Coach Diablo is always rattling on about the “peaks and valleys” of Ironman. In fact, I think he tweeted about them no less than THREE times just last week!
Most of the time I try to ignore these tips – preferring to picture myself on a high-altitude Tibetan plateau without so much as a drainage ditch in sight (let alone an actual valley).
But sometimes I’m brought back to the ups-and-downs of reality, or in the case of last weekend, the rolling hills of Louisville, Kentucky.
My weekend started with a minor “dip in the road” when a leaky washing machine pipe left my downstairs neighbor with an unexpected new indoor waterfall. This could have been a major problem, but my neighbor is pretty awesome and luckily, all my bright green and yellow Dynamo Multisport outfits were already clean. All it took was a quick call to the plumber and I was on the road to Louisville worry free.
Once I got to Derby City things really started to get good! A quick swim and delicious breakfast with my U of L super swimmer friend Steph made for a great morning. And the anticipation filled days before an Ironman are always some of my favorites.
Steph and I - We carpooled to swim practice way back in the day!
The swim start was a bit hectic. Getting a good spot in line involved a VERY early wake-up call; like 3 am early. And there were still 100+ people in front of us! I had a small goggle snafu that left me struggling to sight the buoys on the 2.4 mile course, but I still posted a pretty solid time (thank you Coach Maria)!
My feelings on the bike kind of mirrored the hilly race course– low moments punctuated by absolute elation when I would pass all the Dynamo fans on the course. The support along the 112 mile ride was seriously incredible.
I started the 26.2 mile run feeling really great. I was running strong and keeping things under control. But somewhere in the middle I decided to do some calorie-deficit-induced cliff diving and found myself plunging into a bottomless pit. I wasn’t just in a valley – it was the Mariana Trench! I was a little worried I was going to spend the rest of the “run” clawing my way, inch-by-inch, in the general direction of the finish line, but after downing several handfuls of pretzels, things took a serious turn for the better. Spurred on by the salty goodness and some well timed cheers, I went on to my strongest Ironman finish ever.
The peak kept climbing as I reunited with my teammates and friends, celebrated with some adult beverages, and returned to the line to watch the late-night finishers. If the race doesn’t humble you – watching people cross the line just before midnight will!
El Diablo was right – Ironman is a day of highs and lows. I still have lots to learn, but last weekend, the peaks definitely far outweighed the valleys.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who encouraged me along the way – on the sidelines, in the race, online, and at home. The support was overwhelming and it means more than I can express in either words or stick figures. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Now onward to Hawaii.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay H.C.!!! So proud of you!!! One more ironman and then off to come visit
“I still posted a pretty solid time” …. Ummmm by pretty solid time you mean the FASTEST OF THE DAY!!!!! So awesome!
The day I swim a 49 will be the day the Ironman swim is changed to 1.5 miles
Awesome job out there – I’ll be pulling for you all the way in Kona!