been about 10 or 11. We watched the whole thing
together just me and him. When it was over with I told him I wanted
to do that. He told me, "I don't think you do." From then on
I knew I was going to do it. Its funny how many people have that same
story. We saw the images on television. We picked up on how hard the
event is, how special it is. How it brings people together who may not
be inclined to even say hello while passing on the street in anytown
USA. But today, today we are friends, competitors, all out to make our
own story. Create something amazing to fill up one day in our life.
So here I was in the middle of the crowd of athletes. Getting emotional
and generally wondering how the day would finally unfold. It seemed
like it would be long at that moment in time. But before I knew it I
was on the beach with my friends Bill and Audra. Man it was good to
have them there. The cannon went off and 1,890 athlete's hit the water.
It was so cool running out into the waves of the Gulf until we
actually started to swim. I got elbowed in the right eye about 10 yards
into the swim and my goggles just filled with water. Man that burns.
I couldn't stop to empty it out for fear of getting drowned by the mass
of swimmers. After about 20 minutes I finally was able to empty my
goggles and swim comfortably.
I have never experienced a swim like that. It was the most brutal swim,
yet the most fun swim I've ever had. I was totally relaxed. I was
surrounded by a thousand people and I was having a blast. When we got
out to the far end of the swim course we were greeted by eight foot
seas. Man it was fun! My friend Bill actually got seasick twice. I
finished in 1:18 which was 2 minutes faster than I had hoped so I was
right on track.
I ran up the beach. The strippers yanked my wetsuit off and I ran up
to the fresh water showers. That's right showers! This is Ironman
baby. Ran to the transition area being cheered the entire way by crazy
fans. When I got there a volunteer handed me my cycling transition bag
and I ran into the changing tent. I changed and was on my bike ready
for the ride. Coming out of transition I saw my coach Eric and Audra's
husband Dave and her friend Laura. They were going nuts. I gave them
the thumbs up and rode away feeling proud.
The ride was crowded at first. My friend Bill caught up to me after
about an hour and we rode together for about four and a half hours!
That was very cool. The only problem was that we both over hydrated
and had to stop every 10 miles to go to the bathroom. What a bummer.
I didn't realize how much time we were wasting until the race was
over and found out that Audra smoked us on the Bike!
I looked at my watch after about two and a half hours on the bike and
was beginning to feel tired. I thought to my self, "Man this is
going to be long." I was taking it real easy on the bike because
I was so unsure of the Marathon. Then it starts to rain on us. And man
it was poring. The rain actually made me feel better for some reason.
It was kinda fun! It continued to rain for about 2 hours and I was
starting to concentrate more and more on eating, drinking and getting
in calories for the run. My friend Bill decided to take off. I thought
it was a bad idea to push it the last hour of the ride so I stayed
slow and steady. I didn't see him again until the run and he was
pretty far ahead. Damn!
I came upon a bridge at about 103 miles and I knew I was close. I saw
the 105 mile sign and man I was ready to get off my bike. My feet
were cold and swollen with water, my back was really sore and my butt
was sore for obvious reasons. On the home stretch of the bike the
wind was howling straight at us. "Man I can deal without a stong
headwind right now," I thought. I also passed about 15 people
with flats within two miles of the bike finish. What a bummer! I
decided to ride in the middle of the road and stay off the shoulder
because I just wanted to get off my bike and not prolong this any
longer with a silly flat tire. My butt hurt, my back hurt, I was
tired and I just wanted to start the run. I was thinking to my self
that I didn't want the run to take as long as the bike. That's a
long time to be out running.
So I hit the transition. The awesome volunteers valet my bike, nice!,
and I was off to the change tent. Took of my shoes, rung out my socks,
put on my nice warm shoes, grabbed my hat and I was off. I was feeling
pretty good too. Running out of the transition I finally saw my wife.
I was wondering where she was all day and I finally saw her and her
mother. They were cheering like crazy. Man I was happy, I now had most
of the race behind me and the hardest part ahead of me. I kept saying
to myself, "here comes the pain!" But I was looking forward
to it. I knew I wasn't going to feel good. I just welcomed it and was
glad that it was this hard, it was an Ironman. It was Awesome.
During an Ironman I think you wait the whole race just to get to the
marathon. That is where you will know for sure how your day is going
to be. Now it is just up to you and your legs. It's so simple. One
foot in front of the other. So that is what I did. One foot in front
of the other for the rest of the race. All the eating I did at the
tail end of the bike was not a good thing. My stomach was so full
that it was sloshing around like a keg at a frat party. I felt bad
for the first 12 miles.
Coming back to the finish line and 2nd lap turnaround I felt better.
I was half way through with the hard part. My stomach was better but
now my legs were getting tired. Too much of this plodding pace. I
could go faster but I couldn't today. I passed my wife and coach and
friends again and felt emotional inside. I don't know why? I guess
because you spend so much time for yourself to do this thing that
you've waited so long to do. Now, your there doing it and people who
care about you are there to share it with you. It's the best feeling
in the world.
Now came another thought, "Holy crap this is a long ways. I have
13.1 more miles to go and I'm running 12 minute miles. I have about 3
hours left. Am I going to make it?" Next thought, "Hell yeah
I'm gonna make it. I don't care what I have to do I spent too much
time to get here, too much hard work and too many lame weekends tired
after 5 hour training days. Just one foot in front of the other."
Heading out on the second lap I had an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
I was going out all by myself and I didn't know if I was going to make
it back. I knew I still had a long way to go and I just wanted to be
finished. I was tired, it was getting dark and I was still running.
By the time I got to the turnaround in the park I was in pitch black
darkness. I had a glow stick stuffed in the pocket of my shorts that
kept me company and you could hear people far off talking. I ran
across the championchip mat. It beeped and I thought to myself,
"Well now my time will be updated so my family will know I am
alright and still going."
I said to myself at mile twenty to just go two more miles. I went
those two. At mile twenty two I told myself to just go one more mile.
I went one more mile. At mile twenty three I told myself to go just
another mile. I finished that mile. At mile twenty four, I KNEW I
WAS GOING TO FINISH! I picked up my pace. Only two more miles and I
will be done, "thank god!" I don't know what happened but
all I rememeber is feeling great for the last two miles. I was
running fast. My heart rate was up to 155 and I was surprised. I
thought to myself that I should have tried this a long time ago.
But a long time ago I wasn't at mile twenty four.
Finally mile twenty five and I am absolutely cruising. I am passing
people left and right. They were probably thinking the same thing I
was, "Jackass should've gone a little harder a long time ago!"
I didn't care I felt awesome and I knew I was getting close. I passed
the last aid station and didn't get anything. People were starting to
gather by the side of the road. About a half mile out on a dark alley
of a road a lone guy said to me, "Man your looking good your
going to be an Ironman, go, go, go!" I burst into tears right
there like a little baby. Alone, haulin' ass and crying. What is wrong
with me. I was a psychologist wet dream at that moment.
I turned the last corner and saw the crowd and the lights. I felt the
weight of a years worth of waiting, training and worrying being
lifted from my shoulders. I was running on air. I passed my wife and
now they were really going nuts. I entered into the area with the most
fans and was shaking my fists in the air, the crowd liked it and went
crazy. I heard over the loud speakers, "Matt Roberts from High
Point, North Carolina, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" I broke the finish
tape with my hands in the air.
A volunteer caught me and had a concerned look in his eye. I loved
this person. A girl handed me my medal, put a finishers hat on my
head and handed me a finishers T-shirt. The volunteer asked me if
I was ok and I said, "I couldn't be better." He let me
go and I collapsed to the ground and cried. I was so happy. I was
done. The dream that began 18 years ago was laid to rest. Now I
had more room for more dreams.
I learned a lot that day. But the thing I love the most about that day
is not only what I learned from it. It is what I took away from it. I
still have these memories of the race that I think about. Some are
pictures that come to mind during the work day and some are
remembrances of the struggle that took place in my head. The thoughts
I had when I felt good, when I felt bad and when I felt really bad.
And the best remembrances are the feelings that I remember. There are
so many feelings during the race that it seems to be an all day long
overload of emotions. I rode the high for an entire week after the race.
However, I don't want to discount what I learned from my experience
with Ironman. Like I said before we have so much to learn about our
selves through self imposed struggle. One thing I learned is that the
harder the challenge you make for yourself the better you feel when
the challenge is laid to rest and the more you stand to learn from it.
Another thing I learned from Ironman is the power of, "I can"
and "I am". I know now that "I can" do anything
that I dream and "I am" what I choose to make myself.
So if I had one thing that I wish I could teach to everyone it would
be this: First, sign up for an Ironman then show up for the Ironman.
Second, dream big dreams, create big challenges, and teach yourself
that "you can" do anything you dream, and "you are"
the person that you choose to be.
-Matt Roberts Ironman Florida 2002 Finisher 13hrs 44mins
I guess here is where I put the credits. I want to thank my Colorado
friends Bill and Audra. Audra your the one that talked me into it,
thanks for the inspiration to take a chance. Bill thanks for being
my most steady training partner, camping partner, mountain bike
friend and just plain good ole buddy. Joe thanks for all the Emails
of encouragement and talking me back into it after I was going to
hang it all up and not go. You should've been there too. Spalding,
I just miss hanging out I know you are psyched for me. When you get
that MD thing nailed down why don't you come out and play again.
I'll go to any Ironman you want to do. I miss you all very much. My
new friends in NC, It's really hard moving to a new place and meeting
new people and trying to force your way into a group. Thanks for
letting me in with no resistance at all! (Dan B., Scott, Cheri, Mark,
and Dan J. Thanks!) You all made the long training bearable.
Now for my family. Mom and Dad you think I'm nuts, well your right,
but you also like me that way. Thanks for your support and genuine
concern for my safety. I love you both. Jason, you changed my life
by mistake and I thank you every day. Ben, I didn't know I could
make someone that proud. No one made me feel better than you. You
were with me the entire way and there when I needed you most.
Thank you! Coach Eric, only two years and look what you have done
for me. I will never, never forget. You have been a true friend and
someone I can look up to like my own big brother. Your passion for
triathlon shows in your dedication to your athletes and the
accomplishments you help them realize. Coaching Dreams has never
been a better truer tag line for any company. Thank you for getting
me to where I wanted to go. And lastly I want to thank my wife. She
put up with me through it all, an entire year of putting up with my
tired cranky self. You always came to the rescue and were truly my
biggest fan. You knew how much this meant to me and helped me follow
through. With out you I would not be who I am today. I attribute all
my successes to the fact that you believed in me when noone else did.
You are the sweetest, smartest and toughest person I know and I missed
you the entire time I was training. You were my most consistent thought
just as you are my most consistent friend. I love you. (and thanks for
not laughing when I walk around the house wearing my finishers hat
t-shirt and medal!!!)
Now I want to pass the torch to anyone who read this whole damn thing.
Thank you for your endurance. If you got this far, and were truly
interested in the story and have never done an Ironman. I think now
it is your time to shine. I want to hear your story.